27Feb / 2015

Izakaya Naru – Honolulu, HI

Have you been to Izakaya Naru? They’ve been around for a few years but exist in a bit of a non-descript location. They are located in the same building as Sushi King but when they first opened, they had like no signage. I didn’t even know they were a restaurant until I noticed customers inside as the door opened and closed. I seriously thought it was some kind of secret society, lol. This is a sweet place run by sweet Japanese people. Their crowd is a mix of locals and Japanese tourists, they are very artistic. Their menu is handwritten by the staff and if you make a reservation, they hand write your name on a sign. Very nice and personalized touch. The lighting in the place is a bit dim so I apologize in advance for the dark pictures!

Garlic Fried Rice with Squid – $9.50

The rice was definitely tasty and I liked the little crispy rice on top. Just a bit of a small portion for $10.

Salmon Carpaccio – I think this was a special for the day. It was good but not something I would order again.

Gyoza Pizza – $8.50

This is one of their signature dishes. Very interesting concept. It’s pretty much the gyoza skin as the crust, topped with gyoza filling and cheese and baked. I think this dish is okay but not great. Definitely something to try once to say you tried it but not something I would want again.

Shoyu Pork Belly – $9.75

First of all, what’s up with the egg?! Japanese restaurants are the very place I expect the egg to be cooked on point. The gray ring was disappointing, not that it stops me from eating it. The pork belly was not great, it definitely could have been more tender than it was. Felt very dry, good thing had the fat to help out the dryness. I wouldn’t order this again.

Okinawan Sweet Potato & Mochi Ice Cream Parfait – $7.00

Very interesting dessert. I was not a fan at first but I really did enjoy the sweet potato mochi. The title of the dish was a bit deceiving, it’s actually sweet potato mochi so don’t be like me and start looking for separate mochi. They added frosted flakes cereal on the side which really threw me off. It did not go with the dessert and the dessert did not need that. I do actually want the mochi again so that’s a plus.

This is definitely not one of my favorite izakayas. I guess I should try some other dishes next time because the staff are really nice! I had a really nice and refreshing drink and I can’t remember it! Maybe that’s a good excuse to give them one more try…

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25Feb / 2015

Sunny Side – Wahiawa, HI

Everytime my cousin comes home to stay, we always play tourists. It’s a nice change of pace and it gives me an excuse to pig out in the North Shore side. I wanted to share a recent breakfast at Sunny Side, they offer some great food and pie! Nice local owned small mom and pop type shop. Isn’t there a street in Wahiawa that is supposed to have Cherry Blossoms? Does anyone know if this street still exists? I would love to visit it if it does!

Fried Rice Special – delicious! The boys love it.

Portuguese Sausage, Eggs and Rice. I think they ran out of the fried rice special so we had to get this as a substitute!

Their famous Blueberry Cream Pie. Connie’s favorite! Although, that’s probably just canned blueberry pie filling huh? Still good though!

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23Feb / 2015

Sumo Drive-Inn & Catering – Honolulu, HI

I was surprisingly active this past weekend. After weekends of just lounging about lazily, I did some shopping both Saturday and Sunday. I hadn’t been to Waikele in a while so I headed out there on Sunday. I went right when they opened so I scored some good parking on both sides. The traffic going in was horrendous, I guess they’re doing some crazy road work over the weekends heading West. I was all mad driving when I saw two mopeds cruising along. Of course, no helmets. There were cops all over so I was hoping they were getting pulled over. Dangerous for them to be on the freeway!

Anyhoo, our office is always on the look out for new catering options for the different events we run. When Sumo Drive-Inn and Catering opened nearby in the old HK’s spot (you folks remember that place?), we had to check it out! Their bento selection and prices are INSANELY cheap. We went during their soft opening and enjoyed their bentos quite a bit so we are already in business with them for our next event. We also learned that days after we did our office taste test, they have raised their prices. I definitely don’t blame them and whatever price they raised it will probably still be a great deal. I can’t see them raising the prices THAT much. Their website still has all the old prices but there’s no way a place can stay in business with these portions and prices. You’ll see what I mean soon enough…I’ll be listing the prices we paid.

Regular Bento A ($5.00) – Hoki, Fried Chicken (a whole thigh!), Luncheon Meat, Hot Dog and Egg

Regular Bento B ($5.00) – 2 pcs Fried Chicken, Egg, Luncheon Meat, and Hot Dog

This is the bento I got! Yes, two whole thighs! When I see fried chicken as part of a bento, I assume just nuggets of fried chicken. I was pleasantly surprised to find thighs in here! My complaint was that the chicken was a bit saltier than I would have liked, other than that, I enjoyed it!

Regular Bento C ($5.00) – Teri Beef, Fried Chicken, Egg and Luncheon Meat

Regular Bento D ($5.00) – Mochiko Chicken, Egg, Luncheon Meat and Hot Dog

Regular Bento E ($5.00) – Hoki, Mochiko Chicken and Egg

Keiki Bento E ($4.00) – 2 pcs Maki Sushi, 1 pc Cone Sushi, Hot Dog, Hoki (half piece), and choice of Mochiko Chicken or 1 pc Fried Chicken (which would be the whole thigh again!). What a deal!!! This diner chose mochiko chicken.

Yokozuna Bento ($8.00) – 5 pcs Maki Sushi, 1 pc Cone Sushi, Mochiko Chicken, Hoki, Teri Beef, Hot Dog, Egg and Luncheon Meat

What a deal! I should have gotten this one! I would next time, I love that their bentos comes with the choice of maki sushi and cone sushi. We talked to the manager when we were there and he mentioned that when they fully open – they will have a daily menu of over 40 plates to order. I’m pretty stoked to have a place like this by work again – especially on days I just have to get away from on-campus offerings.

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20Feb / 2015

Happy Friday!

I cockroached two pictures from my cousin to share with you. I am completely jealous of the snow she gets to see and play with in Chicago! And I really enjoy cold weather so I think I am living in the wrong place. But I love the people in Hawaii so much that I will continue to live here. Oh and the food in Hawaii too…hehe. I hope you folks have a wonderful Aloha Friday!

Ahhh….

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19Feb / 2015

Random Updates

I am scheduling this post a few days early so I hope that by the time this publishes, I am booked for my trip. There is a really cheap flight right now for my trip and I would love to book it but I haven’t found a hotel or apartment to stay yet. It’s pretty hard to pull the trigger. I haven’t done any planning for the trip which makes me even more afraid! But Japan is great, and I have been there once so it shouldn’t be too bad. I’m excited for the cooler weather and sakura!!

Here’s just a random updates post. And what does it center around? Food of course.

Win-Spuntino Linguine Clam Sauce – $10.25

Look at all those clams! Yes, it’s worth it. Yes, it was good. Felt a bit clammy afterwards though, get it??

Koa Pancake House Scottish Bangers Plate – $6.55

Have you ever had Scottish Bangers before? The first time I tried it was at Anna Miller’s and I’ve been fan ever since. There’s something about the seasoning that I like but I’m not quite sure what those seasonings are!

Tango Cafe Crab Hash Benedict – $12.25

Tango Cafe Gravlax Pytt i Panna – $10.50

This was my recent breakfast. It includes red and green bell peppers, house-cured salmon, potatoes, and sunny side up eggs. I thought it was good but I guess I’m not a “meat” and potatoes kind of girl. I like breakfast with rice!

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17Feb / 2015

Döner Shack – Downtown, HI

Sometimes I get a hankering for Greek food that I just can’t shake. I love lamb, I love tzatziki sauce and I just love all Greek flavors. Döner Shack is located in downtown and has gotten great reviews on Yelp so I decided to give it a try! I saw their rice plates on the page and I was so excited. Then I was super disappointed when I tasted it. Let me explain…

Chicken Shawarma Rice Plate – $7.50

Lamb Rice Plate $7.50

Everything could have been so perfect, but you (rice) ruined it. The salad was perfect, crisp and refreshing. Great dressing that had a bit of tang but nothing too sour. The lamb was perfectly cooked and seasoned, looks dry in the picture but it wasn’t. The garlic yogurt sauce on top – great! The rice? Here’s what I don’t get in restaurants. How do you mess up rice? This rice was not only undercooked but I could tell it was cooked with too little water. The rice was CRUNCHY. Made me question if they even cooked it at all. It was such a disappointment. I assume I went on an off day because they get such high reviews. It’s hard to get to downtown so I don’t know if I will try this again anytime soon!

Why oh why!!! This döner was a downer (sorry…).

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15Feb / 2015

Cafe Miro – Waialae, HI

Another entry to share my dining experience at Cafe Miro. This visit was not as great as the first visit, we had a better table but not great service. Although, the waiters tend to work all tables so you’re getting served by everyone. I guess it was just the waiter who took our order that I wasn’t a fan of. Our table was located in the middle of the restaurant so I was able to observe everyone around us. That’s entertainment in itself! There was a young couple to the side of us, the female was pretty meek. The male was a bit loud and flashy. He seemed like he was trying to impress her, I could hear his voice all night but not her voice. But it could be because she had a soft speaking voice. Anyway, I watched as they were served all night with different dishes and drinks…he went the ala carte route. So they are winding down on the meal and finishing dessert with coffee when another table leaves. He calls a waiter over and I swear to you, he asks to get moved to their table! He says something like, I’d paid so much money tonight, I want the better table. I couldn’t believe it. This guy was DONE with his meal, he was minutes away from leaving so why move tables now?? Anyway, the restaurant couldn’t comply because they had people waiting for tables. Sorry for the rant but that guy really irked me. Onto the food!

Amuse-bouche. Not sure why they call it this when it’s supposed to be a bite of food? This was the same cold red pepper soup as last time. Maybe I was hungry because I thought it tasted good this time…haha

Beef Tataki Starter – delish!

Pate de Campagne – Country style pork pate cornichons and tossed salad

This is my starter and I don’t really know why I went this route. This appetizer wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great. I’m somehow into all these different types of meat and pate, I think I like the taste of liver and am aware I may be in the minority in this.

Rib Eye Steak with Daikon Fusion Sauce

Gosh, I think this is what my friend got. Sorry if that is wrong. I just remember he asked to up the size and they did and then charged us the ala carte price. Good thing I chinese and check everything.

Roasted Young Chicken With Morel Mushroom Cream Sauce

Ahhhh, I love this dish. I’m not one that usually chooses chicken over anything. Especially since I could get steak for the same price! But this chicken is so good. The chicken is cooked perfectly and the morel mushroom cream sauce are what dreams are made of. I need to learn how to make this!

Assorted Desserts Platter

You get to choose between this or the Fruit and Cheese Platter, my previous post explains why I will always stick to the assorted desserts! It is so good! The chocolate mousse, the creme brulee, and the sorbet in the edible bowl. Perfect dessert.

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13Feb / 2015

Happy Friday!

Yes, today is Friday the 13th. But I know you’ll have a good day, I can just feel it! Did that work? I hope so. I went to the Ala Moana food court this past weekend and wow, it looks great! I haven’t been in there in forever but the renovations looked great! Ala Moana has such a great food court, I should go there more often. The parking and construction at Ala Moana is just so atrocious that I try to avoid them at all costs. I know Foodland closed down but I didn’t realize Sanrio closed down too! That’s super sad. The mall sure is changing. Sorry for that random rant, especially since my post has nothing to do with Ala Moana or the food court…lol. Just a post with random updates again!

Oops. This was a plate from the Pearlridge Food Court – Hanalei Chicken Company. I wonder if they are owned by Lahaina Chicken Company? Probably not, it’s probably a play off of it. The plate was pretty good. Nothing great but definitely good and I would order it again. This one has roast pork with gravy and fried chicken.

Sometimes I get a hankering for cold soba salad. It’s really something I slap together for lunch at work. And I cook like a whole week’s worth of lunches and I get super sick of it. I definitely don’t eat it plain like this, I add Kewpie’s Goma dressing to it. Definitely pretty healthy and the wakame will clear your system right out!

I’ve been on an Acai kick lately. I honestly would like to know where to go to get the most authentic one. These two were from Jamba Juice at UH Manoa. Very different ways to put them together…very different tastes. And I thought I had ordered the same thing! The kids there don’t even know which acai bowl has what ingredients. I’m confused enough as it is! I would not recommend getting it here because it was just TOO tasty. I felt like I was just eating one of their smoothies which must mean a super high sugar count. I do love myself fresh fruit though…

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11Feb / 2015

Hokkaido Santouka Ramen – Ala Moana, HI

Hokkaido Santouka Ramen fix satisfied! I can’t choose my favorite ramen place because they all serve such different types of broth and noodles. Hokkaido Santouka is definitely perfect for the days that you want more of a creamy broth. My friend had a coupon for free toppings so obviously we had to go, even if the coupon was worth 50 cents…lol.

Shio Chashu Ramen – free bamboo upgrade!

Kara Miso Chashu Ramen

My bowl of noodles! I usually don’t enjoy miso ramen but this is the only one on the menu that I can get spicy so I go for it. I enjoy it very much. This time, I asked for firm noodles. My friend said she felt like it just tasted undercooked. I thought it tasted great, because I enjoy firmer noodles. Then as they sit in the broth, they still remain somewhat al dente. Yummmm….

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09Feb / 2015

Gyukaku Japanese BBQ – Kaneohe, HI

Gyukaku has been in Hawaii for a while now and I really enjoyed it when they first opened. It was an upscale yakiniku joint that offered good food and good service! I can’t help but notice how it has fallen in the past few years. Not that they’re terrible now but they’re definitely not as good as their hayday. They have also changed up the menu for the worse…we dined there over the holiday break and it was disappointing.

Warming up…I went during lunchtime so they offer a set that comes with soup and salad.

How can a dish sound so good but come out so bad? This is their garlic noodles, they cook it in the kitchen. Can you see how burnt some of these noodles are? Terrible, hard to enjoy when half the dish is not edible.

Can’t go wrong with wrapping something in bacon. We loved it. Wish they had soaked the toothpicks in water or whatever the trick is, they all caught on fire which made it hard to cook the actual food.

Some of our meat dishes. Sorry, I can’t remember everything we ordered. I’m just glad we were there during happy hour so we got these dishes for a good price.

Smores. This was a cute and fun dessert for the kids. I do miss their old dessert though. They would serve up mini pancakes you would heat up on the grill that you ate with ice cream and maple syrup. It was delicious! I wish they still sold that. Well, this meal was pricey and I don’t think it was worth it. If you want yakiniku, maybe it’s best you head off to one of those all you can eat joints.

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maybeitsjenny

Monthly Archives: February 2015

Izakaya Naru – Honolulu, HI

Sunny Side – Wahiawa, HI

Sumo Drive-Inn & Catering – Honolulu, HI

Happy Friday!

Random Updates

Döner Shack – Downtown, HI

Cafe Miro – Waialae, HI

Happy Friday!

Hokkaido Santouka Ramen – Ala Moana, HI

Gyukaku Japanese BBQ – Kaneohe, HI