I don’t get to visit Windward too often but when I do, I do enjoy trying the different eateries out there! I tried Pho My Vi for the first time the other week and really enjoyed it! The service was good (well it was a young man and he definitely did not want to be at work but he was still a good server), I enjoyed the food! Prices for the appetizers were a bit higher but I think the pho was an incredible value. The medium size was huge!
Spring Rolls (2pcs) | $7.95
Spring rolls tasted good, do I think two spring rolls for $8.00 is a good deal? No.
Beef Salad | $15.95 Citrus infused sliced rib eye served with romaine lettuce, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion flakes, crushed peanuts, chinese parsley, tossed in Chef’s lime and pineapple specialty dressing.
Anytime I see beef salad on the menu, I just gotta try it! Pho 777 still has the best on the island, hands down. I don’t love visiting Pho 777 because it’s a bit run down and I question the cleanliness but you can’t beat their beef salad. The beef salad here was good, not great.
Combination Pho (Medium) | $12.75
I enjoyed my bowl of pho! I think they are generous with the meats and noodles, I felt quite satisfied after dining here! They have the hot chili sauce I like too (the one with the chili oil). Give them a try if you are feeling like pho and in Kaneohe!
I don’t think I need to tell you about The Pig and the Lady nor do I need to share about Piggy Smalls? Right? Well, I honestly haven’t been to The Pig and the Lady just yet but absolutely have been to Piggy Smalls a few times and loved it for both lunch and dinner. My previous post was dinner, this post will focus on lunch. Both meal times have their perks but I think I might favor lunch a bit more…let me share why…
Seasonal Slushy (Strawberry!) | $4.50
Finally! A seasonal flavor I can get behind! Strawberry! Nice refreshing drink, perfect for a hot day.
They are known for their LF Chicken Wings, and yes, many tables were ordering them! But somehow, I felt more veggie that day (word?). Well, I had no regrets getting the cauliflower, absolutely none. And honestly, you only get like 4 chicken wings. Look at this platter of cauliflower goodness. I am salivating just looking at it, and it was lightly breaded and deep fried so the cauliflower totally soaked up the money sauce. I could eat this as an entree with rice, well almost…but not when the next dish exists…
Pho-strami Banh Mi | $16.00 +$4 add noodles all day smoked beef brisket, pickled mustard seeds, sriracha-lime onions, awesome sauce, on la tour baguette with a side of our signature pho broth & farm salad
I was being pretty good during this meal. I actually shared this entree, could I finish it in one sitting? Probably not, but I sure as heck could hoard the other half of the sandwich for a really luscious snack later. This beef brisket is fatty/juicy and tender…I mean…this is my perfect sandwich. The baguette is a little hard (that’s what she said) but you gotta have the crusty french bread right? And the bowl of pho noodles on the side? THERE IS NO WRONG WITH THIS DISH. I wish this sandwich was available during dinner, nope…it’s only during lunch. Anyone want to take me out to lunch?
Okay, it’s been a while since I’ve posted about Wagaya but I still feel like a broken record. I think I already shared that Wagaya is my favorite ramen restaurant right now, it still is. Although…I hardly eat ramen now, not quite sure why. Well, I got to eat there again last week and am happy to share that the food is still great!
Chili Cucumbers | $3.75 (Happy Hour), $4.50 (Regular Price) Japanese cucumbers with chili pepper and chili oil.
I have a thing for cucumbers, if you are a regular visitor to this blog, you know I will try everyone’s cucumber dish. This was delicious! Each piece of cucumber was seasoned well, that’s quite hard to do with fresh raw cucumbers! The nori was a bit salty so I recommend eating those pieces with the cucumber. Wait a minute, that’s what I did, so maybe that’s why the cucumbers were so seasoned. Hmm, okay eat each cucumber with nori. Hahaha
Garlic Tsukemen (spicy level 3) | $13.95 Thick chilled noodles with savory tsukemen broth kicked up with garlic.
Garlic Wagaya Ramen (Kuro) | $13.25 Our classic tonkotsu broth is kicked up a notch with garlic.
My regular stand-by. Love it, I think I got spicy level 2 because I am frankly getting old and can’t handle spice like I used to. I also don’t want to suffer as I’m trying to enjoy my food. Well, level 2 was pretty weak sauce so I think I may go to level 3 again next time which negates the whole talk about me being too old for spicy foods but it’s all good. Beautiful broth. Perfectly cooked egg. It just all WORKS. Trust me.
Sometimes, you just gotta eat. You don’t want to cook and you just want to eat some good ole American Breakfast. IHOP is just that. Yup, I read the reviews beforehand (spoiler alert: they aren’t great) but I figured I could get some not terrible food. Was it good? Ehh…food was alright. A bit pricey if you ask me. The service was a bit inattentive because it was a bit busy, would I return? Well, not anytime soon.
Appetizer Sampler | $12.99 Mozza Sticks, Onion Rings & Crispy Chicken Strips served with marinara & choice of honey mustard or ranch.
Philly Cheese Steak Stacker | $13.49 Signature favorite is stacked with grilled Philly sirloin steak and thinly sliced onion, then topped with melted American cheese on a perfectly grilled roll.
Country Fried Steak & Eggs | $16.99 Get an 8 oz. fried beef steak smothered in country or sausage gravy, then served with two eggs*, hash browns and two buttermilk pancakes.
This was my entree, sorry I didn’t get a picture of the pancakes! This was just alright. The country fried steak was breaded heavily and deep fried too long, so it was too hard for my liking and not enough gravy to soften it. The eggs were cooked perfectly, there are hash browns hiding underneath the country fried steak. Wouldn’t recommend it, you can get better CFS at other restaurants.
Yakiniku Korea House is a great Korean restaurant in Moilili. They have great lunch specials and I enjoy their menu because to me it’s more authentic Korean food versus a localized version. They even have the Yukhoe raw beef dish I love! Well, I haven’t tried it here because no one is willing to eat it with me and I can’t eat the serving all by myself and I’m going to assume they would not let me take it home. Ugh, third world problems.
Pork with Potato Stew (serves 2) | $29.95
Here’s a dish I got recently, big soup ready to feed 2-3 people. I like how it boils up in front of you, let it cook down some more at the table so the meat gets more fall off the bone and the potatoes get softer. Kinda spicy (I mean look at it!) but a great way to sweat out some toxins!
We got five complimentary ban chans; seasoned bean sprouts, seasoned acorn jelly, traditional kimchee, mac salad, and a more fresh water kimchee? They don’t explain it but I enjoyed the traditional kimchee more. They did refill our banchan when we asked.
HOWEVER, apparently rice is not free refills. They charge $2.00 for an extra bowl of rice! Hmm…not a fan of that charge. She didn’t let us know it cost extra either and it’s not like it’s the fancy mixed rice, it’s just plain white rice. I think when you cough up the dough for a big soup dish, the rice should be complimentary!
Tangö Contemporary Café has been a favorite of ours for quite a few years. Absolutely love their food including dessert (which I don’t always partake in). The service is great, awesome free parking, and of course the food is good. I would recommend calling in a reservation beforehand, they don’t get crazy busy but when I called twice within a month, the whole restaurant was closed for a private party. Let’s get to the food!
Salmon Board | $13.00 Gravlax, Smoked Salmon Rillette, Roasted Garlic and Herb Labneh, Pickled Cucumber, Rye Bread
I know there’s supposed to be a difference in the two salmons but it tastes the same to me? (shoulder shrug emoji). I feel like this dish has changed from the first time we got it, in a good way! It used to come with a certain bread I wasn’t a fan of. I like the crispy salmon skin too! Perfectly crisp.
House-Smoked Duck Breast and Duck Leg Croquet | $27.00 Herb Polenta, Balsamic Demi Glace
I decided to try something different this night. My usual go-to dishes include the lamb (YUM!) or the beef short-ribs…how was this dish? It was okay, not great but not bad. It looks better than it tastes I think, left me wanting some Chinatown Roast Duck. I’m also not a great fan of the polenta – wish it was a bit creamier.
Grilled New York Steak, Kauai Shrimp | $29.00 Garlic Roasted Potato, Peppercorn Demi Glace
This is my friend’s go-to dish, and how can you go wrong? Steak and Shrimp? Delicious! I’ve tried it and it is great!
Kona Coffee Ice Cream Cake | $7.00 Kona Coffee, Vanilla and Italian Chocolate Ice Cream with Chiffon Cake
One of my favorite desserts in a restaurant. Simple choice but sooo good. The flavors just work so well together and I really enjoy the lightness of the chiffon cake against the rich ice cream. If you like the taste of coffee, you will love this dessert!
Yard House is a good ole American restaurant to me. A great selection of food and drinks, I don’t come here for stellar service or atmosphere but do enjoy the food! This post includes dishes from two visits, the second visit…to my dismay was the Saturday of Saint Patrick’s Day weekend. Yeah, I didn’t realize that until after I put in my wait-list request on their website. Also due to this fact, I think my wait time was still 2 hours. The initial wait time was 1.5 hours so I arrived then and was still given a buzzer to wait for about 20-30 mins more. I think this was due to Saint Patty’s day so I won’t poo poo their system just yet. Let’s get to the food!!
Sunset Sangria | $11.50 new amsterdam vodka, aperol, la perlina moscato, citrus agave, passion fruit, seven falls rapids red blend, strawberries, black cherry, pineapple, mint
Okay, there was some confusion when I first put this drink order in. They have this Sunset Sangria and a Sunkissed Sangria. Well I order Sunset and our waiter decided not to write orders down (why do waiters do this) and kept repeating back Sunkissed to me…and it was just confusing. I got the right drink in the end so cheers to his memory. It was delicious. Sangria is always delicious.
Out of all the dishes on the menu, this is one of my go-to’s. If not, the dish I always order. I know what you’re thinking, a turkey burger? Really, Jenny? Yes, really. They really nailed down a great recipe for their turkey burger, I prefer it over any burger any day. Everything just works in this burger, it’s delicious. I even let my kid brother try this burger and he then loved it too. A kid liked it, just try it.
Clam Chowder | $3.75 (add-on for Turkey Burger)
Eh, it was okay. A bit salty but I felt like something soupy that night. I usually actually get their Tomato Bisque which I enjoy a lot but felt like the chowder that night. I can’t say $3.75 is a good price, especially if you get the tomato bisque.
Mini Trio Sampler | $11.25 cheesecake brûlée, peach apple cobbler, chocolate soufflé cake
This was a nice selection to share! I gotta say we were pretty stuffed so we didn’t enjoy the dessert as much as we should have. Biggest surprise, my favorite dessert was the peach apple cobbler. It was delicious!! I think if I were to order dessert again, I would just get the full serving of a peach apple cobbler. Hmm, I’ve been into cobbler lately…may have a recipe to share soon-ish.
Signature Prime Steak & Seafood is a great restaurant with an awesome view in Ala Moana. I’ve celebrated a few holidays here and whew, I hope you save up if you want to have a good meal here. But what’s great about Signature is…they have a pretty good Happy Hour too! Decided to come early on a weekday to try it out. We came by like 5pm because we heard it gets pretty busy for Happy Hour, and that was true, we got one of the last tables!
Ahi Poke | $12.50 (Happy Hour)
This was good! Nicely seasoned, nice pieces of fish. I enjoyed the addition of avocado. Would have loved some rice with it but there I go being too asian again.
Rustic Truffle Mashed Potatoes (add-on to Prime Rib Eye) | $3.00
Your eyes aren’t fooling you here. Yes, it was only $3 as an add-on to our steak. Pretty generous serving and truffle? Well, I have a thing for truffles so I am all win for this.
Garlic Fries | $7.50 (Happy Hour)
These are one of the best garlic fries I have ever tried. Subtle garlic flavor and very snack-able sized fries. They weren’t too thick nor too thin and was perfectly fried, yes, recommend!!
12 oz. Prime Rib Eye | $25.00 (Happy Hour)
This alone is worth it for Happy Hour. How am I going to drag myself to eat a regular steak in the restaurant for regular price (at least double the cost) when this definitely sufficed. The taste and quality was there, dang, do I have to do senior citizen dinner times for life?
I couldn’t resist. I was still kind of hungry after our food and had get this. A seafood trio for $9.50 sounded like a steal for me. I predicted that it would just be one piece of seafood for each because of the cheap price, I was kind of right! They did give two slices of ahi though, score! The ahi has a sort of wasabi/horseradish cream sauce on it. I enjoyed it! I enjoyed all three and would definitely order this again.
Have you ever tried Peruvian food? My first experience with it was for a dish I made for a cook-off about a year ago. I combined Rotisserie Chicken with a Peruvian Huacatay Salsa which now that I think of it, was quite a risk. I had never tried the sauce before but it came out delicious! I didn’t win the cook-off but it certainly made me a fan of Peruvian food.
Imagine my excitement when I got to try a Peruvian restaurant right here in Hawaii! Mimi’s Place is located on Keeaumoku across from Walmart, let’s check out the food!
Cancha | Peruvian Corn Nuts
Complimentary snack before your food comes out! I can’t say I’m a fan myself, I don’t like corn nuts in general. It’s a bit too hard for my liking but I think if this is your type of thing, you would love it!
Empanadas | $9.00 Home-made traditional empanadas
Mmm…empanadas. Mmm…deep fried meaty goodness. Tasted great! Interesting take? It’s topped with confectioner’s sugar. Huh? I didn’t expect that, is that a thing? I can’t say the sugar did much to influence the taste either…but it was fine!
Ceviche Barrio | $19.00 House ceviche with a spicy lime marinade. Topped with fried seafood.
I have never eaten raw mahi mahi before. I know, I know…the mahi is technically “cooked” through the acid of the ceviche. I’m still gonna say it’s raw…with swimmer’s skin…lol. I enjoyed the dish! So nice and refreshing, I would recommend it!
Seco De Carne (Lamb Style) | $21.00 Slow-cooked traditional cilantro lamb stew
This should tick all my boxes. Sorry, it didn’t. Would have loved the lamb to be fall off the bone kine tender…was kind of dry and stringy. I’m not a fan of beans so that’s off my radar there. And yes, it was $21 for that one piece of meat. Sorry, I don’t plan to order this dish again.
Arroz Con Pollo | $17.00 Traditional slow-cooked cilantro rice with chicken
YAY…okay I will say…I love that cilantro plays a big part in their cooking. For those who hate cilantro, I don’t think the cilantro flavor is strong at all. And even if there is cilantro, it’s cooked down in the dishes so you won’t get the strong raw cilantro flavor anyway. I just love braised chicken thighs…and this was nicely flavored…and cilantro rice? Well, I’ll just keep my mouth open and you can shovel it straight in. Delicious. I would recommend this dish!
Parking? Hmm, a bit tricky. I don’t think they are part of the Samsung Plaza’s vendors (that lot is a nightmare anyway!). My friend parked at Ross and decided to buy something to get validation. I am Chinese and parked at Walmart – break the rules and no have to buy anything. Hahaha just try to park more creatively (i.e. probably not first floor).
Our division at work had a Tea Party the other week! This tea party was a cook-off competition with the proceeds going towards a charity. I always try to participate in the cook-off to support a good cause and of course the competition itself! With the help of a few colleagues, we did a great job! Actually, we won the best savory category! I had an idea for this dish and yes it’s been done before but I never executed myself before.
We made salad in won ton cups, finger food perfect for the tea party! I was a bit particular about this dish. I wanted the won ton cups to be perfectly light and crisp…and the won ton pi they sell in stores are generally too thick. So, I made a trek out to Chinatown because Yat Tung Chow Noodle Factory has an “extra thin and extra small for soup” won ton pi. LOL…I went into this not knowing what to expect. Well it was cheap and the customer service was stellar (just kidding about the second part). Well the pi worked out great! It fits perfectly in the mini muffin tins and it is thinner than most pi so it worked perfectly for my recipe. Check out the pics below! I’ll post the various dishes from the cook-off too!
Asian Crunch Bites Any suggestions for a new name? Haha…salad in a cup didn’t sound too great. But this name is a bit too ambiguous.
Best Sweets Winner! Look at how beautiful this dessert is! Tasted great too! Definitely a worthy winner.
Wagashi
I have to give this contestant SO MUCH CREDIT. Sorry to the sweets winner, but I voted for this dessert as the winner. This person made these wagashi sweets all by hand and I’m sorry I don’t have all the pictures but she made different fruit shapes for each (the effort, food coloring, etc.!). The time and effort put in…is amazing. I grabbed this one. And yes, she individually packaged each one too!
