Chan and I went over to a friend’s house for mochi making before the New Year. This is the first time I’ve ever been to one and wow…they have a freaking system for it! More like 4 systems, look at those mochi makers! They make a whole bunch to share with friends and family. I was a part of the assembly line to shape the mochi. They even bought a new contraption this year that also cuts the mochi down to size! What an efficient process!
Mini Garden Express Roast Duck & Chicken on Rice | $15.50
I haven’t been to Mini Garden Express in such a long time. We used to go to Ranch 99 all the time because they just had so much options for meals. Do we really need another Home Depot so close to the one in Iwilei? I don’t think so. Or could Home Depot have considered my feelings and kept the food court at the bottom and just built on top of it (lol)? Anyway, came here the other weekend to grab dinner. My god, the prices. I mean if I think about it objectively now, I guess this is actually a good price. You’re getting roast duck and shoyu chicken and roast duck is not cheap nowadays. They don’t make the best roast duck but it’s good enough. I used to get it with fried rice but I didn’t want to pay the additional $3, I’m broke right now okay? LOL.
Christmas calls for a prime rib. Prime rib is so crazy expensive, I think this hunk of meat which wasn’t even that big cost me upwards of $83. It gets gobbled down so fast that I wish I just baked a chuck roast hahaha nah nah. Gotta do it up at least once a year. The cooking method is perfect as always – and because I was tired and lazy, I didn’t even do the slits with garlic inside and it still turned out good. Now I can be even lazier.
4 mochi makers????!!!! Stepping in to professional category now! Did they do multiple batches? My family uses 2 and they play cards between sessions while the rice is cooking. Talk about lazy, I never attend but happy to accept a bag and I love mochi!
We used to do crab legs and prime rib for New Year’s Eve but somehow my sister cut out the prime rib past couple of years. Booo. And she always hosts the family dinners. Maybe that’s the hint that I should do the prime rib BUT I am the one usually buying the crab legs, although my mom offers to pay for half.
yah, missing the food court at 99 ranch. Thanks for reminding me about this place, we used to love the minute chicken or oyster sauce chicken.
Right?? They had all four going…multiple times! I didn’t even keep count! We just ate and watched football in between.
Maybe you can buy the hunk of prime rib and give it to your sister to cook lol. I’m sure she would enjoy that she didn’t have to pay for it lol. But wait, crab legs way more expensive!
If you ever out near the airport, go mini garden!
I actually had planned to go on Friday to pick up lunch but a co-worker said Lagoon Chinese Restaurant was better to I went there instead. I’ve been there many times and heard it’s related to Lam’s Kitchen in town. It was good but now I want to compare with Mini Garden.
My neighbor, Mrs Tsuneyoshi used to have mochi pounding before New Years. One stone bowl and wooden mallets, and it was quite a production. People would bring buckets of soaked mochi rice.
Somebody had to turn the mush of rice in between the mallet coming down. Then an assembly line of women (but you couldn’t help if you had your monthly period) turning them into mochi patties, some with beans, some without. It was really special but as the years went by, more and more people came – friends of family, then friends of friends. It became too much for her because she also would cook her wonderful nishime and food for the participants. She gave the mochi pounding stuff to some distant family member. I hope they still pound every year.
Your prime rib looks SO delicious! We ordered ours from Lanakila Kitchen but it took forever to heat up. We’ll do our own next time and I’ll for sure use your recipe. Thanks!
Oh wow. I love the sharing of all these memories! The monthly period thing is similar to Chinese customs when we do any kind of shrine or bai san activity, not supposed to burn the money if you have your period.
Yeah! Do your own prime rib next time! It’s truly a set it and forget it recipe. So easy!
I went to a friend’s Mochi making at his relatives home. It was a little bit old style because they will steam the rice over a propane stove with layered wooden boxes covered with towels. Then uncle would put the steamed rice to a machine that was built in the 1940s and it would come out on the other end as mochi. It was a simple gadget. Then he would be cutting it out as it extruded and be tossing us the cut Mochi to shape or fill with fillings like Peanut butter or anko. They made the mochi for orders at their retail store including the decorative mochi for houses. Each family bought their own bag(s) of mochi rice. The rest of the family (big family) would be shapers and dang that mochi was hot. Of course the family was getting old but none of the younger cousins were joining in. Uncle then made his famous beef stew–he was the cook for his National Guard team. I don’t know if they’re still doing it cuz they were in their 60s and 70s decades ago. Glad I experienced it. Plus huge holiday parties with table groaning food. They could cook. One specialty was bags of fresh oysters opened and cooked on a BBQ grill to eat hot and bubbly. Unfortunately I am allergic
I would love to see the old style in person! That 1940s machine sounds awesome. We all know the old time machines are so much better than current machine, everything is so cheaply made now.
So sad the younger ones don’t continue the traditions yeah? I’m one hypocrite, I not continuing Chinese traditions. Sounds like you have a wonderful memory from it. Sounded like good times!
I get tummy ache but will still eat oysters lol.
haven’t made mochi in so long! we were old school, steam the rice and pound by hand, used to not like doing it growing up but now miss those days!
Never tried it that way but always looks so fun! I bet is so tiring too.