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Kunio Restaurant – Waikele, HI

Nov14

Kunio Restaurant is a great Japanese restaurant located in Waikele Shopping Center.  If you go during the weekends, you will see a long line at both ends – Genki and Kunio.  Kunio is a great restaurant in Waikele and honestly, the dining options are slim pickings at Waikele…sorry!  Kunio is a comfortable Japanese restaurant that serves up some great teishoku deals.  Also, we’ve had great customer service both times!  That’s winners for me already…check out the food pics!

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Miso Butterfish and Shrimp Tempura/Squid Tempura Combo!  The butterfish is in the bottom left square, looks koge huh?

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Taiyo Ramen – Honolulu, HI

Nov3

Taiyo Ramen has been a late night staple in Hawai’i for so long.  Do you folks remember when it used to be on Kapiolani where Nordstrom is now?  I must sound like one real old fogie saying that.  I’ve been saying a lot of things that make me old already.  Naming prices of what things used to be…talking about how music and movies are not good anymore.  Oh boy.  Where was I?  That’s right, Taiyo Ramen!  My favorite dish from there is definitely the kimchee fried rice.  I hate to brag but I think I make the best kimchee fried rice (lol) but if I had to buy it outside, it’s definitely from Taiyo.  Kimchee fried is one of those dishes that doesn’t seem to have a consistent recipe – every time I try it outside, it’s always different…either too sweet or not enough spice.  Anyhow, I came here a few weeks ago and was happy to see that things are still pretty much the same.  It’s a funny set up for a “Japanese” restaurant, it’s a ramen shop that sells kimchee fried rice.  The wait staff are all Korean so the TV plays KBFD (which I like), the kitchen staff are all Chinese!  Talk about getting a mixed plate, no complaints here though.  Let’s get to the pictures!

131103-01Red Mountain!  Taiyo Ramen’s famous Kimchee Fried

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Shirokiya – Ramen

Nov2

I went to Shirokiya a few weeks ago for lunch with my coworker and we tried out their ramen!  I like the whole food court thing they got going on upstairs – great concept.  My coworker tried the seasonal ramen place – sorry I can’t remember the name and I can’t find it online either!  They claimed they won first place for ramen in Ishikawa.  It’s a miso based soup with thin sliced pork belly.  Check it out!

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To me it looks like sliced bacon that has been braised.  She let me try some of the pork and it was very flavorful!  The noodles were good because they were firm and very curly.  I also like al dente noodles, I got a taste of the broth and thought it was very good!  

131102-02Here’s my ramen!  It’s from Menya Ifu Do Do which is also located in the Shirokiya food court.  When I first tried this place long ago, I thought they were going to be there for a limited time.  I guess they are a main stay!  Doesn’t this bowl look awesome?  I love spicy foods so this looked great to me.  This place is definitely pricey though.  I was glad my egg wasn’t overcooked (i.e. the gray circle of death) – our ramen places tend to do that but I think it’s due to salmonella scares.  Makes me really miss the eggs I ate in Japan, I ate at least one egg everyday in Japan.  No regrets!  I ordered a side gyoza here and it wasn’t even worth the picture.  It tasted like they walked over to the frozen food section and bought some gyoza.  Disappointing and expensive.  I enjoyed the ramen though!

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The Little Oven – Part Deux

Oct31

Did I tell you folks?  The Little Oven is back in business!  Yay!  They recently opened up again and hold hours on Friday and Saturday nights.  I was so happy!   You know what’s even better?  They have been consistently open the entire time!  And I don’t mean that as a cutting remark, really I don’t.  I am one of their biggest fans so I am genuinely happy they are open!  The waiter knows us already – not by name yet.  I think I should learn to introduce myself more to people.  So they’re back to making some great desserts!  About two weeks ago, they served a special called the Autumn Trio.  I am SO happy I decided to try it!  Please join me as we enter dessert heaven.

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A feast for your eyes and your mouth!

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Jay’s Cafe – Honolulu, HI

Oct21

Jay’s Cafe is a cute little shop that popped up on Liliha street across the street from McDonald’s by the pawn shop.  Apparently, they have two parking spots behind the building but they are HORRENDOUS.  I hated parking in it.  So I would highly suggest parking on the street if you can or if you go at night, possibly the lot next door?  As I was leaving that lot was empty because it’s an office building.  I don’t think it would hurt parking there if it’s off-office hours.

Jay’s Cafe serves up fresh baked cookies, desserts, cakes, shaved snow and sushi.  Yes, all of that is served from this shop.  Interesting right?  Well I already know from experience that I don’t like shaved snow – they serve that at Frostcity and I just never got into it.  The desserts look impressive but I wanted to feed my sushi craving.  If this place serves up good spicy tuna and garlic salmon – I don’t have to drive all the way out to Genki Sushi or Kuru Kuru!  The shop is run by a cute Chinese family.  When I went in, the parents were working away while the two little kids played (fought…lol) on their own.  It was a cute atmosphere for sure.  So how was the food??  Let’s take a look…

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Yummy…spicy tuna and garlic salmon.  Doesn’t that look amazing?

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Favorite Pasta Dish

Oct19

For the longest time, I’ve been telling my friend about my favorite dish from Assaggio’s.  It’s not technically on the menu but I learned of this dish a few years back.  They have an appetizer called Hot Antipasto.  This hot antipasto is comprised of huge luscious pieces of seafood in a wonderful sauce.  It must have been the waitress who served us who said this is the best antipasto and that you can get it on pasta!  I took her word for it on my next visit and haven’t turned back since.  So the next time you go to Assaggio’s or Paesano (same menu!), order the Hot Antipasto on linguine.  Or whatever noodles you want but I like it on linguine.  Well after many suggestions, she finally ordered a few weeks ago and LOVED it!  She even sent me a picture so I’ll post it here.  All credit goes to her.  🙂

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Tell me that doesn’t look amazing…

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More Dim Sum

Oct17

I must be really trying to prove I’m Chinese.  I went to eat Dim Sum again!  So I just wanted to share a quick pic of the spread we got..

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The usual fare for dim sum.  Do you see the fingers peeking out from the right?  Yup, that’s chicken feet.  Do you eat chicken feet?  I know a lot of people who steer clear of it.  For me, I’ve been fed chicken feet since I was a kid so I only learned what it was after the fact.  So…I do like it.  I have to admit if I wasn’t force fed this as a child I would probably never touch the stuff today.  It is really delicious and the way they prepare it for dim sum is so savory!  You’ve gotta try it at least once!

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Triple One – Honolulu, HI

Oct13

I’ve been going to a bunch of hole in the walls lately and this is definitely a hole in the wall, or should I say apartment building?  Yes, this restaurant is the downstairs of an apartment building on Pensacola.  Triple One is located across the street from the Post Office on Pensacola.  I heard the two parking spots under the building are for the restaurant but I wasn’t sure so I went for street parking.  I went like near 6 pm so there was a lot of street parking. I assume that if you go during the day, you could sneak into the post office parking lot but you didn’t hear that from me.

Triple One’s menu focuses on noodles and fried rice.  Their prices are insanely cheap.  I heard they moved from Chinatown to this location.  I ordered two dishes to share.  Let’s take a look shall we?

131013-01Hole in the wall.  There is nowhere to sit.  This is their kitchen.  Order and go.

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12th Avenue Grill – Honolulu, HI

Sep14

My birthday this year fell on a Saturday and I got to spend my evening with one of the coolest people I know, Kristian!  He treated me to an incredible meal at 12th Avenue Grill.  It was the first visit for us both and we left wondering why we haven’t been to this place before.  We know one thing for sure, we will be returning again soon!  The service was great, we had a waitress named Jen (of course she’d be great with that name!).  Hopefully when I make a reservation again in the future, I can request her again.

130914-01My entree.  It was a daily special and it was AMAZING.  And head on shrimp?  Yes please.  The head of the shrimp is the BEST part.  

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Million Restaurant – Honolulu, HI

Sep13

Is it Millions or Million?  I swear it was called Millions before?  No?  Anyhow, Million Restaurant has been my go to Korean restaurant for a few years now.  I enjoy them because the restaurant is clean, the service is on the most part friendly and the food is good.  The prices aren’t too shabby if you aren’t doing yakiniku.  Their parking is limited but the street parking is free after 6pm I believe.  I love their regular bi bim bap (no hot stone pot), cheaper that way and I don’t need the scorched rice.  I LOVE their Kalbi Tang (Kalbi Soup) and I also love their banchan.  Sometimes you score and get raw crab like we did this night.  I am pretty sure I am allergic to raw crab because my mouth and throat gets very itchy – but I still eat it.  I do silly things like that.  Here are the pics!

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Banchan.  My favorite is the savory egg custard.  I could eat that alone and be satisfied.

130913-02Bibimbap with a side bottle of kochujjang

130913-01Kalbi Tang!  So good.  Two big kalbi rib bones, daikon, long rice, egg, thin slices of meat…you can’t go wrong.  Ahhh I want some kalbi tang…

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