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Middle Eats – Manoa, HI

Jan29

Middle Eats currently operates out of a kitchen in Downtown and they do take-out orders but how often am I really in downtown? I’ve been following them on Instagram and to my happy surprise, they are doing a stint at the UHM campus! Maybe not enough fanfare going on. I hit them up last week and spoke with the very nice young gentleman, I asked how business was and he said it wasn’t as busy as they would like. I asked if they have to give a semester commitment to gauge if they would stick around, I think they don’t have to do long-term commitments so if you wanna try, better go fast! Here’s the schedule for food trucks at UHM.

Menu | January 2025

I had to ask at first, is it the difference between a mini and regular plate? LOL. It’s actually the price of the plate or a gyro. Duh! Look at the top of the sign but I didn’t make that connection…guess us locals are just too used to regular versus mini plate prices. But look at those prices. I’m sorry, but I can’t see students being able to afford to eat here a lot. I wanted to get a plate but it was a bit too pricey for me so I went for the Lamb Kofta Gyro for $15.00.

Lamb Kofta Gyro | $15.00

Upon first glance, didn’t look so great. But it’s actually a big portion and was very filling. I enjoyed it a lot. The lamb tasted great with the gamey taste I like. There was a almost neon green sauce he poured on, not sure what it was but I don’t think I like that sauce too much. Other than that, it was good!

Cumin Fries with Garlic Toum | $8.00

They have an 8 dollar menu, I guess it’s supposed to be a value? $8.00 for fries? I don’t know, I’m not trying to be a negative sue but that’s not cheap. But I also get that all food costs are so expensive now and they have to make a profit. While my lunch was a bit pricey, the gyro and the fries were absolutely delicious. I loved it! Maybe I can check them out again after payday…lol

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Seasons Taiwanese Eatery – Chinatown, HI

Jan27

YES! I’ve been wanting to try Seasons Taiwanese Eatery for years! They used to be in the middle of the Chinese Cultural Plaza (near the stage) but now they are located on the river side more towards Legend Seafood Restaurant. They specialize in a Taiwanese Beef Noodle dish and for some odd reason, I was expecting the same kind of beef noodles from other restaurants like Lam’s Kitchen but it is not. Don’t get it twisted! I think the other restaurants serve more of a Cantonese version while this is Taiwanese!

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (Medium) | $9.98

Medium portion is huge! More than enough to share between two people and still have leftover! Oh this was so nice. I loved the fried basil leaves and the chicken is spiced nicely. Not a hot spicy, maybe more of a five spice taste? So delicious!

Classic Beef Broth (Beef Only – Mild) | $16.98

Retro Spicy Broth (Combo Beef & Tendon) | $17.98

I gotta go for the spicy one. So they have a level of 1-5, I tried to order number 3 and the waitress’ face turned serious and she sternly said, it’s very spicy. So yeah, I lowered it to 2. Looks pretty red yet yeah? Compare that to the classic broth! Was it spicy? Yeah, maybe small kine leakage but I think I could have still handled level three! How do I describe this dish? There’s a sourness to the broth. It’s very different from the noodle soups I’ve had before, I liked it though. I would definitely return!

Parking, I think the first hour at Cultural Plaza is free, after that, you gotta pay and we just went over by a few minutes…and ugh, I had to pay at the card machine. I hate having to pay $1 with a credit card but they don’t take cash! Technology isn’t always helpful. Anyway, give them a shot!

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Mixed Plate Friday

Jan24

Baked Charsiu Manapua (U-Choice In) | $3.25 each

I have resisted going to U-Choice In for many many years. For one, I hate the name of it. U-Choice In, what?? I would let them get away with Ur-Choice In but here we are. Chan’s coworker talked about how much she liked U-Choice In so we decided to give it a try during one of our Don Quijote runs. Well, I hate to admit this but this is probably the best baked manapua on the island right now. I do not like the Royal Kitchen one but this one…it’s perfect. They give choke meat inside and the bun is perfectly baked. Small kine cripsy on top but also super soft. It’s a bit pricey for one but you’re getting a pretty big one! I think it’s worth it. I’ve tried their white rice cake and pork hash too and those are good too! Don’t pay too much attention to the Yelp haters – try it for yourself! If you like baked manapua, you won’t be disappointed.

Ain’t no party like a tako party! Takoyaki party that is. Chan provided this wonderful treat for Christmas Eve! He has the fancy pan that we put on top of camper stove (is that the name of it?). He even bought all the toppings…and made yakisoba like I requested…

Doesn’t that look great?? All professional with the sauce, mayo, bonito flakes and even the nori topping! It was so good!

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MW Restaurant – Honolulu, HI

Jan22

We had a gift card for MW Restaurant so we came for a little holiday dinner. What a nice treat! We enjoyed ourselves very much and the food was ono!

Lilikoi Yuzunade | $10.00

My non-alcoholic drink! Chan drank beer, you can see it in the background. I enjoyed the drink even though I’m not usually a fan of yuzu!

Brandt Brand Beef Tartare | $22.00
OK Farm Egg, Baguette

I know raw beef is not everyone’s thing. It’s my thing and I love it! Thankfully Chan is also an adventurous eater so we can share in all the goodies. Very good dish.

Crab Cakes | $27.00
Wasabi Koji Sauce, Corn Relish

Another great appetizer! Push aside those weeds and go for it (lol). Tasted great.

Miso Honey Glazed Butterfish | $49.00
Kimchee Potato Salad, Taegu, Bok Choy

My entree, a little pricey for butterfish but it was cooked and seasoned perfectly. I saw a friend eat it last time so I wanted to try it myself and it was so good! I enjoyed it a lot.

Here is the accompanying banchan for the butterfish, ehhh…they were just okay. Not my favorite. Maybe I didn’t like the taste of their kimchi…sorry!

Steak Au Poivre | $65.00
Brandt Brand Ribeye, Peppercorn Sauce, Roasted Potatoes, Vegetables

Chan’s entree. It was good but SUPER peppery. Like choke whole peppercorns in the sauce. I tasted a bite and yes, you better like pepper if you get this dish.

Garlic Parmesan Gnocchi | $18.00

We got these on the side with our entrees, it was like super buttery rich tater tots. So good, we couldn’t finish it so we took it home. Tasted good reheated in the air fryer!

Strawberry Shave Ice | $17.00
Strawberry Yuzu Sorbet, Coconut Tapioca, Laie Vanilla Panna Cotta, Strawberries, Shaved Strawberries

When you go MW, gotta get dessert. We were stuffed but shared this shave ice together. It was nice and refreshing! I enjoyed it! Oh! And they gave us two free cookies to take home too. Valet parking only and it’s a bit pricey. It was a nice experience!

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Mixed Plate Friday

Jan17

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.

Prime Rib

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.

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Katsumidori – Waikiki, HI

Jan13

I used to come to Katsumidori Sushi Tokyo every month. Seriously. I even have a table I request to sit at which isn’t anything special but it’s the right fit for us you know? Nowadays, Katsumidori is a rare treat but it’s always good and I think the prices have stayed somewhat the same – still reasonable I think. Gotta make your reservation on OpenTable at least a month out and the parking can be a nightmare, I like to reserve the earliest reservation so I can self park. The self parking with validation is up to $5 now, kind of pricey but it is Waikiki.

Deep Fried Wrapped Shrimp Cake & Shiso Leaf | $6.75

One of our favorite appetizers, a must order! They have a sprinkling of salt on the side, gotta dip your shrimp cake in there – it makes a difference! So good. This order comes with 3 pieces.

French Fries | $5.00

LOL, yeah okay it’s french fries. They fry it fresh so it’s nice but I am sad that it is no longer crinkle fries. Were good but not as good as crinkle fries.

Yellowtail Sashimi | $18.00

Nice cuts of hamachi sashimi – it was so buttery and soft. Would recommend!

Fatty Tuna Cut Rolls | $14.00

Salmon (8pcs) | $24.00

I don’t know if any of you remember or are OG like me, but they used to top it with some green onion and ginger. Even the picture in the menu has that! I guess the toppings don’t make a big difference to me. Nice portions of salmon! Honestly, I was so full from all the other food that I didn’t even take a bite this time haha.

Pork Belly Marinated in Soy Sauce | $15.50
Bowl of White Rice | $3.50

This dish is so rich but so good. We always order a side order of rice and split this dish together. We make our own kakuni bowls…so delicious!

Seared Mackerel Oshi Sushi (4 pcs) | $9.35

This was an impulse buy. I think it’s been on the menu all this time but I never noticed it until the table next to us ordered it and man I just wanted it. My friend doesn’t eat saba so guess what, this was all me. I was so freaking full but it was good. I think it’s a good deal too! I’ll have to get this with Chan next time so he can eat it with me.

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Jirisan – Hamyang, Korea

Jan8

We drove up to Jirisan for some scenic pictures. It was beautiful up there, a perfectly crisp Autumn day. I just did some quick research and it’s the second highest mountain in Korea!

The trees were all different autumunal colors and it was gorgeous. Nice and chilly up top too! I don’t know how many mountain pictures you want to see so why not share the cafe we went to there!

Cafe Yodojae

It’s a cute space but not a cafe I would recommend to go to out of your way, just to pop in if you’re already in the area.

Chan’s Drink – I forgot what it is haha

Affogato!

Affogato for me because I love affogato. Did you know that the ice cream has no calories when it’s renamed a coffee drink? Don’t check on that.

Cranberry Nut Bread

I think that’s what this was. I didn’t realize it was a whole freaking loaf of bread haha. I just wanted to try their clotted cream and it sounded like it would go well with this bread. Well the workers were not so friendly and this bread was basically cold. Wish it could have been warmed up a bit because I was trying it with….

English Clotted Cream

I’ve been wanting to try this for ages and it was disappointing. I think it might have been because the bread was cold and doughy. I’m not out there dying to try clotted cream again anytime soon. If anyone likes clotted cream, please tell me how you eat it! I’ve seen it sold at Foodland Farms.

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Mixed Plate Friday

Dec13

Korean Corn

When we first arrived in Hamyang, it was in the early afternoon so it wasn’t time for lunch or dinner yet. As any Asian does, they start bringing all kine foods to the guest to eat. This was one of them! Simple steamed corn. I have never seen corn like this before but I have to eat it once offered! It was interesting. Waxy and chewy, I was a little confused at first but started to enjoy it afterwards.

Paris Baguette

Hamyang was a small town but they have a lot of the big franchises still. There was a Paris Baguette right by the hotel so we grabbed a quick lunch one day from there. Look at these cute mini hamburgers! The veggies look nice and fresh too. Chan and I enjoyed it! How come our Paris Baguette here doesn’t have this kine!

Before you ask, no I didn’t try it. Sorry, I know I try all kine stuff for you folks on this blog but I had to draw the line. Haha nah, it’s only cause I had access to so much good homecooked food in Hamyang that I didn’t want to waste my stomach space eating this. Curious about the combo, but not enough to eat it. Sorry.

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Hamyang Family Dinner #1

Dec11

We visited Chan’s mother’s side of the family in Hamyang. We stayed in a local hotel but everyone was basically a 3-5 minute drive for us. It’s a really small town but I loved it. His family are so loving and warm and they all were AMAZING chefs. One of the Aunts owns a restaurant so we got to grind so much good food every night. First night? Hanwoo beef, Korean beef! It’s like eating the wagyu A5 of Korea, they bought the plus plus version of it (aka $$$).

Mushroom Medley – peek that fluff ball! Does anyone know what that mushroom is called??

Here is the fluff ball unfluffed. They just dipped it raw in sesame oil with salt. It was delicious. A bit of a nutty flavor, I really enjoyed it!

HELLO. Look at that marbling. So good. Everyone super enjoyed the dinner. That meat was crazy.

No real dipping sauce needed or seasoning. They chopped up green onions seasoned it with sesame oil and salt and I’m sure other seasoning that we ate with the meat. It was the perfect accompaniment.

End the meal with a simple Doenjang jigae. Nice warm soup to warm up in the increasingly cold weather!

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Train to Busan | Korean Rest Stop!

Dec9

Everytime we said we had to take a train to busan, Chan would laugh. I think he is imagining me getting eaten by zombies but we’ll talk about that at another time. We took a train out to busan which then became the train to Jinju which is the closest stop to Chan’s family’s hometown of Hamyang.

I got a cute little kimbap/cone sushi pack from the train station for the ride. Was good! Nothing to write home about. I was surprised by the lack of bentos at the huge train station. They have eateries and convenience stores but even the convenience stores don’t have much of a bento selection (if any at all).

Jinju!!

From Jinju, we had to drive out to Hamyang. I forgot the exact distance. Maybe an hour and a half? So yes, Chan had to get his international license and drove in Korea! Rented this big van for all of us to fit in. Very comfortable and nice van. Chan did a great job driving through the countryside. There were a LOT of tight roads in the country side but he navigated through them with ease!

Before we reached Hamyang, we stopped at a Korean rest stop. I was so excited lol.

I love me some Engrish signs. I can assure you, if you bite me I will not love you. Hahaha! I didn’t try their buns so I can’t testify this statement.

The main eatery in the rest stop operates through a ticket ordering system. Order your meal from the machine and wait for your number to be called. Easy peasy!

Bibimbap

Chan and his family got noodles and I went for the rice. No regerts, I love the different vegetables they use! It was delicious.

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