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Bob’s Bar-B-Que

I have lived in Kalihi almost all my life and I’ve visited Bob’s maybe once before this visit.  I can’t believe it.  So I got to try this place twice in the past month to try out their dishes.  I see why they are so busy all the time, finger licking greasy plate lunches are always popular.

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I wasn’t sure what to try so I went for the BBQ Ribs.  Yeah, I really didn’t know their system.  This is their combo plate with the fried shrimp.  Look at the size of that rib.  It’s insane.  My experience was just all right.  The portion is crazy big but if the quality isn’t there, is it worth it?  The ribs I got were super dry, I expect rib meat to be luscious and falling off the bone.  It was hard to get the meat off the bone and the meat on the edges of these ribs were rock hard.

I figured I got the wrong dish so when I went back, I tried the BBQ short ribs and those were definitely better.  Oh!  And it was only in my second visit that I realized what their ordering system was.  “Snack” is considered to be their mini plate and Dinner is I guess their regular plate?  The thing is, their “snack” size is the size of a regular plate lunch in all other places (meaning you get two scoops of rice, mac salad/toss and your meat) so the dinner size…must be HUGE.  I don’t think I’ll be coming as a regular but will definitely give Bob’s a try once in a while.  Too many food choices in Kalihi, the hidden food mecca to stick to one place!

 

The Pig and the Lady

Here is my hotly anticipated post for The Pig and the Lady.  Ha!  Here is the huge tent they have.  Have you ever been to their tent?  They’ve got quite a system going on there!  There must have been about 10 people working the food line – all of them are so nice.  The cashier was wonderful even though they are so busy, she was not at all frazzled.  The person who gave out food was very friendly too and I think service makes such a big difference in the dining experience.  And I’m not talking anything over the top, they were just genuinely nice people so it made the experience all the better.

Okay customer service lecture done.  How cute is that piggy hanging on their tent?  Hehe….

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Goma Tei Ramen – Ward Center

I love me some Tan Tan Ramen.  Do you have a place that serves your favorite Tan Tan?  I’ve gotta give it up to Goma Tei Ramen because this is the first place I have ever tried Tan Tan Ramen.  Tan Tan Ramen’s broth looks thick with sesame murkiness but the broth doesn’t taste as thick as it looks.  I’ve been coming here ever since they opened but haven’t been back in over a year.  I was starting to get disappointed in my previous visits because I felt like they were making changes that affected the quality.  So how did this visit fare?   Let’s explore.

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Let my Wakame Tan Tan Ramen lure you in…

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Lucky Belly – Honolulu, Hawaii

Please let me start off this post with an apology.  I had taken a long break from taking pictures and posting on my blog so these pictures were part of my first “session.”  Needless to say, these pictures did not come out great.

I had the pleasure of enjoying a wonderful after-work dinner at Lucky Belly a few weeks back.  I had some great eats but even greater company.  I used to avoid dining in Chinatown at night because I wasn’t sure where I could park but they have so many municipal lots!  Affordable and close by, I will definitely try out more restaurants in Chinatown in the near future.

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Let the lamb lumpia lure you in…

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Blacksmith – Jongno-gu, Seoul

Will this week turn into all posts from Korea?  Quite possibly!  We had a long day of touring the Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul – this is a famous palace that includes a tour of the secret garden. It was a beautiful day – one of the warmest we had while we were there.  I didn’t find that too helpful since I wore warm clothes and we did a LOT of walking to get to this palace.  Anyhow, we decided to go to Blacksmith for a late lunch after the Palace tour and I am quite happy we did!  This is a famous chain Italian restaurant whose spokespeople are Song Seung Hun, Kim Tae Hee and Park Yoochun!  It looks like Song Seung Hun is also the CEO of this restaurant so kudos to him!  Let’s get to the pictures!

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Park Ga Budae – Seoul

One of the dishes I most looked forward to when I traveled to Korea was Budae Jigae.  I know it’s not considered special by any means, but I am a fan of sausages and luncheon meat so this dish really appealed to me.  If you don’t know the history of this dish, check out this page.  Luckily there was a restaurant in the IFC Mall that specialized in it and I was able to try this dish out!

Before the stove was fired up...

Before the stove was fired up…

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Formaggio Wine Bar

Formaggio Wine Bar is a little restaurant tucked away in Market City Shopping Center.  It’s located right next to the Fujioka’s Wine Times – its windows and door is completely blacked out so you could easily miss it if you’re not looking for this place.  Once inside, you seat yourself wherever you like.  It’s very dark in here and they even offer live performances some nights.  I’ve been here a few times in the past few years but the quality has steadily gone downhill.  My past visit a few weeks ago cemented my thoughts about not returning again unless I’m pretty desperate.

Moscato Sunrise - the best part of my meal.  Pinot Grigio and Moscato served together, gorgeous right?

Moscato Sunrise – the best part of my meal. Pinot Noir and Moscato served together, gorgeous right?

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Romy’s Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp

Everyone who visits Oahu will inevitably go to the North Shore.  Once you’re up in the North Shore, you have a pick of many shrimp “trucks.”  For me personally, I prefer Romy’s.  I don’t think the shrimp is anything special that you couldn’t get anywhere else – I go to Romy’s for the prawns.  Not just the regular prawns, the bambucha ones!  The only prawns I will eat there are the prawns that come with the number 5.  For me, it’s worth the wait and price.  This dish is not for the weak – they are huge prawns with huge heads.  For me, who loves the shrimp head as much as the body…it’s heavenly.   The prawns for the number 5 isn’t always there – you either get there too early or they sell out too fast.  So when I do get the Prawns, it’s all the better!

Number 5 - Prawns!  I get it with the butter garlic sauce.  Sinfully delicious.

Number 5 – Prawns! I get it with the butter garlic sauce. Sinfully delicious.

Number 1 Shrimp - Butter Garlic and Spicy Shoyu Sauce (a good back-up for my number 5)

Number 1 Shrimp – Butter Garlic and Spicy Shoyu Sauce (a good back-up in case my number 5 isn’t available)

 

Tenkaippin Ramen

Tenkaippin Ramen is a big chain ramen restaurant in Japan and I heard that they are very particular about their recipes.  I also heard the owner of this restaurant was able to convince them to franchise this location in Hawaii, I don’t know how he pulled this off but I’m grateful he did.  I’ve been to this restaurant a few times over the years and I agree with reviewers, the restaurant has changed in quality over the years.  Have you noticed the Ultimate Japan shows they play in the restaurant?  Well if you didn’t know, the hosts of the show are also the owners of this restaurant!  In the beginning of my visits here, I would see the owners around helping out but lately, they are almost never around…which I think changes the dynamic of the place.

I tried Tenkaippin a few months ago just to try the food again.  I got my favorite Kotteri Ramen and it was as good as it always was.  I feel the food is still good and consistent in taste.  When I went to Japan, I found a Tenkaippin in Shinjuku and tried it.  Oh boy did I prefer the one in Hawaii…is that weird to say?  The broth in Shinjuku was incredibly salty and I just couldn’t enjoy it as much as I do in Hawaii.

Kotteri Ramen - look at that thick broth!

Kotteri Ramen – look at that thick broth!

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Your Kitchen

When Your Kitchen first opened, I remember cracking a few jokes with coworkers.  I’d offer up to pick up lunch and when they asked where, I’d say Your Kitchen and watch them get confused.  I’m just a ball of fun at work, 😛  Anyhow!  I’ve always enjoyed this restaurant, it’s run by a super cute Japanese couple.  It’s a very small space and it’s all street parking but I still like to come here from time to time to pick up some food or just grab their awesome shave ice.  I go for the premium flavors, the homemade syrup.  It’s heavenly – and I go for a matching scoop of ice cream as well.  Anyhow, I wanted to share a quick update of a lunch I had recently.  It is their pork bowl with a tonkatsu egg…I just love how the egg yolk is still runny inside – can’t be beat!

Presentation is key

Presentation is key

I'm a sucker for a well cooked egg

I’m a sucker for a well cooked egg

Your Kitchen is also the first place I discovered Udon Salad and what I used as inspiration to create my udon salad!  You can find my recipe here.