Homemade Korean Goodies

Hey folks. As I write this, I am at home hacking up a storm. I am coughing and my nose is like a dripping faucet. Sorry for the TMI – so while my brain is somewhat lucid, I don’t think my coworkers would appreciate me spreading germs at work. Yesterday was definitely the worst of it, I must have slept all day. I hope that today is the end to the worst of it. Hope you all are doing well! I heard the flu is going around so take care of yourself! Luckily, I think I only have a cold. Anyway, I wanted to share some banchan I got to try from my friend. This stuff was brought straight from Korea (don’t ask me how) from her in-laws. How lucky am I to get to try it? Very!

140310-03Here is the kimchee. Um. If you know me at all, you’ll know that I am a kimchee freak. I couldn’t really eat this. It was already very old and sour…and I think if you eat it, you will have to make it into some kind of pork stirfry or stew. I hope the kimchee is still good, I still have it but haven’t been able to eat it!

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140310-02Garlic! Check this out. My friend said that they use specially bought garlic…which are huge…and DELICIOUS. I don’t know how they made this but it had no raw taste! It was very crunchy and delicious. And how did they find garlic without the inner root?? Oh wait, do I just use junk garlic? Hehe…anyone know what this garlic is called in Korean?

Papa Ole’s – Hauula, HI

The first time I heard about Papa Ole’s was from Lance, a reader of this blog! Thanks for sharing Lance! After his suggestion, I saw it pop up on my yelp feed and the pictures had me salivating. I. had. to. go. And go I did. I went a few weeks ago for the first time with some family. It was a great ride out there and the staff were very friendly. We ordered a pulehu ribs plate and a shrimp plate to share. It was not even 11 am on a Sunday morning and we already snatched up the last pulehu ribs plate, I couldn’t believe it! Here’s my sad part of the story, the ribs were SALTY. Like crazy salty. I could pick off grains salt to create a mountain if I wanted to…but the meat. Oh the meat, it was so good. Thick cut ribs…cooked medium rare – oh so tender and good. It was hard to get past the salt. I figured since we got the last plate, we had the saltiest bunch.

Well, I had to drive out to Laie this week for a meeting and I suggested to my coworkers to eat at Papa Ole’s and we did. Everyone got the pulehu ribs and sorry but it was so salty again! Don’t get me wrong, I know when you get anything pulehu or pipikaula style, it’s going to be salty but this is beyond what I can handle. One of my coworkers actually got a combo kalbi and pulehu plate and let us try a piece of the kalbi. The kalbi was very good. The seasoning was on point and they served it thick cut like the pulehu…unfortunately they also also cooked them to like a crisp. Even though it was cooked way over, the meat was fortunately still tender. I think if I do return, I would ask for the kalbi ribs done medium rare. Sorry for all the text, let’s get to the pics!

140309-06Let the rooster greet you. He just walks around like he owns the place. Pretty smart if you ask me, that’s some good crumbs he’s getting!

140309-01Portuguese Eggs and Rice Plate – $9.00
For the kids and it comes with toast too! I think this is overpriced so I wouldn’t get it again.

140309-02Sauteed Shrimp Plate – $12.00
This is like shrimp scampi style, a little bit creamy – pretty good!

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140309-04Pulehu Ribs Plate – $12.00
Look at that meat, how can one resist? The ratings are crazy high on Yelp so maybe you need to try these yourself to see if you like it!

140309-07Pulehu and Kalbi Ribs Combination Plate – $12.00
My coworker couldn’t decide between the two so they said they can put both on the plate and charged the same price! Glad they did, I got to try the Kalbi!

140309-08Pulehu Ribs View

140309-09Kalbi Ribs View – it wasn’t too charred on this side but when we turned it over…it was completely black!

140309-10This is the size of their mini Pulehu Ribs plate. Great deal for $7.50, comes with 3 ribs!

Another thing – the first time I came here they asked if I wanted mac or green salad. We decided to get one of each. This past time, they didn’t ask us which we wanted so we got mac. I totally forgot about that and wish they had. The green salad and dressing is delicious and honestly, you should eat the greens to offset the ribs a bit. So just wanted to let you folks know about the green salad option! In case you don’t know, Papa Ole’s is located in the same shopping center as Longs Drugs and Tamura’s.

140309-05A picture from my first drive over…have a good one guys!

Pho Thinh – Moilili, HI

I’ve mentioned on my blog before that I enjoy Pho Bistro 2 and also mentioned that I enjoy Pho Thinh. I am now here to some pictures at a recent meal! They serve this dish called Bun Rieu which is a Crab Noodle Soup. It is so delicious! I took my three brothers one Saturday afternoon and it was a great meal. Kids love pho, did you know? Anyhow, the staff is great there and everything is so CLEAN. You gotta check it out, everything is obsessively clean and everything tastes great. Here are my pictures.

140308-01Doesn’t that look great? Shrimp and Crab…awesome!

140308-02Here are the veggies that come with it. It comes with raw bean sprouts and the greens are sliced ong choi stems. It also comes with lemon and sliced peppers. I throw the ong choi right into the soup right away so it can cook a bit – it’s great because it maintains its crunch!

140308-03Everything goes so well together. Tomatoes, fried tofu, noodles, green onions, shrimp and crab. It looks spicy but it really isn’t!

140308-04Ah what a perfect post for a rainy day…

 

Agu Ramen Part 3

Yes, another visit to Agu Ramen! This is going to be my last visit for a while. Oh wait, I may have to take that back. I heard they started serving a extended appetizer menu! I don’t know if it’s worth another visit for a while still…

140307-01Kotteri Tonkotsu – you see all that black liquid? That’s all oil. Yeah…it’s covered in oil. It was too much. The flavor was all right and I still like the noodles they serve but I wasn’t a fan of this bowl. I think if I do return, I’ll have to try their Jidori version since it’s supposed to be healthier for you.

Part 1
Part 2

Asahi Grill – Honolulu, HI

You folks remember Kam Bowl? I wish I was old enough to grab food all the time when this was still open. They of course had the famous Kapiolani Coffee Shop Oxtail Soup and other good stuff. All bowling alleys seem to have the best food yeah? Luckily, the Oxtail Soup is still alive and well in various shops like Asahi Grill! It’s a great dish but I gotta be honest about something. The last time I got a bowl of this stuff – I found a piece of hair in it. I was really disgusted because it showed they don’t wear hair nets and also meant that it was stewing in the pot with the rest of the soup. Sorry! I know that’s sick but that was just my experience. I think I will work my way back to eating this one day…just not yet.

140306-01My cousin’s oxtail soup (lol…sorry Tony!). It’s still a great soup and I love that they are generous with the cilantro.

140306-02Here is my Chicken Katsu Curry. I also like their regular fried rice…yummmm…comfort food.

Kanak Attack – Honolulu, HI

I heard there used to be a Kanak Attack food truck in town but it closed down. I saw this Nimitz location on Yelp and I’m not sure if it’s the same owner but it’s the same name! I didn’t actually come in here myself but my coworker was picking up lunch so I got my lunch there too! She got me the garlic chicken plate – check it out!

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140305-02Pretty delicious! I didn’t get the plate fresh but it was still good! Comes with two scoops of rice, salad and garlic chicken morsels. They were boneless and I’m pretty sure all thigh meat. It tasted very good! I would definitely try this place again – it’s too bad I don’t work near here.

Bird’s Nest Salad – Andy’s Sandwiches

I love the sandwiches at Andy’s! They are the best and the people who work there are some of the nicest folks you will meet! My go to sandwich is the Ahi, Avocado, Tomato & Cheese. The smoked ahi spread is divine – so delicious! I found the smoked ahi in a grocery store and totally pigged out on it. My coworker wanted to check out their salad options so I joined in! I got the Large Bird’s Nest. The Bird’s Nest includes Tossed Greens, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Cucumbers, Sprouts, Sunflower Seeds, Tuna, Avocado & Papaya Seed Dressing.  So how was it?

140304-01Well, I can share that it tastes like it looks. Hahaha take that as you will. It is very…healthy tasting, lol. But it’s good! And it is very filling. I think if you enjoy the contents of their sandwiches, this is it..salad form. I would definitely get it again – gotta support local!

Gyotaku Restaurant – Honolulu, HI

I’m rounding up all the food pictures I have in the recent weeks and I have been eating out a LOT. This comes at a bad time because I need to save money. Lots of it! I already have posts queued up for the week! So get ready for a full week of food in your face, although when would you expect any different from my blog right? 🙂 Here’s a recent outing I had at Gyotaku. Just a quick meal and post of the food.

140303-02Ahi Poke Bowl – yummy!

140303-03I got it with with tempura just because – they make a pretty okay tempura.

140303-01Kid’s Karaage Meal – it comes with a drink and a dessert. It also comes with a free toy but the past two times, I’ve had to outright ask for it.  And it’s just a basket of cheap toys from Oriental Trading Company.

I find the service to be lacking this visit. I’ve had ups and downs coming to this restaurant. We were ignored basically all night and our food took a really long time. I was not too happy with this visit. The busboy was good and quick though.

Imanas Tei Restaurant – Honolulu, HI

My gosh, I’ve been wanting to try Imanas Tei for the longest time now! Finally had a chance the other week and took a chance by walking in. Firstly, don’t do that. They are always booked but they were willing to place us at the sushi bar as long as we could be out by 7 for the next reservation.  We said yes and there are no regrets! The meal was amazing. I’m pretty sure I pissed off the sushi chef in the beginning, and I feel bad. I had laid the menu open leaning against the counter and he kept saying something to me but I couldn’t hear him so he had to raise his voice. -_- My menu was blocking him from putting this down…

140302-01The serving dish for my sushi! That faux pas aside, the meal was extraordinary.

140302-02Grilled Beef Tongue. Delicious! Great taste and prepared well.

140302-03 Stewed Miso Based Beef – flavorful. This dish really packs a punch and I think it would go great over rice. Alone, I think it’s very strong.

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140302-05One of their signature dishes, Seafood Dynamite. It looks as good as it tastes. Also very flavorful – big chunks of seafood smothered in a creamy sauce.

140302-06Salmon Nigiri. Oh. My. God. I don’t think I’ve had good quality salmon until this meal. I mean seriously. This was my favorite of the night. It was so flavorful – what have I been eating all my life? I can’t believe how much better it was at Imanas. It was so good that I had to order another one. Definitely recommended.

140302-07Kaki Nigiri (Oyster) – it was good! But to be fair, this was served after the salmon and I was still thinking about the salmon. If you like fresh oysters, you’ll love this.

140302-08Unagi Roll. Very good, unagi and avocado served up nicely.

140302-09Spicy Tuna Roll. I just had to get my spicy tuna fix in. Honestly, I wouldn’t waste my time getting rolls next time. I would just want the nigiri!

140302-10Fresh Scallop Nigiri – delicious. Meaty, fresh, soft yet firm (does that make sense?) – highly recommended!

140302-11Mirugai (Geoduck Clam) Nigiri. I haven’t had geoduck clam in such a long time so I definitely wanted to try this. This is very expensive and while it tasted great, it is very pricey so I can’t recommend it fully. The taste of the clam is crunchy and has a good taste of the ocean which is what I always loved.

Obviously, the whole meal was amazing. And we were in and out in like an hour so they are very prompt with their service. The only downside to sitting at the sushi bar is that you not able to order their shabu shabu or nabe which is something they are also known for. I would definitely love to come to this restaurant again! Their parking is horrendous though, they share a very small lot with another popular restaurant which makes it worst! But I would definitely consider Imanas Tei as one of the best Japanese restaurants on the island.

St. Louis Drive-In – Kaimuki, Hawaii

St. Louis Drive-In serves up some real hole in the wall goodness. Okay, I can’t comment on their entire menu but I do enjoy getting breakfast from them once in a while! It’s a great deal – about five bucks for a breakfast plate AND a soda! I tried to be good and declined the soda. Good ah? 🙂 Anyway, just a quick update and wanted to share how the plate looks.

140301-01I just love the way they pack their food. They place the plate in a pie box with wax paper which is then topped with condiments (i.e. ketchup, shoyu, etc.), utensils and napkins. Perfect way to package the food!

140301-02Hapa Rice, Portuguese Sausage and Eggs. This special specifically comes with scrambled eggs but you can choose how you want your eggs with a few of the other plates.