Hokkaido Santouka Ramen – Ala Moana, HI

Hokkaido Santouka Ramen fix satisfied! I can’t choose my favorite ramen place because they all serve such different types of broth and noodles. Hokkaido Santouka is definitely perfect for the days that you want more of a creamy broth. My friend had a coupon for free toppings so obviously we had to go, even if the coupon was worth 50 cents…lol.

150211-01Shio Chashu Ramen – free bamboo upgrade!

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Kara Miso Chashu Ramen

My bowl of noodles! I usually don’t enjoy miso ramen but this is the only one on the menu that I can get spicy so I go for it. I enjoy it very much. This time, I asked for firm noodles. My friend said she felt like it just tasted undercooked. I thought it tasted great, because I enjoy firmer noodles. Then as they sit in the broth, they still remain somewhat al dente. Yummmm….

Happy 2015!

As you read this, it will be the new year! Now I have to get used to writing 15 instead of 14, oh what a bother. Do you folks make resolutions for every year? I don’t. And it’s good that I don’t because I seem to unconsciously rebel against anything I’m told to do, and that includes myself telling me to do something. It’s a bit weird I know. I think I’m just allergic to prescribed things…I do like to be somewhat spontaneous. What I can do is strive to be a good person and hope that others do the same.

It has been so cold in Hawaii lately and I just love it. I’m going to miss it so much when we go back to hot and humid weather. Sometimes I try to get away with t-shirt and shorts still (that rebellion bubbling up again) but I am sitting here in layers as I type up this entry. I hope you all have a great 2015, stay safe and eat well! I’ll leave you with yet another meal at Izakaya Torae Torae (each word links to a former entry).

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150101-04Spicy Tuna Bowl

150101-05Sake – A MUST if you go here. It’s perfection.

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150101-02I end this post with a Stamina Bowl for you to start the new year! This was a great bowl, and something I probably would never get just a few years ago. Slime factor times 2! Natto and Okra – so good. This was a great bowl! I needed that bowl to finish my papers last semester – I think it did the trick!

Pioneer Saloon – Diamond Head, HI

I saw a picture of a Pioneer Saloon plate lunch on instagram and knew I had to check them out for myself! In fact, I ran out on my lunch break the next day to give them a try! They are located pretty close to my work place and luckily for me, we went fairly early so there was a parking spot open. I think they have a total of 3 stalls and it is VERY tight and you better like parallel parking. This a Japanese style plate lunch joint and is very cute and quaint! They even have a small little boutique section.

Do not bring your pre-conceived notion of what a plate lunch is to this place. They definitely serve quality over quantity and I really enjoyed it! I was very surprised at the lightness of my plate when I grabbed it but the contents made up for it! Let’s take a look!

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Miso Butterfish- $13

141230-06This was Linda’s plate, she was not impressed. For $13, I don’t blame her.

141230-07Deep Fried Baby Tako – $11

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Substitute Shiso Rice – 50¢ (Delish!)

141230-08This was delicious! Yes, this was my plate. And yes, I enjoyed eating every single one of those babies…lol. It was very good, I would definitely get it again. I think if I return, I’d like to try a meat dish. Maybe the beef tongue…stay tuned!

Fatal Error Fixed!

Gosh you guys. I wanted to update this blog earlier this afternoon but I ran into a mishap! WordPress asked me to do an update which I did…and it cause my whole blog to crash! I’ve spent hours trying to read through support forums and finally was able to fix it for now by replacing one obscure file…it was all too much. I’m just happy I was able to access my blog again to do an update! So last weekend was full-on hibernation mode. I had two final papers due this past week and I am happy to report that I was able to submit both. Thank god. I do plan on taking class again next semester but just one course this time. I’ve got a lot of updating to do! My cousin is back from school again so it has been nice visiting with her. Just a quick update tonight – including another great plate from Toshi’s Delicatessen & Restaurant. If this place ever closes down, I’ll be super sad. They are definitely one of the last old school ones left – they can’t close down ever!

141221-01My view the past few weeks.

141221-02Yes! This is the way to wrap plates!

141221-04I got a bunch on my plate; saba, teri burger, tofu and their famous chow fun.

141221-03The saba is great, great piece of fish. Had bones so if you get it, be careful. They also let you choose which part of the fish you. The tofu is so flavorful, I loved it. The burger patty was a burger patty, what can I say? But it is definitely homemade so that’s a plus.

141221-05Chow fun! I think I’m going to ask for like at least 2 servings next time. I’m a carb-o-holic. Hope you all are doing well!

Cafe Miro – Waialae, HI

What is up with Halloween costumes? I really wanted to find some costumes for Frozen but they only make them for kids! Okay, I know it was a kid movie but the characters are all women! Then finally I see adult costumes for Frozen and…umm…they’re adult costumes if you get my drift. Why? Let’s not even get into how all womens halloween costumes are so…ADULT. Anyway, so I’ll have to change my course and do something else. I might shoot for Minnie Mouse. Did you know Disney only makes kids costumes? I think they are missing a major market!

This weekend was hot yah? When is the autumn coming for us? I want rain and cold weather! Cold weather for Hawaii anyway. Next week is gonna be killer. I might just turn into a hermit because of what I have due coming up! Things should loosen up after October, a bit! This is gonna be a graphic heavy post. Cafe Miro is one of my favorite restaurant in Hawaii. A bit of a hidden gem and so great. The food and service, can’t be beat. It’s a cute little Japanese French restaurant. Let’s get to the food!

141006-01Here is the complimentary amuse-bouche (they change it up). It was a cold paprika soup. The flavor was good – tasted like fresh bell pepper. Was it the favorite of the night? No. Would I order it if it were on the menu, no. But if you like cold soups and bell pepper, this is perfect for you.

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Chef’s Appetizer Tasting Plate – this comes with the Prix Fixe Menu (3 Course). You all have to try this appetizer! It’s legit!

141006-03Devilled Egg with an olive and prosciutto on top – this was alright. Not great, not the best.

141006-04Crab Croquette. This was good! Look at all the flakes of crab in there, it’s served on top of a tomato marinara type sauce. It was good but not my favorite of the dish.

141006-05You had me at herb butter sauce, Oyster. It was good, I wish oysters didn’t shrink when cooked! I love oysters.

141006-06This is why I need to post quicker because I totally forgot what this dish is. It’s a cold one and gelatinous. Shrimp based gelatin on the bottom, a cauliflower (I believe?) puree layer (thankfully it didn’t taste like cauliflower) and an edamame on top. This was one real interesting dish. You know what the shrimp gelatin reminded me of? The flavor of shrimp chips – the ones that look like small crinkle fries. I don’t think I appreciated it that night as much as I do now….because I would love to try it again!

141006-07LOBSTER. Okay, so the prix fixe menus all come with appetizers but you are able to upgrade your appetizer by paying a bit extra. Kristian went for the Roasted Spiny Lobster Tail with Nantua Sauce which cost $8.oo extra, I’d say it was worth the extra $8! He loved it.

141006-08Rib Eye Steak with Red Wine Mustard Sauce with Maui Onions. This was Kristian’s dish, I’m starting to wonder if he substituted the sauce because he loves teriyaki sauce. Please do let me know Kristian if you see this. He was head over hills for this steak! I got to taste a bit and yeah, I would be too!

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141006-10Roasted Rack of Lamb with Shiitake Mushroom and Mint Sauce – oh my gosh. It was so good! Sorry for those who don’t like rare meat, I enjoy seeing blood in mine! You are welcome to add a 3rd chop if you want to for either $7 or $8. I was fine with the normal portion. Was perfect!

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And of course, you end the meal with dessert! We decided to try two different ones just for fun. This is the assorted cheese and walnut raisin bread. It was okay, I wouldn’t get it again.

141006-12I would get this one again! Kona Coffee Ice Cream, Creme Brulee, Japanese Cheesecake – WHO WOULDN’T WANT THIS??

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Spicy Cold Soba – Yajima-Ya

This food truck is great. The last time I came here, I tried their mushroom chicken and thought it was good but a bit salty (Previous Yajima-Ya Post). During my recent visit, it was hot as all heck and I needed something cold to cool me down. I tried their spicy cold soba and I gotta say, there’s no turning back now. It was exactly what I was looking for!

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Umm…droool. I am so wanting a bowl as I write this post. Can you see the ingredients in this? The mixed vegetables (great!), kimchee (ah weak sauce in terms of spice), kakiage (actual chunks of shrimp!), oh so soft thin slices of beef. I think it was beef, was pretty sure. Super soft and flavorful…ahh…

140917-02They packed the tsuyu separate which is great. Mine leaked but I blame it more on how we transported back more than anything else. We didn’t have AC at work for half the day today and this bowl of deliciousness would have really hit the spot. Look, I got a green onion hooked onto my chopstick. I don’t know how I do it, but I manage it every time…lol. Have a good one folks.

Chukaya Sea Dragon Table – Ala Moana, HI

I’ve been wanting to try Chukaya Sea Dragon Table ever since they opened up a while back because I was curious how Japanese style Chinese food would taste like. The start was interesting. First off, you have to find your own parking so I parked in the sketch are behind a well known druggy park. We got to the restaurant and decided to check out some shops on the side before heading in. The restaurant opens at 5pm and we got in at about 6pm. Well, we tried to get in at 6pm. The restaurant was fully lit and employees were inside waiting for customers to come in. So basically, they hadn’t unlocked their door yet and we were their first official customers. I couldn’t believe it and I bet if a customer tried to open the locked door and couldn’t, they would just walk on by.

My friend and I were pretty excited about a few dishes we saw on Yelp but as we browsed through the menu, many of them were crossed off. We were informed that they are going through a re-design and would be changing up the menu. We were disappointed but stayed around anyway. One of the main dishes I wanted was their Dragon Ball soup which is something they discontinued. The waitress was nice enough to ask the kitchen about it and they were willing to make it! Check out our meal…

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Jajamen
So, I am used to the Korean version of this dish and this was a lot different. They used more of a Chinese red bean sauce which I liked as well! The noodles were great, chewy and firm. I enjoyed it!

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140915-05Spicy Eggplant
I’m not a huge fan of eggplant but my love for it has been growing lately. I guess what they say is true, as you get older – you start liking things you didn’t like before. I like when eggplant is prepared like this – braised. This was delicious!

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140915-07Dragon Balls
The famous dragon balls! Which they no longer carry. If you folks know what cha gor (tea roll) is, this is very similar. The plain mochi covers a savory filling. In this case, their filling is like a spare-rib/pork hash filling. It was pretty good but nothing I would order again (not that I can anyway). I think I just compared it too much to the ones I grew up with and nothing beats home cooking!

140915-08As we were walking back to our car, I saw the J-Shop that Jalna posted about! I had to check it out and saw this big hunk of meat for $1000! Insane. Only Japanese restaurants can afford this kine of thing huh? How much do they have to charge to make their money back?? That marbling though, looks amazing. But $1000…craziness to me!

Restaurant Do-ne Japanese Food

Wait a minute. Did that really just happen? So I’m totally stoked for the new iPhone and I just put in my order…and it went through. Like for real. I did it within 15 minutes of the official release. I’m pretty stoked but knowing my luck, I will get some kind of error message tomorrow. Hahaha ah well. I’m not dying to get it first…I just wanted to get it and not stand in line. We will see huh?

Can I start off my post with a big MAHALO to Ono Kine Recipes? I’ve been following them for a while now and I was so honored when I saw them featuring my recipes two days in a row! People seemed to like the recipes too so it was such an honor, really. Welcome all new readers to my humble little blog, I hope I get to talk to you folks soon. This should also serve as motivation to make new recipes for the blog! I do have one recipe that I’ve been holding onto, it’s SO good but I think I should ask for permission before I post it. It might be too top secret to share…lol.

Anyway, I hope you are all having a great week. Tomorrow is Friday! Yay! Classes have been going okay. Then again, I haven’t had to start my papers yet so it’s a bit early to judge. I am however interested in everything I’m learning about so that’s a good sign! Today, I’m sharing a dinner I had recently at Restaurant Do-ne Japanese Food. I’ve dined there before and liked it, this visit was no different! Great food! Great…company? Well, my dining companion was cool…there was a table of older gentlemen, and how can I say this nicely? Getting bombed. They kept offering everyone cigarettes and beer. Yeah. Hahaha but other than that, it was good. They have limited parking but you just double park and it’s a small enough restaurant that you can tell people leaving that you can move your car. Let’s get to the food!

140912-01Katsu-don Set – $12.50

140912-02I usually go for a raw fish don but this night, I felt like like a good old..katsu don. It was delicious! The seasoning was just right and the chicken was moist and tender inside.

140912-03Always enjoy their salads! Very refreshing, the dressing has a citrus/ponzu flavor.

140912-04Seasoned Eggplant. I really want to learn how to make their side dishes. I’m not even a fan of eggplant and I ate this right up.

140912-05Okra with Mushrooms. Not sure what kind of mushrooms exactly, delicious once again. Yes, okra has a bit of a slimy texture but it’s totally fine in this dish. Once again, their flavors are on point.

140912-06My favorite side dish of the night – by far! This is made in the style of Mentaiko Pasta but with konnyaku. My gosh, the crunchy texture of the konnyaku with the creamy yet spicy sauce was heavenly. The little strands of basil I assume were the perfect accent. I wish I could steal a whole pot of this and run far far away. I would love to recreate it if I could! Maybe I will…

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yay! Sorry, another post about me and my birthday…lol. But I just wanted to finish up the series! Did I share that one of my brothers shares the exact same day for our birthday. That was nice! Also it’s a bit of pressure that I have to treat him well too…I want to be the one to be spoiled! Haha…j/k. Anyway, I had a pretty good birthday. I spent the morning building a Lego set I bought for my brother…those sets can get complicated! One wrong placement and you’re screwed. Check it out.

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140820-02Kaboom! Nice ah? It took a while because I had to rebuilt it from scratch. These dang toys even break apart pretty easily so I got even madder. Ha!

Anyway, got together with some family and had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Izakaya Torae Torae. I’ve been there a few times and posted about them before, I’ll link them at the end of the post. For now, let’s take a look at this visit! It was delicious, as always.  We dropped our chopsticks about 3 times – so shame ah.

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Hamachi Carpaccio – $13.95
Served on a bed of slivered onions with a truffle oil infused sauce. Delicious!

140820-04King Salmon ($3.95 per piece) and Sweet Shrimp Nigiri ($5.50 per piece)

140820-05Yes, I’m going to show another picture of the salmon nigiri. Delicious! Of course with the shrimp nigiri, you can get the shrimp head deep fried. Yay!

140820-06Tan Shio (Grilled Beef Tongue) – $8.95
This is alright, not great though. I wouldn’t order it again from here – you can get it better elsewhere.

140820-07Chirashi Don

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140820-09Hamburger Cheese Steak – $14.95
This is good but in the end, you are paying $14.95 for a hamburger patty with cheese. I don’t think it’s worth it.

140820-10Jidori Chicken Karaage – $6.95
I didn’t get to try this but my family seemed to enjoy it!

140820-11King Salmon Sashimi – $13.95
Pricey, I know! It was a total splurge but I was very appreciative! Very delicious. It’s a better deal to get the sashimi over the nigiri.

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140820-13Dashimaki Tamago – $9.00
I took a leap and asked for this! It’s off the menu and I don’t think they make it every time. Luckily we went pretty early so the restaurant wasn’t too busy yet…so they agreed to make it! You wait a bit longer but I was excited! It’s a nicely cooked tamago which is filled with chunks of unagi and cheese. The cheese threw me off a bit. This dish was good but having it once was enough for me. I like a simpler tamago – sans cheese.

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Sushi King – Moilili, Hawaii

Oh my gosh. People really got whipped into a frenzy over the storms huh? I think I am being a bit too nonchalant about all this. In fact, I need to go to Target for a general shopping trip and am afraid of what I will encounter. I shall report back if it was chaos. I hope you folks are all ready for the storms…and that everyone stays safe. Hopefully when it hits land, it will be much weaker. I’ll try to schedule out my posts as soon as I can to have it all ready. Hope you folks had a good start to the week. I was super tired this morning but coffee really perked me up. I’ve become one of those people. A person that NEEDS coffee. I heard a cup of coffee is good for you. I just need to cut back on the sugar…

Anyway! Just a quick update of a recent late night dinner at Sushi King. They have late night specials that start at 10:30 pm. This is the dish my cousin had for her return night dinner. The Chirashi Special is $15.95. Do I think it’s worth it? Sure, it might be but I think I would prefer getting my sashimi/nigiri fix at other places…

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