mmm-yoso!!!

Honolulu - Fort Ruger Market a Quarter Century Later

The Missus and I were looking at some of my old photo albums and flipped the page to my third grade class photo. I started cracking up and the Missus gave me a quizzical look. I then pointed something out to Her. All the boys were wearing long pants (no shorts were allowed in those days), Aloha Shirts (after all, it as class photo day), the girls Mumu's, but.......most of us were barefoot! I explained to the Missus that until the fifth grade, many of us actually did walk to school barefoot (though not uphill both ways). I mean this was the late 60's, early 70's, and things were different then. Plus, as I mentioned in my post on my "old neighborhood", Ali'iolani Elementary was just a block away from where we lived.

And this kinda brings me forward to this post. On our last trip back "home", the Missus asked me when I first remember having poke. We had just finished doing some stuffs at Ala Moana and I decided to show Her. Way back, when I was in the 5th or 6th grade, my Mom had an appointment in the Fort Ruger area. I was raised by a single parent and my Mom never ever drove, so we had to catch the Ruger bus and I waited while my Mom did her thing. After the appointment, we walked over to Ruger Market, and that's where I first remember having poke I really liked, over 50 years ago! I'd probably had it before; of course during the holidays there was sashimi and stuff, but I remembered the poke from Ruger Market clearly. Later, when I was older, my friends and I would drive on over after going to Cromwell's (I can't believe the cove is still around, though maybe not for long) and grab some poke, then go for a drive around Diamond Head Road and eat at the lookout or hele on over to Kapiolani Park or Paki Park and grind there.

So, we drove on over....and heck, I hadn't been to Ruger Market since before I left the islands; which would be over 25 years, but the place looks pretty much the same.

Though it's more of a seafood- Filipino/Hawaiian restaurant these days. When I was growing up, this was the neighborhood grocery for the area.

Different grades of Ahi is available, you can get poke made with  pre-frozen Ahi (nah) or with fresh Ahi, what is called "Auction Fresh Ahi" on the sign.

You know what we got, right?

We'd already had some small stuffs to eat at Foodland Farms and this was a kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, so we didn't go too crazy. We got one poke bowl, with brown rice, the chicharrons looked really good, so we got that, and also some boiled peanuts.

And then we headed off.....just like those hanabuddah days, I drove around Diamond Head Road to the lookout.

You can find the Amelia Earhart Plaque here as well.

As well as the "best seat in the house"....at least on this day.

And the local "security detail".

We headed on down and found parking and a table at Kapiolani Park and proceeded to dig in.

I was surprised to find that the kimchi was decent; not overly fermented, but still quite refreshing. The brown rice added a nice nuttiness to the bowl. The quality of the fish was good; tender and buttery in texture without connective tissue. We preferred the restrained, classic, soy-saltiness, with a hint of oceany sweetness of the Local Style Ahi. The Spicy Shoyu wasn't very spicy and was a bit on the salty side. Still, the quality and prep was way above anything here in San Diego.

The Chicharron was as good as it looked.

Crisp, with a slight crunch; porky and savory, which just enough salt. Talk about a guilty pleasure.

As for the boiled peanuts, well, the Missus was saving them for later. Though this little fella tried to make a move on the legume.

The Missus loves Her boiled peanuts, so he didn't stand a chance!

It was good to know that Ruger Market still makes decent poke.

The older I get, the more I treasure and appreciate those times and the chances I get to reflect on them. And it was wonderful to share a bowl of memories with the Missus.

Fort Ruger Market
3585 Alohea Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816

And I also want to thank you for sharing in those memories with me! Thanks for stopping by!

Clearing Out the Memory Card - Revisits to Ono Seafood (Kapahulu) and Tanioka's (Waipahu) and Jiaozi for Dinner (of course)

Just a quick post for tonight!

During our last full day back "home"; we headed out to do some shopping, you know omiyage stuffs. We also went to Foodland Farms in Ala Moana Center and of course ogling the Park Lane Condos. I made the Missus promise if we ever hit it big in the lottery (though it would have to be pretty big), we'd get a place there!

As for grindz; well, it was a rerun of places we posted on many times before. We'd already hit up Fresh Catch, but the Missus was really missing Her favorite poke stop, so we had to go to Ono Seafood. And, I can say, that after devouring the wasabi poke on brown rice; it's still Her favorite.

Ono Seafood
747 Kapahulu Ave.Apt 4
Honolulu, HI 96816

We made a few more stops; then headed back to Ewa Beach....but of course, I had to stop at Tanioka's for our last poke fix.

We got the Hot Alae and the Ahi Limu bowl and ate it when we got back to my In-Laws.

Tanioka's Seafood and Catering
94-903 Farrington Hwy
Waipahu, HI 96797 

Regardless of what the folks who love those "Chi-poke" places in San Diego say.....there's nothing even close to what we have back home.

As is the family tradition my MIL made jiaozi for our last dinner together.

We ate way too much!

And then the next day; after a light breakfast, it was time to leave.....for now.

Though a part of me will always stay here and I'll never forget where I'm from. As the years go by; I've gained a greater appreciation for this special place.

I still shake my head when I think; how the heck this poor kid from Kaimuki, who never left the state of Hawaii until the age of thirty, took a consulting job from a Mainland Firm a few years later. On the way to his first gig in Fort Smith, Arkansas he met his future wife on the first leg of that flight from HNL to LA. Life is funny that way, huh?

Thanks for stopping by!

Honolulu - Dinner at Senia

Among all the favorites we were hitting on our visit "home"; there was one newer place I really wanted to check out; Senia. Located on North King Street, downtown, next to Pig and the Lady, Senia has been on my "list" since they opened. From all the reviews and photos; it seemed that two Per Se alums, Chris Kajioka and Anthony Rush were taking Hawaii Regional Cuisine and bringing it to the next level.

So, I quite excited to have dinner at Senia. We didn't do the tasting menu; rather we just decided to have dinner and try out a bunch of dishes.

The Missus started with a non-alcohol "mocktail", the Yuzu Sour. I opted for the "Freddie" and was happy to note that it wasn't overly sweet and had some nice smoky tones.

The place was hopping; quite busy, and the staff tried their best, but seemed a bit out of sorts at times, and the pacing of our meal was somewhat uneven. Yet, as is the case in Hawaii, all worked out fine in the end.

As is our M.O. we ordered more smaller plates, stuff to share as we've found that some of the most delicious and creative dishes we've had have been appetizers and smaller shared plates; it seems that chefs will often take a few more chances on those.

Like the Kalua Pork Croquettes ($7); which had me thinking why aren't more places serving this?

The kalua pork was creamy, but still had "body", and you knew you were eating pork. The minced greens and the crisp exterior gave it a wonderful textural contrast. Mild smokiness came through; the "chili pepper water" added mild heat and acidity, which cut the richness.

We also ordered the Ahi Brioche ($5/piece).

Wonderfully meaty and thick slices of Ahi were torched; aburi style, and brushed with a light tare of sorts. It was placed on a smoked brioche which, in addition to the slightly sweet tones, also had a savory aspect to it. Think of it as Ahi Brioche Nigiri if you will. This was delici-yoso!

Our least favorite item of the night were the Chicken Liver Eclairs ($10).

Chicken liver mousse in pastry, topped with persimmon flavored spheres. This was just too sweet for us. Even the in-laws didn't care for it.

You know I'm always tempted by Tartare. and seeing Venison Tartare ($24) on the menu; I just had to order it.

This was also a wonderful dish. The venison had been chopped perfectly, was almost buttery in texture, no metallic flavors, there was a very mild sweetness to the meat. There was a hint of truffle in this and the pickled onions and the blackberry compote really enhanced the flavors. Every bite was wonderful. My FIL loved this......the Missus was shocked. I told Her; "he's loving this dish....please don't tell him it's raw deer...…."

The Foie Gras Bonbons ($25) were wonderful as well.

Coated with pistachio, there was so much going on here. Earthy-sweet-tangy (green apple gelee); just an amazing array of flavors. And yet, there's a wonderful harmony of flavors, a unique balance; or perhaps a tasty détente of sorts, where all conflicts have eased and the best in each is displayed.

And yet, the dish that I enjoyed the most....I'd read about it several times and was really not sure how Charred Cabbage ($18) was going to impress me. Well, it did. Apparently, the heart and soul of this wonderful dish is the cone shaped Caraflex Cabbage. It is charred, then dressed with what tasted like dashi, and topped with Moringa Leaf.

It is served with dots of a nicely acidic buttermilk gelee and of all things, sort of a Green Goddess dressing. There was so much going on here; yet all the pieces seemed to fit together so well. The moringa leaf added a pleasant herbaceous bitterness. The dashi dressing added deep savory tones. The cabbage itself is fairly sweet and the charring really brought that out. This was so good.

For our last dish, we got the Duck Confit ($26).

Which was fine; it was served on top of a vegetable and bean mixture that looked a bit like a deconstructed cassoulet. After all of the wonderful flavors; this seemed really tame and underseasoned. The duck was fine and the dish was okay. The In-laws asked the Missus why She was less than satisfied with this and She explained that She gets Duck Confit made at home, along with Cassoulet that's made to Her taste. Hmmm.....

The Missus and In-laws finished with dessert and a very good Mamaki Tea. I got another Freddie for dessert.

This was a wonderful and memorable meal. While the vibe is relaxed and casual; the food just takes things up to another level. We can't wait to return.

Senia
75 North King St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
Hours:
Monday     530pm - 10pm
Tues - Fri 11am - 2pm, 530pm - 10pm
Saturday   530pm - 10pm
Closed on Sundays

 

Honolulu - Ahi Assassins and Walking Around Shirokiya Japan Village Walk

**** Both this location of Ahi Assassins and the Shirokiya Japan Village Walk have closed

Our first full day back from Lana'i was spent doing a bit of shopping. And of course we wanted to get some grindz. Since we don't visit "Home" very often these days; it's quite easy to fall into the "I gotta get all my favorites" mode....just like the previous evening when we hit up the Alley.

On this day though; I wanted to try someplace new. I'd heard about a newish shop that opened up in Moiliili. One that serves fish from the waters around the islands; Ahi Assassins. Funny, when I read the address, I thought, where the heck in that small strip mall are they? Well; the shop is on the second floor. Just look for the Fish Flags!

There's something wonderfully "neighborly - old school" about this place. Like a small hole-in-the-wall that could have been in your neighborhood in the islands growing up.

There are several poke on offer....when it's gone, it's gone. Kind of reminds me of Ray's Café before they moved to Kalihi (btw, we miss you Reid! Hope all is well), when they were on the corner of Smith and Beretania. They had a hand written sign that said; "when the door is open we open, when its closed, we closed". But I digress.

Anyway, the really friendly guy behind the counter got us trying....well, just about everything.

We ended up spending like almost fifty bucks here on poke!

If you're keeping score; from the top left clockwise; The "Secret", basically a riff on Shoyu Poke, a bit sweet, perhaps a bit too salty, the ahi had a real good texture. The "Lunatic" a mayo-less (yay!) version of spicy poke, a bit too salty, with nice touches of garlic. It wasn't too spicy and the Missus didn't care for what She said was "too chewy and overly sauced". The Hawaiian, very traditional definitely my favorite, great balance with regards to salt - onions, though I really couldn't make out the inamona. Excellent texture with regards to the fish on this one. And, for the Missus, a very typical sriracha-mayo based spicy ahi.

Could not fault the quality of the fish; though some of the preparations seemed a bit over done for us. Still, I'd gladly return.

Ahi Assassins
2570 South Beretania St. #204
Honolulu, HI 96826
Hours:
Mon - Tues 10am - 5pm
Wed - Sat  10am - 6pm
Sunday     10am - 2pm

We actually took our fish down to Ala Moana Beach and just had a nice lunch.

Leaving Ala Moana Park I noticed these window washers working on I believe it's Waiea. Sheesh....talk about a spooky job! Definitely not for me!

One of the reasons we headed down to Ala Moana Beach was to do some shopping at Ala Moana Center. After buying some "stuffs"....well, we weren't through with shopping, but had pretty much done enough for the day, I wanted to check out another newish place that I had read about in the Star-Advertiser and then in post by Kat. Shirokiya, now how's that for a blast from the past, opened up it's own version of a Japanese Food Street called the "Shirokiya Japan Village Walk". So, we just wanted to check it out.

No, we didn't eat here on this trip, but it was fun exploring. We actually did return the next day to pick up some stuffs from Foodland Farms. But as always, so much food, so little time.

Thanks for stopping by!

Honolulu - It's Back to Fresh Catch

After a wonderful dinner at Kinjiro (and karaage at Karayama) we awoke early to catch our shuttle to LAX at 520am. I actually slept better on the flight than at the hotel.

And breakfast was adequate and held us for quite a while. After getting about 2 hours of shut-eye, I awoke, freshened up, and soon enough, we were landing at "home".

My In-laws picked met us and of course the first thing we wanted was.....poke, of course! The Missus's Mom and Dad live in Ewa Beach, so the natural stop was Tanioka's. But man, the line was crazy....folks standing outside, with a security guard letting folks into the shop one-by-one. We decided to just drive "home" and unpack.

And then....well, we just needed to get some poke. Ono Seafood is closed on Sunday (and Monday), so after mulling some options, we headed off to my "neck of the woods" and Fresh Catch. Funny thing; I'd actually packed the Fresh Catch insulated bag to keep stuffs cold for this trip. So I guess it was just fate?

Not to say that Fresh Catch wasn't busy....they were.

The woman behind the counter was very efficient....but the pressure was on to have your order ready by the time you hit the counter. Decisions....decisions.....

In the end; it was a half pound each of the Hawaiian Blend, Spicy Ahi Shoyu, and Smoked Tako.

The Hawaiian Blend was the favorite hands down; just enough salt, but not enough ogo...still, the onion was sweet, there was a hint of spice.....the fish was good quality...well, in comparison to the poke in San Diego.....well; let's not go there.

The Spicy Ahi Shoyu was too sweet and salty.

I'd have liked more onions...need that pungency to cut the saltiness. Still the fish was good quality.

The smoked tako had too much mayo; but a nice smokiness.

Enjoyed the tobiko, which added a bit of texture; but the octopus was hard instead of being chewy.

Still, this was a nice start to our trip.

Fresh Catch
3109 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816 

Ah, it was good to be "home". It had been too long.

And it was hard to beat our "dining room"...…

The Missus's mission was now to have poke every day.

Honolulu: Gina's Korean Bar-B-Q, Honolulu Coffee Company, and other Stuffs

The Missus and I have a pretty nice routine for our "easy" days when we visit "home".

Things start with breakfast. The Missus can never get enough papaya.......there's nothing even remotely close to this stuff on the mainland. And I love good pineapple. What do you expect from the grandchild/child of Maui Pine plantation workers?

We then head off to the Missus's favorite swim spot; of all places, Ala Moana Beach.

We head out right after the morning rush hour....it's a week day so it's all the old timers, students, and Japanese tourists taking wedding photos.

I've always been amazed at how they seem so easy going, wearing wedding gowns and tuxedos in humid, 85 degree weather. But after chatting with folks like Kat, I understand.

On this morning it wasn't one, but two sets of couples taking photos.

While the Missus swims, I usually do a complete lap of Ala Moana Park and sometimes even head off toward Ward Avenue. On days like this one, I can't help but think, "man, to believe that I used to take all of this for granted".

Once out and dry, the Missus and I will head off across the street to Honolulu Coffee Company for a Kona V60 pour over for the coffee snob.

And while it doesn't wow Her like it used to. It's still a good cup of coffee.

Honolulu Coffee Co (in Ala Moana Center)
1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Ste 3066
Honolulu, HI 96814

We then head off and do our various errands. On this day, we decided to head off to Kahala Mall; Whole Foods and the Apple Store were calling.  I decided on stopping off at another of my old favorites, in my 'hood, Gina's Bar-B-Q, still going strong 23 years later.

Gina's Bar-B-Q:

You know, I remembered when this place first opened. It's typical Local style Korean, our version of a Meat and Three. You order your entrée(s) and get three of what we call "vegetables", basically panchan, and the proteins are cooked to order.

It's a very popular style, the most popular is probably a chain called Yummy Korean BBQ. Every one has their neighborhood favorites when it comes to the local kine Korean BBQ places. I used to like Kim Chi II, though I haven't been there in maybe 20 years. My mom liked Choi's Family Restaurant, many of my friends love Soon's in Salt Lake (Oahu, not Utah....).

I'm old enough to remember when Foodland, which is now on the other side of the parking lot used to be in this spot. My good friend's second job was with Foodland. I also remember when there was a very popular video game place here called....if I recall, "The Space"???? I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. I remember once going to use the restroom and finding two huge bags of pakalolo right on the washbasin!

Anyway wanting to check out the state of the food at Gina's, I ordered a "special", still a bargain at eleven bucks or so. It comes with bulgogi, kalbi, and the item I used to really enjoy (second best - the spicy chicken was #1), the BBQ Chicken.

Anyway, we took it to go, got a small salad at WF in Kahala and proceeded to dig in. The bulgogi wasn't up to snuff, dry, bland, and tough. The kalbi was typical local style, nice flavor, but not the best. That chicken was still a winnah! Nice shoyu flavor, slight sweetness, chewy, but in a good way. There was of course, the equivalent of three scoops of rice under all of this, soaking up the juices and drippings. The "vegetables" were passable....I'd say, even better than what I get here at some of the rather pricey Korean places.

Even though it's more about a good value, the chicken is not bad.

I'm hoping to head back to Gina's for the spicy chicken next time. Hopefully, I won't have to wait another decade.

Gina’s Bar-B-Q
2919 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96826 

COMC - Oahu: All those familiar places - Fresh Catch and Tanioka's

Funny, the Missus says that my demeanor changes as soon as I get off that plane and the island humidity hits me. Something happens. I'm able to fall right back into my "old self", relaxed, laid back...and then the pidgin starts!

Of course, the next thing we're looking for is poke. Like I've mentioned before, I'm a "townie"....to me there's only one decent place to get poke in the Waipahu/Ewa Beach area and that would be a place i've posted on several times before....

Tanioka's Seafood and Catering:

We always visit a couple of times.......

Much has changed over the years....the question used to be, "limu or shoyu?"

Nowadays, it runs the gamut....

Not the prettiest presentation....Styrofoam and sauce "all ova' da' place."

But it hits the spot.

Tanioka's Seafood and Catering
94-903 Farrington Hwy
Waipahu, HI 96797 

We also hit a place around my old neighborhood. Usually it's Ono Seafood, but the Missus wanted some smoked marlin, so here's another I've posted on before.

Fresh Catch:

Man, I remember when this was Pizza Hut!

We actually prefer the smoked seafood and stuffs like taegu tako to the poke here.....

Fresh Catch
3109 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816 

Man, I'm craving some poke now.......

COMC - Never made the cut, the travel edition

Not everything makes it into a post, I've deleted many photos for posts that never got started....that Mariscos place where I got ill, that very good fine meal with no lighting....though unless we're travelling, I usually don't even break out the camera for those type of meals. And the one's I just never got around to.... I've done these "Never Made the Cut" posts before. Here's another batch.....

Recently, "Kha" sent me an email for some Hawaii recommendations, which included some requests for the North Shore.......

One of the places was Mackey's Shrimp Truck.......I sent him a photo and realized I never posted on the place.

Which made me realize that I had photos from meals during our travels that I never posted on. Too much time had passed.....

Sometimes I even had a very good meal, but the lighting was just too bad......like this revisit to The Old Fashioned.

Pickled Pork Hock...pickled egg.....

Nice burger.....and cheese curds of course....

And an adorable Server.......

But that lighting....ick......

I just plumb forgot about our revisit to Fresh Catch....

We enjoyed the poke much more this time around....

The Missus loved the really aged poi.....which was a surprise.....it was really funky.

This last one is from Tunis. It was a surprisingly decent meal......

This was pretty inexpensive as well.... in the Airport in Tunis! Airport staff and flight crew were on the other tables....so I guess this is the place!

So that's it....another Clearing Out the Memory Card post! Have a great weekend!

Honolulu: Keeaumoku Seafood

Man, I didn't even notice I hadn't done this post....time to catch up!

After returning from the Big Island, we had maybe a full day to get our grinds in....the Missus wanted to make the most of it and I had wanted to check out Keeaumoku Seafood, and tiny shop just mauka of Beretania Street. Oh....yes, in case you didn't know, we never used East-West-North-South while I was growing up, in fact, I was kind of confused with those directions when I first started working, then living on the mainland. Back "home" we use "mauka", toward the mountains, or "makai" towards the ocean.

Anyway, the shop it a tiny one with barely a handful of parking spaces right in front of it. Funny, I still remember when Nippon Theatre was across the street from here....man am I getting old!

Anyway...we wen' score one of the spaces right in front of the place.

From the cold case, it seems that this place makes poke in small batches, which is not a bad thing. The poke did look a bit dried out as well, but we weren't here for poke. There was a rather stern mannered Korean woman working and a very sweet young lady who was Filipino. She really did a nice job putting together our plate.

I'd really come here for one thing.......this:

No...it's not the brown rice, ok? The Missus did insist on that to counter-act the rich and wonderful fried Ahi Belly. Man was this good! A slight resistance before melting away in your mouth. This being Ahi, not Aku, the flavor wasn't too strong for the Missus.

 You also get an order of poke with the Ahi Belly. I chose the sesame oil poke, which was coated with masago. sadly, it wasn't very good. The fish was tough and this was strangely lacking in flavor.

The Missus really wanted to balance out the scales and we ended up going to Whole Foods in Kahala, where She built a massive salad. We had our meal at one of the tables right outside the market.

Man, we're still talking about that Ahi Belly.......

Keeaumoku Seafood
1223 Keeaumoku St
Honolulu, HI 96814

Honolulu: Whole Foods Kahala, Ono Seafood, Tamura's Kaimuki, Take's Fish Market, Mini-Garden, and dinner

I won't go into great detail about planning or trip; you can read a bit more in my previous post. 

During my last trip, I noticed a lot of construction was taking place on a huge lot on Keaunui Drive. My in-laws live about a ten minute walk away. On this trip we saw that one of the "mega-Safeways" had opened on the property. I thought this was great, with more choices, and maybe with a better fish department than the nearby Foodland. Unfortunately, like Foodland, this place serves up carbon monoxide treated ahi....bummer. I guess we'll stick with Tanioka's. We were pretty much pooped and didn't do much the first evening.

But we headed out early the next morning. In all honesty, I'm not the biggest fan of Whole Foods. I did however, relish the opportunity to check out the Kahala location. I wanted the Missus to have a chance to grab some local produce. I was pleasantly surprised to see a really impressive looking food bar area......

This used to be the location of Star Market in Kahala Mall, which sadly closed in 2007.

It didn't seem like we'd have any time to visit a farmer's market on Oahu, so this seemed a decent option. Of course, driving from Ewa Beach on a week day morning wasn't exactly the most wonderful thing in the world....

This was of course, Whole Foods, and the pricing reflected that. I'm not a big fan of the prepared and hot foods, many of which I find on the bland side. But the choice of all the local vegetables was very nice. The Missus and I had sort of a breakfast with stuff like Sumida Farms watercress and Ho Farms Tomatoes.

The Missus just loved the watercress and we bought some stuff for dinner.

Whole Foods Market
Kahala Mall Shopping Center
4211 Waialae Ave, Ste 2000
Honolulu, HI 96816

Our next stop was set to be Tamura's Kaimuki, but their poke department doesn't open until 1030, so we decided to get something to eat. Well, we already did breakfast, so I guess we need to call this brunch?

We headed down to Ono Seafood and decided to share a poke bowl. We went with a "combo" poke bowl; for 50 cents more ($7.50), you get two different poke. The one item that I enjoy eating brown rice with is poke....the Missus loves the "brown rice revolution".

The fish here has been sparkling fresh on all our visits. The poke is not over-sauced and the texture of the fish is not compromised. The Missus really enjoyed the wasabi version of the ahi poke, while I liked the less heavily flavored "Hawaiian" style, with inamona adding a bit of nuttiness, and limu for some crunch. All the juice from the poke flavored the rice nicely, though the Missus has a bit of an issue with putting cold raw fish on top of hot rice...... I on the other hand have no such qualms......

Ono Seafood
747 Kapahulu Ave.Apt 4
Honolulu, HI 96816

We then headed back up the hill to Tamura's.

For some smoked tako, smoked fish, and some other stuff for dinner.

Tamura's Fine Wines & Liquors
3496 Waialae Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816

We decided to make one more eating stop..... We've done breakfast and brunch, so I guess this one is officially lunch? Anyway we headed to Mapunapuna and the former location of 99 Ranch Market. I'd always thought this was a weird location for a market and 99 Ranch Market didn't last that long. It's now a sort of food court with some shops....great for the working folks in the area. Though it still looks kind of seedy.....

**** Both Take's and Mini Garden Express have closed

I'd heard about a little place that makes a nice take-out chirashi with decent quality fish, called Take's Fish Market.

The place is run by a very nice older Japanese couple. They seem very mild mannered, even shy. I ordered the Kaisen Chirashi and was told it was going to be about 10 minutes. So while the Missus walked around I waited a while and actually saw them cut my fish fresh.

I then went for a walk and got the Missus to order something for me from another stand (see below). When I got back, my bowl was ready.

The shari (sushi rice) was prepared decently, not too sour or wet. The fish was very fresh, the hamachi impeccable. By no means is this an earth-shattering chirashi......but looking at the quality and price ($9.95), this is pretty darn good. I really can't, by any means, call this fast food. If I worked around here, I'd be having this just about every week.

Take's Fish Market
1151 Mapunapuna St
Honolulu, HI 96819

While waiting for my chirashi, the Missus and I took a walk. It was just after 11 and this place was packed.

The place was doing major business! Looking at the food the other folks were eating, I could tell....this ain't Panda Express. So I got the missus to order me something while I went back to see if my chirashi was ready.

What the missus ordered for me was the Roast Duck Pan Fried Noodles ($7.95). The Missus handed the styrofoam container over to me and I was surprised at its heft. Opening up I noticed that man, this place really packed it in.

The Missus loved the gooey sauce on the vegetables....mostly napa cabbage. There was a good amount of crisp noodles, one of my favorite thing. I found the sauce more like a fairly bland gravy which needed some flavor. The duck was super meaty and wasn't too salty, though it was on the mild side with regards to anything resembling five-spice or bean paste flavor.

Still, this is a load of food........we had half of it left for dinner.

Mini Garden Express
1151 Mapunapuna St
Honolulu, HI 96819 

Speaking of dinner........it seemed like the Missus could not get enough watercress. We bought some Sumida Farms watercress and Ho Farms tomatoes and made a salad....and drizzled on a bit of soy and sesame oil for flavor.

Along with the stuff from Tamura's.

The smoked tako seemed a bit too sweet for our tastes.

The smoked marlin, which the Missus loved so much that I had to bring some home with me during my last trip, has somehow fallen out of favor with Her.

Turns out that the Missus prefers the stuff I now make at home. Of course it's made with Her taste preferences in mind.

The pipikaula was decent....not too tough, not overly salty.

I could eat a whole container of pickled garlic.....really.

While the Missus could do the same with tako wasabi......

While writing this I realized that we really packed it in.......though if you look through, we shared our food and never ate too much. We really enjoyed this type of "grazing"........

We crashed fairly early, we'd bee headed to the Big Island the next day.

Thanks for reading!