mmm-yoso!!!

Oahu - Fresh Catch (Pearl City)

We were finally visiting "home", the four years away seemed like forty. And it wasn't without some apprehension on my part. I wondered if Covid had changed the Hawaii that I knew. How were things going to be, what had changed, had I changed? 

It was drizzling as we left San Diego.

The remnants of the "atmospheric river" that pounded San Diego for over a week. On the other hand, back home, rain is seen as a blessing.....

We flew Hawaiian Airlines and while the food wasn't stellar, unlike most domestic first class, HAL seats will lay flat, so you can actually take a nap if you want to.

But I shouldn't have worried...once we landed, it felt like "home". And like the Missus says, "once you get here you walk different and talk different". Some things never change.

Of course as soon as we landed poke was on our minds. Unfortunately, due to our schedule, we weren't able to visit two of our favorites as Tanioka's was closed the day we arrived and Ono Seafood was closed on the day we went into "town".

Still, we wanted our poke fix, so I did some searching and found that Fresh Catch had opened a location in Pearl City at the end of 2020. So, we decided to head on over to grab some poke for an afternoon "snack" of sorts.

The young man working was really friendly. While looking at the offerings, the Missus pointed at the Oio Lomi, the scraped bonefish that's really an acquired taste. She wanted to try it....well, the Missus had really enjoyed aged poi, so I thought "why not" and got a quarter pound of it.

Unfortunately, She found it much too gooey and "fishy" for Her taste.

I, on the other hand had eaten my share of this growing up and thought this was a decent version. I enjoyed he tongue coating texture...yes, it does "taste like fish". It was a bit on the salty side as was everything else we got from here.

The "Hawaiian Blend", basically Ahi Limu was really salty and the fish was on the more "chewy" side.

Too much salt, too much shoyu. Some really tough pieces with too much "tsuji" - connective tissue.

The Ahi Wasabi was a bit better.

Though again, we thought the quality of the fish wasn't quite up to what we enjoy. Still a bit overly salty which muddled the heat from wasabi, a bit too overly sauced as well.

Kind of a bummer overall as we'd enjoyed our visits to the Kaimuki location on previous visits.

Fresh Catch
98-371 Kamehameha Hwy.
Pearl City, HI 96782

Of course, we had jiaozi for dinner. We had really missed my MIL's handmade jiaozi! Over the years it's become comfort food for me. I basically ate this whole plate. In fact, when my MIL asked us what we wanted for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it was jiaozi! We can't get anything close to this in San Diego.

And then we had baozi for breakfast!

With some potstickers!

Before we headed off to the Big Island.

It was so good to be "home"!

Thanks for stopping by!

Where in the world are we?

Greetings! Right before Covid happened we were planning a trip that got derailed. Three years later, we finally made it. It's been four years since we've been "home". We're here to take care of family "stuffs", but of course we're getting our "fixes" in!

Man, how I missed my MIL's jiaozi!

We're mostly sticking to stuff we've been craving....

We managed to squeeze in a three-night stay....which we were planning on visiting earlier as well. Hard to believe that it's been 10 years since we last visited.

It was good to know that our old favorites are still good!

And perhaps it was fate as we were able to have what could be considered be a once in a lifetime experience.

Perhaps this was meant to be, or someone was looking out for us!

And we managed to find a new favorite "spot".

And squeeze in a wonderful meal as well.

I'd forgotten how much I missed the beauty, the warm and friendly people, and even the little things here......

We've got a few more days left and hope to do a bit more catching up!

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

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!

Oahu - The Alley Restaurant Bar & Grill Revisted

We'd had a great time on Lana'i and we'll certainly be back.

When we got back to Ewa Beach; the Missus decided that we'd go out to an early dinner. There was one place She'd been wanting to revisit since we first ate there years ago; the Alley. Oxtail soup has a long history in Hawai'i, especially in bowling alleys. And the Missus really enjoyed the version at the Alley ; it was one place She really wanted to revisit. So we headed on down for an early dinner.

The place was fairly empty when we arrived; right before 5pm; but quickly filled up.

The Missus's "leaning tower of plates" soon arrived.

Served with minced ginger and cilantro; ponzu, brown rice, with one empty bowl for da' bones.

Man; this was good ono! The wonderful beefy-ginger-anise flavors; peanuts; that really delicious shiitake mushroom.

It's "rich and delish"! Oh yeah, the tender oxtails, cooked perfectly, not falling to pieces, but still spoon tender, was great. We still haven't found a real use case for that ponzu....

Good until the last drop......

I went with the Tasty Chicken...bowl. The plate would be just too much for me....though I did see one aunty whack the entire plate herself! I; of my own free will actually ordered this with brown rice. No tell anybody; but I like the way the Alley makes their brown rice. And when they asked me if it was mac salad or greens....the Missus, ahem, answered for me....

Oh, and I got the sauce on the side; it's a bit too much with the chicken glazed in it. But a light dip....the chicken is nicely seasoned on its own; light, crisp, moist; like a good karaage. It's best with just a touch of sauce as the flavor of the chicken and spices come through. And it goes strangely well with the brown rice.

This was such a satisfying meal. The service was very friendly. Man, we can't wait to return next time I'm back "home".

The Alley Restaurant Bar & Grill
in Aiea Bowl
99-115 Aiea Heights Dr, Ste 310
Aiea, HI 96701

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.......

Oahu: Kahumana Cafe (Waianae)

 We decided to head back "home" to Oahu before heading to Japan. The Missus needed to visit Her parents....and I needed to recharge. I love seeing my in-laws, they truly treat me as if I'm their son. The one problem being, and no offense here, I'm a "townie" by nature....for me finding the kind of places and grindz I like is kind of hard in Ewa Beach and West Oahu.....things are getting better...but for the most part, it's trips to Tanioka's for us. And yet, I wanted something different and special for us....the family, to go out and enjoy. Somehow, I'm still not entirely sure, I came across Kahumana Farms and their Cafe, which serves lunch and....great for us, dinner from 6pm - 8pm Tuesday to Saturday.

Over the last 10 years we've been doing the blog, things have changed, we eat less, still enjoy food, but temper things with more healthy choices. Plus, there's just a sort of "hippie" side to the Missus that has come out the last couple of years......let's put that "high maintenance hippie", have you seen the prices of dried mulberries? Yikes. However, there was just something about this place that seemed right.

The whole Kahumana Farms thing was established by Father Phillip Harmon back in 1974. The farm and cafe reside "out there" down the unpaved roads of Lualualei Homestead Road. The land is fruitful, I've been told that there are more than few archaeological sites in this valley. And the Kahumana Organization supports transitional housing and programs for those with disabilities. A big plus, you're getting "stuffs" grown right on the farm. You can read more about this here at their website and other articles.

I called and made reservations......

Like they say, getting there was half the fun. From what I recall, a lot of the area is Hawaiian Homestead land. I haven't really been down to Waianae in almost 30 years or so.....once upon a time, I drove here weekly for work, but it had been almost forever....ok, let's just say a lifetime. We arrived and walked in the door, past the shop area......the place was doing some decent business. Finding that we had reservations....we got a table in the covered lanai area.

The staff here is very friendly....not polished mind you, but they make up for things with their warmth and friendliness. The menu is written on a chalkboard, one of which is delivered to your table. It's an interesting aggregation of dishes...hummus, Pacific Rim, Indian influences.....

We started with some Kabocha Soup.

The Missus loves Kabocha, so choosing this was a no-brainer. Smooth and comforting, a slight heat, herbaceous, perhaps a little too sweet for our taste, this was still quite nice.

The dish we enjoyed the least was the chicken stir fry, which, in spite of the wonderful flavors of the vegetables, had severely over-cooked the chicken.

The Chicken Masala on Brown Rice (yes, brown rice) and stir fried vegetables was very good.

No, I wasn't expecting Punjabi Tandoor, but this was quite good....can I go on about the greens? The "masala inspired" sauce had a bit of zip and nice balanced spice profile....good enough that I actually ate a good bit of brown rice! The chicken was nice and moist on this one.

The Macadamia Nut Pesto with Mahi Mahi was solid.

Call it the "Shandong" influence, but I was not a fan of the noodles, which were kind of brittle and lacking in texture. The "pesto" was very nice, nutty, with a good herb flavor. I'm kind of leary about Mahi Mahi, having worked with it quite a bit in one of my former lives. You need to get it really fresh...it attains a "sour" flavor when at less than optimal freshness. Plus, too many folks just cook it to death....and this one looked unimpressive....until I had a taste...nicely seasoned, moist.....very good! A nice piece of fresh fish prepared simply, but well.

I think it might be hard for folks to understand how a simple salad could be the best dish......

It is, after all, a plate of vegetables.....but let me say, the Missus and I enjoyed this the most. The cucumbers sparkled, crisp, with the flavor of melon...the greens, bitter, herbaceous, taste each separately. The tomatoes were good....but you have to understand, my Mom was from Maui....I still have the flavor of ripe, Kula tomatoes on the brain. The flavor that really got our attention were of the shaved beets, so sweet, so much flavor, I had to ask if they marinated it in any way......the answer? No.......  

The Lilikoi Cheesecake....well, I don't do desserts, so you'll have to ask.

As I was waiting for everyone to finish "potty duty" after dinner....a gentleman walked up to me and struck up a conversation. He introduced himself as "Robert"...so in retrospect, I assume he is Robert Zuckerman, the Manager/Chef of Kahumana Cafe. He asked us where we hail from.....it was quite obvious, there are the regular customers, and then there were us. It was a wonderful 15 minutes; we had seen kids....well, teenagers eating in the dining room. We were worried these were homeless kids, but no....kids on a 10 day program learning about farming. The young folks we saw gathering a bit later on were the workers, some of which were Woofers, basically a program by which food and housing is provided in exchange for work on the farm. I thoroughly njoyed our conversation and promised to return.

I hope to keep that promise........I'm looking forward to my next salad!

Kahumana Cafe
86-660 Lualualei Homestead Rd
Waianae, Hi 96792

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!