DaLat - Vietnamese Comfort Food

It's been a while since I've been back to DaLat!! Time to go see what my friend Khanh has come up with now!

DaLat
2537 N Fitzhugh Ave.
Dallas, TX 75204
(214) 827-3200
http://dalatdallas.com/
Price: $-$$

We started with some appetizers. They are all new to me! I love trying new foods.

Spam Musubi (Fried Spam with sticky rice in rice paper) $5~

This was my favorite appetizer out of the bunch. I'm not a fan of regular Spam musubi when I was in Hawaii. I thought the texture and flavor were all meh. I loved this rendition of the musubi with the sticky rice! The sticky rice added a different texture to the spam and the rice paper around it all made it easier to pick up and eat. I would totally get this again next time.

Du Du Bo Kho (green papaya salad and spicy beef jerky) $5.50~

This was pretty light in flavor but was also refreshing. I liked the spicy beef jerky on top to add complexity in texture. I wish it was a bit spicier though.

Dorito-Viche (Vietnamese cabbage salad over Doritos) $5~

This was an interesting creation. I think I like the different elements on its own, but together, I felt the flavor of the Doritos overpowered the cabbage salad. Wasn't my favorite... Some of my friends really liked it though. hehe.

Chicken Soup for the Soul (pork meatballs and chicken over rice) $8~

This was awesome for late night/after drinking. It is so warm and comforting and I always love the pork meatballs. That night they also made a batch with beef and pork meatballs (which is what I got).

Sooooo much food, but really good. Go get you some on a cold day or long night of partying! haha.

Pho Bo (Beef Noodle Soup) $8~ As always, I like their broth.

Been a Rough Day Shots (Jameson, Grand Marnier, Baileys; taken in succession) $14~

One of DaLat's crazy creations. You take these one after another... I didn't dare to try it! My bf did though... He actually only heard Baileys so was pretty shocked when Khanh brought out 3 shots! HA! But he said it was actually much better than he thought it would be. I think ending with the Baileys really helped round out the experience. haha.

Cheesecake $5~ Not made in house, pretty standard.

DaLat is always a nice change to the standard IHOP or Buzzbrews or something. Plus I get to visit my friend, Khanh. I like how he keeps creating things so I can always try something new.

Quality of Food:

Service:

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

OAHU - PART 3 - Honolulu

I think the final part of the trip had overall the best food. Starting with one of the best meals of the entire trip!!

There was a Japanese udon place just behind our hotel that we drive by everyday and there's always a long line out the door...day and night. At first we thought it was some tourist hype but then we looked up reviews online. People RAVED about it. We were getting excited reading about it. Now we HAVE to go!
Marukame Udon
2310 Kuhio Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 931-6000
- Curry Udon (Regular) $5.25~

- Plus Half Boiled Egg $0.50~

- Kamaage Udon (Regular) $3.75~ Hot udon with ginger dipping sauce. This was my fav. It was basically udon in hot water. You can really taste the flavor of the udon and appreciate its texture. The dipping sauce was perfect. Light yet full of flavor. :)

- Bukkake Udon (Regular) $3.75~

- Vegetable Tempura $1.50~
- Eggplant $1.50~
- Fried Chicken $1.50~

- Vinegar Rice & Sesame Seed $1.50~
- Squid-Ten $1.50~

- Croquette $1.50~
- Sweet Potato $1.50~
- Salmon Musubi $1.50~

First of all, they make everything in the restaurant, including the udon! You can see them rolling the dough and cooking it right as you walk in. The place is cafeteria style where you take a tray and walk down the line and pick what you want. They also make the tempura and musubis right there in front of you. Everything looked so amazing. Plus it's super cheap!! Under $4 for udon?!?! That's unheard of! It was by far the cheapest meal we had on the trip. The quality of the udon was amazing. The texture was perfect. Definitely the best udon I've ever had. The different types of tempura were tasty as well. My favorite was the fried chicken and sweet potato. I really wanted to go back again but we didn't have time. :( And the line moves super fast so definitely go check it out.

The next day we were over on the east side checking out Lanikai Beach and Sea Life Park. One of our friends had recommended a place around here. It's his one of his favorite places to eat.
Keneke's
41-685 Kalanianaole Hwy.
Waimanalo, HI 96795
http://www.kenekes.net/
(808) 259-9811
- Pork Adobo Plate Lunch $8.50~ The pork was really moist and flavorful. It was definitely better than Kalua Pig!

- Omlette with Cheese $4~

- Teriyaki Beef Sandwich $5~ It was just a meat patty with some sauce. I didn't think it was a very good deal.

- Mahi Mahi Sandwich $5~ I wanted a light lunch so I ordered this. The fish was cooked perfectly. It was a great sandwich!

- Chocolate Macadamia Nut Ice Cream $3~ This was yum! Rich and creamy and lots of macadamia nuts in there.

It was local Hawaiian fare but they had some other options as well. And it was cheaper than most other Hawaiian food places. I would say out of all the local Hawaiian food places, I liked this place the best.

For dinner, we wanted to get poke from Safeway, which was also a recommendation. No pictures. :( But the poke at Safeway is AWESOME! Especially the spicy poke. The one we got in North Shore was such crap compared to Safeway. YUMMMMM!

Down the street from Safeway was Leonard's Bakery. Malasadas!!! This place has been on my list since the beginning of my planning!
Leonard's Bakery
933 Kapahulu Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816
http://www.leonardshawaii.com/
(808) 737-5591
- 2 Cinnamon Malasadas $0.90~ each
- 2 Custard Malasada Puffs $1.25~ each
- 2 Dobash (Chocolate) Malasada Puffs $1.25~ each
- 2 Flavor of the Month (Lilikoi Custard - Yellow Passion Fruit) Malasada Puffs $1.25~ each

I totally went overboard and got 8 malasadas. They're basically like beignets or donuts...either filled or plain. I would recommend only getting what you can eat at the moment. Fresh is wayy better than a day old malasada. I liked the filled ones a lot. The plain ones were eh...like a regular donut. I really liked the passion fruit custard. You get the essence of passion fruit and it wasn't too sweet with a hint of tartness. The malasada was warm and pillowy when it first came out. Delicious! The next day... they are not as good...

We hit up a local recommendation the next day for lunch. Multiple people throughout the trip had recommended this place so we went to check it out. And apparently Man vs. Food has been here! Cool!
Helena's Hawaiian Food
1240 North School St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
http://helenashawaiianfood.com/
(808) 845-8044
- Kalua Pig & Cabbage $4~
We have to get this at every meal otherwise there are no vegetables at all!

- Short Ribs Pipikaula Style (Large) $10.40~ They are known for their short ribs. For a large order, it's not very big but I thought the flavor was pretty good. Not the best short ribs ever. But still tasty.

- Fried Butterfish Collar $4.85~
This was my favorite of the meal. I love me some butterfish. And the collar meat is always the most tender. Fried makes it even better! :P

- LauLau $4~
The pork was pretty juicy but the leaves were a little bitter.

- Haupia (comes with the meal)

This is a coconut milk based Hawaiian dessert. It's kind of like a stiff gelatin. I liked it a lot. It's light, not too sweet, and very refreshing after a heavy meal with all the salt and meat. I would say it was a better Hawaiian meal than all the other times I've had on the trip so far...

For dinner we hit up another highly recommended local Hawaiian joint. The place is tiny and normally has a line. We went pretty early so got seated immediately. It definitely LOOKS like a hole in the wall. haha.
Ono Hawaiian Foods
726 Kapahulu Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 737-2275
- LauLau Plate (LauLau, Pipikaula, Lomi Salmon, Haupia, Rice) $16~
The pork laulau was a tad dry in my opinion, but they had the best leaves. It had the best flavor.

- Chicken LauLau $6.25~
This was really good. The chicken was super tender.

- Plain Butterfish (Boiled) $6.25~
Totally NOT worth the money. Tiny little pieces. Kinda bland...
- Kimchee $2~

Theirs was even better cuz it was just a tad sweeter than Helena's. I could just eat a giant block of that!

We met up with a friend of mine that goes to school in Honolulu later that night. She introduced us to this place. I'm still wondering why no one had told me about this place earlier!! It's open late and there's ALWAYS a line out the door.
Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream & Desserts
1010 University Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96826
http://bubbiesicecream.gourmetfoodmall.com/
(808) 949-8984
- Chocolate Eggnog Mochi Ice Cream

- Chocolate Mint Mochi Ice Cream

- Strawberry Dark Chocolate Chip Mochi Ice Cream - 3 for $2.95~

The strawberry was by far my favorite. I liked how the mochi was really thin. They had a lot of interesting flavors. I tried guava too and that was pretty good!
- Multiple Orgasm Ice Cream Cake (Oreo, Coffee, Chocolate ice cream) $5.45~
Online reviews raved about this cake. It was pretty tasty!! You can't go wrong with 3 different layers of ice cream!

- Bubbies Navel (chocolate chip cookie sandwich with coffee ice cream and dipped in chocolate) $4~
This looked better than it was. It was kinda hard to eat and the middle of the cookie was too doughy. But still not bad. I love ice cream. haha.

Our last day in paradise.... Sigh. :(
We had a great lunch! Found a tiny little Japanese restaurant actually next to the place where we booked our surf lessons! :) It seems to be owned by an old Japanese couple. Only about 4 tables plus a small bar area. And the entire time we were there, only Japanese people came in to eat. That's a GOOD sign!
Hana No Sato
2410 Koa Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 922-9635
- Baked Ginger Pork Set (Ginger pork, salad, miso soup, rice) $6.98~
For the price, this was an amazing deal! Fresh salad, lots of pork. Good flavor and tender. Yum!

- Sea Food Bowl - Regular (Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail, Octopus, Squid, Red Snapper, Shrimp, Egg, and Fish Eggs on rice; with miso soup) $9.98~

I totally wanted sushi during this trip but never really got it, so this'll have to do. For all the different types of sashimi on top, this was also a great deal! The fish was fresh and it made me happy. :)

We ended the trip with happy hour at our hotel later that night and watched the sunset. Sigh... I sooo didn't want to go home.
Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Splash Bar & Bento
120 Kaiulani Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
http://www.princess-kaiulani.com/dining/splash
(808) 922-5811
All the drinks were so colorful and pretty!
- Blue Hawaii

- Mai Tai

- Chi Chi
I've never had a Chi Chi before and it's awesome! :)

It's been a great trip. I can't wait to go back to Hawaii. Surfing is so fun!! And I just love the beach... Gotta save more money so I can take more trips!!!

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

OAHU - PART 1 - North Shore

I recently had the chance to visit the island of Oahu in Hawaii. First time there and it was pretty epic!! I can't wait to go back! :)

But unlike most other trips I take, the food was not the star... I ate some good meals, but overall, the food wasn't spectacular. Although I have to thank all my friends that gave me recommendations of places to eat and visit. :) They definitely made the trip planning much easier!

I'll be doing this in 3 parts since there are A TON of pictures. Part 1 is up in the North Shore area of Oahu, and Parts 2 & 3 are in the south by the Honolulu/Waikiki area. We actually stayed 2 nights in Waikiki, then drove up to North Shore for 4 nights, and then back down to Waikiki for 5 nights. So the food will not be in order...

North Shore was probably my least favorite part of the trip. There wasn't much to do and the weather was windy, cold and overcast the entire time we were there. 4 nights there was overkill. I think 2 would've been plenty.

Anyways, on to the food. We tried to hit up the more local, hole in the wall type places on the trip. We didn't want anything we can find back in Dallas.

On the drive up to North Shore, we stopped by the Dole Plantation. Definitely a good place to go if you've never been. Really fresh pineapples!
Dole Plantation
64-1550 Kamehameha Hwy.
Wahiawa, HI 96786
http://www.dole-plantation.com/
(808) 621-8408
- Dole Whip (cup with topping) $4.95~

The soft serve is sooo good! It was creamy, fresh, and great with the fresh pineapple chunks. I'm mildly allergic to pineapple so I had to really restrain myself from eating too much!

First night in North Shore. Unfortunately it was Thanksgiving night and most places were closed. We found a 7-Eleven and a grocery store that also sold food and got some dinner there.
7-Eleven
- Deluxe Spam Musubi (spam & egg) $1.69~

I've heard of how good the 7-Eleven spam musubis are... and I wasn't impressed...But then again, it tasted like all the other musubis I tried during the trip. haha. So I guess for the price, go to 7-Eleven to get your musubi.

Kahuku Superette
56-505 Kamehameha Hwy.
Kahuku, HI 96731
(808) 293-9878
- Seaweed Salad $3.69~
- Shoyu Poke $9.99/lb~

Online reviews said they had really good poke. Poke is basically a raw fish salad usually served over rice. This was my first time having it. I didn't care for it even though I love sashimi. Something about it didn't sit well with me. I think the fish wasn't really that fresh.

Day 2 in North Shore was better... when the sun is out and you can actually see everything! haha. We hit up a highly recommended shrimp truck.
Giovanni's Shrimp Truck
56-505 Kamehameha Hwy.
Kahuku, HI 96731
(808) 293-1839
- Shrimp Scampi (a dozen shrimp - marinated in olive oil, fresh chopped garlic, lemon/butter and sauteed in a pan; served with 2 scoops of rice) $13~

This is definitely the best one to order. The shrimp was cooked well and I liked the garlic bits on the rice a lot.
- Hot & Spicy (a dozen shrimp - cooked and covered in own special blend of hot sauce; served with 2 scoops of rice) $13~

This was eh. It was definitely spicy but was also quite sour. I didn't like the sourness.

BBQ Corn Stand
56-505 Kamehameha Hwy.
Kahuku, HI 96731
- Island Style (butter, sea salt, garlic salt, black ground pepper) $3~
- Baja Style (butter, mayo, lemon/lime juice, Baja seasoning, Parmesan cheese) $3~

This was just behind Giovanni's Shrimp Truck. I think this outshined the shrimp truck. The corn was amazing! I liked the Island Style better because it didn't overwhelm the flavor of the corn. But both were fantastic. I think I'll try to recreate it myself one day! hehe.

Before dinner we went to get some shave ice. This is HIGHLY recommended by my friends.
Matsumoto's Shave Ice
66-087 Kamehameha Hwy.
Haleiwa, HI 96712
http://www.matsumotoshaveice.com/
(808) 637-4827
- Small Shave Ice (Cherry, Blueberry, Coconut Cream flavors) $2.25~

- Small Shave Ice (White Cake, Strawberry, Banana Cream flavors) $2.25~

I'm not really a fan of shave ice since it's just ice and sugar syrup. But I have to say this is BY FAR the best shave ice on the island (we've tried some others during the trip). The ice is so fine and delicate and the sugar syrup was pretty good. I know some places have weird tasting syrup. The line is super long, but it didn't take too too long to wait. I wouldn't go back all the time, but I'm glad I tried it. Btw...the banana cream is the best! :)

We just went down the street from Matsumoto's to get some dinner.
L&L Drive In
66-197 Kamehameha Hwy
Haleiwa, HI 96712
http://www.hawaiianbarbecue.com/
(808) 637-4700
- Seafood Combo (Fried Mahi Mahi, BBQ short ribs, 2 scoops of rice, macaroni salad) $9.25~

- Kalua Pork and Cabbage (served with 2 scoops of rice and macaroni salad) $7.75~

We have a L&L in Plano, so it wasn't a big deal. The food was ok. Nothing special to mention. The cabbage did leave a pool of grey watery mess at the bottom of the container so that was kinda gross.

Day 3... This place wasn't on my list but we just drove by and decided to check it out.
Surfin' Taco
54-296 Kamehameha Hwy
Hauula, HI 96717
http://www.facebook.com/surfintacos
(808) 293-4440
- Two Surfin Tacos (fresh fish, corn tortilla, jack cheese, fresh lettuce, pico de gallo, signature Surf sauce; served with side of rice and beans) $9.95~

- Da Kine Quesadilla (grilled steak, jack and cheddar cheese, signature Surf sauce; topped with sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo; served with side of rice and beans) $8.95~

It was pretty good. Good sized portions. I think the quesadilla is a better deal than the tacos.

Day 4. It was a Sunday and not much was going on in North Shore so we drove back down towards Honolulu area.
Food Truck @ Aloha Stadium Flea Market
99-500 Salt Lake Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96818
http://www.alohastadiumswapmeet.net/
(808) 483-2756
- Mini Loco Moco (served with 2 scoops of rice, 1 hamburger patty, 1 egg) $5.50~

So far I'm not too keen on Hawaiian food. Just a lot of meat and rice and not a lot of difference in texture. This was ok. It was an ok snack to tie us over to our next destination.

Zippy's
904 Mokauea Street
Honolulu, HI 96819
http://zippys.com/live/
(808) 832-1755
- Mini Zip Pack (fried chicken and teri beef over rice) $6.10~

- Surf Pack (2 pieces of fried chicken, spam, teri beef over rice) $9.40~

- Mini Korean Fried Chicken (1 scoop of brown rice and salad) $6.25~

This was my order. I really liked it. They were pretty good about getting the flavor profile of Korean fried chicken! And I liked the fact that I could choose brown rice and salad instead of macaroni salad. The mini portion was perfect.
- Vic Pack (chicken katsu, sausage, spam, teri beef over rice) $8.48~

The chicken katsu was good too. The others really liked the teri beef.
I actually really liked this place. I thought it had more variety than other Hawaiian food places. I was a little over the Kalua Pig by then. haha. Plus it was cheaper! Local Hawaiian food was more expensive than I expected!

Our last day in North Shore was the best meal for me in that area.
Kahuku Grill
56-565 Kamehameha Hwy
Kahuku, HI 96731
(808) 852-0040
- Grilled Seafood Combo (Garlic Lovers' Shrimp & Coconut Macadamia Nut Shrimp; served with rice and fresh mixed Pupukea green salad with papaya seed dressing) $13~

- Grilled Seafood Combo (Grilled fish (Basa) & Coconut Macadamia Nut Shrimp; served with rice and fresh mixed Pupukea green salad with papaya seed dressing) $13~

- Side of Fries $3~

This was a great recommendation by a friend of mine. I'm so glad we went. It's a tiny place, slightly hidden, by Quizno's. They are famous for their coconut macadamia nut shrimp and it was awesome. Yes, there was wayy more batter to shrimp ratio but the batter was delicious. Super crispy and sweet from the coconut. The grilled fish was cooked to perfection and amazing. Plus I love the spices they sprinkle over their rice. Definitely makes it more interesting! And the salads are made with locally grown greens and the dressing is homemade as well. Definitely one of the best meals of the whole trip for me!

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~