OAHU - PART 2 - Honolulu

This next part is during the 2 days we first arrived in Oahu.

The first day we just explored around and went sightseeing. Our first local dining experience was at Ala Moana Center. A friend of mine told me that the Kalua Pig from their food court was the best. So we went to check it out!

We walked into the Makai Market Food Court at Ala Moana and there were lots of different vendors and it was pretty busy. We walked around and only noticed one place that was selling Kalua Pig so I guess that was the one she was talking about.

Poi Bowl Hawaiian Food
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
http://www.alamoanacenter.com/
(808) 949-8444
- Kalua/Lau Lau Plate (served with 2 scoops of rice & macaroni or tossed salad) $8.95~

- Side of Kalua Cabbage (small) $4.25~

First of all, I have to say that the ladies that worked there were all quite rude. They hurried people along and were very stingy. We asked for extra chopsticks and were waved away. WTF?!? She didn't even look at me...and just waved me away like I was some annoying fly or something. Not cool, old lady!! The food didn't look very appetizing. The Kalua Pig was dry, so was the pork in the LauLau. And the flavor wasn't all that great. Fail... :( The Kalua cabbage was ok though. I think that was the only good thing in the meal. I think you can totally skip the food court here...

Walking around the center, I unintentionally discovered this awesome Japanese food court in the 3rd level in front of Macy's.
Shirokiya: Specialty Food Court @ Ala Moana Center
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
http://www.alamoanacenter.com/
(808) 973-9111
- Ebi-Takoyaki (5 pieces) $3.80~ My first time having Takoyaki. It looks and smells better than it tastes. haha. The batter was wayyy to thick and heavy. Not much octopus at all. Apparently that's how it normally is.

- Andagi (red bean, custard, chocolate filling) $4.50~ It's a "Japanese" donut. I liked the custard filling the best. More like a cake donut.

- Shumai

It was pretty cool. They had all different stands and vendors all cooking and prepping ready-to-eat items. Most of the stuff are wrapped and you can just pick it up to go, or eat there. So many different Japanese foods, and they all looked sooo good. We got a few things to snack on since we didn't eat that much at the regular food court. Definitely worth going back to try more stuff!

For dinner, we were walking around all the shops and hotels by Waikiki Beach and we noticed this little ramen place with a constant line out the door. We decided to give it a try.
Ramen Nakamura
2141 Kalakaua Ave, Ste 1
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 922-7960
- House Special: Szechwan-Style Spicy Ramen (topped with fried minced pork, round onion, bean sprouts, and chili peppers) $9.50~

- Ramen Combo (Hakata ramen, small fried rice and 3 pc. gyoza) $13.90~

- Mini Ramen & Small Fried Rice Set (Shio ramen) $10.30~

It's a tiny place...maybe seats about 20-25 people at a time. But they move pretty fast. We didn't have to wait too long. For the price, you get a pretty good quantity of food. The ramen is pretty good. Not as good as Mitsuwa in LA but it was yummy. I really liked the fried rice as well. I would recommend it. :) Cash only though. Most places in Oahu seemed to be cash only...

The next day was Thanksgiving and we were making our drive up to North Shore. We planned on checking out Chinatown since it was on the way. And close to Chinatown... we hit up another great recommendation.
Liliha Bakery
515 N Kuakini St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
http://lilihabakeryhawaii.com/
(808) 531-1651
(From bottom left, clockwise)
- Green Tea Roll $1.49~
- Coco Puff (chocolate filling) $1.29~
- Mini Cream Puff (custard filling) $1.15~
- Chocolate Cream Puff (custard filling) $1.20~

They are known for their Coco Puffs. It's the chantilly frosting on top that totally makes it. I couldn't pinpoint what the flavor reminded me of. But it was pretty awesome. The puffs themselves were light and thing. Plenty of filling inside and weren't too sweet. One of the best cream puffs I've had.

Surprisingly most of the stores and restaurants were closed in Chinatown... What?? Asian people don't close on Thanksgiving?!? haha. But we walked by this dim sum restaurant and decided to get some lunch.
Yee Hong Pavilion
100 N Beretania St. Ste 101
Honolulu, HI 96817
http://yeehongpavilion.com/
(808) 524-9988
- Steamed Shrimp Dumping $2.45~
- Steamed Chives and Shrimp Dumpling $3.15~

- Steamed Pork Hash (Siu Mai) $2.45~

- Steamed Dried Scallop Dumpling $2.45~

- Gai Lan (Chinese vegetable with oyster sauce)

- Beef Flat Noodles

They didn't come around with carts and had really stopped making food since it was after lunch hours. But we were able to order what we wanted. Which is actually better cuz then we get them fresh! The dim sum was decent. The shrimp was really fresh. And it was the biggest plate of Gai Lan I've ever seen at a dim sum place. haha. Not too bad.

Fast forward through the days in North Shore and we're back in Honolulu again. YAY! :) Back to civilization! haha.

For our first dinner back, we went back to Shirokiya at Ala Moana Center. The scene at night is a little different than when we were there during lunch. All the ready-to-eat stands were closed and all the made-to-order counters were open towards the back.
Kohmen @ Shirokiya
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 973-9111
- Pig Bone Broth Ramen of Soy Sauce (full toppings) $10.95~

- plus Grilled Pork Rice Bowl (combo) $3.95~

There were 2 ramen counters. This one definitely had a longer line, plus their pictures looked better. haha. The ramen was pretty good. Again, Mitsuwa in LA is still better but the texture here I liked a lot. The grilled pork rice was pretty good too.

For dessert, I had my eyes on the crepe counter. hehe.
Crepe Harajuku @ Shirokiya
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 973-9111
- Mini Crepe (strawberry, banana, whipped cream, chocolate sauce) $3.95~

- Ice Cream Parfait (2 scoops of ice cream, pineapple, banana, whipped cream, chocolate sauce) $3.75~

The crepe was done well. It had a nice mild flavor and I liked the texture. But the ice cream parfait turned out to be a better deal. It was cheaper and had more fruits and ice cream.

So I realized I'm not a huge fan of local Hawaiian food. I mean, it's fine but I wouldn't crave it. But there's some great Japanese food here. I guess there's no surprise there. hehe. YUM! :)

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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 ~~

Lunch @ Blue Plate Kitchen

Happy 11-11-11! hehe. I went to lunch with a bunch of co-workers this past Friday. Since it was on the company, my boss and I suggested Blue Plate Kitchen (one of our favorite places!) :P

We had a large group of 15. Good thing we made our reservation for an earlier time. By noon, the place was pretty packed!

Blue Plate Kitchen
6130 Luther Lane
Dallas, TX 75225
(214) 890-1103
http://www.kentrathbun.com/blueplate/dallas/
Price (for lunch): $$

The manager, Dennis, came by and greeted us. He's always so friendly! :) And it's such a nice feeling to be personally greeted because they know you. hehe.

There were too many of us, but I tried to take as many food pics as I can.

Some of my coworkers started with the Soup of the day. Black Eyed Peas with Andouille Sausage $7~

There was plenty of peas...not enough sausage though. I liked the flavors. Once you start chewing, you can really taste the different spices and complexity. It's a pretty hearty soup.

For my entree, I ordered the Pan Seared Fennel Dusted Salmon (celery root puree, roasted root vegetables) $17~

I was torn between several other options but opted for this since I liked all the elements and it seemed like a healthier choice. The fish was pretty small but perfectly cooked. I think I was thinking parsnip puree when I read celery root puree because it caught me off guard. I'm not a fan of celery and the celery taste was quite prominent. I still enjoyed it with the fish though. Next time I'll be sure to remember that celery root tastes just like celery! haha. I loved the root vegetables...a mixture of different kinds. It added texture to the plate with the tender fish. And it was surprisingly filling. I was very full after.

One coworker got the Grilled Texas Fish Selection of the Day (Sauteed brussel sprouts, long grain-wild rice) $MKT~

The featured fish was a Striped Bass I think. The fish was cooked well. I only got a bite so I can't fully remember all the different components. I liked the brussel sprouts. It was cooked perfectly. Not too soft and wasn't bitter or anything.

Another coworker ordered the Grilled Chicken Breast, Israeli Couscous (butternut squash, tart cherry, balsamic vinaigrette) $14~

This is one of their Heart Healthy options. This was initially my pick. I should've gotten this even though I liked my salmon. The chicken was good but the cous cous was the star of the show. It was al dente, had great texture and worked so well with the butternut squash and cherries. We both agreed that the cous cous was fantastic. It was a good size portion too. I would definitely get this again in the future.

We also got a few sides to share:
"Burnt End" Black Beans $6~ This had shredded brisket in there. The flavor was bold and you can really taste the brisket.

Applewood Smoked Bacon Brussel Sprouts $7~ I loved this. The brussel sprouts were also cooked perfectly and sooo much bacon bits and flavor. Bacon makes everything good! :)

They've updated the menu since I was there last (April...time sure passes fast!) And I noticed that they completely changed their dessert menu. No more buttermilk pie! :( But... there was Pumpkin Spice Cake (spiced rum glazed, cranberry compote) $8~

I was full but I HAD to try this. The main reason I like fall is because there's pumpkin everywhere! And I can't get enough! This was a mini bundt cake. SUPER moist, not too sweet. It was really good! I like the combination with the tart cranberries. And I think it was a cinnamon butter or something? Seemed a little too thick to be whipped cream... Yummy-ness!

Several people got the Chocolate Mousse (dark and milk chocolate, praline graham cracker) $8~

I'm not a huge mousse fan because I like to have texture. But this was a great mousse. Layers of milk and dark chocolate so it wasn't very sweet at all. I loved the bitterness from the dark chocolate. And the graham cracker layers added the texture. And I liked the little crisp on top.

Another great meal at Blue Plate. I'm always happy when I eat here. And once again, too full! haha. I did notice that their prices went up a bit though. :( That's why I take full advantage when it's on the company! hahaha :P I write about this place so much. If you still haven't gone yet, you need to go!!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~