Oahu – mmm-yoso

Honolulu – Bozu Japanese Restaurant

March 18, 2026 mmm-yoso Beer, Honolulu, Japanese Restaurants, Oahu, Travel

Man, it’s so hot right now yeah? Like record heat. So, when I was looking at stuffs I had to post on…well, there was ramen, pho, more chinese food and noodle soups….not quite up to doing those posts right now! So, I thought I’d just do a post on our final meal in HNL during our last trip.

“FOY” XJ and her wonderful husband Mikey recommended a place not too far away, in McCully Shopping Center on the second floor. I’ve always thought of MSC has having some of the skinniest parking spaces around. So, I was happy we could walk on over. Plus, at least when I lived kinda close by, it was kind of a revolving door for restaurants, though Fook Yuen (which my friends had another name for….I’m sure you can guess it!) is still there!

It was a pretty quick walk, even with rush hour traffic on Kapiolani which is no joke!

We didn’t have reservations and were seated at the sushi bar. Looking at stuff online, I pretty much was sure I didn’t want any sushi here.

And of course a beer to start. A nice refreshing Kyoto Bakushu White Yuzu Ale. It seemed to have a mild herbaceous nuttiness to it as well.

We went with stuffs from the Otsumami menu, a couple of daily specials, and a couple of amiyaki (grilled) items.

First to arrive was the Tsubugai (Whelk) Sashimi ($35) something you don’t see on many menus.

Quite crunchy, clean and oceany, with a nice sweetness.

Next up was the menu item that Missus loved; the Pickled Bitter Melon ($5.50).

It was definitely bitter melon, with the puckery bitterness, but was really enhanced with sour and salty tones, with a hint of sweetness. This is what made the Missus request that I make pickled bitter melon at home.

The Missus really enjoyed the Chawan Mushi ($11). Served cold, it was very refreshing.

Topped with Uni and Ikura, this was quite savory with the kiss of the ocean. The brininess of the ikura really gave the cold-creamy, and slightly sweet chawan mushi the kick it needed. A really good dish.

And the, even more Bitter Melon.

Followed by Fried Tofu with Natto ($8).

This was really beany tofu, combined with the pungently “neba-neba” natto, topped with savory katsuobushi and shoyu, this was my kind of dish.

Then the two Amiyaki items arrived; starting with the Chicken Wings ($5). I got the version with tare.

The skin was really rubbery and the meat dry. The tare was overly sweet for my taste. Even a squeeze of lemon didn’t help much.

And of course I had to try the Tsukune ($6.50). Sadly, I ordered this with tare as well.

I’m sure regular readers know that I will often figure out if a Yakitori shop will be to my taste is by ordering Tsukune which, at least to me displays both the kitchen and grilling skills. This was not good, very tough, too lean, and lacking in flavor other than the tare.

Well, these two dishes meant we had to have “dessert”; which was guess what?

So, the meal definitely ended on a high note. In the end, while Izakaya Uosan seemed a level above Bozu, we enjoyed many of the dishes here. If Bozu was in our neck of the woods, we’d probably visit on a regular basis. I’m sure we’ll return!

Bozu Japanese Restaurant
1960 Kapiolani Blvd Suite 209
Honolulu, HI 96826

Thanks for the recommendation XJ and Mikey!

We took our time heading back to the Ala Moana Hotel….we actually went for a walk along Ala Moana Beach for the sunset.

And enjoyed our last evening in HNL….

Thanks for stopping by!

Honolulu – Ali’i Fish Market (Moiilili) and Island Brew Coffeehouse (Ala Moana)

February 11, 2026 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Honolulu, Oahu, Poke, Seafood, Travel

Well, since I did Ireh, I thought I’d go ahead and finish my Honolulu posts. I’ll do my Australia posts later on.

Anyway, upon waking at the Ala Moana Hotel, I did a search on coffee places nearby….I had already been to the Ala Moana location of Honolulu Coffee Company, which didn’t open until 9 and I wanted a cup ASAP. I did find that there’s a location of Island Brew Coffeehouse located on the third level of the shopping center. They open at 730, so after chilling out for a bit, I went and walked on over.

I don’t recall walking thru “Ala’s” at 730 in the morning. Man, the place is so chill.

And I got me morning cold brew.

Smooth and on the milder-weaker side, but it did the job…..

Island Brew Coffeehouse (Ala Moana Center)
1450 Ala Moana Blvd. Suite 3066
Honolulu, HI 96814

Coffee’s in hand, we walked over and did Ala Moana Park and went back to the room to relax. We decided to get an early lunch and the Missus wanted some poke. I had a sort of newish (at least to us) place in mind in the Moiilili area named Ali’i Fish Market. So we decided to walk on over. It was about a 25 minute walk or so….which we enjoyed. You see, I grew up in Kaimuki and spent my first 21 years in there. After rent got too high, I moved my Mom and I to Kalakaua, but den dey was goin buss down the apartment…it’s now a parking lot (?!?!?). Then it was over to Kalihi….I had two good friends in the area, but that apartment was a mess. So finally, I got an apartment, whose owners at the time was neighbors of a friend of mine in McCully where I lived until my mom passed on and I eventually moved to the mainland. As we walked up Kapiolani, I took one of the side streets and got to show the Missus where I used to live. They’ve done a really nice job painting the place as it looks better then when I lived there!

Though there’s still quite a few chickens running around. Yes, chickens in McCully….you don’t mess with them…even the cats in the ‘hood know betta den to do dat!

It was an interesting walk up King Street…bringing back memories of places now gone like Ebisu’s, Suehiro, McCully Chop Suey. Where the original location of Anyplace was.

And then we had arrived, to Ali’i Fish Market.

A very non-descript location off South King. Actually, right across the way at 2334 is where the original location of Choi’s used to be. It was a favorite of my mom’s!

And so you walk in.

The place does all kind of stuffs, from musubis to bowls, but we were here for one thing….

Poke of course. And within that, I’m looking for simple stuff, not covered in mayo or “spicy sauce”….fish is first. The young lady working is so nice……..and I got some simple stuffs.

Ahi Limu and Spicy Hawaiian…not drenched in sauce.

You can tell right? The limu ahi was much better than the “spicy” as there was a good amount of oceany, crunchy ogo. The fish was also of better quality.

Though it was still seemed kinda thrown together and not evenly seasoned.

The “Spicy” was not good, not even spicy.

Lots of pieces with “sugi”, chwey connective tissue. Not evenly seasoned, really overly chewy….like it was just thrown together and not mixed well.

Kind of a bummer since I think I’d get better at Foodland, or even Ruger Market, and definitely at our favorite Ono Seafood. Still it was good to try this place and perhaps I didn’t get the right thing?

Ali’i Fish Market
2320 South King St. Suite H
Honolulu, HI 96826

Honolulu – Ireh Restaurant

January 29, 2026 mmm-yoso Honolulu, Korean Restaurants, Oahu, Travel

So, after our revisit to the Alley and Ko Olina we actually went to Australia, before returning to Oahu. But recently, Bruddah Kimo asked me if there were other places than Kimchi II to get some Meat Jun. He is staying at Pagoda Hotel. Well, during our return from Australia we actually stayed again at the Ala Moana Hotel. The Missus had finally taken to meat jun during this trip and I had heard of a place right on the corner of Ke’eaumoku and Makaloa in the Azure Condo complex named Ireh. So, I’m kinda doing this one out of sequence so that Kimo can get an idea…..ok?

So yes, we were staying in the Ala Moana Hotel, yet again. Because of our stays at Accor Hotels, I had a nice discount and got us an upgraded room.

Even had a kitchen….but nah…I’m “home”…I going eat out….

Still, it was comfortable room and I didn’t get the “Ji-chan treatment” (jjk) when we checked in.

With our some what jetlagged schedules going, we wanted an early dinner. I asked the Missus what She wanted and wouldn’t you know it! She wanted Meat Jun! You gotta love it!

A couple of places came to mind. Choi’s Family Kitchen used to be a favorite way back when I lived in McCully and they used to be on King Street, but we didn’t feel like driving. I searched a bit and noticed that there was a place name Ireh right on the corner of Ke’eaumoku and Makaloa. It’s a huge condo complex now; but I remember when Green Papaya and a Jewelry Store used to occupy a small two story building on the corner.

Anyway, we walked on in…since it was still early, the place was pretty empty. The woman working greeted me in Korean! I had to crack up…..my friends used make fun of me because I’d often get mistaken for being Korean when I lived in HNL!

Anyway, we were seated and handed menus; but the Missus had already made up Her mind. Since it was pretty warm I got the BiBim Naengmyun.

The baechu kimchi revealed that this was more of a true “Korean” restaurant, than a local style one. It was more pickled, but still had some fermented tones to it. The Yangpa Jjangachi had good soy-garlic-slightly sour tones and was kinda refreshing.

The Bibim Naengmyun ($16.95) was a disappointment.

The noodles weren’t very stretchy….there was no need for scissors for these. The sauce was quite watered down, having more of the sweeter mul naengmyun type of flavor. It really needed some umph!

This made me somewhat worried about the Meat Jun ($18.95), but it was quite good.

A pretty large portion of meat jun. Which was on top of the rice, which was a bit on the hard side. But of course, this was about the beef….

The dipping sauce was good; savory soy, a hint of palate cleansing vinegar.

As for the meat….this was quite good. It was very tender, the savory egg batter batter had spots of light crispness rather than the usual sogginess. The marinade had flavored the meat well; soy sauce, some sweetness, a hint of garlic.

The Missus really enjoyed this and She said it was a step above Kimchi II. Hmmm………

Ireh Restaurant
629 Ke’eaumoku St. Suite 104
Honolulu, HI 96814
Current Hours:
Daily 10am – 10pm

Bruddah Kimo; if you check this place out, let me know what you think?

Oahu – Revisiting The Alley Restaurant at Aiea Bowl Five Years Later

November 30, 2024 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Hawaiian Food, Oahu, Travel

After spending a nice couple of nights in town, we were back in Ewa Beach. The Missus wanted to do Her morning swim, so we decided to head on out to Ko Olina. We hadn't been in years. It was a Sunday morning so we went pretty early. We easily found parking near Lagoon 4. The Missus did Her swim while I went and strolled the four lagoons.

You know, I don't think I've been here since the Aulani opened? Geez, all the huge resorts.

For some reason, I got major Mission Bay vibes Kohola Lagoon, except the water looked beautiful and didn't smell like kukae!

Heading back to the car we noticed that the parking lot had filled up! Good things we got here early!

After freshening up back in Ewa, the Missus was craving some Oxtail Soup. The Alley, in Aiea Bowl opens at 10 on weekends and the Missus really enjoy our last visit there back in 2019. So we headed on over.

Man, the place sure has expanded the eating area since we last visited. And now, get so many signs and instructions…..

The young folks working were so nice and friendly. And we were seated behind the lanes.

We ordered our "usual" here, the Oxtail Soup (of course) and the Tasty Chicken.

The Tasty Chicken arrived quite quickly.

IMG_1724a

We really like the way they do brown rice here; nice texture, nutty flavor. As for the chicken, well, it was different from what we'd had here on previous visits. The batter was hard and crunchy, not light and crisp like we'd had before. The glaze was much sweeter; much like the overly sweet K(orean) F(ried) C(hicken), which I can get anywhere in San Diego. While not bad, it was not what we'd enjoyed before.

We were happy to see the "tower" arrive soon after.

IMG_1726a

As we deconstructed the "tower" we knew something was amiss as the usual beefy-anise fragrance was missing. In fact, looking at the broth, we noticed that it looked quite "thin".

My goodness, this was pretty bad; the soup lacked richness, it tasted like salty "shoyu-water". The thin broth was terrible.

The Oxtail had a nice texture, very tender, but it also seemed to have all the flavor cooked out of it, like it had been boiled in water for ages. This was so bland! What the heck is going on here?

This was quite a disappointing meal, which was too bad. After all, this had been our favorite Oxtail Soup spot on Oahu. It was sad, since we'd had decent grindz at old favorites like 8 Fat Fat 8 and Kim Chee II during this trip.

The Alley Restaurant at Aiea Bowl
99-115 Aiea Heights Dr, Ste 310
Aiea, HI 96701

IMG_1728a

What a bummer…..

Honolulu – Kim Chee II, Hanauma Bay, and Musubi Cafe Iyasume

November 20, 2024 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Honolulu, Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Oahu, Travel

After our wonderful dinner at Izakaya Uosan and our walk along Ala Moana Park, we took a stroll thru Ala Moana Center up to Kapiolani and proceeded to head back to the hotel. I had a moment of nostalgia when we passed the corner of Kapiolani and Ke’eaumoku. And no, it wasn't because there used to be a KFC on this corner forever. Close to the corner was a favorite stop of mine; Tower Records. And even before that was a place near that corner that in my mind changed the music scene in Hawaii. A club named Toppe Ada Shoppe.

Of course, locals from my generation will either quickly say C&K or Kalapana, whom we saw there. But, on one of the times my friend's brother sneaked us in, I saw a certain band. I still remember the lyrics – "I wish upon a Summer moonbeam….."

Oh-kay…….that got to me. I had to play the song. I still have the CD in one of my boxes too!

Screenshot 2024-11-20 143052

Just in case you like listen:

Anyway, the Missus noticed that it was almost 615…so She said we needed to head to the Lanai in Ala Moana Center. You see, around 630-645 Musubi Cafe Iyasume in the Lanai which I've posted on before will sometimes have discounts on their musubi, which I'll have for breakfast. And on this evening….

Yep, 50% off….so I had breakfast for the next morning!

Ah yes, breakfast with a view…..

Musubi Cafe Iyasume (In the Lanai – Ala Moana Center)
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814

We'd be heading back to Ewa Beach on this day, but the Missus told me She wanted to go to Hanauma Bay first in the morning. Sigh. I don't know what it is, but on the last couple trips, the Missus has been wanting to do some tourist kind of stuffs. And like many of those "activities", I hadn't been to Hanauma Bay in like 30 years? Back in those days we used to take frozen peas to feed the parrotfish! Of course things have changed a lot since then; nowadays if you don't have a local or military ID, you need to make reservations, there's an admission fee of $25 per person and $3 parking for the small lot. The reservations are actually for the 9 minute orientation video which you need to view before heading down to the beach.

We found some good parking and got into the line at our appointed time for the video before heading down to the beach.

It still looks quite pretty on the walk down.

We had brought our own snorkeling gear. Once in the water….well, it was kinda sad, while there were fish in abundance, the coral looked bleached. The coral must really be under stress. I immediately wanted to leave to not contribute to this.

Seeing this made me glad that there are limited hours and visitors for Hanauma Bay….. I remember it being so beautiful.

On the way back, we decided to stop for lunch. It seems that the Missus is starting to take to more local kine places these days. So, I asked if She wanted to try Meat Jun? She asked "Meat Jun, what's that?" Well, I explained that it is basically a take on Jeon (seen it spelled jyun as well) in which marinated beef is dredged in an egg and flour batter before frying. Much like Soegogi-Jeon which I've had before. You can find a nice recipe on Maangchi's blog. I'm not sure of the exact history origins of Meat Jun in the islands and was shocked when I first moved away and couldn't find the dish at Korean restaurants in SoCal. I did see it at different plate lunch places, I think Homestyle Hawaiian might still serve it. I tried it twice after moving to the mainland and it was terrible, so I just gave up. But now, driving back to town on Kalanianaʻole Highway opportunity struck as the Missus said "ok, let's try it!" This meant an instant detour to Waialae Avenue and a place that I had gone to when growing up in Kaimuki. I know ex-pat Kama'aina's and longtime "FOYs" Kyle, James, and Alan are smiling and nodding their heads now. Of course it's Kim Chee II, which has been around since…like the sign says 1977! Ho' am I old or what?

We parked in the back lot. There's a back entrance to the restaurant, but I just wanted to thru the front of the place. It was just after 11 and the place was already pretty busy with a lot of hungry "bruddah's" waiting to eat!

Of course I went with the "lunch special"; heck at $14.90 it's cheaper than a sandwich I had here last week!

I told the Missus that I think the portion might be pretty big so She decided just to get some tofu. I also told Her that "KC2" is really a local kine Korean place, so set your sights low with regards to any panchan. Which ended up being regular cabbage slightly pickled, not fermented. It actually goes ok with the BBQ.

The Tofu with "veggies" was fine; though the shoyu sauce tasted kinda watered down.

But of course, I was just waiting for what I had ordered. Which was enough for the Missus and I to share for lunch

Ok, the beef in the meat jun was nicely marinated, if a bit on the chewier side; sweet-salty-hint of garlic, very bulgogi-ish, the batter was a bit thicker and gritty than I prefer and it had been over-fried a bit. But, the Missus enjoyed the mild eggy-ness and the combination of flavors. She liked the meat jun dipping sauce which also had a hint of vinegar, some spice, balanced sweetness.

She also enjoyed the chicken, nice soy-sweet and hint of pungency. She told me "this is like the chicken you make…way better than the terrible 'Hawaiian BBQ' stuff in San Diego!"

The rice was fine. The mandu wrapper was a bit thicker and chewier than I recalled; though the filling was nicely flavored.

And so, based on this meal we have a Meat Jun convert! Of course, the Missus now wants me to make this at home!!!

Kim Chee II Restaurant
3569 Waialae Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816

This was a nice blast from the past for me! I also recalled a Korean restaurant that used to be near Monsarrat that I used to go to. Perhaps my "FOYs" will remember that place?

Speaking of "FOYs", I'd like to thank Kyle, James, and Alan for keeping Kim Chee II on my mind all these years!

And thanks so much to all of you for dropping by and allowing me to share a place from my hanabuddah days with you!

Honolulu – Izakaya Uosan

November 14, 2024 mmm-yoso Honolulu, Japanese Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Oahu, Sushi and Sashimi, Travel

There was a reason we didn't go overboard at SXY Szechuan. I had made dinner reservations at a restaurant in walking distance from the Ala Moana Hotel. Of course, this was yet another place I read about on Kathy's awesome website Onolicious Hawaii. Having read Kathy's posts for almost two decades now, I've learned to trust her recommendations. Plus, the photos, and the menu at Izakaya Uosan just seemed right for us. It was interesting to note that the restaurant doesn't do online reservations; I had to call to book us two seats.

Izakaya Uosan is located right on Kapiolani Boulevard, between Piikoi and Pensacola. It was a nice little walk to the somewhat discreet location.

We were instantly greeted upon entering. The small place is quite low-keyed, but filled up quickly. One of the gentleman working; I believe his name is Daniel was awesome.

Looking at the photo of the menu on Kathy's post, I just got the feeling that this be a meal the Missus and I would enjoy.

A quick look at the menu and I was rain' to go. But first things first…..we need to start the meal on the right foot. Which meant an ice cold and refreshing Asahi. Heck, even the Missus enjoyed Her “biru(s)”. Yes, She actually had more than one!

We placed our orders and food started arriving.

You know if there's Foie Gras on the menu….well, how about Foie Gras with O-toro ($13.50/each).

My goodness, the texture! Rich, decadent, the tare wasn't over-powering and really complimented the dish. The sweet-offaly foie gras was wonderfully creamy. The rice was prepared decently, the shari not too strong.

The next item to arrive is the restaurant's version of Shirasu Chips; basically Baby Sardine Chips ($9).

Crisp, light, very savory!

The Kani, Kani Miso Gunkan Maki ($13.50) was slightly sweet, umami bomb.

For some reason; the rice here seemed a bit drier and harder.

Our least favorite dish of the evening was the Gyutan ($14.50).

It hadn't been grilled to our preference and was rubbery and lacking in the smokiness that we associate with binchotan. The flavor had a bit of a metallic "edge" to it as well.

Of course we had to get the Braised Daikon with Foie Gras ($19.50), right?

Think of this as Daikon no Nimono crowned with a sizeable piece of seared foie gras and caramelized onions. As Kathy noted in her post, this skewed toward the saltier side, even though the onions tried to bring a hint of sweetness to balance out the flavors, it was not up to the task. This might be a case of "too much of a good thing"?

We didn't have much time to dwell on things because the next item to arrive was the Uni – Truffle Butter – Egg Yolk -Rice ($24). Oh my goodness!

One could imagine that a dish like this could get a bit "out of hand"; but in this case the preparation was so balanced! From the soft and tender rice, which had a nice gave off that wonderful aroma of truffle. The truffle added a earthy-mushroomy-floral component and didn't overwhelm the dish. Ah yes, the egg yolk, one of the Missus's favorite food items; when mixed in added another layer buttery-creamy texture. Speaking of creamy; good lord, the Hokkaido Uni, the oceany-sweetness took me to a very happy place! We loved this dish!

Wanting to actually get some fish; we asked Daniel what he would recommend. He told us that the Sumagatsuo (Mackerel Tuna) was super fresh, wild caught, so we went with the Tataki ($28). Oh man, I know folks who used to diss Kawakawa, which is what we called the fish growing up, but man, this was delici-yoso!!!!

This must have been a good sized one; the fish was firm, yet yieldingly tender. Quite refreshing with the onions and shoyu!

The Missus loves Her Chawan Mushi; so when She saw a version with Uni ($19.50), She had to order it.

My goodness, the delicate-velvety texture; the creamy-umami chawan mushi, crowned by that oceany-sweet-savory uni. That says it all.

After this we were done for the evening! We liked the laid-back, friendly Service. And guess whatthe tab was with our drinks and food….$190 for two! Can you imagine what this would cost in San Diego? This was our favorite meal of the trip. We can't wait to return!

Izakaya Uosan
1221 Kapiolani Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 200-5077

It was still fairly early, so we walked down Piikoi and then along Ala Moana Park back to the hotel.

Which gave me time to contemplate how lucky I was. To be able to have such a wonderful meal, to call Hawai'i my "home", to be able to travel, and to be able to "share" this wonderful meal with you all!

And also, to have gotten to know folks like Kathy over the years, whose opinion and recommendations I can trust!

Hope you're having a wonderful week!

Honolulu – Lunch at SXY Szechuan and the Honolulu Coffee Experience Center

October 6, 2024 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Chinese Restaurants, Honolulu, Oahu, Travel

After an evening of revisits, we awoke the next morning with…well, no major plans other than doing a bunch of shopping. We had reservations for dinner and needed to get the usual…you know Lupicia, Hawaii Cookie Company, a couple of stuffs we needed for this trip, etc. We had thought of driving to a couple of places but ended up not using the car at all during our stay at the Ala Moana Hotel! We just had fun walking around.

We started off needing some caffeine to start the day. There are a couple of places really close, but instead, I wanted to walk the couple of blocks over to the corner of Kapiolani and Kalakaua. This is where the “main” location of Honolulu Coffee, which I used to have when my office was located in downtown. I hadn’t had their coffee in ages and I guess now they are a major chain!

Another reason I wanted to visit was that old timers like me will remember when this was the location of Coco’s Coffee House (before that it was Kau Kau Corner – but I’m not that old!), which closed and was replaced by the Hard Rock Cafe in 1987.

So, that’s what it kinda looks like now. We crossed on over and walked on in.

It’s a pretty nice space. It’s in a circular design, with a coffee roasting machine at the center.

At the front is where you place your order. The folks working are really friendly.

The Missus ordered a Peaberry Pour Over, I got a Cold Brew, and was a bit hungry, but didn’t want anything too sweet. The young man recommended the Elote Scone, toasted, with a friendly warning of “it might be too salty, though.” The drill goes this way, all basic coffee drinks and pastries are served at the counter. They call your name and you pick up your order. Cold Brew is specially made at this counter in the back by the area you can buy coffee beans.

You are given a number and they’ll deliver the pour over to your table.

Also, all the pastries for the chain in HNL are made here.

Of course my order was ready first.

The Cold Brew was ok, on the milder side. The scone was pretty good, not overly dense, nice chunks of corn, and not too sweet. I did not find it to be overly salty. Quite filling to be sure.

The Missus’s pour over was delivered on a tray with two cups on the side.

The Missus said it seem to lack “character”, She is also more into natural processed African beans and this was washed process and fairly mild.

Still, we liked the “vibe” of the place; think of it as a local version of a Starbucks Reserve Roastery.

**** The Honolulu Coffee Experience Center has closed

Honolulu Coffee Experience Center
1800 Kalakaua Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815

After our coffee we headed up Kalakaua. I showed the Missus where we lived for a short time. It was a cheap apartment, I had to support my Mom by those days. It cracks me up that it is now a parking lot….probably makes more money than the apartment did?

I then took the Missus to Don Quijote because most other places weren’t open yet. Of course, you might remember it as Holiday Mart and then Daiei? Mega chain “Donki” owns many markets you might know, like Marukai, Times, Big Save, and even Gelson’s. Anyway, this location of Don Quijote is open 24 hours It’s huge; think of it like a huge Asian Grocery combined with Daiso on steroids. It kept the Missus busy for over an hour!

At which time we could head to Ala Moana to do our shopping. By the time we were done we decided to drop off our bags to our room and get some lunch. It was quite hot and we wanted to walk to lunch. I mentioned a place I’d read about on Kathy’s wonderful Onolicious Hawaii, with the interesting name of SXY Szechuan. It’s got an interesting location facing the parking lot on the second floor of the Kona Street side of Ala Moana, right where the ramp comes up from Piikoi. San Diego has been quite the wasteland for Sichuan in recent years and some Liang Cai and a veggie sounded good.

It was just after opening time for lunch; 11am and we were the first customers served.

The place isn’t very big, though it also wasn’t too busy on this day. There was only one other party eating during our entire meal.

We ordered two liang cai and some ong choy.

First up was the veggie. Man, this was so tender!

Even the stems! Great garlic tones; just enough salt and pepper, the Missus loved it.

We also got the Fuqi Fei Pian a favorite of hours.

This had a lot more slices of beef than tripe; but the tripe was so tender as was the beef, which in this case seemed to be brisket. The seasoning had decent spice, good ma-la (numbing hot) with a balance of sweet and sour flavors. It wasn’t overly salty and could have perhaps used more garlicky-pungent tones, but this was pretty good overall.

The last item was something I saw on Kathy’s post on SXY; the Pork Belly with Garlic.

Slices of pork belly wrapped around cucumber; looking at it, we were reminded of what we’d had Mountain House. There was a good amount of garlic, but the pork belly was too thick which really made it gummier than we like. While the cucumber did add a nice palate cleansing refreshing note, the overall flavor seemed a bit off balance. It needed more spicy, sweet, and savory. Funny thing, we dumped all the drippings from the Fuqi Fei Pian on the remainder of this dish and we enjoyed it much more. Still, the version at Mountain House is a step above this. Though, we did enjoy our meal. If we weren’t staying in a hotel and unafraid to have leftovers, we definitely would have ordered more.

Still, this was a nice meal, the spice really had an almost cooling effect on us as we walked back to our room.

SXY Szechuan (Ala Moana Center)
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814

We decided to have nice nap in air-conditioned comfort, then do a bit more shopping before heading off to dinner!

Thanks for stopping by!

Honolulu – Revisits to 8 Fat Fat 8 and Agave & Vine

October 5, 2024 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Chinese Restaurants, Cocktails, Honolulu, Oahu, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

In case you noticed; it's been kinda quiet here the last couple of days…… We're back "home" on Oahu enroute to another destination. We're spending a few days on each leg of the trip. Usually, Cathy will take over the posting duties, but she is quite busy this time around. So, I'll try to do posts when I am able to.

We flew out on HAL again. It's a fairly long flight so we enjoy the lie flat first class seats; though the planes are looking a bit worn with chips and stains, and such.

And we do wish that HAL had a lounge at SAN, but perhaps things will change with the recent merger with Alaska.

We do like the crew on HAL, very nice and friendly. And while having a 930am flight means it's just to early to "partake" in certain liquid refreshments……though we were amazed to see others just going for it! I mean, like four mai tais going for it….and that's only what I colunted before taking my nap!

And on this flight, we enjoyed the Mushroom Frittata, which also featured tender broccoli.

And the Honey Dew Melon was so sweet and refreshing.

And since "FOY" Peter really enjoyed the photo of the "Aloha Shirt" salt and pepper packet on our last HAL post, here's what it looked like this time! This one is for you Peter!

IMG_1583a

I managed about an hour nap while the Missus got in a good 2-3 hours.

We always love the views when arriving…..

This time around we again decided to spend a couple of nights in town…..again at the Ala Moana Hotel. When I asked the Missus what She wanted for Her first meal….I had the next night's dinner planned….She said 8 Fat! So, my apologies, I realize I just recently did a post on 8 Fat Fat 8 and hope you don't mind another? I know it's pretty late on a Saturday night, so I'll keep it short.

Of course, I got my usual.

This time, in anticipation of what we were ordering; the Missus went with a Tsingtao.

As for the food; well it's been really hot and humid so we decided to skip the Crispy Gau Gee this time around. And replace it with something more refreshing. I know I've mentioned how much I enjoy Cold Ginger Chicken, which is quite similar to Kwai Fei Ji. While the Missus doesn't like those type of cold chicken dishes; She does love the sauce. There was Cold Ginger Tofu on the menu, so we decided to try that.

First off, the tofu was nice and "beany". The pungent-aromatic-"spicy" ginger was really refreshing and savory. This was quite enjoyable….the Missus has now directed me to make this when we get back home.

The other two dishes, the Ong Choi and the Fat Fat Chicken were every bit as good as on our previous visit.

It's really fun to note that after all of these years; the Missus is really enjoying the "local flavors"…..it's not just about poke anymore.

As an awesome bonus, we chatted a bit with one of the Servers and mentioned that I had been a customer from the opening of 8 Fat back in the mid-80's. It just so happened that Mary was working. She is the daughter of the original owner of 8 Fat, Sai. She took over when he passed on in 2003 and has run it ever since….now longer than even Sai did! I had spoken to her a couple of time way back when, but of course that was so long ago. We had a wonderful time chatting about her dad; the "old regulars", many iof whom have passed on or are just too old for "Pau Hana" time. She also now has a 14v year old son. These days, she usually works until 5 or 6, then has to head home, but on this evening she happened to be inhouse. She told us that a Japanese series was coming by to do a short piece on 8 Fat! That sounded so awesome.

We talked about what kept me coming to 8 Fat, the vibe, the folks, and of course the food and she left us with something her dad always told her:

"You can get Bud Light everywhere….but you cannot get good Chinese food everywhere!"

8 Fat Fat 8 Bar & Grille
1327 S Beretania St
Honolulu, HI 96814

After dinner we walked back to the hotel….but like the last time, we decided to stop by Lanai in Ala Moana Center for a nightcap. It was Thursday, so I got $2 off the cocktail I had there the last time; the smoky – citrusy Bad Decisions ($12 – $10 on Thursdays).

We had a fun time talking to the woman who runs the place. She loves Tequila, so we chatted about our visit there!

Agave & Vine (In the Lanai – Ala Moana Center)
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814

Yes, I know it's kind of a rerun…but it just goes to show how much we enjoyed things previously.

And we'd just like to let you know; because of our travels, things might be kinda sporadic here over the next few weeks! I'll try my best to get some posts done!

So, as always, thanks so much for dropping by!

Honolulu – Off the Hook Poke Market (Manoa) and Heading Home

September 22, 2024 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Honolulu, Oahu, Poke, Travel

On the way back from doing Manoa Falls, there was a poke shop I had heard about and wanted to check out. Right on East Manoa Road, across the street from the parking for Manoa Marketplace resides Off the Hook Poke Market.

It's in the same building as a place I used to go to once in a while Andy's Sandwiches. The place looked fairly bustling when we arrived, but the line moved quickly. And like many local poke shops, you walk to the counter and order.

Anyway we got two half pound containers of poke. We were actually going to just go to Kaimuki Park and grind; but ended up eating at Oahu Grill instead. Good thing we had a cooler with us.

We ended up having it with our last dinner (along with jiaozi of course) before leaving the islands.

We thought that the Cold Ginger Ahi was the better of the two.

The ahi was good quality and tender. The sauce, in the spirit of local kine ginger-scallion sauce; you know, to make cold ginger chicken, was pretty strong and kind of dominated the dish.

We also got the Hawaiian Style Ahi. Basically Ahi Limu Poke.

This one was very salty; couldn't make out the inamona, and the fish, while decent, wasn't as good as what was used in the cold ginger ahi.

Well, maybe we should have just gone back to Ono Seafood or the new location of Fresh Catch in Kaimuki (where they've moved). But what the heck, still better then what we get here in SD and it's good to try, right?

Off the Hook Poke Market
2908 East Manoa Rd.
Honolulu, HI 96822

We were flying HAL First Class again. The Premier Lounge at Daniel K. Inouye Airport is nothing to write home about. There are some standard drinks and the snacks are the stuffs you get in-flight; pretzels, peanuts….you get it.

Still, we enjoyed that the seats for HAL first are lie-flat; that's the main things for us.

Dinner was an ok beef brisket.

Strangely, my favorite thing was the Rainbow Cake; which reminded me of small kid time!

So, there you go. Another trip home in the books. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Keep it Kaimuki

Honolulu – Oahu Grill (Kaimuki) and Manoa Falls Trail

September 21, 2024 mmm-yoso Hawaiian Food, Honolulu, Oahu, Plate Lunch, Travel

The day after returning to the Ewa side, the Missus wanted to do more stuff. She also wanted to restock on the Li Hing Mango from the Crack Seed Store. After thinking a bit, I came up with another easy hike walk in an area the Missus wasn't too familiar with. Another place I hadn't been to in decades; Manoa Falls. So, I drove on up H-1, got out on University and drove into the valley. Man, how long since I'd been here? There was a point in time when I used to go to the long defunct Contemporary Cafe to listen to the Guitar Monster do his thing. Another long story that perhaps I'll get to one day.

Anyway, the drive to the parking lot brought back major memories. Here's one for the old timers; remember Paradise Park; all the birds, the duck show, the maze? I know it closed in 1994, it kinda looks haunted now! I also recall scenes from Lost were filmed here as well. Anyway, all those memories came back as I parked the car in the lot that used to be for Paradise Park ($7). And of course, I instantly saw the parking lot "manager" walking over!

I guess my "papers" must have been in order were allowed to pass. And we headed off to the trailhead. But not before seeing this….

Yes, that young lady had a cat on a leash! She was heading off the trail, so I'm guessing the two of them went hiking ?!?!? You never know what you'll see…..

Once past the shipping container entrance; the trail was quite lush, cool, and even though we ran into folks along the way, quite peaceful.

It's a super easy hike to the falls; which was just a trickle on this visit.

I could tell the Missus was a bit underwhelmed by this hike, but I enjoyed it.

After our hike, we headed on over to the crack seed shop. We did make one stop in Manoa with the intent of having what we got there for lunch, but we ended up keeping it in the cooler and having it with dinner. More on that in a future post.

Getting to Kaimuki, parking was hard to come by on this day. I ended up finding a spot in the lot between 11th and 12th avenue and we walked on up to the Crack Seed Store. Mission accomplished, we walked back to the car. Just as we were about to leave I noticed a place I had read about several yards away.

You know, I've been quite sad since my go-to Ono Hawaiian Food closed. I had also been wanting to get some lau lau and I found out the Missus was craving it as well. So, here was our opportunity.

The restaurant is fairly small; like a single hallway. They were somewhat busy, but we had no problem finding a table.

There seemed to be only two women working; one doing the front of house, the other cooking.

We got some lau lau ($16) and an a la carte Tripe Stew ($15).

IMG_5507b The Missus enjoyed the poi, it was nice and thick but not too sour. The lomi salmon was interesting; the Missus liked it, but I think it's because it was mostly tomatoes, there was hardly any salmon in this.

As for the lau lau, well there was a good amount of smoky-chlorophyllic-savory luau leaf. The pork was on the dryer side, but not bad. Overall pretty good and much better than what we can get here in San Diego. The Missus enjoyed the haupia.

As for the Tripe Stew.

There was a nice offal-ly funkiness, good acidity, the tripe was a bit on the chewy side, but the savory tones did well.

This was a nice local meal; which is something we were looking forward to.

Oahu Grill
1137 11th Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816

After lunch we took a stroll down Waialae. It was interesting to see the new businesses and yet it was finding the places that had been there since "small kid" time that brought a smile to my face.

And Jade Building is still the tallest in the area.

There's a part of me that will always be from Kaimuki…….

Thanks for stopping by!