Mikey's Favorites Cookies

Mikey’s Favorites Golden Flakes (Shortbread Cornflakes) Cookies

Every once in a while a locally-made treat comes along that’s truly special. Well, Mikey’s Golden Flakes (Shortbread Cornflakes) cookies, made right here in Honolulu, are just that. Actually, they’re AWESOME! By far one of the best cookies I’ve ever tasted. Honestly.

Buttery-sweet, very crispy, with an added dimension of flavor and texture offered by the cornflakes that are speckled on the bottom and top of each cookie. Add a glass of cold milk to dip them in and you’ve got the perfect after-work or school snack.

Along with their popular Golden Flakes cookie, Mikey’s Favorites also offers a few other varieties such as Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip with Macadamia Nut, Chocolate Chip with Walnut, Macadamia Nut, Peanut Butter (also very popular), Pineapple Coconut, Rainbow Delight (Candy Sprinkles), Shortbread and Almond Cookies… most of which are in the Shortbread style, so they’re all very crispy, sweet and buttery rich. Yum!

Pineapple Coconut (bottom left), Rainbow Delight (Candy Sprinkles, top left), Peanut Butter (middle 3), Golden Flakes (3 on the right)

Mikey’s Favorites are manufactured in a shop tucked away in an industrial backgroad off of Waikamilo Rd. in Kalihi, which is where you’d need to go if you want their full selection, although few small shops such as Baldwins, Shima’s and Tamashiro Market sell select flavors in smaller bags.

Interestingly, the owner’s name is Greg Teshima, where as Mikey is actually his son’s name, hence you get why they’re named “Mikey’s Favorites”, and for good reason so… they’re my favorite cookie too!

This is how a box would come packed from their shop (that is ALOT of cookies)…

Golden Flakes and Peanut Butter shortbread cookies from Mikey’s Favorites

These make fantastic omiyage (gift), which in fact are how I discovered them. Give ’em a try – especially the Golden Flakes – and I bet you’ll love ’em.

Mikey’s Favorites
Unlimited, Inc.
720 Moowaa Street Unit 1
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 841-0373

Portuguese Bean Soup

Portuguese Bean Soup, with a spoonful of tender Portuguese Sausage, kidney beans, carrot, potato and macaroni. Yum!

Portuguese Bean Soup (Sopa de Feijao) is another Hawaii favorite that can often be found at local eateries as the soup of the day or as a regular menu item. This is comfort food at its best. With the surplus of leftover Portuguese Sausage I had in the refrigerator from the recent “Portuguese Sausage Shootout“, instead of freezing the remaining uncooked sausage, I took this opportunity to use it all up and make this dish.

The following recipe is my rendition, with references from Auntie Lynn and Reid over at Ono ‘Kine Grindz. Mahalo!

Portuguese Bean Soup
Serves approx. 10-12

Ingredients:
3 Smoked Ham Hocks (these are usually available in the meat freezer section. Make sure they’re SMOKED)
1 Large Portuguese Sausage (any brand), cut into bite-size pieces (I used MUCH more than 1 for this batch, since that’s how much I had)
1 bag of dry kidney beans
1-2 cups (uncooked) macaroni (add more or less at your discretion)
2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 white round onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (save some extra unchopped for garnish)
2 bay leaves
1 six oz. can Tomato Paste (this will help to slightly thicken it)
1 fourteen oz. can Stewed Tomatoes
1 fourteen oz. can chicken stock
Salt and Pepper
Water
5 quart (or larger) pot or dutch oven
*Options: You can also add chopped celery and/or cabbage. I didn’t because there was no room for it. You can also substitute canned Kidney Beans for the uncooked type used here.

The most important part of this soup is the ham hock soup stock base it’s started with. This provides the dish with its “porky”, slightly smoky signature.

Ham Hocks & Cilantro (Chinese Parlsey)

Begin by placing the 3 ham hocks, 1 bay leaf and the chopped cilantro in the pot, then add the can of chicken stock and just just enough water to cover the ham hocks. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for approximately 2-1/2 hours, covered to prevent evaporation. Note that this is a stock-making process, so you don’t put all the ingredients in from the start, as they’ll obviously over-cook and become mush.

This will give you time to prepare the uncooked kidney beans. First wash and rinse them in a collander, then place in a pot of water, bring to boil for about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let them sit in the heated water for about an hour, check for tenderness (bite-test one), then drain the now ready-to-use beans in the collander.

The uncooked kidney beans as they’re first placed in the pot with water

Prepare the cut-up Portuguese Sausage by frying them until slightly browned, then place on paper towel to drain oil…

After over 2 hours of simmering, the ham hock stock will look like this…

PBS stock made with ham hocks, cilantro, bay leaf, chicken stock and water

Notice the rich brown color and the porky aroma! Fish out the now-tender ham hocks and place them on a cutting board, let them cool, then remove the meat from bone with a fork and knife and discard the bone…

Tender, fully cooked ham hocks with meat removed

Now you begin throwing everything else into the pot. Add the ham hock meat, kidney beans, Portuguese Sausage, uncooked macaroni, potatoes, chopped onions, carrots, crushed garlic, the other bay leaf and stewed tomatoes (don’t add the tomato paste yet), then add enough water to cover, and let it simmer for about another hour, stirring occasionally.

The finished pot of Portuguese Bean Soup

Finish it by stirring in the tomato paste by spoonfuls until the soup reaches the desired thickness and taste. Some like it more “tomato-ey” than others. Up to you. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste, then ring the bell for dinner and enjoy!

Garnish each bowl with a sprig of Cilantro and serve with your favorite bread and butter (personally I like Safeway’s French Bread with plenty of margarine spread on it) or soda crackers.

Da' KC Waffle Dog… Still Get!

Ask folks what they miss most from KC Drive Inn on Kapahulu avenue who closed their doors in 2005, and chances are they’d say the Ono Ono Shake and the Waffle Dog. Well thanks to Dayton Asato, family heir to the legacy, you can still get the original Waffle Dog! Got a party, fundraiser or special event? Just give him a call or email and you can share this old time island favorite with your family and friends.

Last Sunday at Shirokiya while I went to visit my friend Layne, JNP and their Kikaida Tokusatsu group, who else was there? Dayton and his family serving Waffle Dogs… what a “double chop” combo!

I took a picture of him making it in their proprietary waffle dog iron, but he quickly mentioned that Shirokiya had scolded someone on Saturday for doing that, so I deleted that picture. I understand. Anyhow, I chatted with him about the business, and he mentioned visiting my blog, suggesting I should take it to another level, which is a nice compliment coming from him. Mahalo!

I could have cleaned up the edges of the Waffle Dog I have here, but I prefer showing it in its true form, as anyone in line would get them. And believe me, there was a line. In fact, they even had a sign that indicated a limit of 3 per person.

The iron makes 6 at a time. The process involves pouring the waffle batter down on the bottom mold, then they lay a hot dog in each one, then pour more waffle batter over the hot dog, then the waffle dog maker top is closed down and held in place until they’re cooked through, which took several minutes.

I forgot to ask what brand of hot dog they were using, but if you asked me based on taste, I would say they were either Farmer John or Oscar Meyer. They certainly didn’t taste like the cheaper Bar S brand. The batter was slightly sweet, giving the whole package that savory-sweet flavor. Perfect. Being a waffle by nature, it doesn’t have a crispy crust, but more of a soft browned exterior. I opted not to add ketchup or mustard so I could savor its core elements, although they were giving condiment packets out to those who asked.

It was packed in that foil wrapper shown, which you took to any cashier to pay for at $3.66 (with tax) each.

My overall impression is that they’re a different twist to the Andadog, once again having that savory-sweet thing going on, and very unique in the hot dog world. Supah ono!

One last note on KC Drive Inn. The property was sold to a local doctor, which is now home to a new medical center.

Dayton when he made a Shirokiya appearance several years ago…

For more information, visit their website at:

www.KCWaffleDog.com

Here’s the Kikaida Brothers that were at Shirokiya that day…

Kikaida (left) and Kikaida 01 (right)

These amazing costumes were fabricated by my friend Layne Luna, a professional artist from Hilo. The only exception is the Kikaida helmet, shown above in this close-up, which was purchased directly from Toei Studios, a refurbished original that was actually used in the 70’s series. Wow!

To see more of Layne’s amazing art, including life-like fiberglass fish mounts, visit his blog here:

Da Arts

Leonard's Malasadas

Hot on the heels of the Portuguese Sausage Shootout comes another popular island favorite from the Portuguese, the Malasada. I work in an office where folks love to share food, and yesterday was no exception as one of our accountants brought us a box of Leonard’s Malasadas from their wagon located in Waikele Shopping Center.

Malasadas are essentially a doughnut shaped as shown (no hole in it), about the size of a racket ball, deep fried until GBD and dusted with a light coat of granulated sugar. Leonard’s also offers filled versions with custard, chocolate or Haupia (coconut cream). They’re 60 cents each or cheaper if purchased in larger quantities.

I haven’t had Malasadas for a while; the last time being from Champion Malasadas (Beretania st.), a formidable contender to Leonard’s. Well this batch was consistent to what I always remember Leonard’s to be… fluffy, slightly spongee, slightly chewy, with a nice change in texture from the deep-fried outer crust, complimented, but not overdone by the granulated sugar finish. What’s most important is that they’re not greasy, which is a testament that they have good management over proper oil temperature. Just a slight “slick” on the crust that helps the sugar stick to them and also provides a sort of buttery finish in texture if you will. They might even have some secret ingredient that helps prevent oil from penetrating into the dough as it cooks.

Reheating or eating them cold just isn’t an option. Just like anything else that’s deep-fried, Malasadas are something you MUST eat while it’s piping hot straight from the bakery or wagon.

I’m having evil thoughts about this. How about making a Malasada Dog? lol Heck, they did it with Andagi (Okinawan donuts), so why not the Malasada? O.K., one day after my arteries take a break perhaps I’ll try that.

This Leonard’s logo sticker they put on each box is a whimsical, yet accurate illustration of what their famous red and white striped Malasada wagon looks like…

They also have a bakery home base located on Kapahulu Avenue that’s been there for decades.

While their may be a few contenders out there, the first name that comes to mind when you mention Malasadas is Leonard’s… a household name in Hawaii that continues to this day with excellence.

www.LeonardsHawaii.com

Rating by Raveable

Classic Hawaii Snack Chips

Maebo’s One-Ton Chips, 26 oz. Jar from Costco, $13.99

Ruffles, Doritos and Funyuns snack chips may be household names across the US, but there are several local brands that are precious to folks who grew up with them in Hawaii. Arguably at the top of that list is Maebo’s One-Ton Chips.

Maebo Noodle Factory had its humble beginning in 1950 in Hilo on the big island of Hawaii, going through some changes, including a fire in 2003 that destroyed their factory.

Fortunately they built a new factory and continue to produce the delicious One-Ton Chips which are available for purchase in most Hawaii supermarkets and online at their website today.

That massive jar I have pictured above is currently available at Oahu’s Costco and Sam’s Club locations (and I assume at all other locations across the 808 state). They’re also sold in 15 oz. and 4 oz. packages in most supermarkets.

Just as important as the contents are the logo and packaging, which those familiar to it, immediately recognize the One-Ton Weightlifter Man and blue and red label. Super classic!

As is common with most Hawaii-made products, they’re comparably more expensive than the mainland competition. Still, these chips are gems and worth the extra price for admission.

Maebo’s One-Ton Chips

“One-Ton” is a clever and obvious twist on Wonton, that famous Chinese noodle wrapper. Well, these One-Ton chips are essentially like the Crispy Wonton you’ve had in that Chinese restaurant down the street, just more crispy and a little sweeter, thanks to the addition of sugar, cornstarch and whole eggs.

They’re great for snacking as is, or even better yet, use them as a topping for the PERFECT Oriental Salad. I’ll retrofit a recipe and demo of that in here later.

Again, very crisp, slightly sweet, slightly salty. A delicate balance that Maebo presents in the perfect form of what a Wonton…excuse me.. ehem.. ONE-TON chip should be. Love it.

Second on my hit list are Nibb-its…

Nibb-its bar-b-que flavored potato curls, 2.5 oz. package, $3.49 at Foodland

Nibb-its were very popular in Hawaii during the late 70’s and early 80’s. They were one of very few chips on the shelf at the time that had a really spicy, barbecue flavor, and very unique texture and appearance.

I can’t tell you much about its history, except that they’re manufactured by Yick Lung, a former household Hawaii name that was synonymous with Li Hing Mui “Cracked Seed”. From the 80’s, on back, you could find Yick Lung seeds in Long’s Drugs at every checkout counter. Today they seem to be a phantom business with just a few products such as this, and very limited production and distribution to Hawaii stores.

Nibb-its?

On that note, I must say, the Nibb-its on shelves today aren’t the same as I remember them from childhood. While a good try, they lack the porosity, fluff and prominent spicy barbecue flavor I remember them to be. While these here aren’t bad in and of itself, again, not the same. These are more “sealed” if you will. Crunchy, but too dense. Not fluffy enough. Best way to describe it. Most importantly, there isn’t enough barbecue spice flavoring sprinkled on it, making them bland to the original in comparison. I remember the originals being rather HOT, spice-wise.

Heck, go pick up a bag and try them yourself and let us know what you think.

What is nice is that the original label was preserved, so the nostalgia of the brand and the core of the chip is still there. Yick Lung just needs to work on the authenticity of flavor and texture a bit more.

Merchandised on an independent metal rack in Foodland next to the Nibb-its were these Yick Lung Shrimp Chips…

Yick Lung Shimp Flavored Chips, $3.79.

I can’t recall Yick Lung producing this in the past, but if you do, let us know. There’s a much more widely distributed brand of Shrimp Chips from Frito Lay’s Maui style label.

Yick Lung Shrimp Chips

The characteristics that sets these apart from the Maui Style brand are the assorted colors (Maui’s is only white) and the higher price per serving; almost $4 for a bag of chips I can practically count how many there are in the bag at one glance. Otherwise, just your typical slightly greasy, lightly salted shrimp chip.

You can buy uncooked shrimp chips in asian supermarkets and deep fry them yourself. Those are very cheap.

My hopes are that Yick Lung steps up their game and becomes a leading Hawaii brand once again. How can you forget the name, “Yick Lung”?!

Last but not least, another classic are the Maui Potato Chips from the Maui Potato Chip Factory out of Kahului. These are thick kettle cut type, rather greasy and salty but certainly ono. They’re easily to identify on the shelf with their clear package and red and yellow imprinted label.

I just got off the phone with someone at the Maui Potato Chip Factory, and they said currently there are NO distributors on the island of Oahu, but they are available all over Maui. The last place on Oahu to carry it was Star Market Kahala, but they closed. Next time family flies over (or I fly there), I’ll get a bag and retrofit a story on it here.

The Great Portuguese Sausage Shootout

Being half Portuguese, it’s fitting that I do a thorough job of covering one of Hawaii’s favorite ethnic foods, the Portuguese Sausage. Hawaii’s manufacturers mostly stick by a similar recipe that is unique to the islands, setting ours apart from those found on the mainland… or possibly even in Portugal.

The most popular way to eat it is for breakfast as simply Portuguese Sausage, Eggs and Rice. Comfort food at its best. Most Hawaii restaurants that serve breakfast have Portuguese sausage as an option to bacon, breakfast links or ham, including national chains such as McDonald’s and iHop.

What inspired me to have a Portuguese Sausage shootout is the wide selection of locally-made brands and varieties that fill our supermarket shelves today, commonly taking up to 4 feet of meat department refrigerator shelf space.

So let the battle begin!…

The players (top to bottom):

• Redondo’s Lisboa Portuguese Brand Sausage, 10 oz., $1.99 (sale price) from Don Quijote.
  Ingredients: Pork, water, salt, flavorings, sugar, sodium phosphate, monosodium glutamate, oleo-resin of parika, sodiumerythorbate, sodium nitrite, packed in collagen casing.
• Uncle Louie’s Fully Cooked Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage Stick, package of 3 at 48 oz. (3 lbs.) total, $10 from Costco.
  Ingredients: Pork, water, salt, non-fat dry milk, paprika, vinegar, garlic, chili pepper, spice, sweetener (sucralose), sodium nitrite.
• Gouvea’s Portuguese Brand Sausage (Linguica). 10 oz., $1.99 from Don Quijote.
  Ingredients: Pork, water, salt, spices, garlic, paprika, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite.
• Rego’s Purity of Hawaii Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage. 10 oz., $1.99 from Marukai Market Place.
  Ingredients: Pork, water, nonfat dry milk, salt, vinegar, sugar, flavorings, paprika, sodium phosphate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, oleoresin of paprika, packed in collagen casing.
• Aloha Brand Portuguese Brand Sausage Hawaiian Style (distributed by Gouvea’s Inc.). 5 oz., $1.29 from Don Quijote.
  Ingredients: Pork, water, salt, dextrose, spices, hydrolyzed wheat protien, paprika, sodium phosphate, garlic, spice extractives, natural flavorings, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite and collagen casing.
• Pacific Sausage Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage (Linguica), 5 oz., 99 cents from Don Quijote.
  Ingredients: Pork, water, salt, vinegar, sugar, flavoring, spices, garlic, paprika, sodium phosphate, sodium erythorbate, dextrose, sodium nitrite, sodium citrate.
• Hawaiian Sausage Company Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage (distributed by Rego’s Purity Food Co., Inc.), 5 oz., 99 cents from Marukai Market Place.
  Ingredients: Pork, water, nonfat dry milk, salt, vinegar, flavorings, paprika, sodium phosphate, smoke flavoring, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, oleoresin of paprika, packed in collagen casing.
• Gouvea’s Portuguese Brand Sausage Made with Pork and Chicken, 5 oz., $1.29 from Don Quijote.
  Ingredients: Pork, mechanically separated chicken, water, salt, spices, garlic, paprika, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite and collagen casing.
• Redondo’s Mo’ono Sweet Hot Portuguese Brand Sausage, 5 oz., 99 cents from Marukai Market Place.
  Ingredients: Pork, water, soy sauce, sugar, salt, flavorings, sodium phosphate, monosodium glutamate, oleoresin of paprika, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, packed in collagen casing.
• Frank’s Foods Portuguese Brand Sausage (from Hilo), 12 oz., $2.49 (on sale) from Ward Marukai.
  Ingredients: Pork, beef, dextrose, salt, soy protein concentrate, paprika, sodium phosphate, flavorings, hydrolyzed soy protein, garlic powder, msg, smoke flavoring, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite.
• Kukui Sausage Co, Inc. Portuguese Brand Sausage, 8 oz., $1.99 (on sale) from Ward Marukai..
  Ingredients: Pork, water, salt, sugar, flavorings, paprika, sodium phosphate, sodium nitrite, chili powder, sodium erythorbate.

With (now) 11 players on the “field”, I had to be careful in properly identifying each one for an accurate comparison. While they’re each slightly varied in color and size, for the most part, they all share the same DNA, so labeling was the only way to do it…

As you can see, they all have distinguishable marbeling; some more pronounced than others…

The newest player on the field is Uncle Louie’s, made in Kahului, Maui and available in a bulk pack of 3 HUGE (I mean HUGE) 1 pound sausages at Costco. On a side note to Costco, they also sell Redondo’s Portuguese Sausage in preformed “Spam Musubi” rectangular shapes. How cool is that!

Portuguese Sausage tastes best pan-fried for serving…

I cut 4 slices from each brand, about 3/8″ thick at a bias (diagonally) to provide more surface area.

The only way to give this shootout a fare shake was to accompany the taste test with its true companion, eggs and rice!…

Post edit additions, top to bottom (back to front): Ume Musubi, pickled cucumber, takuan (palate buffers), Frank’s Foods (Hilo), Redondo’s and Kukui brand Portuguese Sausage (uncooked left and cooked right)

Yes, call me crazy. I felt that way attempting to properly plate, sort and label this spread. But tell me that doesn’t look good! Notice I added a couple slices of Takuan, a Japanese picked turnip. I learned this from the mama sans at Tropic Fish and Vegetable market, who makes their Portuguese Sausage, eggs and rice breakfast bento with this. It adds balance, harmony and helps buffer the palate. Try it with Takuan. The best!

The results!..

1. Frank’s Foods Portuguese Brand Sausage:
   Pork, beefy, smoky and tight; not too fatty or greasy. You haven’t had local style Portuguese Sausage until you’ve had Franks!
   
2. Rego’s Purity of Hawaii Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage:
   Slightly sweet twang; mild spices; porky; soft casing; well-balanced overall.
   
3. Hawaiian Sausage Company Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage (distributed by Rego’s Purity Food Co., Inc.):
   Smokey!, mildly spicy, porky & moist. Even with the added smoke component, this one was also very well balanced and packed with flavor.
   
4. Redondo’s Mo’ono Sweet Hot Portuguese Brand Sausage:
   Tender; porky; moist; hot but spice influence is mild.
   
5. Gouvea’s Portuguese Brand Sausage (Linguica):
   Spicy, somewhat salty, semi-beefy, semi-porky (are those real terms?), pronounced marbeling, overall great flavor.
   
6. Redondo’s Lisboa Portuguese Brand Sausage:
   Redondo’s is great, but Gouvea’s slightly beefy profile gives it just a little more character than Redondo’s. Still, this is good, and even in 6th place, it’s something I’ll put in the shopping cart on an impulse buy.
   
7. Pacific Sausage Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage (Linguica)
   This reminds me of a stepped-down Purity in flavor profile. Stepped down enough to rank about here.
   
8. Uncle Louie’s Fully Cooked Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage Stick:
   Significant Paprika flavor; pronounced marbeling gave it a really “fatty” character, for better or worse; somewhat salty; doesn’t taste porky, more beefy.
   
9. Aloha Brand Portuguese Brand Sausage Hawaiian Style (distributed by Gouvea’s Inc.):
   More zesty; paprika too noticeable, yet still good; doesn’t taste like “traditional” Portuguease sausage.
   
10. Kukui Sausage Co, Inc. Portuguese Brand Sausage:
    Decent, but lacks character. It’ s just OK, still slightly better than the last place contender as follows.
    
11. Gouvea’s Portuguese Brand Sausage Made with Pork and Chicken:
    Subtle flavor, not much marbleization.
    

Post edit: Frank’s Foods from Hilo is my favorite! The beef and the smoke flavoring, combined with the texture, which is tight and not to fatty make this one stand out. And allthough there’s beef in it, which is out of the norm from the rest of the pack, it still screams loud and proud, “I’m the best Portuguese Sausage!”

Rego’s Purity of Hawaii Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage was my overall favorite. With that, it’s still a close contender for first place, but I’ll hand that to Franks. The Purity won a blind taste test by four members in our household. I wouldn’t kick any one of these brands off the table, but if I could only choose one, Franks would be first, then Rego’s Purity. As for Purity, flavorful balance is the best way to describe it. It also caramelized nicely due its sugar component. My next choice also comes from Rego’s with their Hawaiian Sausage Company variety. The added smokiness really serves it well, and goes GREAT with those sunny-side up eggs. Excellent.

Whew. Let me tell you, that was alot of work. It wasn’t easy to try that much Portuguese Sausage in one sitting. After that, I didn’t eat for the rest of the day. That’s how full I was! The spices really give an aftertaste doesn’t go away for a long time. lol But it’s all good.

Next time you go grocery shopping, pick up a few brands of Portuguese Sausage and compare them yourself. You might find nuances in each that I couldn’t find, or a flavor preference that best suits you. Then after that, go on a diet for the rest of the week. I’m going vegetarian for the next 5 days after this. My blood is still boiling. lol

P.S.

Gouvea also makes this “Hot Dog”…

Gouvea’s Portuguese Brand Hot Dogs

It may look like a hot dog on the outside, but bite into it and you know what? It’s pretty much a miniature Portuguese Sausage! Same paprika, vinegar, and garlic flavor, sans the chili pepper. Very porky, including the marbelized fat in it. It’s really ono!

Gouvea’s Portuguese Brand Hot Dog, boiled and sliced in half

Next time I gotta’ try it in a hot dog bun. Maybe with just ketchup and chopped onions.

I also tried Redondo’s Arabiki Sausage…

Redondo’s ARABIKI course gournd sausage made with pork (Mo’ono selection), $2.99 from Marukai.

Per the instructions on the package, I boiled them for about 3 minutes…

They’re sort small, but they really pack flavor! Smokey, slightly sweet and savory in a shoyu-kind-of way, and moist inside. But the most important feature of these little babies is that SNAPPY CRUNCH of the casing. Nice! I’m not sure how I’d incorporate this in a recipe, but just alone as a pupu works for me. Pick some up and try.. I bet you’ll like it.

Waikiki 2007 Spam Jam

A casual pictorial walk-through…

Liliha Bakery's Famous Coco Puffs

Coco Puffs on the left, Cream Puffs on the right

We stopped by Liliha Bakery the other day and grabbed some of their famous Coco Puffs, along with some Cream Puffs.

The Coco Puff uses a Choux pastry shell, injected with a chocolate pudding filling and a Chantilly frosting on top that’s very buttery and sweet, with a sort of granular texture to it. Because they’re made in advance then refrigerated, the Choux pastry’s outer crust is a bit on the soft side. I’d prefer it more crispy, but they’re still good.

Coco Puff cut-away view

That buttery-sweet frosting is so rich, I could only eat one, but I’m sure there’s folks out there who could easily put a dozen of these bad boys away. While each one is a bit smaller than the Cream Puffs served at Beard Papa, they’re also considerably cheaper at 80 cents each, vs. $1.50 at BP. They also have them pre-boxed by the dozen if you’re looking for a treat to give that prospective business client or to share with coworkers.

The Cream Puff uses the same Choux pastry as the Coco Puff, except it’s filled with a custard and topped with Chocolate shell glaze. While they’re good, the Coco Puff certainly wins the taste contest.

Cream Puff cut-away view

My buddy also is very fond of what’s called Palm Leaves…

Palm Leaves

As you can see, the name comes from its shape. This pastry has an interesting combination of texture, being sort of chewy and sort of crunchy. Very buttery, with a sweet glaze covering it. It’s hard to describe the exact flavor, but I liked it. This would go great with a cup ‘o joe.

They’re located almost near the corner of Kuakina and Liliha st., across Pizza Hut

While the Coco Puffs may be their claim to fame, there’s also a very large selection of other delicious looking, fresh-made pastries, cakes and pies to choose here. They also have a full-service diner including everything from pancakes ‘n eggs to steak and potatoes.The bakery was very busy when we arrived. If you go, make sure you pull a number to be served.

I plan to return here and sit down at their diner for breakfast or lunch. The menu looked good and priced right.

Liliha Bakery
515 N. Kuakini Street
Honolulu, HI
(808) 531-1651