Shakin' It at The Shack Waikiki

The Shack Waikiki opened their doors on August 6th, becoming the new hot spot for locals and tourists to hang out. The man behind it all is General Manager and owner Brendan Burchfiel, who also owns the popular Shack in Hawaii Kai. He’s actually a partner with an investor who owns several other Shack restaurants besides these two. One look inside this new establishment, and you can tell some serious cash went into transforming that space, which was formerly Legend Seafood Restaurant. The same Ohia Wood and thatched awning treatment from the Other Shack locations are applied here as well…

The Shack Waikiki’s centerpiece is the massive wrap-around bar. Here you see patrons enjoy watching the Warriors take on the Spartans…

Here the lovely Angie does bartending duty for the evening, where behind her you see just a part of the 24 beer taps on hand…

Angie also works at the Mililani Shack location. Also on hand as one of the servers for the evening was the lovely Joni…

You can tell the morale here is high based on the positive and genuine attitude the staff has…

To keep everyone entertained, there’s over 20 big screen LCD HDTVs showing live sports all day and night. They’re subscribed with the top tier NFL package, as well as digital satellite cable service, so EVERY game is played there. They also subscribe to all the UH Pay-Per-View football games, as you seen earlier.

If you’re more the interactive type, there’s a billiards table…

If you’re more into music, a live band plays just about every night there…

After the band finishes playing (usually by midnight), the place transforms into a beach-style nightclub, including live DJs mixing it up. This is the Vertical Junkies’ DJ Durtie Rice spinnin’ it up…

Vertical Junkies’ DJ Durtie Rice in the mix

There’s also a large dance floor where you can really shake up The Shack.

With the oceanside at its heart, The Shack Waikiki doesn’t have a dress code policy, unlike the more strict nightclubs surrounding it, which might also appeal to some folks.

Here, Brendan and his lovely wife Maria relax after a long day running the joint…

and here in that same spot at another time, these beautiful young ladies hang out and talk story…

Notice there are video games behind them – 3 total – which is nice to have if you have children with you. The menu also includes a Children’s section.

Which is where we now get to… the FOOD!

One of their most popular items, especially by the ladies, is their Oriental Chicken Salad…

The Shack Waikiki – Oriental Chicken Salad, $8.95

Also popular is their Chicken Caesar Salad…

The Shack Waikiki – Chicken Caesar Salad, $7.95

There’s also the Chef’s Salad…

The Shack Waikiki – Chef Salad, $8.25

You can also order a smaller-portion dinner salad…

The Shack Waikiki – Dinner Salad, $2.99

This is also what’s included with some of the entree plates such as the grilled ribeye steak.

Being a sports bar, it’s not surprising the Buffalo Wings are also one of their top seller…

The Shack – Buffalo Wings, $8.50/basket, $15.50/bucket

At first I didn’t care for their sauce, but it grew on me.

One of my favorites on the appetizer menu is their Potato Skins…

The Shack Waikiki – Potato Skins, $8.25

It’s covered in Jack and Cheddar cheese, with Bacon Bits, served with Sour Cream and topped with Green Onion. Yum.

Nothing like a double bypass with the Deep Fried Mozza Sticks…

The Shack – Deep Fried Mozza, $8.25

The Shack – Chicken Strips, $8.25

Exclusive to the Waikiki location are new Chef’s Specialties, created by Chef Michael Leslie, former Executive Chef at Roy’s Hawaii Kai restaurant. One of those items is the fresh Ahi Poke…

The Shack Waikiki – Hawaiian Style Ahi Sashimi, market price

and the Ahi Sashimi….

The Shack Waikiki – Island Fresh Sashimi, market price

and Angus Sliders…

The Shack Waikiki – Angus “Sliders”, $11.00

The sliders feature 3 different toppings, Bacon, Swiss’N’Shroom and Cheese. It includes fries. Hey, look over there… it’s Harold and Kumar! lol

Another new item is the wraps, including this Caesar Wrap…

The Shack Waikiki – Caesar Wrap, $7.95

This is basically their Chicken Caesar Salad wrapped up in a flour tortilla. I haven’t tried it yet, but it was evidently popular, as many of these orders were going out the kitchen.

and the Ahi Wrap…

The Shack Waikiki – Ahi Wrap, $7.95

This is made with fresh seared Ahi, Nalo Greens and Oriental dressing, wrapped in a tomato-infused tortilla. Oh man, I’m so getting this one on my next visit!

Is this enough Ahi for you?…

Fresh Ahi fillets

The prep cook filleting this fish also works at Roy’s Hawaii Kai restaurant, so you know he’s got the fish cutting skills.

You can also order fish (whatever is available that day (usually Marlin, Mahimahi and Ahi, sometimes Ono) sauteed in Sandwich form…

Fresh Fish Sandwich, $8.50

Or get your fish Brit’ groove on with the Fish ‘N Chips…

The Shack Waikiki – Fish ‘N Chips, $9.25

Or you can opt for Shrimp ‘N Chips…

The Shack Waikiki – Shrimp ‘N Chips, $9.25

Notice the shrimp are breaded in panko, while the fish version is the more traditional style.

I don’t see this listed on the menu, but it looks like a classic BLT…

BLT?

Not hefty enough you say? Then dive into the Phily Cheesesteak Sandwich…

The Shack Waikiki – Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich, $7.50

That’s made with a 1/4 pound of grilled ribeye, smothered with mushrooms, onion and swiss, served with mayo on a french roll. Then call the doctor in the morning. lol

Beef lovers continue to rejoice, as they also serve up a fantastic Pastrami Reuben…

The Shack Waikiki – Pastrami Reuben, $6.95

That’s made with a 1/4 pound of grilled pastrami, sauer kraut, 1000 island dressing and swiss on grilled rye bread. I drooled just writing that. lol

All that said, the lead guitarist of their menu’s band is still the BURGER. Here’s the Bacon Blues Burger…

The Shack Waikiki – Bacon Blues Burger, 7.25

A 1/4 angus patty, grilled to perfection and topped with bacon and bleu cheese.

Speaking of grill, all the burgers and meats and fish are FLAME grilled here!…

Those scorching-hot, solid cast-iron grates give the burgers and whatever else that goes on it those flavorful and characteristic sear markings. Gotta’ love that!

One of my all-time favorite burgers on this island is The Shack’s very own Swiss ‘N Shroom burger…

The Shack Waikiki – Swiss & Shroom burger, $7.25

What makes theirs so EXCELLENT is that flame-grilled burger, along with the super-buttery grilled mushrooms. This is one of the best burgers on the island for sure. If you’re a swiss ‘n shroom burger fan, The Shack’s take on it will certainly win your approval. For sure!

A Bacon Burger…

The Shack Waikiki – Bacon Burger, $7.25

If you prefer your burger served-up more “local style”, I highly recommend the Hamburger Steak….

Hamburger Steak plate, $8.25

I tell you, as much as you’d least expect a great plate lunch to come out of a place like The Shack, these guys rock it the stuff! Their mac salad is up there with some of the best I’ve had from “traditional” plate lunch places. That brown gravy is thick, deep, rich and savory, while the burger patties have that awesome flame-grilled taste. I’m still waiting for Diner E to try theirs and give me his opinion.

Chicken Katsu Plate…

Chicken Katsu Plate, $8.25

What’s the deal with the way they plated this? I see they use the local style ketchup and worcestershire sauce for dipping. I need to try and convince Brendan to start serving the Katsu with Bull Dog brand sauce! At least they got the shredded cabbage underneath. Whew.

The Teriyaki Chicken plate…

Oriental Chicken plate, $8.25

This isn’t how the ribs are served off the menu, but probably a special request…

The Shack Waikiki – BBQ Baby Back Ribs

That looks like Chili in the bowl, not baked beans, which are what comes with the menu item. Anyhow, the baby back ribs are smoked in-house in a smoker they have right in the kitchen. Awesome! They’re slow-smoked until fall-off-the-bone tender, then flame grilled with the “Howlin’ Coyote” BBQ sauce to order. Excellent ribs. Their baked beans and cole slaw is pretty good too! Fantastic combo in the sum of its parts.

Speaking of Chili, here’s a bowl of their 4-star Chili…

Bowl O’Chili & Rice, $5.50

With the cheese melted on top, and the sweet red onions adding extra zest, this is also up there with the best Chili on the island. Try a bowl and see for yourself. I can almost guarantee you’ll agree!

There’s just two dessert items: The Shack Sunday and Mama’s Mud Pie…

The Shack Waikiki – Mama’s Mud Pie, $6.25

Oops, the cherry fell off. lol

There you have it. The all new Shack Waikiki. Fun place, great food and very friendly, courteous staff. Next time you’re in Waikiki, check it out!

The Shack Waikiki is located at 2255 Kuhio avenue (and Seaside) on the ground floor of the Waikiki Trade Center, right next to Zanzabar Nightclub.

The Shack Waikiki
2255 Kuhio avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
Tel. 808-921-2255

Open 11am to 2am daily

www.ShackWaikiki.com

Kaukau Hawaiian Style at Young's Fish Market

Ask those in-the-know where to get the best Hawaiian food on Oahu, and chances are the names that pop-up will be Helena’s (Kalihi), Haili’s (Kaka’ako), Ono’s (Kapahulu), Highway Inn (Waipahu) and what we have here at Young’s Fish Market.

Young’s Fish Market is located in City Square Center on Dillingham boulevard in the Kapalama area of Kalihi.

Sidetracking just a bit, also in City Square Center is this hotel furniture liquidator warehouse…

Arcade Shoppes – former home of Grocery Outlet and future home of Chuck E Cheese

This business will soon be replaced by Chuck E Cheese, who will be relocating from their original location in Aina Haina Shopping Center to this larger, high-ceiling space. The Honolulu City & County’s main DMV office is located on the side of this front portion of the center, hence the name “City Square”.

Adjacent to here in the main parking lot are a stretch of non-restaurant type businesses in this section…

There’s Kalihi Pet Center on this end, and to my surprise, a Koolau Farmers garden shop on the opposite end. They’ve been a fixture in Kaneohe (across Windward City Shopping Center) ever since I was a kid! Is this a second location for them? They have a rather spacious live plant area on the side of the store, in an area between their building and the back building (where the restaurants are).

That building on the far end with the CITY FINANCIAL blue sign on the side is where all the restaurants – including Young’s – are located. Those restaurants include Sugoi Bento, Chong’s (Korean) Bar-B-Q, Utage (Okinawan), Young’s Fish Market, and where Kapiolani Coffee Shop (famous Oxtail Soup) moved out, this new Vietnamese restaurant named HA LONG NOODLE HOUSE…

I took a peak inside and also got a take-out menu, which the owner was so friendly and welcoming, I almost changed my mind and ate there! Check out this super cool art deco wall prop of a bowl of Pho…

The restaurant was decorated beautifully as well, carrying that contemporary art deco theme throughout. The menu is very similar to Bac Nam. That being the case (as well as the friendly owner), I am DEFINITELY coming here ASAP!

OK, enough sidetracking, we stay hungry ar’ready. Time fo’ hit Young’s!…

I was going to ask Alan Young (da’ ownah) if I could take pictures inside the place, but he was really busy and the timing didn’t seem right. Next time (and there will be, believe me!).

So what you wen’ o’dah?

First of all, Diner A went “rebel” on us (see, he likes to be “different” lol) and ordered Korean from Chong’s (which is a whole nother story), so his dish isn’t going to be included in this write-up.

Diner E went for his regular Young’s favorites, getting a Charsiu Pork and Roasted Turkey Tails plate…

Young’s Fish Market – Turkey Tails, Charsiu, Mac’ Salad & Rice plate, $9.75

Diner E gave his plate a solid 3-SPAM musubi rating, also noting his seal of approval for the Mac’ Salad. AwW-RIGHT! I tried a piece of the Charsiu… winnahz. Nice, sweet glaze on it. Perfect fo’ throw in one bowl saimin!

Diner C just wanted to try one of their Pasteles…

Young’s Fish Market – Pork Pasteles (Puerto Rican), $3.25 each

When you order it ala carte, it comes steam-heated, still wrapped in foil, with a Ti leaf under it…

Here you can see the pork filling inside of the grated banana “masa” casing…

Diner C LOVED it, giving it a solid 5-SPAM Musubi rating with no hesitation! I tried a bite and concur. Up there with the best. I didn’t get a chance to ask if theirs are house-made or supplied from elsewhere, so I’ll guess it’s the former. Only thing, Young’s doesn’t have Gandules Rice and Bacalau Salad to go along with it for that “complete Puerto Rican experience”, with just white rice and mac if you want a complete meal. But ‘das minahz, just buy two of these… ‘nuff!

As you see, Young’s serves up fantastic Chinese (the name ‘Young’ is Chinese after all!) and Puerto Rican dishes, but really, the heart of Young’s Fish Market is Hawaiian.

That said, Diner P (yours truly) went with the Laulau Plate. Unfortunately, for some darned reason the photos I took of the whole plate somehow vanished off my camera’s memory card. I took like 3 shots of it, yet POOF. Gone. Zero. Zip. Nodda. Nottin’. I couldn’t believe it. Ack!

Good thing I took additional shots of each individual items on the plate, so I’ll start with the star of the show, the Laulau!…

Young’s Fish Market – Butterfish Laulau

Young’s Laulau is certainly a competitor for best Laulau on Oahu. It’s up there with Ono Hawaiian Food, going neck-and-neck for first place, IMO.

Here’s a cross-cut view inside…

Wow, that’s a lotta’ butterfish! You can see it just tender, moist and falling off the bones. OMG, just awesome! The luau leaves were also steamed just right, being fork tender, yet not down to mush. It still had some bite to it, which I like. Otherwise, might as well just eat squid luau. lol Oh man, this butterfish laulau is da’ bestestest! Throw little Hawaiian salt on top, whack ‘em, den whack some poi fo’ chase ‘em.. hooo, broke da’ mout’!

Da’ Lomi Salmon…

Young’s Fish Market – Lomi Salmon

I dig how all all the “wet stuff” are packed in separate covered containers. Maikai.

How is it? Ever heard the term “Lomi Tomato”? That’s a joke used when you go to a luau where the caterer skimps and doesn’t give much salted salmon, making the dish mostly diced tomato in a salty brine. This was kinda’ the case here, and the only reason I didn’t give my plate overall a solid 5-SPAM Musubi rating. While it was still ono, and there were evident small bits of shredded salt salmon in it, it was predominantly tomato, along with chopped white and green onions.

Here, try look..

Where’s the beef!? …err… salmon?!

If I didn’t tell what that was, you might just guess it’s Salsa from New York City. lol

Nah but, da’ salty lomi salmon flavah was there, so still, she go. Especially along with everything else.

Da’ Sweet Potato…

Young’s Fish Market – Sweet Potato

The starchy, sweet flavor of the sweet potato compliments beautifully with the savory laulau, pipikaula and salty lomi salmon. The perfect accompaniment with the plate.

Speaking of Pipikaula, here it is…

Young’s Fish Market – Pipikaula

This added the “turf” to go along with the “surf” in the butterfish laulau. Pipikaula is a Hawaiian style cured beef, similar to beef jerky, but not quite as dehydrated and tough as that. In Young’s version, it’s marinated heavily with a Teriyaki (shoyu/sugar) sauce. Another winnah!

Of course the Hawaiian in me opted for Poi (instead of rice)…

Young’s Fish Market – Poi

I’m pretty sure this was Taro Brand, as that’s the brand they also had bags for sale of on the counter. It tasted like Taro brand as well. Fresh too. Also quite generous container size. Enough to accompany that massive laulau and other items on the plate. To me, if you don’t eat Hawaiian food with Poi, poho (waste). Gotta’ be with Poi, or nothing else!

So that Laulau combo plate I just showed you included one (massive) Butterfish Laulau (you can also order Pork and Chicken or Beef for a bit less $), Lomi Salmon, Pipikaula, Sweet Potato and Poi, coming out to $12.62 with tax. That’s actually not bad considering the portions and quality in preparation, also taking into consideration the high cost of the ingredients; the poi being especially market-sensitive in that regard.

That was so much food, I only could eat half, saving the rest for a snack later. Winnah-winnah-laulau-dinnah (actually lunch)!

Finally, for dessert Diner AC bought us some Kauai Kulolo…

Young’s Fish Market – Kauai Kulolo, $6.80 ($8.50/pound)

Kulolo is like a “Hawaiian Mochi”. with a similar profile to it, being glutenous, but not with that much “pull” like mochi. More starchy. Here’s how it looks unwrapped…

Here’s a cross-cut view..

Id say it tastes like sweetened poi with coconut milk mixed in it, except instead of being paste-like, it’s in a more hardened form, with a lightly grainy texture to it.

This Kauai Kulolo is AWESOME! Broke ‘da mout’! Ono! Solid 5-SPAM Musubi from me. The only way it could be better is if you got it fresh out of the oven.

Well, that wraps up our grinds from Young’s on this particular visit today.

For your convenience, here’s a PDF download of Young’s Fish Market current menu (current as of 9/25/08)…

Young’s Fish Market menu (2-page PDF document)

The cover says “Prices current as of March 1997”, but don’t mind that. I took the cover from the old menu (that’s how long we’ve been going here!) and scanned it along with the current take-out menu given to us today. If you print it, just cross that out and put “September 2008” in there manually. Hawaiian ohana (family) style.

Young’s Fish Market
1210 Dillingham Blvd.
Tel. 841-4885

Business hours:
8am-5:30pm Mon-Fri
8am-4pm Sat
Closed on Sun

Related links:
• Kapalama City Square Grindz – The Tasty Island
• Young’s Fish Market Adapts to Stay Afloat – The Honolulu Advertiser
• Young’s Fish Market – Yelp user reviews

8/25/09 post edit: My girlfriend picked up a Laulau Plate from Young’s yesterday…

Young’s Fish Market – Laulau Plate, $12.05

The Laulau plate includes their famous Laulau, Lomi Salmon, Pipikaula, Sweet Potato and Poi or Rice

Here’s a closer look inside the Laulau…

This laulau was steam-cooked to perfection, not leaving any unwelcome itching in the throat, while also not being too soggy either. It was also seasoned with Hawaiian Salt just right, while the pork and butterfish inside was so tender and ONO! The Lomi Salmon was also perfect. Their Pipikaula is pretty good, although a little too sweet for my liking.

All in all a solid 4-SPAM Musubi Laulau plate.

Mana Bu's Hana Hou

The principles of a macrobiotic diet continue to thrive over at Mana Bu’s – Hawaii’s Musubi Headquarters. I was a bit perplexed to find them closed on Saturday at 1pm (after I left the Portuguese Festa), when come to find out by a sign posted on the front door, they had already sold out. Wow!

The word is obviously out on the wonderful Musubi, salads and sweets at this specialized Onigiri Boutique shop, as when I arrived yesterday (Sunday) right about when they opened, the place had a considerable line!…

According to a gal shopping (yes, shopping) who claims to be a daily regular, she said sometimes there’s a line formed in front even before they open the door for business. Unreal.

This is the man himself, Manabu Asaoka, and his lovely wife Fumiyo…

Manabu Asaoka and his lovely wife, Fumiyo

By the time I walked in the door at just about 15 minutes after opening, that line of folks had already made good work of the selections…

This is a new shelf added into the establishment (on the front window side), which looks to be stocked with Mana Bu’s best-selling Musubi selections…

The perfectionist inside of me wanted to “face” the shelves (bring everything to the front) for the shot, but I don’t think customers (or Manabu and his wife) would appreciate another customer (myself) touching all the goods like that.

Manabu san did mention to me having customers both from the mainland and locally who mentioned this blog as their reference in discovering it. Nice.

Let’s take a closer look at the selections on this beautiful Sunday morning…

It’s so easy to choose with those descriptive sign cards!

Oh my, the Musubi choices!

Whichever ones you choose, by all means, as a side dish, if the Teri Corn is still available (if you’re lucky) when you get there, DO get that!…

So ono. Sugoi oishii desu!

Then there’s the salads…

Tofu & Broccoli with Sesame

Curry Potato & Edamame (soy bean) Salad…

Green Papaya Salad…

The steam obscured the contents in this photo, but the gal I spoke with in the shop gave testament that this Udon Tofu Udon salad is fantastic…

Speaking of steam, upon the time of my early (yet already busy) arrival, many items on the shelf were still warm, indicating they had just come off the production line. Doesn’t get fresher than that.

That same gal also swore by this Kabocha Nishime (I’m so getting this on my next visit)…

Spicy Shoyu Edamame (soy beans)…

Sweet Potato and Grandma’s Huki…

French Beans & Sesame…

Then there’s the sweets, such as this Red Bean Zensai with Mochi and Coconut Pudding…

Thumbs-up were given for this Strawberry Milk Pudding as well…

Steamed Muffins…

I swear I could have filled two baskets, and wanted to with all this deliciousness! Yet, I only chose what I could eat for the day, as I don’t believe in 2nd-day old Musubi that came out of the refrigerator. It’s gotta’ be eaten the day it’s made at room temperature for best texture. I could stock-up on the salads though, which I’ll do next time.

That being said, here’s my selections on this visit…

Teri Corn, $1.20

Oh-my-God.. this the most killer Corn-on-the-Cob. So delicious!

Spicy Takuan Musubi, $1.50

That looks like Ume, but it’s not. It’s red peppers…

How is this one? Excellent. To be honest, I kept thinking I was going to biting into Ume, even though I knew it was red peppers. Kind of a curve ball effect, but still, a winner!

Kombu Musubi with Brown Rice, $1.50

How is this one? Very nice. The kombu has a pronounced “sea” flavor, whereas the Hijiki version has more resemblance to the familiar Nori. It’s amazing how Manabu San is able to cook that brown rice to just the right point of stickiness. It doesn’t fall apart like you’d expect it to. He also salts the rice just right.

Shoyu Gobo Pilaf Musubi, $1.50

How is this one? Oishii desu. Again, the rice is salted perfectly, while the tender, robust Gobo and sweet carrot offer a savoriness to the whole package. Nice, nice, nice.

I also got the Okinawan Sweet Potato and Macadamia Nut Salad…

Okinawan Sweet Potato and Macadamia Nut Salad, $2.00

Just $2 bucks? Are you kidding me?! I swear, you could put this on a beautiful plate in a fine dining restaurant and charge $15 for it. This, my friends, ROCKS! The very light coating of Best Foods Mayonnaise, along with the corn, peas, and nuttiness of the Macadamia Nuts topping those tender, sweet purple potatoes is pure genius, yet so simple. I love, love, love this dish!

Finally for dessert, I got one each of the Apple Banana Mochi and Maui Strawberry Mochi…

Look at how perfectly dusted it is. Again, a showcase of the Japanese tradition in quality and attention to detail.

Let’s look how the Banana Mochi looks in a cross section…

Apple Banana Mochi, $1.50

I’m not normally a Mochi fan, but now I am. lol Seriously, the mochi is so soft and silky, while the coolness of the fresh, slightly tangy banana in it marry beautifully. It’s also not too sweet, which is always a good thing.

The Maui Strawberry Mochi…

Maui Strawberry Mochi, $2.00

As much as I love Japanese food, I’m also not really an Azuki bean fan, but now I am. lol Seriously, that legume-flavored quality of the Azuki (red bean) mochi on the inside, combined with the more neutral plain mochi surrounding it, along with the tangy-sweet strawberry inside is another case of pure genius. Totally diggin’ this one.

What a delicious, light and healthy lunch. I wish Mana Bu’s were closer to my work place and/or open longer so I could get some every day on my way home. I’m thinking of going on a “Mana Bu’s Macrobiotic Diet”. While I consider myself to be in pretty good shape, like most of us, I could stand to lose a few pounds.

I just love Mana Bu’s. So much that I recommended Zero Point Zero Productions (producers of Anthony Bordain’s ‘No Reservations’) stop by there and do a segment on the place. They’ll be in Hawaii filming at the end of the month for their PBS television show titled, Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie. I’m sure Emily will take my word and at least stop by for a bite to eat.

Just keep in mind, the word is out, and so will the Musubi and other treats be if you don’t arrive early. It’s that good.

Mana Bu’s
Hawaii’s Musubi Headquarters
1618 King St
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 945-2323

Business Hours:
Tuesday – Sunday 10:30am to 2:30pm (or until everything is sold out)

The Tasty Island rating:

(5) Superb. Worthy of repeat visits or purchases. (Broke Da’ Mout’!)

Related Links:

• Mana Bu’s – For the Best Musubi Ever – Photos by Jalna
• Musubi Mania at Mana Bu’s – The Tasty Island
• Musubis have ‘Mana’ – The Honolulu Star Bulletin

Honolulu Portuguese Festa '08

The Portuguese Festa (prounounced “FESH-tah”; a.ka. festival) took place today, Saturday,  September 20, 2008 in the McCoy Pavillion at Ala Moana Beach Park from 9am to 5pm.

This was my first time attending this event (shame yeah?), yet I’m sure glad I made it this year! I found this experience very, very enlightening and interesting in tracing my roots.

As you might know, I’m half Portuguese, with my late and great father being pure Portuguese, while my mother is Hawaiian, German and English, in that order of quantity.

Being in the blood, it’s due time I be here.

The folks working at today’s event were friendly and just fantastic, with plenty of knowledge about our Portuguese culture. I really felt like I was around one big extended ohana and right at home.

If you missed it, don’t fret, I got you covered. Following is a pictorial walk-through of today’s festivities. Enjoy!…

Like the Greek Festival, there’s a $3 donation/entry fee at the door.

Ani’s Portuguese Sweet Breads and other baked specialties….

Hawaii Lieutenant Governor James “Duke” Aiona serves up Portuguese Bean Soup to the people…

Duke – a former first circuit court judge – is Portuguese, Chinese and Hawaiian. That’s a common ethnic mixture in Hawaii. In person, he’s a very friendly, down-to-earth guy.

I also got a picture with Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, who made a round at the event. The picture came out blurry though, as the person with her taking the photo didn’t hold the shutter on my camera to activate the auto focus. Oh well.

This is the Vinha D’ Alhos…

Looks and has the texture like Kalua Pig, but WAY different in flavor.

Portuguese style chicken with a roll, beans, pickled onion and pepper…

Cod Stew (the master batch cooking in a wok on a propane burner)…

A Portuguese Hot Dog, made with a jumbo hot dog-sized Portuguese Sausage and Portuguese Sweet Bread Bun…

One of the workers there raved about this, saying it was so ono. I just wasn’t in the mood for that kinda’ “heft” on this hot sunny day (ya’ know?), so didn’t try it.

I’m getting flashbacks from my “Great Portuguese Sausage Shootout” entry here (lol)…

Tostinhos…

Chow Chow…

Also for sale were these delicious boiled and salted Lupini beans, which are called Tremocas (c is pronounced as ‘s’) by the Portuguese. They’re similar in texture to boiled peanuts, except more “legume-like”, flavor-wise – like a cross between a kidney bean and a peanut…

Tremocas, a.k.a. Lupini beans

Portuguese cook books for sale ($10 each)…

I’m diggin’ this shirt!…

I’m guessing Vin D’ Alhos is what was served in this particular dishware…

My father had a massive Portuguese flag, which my sister now has it.

A  traditional Portuguese table setting…

The dance group in traditional Portuguese dress…

Turns out that image-stabilized 12x optical zoom on my new Sony (gently used) DSC-H5 works out quite well! I was standing from the backside of the pond in the courtyard taking the photos. Nice.

The crowd enjoying the day…

Back to the displays and goods for sale…

As you might know, the Ukulele was introduced to Hawaii by the Portuguese. The beautiful instruments on display here today are from KoALOHA Ukulele Company.

The “Pineapple” Uke’…

Get a load of this one!…

That would be a great one to display at a Tiki Bar.

Highly detailed fretboard inlay…

I like their headstock design as well.

Gettin’ jiggy wit’ it…

The Portuguese (such as Magellan) were some of the greatest sailors in the world…

Portuguese men like sailing, while Portuguese women enjoy doll making…

Wow, Barbie and Ken ain’t got nothin’ on them! They’re kinda’ creepy-lookin’ though, huh? lol

A majority of the population in Portugal are Roman Catholic…

FATIMA

Hand-crafted dishware imported from Portugal…

The rooster is the symbol of Portugal, and it’s prevalent everywhere you look at the Portuguese Festa. I’ll explain the story behind it later and add into this entry…

The following items for sale at the Festa today are more Japanese, yet you might find them interesting to see…

That just about wraps things up. I really enjoyed it, and will be back for next year’s Festa for sure!

Final note, I’m really happy with the photos coming out of my new/used Sony DSC-H5. The flash metering is well-controlled, preventing over-exposure in just about all the shots I took using it. Also, I hardly need to post-process most of the photos, as the color accuracy and sharpness look spot-on straight off the memory card. Most of all, that 12x optical zoom and image stabilization has already proved to be a valued feature. Very nice!

Luxury condos tower over Ala Moana Beach Park: Hokua Tower (left), Nauru Tower (center – the half-round one) and Hawa Iki Tower (right)…

Ala Moana Beach…

Downtown Eats: Yuki's Wagon

Yuki’s Wagon – today (September 18, 2008)

Like any other place of business, long lines are usually indicative of where the good stuff is at.

While we were set on eating at BWS Cafeteria on our visit last week, the congregation of folks formed in front of two lunch wagons right across the street of the Board of Water Supply parking lot when we arrived, stirred enough curiosity in us to at least walk over and see who and what THAT was all about. Turned out the one in front nearest to the sidewalk is Yuki’s Wagon (notice it’s sans “lunch”), while the one in back is a “no name” Vietnamese wagon.

Yuki’s Wagon – last week Friday (September 12, 2008)

That curiosity of course was never forgotten, therefore we returned to the Board of Water Supply area again today to check these wagons out. Nothing like the weekly greasy spoon lunch hunt!

The “no name” Vietnamese Lunch Wagon behind Yuki’s

Yuki’s Wagon and the Vietnamese “no name” wagon behind it are located in the parking lot entrance of the University of Hawaii Cancer Research Center of Hawaii building on Lauhala Street, adjacent to the Board of Water Supply customer service parking lot behind the building.

The wagons are located just to the left of that Plumeria tree

How ironic that lunch wagons – notorious for serving heaping helpings of animal protein and mega-servings of carbs – are located in front of a Cancer Research Center. LOL Part of a case study, perhaps? That might explain why you’ll see doctors and nurses dressed in scrubs working nearby joining the crowd at these wagons. For real!

Enough about that, we stay hungry! What’s get fo’ grind?

Yuki’s Wagon everyday menu

Yuki’s Wagon mini plates menu

Yuki’s wagon daily specials (for Thursday, 9/19/08)

These were the daily specials served last week Friday at Yuki’s Wagon…

Yuki’s Wagon daily specials for Friday, 9/12/08. Diggin’ the artwork of the fishies. lol

As is common with most places serving local grinds on “Pauhana Friday”, last Friday Yuki’s included Hawaiian plates on the daily specials list. Kalua Chicken, ay? Never tried that before. Turkey, yes, Chicken, no. Have you? If so, leave a comment and tell us about it!

Don’t forget the add-ons, like chips, cold drinks and perhaps a Spam Musubi…

Gotta’ love the (empty) soda and juice can flavor choices displayed on a rope… classic!

While having healthy options such as brown rice and green salads at a lunch wagon or plate lunch stand are nice to have, the foundation of it are in the comfort foods. I mean COMFORT FOOD. Therefore, I pulled out all the stops today and went with the Roast Pork & Gravy with white rice and mac sal’…

Yuki’s Wagon – Roast Pork with Gravy, white rice and Macaroni-Potato Salad, $7.00

Oh yeah!

I must note that when ordering this plate, the server/owner asked, “you like gravy all ovah?”. Brah, ‘das da’ magic question, right deah! Of course, aunty, load ’em! Customer service, my friends. Customer service! As you see, “gravy all ovah” is code for on top da’ rice and possibly leaking into da’ mac sal. Now THAT’s what I’m talkin’ about!

Diner E went with Teriyaki Chicken and Beef Cutlet mix…

Yuki’s Wagon – Teriyaki Chicken & Beef Cutlet mix plate, $7.25

Diner AC (you go girl!) ordered the Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs…

Yuki’s Wagon – Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs with brown rice and tossed greens (no dressing by request), $6.50

Diner A went “rebel” on us and ventured to the Vietnamese “no name” wagon behind…

picking up the Teriyaki Chicken Salad plate, along with an egg roll…

“No Name” Vietnamese Lunch Wagon – Teriyaki Chicken Salad plate, $5.50 & Egg Roll, $1.25

What’s interesting about this wagon is, if you look at the photo of their service window, they have fully-assembled plates on display (wrapped in plastic) so you can see what to order. Nice touch! If we were in Japan, those would be made out of plastic. lol

Here’s a cross-cut view of that egg roll…

So how was it?

In the order that the plates are shown here, let’s start with my Roast Pork with Gravy plate from Yuki’s Wagon, which I’ll give a solid 3-SPAM Musubi rating. The rich, thick, properly-seasoned brown gravy smothering the generous portions of tender, nicely roasted pieces of pork was very satisfying. The pork itself could have been a little more moist though. I think it was in the oven a bit longer than I’d have liked, but of course, the gravy quickly masks that notion. Still worth noting though. While it’s not going to earn the “Kewalo Factor” award, it’s within reach, perhaps if ordered on the “on” day, if you know what I mean.

Diner E was very very happy with his Teriyaki Chicken, noting that it tasted and had texture of being baked, in a good way. Very moist and tender, while being browned just right on the outside, with a fantastic Teriyaki covering it. He wasn’t as favorable about the beef cutlet, saying it was overcooked and dried out. Still, the Teriyaki chicken made up for that, along with the ono Macaroni-Potato salad, taking up the slack and earning his plate a just-made-it 3-SPAM Musubi rating.

Between Diner E and myself, we both agreed the Potato-Mac Sal’ was winnahz here. Great texture, cool in temperature and neutral, yet-has-bite creamy mayo’ dressing, while keeping it simple with just the addition of grated carrots and a generous sprinkling of black pepper. Solid.

Diner AC is part Chinese, so she would know what good Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs should taste like. Her only thing with the one from Yuki’s is that it didn’t have enough “sweet” in the sauce, leaning more on the acidic (vinegar) side. Other than that, she noted the pork as being tender and cooked down nicely, while being very generous in portion (a non-factor for her, but still worth some points).  I tried a piece of the spare ribs from her plate and thought it was very good, and on par with what the dish should taste like. I swear I tasted pineapple in there, which I know some folks use in their Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs recipe. Diner C tried a piece (actually finished the rest!) and noted it reminded her more of Pork Adobo. To each their own I guess! Diner AC also appreciated the freshness of the tossed greens. After all is said, done and eaten, Diner AC gave her Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs plate from Yuki’s a solid 2-SPAM Musubi rating.

Finally we have our rebel, Diner A, who gave his Teriyaki Chicken Salad and Egg Roll plate from the “No Name” Vietnamese Lunch Wagon a solid 3-SPAM Musubi rating. As skinny as he is, he’s our resident “plate polisher”…

Burp.

Wow Diner A, that must have been ono!

Last note, my apologies for not having the proper name of the Vietnamese Lunch Wagon behind it. Diner A didn’t ask their name, and neither was it written anywhere on the menu boards or wagon itself. Nor did I go inquire myself, which I should have. Why do so many lunch wagons operate unmarked? Even Yuki’s wagon is like that. Thankfully, at least Yuki’s wrote their name on the menu board! In lieu of that, Diner A’s 3-SPAM Musubi rating is enough to consider looking this Vietnamese wagon up. Good grinds for sure!

Man, I’m full. Ippai desu.

Yuki’s Wagon operates out of a kitchen on Keeaumoku street. Here’s the information:

Yuki’s Place
(c/o Yuki’s Wagon)
1229 Keeaumoku St.
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
Tel. 941-6097

Yuki’s Wagon is located in the parking lot entrance of the University of Hawaii Cancer Research Center of Hawaii building at 1236 Lauhala Street, adjacent to the Board of Water Supply Administrative Office on the mauka side of Beretania Street, just a block up from the Hawaii State Capitol. Call for business hours (most likely during the peak lunch hour window within the work week).

The Tasty Island rating:

(3) Very Good. Considerable of another visit or purchase. (Supah’ Ono!)

Honey Castella from Bunmeido of Hawaii

Castella Honey Cake (brick shape), Mikasayama (round) & Apple Turnover (semi-round) from Bunmeido of Hawaii

If you’re wondering how I discovered Bunmeido of Hawaii, the truth is, although this place has been here for decades, only in the last week have I heard about it via, of all people, a New York-based television producer interested in taping a segment for one of their shows at Bunmeido, which I’ll share more about later when the time is appropriate. Anyway, this TV producer requested if I could go and check the place out for them. Of course, no problem, so I did just that this past Sunday, early at about 9am.

Before I continue, I’ll need to come forward and say I’m really not a cake fan. Call me unsophisticated or whatever else, but I’m just not into the sweetened bread-like form that most cakes are based on, much prefering the fresh, cool and moist fruit and custard-based fillings and crisp, baked crust offered by PIE. Still, all the Yelp user postings gave highly favorable reviews of the Castilla sponge cake here, so that was all-the-more encouraging in paying a visit to try it out.

Bunmeido of Hawaii is a small bakery located on the Makai side of South King Street, just past McCully, tucked between several other businesses who share the ground floor of a low-rise walk-up office building. It’s a one-man show here, owned and operated by Akira Sugiyama, who you can tell is a hard-working and humble man.

He’s there from early morning, 7 a days a week preparing, baking and wrapping the various treats displayed in the shop’s front display case. Speaking of which, he’s also the sales person and cashier. Hey, when you want the job done right, sometimes you gotta’ do it (all) yourself!

There were Raspberry roll cakes, various mochi, cookies and the items I bought to try as shown here today.

First let’s look at the Mikasayama…

Mikasayama – “Red Bean Jam Pancake Sandwich”

Let’s open it up and and cut one in half see what’s inside…

Mikasayama, net weight 3-1/4 oz.

The pancake has a spongy, airy texture and sweetness similar to sponge cake, having you wonder if it’s the same recipe as the Castilla, in comparing the ingredients, it’s different. As the name suggests, the sweet Azuki “Red” bean filling is made into Jam form, with a good balance between sweet and robust. Overall it complimented the pancake shell nicely.

Next we have the Apple Turnover…

Bunmeido Apple Turnover, net weight 2 oz.

Let’s open it up and see what’s in it…

I liked this better than the Mikasayama, prefering the gelatinous texture and chunky, tender apple filling over the more Jam-like Azuki Bean. I’m not particularly an Azuki Bean fan either, which further explains my preference for the apples. Again, the same “pancake” (Castella?) batter is used, being soft, spongey and slightly sweet. That said, this certainly was an interesting twist in comparison to the classic apple turnover, which of course uses a flaky, baked crust. Cake lovers rejoice!

According to Akira san, you can also get the Bunmeido Mikasayama and Apple Turnovers at Shirokiya in Ala Moana Center. Forgot to ask if they also carry the Castilla.

Finally, speaking of rejoice, here’s where cake lovers everywhere might do just that after trying the Castilla Honey Cake…

Bunmeido of Hawaii Honey Castella sponge cake カステラ, net weight 10 oz.

The size of the box reads:

Bunmeido Castella
King of Cakes

In Delicate Natural Honey Flavor.

Castilla is made exclusively from choice ingredients. No substitutional agents are used.

Castella is famed throughout the world for its rich nutritious flavor and quality. You will be amazed with Castella’s delicate texture and smooth crust.

It’s a favorite dessert with everyone, wherever you go!

In Japan, it’s referred to as “Kasutera”, obviously being an accented iteration of “Castella” – the latter of which is pronounced “Cas-tee-ya”. It’s said that Castella found its way to Japan via Portuguese Merchants (my peeps!) back in the 16th Century, with the name evolving from the Portuguese Pão de Castela, which translates to “Bread of Castile”.

Anyway, getting back to the Honey Castilla we have here, as always, the Japanese tradition of quality and attention to detail reflects all the way down to the packaging. Looking at the box, you’d just as well assume a bottle of $1000 perfume were in there.

Let’s open it and see what we got…

Detail, detail, detail. Even the inner wax paper wrapper is folded and taped-down meticulously, while making sure that it’s sealed properly. According to the box, the ingredients are sugar, eggs, wheat, flour, honey and corn syrup.

Once again, unwrapped, it looks like this…

It measures 7-1/2″ long x 2-3/8″ wide x 2″ thick.

Let’s cut a few slices to try out!…

Looking at that, are you thinking what I’m thinking?  Coffee!  So I ran to the kitchen and fired up the pot, making myself a hot cup o’ joe to go with it.

How is it? It has that familiar light and airy sponge cake texture, while being soft and moist, with a sort of sweeter, slightly sticky browned, yet still soft crust. That sticky crust is where you can distinguish the honey flavor. While even if this were the best Sponge Cake on planet earth, it still hasn’t turned me into a cake convert. Yet for those who are into sponge cake, I can see them going through leaps and bounds to get their hands on the Honey Castilla at Bunmeido. Sure was great with my cup of blended Kona Coffee, gotta’ say that!

The Honey Castilla cakes are boxed in varying sizes from small to large. I forgot to write down or make a mental note of the exact prices for each item here, but my receipt total came out to $7.25 for the Castilla sponge cake (I think was medium size), and 2 each of the Mikasayama and Apple Turnover (5 items total), so the prices are very reasonable, especially considering the quality and level of craftsmanship he puts into each and every item on the shelf.

Here’s the shop front…

Bunmeido of Hawaii
2065 S King St Ste 109
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 949-0555

Business Hours:
Monday – Saturday 8am to 5pm
Sunday 8am to 12pm

Related Links:
• A Sweet Slice of History – Hana Hou! The Hawaiian Airlines Magazine
• Bunmeido of Hawaii – Yelp user reviews (there’s a photo of Akira san on that site)
• Oyatsu and kasutera (castella), a Japanese sponge cake – A pictorial cooking demo’

My New "Ride"

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 Digital Still camera – The Tasty Island’s new window to the world

Those of you who are regular readers of this blog know I like to provide plenty of photos that detail all the food and places I write about. All for your viewing pleasure of course!

Bright and sharp 3″ TFT LCD 230,000 pixel screen

I’m not quite ready to dive into DSLR land yet, so instead made an incremental upgrade from my trusty entry-level Canon A510 Powershot point-and-shooter to a Sony DSC-H5 Cyber-shot Ultrazoom 7.2 megapixel model, which I got at a really good price, slightly used on eBay.  It’s in mint, like-new condition. The guy who sold it to me also bundled in a camera bag, a Sony battery charger with four Sony 2500mAh NiMH batteries and a 1 Gig Memory Stick Pro Duo card. Sweet! Good to go right outta’ the box.

During the time of its release in 2006, this was their flagship Ultrazoom model with an MSRP of $475, so I’m confident in its feature set.

Best of all, after doing several tests with it around the house, I’m happy to report the image results look fantastic!

For my needs, I didn’t necessarily need the 10x optical zoom it has, but I’m sure it’ll come in handy down the road at some time. My primary criteria was that it have the ability to shoot at at a higher ISO with minimal noise, as I’ll be taking plenty of shots inside dark restaurants, in some cases without the use of the flash. The H5 also has optical image stabilization, which will surely save many shots from being ruined by the shakes. Now I can drink more coffee without worry of taking blurry pictures. lol

I also like that it uses AA batteries instead of the proprietary type, as AAs are much cheaper and can be bought at just about any store. Of course, I use rechargeable NiMH cells, which last much longer than disposable Alkalines and are way cheaper in the long run. Some said the battery life isn’t that great on this model, as it only uses two cells, but I found it lasted comparably to my Canon A510. The flash also recharges within a few seconds, which is contrary  to what some reviewers complained about. I found it a non-issue.

It does really great video as well at 30fps, including the use of its long optical zoom, so perhaps in a future write-up I’ll include YouTube clips of my food-ventures!

It looks really slick in black too, and has a DSLR feel to it, with a comfortable grip. If there’s one thing I’d change is to move the zoom lever from the back to the front on a ring around the shutter like how the Canons are. It’ll just take some getting used to. It’s nicely built with a good heft thanks in part to that huge Carl Zeiss glass lens and a feel of quality about it.

I really wanted the Panasonic DMC-FZ50, but the noise issues on that model, and its predecessor, the FZ30 had me a bit concerned. Also, the bidders on eBay continue to snipe that model, raising the closing bid price to almost as much as an entry level DSLR. Lose money. lol

My next camera after this will almost certainly be a DSLR. Probably a used Pentax K100D. I like that that model also uses AA batteries (rare on DSLRs), and that the image stabilization is in the body, not the lens. Favorable reviews on that model as well.

Here’s a couple macros I took this morning with the H5 of some Japanese baked goods…

The colors are accurate to how it appears real-time, and the detail is sharp and crisp.

Here’s a few reviews of the Sony DSC-H5…

• DCRP Review: Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H5
• Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 Review by Digital Photography Review
• Steves Digicams – Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H5

Downtown Eats: BWS Cafeteria

Yes, the BWS Cafeteria, located at the Honolulu City & County Board of Water Supply.  Board of Water Supply? Who would have thought? Fellow food blogger “HYN Pake in Okinawa” Nate did. So did The Honolulu Advertiser, as well as many others who work in the area that are “in the know”. Talk about hidden gem!

The BWS Cafeteria is located on the 4th floor of the Board of Water Supply administrative office building on the mauka side of Beretania Street, across from the state capitol…

The familiar BWS teal color and distinctive sun shade architectural treatment on the building’s exterior makes the place easy find.

There’s customer parking behind, as you see here. From here, you enter where that bench and lobby windows are. Then you must check in with the security guard, present a valid ID and sign in. Upon doing that (no big deal), the security guard will issue you a visitor’s badge…

As you see, I’m now “Diner C-010”; Diner E was “Diner C-011” and Diner A was “Diner C-012”. Hey, where’s C-3PO & R2-D2? Beep – beep. lol

The 4th floor is basically the roof the building. All that’s there is the Cafeteria…

Mr. Kaneshiro running the front

It’s a quiet, cool breeze, open-air place, with screen windows and a rather nice view of the State Capitol and the surrounding Punchbowl area…

As you might expect, the clientele are mostly folks working in the area, from administrative staff, to politicians and doctors…

In fact, at the time of our visit I saw my cousin there, Uncle Butchie. Small world.. err um, rock for that matter.

So what get fo’ grind at da’ BWS Cafeteria? Here’s the everyday menu…

The “meat” of the lunch menu is driven by daily specials, where as in the case of our visit on this Pauhana Friday, looked like this…

Oh, and by the way, no smoking. K? lol

Here’s the whole week’s list of Lunch Specials…

I was kinda’ bummed they didn’t have Oxtail Soup on this visit, as I really had high hopes of trying theirs. I missed it by a day, as that was the daily special for Thursday (the day before). Ack!

But das’ alright, get odda’ ono-sounding stuffs fo’ try.

Diner A, a.ka. “Diner C-012” got the highly-touted Hamburger Steak…

BWS Cafeteria – Hamburger Steak with Gravy, Rice and Salad, $5.50

Diner E went for the Kalua Pork with Beef Stew, Rice & Salad…

BWS Cafeteria – Kalua Pork with Beef Stew, Rice & Salad, $6.25

And yours truly, “Diner C-010” (I think I’m keeping that name from now on lol) went with the Grilled Peppered Steak…

BWS Cafeteria – Grilled Peppered Steak with Rice & Salad, $7.25

So how was it? Diner A/C-012 gave his Hamburger Steak plate a solid 3 SPAM Musubi rating, noting the delicious home-style beef patty…

…and rich brown gravy flavor.His only drawback was that the gravy wasn’t as thick as he’d like. I can agree with that. I like ’em “tick”.

Diner E/C-011 really, really liked the Beef Stew, noting it reminded him of the historical Kewalo Lunch Wagon. That my friends is major COMPS! In fact, we thought about making another new criteria for lunch wagon grinds called the “Kewalo’s factor”.  The stew had great viscosity and overall flavor. The Kalua pig was moist, yet didn’t wasn’t smokey enough for his liking. Good, but just missing that a bit.

Diner P/C-010 (yours truly) enjoyed the steak, although I should have told them to cook it medium-rare. It took unusually long for my order to come out of the kitchen, and when I finally got to dig into it, the steak was medium-well. I think the cut was a top round. It was seasoned generously with black pepper and a sprinkle of what I think was Hawaiian Salt. Works for me. While I don’t think it was flame grilled (never peeked in the kitchen), it had nice sear markings on the outside. A bonus was that they provided A-1 steak sauce at the condiment station. Woo-hoo, my favorite!

The condiment station also had the typical local style Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water, Hawaiian Salt and sliced Onions. Gotta’ love that. Da’ icing on da’ cake!

We all unanimously were favorable of the spaghetti “mac” salad. The corn was a nice addition as well; especially with my steak.

Diner E/C-011 was actually a little bothered that Diner A/C-012 had dibs on the Hamburger Steak, Diner E’s usual “gauge plate”, but he let it slide this time. As you see, Diner A really enjoyed that Hamburger Steak, polishing the plate…

Burp

Wow, that’ must have been GOOD!

I’m certainly returning for that Oxtail Soup. Gotta’. The other specials listed from earlier in the week sounded ono as well.

So next time you’re in the area and wanna’ try some place many others might not have even thought of, check out BWS Cafeteria for local style comfort food at a good price in a comfortable, peaceful setting within the hustle and bustle of downtown Honolulu.

BWS CAFETERIA

Board of Water Supply
630 S. Beretania St., fourth floor
Tel. 748-5977

Business hours: 8 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays

Free parking in back. Show valid ID and sign-in for visitors badge at security desk.

The Tasty Island rating:

(3) Very Good. Considerable of another visit or purchase. (Supah’ Ono!)

Beard Papa Goes Savory

Beard Papa’s new Breakfast Puff, Barbecue Kalua Pork Puff with Pineapple Coleslaw and Fresh Strawberry Shortcake Puff

When reader Debbie-chan left a comment mentioning seeing a Kalua Pork Puff at Beard Papa, I just had to settle my curiosity about it. So I stopped by Foodland Ala Moana on my way home from work today and picked one up. I also picked up their new Breakfast Puff to try out. Finally, returning to the tune of sweet, I picked up another new menu item in the form of a Strawberry Shortcake Puff.

The last chain restaurant I recall applying Kalua Pig into new and creative menu ideas was Taco Bell with their Kalua Pork Soft Taco, Kalua Pork Quesadilla and Kalua Pork Stuft Burrito; most of which turned out to be quite good.

Now here we have Beard Papa, attempting to diversify their highly regarded, fresh baked choux pastry, going above and beyond their foundational cream puffs, in an effort to lure those seeking a more hearty meal.

First let’s look at the Breakfast Puff…

Beard Papa’s new Breakfast Puff, $3.50

Beard Papa’s marketing description for it goes like this: “A savory combination of cheese, egg and your choice of bacon or Portuguese sausage in our signature shell.”

Let’s take a peek inside and see what we got…

My apology for the over-exposed shot. I rushed the photo shoot.

What they do is take their choux pastry – the same one they use for all the other cream puffs – and cut in half to make a “bun” out of it. The base part of the choux cream is really thin, but thankfully with this one, the egg – which is that thick yellow (looks white due overexposure) part on the second layer – helps keep everything else firmly supported.

On top of the beaten, formed poached egg are several thick pieces of Portuguese sausage, and on that is a slice of melted American Cheese, then capped off by the choux pastry “bun” top. There was also a slight scattering of green onions between the egg and the sausage. If you don’t care for Portuguese Sausage, you can also opt for bacon (or none of the above for that matter).

How was it? Very good. Due to the airiness of the choux pastry, It’s similar to a croissant breakfast sandwich, just not as flaky, but it still has that nice texture contrast, along with that tasty baked outter shell. I couldn’t pinpoint the brand of Portuguese Sausage, but it was on the hot and spicy side. The formed poached egg had a generic, mass-produced shape, but thankfully in taste it was flavorful and fresh tasting, not frozen (although it might have been). At $3.50 each, it’s not the best breakfast sandwich value in town, yet still worth a try. As with all other items at BP, the quality of the choux pastry part of its sum is the selling point.

Next we have the Barbecue Kalua Pork Puff with Pineapple Coleslaw…

Beard Papa’s new Barbecue Kalua Pork Puff with Pineapple Coleslaw, $3.95 each (or $7.50 for two)

Beard Papa’s marketing description for this one goes like this: “Just like the Southern favorite, our version of the barbecue pulled pork sandwich with a Hawaiian twist!”

Let’s take a peek into this one…

This one is made by filling the choux pastry “bun” with a layer of “Kalua” Pork, then topped by a heap of Pineapple Coleslaw.

How was this one? Pretty good. Different for sure. The Pineapple Coleslaw was perhaps the best part about it. Cool, fresh, with plenty of grated carrots and cabbage, accented by a few chunks of pineapple here and there. Very nice.

The kalua pork was moist and smokey, and went really well with the slaw. My only complaint was that the “Kalua” pork had barbecue sauce mixed into it. Wassup wit’ ‘dat? While it wasn’t dominant, it was there, taking the term “Kalua” right out of the pork. They should just be honest and call this a pulled pork sandwich. In essence that’s really what it is. Of course they want to “Hawaiianize” it by adding the Pineapple and using the term “Kalua” for the pork, which is fine with me, but you’ll see when/if you try one what I mean.

As mentioned earlier about the breakfast sandwich, the choux pastry “bun” base is thin, where in this case, the moist Kalua Pork soaks right into it, causing it to practically fall out from underneath as you attempt to grab the sandwich and bite into it. At least, such was the case within the 30 minute window of me buying it, driving home, taking photos, then sampling it. What they might wanna’ consider is to try putting a slice of lettuce between the pork and the “bun” bottom to create a moisture barrier. Somethin’ like that.

With the Barbecue Kalua Pork Puff with Pineapple Coleslaw coming in at $3.95 each, it’s a toss-up on value. The ingredients and quality is there, but taste is what matters most and that’s for you to decide whether you’d keep this on your “regular” list. For me, glad I tried it.

Size-wise , these are more like “sliders”, and you’d probably need at least two to fill you up if you’re really hungry.

I’m really glad I thought “long term” and got the Strawberry Shortcake Puff as a little dessert, as it ended up being a perfect way to finish the trial of the other two savory items…

Beard Papa’s new Strawberry Shortcake Puff, $2.65

The marketing description for this one goes like this: “Fresh strawberries floating in a whipped cream base.”

Cross cut view…

This photo perfectly illustrates how “airy” these choux pastries are, with that whipped cream and strawberry “shortcake” filling taking up every void of it’s interior. See how thin the choux pastry is on the bottom? That’s how it is in the savory sandwiches as well, which is why I pointed out that little “issue” with the Kalua pork causing it to get soggy on the bottom.

How is this one? Oishii desu! Of course different than their vanilla custard, as the filling here is made with sweetened whipped cream. Light, yet still decadent. Inside of the whipped cream were generous chunks of fresh, cold strawberries. That’s what I really liked about this one: the filling was cool. I think it’s worth $2.65. I’d certainly buy this again. The strawberries with the choux pastry is a winner. Perhaps I’m biased on that opinion due to my affection for Kachan’s totally amazing Choux Creme with the strawberry and Kiwi fruit in it.

As is usual of most Japanese products, quality and attention to detail is the name of the game at Beard Papa, right down to how they pack the goods…

These were packed nicer than that, with those “cute” little paper wrappers and all.
I kinda’ took ’em a part for unknown reasons. Perhaps it was too cute for my liking. lol

We will remember…

Beard Papa is located at select Foodland Supermarkets around the island. The items I got today were from the beautifully-renovated location in Ala Moana…

According to Beard Papa’s Hawaii website (which is currenty DOWN! ARGGHHH!), they also have a new Pita Sandwich, but that’s only available at the Waikiki locations, IIRC. Looks pretty good.

Well, at least you know now, in case wanna’ try something new, Beard Papa’s got a few things to consider checkin’ out.

Related links:
• BeardPapaHawaii.com
• Beard Papa’s Cream Puff

Kalihi Eats: Penny's Lunch Wagon…

Penny’s Lunch Wagon -circa 1965

Leave it to Diner E in finding yet another classic eatery in the area over at Penny’s Drive In on Sand Island Access Road.

What you say? Penny’s Drive In? But it’s titled “Penny’s Lunch Wagon”. What gives? Well, the picture above reveals the roots of Penny’s Drive In: Penny herself standing in front of her lunchwagon, circa 1965.  Shoot, that’s before even I was born!

According to Diner E, this was a popular wagon back in the day, and it shows, as they’re still going strong, except for one thing: they’ve given up the wagon and opted for a fixed establishment.

Not hard to understand, considering the HARD dynamics of the lunchwagon biz. I know. My sister ran one, which I did a little helping out.

Familiar to this, you might recall Tsukenjo, who ironically also sported a red truck, recently giving that up after decades of iconic presence on the corner of Ward avenue and Queen Street; thankfully maintaining their good name on solid ground at their long-standing Tsukenjo Lunch House on Cooke street.

Penny’s now has their home at a prime truck-stop location located next door to Dancer’s on Sand Island Access Road…

Just as you’d expect from the lunch wagon – and THEN SOME – all the familiar local grinds are here…

Speaking of daily specials, get choke, too.

After scanning the huge selection and going through a brief debate in current mood, I went for the  Pork Tofu and Long Rice special of the day…

Penny’s Drive In – Pork Tofu & Long Rice plate, $6.50

Diner E went with his usual “gauge plate” and ordered the Hamburger Steak, this time going for the Shoyu Chicken mix…

Hamburger Steak & Shoyu Chicken mix plate, $7.25

So how was da’ grinds?

The sauce used in the Pork Tofu was a little too sweet for my taste. Topping that off, the mac sal’ also had a hint of sweetness to it, making the dish as a whole slightly off balance. Don’t get me wrong: major grindz and probably a gem to many regulars there, but  personally I would have preferred it having less sugar – or mirin – or whatever other sweetener they added have less of. Also, I would have preferred there NOT be rice under the long rice. I mean, sheesh, I’m not Michael Phelps!

As you see, portions are massive, and in fact, I could barely eat half of it. This, along with that plate of Sashimi from Alicia’s easily did me in.

Diner E gave his hamburger steak and shoyu chicken 3 SPAM musubi, noting the flavorful, home-style patty and thick ‘n rich gravy…

But it’s not necessarily the plate lunches here that’s as remarkable as it is the longevity of the place.

As it stands, Since 1965, and years before that, Penny’s Lunch Wagon, now in the form of a “drive in”, still operates today. That’s one tough truck.

Penny’s Drive In
(formerly Penny’s Lunchwagon)
205 Sand Island Road (next to Dancer’s)
Tel. 845-6503
Hours: Monday – Friday 5am to 2:45pm

The Tasty Island rating:

(2) Good. I’m glad I tried it. (Ono)