Go Warrior Jack!

Limited edition University of Hawaii Warriors’ ‘Warrior Jack’ Antenna Ball from Jack in the Box Hawaii

Every once in a while the national fast food chains in the islands bring in a unique product exclusive to the Hawaii market. A perfect recent example would be McDonald’s Taro and Haupia Pies. Now it’s Jack in the Box with their seasonally-morphing Jack Antenna Ball, this time around sporting a very authentic looking University of Hawaii Warriors Football helmet! How cool is that?!!! Well ok, it’s not edible like a Haupia Pie, but still, very, very cool.

Erika Engle’s The Buzz covers the arrival of ‘Warrior Jack’ in this informative Star Bulletin article on the subject. In there it’s explained that while there have been many NFL and MLB team Jack Antenna Balls offered in the past around the country, this here ‘Warrior Jack’ is the first and only JITB Antenna Ball ever offered that represents a college football team. Which should give these even more collectible value… and yes, Warrior Jacks are already up for sale on eBay, I checked. lol.

Beginning July 10, 2009, Warrior Jack Antenna Balls are currently available for a limited time while supplies last at all Jack in the Box locations in Hawaii. That would include twenty-two restaurants on Oahu, three on Maui and one in Hilo on the Big Island.

They’re free with any large combo meal, such as this Sourdough Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich and large combo…

Sourdough Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich and large combo (.90 cents additional) includes a FREE ‘Warrior Jack’ Antenna Ball, total $7.69 (click on image above to view cross cut view of Sourdough Chicken Club Sandwich)

For an additional .90 cents over the “small combo” price, the “large combo” option gets you a mega-sized soft drink and supposedly more fries, although it didn’t look like more to me. Not that it matters, as I can usually only tolerate eating a small handful of curly fries before my stomach’s grease alarm kicks in and stops me from consuming any more.

Greasy curly fries notwithstanding, the Sourdough Grilled Chicken Club sandwich was actually pretty darned good!…

Jack in the Box Sourdough Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich

This is also a somewhat healthier choice (if you can even call it that) compared to the Sourdough Jack Hamburger, with the chicken having 543 calories, 27 grams total fat and 1438 mg of sodium, compared with the Sourdough Jack Hamburger which packs 671 calories, 45 grams of fat, yet surprisingly less sodium at 1174 mg. I wanted to try their Chicken Teriyaki bowl, as that’s one of the few entree items on their menu that fits into the “Healthy Choice” category, but I was told that wasn’t available as a large combo option (to qualify for the free Antenna Jack). Oh well.

If the idea of supersizing your meal, your pants size and your cardiologist’s paycheck doesn’t sound worth the free antenna ball, you can also buy Warrior Jack Antenna Balls separately at $1.49 each.

This is what their ad in the current Midweek looks like (and also the posters on their restaurant windows)…

Obviously, they’re in the business of selling food, not sports memorabilia, so they don’t mention that the ‘Warrior Jack’ is also available separately for $1.49 on the ad. The service counter in the restaurant has a small sign with that information.

On the antenna ball package, it clearly states This Item is Not a Toy!…

Shucks. And here I was ready to create an entire football team with my sister’s collection of headless Barbie And Ken Dolls. lol

As a nice touch and something I don’t remember getting with other JITB Antenna Balls in the past is this handy-dandy color-matched suction cup stand included with each Warrior Jack…

The green stand/stick is made of plastic-covered metal wire, so it’s malleable, meaning it can be bent into any angle, as you see it depicted in their ad. Like most suction cups, this one sticks best on a flat, non-porous surface. The spring that connects the stand to the head gives ‘Warrior Jack’ a bobblehead effect, which gives it some animation while driving when attached somewhere on your car’s dash or window.

As the Tasty Island always like to do with its subjects, let’s take a close look at Warrior Jack from every angle, starting with the front…

Right side…

Left side…

Back view…

Top view…

The underside…

Finally, a profile angle…

Here’s a replica of the actual game helmet worn by the players from a past season, which appears to be the one modeled for ‘Warrior Jack’…

As for Warrior Jack, the three stickers that make up the Warriors “H” logo and Warrior stripe down the center of the helmet are made of polyvinyl, with the two Warrior logos on the sides tending to peel a little on the edge as it resists taking to the curvature of the helmet. If that bothers you, you can try gluing it down with a stronger adhesive. As it is out of the package, if you were to affix this to your car’s antenna, the logo stickers will probably eventually peel and blow away in the wind.

The materials of the helmet are made of various densities of pigmented molded foam rubber, while the white-colored faux styrofoam Jack head inside the helmet is standard JITB Antenna Ball size. The helmet is factory-glued to the head, so don’t try removing it without checking/cutting away glue points first.

What’s funny is my friend said he seen a car with a ‘Warrior Jack’ on the antenna driving on the freeway, and apparently the helmet design isn’t very aerodynamic, as ‘Warrior Jack’ was fluttering violently side to side in the oncoming wind, threatening to get blown off at any second. lol

Speaking of standard JITB Antenna Balls, I was able to dig up some older ones I had collected that was stashed away, including the original Jack Antenna Ball and ‘Reindeer Jack’. Here they are proudly posing with ‘Warrior Jack’…

Jack, Warrior Jack and Reindeer Jack JITB Antenna Balls

If these antenna balls could talk, what do you think they would say to each other? Perhaps Warrior Jack would suggest to Original Jack (the president), “Our coach needs a big fat raise and improved facilities for us to practice.” Reindeer Jack’ would then sing to Warrior Jack, “You better be play good. You better score high. You better win every game and I’m telling you why. Santa Claus is coming to town.” Original Jack would then simply nod his head to Reindeer Jack in agreement of what he just sang to Warrior Jack, while his usual excessive smiley facial expression would quickly change to a stern grin as Warrior Jack glances at Original Jack for a reaction. lol

As for supply, the counter person at the Kaneohe location I visited said they still had a lot left. I bought a few extra that I’ll be offering as a prize giveaway in a future contest here. I’ll wait until Jack in the Box no longer has them available before I do that in order to make them more appealing.

In the mean time, if this looks like something you’d like to proudly display or add to your collection of whatever it is you collect (or sell on eBay if that’s your thang), head on over to your local Hawaii Jack in the Box and get some before they’re all gone.

Go Warrior Jack! Go Warriors!

What? ‘Warrior Jack’ Antenna Ball
Where did you buy it and how much did it cost? Jack in the Box (Kaneohe location), FREE with a large combo meal. Also $1.49 each sold separately.
Big shaka to: Almost as cool as UH’s epic winning 2007 Warrior football season. Genuine UH Warriors logo and color scheme. Includes a handy-dandy suction cup/bobblehead malleable stand. The first and only JITB antenna ball to represent a college football team. Available for sale separately. Limited Hawaii edition should make it highly sought after by collectors in the future.
No shaka to: Warriors logo stickers tend to peel a little at the edges. “Large combo” is way more greasy fries and soft drink than I wish to consume in one meal.
SPAM Musubi rating: 4

Related links:
• New antenna ball features ‘Warrior Jack’ – The Buzz in the Hon0lulu Star Bulletin
• TennaBall.com – Antenna Topper Collection

P.S. Here’s ‘Warrior Jack’ in a true-to-scale “jersey”, which is actually a Koozie to keep bottled beverages cold…

On the other side of this “Warrior Green” neoprene Koozie is the logo of the entity giving them out, the Honolulu Advertiser. This was from a past season (not sure exactly which year).

Mo'ili'ili Eats: Gyotaku Japanese Restaurant

GYOTAKU translates to GYO = fish + TAKU = rubbing, a traditional Japanese art style dating back to the 1800’s. In this medium, sumi ink is strategically applied in various colors on all exterior surfaces of a fresh fish catch, then rice paper is carefully pressed directly onto the inked surface of the fish to capture its impression.

GYOTAKU is also the name of a popular Japanese restaurant in Honolulu. It’s one of Diner A’s wife’s favorite places to eat, and Diner E’s as well. With that, we celebrated Diner E’s birthday there this past week. Gyotaku has three locations, with the original one on South King Street, another one on Kaahumanu street in Waimalu (Pearl City) and their newest location in the Niu Valley Shopping Center in East Oahu. Our visit here is at the King street location.

Aside of their giant GYOTAKU lightbox sign, this could be any other duplex business building along the bustling and lengthy King street corridor…

GYOTAKU Restaurant occupies the entire property, with ample parking surrounding it. As you see, there’s two levels, which we were seated upstairs, where just about everyone else was seated on this visit…

There’s private seating available in the back area beyond those Shoji doors…

Fittingly, GYOTAKU artwork adorns all walls within the establishment. Here’s one fine example of an Opah (moonfish)…

If you visit GYOTAKU’s website, you’ll notice their menu is very visual, including beautiful photographs of many of their dishes. Well, their menu in the restaurant is exactly the same, which is a nice touch, taking out some of the guesswork of what to order from their vast selection.

So let’s eat! Itadakimasu.

Last month we did a review of Natto from Iwamoto Natto Factory in Paia, Maui, where in the comments I mentioned GYOTAKU’s “Nattochos”, which is exactly what we ordered here as one of our appetizers…

GYOTAKU – Nattochos: Crispy Wonton Chips topped with Spicy Ahi and Onion Poke, Natto, Avocado, Yama-Imo, Green Onion, Daikon Sprouts, Nori and Sesame Seeds, $9.95 (full order shown)

How is it? AWESOME! Well, to Diner E and myself anyway. Fellow diners and “natto green horn” Diner A, C and AC weren’t as receptive trying the perceived pungent, sticky-gooey, slimy stuff, even when disguised among the many other layers of ingredients going on here. Which is just fine, as that left more for Diner E and myself to enjoy! Seriously though, this has got be one of the greatest adaptations of Nachos with an asian twist ever created. It’s fantastic!

Nattochos

Nattochos

Just the combination of the Spicy Ahi Poke (which was very fresh B-T-W) and Natto alone was great, then you got all the other textures and flavors adding to the mix, including the Yama-Imo (grated Japanese Yam; that white stuff), nori, bean sprouts and avocado, along with the golden crispy wonton chip… oh man! Good stuff! The gooeyness of the Natto makes it all that much better, along with it’s robust coffee bean-like element it adds. I could just whack a whole plate of this and I’d be good. Nattochos… that’s a winnah right there. Solid 4 SPAM Musubi rating, borderline 5.

So much so, I was lucky enough to get the fully-loaded “scrape everything off the plate” last bite!…

Nattochos

Moving on, we have a Dragon Roll…

GYOTAKU – Dragon Roll: Naked California Roll topped with Boiled Eel and Eel BBQ Sauce, $11.95

A closer look…

I’ve always loved Unagi, and this maki adaptation of the dish doesn’t disappoint. You can also tell it was made-to-order, not premade. Oishikatta.

That was enough shared appetizers to keep our chopsticks busy. Now onto the entrees, starting with birthday boy’s dish…

GYOTAKU – Yakitori Tenpura Combo Bento: California Roll served with Assorted Tenpura, Kobachi, Salad and Miso Soup, $17.95

A closer look…

Yakitori (grilled Chicken)

Shrimp, String Bean, Eggplant and Sweet Potato Tenpura

Kinpira Gobo

Naked California Roll

Diner C’s dish…

GYOTAKU – 2-choice Combination Bento: Misoyaki Butterfish and Tenpura, $13.95 (lunch special)

A closer look….

Misoyaki Butterfish

Shrimp, Eggplant, Sweet Potato and String Bean Tenpura

Diner AC’s dish…

GYOTAKU – 2-choice Combination Bento: Misoyaki Butterfish and Tonkatsu, $13.95 (lunch special)

A closer look…

Misoyaki Butterfish

Tonkatsu

Diner A also ordered a 2-choice combination bento, with he also opting for the Misoyaki Butterfish…

Misoyaki Butterfish

and Mochiko Chicken…

Mochiko (rice flour batter) Chicken

All bento combos include the protocol Miso Soup, Tsukemono and a Tossed Oriental Salad…

Oriental Salad, Miso Soup (with Konbu, Tofu and Negi) and Tsukemono (pickled vegetables)

Ah, why not? A closer look at this stuff too…

Oriental Salad with Gyotaku’s signature dressing (available for retail sale)

Shiro (white) Miso Soup with Konbu, Tofu and Negi (green onion)

Tsukemono – Pickled Cabbage, Cucumber and Carrot

Last but not least, yours truly ordered the Ten-don (not the tissue that connects muscle to bone)…

GYOTAKU – Ten-don: Shrimp and Vegetable Tenpura basted until moist with a special sweet sauce over rice, served with pickles and miso soup, $9.95 (lunch special)

How was it? My Ten-don was great. Light and crispy traditional style Japanese Tempura batter, while that mildly-sweet sauce drizzled over it all didn’t make the batter too soggy. It still had some crunch to it, while absorbing the sauce’ flavor and giving it that extra “zippidity-zip-zip-zap”.  The slightly-sweeted tempura sauce also complimented well with the rice. The massive “sumo-sized” shrimp were very succulent and sweet. Equally as tasty and succulent were the massive eggplant and sweet potato tenpura. Yum. Overall I really enjoyed my Ten-Don, especially for the price. Based on flavor, portion and value,  this deserves 4 SPAM Musubi.

Diner E raved about the Yakitori, noting its pronounced seared, flame-grillled accents and very moist and tender chicken and veggies on the skewer. Overall he rated his entire dish a solid 3 spam musubi, possibly borderline 4. Wow! That’s a lot said coming from super critical Diner E.

His polished plate backs up that borderline 4 SPAM Musubi rating…

Diner E’s “polished plate”… burp

Diner A gave a thumbs-up to the Mochiko Chicken, proclaiming it moist and tender inside and perfectly golden brown delicious on the outside, just as any good fried chicken should be.

I tried a few pieces of Diner AC’s Tonkatsu, along with the provided sauce and think it’s pretty good. Not as good as mine, but I’ll roll with it. The sauce tasted sort of like the Bull Dog brand, but a little more spicy, so I’m not sure what brand they use or whether they make their own. I think it’s bottle Japanese stuff though.

Then you have the Misoyaki Butterfish, which Diner A, C and AC ordered (is that some kind of electrical formula?), to which they all gave a thumbs-up on taste, but thumbs-down on portion. It was more like a “tease” than a serving in their opinion. Ya’ know? You can tell by looking at each serving shown above just how little is given. To put it into proportion, those serving dishes are only about 4″ square.

Everything considered, Diner A, C and AC gave their respective 2-choice bento entrees and side dishes 3 SPAM Musubi, although by a stretch considering the small portion of the Butterfish.

For dessert, Birthday boy Diner E was treated to a complimentary bowl of Dave’s Ice Cream…

Dave’s Ice Cream: Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry (Neopolitan)

We also tried the Green Tea Shave Ice…

GYOTAKU – Green Tea Shave Ice with Sweetened Azuki Beans and Vanilla Ice Cream

Just as you might assume, it’s shave ice (not shaveD ice) flavored with a sweetened green tea syrup. To top that, the sweetened azuki beans and vanilla ice cream compliment it beautifully, as you might be familiar with being that these are the most common accompaniments you’ll find at most shave ice shops around the island. The sweetened green tea flavoring the shaved ice retains its robust character, yet not so much where it’s obnoxious. Diner C enjoyed it the flavor so much that she went as far as asking the server whether they sell it for retail. Rounding it up, the Green Tea Shave Ice was a very light and refreshing way to finish a delicious lunch. Another interesting dessert item on their menu was the Okinawan Sweet Potato Pie. Next time for sure.

GYOTAKU also offers bentos to go (<–link downloads/opens menu PDF) from this handy-dandy take-out window in front…

It must also be noted that the service was fast and friendly, with all our orders arriving within 10 minutes of them being placed. That alone adds to the SPAM Musubi rating scale here.

Gyotaku is a great choice to have lunch or dinner, whether you’re with family, friends, coworkers or clientele. The food’s delicious, prices are reasonable, service quick and the dining room clean, spacious and comfortable. Highly recommended.

GYOTAKU Japanese Restaurant
1824 South King Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96826
Tel. 949-4584
www.GyotakuHawaii.com

The Tasty Island Rating:

Related links:
• Gyotaku Japanese Restaurant – Yelp User Reviews

P.S. On behalf of Diner E’s birthday, we also enjoyed this scrumptious Dream Cake from Napoleon’s Bakery…

Woo!

Kaiulani's Exotic Curry Fried Rice with Cranberries

Kaiulani Spices: Kaiulani Cowell prepares her signature Exotic Curry Fried Rice with Cranberries

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you may remember hearing about Kaiulani Spices from the KCC Farmers’ Market walkthrough featured here this past March.

The photo set above gives you a preview of how this spice is used to make one of the most delicious Curry Rice dish’ I’ve ever had, as done by Kaiulani herself with the help of her assistant.

In this installment, here we shall give it a real spin at home as I finally got around to putting the bottle I bought back then to use in the kitchen.

While I can’t technically confirm it, off the cuff I’d say what sets Kaiulani’s Curry blend apart from other curry seasonings on the market are 1: its simplicity; and 2: again its simplicity in combination with just the right ratio of Hawaiian Salt and brown sugar. Those two basic ingredients are key in giving this curry just the right amount of robustness and depth without going over or underboard.

Here’s the backside label with all the important details…

Being this is “exotic” fried rice, the recipe calls for day-old Jasmine Rice, which is exactly what I did, letting it sit at room temperature in the pot overnight to let it dry out a bit. In case you’re not familiar with Jasmine Rice, it’s considerably more expensive than your usual Hinode medium grain white rice. But what it offers is a distinct nutty flavor. This the brand most commonly found in grocery stores and the one I used…

Its cooking method is similar to medium-grain white rice. I always add a little bit of vinegar to prevent it from prematurely spoiling.

Along with the core ingredients – the curry spice blend and the rice – you need a few other complimentary ingredients, including finely-chopped Cilantro (Chinese Parsley), Scallions (green onions), minced garlic and dried cranberries (a.k.a. “craisins”)…

As you see, we have these key ingredients set up “Mise en place”, which is the established French method of having everything ready to cook in place. And this is very important with a dish like this, as you want flexibility of quantities based on personal taste.

To start this off, of course you gotta’ have your 4 cups of day-old cooked Jasmine Rice. Got that? Good. Then you have your Mise en place of ingredients as shown above. With that, you pour about 1/3 cup of Olive Oil, which in this case I used Extra Virgin (a.k.a. E.V.O.O.) into a sautee pan. Swapping out a smaller saute pan I have on hand, I chose instead to use here this more substantial-sized and accommodating non-stick electric-powered Wok, which works (“woks”) great…

As per the recipe, the first ingredient that hits the oil is the curry blend…

It’s important to keep the temperature on the low side, otherwise the sugar in the blend will burn. You keep stiring this until the Hawaiian Salt melts, after of which you add minced garlic, cilantro and cranberries…

Kaiulani’s execution of it looked like this…

Ah, close enough, yet I gotta’ admit, hers looks more incorporated.

This is the point where you need “Smell-O-Vision” to appreciate the absolutely delicious fragrance given off as the curry, garlic, cilantro and cranberries heat up and infuse in the olive oil. This is gonna’ be good eats alright.

After I was confident all the flavors were infused in the olive oil and the garlic was tender and cooked down, I added the cooked, day-old Jasmine Rice…

Then gently tossed and stirred to combine, until every rice grain was evenly coated a golden curry yellow tinge…

As you see here in Kaiulani’s execution, a generous helping of scallions are added as it’s stirred to combine…

and I must say after making this myself for the first time, the green onions (scallion) are a very important final flavor factor in this dish, and would be shortchanged without it, so keep that in mind. Actually, this is such a simple dish to begin with, really, why would you leave anything out?

Here you see with Kaiulani’s preparation of the dish, it’s pretty much done…

Same here with mine in a second batch, this time in a saute pan..

After all the rice is thoroughly coated, check for seasoning and add salt if necessary or to taste.

This is Kaiulani’s sample…

and here’s my “sample”, actually in the form of a complete dish, including an entree of sauteed Mahimahi…

The way I saute the Mahimahi is very simple and comes out perfect every time no matter which fish you use: lightly rub some EVOO on fish then add a light sprinkle of garlic salt and fresh-cracked black pepper evenly on both sides, then saute in a half-blend of EVOO and butter until a golden brown crust is formed on the outside, while remaining medium-rare inside, cooking it no further than that. Remove from pan. By the time the fish sits for a few minutes on the side after it’s cooked, it goes into the medium range, which comes out absolutely moist and tender without being dried-out. I start with the pan on medium high to brown the outside, then turn it down a little, depending on the thickness of the cut.Comes out perfect every time.

That moist, almost buttery, golden-brown sauteed Mahimahi, combined with the complex blend of nutty, savory, acidic and sweet flavors going on with the exotic curry rice with cranberries results in a dish worthy of being served in any resort restaurant.

What I’d like to try next time is incorporating coconut milk into this dish. I love coconut-flavored curry as well.

I highly recommend you try Kaiulani’s Exotic Curry Fried Rice recipe using her proprietary blend of spices. If you’re a curry rice fan, you’ll love this one, I can almost guarantee it.

What? Kaiulani’s Medium Exotic Curry Rub & Seasoning
Where did you buy it and how much? KCC Farmers’ Market, $4.99/3 oz. bottle (also available at these fine retailers)
Big shaka to: An absolutely delicious and easy to prepare curry rice recipe/dish using this product. Perfect balance of salt, sugar and curry spice blends. no MSG. Incredibly delicious-smelling aroma as it cooks. made in Hawaii
No shaka to: n/a
The Tasty Island SPAM Musubi rating: 3 in and of itself (4 or perhaps 5 with the olive oil and butter-sauteed Mahimahi)

P.S. Here’s a plate of grindz from Chun Wah Kam Kapolei served with Kaiulani’s Exotic Curry Fried Rice. In this case including your standard Cinese style shoyu chow funn noodles, pork hash, along with traditional steamed Charsiu Manapua and Honey Garlic Chicken Manapua…

Now that is what you call a SPREAD my friends. Oo-uh-right! CWK’s Honey Garlic Chicken Manapua is a winnah too, gotta’ say. It tastes like there’s Azuki beans in it, though it says there’s mushroom…

This is a luscious mix of garlic, honey, mushroom and chicken

Char Hung Sut not withstanding, Libby’s still got the best buns, while CWK has the edge on a more robust, moister, fuller filling™ (notice the Trademark) as it stands in the current and highly-competitive Oahu Manapua market.

🙂

Kaimuki Eats: Hog Island

Now that has got to be one of the coolest pigs on the planet. And one of the coolest names as well: Hog Island.  Love it!

Which brings us here to this relatively new BBQ joint, located in a rather inconspicuous space in the 11th Avenue Atrium, a backside complex within a city block and public parking lot that boasts such now-famous names as Big City Diner, Kim Chee Restaurant and Collector Maniacs.

Speaking of landmark Big City Diner, this gives you a scope of where exactly Hog Island is located in proximity to them…

See that black pipe along the wall to the left? That’s the chimney that leads out of Hog Island’s smoker…

Witness the smoke profusely billowing out. Believe me, you can SMELL IT as soon as you approach within range. Truly magnetic for a BBQ fan such as myself.

It doesn’t get any more hole-in-wall than this very tiny corner spot where Hog Island calls home…

Other than some shared seating upstairs, consider Hog Island strictly take-out. All you’ll find inside is a small space to order your food…

No frills, strictly chalkboards…

and of course that famous painting you seen in the first photo…

Most importantly is the menu…

Occupying one corner of this hole-in-wall on the customer-side of it is their W’ham Smoker…

That black duct on top leads to the pipe outside billowing smoke as shown in the previous photo. While it says “HOT” on the sign, it didn’t come across to me as being an “oven”, causing the place to be an oven as well. Which is appreciated for already-steamy Kaimuki.

Marcy, wife/co-owner of the business, was so gracious to me on my first visit, even greeting me by saying, “hello handsome!”.  Well, I got a kick out of it anyway. lol Her husband Wayne is the chef who runs the kitchen in back. Nice guy as well.

Getting down to business, I requested a mixed plate of just about everything they’ve got, save for the ribs.

While I waited for my order, this plate of Beef Brisket left the counter to a happy camper…

and also this Pulled Pork Sandwich…

Lookin’ good!

Finally, my order, a combo plate of just about everything Hog Island has to offer,  including (left to right) Pulled Pork, Chicken and Beef Brisket…

Hog Island – Combo Plate of BBQ Pork, Chicken and Beef Brisket, with side of Cole Slaw and Scalloped Potatoes, $10.25

Also on there is Chef’s Scallop Potatoes and Fresh Classsic Cole Slaw with Cranberries. Plus, of course, their famous BBQ sauce smack in the center.

Not leaving anything behind (no pun intended), I also got a side (side) of Pitmaster’s Baked Beans…

Hog Island – side order of Pitmaster’s Baked Beans, $1.75

So how is it? THE BEEF BRISKET. No question this is the star of the show. Oh yeah. The chicken was rather dry (which I tend to expect), the pulled pork pretty darned  good, but the beef brisket is where it’s at here. It’s almost “porky” believe it or not, perhaps because they place it below the pork as it sits in the smoker to catch the drippinz’. I know of this trick from watching BBQ competitions on the Food Network. It’s something I’d do myself if given the task.

Hog Island’s Beef Brisket and their signature sauce

As for the level of smokiness, it’s actually rather subtle. You don’t get smacked in the head upon first bite thinking “this is smoked meat”. It’s more of a flavor enhancer than flavor provider if you will. The smoke they impart on their meats are provided by Oak pellets, which admittedly doesn’t have the Hawaiian romance of the sound “Kiawe-smoked”, but I’ll go with it, as after all, they’re doin’ a Memphis (Tennessee) thang here.

They claim to use “29 well-blended spices” in their dry rub, but that didn’t come across to me as being dominant factor in the end result. Yet whatever the complexities of those herbs and spices are, the sum of its part results in some darned fine barbecue meat.

As Nadine Kam pointed out in her recent write-up about this joint, Hawaii folks love sauces (Teriyaki), and with that, Hog Island’s BBQ sauce is fantastic…

It’s got a perfect balance of acidity and sweetness, along with just the right amount of spices to make it robust with that “zing” factor. A dip of the pulled pork, beef brisket and chicken absolutely smacks it out the ball park.

Then you have that delicious Cole Slaw with a generous helping of cranberries in it…

Common, cranberries + cole slaw = hello! Koo-koo, koo-koo. Awesome! No but seriously, good stuff. The dressing has a nice balance of sweet and acidic as well, and I like how they cut the cabbage. Slaw is always my number one choice with barbecue, and this one delivers big time.

My other top side dish choice with barbecue is always baked beans, to which Hog Island’s works for me, although not as zesty and robust as I had expected. Marcy said they use their barbecue sauce in it, but I added even more to kick it up, and that really made it rock. They also add “bark”, which are shreds of pulled pork and beef into the beans, which you could feel in texture, but not so much in flavor, yet does give it that “backyard” character. Overall, this is a great complimentary side along with the savory smoked meats.

Finally in this dish are the scalloped potatoes…

Yeah, diggin’ this. Fork-tender. Buttery. Mildly cheesy, but hardly. A combination of spices I can’t pinpoint, but it works. While the butteryness is a bit much along with the heavier meat entrees, the “meat” of it – the potato – comes through and makes it somehow work in unison with it all. Certainly much more interesting of a side dish than rice.

Rounding up the sides, definitely get the cole slaw. Between the other options of baked beans, scalloped potatoes and rice, simply go with what you’re most in the mood for at the moment and you should be a happy barbecue camper.

Finally Marcy hooked me up with one of her house-made Chocolate Chip Cookies…

Hog Island – Chocolate Chip Cookie, $1.00 (compliments of the house on my visit!)

Yum! Sweet ‘n buttery, moist ‘n chewy. Great way to finish off some BBQ.

There you have it from Hog Island. Based on my first impression with what I tried, I’d say if in doubt, order the Beef Brisket plate with a side order of Cole Slaw and Baked Beans. That’s a winner combo right there, and easily alone wins a 4 SPAM Musubi rating from me. Oh, and take it to the beach and eat it. Nothin’ like good barbecue and the beach. Just look at that surfin’ Hog.

Hog Island
1137 11th Ave. (turn right off Waialae into the public parking lot behind Big City Diner in Kaimuki; parking is free for the first half hour, after of which is 75 cents plus)
Tel. 388-7784
www.HogIslandBBQ.com

Take-out Menu <click to download PDF (1 page)

The Tasty Island Rating:

(4) Excellent. Worth another visit or purchase. (Winnahz!)

Related links:
• Taekout offers made-to-order holiday – Honolulu Star Bulletin
• Hog Island – Yelp user reviews

P.S. While the chicken was too dry for my liking, there’s still salvation! I ended up shredding it…

…then mixed it thoroughly with (Best Foods) Mayonnaise for a most excellent smoked chicken salad sandwich!…

The smoke flavor in the chicken carries through beautifully throughout the mayo’. Money.

Wienermobile Cruises Oahu

Yesterday the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile™ was on display at the Don Quijote Kaheka street location from 2 to 6pm. Following are some photos I took while it was there. Enjoy.

Now we’re inside the Wienermobile, where here is the hot dog colored floor with a squirt of mustard graphic going down the aisle…

There are also 2 more seats in the aft-section behind the gull-wing door.

There’s really not much inside. You’d expect there to be this amazing, mythical, magical hot dog station like no other you’ve ever seen before, but nope. There’s no seemingly-eternal supply of grilled Oscar Mayer wieners, toasty buns and all the condiments your heart desires. Darned it! Really all this is a plain-ole people-mover van in a very loud disguise. lol

They provided these hot dog face cut-outs (put your mug in the puka) for photo ops, though at the time I was there nobody was making use of them…

Can’t forget that famous jingle…

Here’s all the specs, in case you were wondering (like I was)…

It must also be noted according to Ben, one of the “Hotdoggers” on duty, who highlighted that this is one of a fleet of 6 Wienermobiles™ that Oscar Mayer owns, with this being the newest of them, and still a puppy at only 700 miles (I’m too lazy to calculate how many hot dogs equal 700 miles in distance) racked up on the odometer.

Here’s “Hotdogger” Ben, “relishing” having one of the coolest jobs in the world…

They were handing out these coupons and stickers…

and also these Oscar Mayer Wienermobile whistles…

As I mentioned earlier about there not being a magical hot dog station inside the Wienermobile, neither were they handing out Oscar Mayer hot dogs outside in front. Though inside Don Quijote, a sample lady was giving out samples of grilled Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs (cut in bite-size pieces)  in the back by the meat department.

Cool ride, That Wienermobile. Cool job, too.

Waipahu Eats: Kristen's Kitchen

The other week our gang decided to sample some plates from Kristen’s Kitchen in Waipahu. They’re located on the ground floor of a duplex business building right across the street from Times Supermarket, nearby the Servo Toyota dealership. Just a few doors over from them is Blazin’ Steaks.

This is a place you can dine-in comfortably…

…or go take-out like we always do.

Kristen’s menu has a wide selection of local favorites and specialties at very competitive prices. Here’s a look at what they’ve got…

Undecided? Don’t worry, I was too.

Diner E already knew what he wanted based on a favorable experience trying theirs in the past, ordering the Kim Chee Fried Rice and Teri Beef Plate…

Kristen’s Kitchen – Kim Chee Fried Rice and Teri Beef Plate, $6.50

Diner A always digs a good bento, and it would only be fitting he choose Bento A from Kristen’s…

Kristen’s Kitchen – Bento A: Chicken Katsu, Teri Beef, Mahi Mahi, SPAM, $6.95

Finally after about 5 minutes of contemplation over that vast menu, yours truly couldn’t resist their “Catch of the Day” daily special, the Monchong with Lemon Caper Butter Sauce…

Kristen’s Kitchen – Monchong with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce, $7.50

First I’ll start with my Monchong. The portion of the filet was generous, having more than I could finish. My big mistake was NOT telling the friendly young lady taking the order that I want my fish RARE. Turned out, they grilled it until it was medium-well, ending up being well-done by the time it reached our office in transit. Here’s a cross-cut look into the monchong filet…

Kristen’s Kitchen – Monchong with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce

There’s no question though that this came from a very fresh cut of Monchong, and not a cover-up fish. The Lemon Butter Caper Sauce was nice. It tasted like they laced it with Shoyu, which made it a bit more savory. Aside of that, I appreciated how simple, clean and light it was (the lemon wedge helped that cause). Their mac was right on. Fresh, smooth, ‘n creamy. Winnah.With that, I give my Monchong with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce 2 SPAM Musubi (good).

Kristen’s Kitchen – Bento A: Chicken Katsu, Teri Beef, Mahi Mahi, SPAM

A similar sentiment to my Monchong, Diner A’s main gripe with his bento was that most items were overcooked. While the right flavors and textures were all there, all it needed to be great was better cooking management on this particular order. With that, he gave Kristen’s Bento A 1 SPAM Musubi (average).

Diner E’s Teri beef on his Kim Chee Fried Rice plate suffered the same overcooked syndrome, so minus points for that. But making it up was that stellar Kim Chee Fried Rice Kristen’s serves…

Kristen’s Kitchen – Kim Chee Fried Rice and Teri Beef Plate

Based off a sample Diner E shared with me, it tastes like not only do they add Won Bok Kim Chee into the rice, but they also add a little (mild, not hot) Kochujang sauce to the mix to add further character of its namesake. An added plus are the generous servings of julienned Kamaboko and omelet, plus chopped green onions. Nice.

Regardless of the overcooked teri beef, the Kim Chee Fried Rice was so good, Diner E polished his plate, outshining Diner A’s “spotless” reputation for the day…

Kristen’s Kitchen – Kim Chee Fried Rice & Teri Beef Plate (polished)… *burp*

Kristen’s Kitchen
94-80 Farrington Hwy
Suite D
Waipahu, HI 96797
(808) 678-2529

The Tasty Island Rating:

Hilo Eats: Kulana Blood Sausage

Here we have Kulana Blood Sausage from Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. This is yet another one of those specialty foods exclusive to the Big Island and difficult to find if not at all from major supermarkets on the other islands. Perhaps some smaller mom n’ pops may have it, but I’m not sure. I’m not aware of any retailer on Oahu who carries it.

I remember as a young boy when we used to visit my grandmother’s home in Hilo, she’d always make us breakfast served with this blood sausage, so just smelling it cooking in the kitchen once again brings back fond memories of granny’s house. My mother keeps them stocked in her freezer to eat on occasion, thanks to relatives who bring them back for her from the Big Island. So she gave me a fresh package from KTA Supermarket to take home and enjoy, which I’m sharing with you here.

Here’s the back of the vacuum-sealed package…

Here it is out of the package…

Now I know what you’re probably thinking at this point: not only does this sound disgusting, but it also looks disgusting. Well hopefully you can get over that and at least give it a try if given the opportunity. Come on now, Andrew Zimmern would consider this as good as chocolate ice cream!

Like the Portuguese Sausages made by various manufacturers in the islands, Kulana Blood Sausage has a unique blend of spices that just tastes “local”. You can tell this is something made in Hawaii after just one bite.

Here you see a cross-cut view of the sausage in uncooked state…

You can see there’s an abundance of ground pork fat, and also a good amount of chopped white and green onions, which I think is what really helps give this blood sausage its great taste. Then of course there’s that chocolate brown color thanks to the pig’s blood.

While it has an entirely different flavor than, say, Filipino Dinuguan, there is a slight similarity to it in the way the blood flavors the pork and pork fat.

Being already fully cooked, the best way to heat up Kulana Blood Sausage is to par-boil it intact in the casing for about 5-10 minutes, then finish it by pan frying it to brown the casing.

Then cut and serve…

…with rice and sunnyside-up eggs of course! As you see, I also always include my favorite Tsukemono, Beni Shoga (red pickled ginger) and Takuwan yellow pickled turnip).

Here’s a closer look…

Blood Sausage is very moist and loose inside of the casing thanks to the high pork fat content, so it’s best to break it up over the rice like this…

Oh yeah, mix the blood sausage into the rice along with the runny egg yolk… braddah, talk about broke da’ mout’! So ono. Blood Sausage is winnahz with poi as well. Great match.

Of course like most other sausages, this is high in fat and sodium, so it’s obviously something you’re not going to eat every day of the week, but on occasion it’s a yummy breakfast treat.

If you visit the Big Island, pick up a package Kulana Blood Sausage and give it a try, then get back to us and let us know what you think. If you know of any store on Oahu or whatever other island you’re on that carries Kulana Blood Sausage, let us know as well. Mahalo.

Hey, speaking of sausages, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is on Oahu! It will be on display at Don Quijote stores around the island on the following dates…

Kaneohe Eats: Masa and Joyce Revisited

With fellow food blogger Nate, the “HWN Pake in Okinawa” recently posting all these super-oishii lookin’ Okinawan grindz before he makes his epic move back home (to Oahu), this sounds like an ideal time to visit an Okazuya again.  As you know, most Okazuyas in the islands are owned and operated by local Okinawans, with Masa  and Joyce in Kaneohe being up there with the best of the best.

On my most recent visit, they gave me permission to take photos of the okazuya selections behind the display case available on that day.  Mahalo! This was on a Friday around 10:30am when there was quite a few things still in stock.

Let’s see what they got…

You probably immediately noticed that void space on the second shelf in the center. Yup, you guessed it. The item that already sold out was their ever-popular Teriyaki Ahi Patty. Damned it!

No worries, get plenny odda’ stuffs, starting with the cone sushi…

Ginger Maki…

SPAM Musubi…

Fried Rice Musubi…

Furikake Musubi…

Hot Dog Maki…

Hamburger Patties…

Teri’ Burger Patties…

Grilled Tofu…

Omelet…

SPAM…

Grilled Saba…

Ahi Tempura…

Sweet Potato Tempura…

Corned Beef Hash…

Shrimp Tempura…

Vegetable Tempura…

Chicken Katsu…

Yaki Soba…

Teriyaki Chicken Bits…

Shoyu Long Rice…

Ahi Kama (tuna collar)…

Nasubi (Shoyu Eggplant)…

Nishime…

That rounds up the (warm) Okazuya items. Under an adjacent counter are all the cold pupu items, including various styles of Poke…

Shoyu Limu Poke Poke…

Limu Poke…

Tako Poke…

Boiled Peanuts and Edamame…

Lomi Salmon…

There was too much glare for me to get the shot, but also under this cold counter were containers of Haupia, fresh Ahi Sashimi platters and a various styles of dried and smoked fish and tako.

Masa and Joyce also serves hot meals to order, including breakfast and soups…

Plate Lunches…

and Hawaiian Food…

Next time I visit Masa and Joyce, I’ll definitely give their Hawaiian Plate a try. Our good friends over at WOWGrinds.com need to do a “Best Lau Lau” challenge. So far it’s in the middle of the field in a poll they have going on there. Wow, Lau Lau!

Here’s what we ended up ordering on this particular visit, starting with Diner E’s plate…

Masa and Joyce Okazuya – clockwise from top left: Vegetable Tempura, Nasubi (in cup), Cone Sushi, Teri Beef Patty, Yakisoba and Ahi Tempura

And Diner P’s plate…

Masa & Joyce Okazuya – clockwise from top left: Corned Beef Hash, Hot Dog Maki, Nasubi, Yakisoba and Vegetable Tempura

As The Tasty Island always like to do, here’s a cross-cut view of the corned beef hash…

Seriously, this is probably the best corned beef hash I’ve had from an Okazuya. Quite unique too with the various veggies mixed in it, along with that contrasting golden panko crust. So winnahz!

Oh, what the heck, here’s my entire plate in dissected view…

I’m not much a fan of their tempura batter, finding it too glutinous and thick. I prefer the more traditional Japanese style light and crispy batter. Perhaps if it came with some kind of dipping sauce I may change my mind, but plain like this it’s a bit overboard for me. Still ono though, yet gotta’ note that.

Their Yaki Soba is solid. Seasonings are just right, yet I could do without the SPAM in it, as I have enough meats from the other dishes. As a meal in itself, great, but with the other things, no need da’ SPAM.

This is the second time I chose the Hot Dog Maki, for good reason. The  hot dog that’s in it is the protocol Okazuya style that’s lightly simmered in Shoyu, which works so wonderful with the plain white rice and nori surrounding it.  Simplicity at its best.

Finally the Nasubi, or Shoyu Eggplant. If you ask me, the “shoyu” flavoring it’s simmered in tastes like Andamisu, that pork and miso condiment served with Okinawan Champuru. It tasted like it had fat drippings from Rafute (Okinawan Shoyu Pork). Diner E didn’t think so, but that was my detection. However it’s made, the Nasubi is excellent here. It’s veyr deep and savory thanks to the attributes mentioned above, so make sure you’ve got a musubi along side it to help buffer that intense taste. With the rice, winnah, winnah Eggplant dinnah… err, make that lunch.

With that, both Diner E and yours truly give our plates a solid 3-SPAM Musubi.

As you see (again), Masa and Joyce has all the local and Okinawan favorites at reasonable prices and most importantly, everything is fresh and tastes great. Next time you’re in Kaneohe, check ’em out.

Masa & Joyce Okazuya
Hawaiian & Japanese Foods
Sashimi – Poke – Bento – Etc.
45-582 Kamehameha Hwy.
Tel: (808) 235-6129
Fax: (808) 235-0992

Business hours:
Wed – Fri : 9:00am – 6:00pm
Saturdays: 9:00am – 4:00pm
Sundays: 9:00am – 2:00pm
Mondays & Tuesdays: CLOSED

Tasty Island rating: