Food in the Motherland – My Trip to Japan

Today we have a guest blogger, Tony Kawaguchi, a Honolulu resident sharing with us his recent trip to Japan.  Enjoy!

Food in the Motherland – My Trip to Japan
By Tony Kawaguchi

It had been about 10 years since I had visited my home country of Japan, and since my wife had never been, we were excited about the trip.  We got on the plane at Honolulu Int’l Airport with the kids and grandma, with 3 things on our agenda: Tokyo Disneyland, visit family, and eat as much good Japanese food as possible.

Japan is full of good food. Food is absolutely everywhere.  Walking along the streets of Kyoto and Tokyo, it seemed as if three fourths of the businesses were restaurants.  Many look like this traditional old building (see top photo), with plastic display food out front so you can see what you might be eating.  If it doesn’t have plastic food in front, it’s probably not a restaurant.  Only the very high end places don’t have plastic display food.

The great news is that Japan has become very cheap!  Yes it’s cheaper to eat in Japan than to eat in Honolulu.  Our average ramen meal was about $4, and our average chicken or pork meal was about $6.  Even though the exchange rate was terrible, at about 90 yen to the dollar, meals were still very cheap.  10 years ago it was about double the cost, so go now while their economy is still really bad.

Is this Katsu real or is it plastic?  This one happens to be real, and it happens to be awesome.  A tiny hole in the wall, as most restaurants are in Japan, like 95% of them seat under 20 people.  The Katsu (breaded pork) in Japan has lighter breading and less fat than in Hawaii.  I’m not sure why but for some reason here in Hawaii the pork is not as lean and not nearly as tender.  These katsu medallions were so tender you didn’t need a knife and barely needed to bite.  Amazing flavor and great texture. The breding was light like cotton candy or something.

We happened to be in Japan during “Silver Week.”  I never figured out what that is, but apparently it’s some kind of Buddhist holiday. Well fortunately for us, it meant that there were dozens of street vendors out in the temple grounds in Asakusa, Tokyo.  The Festival at Sensoji Temple proved to be a Foodie’s wonderland.  Tako yaki (fried octupus), and Okonomiyaki.  (O-ko-no-mee-yah-kee)  Say that three times fast…

This guy was making Hiroshima Okonomiyaki, which unlike versions from other regions, contains bacon.  It is basically fried pancake batter with a lettuce base, fried egg, some kind of fish, shrimp, bacon, and a very thick sauce similar to yakitori sauce.

Here is the finished product.  I actually didn’t like how much sauce it had, but the taste was great.  It would have been perfect with less sauce.  There were at least a dozen vendors making different variations of this, but we only tried a couple.  Great food for about $4 each.  We split each one among our whole family so we could all try different regional Okonomiyakis.

There are also some psuedo western style restauarants, like this one called “White Lover.”  I have no idea what they were intending to say with that. People who love white things?  An intimate relationship with a haole?  No clue.  I looked at my wife and said, “Honey, you are my white lover.”  (She’s haole.)

Speaking of my wife, here she is at her favorite find. This chocolatier was in Ginza, Tokyo.  It had about 4 million of the most amazing types of chocolate mixed with Japanese chesnuts, azuki beans, and pounded rice.  They gave us at least 10 samples of things, so of course we were obliged to buy something. We bought dark chocolate bark filled with almonds.  Incredible.  There are little bakeries and confectionaries everywhere in Japane. Literally every 5th block or so has one.

This little $2.50 snack was our second favorite.  It’s a mochi outside with sweet bean inside, and they had 20 different flavors filled with chocolate, green tea, etc. Below is what it looks like inside.  Absolutely amazing.  We brought some home and are still eating it.  Wondeful little snack that they were calling “crepes.”  But no, they are not crepes.

Finally, I thought this would be funny to my friends back in Hawaii.  Roco-Moco?  Hmmm sounds familiar, but not sure it’s quite right.  This is a menu at the Tokyo train station.  Funny, do they think a lot of people from Hawaii come there looking for breakfast?  Oddly they only serve it beginning at 11am.  Funny thing about Japan – almost nothing is open until about 10am.  The only breakfasts we could find were Denny’s and McDonalds.  I guess everyone sleeps in and works late, because even the trains are emtpy until about 8am.

If you love Japanese food as most people in Hawaii do, I highly recommend a visit to Japan.  Walking around Asakusa, Kyoto, Ginza, and Yokohama, there were so many great places to eat that I wished I could eat 10 times a day. :::

Tony Kawaguchi lives in Honolulu, and normally blogs about Hawaii Real Estate at www.AlohaTony.com.

If you’re a Kama’aina or Hawaii expat and you have a great story related to food in the islands that you’d like to share as a guest blogger here on The Tasty Island, you’re more than welcome to eMail me for consideration.

Mahalo,
Pomai
The Tasty Island.

Kalihi Kai Eats: Ethel's Grill

Note to self: DO NOT attempt to dine at a restaurant anytime soon after it’s been reviewed and raved about by a major local media outlet. I should have learned that when I recently visited Dean’s Drive Inn in Kaneohe, where I was greeted by droves of customers, some of whom (including myself) were there on a tip from KHNL’s Cheap Eats.

In the case here at Ethel’s Grill, they were recently reviewed (again) by The Honolulu Advertiser, noting that this is a lunchtime favorite of local celebrity Chefs Roy Yamaguchi and D.K. Kodama.

Well the secret is certainly out now about this place, as when we arrived there last Friday at 11:30am, Ethel’s Grill was completely SLAMMED with customers. So slammed that a crowd began building outside the door…

Ethel’s Grill is another one of those hole-in-the-wall hidden gems that you could easily pass by without noticing if you never heard of them before. They occupy the ground floor of an inconspicuous 3-story walk-up apartment building on beautiful Kalihi street, surrounded by otherwise mostly industrial businesses.

There’s NO designated parking, leaving you to hunt along busy Kalihi street or the adjoining side streets for any parallel space that opens up. There was one what looked like a “guest” stall in the apartment garage next to the restaurant, although it didn’t specify on a sign as being specifically for Ethel’s customers.

The dining room at Ethel’s is small and cramped, making it a little challenging to work your way through the occupied tables towards the service counter in back if you’re there ordering take-out like we were.

Yet you gotta’ LOVE local style “joints” like this. Places like Ethel’s Grill completely define Hawaii’s cultural and social blend under one restaurant’s roof!

Once you get there, you’re greeted with this menu “board”…

Straight up! It doesn’t get anymore “hometown local style” than this folks. Just this alone has me thinking that if the Food Network’s Guy Fieri is looking for a future ‘Diners, Drive-ins and Dives’ spot to shoot in Hawaii, Ethel’s would be a GREAT choice! The reviews from everyone else (aside of this blog; see ‘Related Links’ below) certainly backs that suggestion up!

They also had a few more daily specials posted to the side here…

What we discovered after we had already placed our order, is that there’s much more to their regular menu not listed on those hand-written signs, but printed on a take-out menu flyer stacked on the side of the counter. Oh well.

As you can tell by their sign out front and the photos and mural inside, Ethel is a big Sumotori fan.

This has gotta’ make you hungry lol…

I didn’t get to ask, but this appeared to be a wrapped up, ready-to-go ham sandwich and a bunch of Teri’ Beef Sandwiches…

Ethel also sells her “secret sauce”, the same one used on the Tataki Sashimi, in jars so you can replicate the dish at home…

If there’s one thing that was clear to us on this visit, is that the staff and (very small) kitchen production capacity here are NOT ready to handle the onslaught of customers that hit them on this particular day. When we got to the service counter, Ban, the owner’s son, told us it would be a 40 minute wait for our take-out order, questioning whether we were willing to wait. Whoah! That’s a chunk of time. Well, we were intent on trying this place out, so Diner E and myself agreed and said go for it. If the food’s as good as they it is here, it should be worth it.Besides, I was hoping 40 minutes was just an overestimate and that it would take much shorter than that. That turned out being wishful thinking.

After killing some time taking a stroll up and down beautiful Kalihi street checking out some neighboring businesses, we get back and check on order, and nothing yet. There’s still the same crowd outside, albeit just a little smaller, still waiting for their orders. One guy inside on a table with his friend had so much time to wait for their order, he came outside a few times to take smoke breaks.

The downside for us take-out folks is they didn’t have any kind of name or number system, so everyone just stood around outside not knowing when to claim our orders. The only way to find out is by walking inside to the order counter every now and then to check on the status.

Forty minutes pass, and ours order isn’t even CLOSE to being ready yet. Fifty minutes, no deal. One hour, still nothing. Finally after 1 hour and 5 minutes, it’s ready. Gosh, that was almost as painful as my 1-1/2 hour long wait at The Counter burgers in Kahala when they first opened.

Why didn’t we phone our orders in you ask? Because this was our first time here, and we weren’t familiar with the place or menu except for what’s been reviewed online and wanted to see first-hand for ourselves before making a decision. Plus, we didn’t anticipate nor expect the kind of crowd that we encountered on that day (see first paragraph).

When I went inside to pick up my order (yay!), the braddah that was taking the smoke breaks finally got his food as well at the table he sat at, which he kindly let me take a photo of…

Ethel’s famous Tataki Sashimi

Man, that looks ONO! I should’ve got this one. I noticed just about every table in the restaurant had a plate or two of Tataki Sashimi, so you know it’s one of their most popular dishes.

Already half “whacked” (eaten), here’s the Jumbo Pork Katsu…

A partially eaten plate of Jumbo Pork Katsu

I must say, it really is JUMBO. Also really JUMBO was the Jumbo Rib Steak plate, which appeared to also be a popular choice amongst the diners eating in the restaurant. Buggah was “Flintstones” huge. Looked ono too.

So after that frustrating long wait, we finally get to sit down and taste if it was worth it, starting with Diner E’s Japanese Hamburger Steak…

Ethel’s Grill – Japanese Hamburger Steak, $7.00

Not shown in the photo above, this plate also includes a cup of hot Miso Soup (bowl of course if you’re dining in).

Here’s a cutaway view of the half ground pork, half ground beef patty…

Ethel’s Grill – Japanese Hamburger Steak (a combination of ground pork and beef) with grated Daikon and Ponzu Sauce

There you can also see the abundant pile of grated Daikon (turnip), all soaked with the included Ponzu sauce.

Well, what did Diner E think of this Japanese Hamburger Steak? Of course the first thing he noticed is that it was merely at room temperature by the time it landed on the table in front of him, having him believe his plate had been sitting on the side for a while back at the restaurant service counter amid the mayhem caused by the onslaught of customers.

As for the pork and beef patty, it didn’t wow him, nor did the combination of the ponzu sauce and grated daikon to go along with it. He didn’t feel it was the perfect marriage of ingredients I personally had hoped it would be. After finishing the plate, his opinion was “Glad I tried it. Next.” Not that he didn’t like it – he did eat all of it – but being a classic Hamburger Steak with Brown Gravy kinda’ guy, this turned out simply just not his style.

I was oh-so-close to getting the Jumbo Pork Katsu, but at the last minute decided on trying the Beef Tomato…

Ethel’s Grill daily special – Beef Tomato, $7.50

I was suprised when I was given the option to choose either rice, fried noodles or soft noodles for my starch. Nice! I didn’t stop to ask what soft noodles are, but just chose it radomly to try something “new”, to which you see here turned out being cooked, unseasoned saimin noodles.

Notice how well they pay attention to detail when packing their take-out dishes. The miso soup is packed in a styrofoam cup with a lid, so it gets to its destination piping hot and intact. Same for the beef tomato here, which also came separately in its own styrofoam bowl with a lid. This way the noodles it will evenutally be eaten with don’t become soggy.

The cup on the top left in the plate is the piping hot shiro miso soup included with the meal, which tasted authentic and very good.

The light green creamy dressing on the greens is said to be made of parsley, dijon and garlic. It tastes sort of like a creamy pesto with the garlic providing some bite. Delicious. The greens were also crispy, cool and fresh. Overall thumbs up on the tossed greens with Ethel’s house dressing.

Now let’s add some of that Beef Tomato over the cooked saimin noodles and have a taste….

Ethel’s Grill daily special – Beef Tomato

The Beef Tomato “gravy” had a good coat-the-back-of-a-spoon, cornstarch-thickened viscosity to it. The thin strips of beef were extremely tender and well-infused with the gravy’s flavor, although I did miss the presence of ginger in it, which I prefer to have in my Beef Tomato. It also could have used more green bell peppers, which I think is also a key element in a good local style Beef Tomato. It did make up for those shortcomings with abundant amounts of sugar snap peas, chunks of simmered tomatoes and sweet, caramelized onions. Overall, ono.

I’m not so sure about Beef Tomato with saimin noodles though. The sauce mostly seeped through it to the bottom of the plate instead of sticking to it like it would have if it were rice. Interesting texture constrast, gotta’ say that. Perhaps the fried noodles would have worked better.

It must be noted that a couple of regulars we spoke with while waiting for our order highly recommended the best way to enjoy the “Ethel’s Experience” is none other than to dine in there. Of course to be fair, I’d have to give every other restaurant reviewed here that was ordered as take-out the benefit of that notion, so I’ll still rate this visit just as I would any other take-out dishes we’ve had in the past.

Still, I really want to return here to try more dishes, as everything that was landing on the tables while we there looked and smelled so ono. Yet as counteractive as it may sound, I’ll just have to hope the hype from the coverage in the media simmers a little as time goes by and the next time I drop in there will be seating available and just the right amount of customers where I won’t have to wait another hour for lunch to be served.

On a future dine-in visit, I definitely got dibs on that Tataki Sashimi, as well as either the Oxtail Soup or Pigs Feet Soup. I dunno though, that Jumbo Pork Katsu and Jumbo Rib Steak looked really ono too, so it’s gonna’ be a tough decision!

Ethel’s Grill
232 Kalihi Street
Honolulu, HI 96819
(808) 847-6467

Business hours:
Mon-Sat. 5:30am to 2:00pm

Ethel’s Grill Menu (<—download PDF at that link; current as of 9/09)

SPAM Musubi rating:
(based on Japanese Hamburger Steak and Beef Tomato take-out plates)

(2) Good. I’m glad I tried it. (Ono)*

*See second to the last paragraph in review above for notes.

Related links:
• Ethel’s Grill – ‘Ono Kine Grindz
• Ethel’s Grill serves sumotori-sized portions – The Honolulu Advertiser
• Cheap Eats: Ethel’s Grill – KHNL NBC NEWS 8 Honolulu
• Hungry chefs head to Ethel’s Grill – The Honolulu Advertiser
• Ethel’s Grill – Yelp user reviews

Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans

Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans (called Dau Si Laing Yiu in Chinese)

Those of you who grew up in a Chinese household or who have friends that are Chinese, likely remember eating Fried Dace, or remember parents or grandparents eating it. If so, you’ll quickly recognize the distinctive oval-shaped tin it’s packed in with the red and yellow label including a picture of the Dace on it.  Classic!

While my family isn’t Chinese, I remember my grandmother and mother eating Fried Dace on occasion when I was growing up. They of course learned about it from their Chinese friends back in Kohala where they grew up.

Like most kids, back then at a young age I was put off by the pungent smell and appearance of this preserved fish and wouldn’t go near it.

Yet now well into my adulthood, I really enjoy delicacies like this. Being a preserved fish in a can with black beans and oil, it has an intense, penetrating smell and flavor profile that, obviously just by the sound of it, you know Fried Dace is going to be an acquired taste. If you’re not convinced about that yet, just wait until you see how it looks.

Come to find out Diner AC, who is part Chinese, grew up eating Fried Dace, which I found out recently when we were talking about “hana-baddah dayz” (childhood) grindz. That conversation must have kindled enough interest for her to go on a Chinatown “quest” recently to look for Fried Dace, to which she found some from a store she didn’t get the name of  (you know how those hole-in-wall shops in Chinatown often don’t have names on them!).

Which led me on my own Chinatown “quest” to find some too. And I did! But let me tell you, it was far and few between.  In fact only one little hole-in-the-wall Chinese grocery shop had it out of more shops than I can remember counting where I browsed through intently looking for it. Whew, at least I found some.

Come to find out, as Diner AC brought to my attention after scouring the net for information on it, back in 2005, the Chinese press created a mass scare over Fried Dace when they revealed that the Chinese Mud Carp (Dace) were treated with Malachite Green – an industrial dye used to prevent the fish from parasites – which was said to cause cancer in humans if enough of it is ingested.

The brands accused of containing traces of Malachite Green were Pearl River Bridge, Yu Pin Mei Cai and Gulong, which the Chinese government apparently stepped in and asked retailers to remove those brands from the shelf back at the time of the hysteria.

What the Chinese press failed to include in their report is that according to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, a person must ingest more than 290kg of fish with Malachite Green in it EACH DAY in order for any adverse health effects to take place. That calculates to 1,576 cans of fried dace a day. I highly doubt I can eat more than 1,576 cans of Fried Dace in an entire life time, let alone in one day! Just from the amount of SALT in it, you’d probably suffer cardiac arrest due to extremely high blood pressure before you get cancer if you ate THAT MUCH Fried Dace.

Perhaps the Malachite Green issue falls right along with the Mercury scare in Tuna.

I’m not sure what the status is today (2009) on any given brand of Fried Dace in China, but apparently it’s still affecting distribution of Fried Dace right here in Hawaii, as even in Chinatown it’s presently very hard to come by. Before, you could get Fried Dace at just about every supermarket on the island in the Asian section. It was also very cheap “back then”, but now the price is considerably higher. I paid $3.99 each for the cans shown above. When I told my mother that, she was sticker-shocked.

Now let’s take a closer look at the can of Fried Dace we have here. Thankfully it’s written on one side in English…

Notice this one is FRIED DACE with SALTED BLACK BEANS. Very, very important you get the one with BLACK BEANS, called ‘Dau Si’  in Chinese. That’s the tastiest and most popular version. Other flavors of Fried Dace include plain, chili, curry, tofu and Chinese Olives.

and on the other side in Chinese…

On the bottom left of this side of the label it states the ingredients (at least I THINK that’s what it is!): SAUCE, PLANT OIL, REFINED CANE SUGAR, SAUCE, TABLE SALT, EDIBILITY SPICES. Ha! You just gotta’ love them Chinese-translated labels.  Good gosh, I sure HOPE the spices in here are EDIBLE! “Edibility Spices”. lol! Apparently they forgot to list the most important ingredient of all, the DACE. Perhaps they figure you can figure that part out by the picture on the label.

‘Dace’ is  a trade name given to this fish from Hong Kong. It’s also known scientifically as Cirrhinus Chinensis, or in lay terms, Chinese Mud Carp. They’re fresh water fish that inhabit rivers, feeding on worms, shrimp and detritus.

As long as it’s not from a canal, I think I’m OK with it. lol

Well waddaya’ know, I got the same brand that was removed from store shelves in Hong Kong back in 2005…

PRB BRAND, a.k.a. PEARL RIVER BRIDGE BRAND. This brand is supposedly the original and best Fried Dace, while there are many knock-off brands out there now; some with very similar looking label designs and oval-shaped can. Malachite Green be damned, I’m glad I got the original.

Oh, in case you’re wondering whether a ‘Pearl River Bridge’ actually exists, it does! Click here for more information about the Humen Pearl River Bridge.

Here’s the importing company…

I’m not sure whether or not these nutritional facts are based on US FDA standards, but hey, FWIW, at least it’s there…

Finally we have the top of the can, which as you see they provide a handy-dandy pull-tab…

You can also see the manufacturing date stamped on: MFD: 2008.12.28; EXP: 2011.12.28. It also states on the side of the can that the shelf life is three years. Three year old edible fish kept shelf-stable at room temp’? You KNOW that’s gotta’ be packin’ a PUNCH! lol

Talking with my mother about Fried Dace, she said it’s known in China as “Hokka”. That spelling is probably incorrect, but “Hokka” is known there as “Peasants Food” or “Poor Man’s Food”. I suppose in the US you can call that “College Grub”. Fried Dace is to Chinese what Luncheon Meat, Vienna Sausage, Pork ‘n Beans and Corned Beef are to Americans. Basically very tasty (salty) meat (fish) in a can (lasts a long time) on a budget. Just add starch and you’re set.

In the case of starch to accompany Fried Dace, that would be none other than a steaming hot bowl of rice, or for many Chinese, they put the Fried Dace in or on their Congee, a.k.a. Jook, a.k.a. Rice Porridge.

My mother heats up her Fried Dace by opening the lid of the can and placing the can DIRECTLY on the stove burner. No pans and no pots to mess with; the can is the “pan”. She heats it up until the oil the Dace is packed in is hot enough to literally deep-fry it right in the can. Once the Dace is sizzlin’ and a little crispy, she turns off the heat, let’s it cool down a bit, then digs right in. Put some FRIED Fried Dace on the hot rice and enjoy. If she has it, she also likes to add Duck Egg and Lup Cheong with the Fried Dace which gives the palate a powerhouse of flavor combinations in one bowl.  Some Coleman’s Mustard and Shoyu Dipping sauce on the side and it’s a done deal.

So with all the aformentioned hype, am I scared now to eat Fried Dace? Absolutely NOT! Let’s open a can and have some!…

Ha. I kinda’ figured that handy-dandy pull-tab wasn’t going to work, which it didn’t, so I ended up using a can opener.

I suppose now that I look it, you could think of Fried Dace as the Chinese equivalent of Sardines, albeit much saltier thanks to the black beans.

Here’s the entire contents of that can transferred into a bowl…

That may look pretty gross, but believe me, it TASTES really, really GOOD!

So in this can (we’re taking inventory here) there’s 2 full Dace, sans the head and fins, and 1 half piece, plus a generous serving of salted black beans and enough vegetable oil to fill the can about 1/3 full.

Here’s one of the Dace split in half where you can see, just like canned sardines, the spine and rib bones are semi-soft and entirely edible…

Like mom does it, I put the dace in the can directly on the cooktop…

In just a short time the oil was boiling and the fish began to sizzle in the can. The aroma wafting out as it heats up is captivating. Believe it or not, it smells so good!

Once it’s a little crispy and sizzlin’ hot, simply serve over a bowl of rice and enjoy!….

Fried Dace and Salted Black Beans served over white rice with green onion garnish

Oh yeah. Sooooooooooo goooooooood. Solid 5 SPAM Musubi rating for Fried Dace with Black Beans over white rice. The salted black beans are what really make this work. It gives the fish this robust, meaty flavor that would be amiss without it. The dace is hardly  “fishy” at all, and the flesh of it is completely soaked through with the flavors of the black beans and various Chinese spices. It’s very flaky, while also being a little tough at the same time, in a good way. Good, good stuff!

Now let’s try it with Jook….

Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans with chicken stock Jook, green onion and sliced cabbage garnish

Not bad. I like how the black beans sort of melt their flavor into the jook. I give it 3 SPAM Musubi with Jook.

Fried Dace with white rice is still the best. Broke da’ mout’!

Well there you have it. Another trip down memory lane, this time in honor of Fried Dace!

What? Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans
Who makes it? PRB Brand (China)
Where did you buy it and how much did it cost? A small shop in Honolulu Chinatown, $3.99 each
Big Shaka to: Very, very, very delicious. Everything in the can is edible. Easy-to-heat, ready-to-serve meal, just add rice. Brings back childhood memories.
No shaka to: Pull-tab didn’t work. Limited availability, even in Chinatown. Considerable price increase. Malachite Green issues unclear (although this website says this fish is safe).
SPAM Musubi rating: 5

P.S. While I walked around Honolulu Chinatown looking for Fried Dace this past week, I snapped a few photos to share with you. Here they are….

It always amazes me at how many little Chinese things these shop keepers pack into these stores. Things I wouldn’t have a CLUE as to what it’s used for, either in cooking or overall domestically…

Hum Nyee – in those green and red labeled bags; another type of preserved, salted Chinese fish that’s very good with Pork Hash…

Woot-woot! There it is!….

Fruits and vegetables GALORE in Chinatown at incredibly CHEAP prices (way below supermarket)…

Only in Chinatown would you find Durian (stinky fruit)…

There’s more types and sheer VOLUME of Chinese Cabbage (Pak Choy, Bok Choy, Choy Sum, etc.) here than I’ve seen ANYWHERE, again, at ROCK-BOTTOM PRICES….

Those oh-so-distinctive Golden Dragon red pillars…

A delivery truck bringing in a fresh catch of Ahi and Mahimahi….

Ulua…

Kumu…

Ooh, Menpachi, one of my favorite pan-fried fish!….

Singing the song “Taking Care of Business… Every Day”…

The friendly neighborhood Chinese butcher choppin’ up some of that good ‘ole “Shee-Shau-Poh” (sweet sour pork) lol…

If you’re a photographer either by hobby or profession, you MUST make it to the nearest Chinatown. It’s a shutterbug’s paradise. Oh, and a foodie’s paradise as well.

Mo'ili'ili Eats: Pho Bistro 2

If you’re thinking to yourself that the bowl above looks more like Oxtail Soup than Pho, you’re right! It is indeed Oxtail Soup. Which shouldn’t be a surprise to find in a Pho Restaurant, as both dishes have a lot in common at its core. The most obvious of course is the savory, yet silky beef broth brought upon from the marrow of beef bones simmered for hours, along with the distinct zest of star anise and aromatic bite of ginger.

The reason I find myself at Pho Bistro 2 for Oxtail Soup, is one of our vendors at my workplace HIGHLY recommended I try theirs after reading my review of that which is offered at Asahi Grill, the current Honolulu-based hub of Kapiolani Coffee Shop (their namesake restaurant is located in Waimalu Shopping Center). If you never heard of Kapiolani Coffee Shop, well then you probably don’t know what local style Oxtail Soup is all about to begin with, so never mind. lol

So where is Pho Bistro 2? It’s in a tiny strip mall on the upper mauka side of Kalakaua avenue (not in Waikiki). The restaurant front itself is around the corner on Fern street, a bit out of view from the main drag, so you can easily miss it if you’re not look looking for it. Fern street is just a short block down from Makaloa street (where Don Quijote and Palama Market on the corner is)  if you’re headed towards Waikiki on Kalakaua. Passing or coming from Makaloa on Kalakaua heading towards Waikiki, hang a left at the next light and you’re there.

Pho Bistro @ 1694C Kalakaua avenue (the parking and restaurant entrance is on Fern Street)

There are two 1-hour limit stalls right in front of the restaurant, as well as quite a few customer stalls on the side of the building on Fern street. 

Like many hole-in-the-walls, Pho Bistro 2’s dining room is deceptively  roomy and spread out more than you’d expect judging from the outside…

It’s a very simple, clean, cozy and comfortable ambiance.

Shoyu, Hoisin sauce and all the hot sauces one could wish for are right at your disposal in the condiment station at each table…

O.K., let’s get right to it and see what’s on the menu…

As you see, prices are VERY, VERY reasonable here, which seems to be the norm for most Vietnamese restaurants in Honolulu.

I was a little disappointed they didn’t have those Vietnamese style stuffed pork chicken wings on the appetizer menu like they do at Bac Nam, but that’s O.K..  As mentioned earlier, I was here primarily for one thing and one thing only, which I’ll get into detail later.

For starters, my girlfriend and I shared a platter of the Spring Rolls (Cha Gio)…

Pho Bistro 2 -Spring Rolls (Cha Gio), $6.50

The Vietnamese way to eat spring rolls is to dip the spring roll, accompanying Vermicelli noodles and shredded carrots n’ cut cucumbers in the sweet and sour sauce, then simply wrap it with the fresh lettuce and enjoy…

Wrapped up like this, juss’ whack ’em…

Mmmmmm, these Vietnamese Spring Rolls are sooooo goooooood! Winnah! Our server told us there’s Taro in the mixture, which takes them longer to cook. Whatever is in the filling, it’s absolutely, outrageously DELICIOUS. Solid 5 SPAM Musubi for this dish. Spring Rolls just don’t get better than this.

Now for the main course, my girlfriend wasn’t sure which one to choose from the Rice Dishes menu: Pork? Chicken? Or Beef? So she decided to get the Combo, which is pretty much a no-brainer considering for just $1.50 more you get to try all three. Here’s the Combo…

Pho Bistro 2 – House Special Combo Plate (Com Dac Biet), 10.45

The Com Dac Biet is described as: Combination of Beef Short Ribs, Grilled Chicken and Special Marinated Pork Chop served with rice (which is the more aromatic Jasmine Rice).

The beef and pork was the winner in this spread. Char-grilled (not griddle-topped) to perfection. Each one had a hint of lem0ngrass in its herbal profile, while the beef short ribs had an almost Teriyaki style flavor to it (sweetened shoyu), although not exactly. Certainly more Vietnamese. The chicken was pretty good, but if in doubt, get the beef or pork. WINNER.

With that, my girlfriend gives this plate a solid 4 SPAM Musubi (could have been 5 if the chicken was more to her liking).

Last but not least we have my Oxtail Soup…

Pho Bistro 2 – Oxtail Soup with substitute Pho Noodles on the side intead of Rice, 11.95 + 1.50 for Pho Noodles (what a deal!)

Diner WG, the person who referred me to this place, suggested I try the Oxtail Soup with Pho noodles on the side instead, so that’s what I did.

Let’s have a closer look at the Oxtail Soup…

Pho Bistro 2 – Oxtail Soup, $11.95 with rice (I opted for Pho noodles instead for $1.50 more)

This GIGANTIC bowl of soup was just TEAMING with thick, meaty Oxtails…

When I stuck my spoon in the bowl to fish what’s inside, I could barely swish it around, as Oxtail after Oxtail got in its way. Nice!

After it was all said and done, I  counted six of  ”em. Most on the bigger side, with the two on top here about as big as the profile of a rolled-up fist. WOW!

Setting Pho Bistro’s Oxtail Soup apart from Asahi Grill, they load it with generous amounts of chopped mustard cabbage…

Pho Bistro 2  – Oxtail Soup: “choke” mustard cabbage

Also unlike Asahi Grill (Kapiolani Coffee Shop), Pho Bistro’s Oxtail Soup includes generous slices of Shiitake Mushrooms…

Pho Bistro 2  – Oxtail Soup: “choke” sliced shiitake mushrooms

While going back to classic protocol, Pho Bistro’s Oxtail  Soup is loaded with peanuts…

Pho Bistro 2  – Oxtail Soup: “choke” peanuts

For garnish, it’s finished with several thin-sliced decorative carrots, chopped Chinese Parsley (Cilantro) and a generous heap of fresh ginger in the middle. 

Of course the best part is taking this…

Pho Bistro 2  – Oxtail Soup: “CHOKE!” fall-off-the-bone, marrow-melts-in-the-mouth beef oxtails

…and with whatever you can hold on to with your chopsticks of these fall-off-the-bone tender morsels of beef oxtail, dip it in the grated ginger and shoyu sauce…

Tender oxtails dipped in fresh grated ginger and shoyu

Tender oxtails dipped in fresh grated ginger and shoyu

Brah! I tell you, this has got to be one of THE GREATEST BEEF DISHES in the WORLD. Period. Arguably better than STEAK. The infusion of the marrow and star anise-infused broth into the fall-off-the-oxtail bone tender beef, along with the intensely flavored fresh grated ginger and shoyu mixture is another one of those “Marriages made in Heaven”.

Pho Bistro 2 absolutely NAILS IT with their Oxtail Soup. NAILS IT. 5 SPAM Musubi in my book.

Portions? Massive. I only could eat half the bowl before retiring my spoon and chopsticks to their resting place on the table, taking the rest home as “doggie bag”, which turned out just as fantastic reheated in the microwave at work for lunch the next day . So in effect, I got two meals for the price of one!

Flavor? Deep, silky, slightly sweet beef broth with just the right kick of Star Anise and Ginger.

The Oxtails themselves were so succulent, I’m “jonesing” for more just writing about it here.  Especially when dipped in the grated ginger and shoyu. OMG! SO AWESOME!

The accompaniment of the Pho Noodle bowl on the side was a nice texture and starch contrast, although not necessary, IMO. I would have probably preferred to have the fresh Thai Basil, Mint and Bean Sprouts that usually accompany Pho on the side, although I’m not complaining at all.

Diner WG, big mahalo for the tip! You were right, Pho Bistro 2′ s Oxtail Soup is DA’  BEST!

Pho Bistro 2
1694C Kalakaua Avenue (parking and restaurant entrance located on Fern street)
Honolulu, Hawaii
Tel. 949-2727

Business hours:
Mon-Sat. 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Mon-Sat. 4:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Sun. 4:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

The Tasty Island rating:

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

Related links:
• Oxtail Soup at Asahi Grill – The Tasty Island
• Pho Bistro 2 – Yelp user reviews

Portuguese Festa Malassadas

I made it again this year to the 2009 Portuguese Festa, which took place yesterday, September 19, 2009. Albeit I arrived very late in the afternoon, so most of the food booths had already closed down. The only Portuguese grindz remaining were the Portuguese Bean Soup tent, Portuguese Sausage Hot Dog tent, Agnes Portuguese Bake Shop Malassadas tent and a purveyor of pickled foods inside.

It was way too hot for soup or hot dogs, so I decided just to have a sample of Agnes’ Malassadas, as I’ve never tried theirs before; only Leonard’s and Champion.

Like Andagi at the Okinawan Festival, at the Portuguese Festa, Agnes Portuguese Bake Shop cooks their Malassadas by bulk in this giant propane burner Wok…

Malassadas by Agnes Portguese Bake Shop

Here they are piping hot ‘n fresh out of the fryer, when they must be immediately coated with the granulated sugar…

There you have it…

Agnes Portuguese Bake Shop Malassada served at the 2009 Portuguese Festa

Let’s have a bite…

How is it? I’d say Agnes’ Malassada is more glutenous and less “airy” (more dense) than Leonard’s and Champion, which of those two, are difficult to tell apart IMO. Agnes’ Malassada is very similar both in flavor and texture to the one Punahou Carnival sells. Both Punahou and Agnes’ Malassada dough recipe must look very similar by the numbers. How would I rate it? Easy 4 SPAM Musubi for taste, albeit overpriced at $1 each, which seems high considering how small each one is. They should be more like 60 cents or 75 cents each max. Of course, like most cultural festivals, this is a fundraiser, so higher prices are expected right across the board.

Then you have their spelling with two “SS” instead of one: Malassada; not Malasada. They say the proper spelling is with two S’s. OK, fine then. I might change my name to Pommai. lol

I also picked up a couple packages of boiled Lupini Beans, which the Portuguese call Tremocas…

Tremocas (Lupini Beans)

It’s difficult to explain what Tremocas taste like. Think tender Kidney bean meets boiled peanut and that sort of is how they taste. Not exactly, but you get the picture.

I also got a container of pickled garlic…

Pickled Garlic

Now this I really dig! Pickled Garlic? Who woulda’ thought?! It’s FANTASTIC! Of course very healthy as well. If you have recipe for pickled garlic, please share. I want to learn how to make my own. This one is very simple, tasting like just vinegar, salt and water, yet it’s absolutely ONO. Love it.

Guess who else was there during my visit? The “Supah’ Podogee” himself, FRANK DELIMA!….

“Pawdagee Head Quadas” king Frank DeLima at the 2009 Portuguese Festa at Ala Moana McCoy Pavillion

The same Portuguese ethnic displays from last year’s festival were on display again this year, along with a multi-ethnic geneology tracing room with experts on hand to help anyone interested in finding their roots in Portugal. My cousin who is a government professor in Washington DC already did that footwork for our family.

I’ll make sure to arrive earlier at next year’s Festa so I don’t miss out on all the other Portuguese grindz. Good stuff.

One of the reasons I got there late was that I spent about 40 minutes outside on Magic Island (in Ala Moana Beach Park) trying to get a glimpse of the Thunderbirds airshow that was also taking place at the time I was there. While they remained mostly over the Hickam/Airport area, I was still able to capture a few cool jet trail shots. Here they are…

Thunderbirds over Hickam AFB, Ala Moana beach (on a clear sunny day) in foreground

Hokua and Nauru condominium towers in foreground

Thunderbirds over Hickam AFB – Saturday, September 19, 2009

The Thunderbirds will also be performing today, Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 3pm at Hickam AFB.

See you there!

P.S. A new restaurant will be opening in 2010 called Taste of Portugal Restaurant Hawaiii, featuring classic Portuguese cusine. Some of the featured dishes include:
• Portuguese Bean Soup
• Famous Codfish Dishes
• Carne de Porco Alentejana (Portuguese Pork & Clams)
• Cozido a Portuguesa (traditional boiled meat & cabbage dish)
• Other Brazillian and Portuguese dishes

For more information, visit their website here:
www.TasteofPortugalHi.com

Kaneohe Eats: Dean's Drive Inn

Dean’s Drive Inn – Ahi Cakes with Sweet Chili Beurre Blanc Sauce

KHNL’s ‘Cheap Eats’ with Russell Yamanoha and Lyle Galdeira recently paid a visit to Dean’s Drive Inn in Kaneohe (<—see video at that link), where as usual, everything looked really ono. So yesterday we decided to see (actually taste) for ourselves what all the fuss was about.

According to the ‘Cheap Eats’ guys, a few of Dean’s most popular dishes are the Teriyaki Beef, Ahi Cakes and Rack of Lamb. So that’s exactly what we tried.

Before we get to those plates, let’s check out the place…

As you see above, Dean’s Drive Inn is located in Adon Plaza, a tiny strip mall located on the Makai side of Kamehameha highway in Kaneohe (my “peeps”!), just after St. Mark’s Church and School and just before the Kaneohe HPD substation if you’re heading towards Kahalu’u.

If you go during peak lunch hour expect to wait for parking in the limited space lot. I arrived yesterday exactly at opening (11am) and there was already a line of folks waiting to get in. Mahalo ‘Cheap Eats’ for that!…

Notice Doreen (Dean’s wife and Chief Customer Service Rep’) hands each customer a number. If you’re dining in, it’s placed on that metal stand so her helper can easily find your table (about 6 total; not enough!). If you’re taking out, it’s handed to you and you must listen for your number to be called. I must note that the wait is considerable being that everything is cooked to order, with I believe mainly just Dean doing all the cooking. It took about 15 to 20 minutes for my number to be called. Thank a fully-packed house for that. If you’re in a rush, I highly recommend you phone-in your order. I wasn’t in a rush, so no biggy.

If you type in ‘Drive Inn’ in Google search, guess what one of the top hits are for the term? ‘L&L Drive Inn’. Yet like L&L, at least functionally, Dean’s doesn’t fit into the classic Drive Inn (more properly spelled ‘Drive-In’) concept. Yet I suppose at least from a top-of-mind aspect, most locals assimilate “Drive Inn” with “Plate Lunch Joint”. Fair enough.

Yet, like Kahai Street Kitchen, Koi’s, Nico’s and Kaka’ako Kitchen, do we dare call Dean’s just a “Drive Inn”, a.k.a. “Plate Lunch Joint”? Like those afforementioned places, here you just might have to bring along a bottle of your favorite wine, along with a white tablecloth and some silverware, as the dishes that come out of Dean’s kitchen give the impression you’re in one of those “Upscale Plate Lunch” eateries. Which shouldn’t be a surprise, as owner and chef Dean Mishima spent 18 years honing his craft with Liberty House (now Macy’s), overseeing their restaurant operations at Garden Court, Gazebo and Hackfield’s.

Now let’s check out the menu and see what’s for lunch!…

Dean’s Drive Inn’ Daily Menu (click to enlarge view)

Dean’s Drive Inn’ Daily Menu (click to enlarge view)

Today’s Specials…

Dean’s Drive Inn’ Specials of the Day (click to enlarge view)

In case you’re wondering what ‘Deep Sea Kaku’ is, that would be Barracuda.

Now I don’t know about you, but it isn’t often I come across a “plate lunch joint” serving Rack of Lamb with Mint Jelly. Also, how many “plate lunch joints” do you now of who offers their soup of the day as an option to Mac’ Sal’ or Toss? Well, they do here!…

Nice. I think I just might do that (soup). As one of the gentlemen explained in that KHNL ‘Cheap Eats’ segment, Dean’s offers you the full course meal, starting with your salad or soup as an appetizer, the main entree, and last but not least, dessert…

These are all made by Dean’s wife, mother and sister. Thank goodness. Based on how busy it was at the time of my visit, I really don’t think he’d have the energy to bake desserts either before or after a full day cooking in that restaurant kitchen.

The carrot cake was a good seller based on observation while I waited for our order…

This one also moved quickly (they were gone by the time I left)…

Red Velvet…

They also sell these gourmet Salt products…

So that’s “the joint”.

Now let’s look at what we got for lunch from Dean’s Drive Inn, starting with Diner AC’s choice, the 6-piece Pulehu (grilled) Rack of Lamb…

Dean’s Drive Inn – Pulehu Rack of Lamb (6 pieces), $15.25

This was obviously the most expensive dish on the menu, which is understandable being what it is.

Diner E went with his usual “gauge plate” (the other being Hamburger Steak), checking out Dean’s take the classic Teriyaki Beef Plate…

Dean’s Drive Inn – Beef Teriyaki, $8.75

Finally, yours truly (Diner P) chose the Ahi Cakes…

Dean’s Drive Inn – Fresh Ahi Cakes, $9.25

As you read on the sign, you can choose Mac, Toss or SOUP OF THE DAY as your side dish, so I decided to give their Clam Chowder a try….

Dean’s Drive Inn – New England Clam Chowder (included with meal as on option to Mac or Toss)

So how was it? Well, first let’s look closer at Diner AC’s Pulehu (grilled) Rack of Lamb…

Dean’s Drive Inn – Pulehu Rack of Lamb with Mint Jelly

Some seared edges there, although it would have been nice if there were distinctive (and mo’ flavah) crosshatch grill markings across the entire surface. Diner AC was so kind to share an entire rib each with Diner E and myself, so let’s try a bite…

Dean’s Drive Inn’ Pulehu Rack of Lamb with Mint Jelly

Mint jelly slathered on Lamb rack? Check. Medium-rare doneness? No check. NO check? Oh no! Yes, Dean overcooked it in our opinion, going more on the medium side (even though it does look slighly pink in that photo). Both Diner AC and myself prefer our Lamb medium-rare. Perhaps I should have specifically requested that. Oh well. I was also missing the rosemary. There may have been a little sprinkle of it, but certainly not enough that it was THERE. Personally I like my lamb CRUSTED with generous amounts of fresh Rosemary, garlic and breadcrumbs. This simple Pulehu style works, provided it’s cooked to perfection. Here I thought it was too far in the medium threshold. Seasoning-wise, this tasted like simple salt ‘n pepper and that’s it. Otherwise, the tenderness and flavor was good. Not great, but good.

Of course for me at least, the saving grace was the mint jelly. The ULTIMATE accompanyment with lamb, IMO. Diner AC thought the mint jelly was almost “mouthwash like”, but nah, not me. I liked it. Typical bottled stuff, but with the Lamb, as always, it works great. We all unanimously give Dean’s Drive Inn’ Pulehu Rack of Lamb 2 SPAM Musubi.

Now let’s sample my Ahi Cakes…

Dean’s Drive Ahi Cakes

That Beurre Blanc sauce looks absolutely delicious. Let’s have a bite…

Nice size chunks of fresh ahi in here (not ground up), mixed with some kind of batter. It certainly had a semi-starchy texture to it. The onions also brought lots of flavor to the party.

If there’s anything to complain about, I’d say it could have stood a little longer on the griddletop with more sear on the outside, as well as being more cooked through inside. Otherwise, GREAT! Of course that mildly spicy-sweet and buttery-rich Chili Beurre Blanc is was helped get this one to the home plate. Diner E, AC and C all tried some and gave it a big thumbs-up of approval. Diner E even went as far as saying he liked this fish cake better than Tanioka’s. The nerve! lol As it stands, I give Dean’s Drive Inn’ Ahi Cakes a solid 3 SPAM Musubi, which could have been 4 had it been seared and cooked a bit longer and more thoroughly.

Now let’s try that New England Clam Chowder, which I chose over the Mac or Tossed Greens…

Dean’s Drive Inn – New England Clam Chowder

Yup. OK. MM. Great viscosity which easily coats the back of the spoon. Generous chunks of fork-tender – not overcooked – potatoes. Plenty of small diced pieces of clams, plus a few pronounced slices of smoked bacon. Fairly rich flavor, but I found the bacon a little – just a little – too overpowering. I mean, when you taste this Clam Chowder, you KNOW there’s bacon in it. That could be scaled back just a bit. Otherwise, thumbs-up all the way. I’d be happy with just a big bowl of this and some Diamond Soda Crackers. Oouh-right! 3-SPAM Musubi for their Clam Chowder.

Oh, the other soup of the day was Minnestrone.

Saving the best for last, we have Diner E’s Beef Teriyaki plate (dare I call it a “plate”)…

Dean’s Drive Inn’ Beef Teriyaki (AWESOME!)

Witness that nicely-thickened Teri’ sauce as it coats each slice of super tender, supah’ ono chunk of beef. OMG!!! This is gauranz’-ballbaranz (did I spell that correctly? lol) contender for “Best Teriyaki Beef” on Oahu. EASILY one of the best I’ve ever tried.

Here’s a bite of Beef Teriyaki heaven…

Dean’s Drive Inn – Beef Teriyaki (AWSOME!)

I’m not sure what kind of cut of beef this is: perhaps Tri-Tip? Or could it be skirt or flank? It also didn’t taste like it was marinaded in Teri’ sauce, but instead was very generously bastes on with the Teri’ glaze right at the end of the grilling session. Just enough where it takes on that Pulehu flavor without getting over-caramelized and burned. Whatever his magic is, you can tell Dean’s KNOWS exactly how to make a GREAT Teriyaki Beef. Seriously, If you’re seeking what might arguably be the best Teriyaki Beef on the island, don’t walk, but RUN (or speed on H3… just kidding!) to Dean’s Drive Inn.

Interestingly, “hypercritical” Diner E subtracted an entire SPAM Musubi ratings point from his plate only because he thought the Mac’ Salad wasn’t quite up to snuff…

Dean’s Drive Inn – Macaroni Salad (a.k.a. “Mac’ Sal’)

While he says the “creamy coolness” was there, the Macaroni elbow noodles were a bit on the soggy side, while overall it was BLAND in flavor. If you ask me, I’m willing to bet his palate was simply overwhelmed by the amazing deliciousness of that Beef Teriyaki, making anything else that touched his tongue pale in comparison. Poor Mac’ Sal’, that’s just not fair! lol

All that said, Diner E initially was going to give his Beef Teriyaki plate a solid 4 SPAM Musubi (which is VERY VERY VERY good by most standards), but decided to go with 3 SPAM Musubi for his Beef Teriyaki plate thanks to the Mac’ Sal’. I still say, Mac’ Sal’ notwithstanding, Dean’s Beef Teriyaki is a very, very SOLID 4 SPAM dish, borderline 5. Enough where if Diner E had walked away, I might have been tempted to take his plate into a hidden corner and eat the rest of it myself. lol Broke da’ mout’ winnah’ ‘dat one.

So that was the appetizers and main entrees. Now let’s see what’s for dessert!….

Dean’s Drive Inn – Baked Butter Mochi, $1.85

As I ‘ve said before, as much as I love Japanese food, I’m not a mochi fan. But when I seen they added “Baked Butter” as a prefix to the title here, SHOOTS! Hook me up, baby. Paula Deen would be proud.

It tasted like a very sweet mochi with a buttery custard layer on top. That’s the best way to describe it. Plus it was nicely caramelized from the baking process. I give this a very solid 3 SPAM Musubi. Perhaps 4 if I had a scoop of some ice cream to go along with it.

There you have it. Some of the most popular plates from Dean’s Drive Inn. By far my favorite of them all was Diner E’s Beef Teriyaki. Amazing. So amazing, regardless of his 3 SPAM Musubi rating, he actually POLISHED the plate clean…

Beef Teriyaki plate “polished” ***burp***

As you see here, Dean’s Drive Inn won the Honolulu Advertiser’s ‘Critics Choice’ Ilima Award in 2008…

Dean’s Drive Inn’ business hours are rather unusual, but I guess this works for their logistics…

While I didn’t ask, based on that disclaimer below, my guess is they probably close a lot earlier than 6pm on most days due to running out of food (or energy to cook anymore). I’m telling you, as small and hidden as it is, this place PACKS a CROWD. The word is certainly already out on Dean’s Drive Inn.

Dean’s Drive Inn
Adon Plaza
45-773 Kamehameha hwy.
Kaneohe, HI 96744

Tel. 247-1300

Business hours*:
Sun – Thurs. 11am to 6pm
Fri 11am to 4pm
Sat closed
*Hours and days subject to change.

The Tasty Island rating:

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

**Note: Dean’s Drive Inn has now been nominated as top contender for “Best Beef Teriyaki on Oahu”**

Related links:
• Dean’s worth a trip to windward side – The Honolulu Advertiser
• Cheap Eats: Dean’s Drive Inn – KHNL NBC 8
• Dean’s Drive Inn – Yelp user reviews

Grindz of the Day: Toyo Sushi

Toyo Sushi – Okazu plate: (clockwise from top left) Shrimp Tempura, Gobo Kinpira (underneath the Tempura), (Japanese) Stewed Vegetables (not Nishime), Furikake Omusubi, Garlic Chicken and Long Rice, $7 “something”

Here we have yet another Okazuya plate picked-up by Diner E, this time from Toyo Sushi in Liliha Square, a shopping plaza with anchor tenant Time Supermarket. Toyo Sushi is on the Liliha street side of the plaza, nearby Aala Bakery.

Here’s a few things uncovered on that plate…

Toyo Sushi – Okazu plate: (clockwise from top left) Shrimp Tempura, Kinpira Gobo (underneath the Tempura), (Japanese) Stewed Vegetables (not Nishime), Furikake Omusubi, Garlic Chicken and Long Rice, $7 “something”

Diner E gave a thumbs-up for the Garlic Chicken (moist), Kinpira Gobo (flavorful), stewed vegetables and Furikake Musubi, and a thumbs-down to the Shrimp Tempura, which tasted like it was a day old left-over (hard and chewy).

Those “stewed vegetables” were a simple preparation in shoyu and sugar, made-up of Konnyaku, Shiitake Mushrooms and Gobo…

Toyo Sushi – (Japanese) Stewed Vegetables: Konnyaku, Shiitake and Gobo

Looking at this next photo reminds me I need to pay another visit to Manabu’s sometime soon!….

Toyo Sushi – Furikake Omusubi

Summing it up, Diner E gives his Okazu plate from Toyo Sushi on this visit 2 SPAM Musubi (that hard, “day-old” Shrimp Tempura took away a whole Musubi point…ouch!).

Diner C went for Toyo Sushi’s Grilled Saba…

Toyo Sushi – Okazu plate: Grilled Saba (Mackerel), Fish Cake, Furikake Omusubi and Gobo Kinpira, $6.28

Simply said, Diner C gives her Grilled Saba Okuzu plate here on this visit to Toyo Sushi a solid 4-SPAM Musubi rating. She really enjoyed it.

You’re probably wondering now where’s the sushi? Well, click on their menu below and you’ll find what they have to offer in that regard, including a ‘Nigiri Sushi Yatai’ service.

Toyo Sushi
1425 Liliha St # 10
Honolulu, HI 96817
Tel. 537-4752

Toyo Sushi take-out menu: click here to download PDF (78k) document

Menu current as of 9/16/09. Subject to change without notice.

Kaka'ako Eats: Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant

Taking the first bite of Goma Tei’s Charsiu Tan Tan Ramen

Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant has been around in Ward Center for a number of years now, and has already been reviewed by several bloggers out there, along with many more user reviews on Yelp. Yet there’s always room for another review right here on The Tasty Island, as I finally made it there to taste for myself if they’re as great as many folks proclaim them to be.

We stopped by for an early dinner the other day around 5pm, beating the peak post-6pm dinner rush, so getting a table (actually a counter stool) wasn’t a problem. I’ve heard this place can really pack a crowd during peak hours.

Before we get to the grindz, let’s check out the restaurant. Like most ramen shops, the dominant feature is a server-centralized dining counter making up the heartbeat of the establishment…

Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant in Ward Center

Notice there’s not just one, not two, but THREE servers on duty in this moderately-sized restaurant, which clearly tells you this place can get VERY BUSY.

There’s also four 4-place tables on the side if you prefer a little more privacy…

Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant in Ward Center

As you see, the decor takes on a clean, contemporary asian flare, with warm, rather cozy ambient lighting. Very nice.

The usual Ramen Shop condiments (shoyu, rice vinegar and chili sauce), hashi and some beer specials…

Now let’s check out the menu (click on image to enlarge it for easier reading)…

Read those reviews I linked to earlier, and you’ll see the hit dish (err, bowl) here is the Tan Tan Ramen, which is quite obvious being it’s the first item listed on the menu.

That said, my girlfriend ordered the Charsiu Tan Tan Ramen, which is the same as the Tan Tan Ramen, except you get three (very generous!) slices of Charsiu instead of just one…

Goma Tei – Charsiu Tan Tan Ramen, $8.75

Tan Tan is described on the menu as “Japanese style soup broth with spicy sesame flavor”. Hence the name of the restaurant ‘Goma Tei’.

I stuck by my guns and went with my usual Shoyu Ramen, also opting for the Charsiu version…

Goma Tei – Charsiu Shoyu Ramen – $8.50

Oooh, that looks OISHII!

Instead of ordering the usual Gyoza on the side, my girlfriend (who’s been here before) highly recommended I try their Chicken Tastutaage…

Goma Tei – Chicken Tatsutaage, $6.75

OK, we need another “Best Fried Chicken in Hawaii” contest held once again, because this Chicken Tastutaage is ABSOLUTELY IN IT TO WIN IT! Man, this stuff is AWESOME! I’m usually not one for chicken, but this I can make compromise for. You have to order this if you visit Goma Tei. Winnah!

I don’t know if you can see here just how moist the chicken is within the heavily textured and thick golden brown batter crust, but it is!…

Chicken Tatsutaage – cutaway view (very moist and packed with flavor!)

The (very nice!) sauce accompanying it taste sort of like Tonkatsu sauce, except a little more spicy hot and more tomato-based…

The batter and or the chicken itself has some added flavors in it, which IIRC, was a hint of shoyu (with perhaps a little sugar), sesame and togarashi. It was rather complex, but the sum of it was an absolutely dynamite-tasting fried chicken. Highly recommended dish.

Now let’s take a closer look (and taste) of the Charsiu Tan Tan Ramen my girlfriend ordered…

I’d say the best way to describe the Tan Tan broth is that it’s like a thickened Tonkotsu broth, with the addition of sesame oil and a noticeable splash of heat provided by a rather generous sprinkling of Togarashi. If you look closely you can visually see specks of Togarashi, as well as the separating beads of the sesame oil (and fat) in the broth. It’s certainly packed with both flavor and texture (thickness), and would probably be an even better “hangover waker-upper” than the Shoyu Ramen.

For me, the Tan Tan is excellent in its own right, but a little too busy for my personal taste.  Still, my girlfriend absolutely loved it,  giving the Charsiu Tan Tan Ramen here at Goma Tei a solid 4 SPAM Musubi, almost 5!

I’m still loyal to a great bowl of Japanese shoyu ramen, and with that tried Goma Tei’s take on the dish…

Charsiu Shoyu Ramen

First of all the ramen noodles, where like Ramen Nakamura, who I’m guessing used Sun Noodle, the ones served at Goma Tei are in fact Sun Noodle, as confirmed by one of the servers. Nothing wrong with that, as Sun makes an EXCELLENT product.

As for the Shoyu broth? EXCELLENT, excellent. Very deep and complex. While not quite there yet with my favorite ramen shop in the Ginza, it’s a mighty fine representation of the genre and should be worthy of respect even to those from Japan. A FANTASTIC Shoyu Ramen broth.

But if you ask me, the broths here are practically the side attraction. Really the star of this show are these generous slices of Charsiu…

Goma Tei – Charsiu (in Shoyu Ramen)

OMG, they’re AWWWWWWWESOMMMME! Unlike any charsiu I’ve had before. Just look at how thick they’re sliced…

That’s about a 5/8″ thick slice. Take out your ruler and you’ll see exactly how substantial these rolled-up slabs of Charsiu heaven are. You can also see they’re rolled up pork, which I think is the ever-so-flavorful pork belly.

Now look at how tender they are, where as I try to grab it with my chopsticks, they just fall apart…

What that last photo above also may help depict is the amazing amount of flavor encrusting each Charsiu morsel. Like the Chicken Tastutaage, the Charsiu also had a complex spice profile just on the outter part of it, so when you bite into it,  it just explodes with flavor like an “awakening” lol. You can’t help but open your eyes in appeasement of what you just put in your mouth. So, so, so delicious.

There were a few slivers of Negi here and there, but being a Negi fan, I could have stood to have a little more. The choy sum was a nice color (and health!) touch, but flavorwise, forgettable and not necessarily what I’d say a great match with these particlar ramen. But I love Choy Sum, don’t get me wrong.

What was noticeably amiss was Menma (marinated Bamboo shoots), which is one of my priority ramen garnishes. Yet I’ll let that go this time, as Goma Tei’s absolutely amazing Charsiu (three thick pieces of it its namesake version) more than made up for that shortcoming.

Here’s a spread that would look good to just about anyone after an exhausting day at work…

Goma Tei Chicken Tastutaage, Charsiu Shoyu Ramen and and ice cold Kirin Draft

Ah yes… a great bowl of ramen, an amazing side dish of Japanese style fried chicken, a cold glass of Kirin draft, my girlfriend by my side, plus work for the day is over.  Life at this moment in time is GREAT!

Being it was slow, service was very quick and friendly on our visit to Goma Tei, yet with the amount of staff on duty, I’m sure they’re on top things even with a full house.

Goma Tei now has two locations: the one we visited is on the ground floor of Ward Center, with a newer sister restaurant in Ala Moana Center on the street level, makai side, heading towards Macy’s.

Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant in Ward Center

Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant
Ward Center
1200 Ala Moana Boulevard
Tel. 591-9188

Business hours:
Monday – Saturday 11am to 9:15pm (last call)
Sunday 11:30am to 8:15pm (last call)

The Tasty Island rating:

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

Related Links:
• Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant – ‘Ono Kine Grindz review
• Ramen Hunt Part I – Goma Tei – Hawaii Metblogs
• Goma Tei – Epicurean Appetite
• Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant – Yelp user reviews

Things To Do
Honolulu

Travel Channel's 'Man v. Food' Visits Honolulu

Travel Channel’s ‘Man v. Food’ host Adam Richman poses with some fans on Waikiki beach (photo courtesy of The Travel Channel)

The following press release courtesy of
Wendy Hofstetter
The Travel Channel

What is Travel Channel’s Man v. Food?
Host Adam Richman sets out to travel the country in search of the best places to do some serious indulging. Adam’s quest brings him to some of the greatest traditional food the nation can serve up, and he takes on some epic food challenges along the way. Watch the series to find out who wins when Man takes on Food.

Honolulu Details
Adam’s first stop is Hukilau Cafe, which has delicious burger creations that are ‘worth crossing the Pacific for’. Their Hukilau Burger includes a beef patty, fried egg, grilled onions, and a piece of teriyaki beef. As Adam says, ‘Nothing goes better with beef than beef’. Their other special is the Loco Moco: 2 beef patties over rice, topped with 2 fried eggs and then drenched with brown gravy. This dish is so popular, it’s eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Next up is Helena’s Hawaiian Food. This place serves up authentic Hawaiian food using recipes that have remained all in the family. What’s amazing is none of these recipes are written down. The head chef (grandson of the original owner) just adjusts the flavor of his dishes by taste! Here Adam tries the kalua pig and pipikaula short ribs. YUM!

The main challenge, according to Adam, is “the doughiest I’ve ever faced”. He heads to MAC 24-7 to take on the Mac Daddy Pancake Challenge: 3 pancakes, 14 inches wide, weighing 4 pounds, covered in toppings that must be downed in less than 90 minutes. Adam chooses blueberries and vanilla cream for his toppings, which I think is pretty smart given his other options were chocolate, nuts, coconut and pineapple. Will the New York Daddy Mac be able to finish the Honolulu Mac Daddy? You’ll have to watch to see!

Tune-in tomorrow (Wednesday), September 9th at 10 E/P (7pm HST; repeats again at 8pm HST). Here’s a preview video of the pancake challenge…

Also check out our Honolulu slideshow from Adam’s shoot.

Adam Richman (on the right in the brown and white Aloha shirt and sunglasses) partakes in a Hawaiian feast at Helena’s (photo courtesy of The Travel Channel)

************************************************

What? Man v. Food television program
What channel? The Travel Channel – Oceanic standard cable channel 58, digital channel 325
When? Wednesday, September 9, 2009 debut episode at 7pm HST; repeats again at 8pm HST
What will it feature? Host Adam Richman visits several eateries on Oahu, including Hukilau Cafe in Laie, Helena’s Hawaiian Food in Kalihi and Mac 24-7 in Waikiki, where he takes on the “Mac Daddy Pancake Challenge”.

Related links:
• Man v. Food host tackles Mac 24-7 – Honolulu Star Bulletin
• (Recap) ‘No Reservations’ Hawaii Episode Airs Tonight! – The Tasty Island

Things To Do
Honolulu

Grindz of the Day: Sushi, Laulau 'n Stuff

SushiMan – Lunch Bento (15 pieces), $7.49

Whether you go to Kozo, SushiMan or Aloha Sushi (three of the largest competing take-out Sushi chains on Oahu), they each have their own version of the “lunch box” as you see above.  In SushiMan’s case, they call it a “Lunch Bento”. The made-to-order freshness, quality, variety and value of these “Lunch Box” sushi sets are hard to beat.

Look at everything you get here: 1 piece each: Ahi Nigiri, Hokkigai (clam) Nigiri, Ebi (shrimp) Nigiri, Unagi (eel) Nigiri, Egg Nigiri; and 2 pieces each: Kanpyo Maki, Shinko Maki, Cucumber Maki, California Maki and Futomaki. Plus they give you a generous serving of Sushi Shoga (sweet pickled ginger) and wasabi in a little cup on the side. What a deal!

For what it’s worth (FWIW), a solid 3 SPAM Musubi (borderline 4) for SushiMan’s Lunch Bento on this day. Oh, this is from the Hawaii Kai Town Center location (by Costco).  They’re in the center where the concert stage is along the marina waterfront.

Since they were kinda’ hidden in the box, here’s the two California Maki…

SushiMan – California Maki

I was actually quite satisfied with these California maki. I’m usually disappointed with California rolls in maki form as they usually just don’t taste “right”, prefering the classic Temaki style (hand roll), but these were very good.  I think it’s the way they shredded the immitation crab meat, and also the kind of mayonnaise they used, which could have been that richer Japanese variety.

Oishikatta.

In case you don’t know, “Grindz of the Day” entries on this blog are usually just a random showcase of various meals I, or someone I know had at some recent time or another, without going much into detail. Although I’ll try to explain as much as I can remember about each dish.

Moving along, we have another bento that Diner E picked up from Boulevard Snack near on Dillingham Boulevard…

Boulevard Snack – Teriyaki Chicken and Fried Gyoza, $6.49

He also got several maki rolls to go along with it…

Boulevard Snack – Tuna Maki, California Maki and Kim Chee Maki, $1.00 each (wow!)

Diner E gave the Teriyaki Chicken and Fried Gyoza Bento 2-SPAM Musubi, while I got to try a slice each of the maki sushi and give them a solid 3. The sushi rice was PERFECT. And just a buck each!

Next we have a Laulau plate from Young’s Fishmarket…

Young’s Fishmarket – Laulau plate, $12.05

The last time I had the laulau from Young’s, it was a little undercooked and underseasoned. This time it was PERFECT. Supah ono!

Young’s Fishmarket  – Laulau

I could have sworn I tasted some butterfish in there just for flavor, although most of it was smokey, tender, tasty Kalua pork. I love PLENTY Luau leaves, and here Young’s does not skimp on it. They give choke.

Their Pipikaula tastes too much like Teriyaki beef. I think they should cut down on the sugar. Otherwise it has very “Pipikaula-like”  jerky-tough, yet still moist texture to it. Their Lomi salmon also had enough salmon in it to keep it clear of being nicknamed “Lomi Tomato”.  The perfect accompaniment with the Laulau. The Okinawan Sweet Potato was also steamed to perfection and kinda’ helped add the Poi factor, since there was none served here.

See, notice this plate is served with rice, which means one thing, it wasn’t actually my plate. My girlfriend picked this plate up from Young’s and shared it with me at home. If it were my plate, there’d be poi in there as my starch, not rice. For me, Hawaiian Food tastes waayyyyy better with Poi. Gotta’ get Poi.  Just gotsda’. But hey, I’m just cleaning up the leftovers in this case, so I can’t complain.

Moving along to our final “Grindz of the Day”, we have some featured daily specials that were on display at Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin Waikiki on a recent visit I made there, starting with this basket of deep-fried Tako…

This is Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin’s popular bite-size Tonkatsu…

Some kind of Japanese Cucumber appetizer…

I believe this is seared Kona Kampachi…

Last but certainly not least, the star of the show at Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin, the Kurobuta Pork Loin Katsu…

Adding some music to the luau here, Braddah Waltah, the pioneer of Hawaiian Reggae music in Hawaii performed a few numbers at The Shack Waikiki several weekends ago. Here he is…

Braddah Waltah performing live at The Shack Waikiki – Saturday, August 29, 2009