Libby's "Manapua Buns" Update January 2010

Back in August of 2008, we had a gripe with Libby’s, as we felt they were pulling the major “Pake” (stingy) card on us, giving us manapua that looked this…

and this…

and this!…

Brah, I almost had to wake Bruce Lee from his grave fo’ beef wit’ da owner on that one!  What the?!!!!!! lol

Thankfully, I think Libby’s has the BEST steamed BUN of all the manapua shops on Oahu, so regardless of the lack of charsiu filling, they were still edible.

Still, like everything in life, Manapua has to have balance, and mostly bun (bread), with little filling like the specimens shown above  just doesn’t cut it.

Yeah, I know there are much more serious  problems in this world. That’s why when it comes to food, we shouldn’t have to be dealing with “issues” or “drama” like this. lol

A concern or not as it may seem to you, thankfully the latest batch from Libby’s has redeemed their reputation as being one of, if not the best Manapua shop in Hawaii…

Ah, that’s much, much, MUCH BETTER!

Along with Charsiu Pork Manapua, Half Moon and Pork Hash, we also had Libby’s Chicken Manapua…

Pretty good! Heavy on the white pepper, with a very subtle curry accent, while being very moist and tender. Nice.

As for the customer service at the shop, which I’ve heard some complaints about, Diner C who got these for us (salamat po!) said that was another story. Still a little rude. Not that it should matter, as long as the Manapua’s good. Which thankfully it was this time!

Speaking of good, for dessert, let’s have some Chocolate Cream Pie from Sunny Side Bakery in Wahiawa!…

Once again, big salamat po to Diner C for all da’ ono grindz!

Sand Island Eats: Tatsuo's

On yet another Puahana Friday “greasy spoon”, hole-in-the-wall  lunch hunt today (1/29/10), Diner E, A and yours truly (Diner P) wound up checkin’ out da’ grindz at Tatsuo’s. A place somewhat hidden away on Alahao street, right before American Carpet One on the Ewa (west) side of   the beginning (Mauka end) of Sand Island Access Road.

Being named ‘Tatsuo’s’, along with the menu, there’s some reference to the owner’s Japanese roots found in the decor of the place…

Here’s the wonderfully-friendly and charming owner/operator/matriarch of the place, Laurie Morita and her assistant…

According to Laurie, they’ve been in business about 4 years now, with her mom helping out in the kitchen, as all the recipes are passed down from the family. Dig that.

See da’ sign on da side that says, “Thanx eh!”. What? you no see ’em? K, spock ’em heah…

Brah, in two brief words, das’ da’ aloha ‘kine style message from hard-working local people right de’ah. Love that!

Speaking of love, since we’re heading into February, which Valentine’s Day will fall on Sunday the 14th (*note to self*), with that comes sweets, where Tatsuo’s got some signature cookies goin’ on…

Of course being located in the heart of  “Truck Driver Alley” along the busy Sand Island Access Road corridor, where most of Oahu’s shipping and commerce activity takes place (if that give you any scale of the matter), “dainty and pretty” cookies ain’t quite gonna’ cut it.

You gotta’ have a complete and thorough menu that’s fitting for your (Honolulu truck driver) demographic, starting with breakfast…

then it only gets better…

and better…

The ULTIMATE local Hawaiian Island style comfort foods should be had in a snap-shot right here within this menu list…

Still not enough? Well then, there’s these tasty options…

Then there were the specials of the day, which included:

• Baked Ham
• Roast Turkey with Gravy
• Fried Chicken with Curry Sauce
• Chicken with Chinese Peas
• Garlic Oil Salmon
• Beef Stew
• Tripe Stew
• Chili

Side dish specials of the day included Kim Chee, Takuwan, Pickle Onion, Namasu, Mandarin Orange and Chayote with Tomato and Onion.

Wow, what a spread!  Here’s a few of those specials, starting with the ‘Garlic Oil Salmon’…

Fried Chicken…

Baked Ham, Kalua Pig and Cabbage and Chicken with Chinese Peas…

Tripe Stew, Beef Stew and Chili (ooh, da’ Tripe Stew looked winnahz!)…

Hammin’ it up….

Plating up some of that baked ham, along with Pickle Onion and Toss Salad…

Then there’s this choice…

and this (although I don’t know what it is, but it looks good!)….

Like many mom ‘n pop restaurants around the island, you’ll find a few off-beat advertisement signs and posters on the walls at Tatsuo’s, including this one here that immediately grabbed my attention, as you know I’m a huge Kikaida fan!…

Ah yes, all the Japanese Tokusatsu (live action sci-fi) classics from da’ 70’s. As a little boy I had every single toy shown there, which at one point in the early 2000’s was practically worth their weight in gold on eBay. Crazy.

O.K., so you got a look around the place and the menu. Now let’s check out what we ordered on this visit. Notice each plate gets slapped with a ‘Tatsuo’s’ sticker, which I think is a very nice and SMART advertising touch…

Underneath this, we have Diner E’s Kim Chee Fried Rice and Teriyaki Pork combo…

Diner A went with a Chicken Katsu Curry combo “mini” plate…

And yours truly went with the breaded fish plate…

Sorry about the cropped-out photo of my fish plate, as for the life of me, I had taken several shots of the whole plate, but somehow some kinda’ “evil menehunes” in my camera deleted them. Damned it, I hate when they do that!

Anyway, notice on my fish plate, I substituted rice for fries, essentially turning it into Fish ‘n Chips. That’s the ‘Brit’ in me. LOVE the stuff.

Zooming in closer to the fish, you can see how super-moist and fall-apart tender the white-fleshed fish inside is…

While I forgot to ask, I’m guessing it’s either Pollock or quite possibly (farm-raised, not Ala Wai raised) Tilapia. It certainly didn’t taste like Mahimahi or Ono.

The breading was light, airy and crisp, yet I think would have benefited by having more herbs and/or seasonings in it, as, as it stood was rather plain. Especially when paired with the very mild white fleshed fish within it. Otherwise well-executed, not to mention huge in portion, with four easy-to-bite deep-fried fillet slices served over a generous bed of fries.

As for the “chips”, unfortunately as shipped they didn’t have ANY salt on it. Thankfully they were cooked to a nice golden-brown-delicious state, so all it took to save them were for me to add my own salt, which I did, then it was all-good.

The accompanying tartar sauce tasted house-made and was very, very chunky and crunchy. While I prefer cocktail sauce with my Fish ‘n Chips, this worked out just fine. I also requested some lemon wedges, which they forgot to include. But that’s OK, was still good.

Then again, I’m probably a very rare customer who asks to substitute rice for fries here, let alone lemon with it, as Laurie was a little taken aback when I requested that. She must have been thinking “Whoah brah, what ‘kine haole you?” lol

Moving on to the sides, we have their “Mac” salad, which is actually a very nice blend of macaroni, potatoes and boiled egg…

Oh yeah. Very nice. Cool, creamy and simple, with just a light sprinkle of pepper. Certainly Best Foods Mayo’. The finely chopped boiled egg added a nice “oomph” to it, while the combination of textures between the al dente macaroni and fork-tender potato small potato chunks was wonderful. Diggin’ it.

Along with Macaroni (or Tossed Green) Salad, you also get to choose one other “side”, which on this day was either Kim Chee, Takuwan, Pickle Onion, Mandarin Orange and Chayote with Tomato and Onion, or what I chose, Namasu…

Diggin’ the Namasu too. Very oishii, with a great balance of sweet and acidic going on, while being thoroughly “pickled” in depth and crisp texture. Plus had choke Daikon (my favorite) cut into eye-pleasing floral shapes. Cute eh? lol Highly recommend side. I’d buy a bottle of this stuff if they sold it.

Since we’re on sides, I’ll jump to Diner E’s choice, where along with the Mac’ Sal’, he chose the Pickle Onion…

Just a quick lesson on Hawaii’s pidgin English, notice I say ‘Pickle Onion’ and not ‘Pickled Onions’, as most nouns in pidgin are singular, not plural, and present tense, not past.

So in Hawaii, it’s never ‘Shaved Ice’, it’s ‘SHAVE ICE’. God forbid you should call it a ‘Snow Cone’, or you going catch cracks (or you’ll get a slap). lol

Yet when it comes to a location or business, sometimes there’s a twist to the singular and plural, as we often say, “Costcos” for Costco. Or “Ala Moanas” for Ala Moana. Or better yet, we like to abbreviate, saying “Ala Mo’s”. Or “Cosco’s”. Or “Waikz” for Waikiki.

But anyway, as for Tatsuo’s, ehem, ‘Pickle Onion’, EXCELLENT! Noteworthy were the wonderful complimentary flavors of the red and yellow bell peppers mixed in with it. Nice! It has the same great balance of acidic and sweet going on like da’ Namasu, and again, another side I’d happily buy in a jar if they sold it. Another highly recommended side here.

Moving on to sampling the next dish, we have Diner E’s Kim Chee Fried Rice and Teriyaki Pork Combo, where here it looks like some scene from the movie ‘Alien’…

Removing the teriyaki pork, notice the kim chee fried rice is enveloped by an egg omelette…

Then peeking inside, you see the Kim Chee Fried Rice itself, which is thoroughly coated with Gochujang sauce, along with generous chunks of Kim Chee Won Bok…

Then you got the omelette wrapped around that? Common! You know this thing is power-packed with flavah!

As if that weren’t enough, you have this thoroughly-marinaded Teriyaki Pork slices accompanying it…

It almost tasted like Teriyaki Beef, as the marinade was deeply penetrated into the thin slices of pork. Tender and delicious, which I tried a piece and can attest to that.

Finally for the main entree part of the tasting session, we have Diner A’s Chicken Katsu Curry…

Well, what can I say? It’s basically Chicken Katsu covered in curry sauce, not stew. With that, it’s really ono! The panko is still somewhat crunchy, while absorbing that robust curry sauce, while the chicken within was very moist and tender. The curry sauce itself being pretty much standard fare, yet in harmony with the chicken katsu, where you know the saying!… Winnah, winnah, Chicken Katsu Curry Dinnah! Err, lunch that is.

Diner A enjoyed his, ehem, “mini” plate so much that he once again lived up to his reputation and “polished” it!…

We all unanimously give Tatsuo’s a solid 3 SPAM Musubi, eager to return to try more dishes on the menu.

Tatsuo’s
Local Breakfast, Lunch and Catering
2224 Alahao place (make a right, just before American Carpet One on Sand Island Access Road heading makai (towards the ocean)
Honolulu, Hawaii  96819
Tel. 841-2044
Fax. 841-9991
www.tastuos.com (site under construction)

Menu (<—click to download PDF document; current as of  January 2010)

The Tasty Island Rating:

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

Related links:
• Tatsuo’s – Yelp user reviews
• Hawaiian Grown Kitchen TV features Tatsuo’s – YouTube (see follow-up segments at links provided on YouTube)

P.S. I was wondering whether I should change the name of this blog to ‘The Sandy Island’? Nah, doesn’t sound right. lol

Things To Do
Honolulu

Grindz of the Day: Healthy Heart Sandwich and Smoke Meat & Poi

Eat Cafe’s Healthy Heart Sandwich with Alfalfa Sprouts, Roasted Red Bell Peppers, Avocado and Julienned Hearts of Palm on Multi-grain Bread that’s slathered with Hummus. $7.95

After that onslaught of, ehem, “comfort food” featured in the last ‘Grindz of the Day’ post, I figured it was time to trim down and treat my cardiovascular system to what IT would consider “comfort food”. Therefore upon Diner AC’s recommendation, I tried the ‘Healthy Heart Sandwich’ from Eat Cafe in the Gentry Pacific Design Center. This special is available for a limited time until February 15th, with 15% of the proceeds going to the American Heart Association.

The Healthy Heart Sandwich is made with Alfalfa Sprouts, Roasted Red Bell Peppers, Avocado and Julienned Hearts of Palm on Multi-Grain Bread that’s slathered on each side with Hummus….

Sounds and looks good, huh? It was delicious!

If there’s one thing I’d request if ordering this again is that they toast the bread, which I think would have been even better. I also think a light vinaigrette dressing drizzled over the contents might have given it some it-could-have-helped “zip”, as the hummus was rather subtle and not as “garlicky” as I expected it to be. Thankfully the julienned Peperoncini served alongside it helped “kick it up” in that regard.

Summing it up, we’ll give Eat Cafe’s Healthy Heart Sandwich a guilt-free and for-a-good-cause in every regard 3 SPAM Musubi.

Moving on and somewhat negating the effort of having that wonderfully light and healthy sandwich above, since I had to make use of the remaining Poi I had in the refrigerator from the recent Warm Milk and Poi post , AND, since I also had some smoked meat in the freezer my cousin sent from the Big Island that’s due to be consumed, I figured this was a good time for some Smoke (not “smoked”) Meat and Poi…

I don’t know what it is, but something about meat and fish wrapped up in butcher’s paper has more appeal to it than how it’s most commonly sold nowadays on foam trays with plastic wrap.

Let’s bust it out and cut some up…

This big island smoked meat is based on my late uncle Jack’s recipe, which has a perfect balance of shoyu-salty, sweet and heat. Good stuff!

Pan fry ’em till da’ buggah stay get da’ koge action (a.k.a. papa’a or charred on the edges)…

Plate ’em up wit’ da’ bowl poi den’ get ready foa’ some supah ono kine grindz!…

Da’ bes’ way fo’ whack smoke meat is fo’ dip da’ buggah in da’ poi lad’dis (the best way to eat smoked meat is to dip a piece in the poi bowl like this) lol…

Hoooooo, da buggah broke da’ mout winnahz! Notice the poi is about 3 days old now, so stay small kine sowah’ (sour), but not really.

Also notice I have tomatoes plated on there, as I always like to have some kind of veggie with a meat entree (good boy, good boy. Gets pat on back. lol). I wish I had Maui onions on-hand, which I would have pan-fried with the smoke meat, but nevah get, so made do with simple sliced fresh tomatoes. Was pretty good with the smoke meat! Kinda’ reminded me of eating a BLT sandwich sans the lettuce and bread.

As always, Big Island style smoke meat and poi gets a broke da’ mout’ winnahz 5-SPAM Musubi from me.

Mapunapuna Eats: Henry Loui's

Honolulu’s may not be the first city that comes to mind when it comes to barbecue, let alone ribs, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have our share of places to get some good ole’ lip-smackin’ backs and all that at. One of which we visited today named Henry Loui’s, which has a long-running history at this very much off-the-beaten path, semi-hidden-from-the-road location on Pa’a street in the industrial district of Mapunapuna.

Not to say Henry Loui’s can be labeled a barbecue joint, as besides their highly acclaimed baby back ribs, other than that, for the most part the menu takes several unsurprising yet very welcome and familiar detours in direction with a mix of mostly American, along with a few local favorites.

Sorry to say but we were in a rush and didn’t dine-in on this visit, which would have made for a much more thorough review, as this place has quite an interesting decor and ambiance, especially considering the area where it’s at.

The dimly-lit and rather cozy looking wood tavern theme could just as well fit in at a suburb shopping mall, or perhaps even in Waikiki; not surrounded by warehouses, heavy equipment dealers and building materials suppliers, which is where you’ll find them. Here’s the dining room side of the place…

Here’s the sports bar side of the joint…

Of course, the whole place serves as a restaurant and bar, it just depends where you’re more comfortable sitting at. Or you can order anything on the menu for takeout as we did. Since we were running a business errand in the area, we placed our order then left to take care of that, returning in about 20 minutes where our orders were all packed up and ready to go. Time management.

Without further ado, we start with Diner A’s takeout order, which he decided on trying the Broiled Hamburger Deluxe, featuring a 6 Oz. Hamburger, Onions, Lettuce, Tomato and Cheese…

Broiled Hamburger Deluxe, featuring a 6 Oz. Hamburger, Onions, Lettuce, Tomato and Cheese. $9.50

He was very pleased to find that 6 oz. beef patty had the always-tasty cross-hatch sear markings under it…

It was kinda’ funny as he held it up, showing off the grill marks to us like it was some kind of trophy he won. “Ooh, la-lah! Check it out!”. lol

Here’s the burger fully assembled and ready for a massive bite…

So what did Diner A think of Henry Loui’s Char Broiled Burger? Thumbs up. Way up. We already know about the fabulously seared patty. It was also cooked thorougly through to medium, which is how he always prefers the doneness to be…

The veggies were very fresh as was the bun, which also had a nice toast to the inside, which any burger enthusiast knows is key to greatness. The only thing he mentioned where Henry Loui’s dropped the ball is they didn’t spread mayonnaise on the insides of the bun halves. Bummer deal right there. Either they forgot or just don’t include it by default and you must request it. If so, they should have asked.  Note to self: keep bottle of Mayonnaise in lunchroom refrigerator for moments like this.

While I didn’t get to try the burger, I did try the fries…

Yumm-oh! Steak-cut thick with a lightly spicy seasoned batter on it, giving this wonderful sort of flaky crust that’s packed with flavor and texture. I think it’s safe to say these are qualified contenders for the “Best Fries in Honolulu” award (if such a thing existed).

Summing it up, Diner A gives a very solid 3 SPAM Musubi, noting it would have probably been a 4 had it had the mayo’. Better yet (I’m saying), if they had some “special sauce” (usually mayo’ mixed with either ketchup and/or mustard).

Next we have Diner E’s takeout order, where he chose the Crab Meat, Bacon and Avocado Double Decker Sandwich…

Crab Meat, Bacon and Avocado Double Decker Sandwich. $9.50

Let’s zoom in closer on that crab…

Going in for the attack…

Diner E noted the generous amount of crab salad piled on had real crab meat in it.  I actually had my sights on this sandwich, knowing the combination of the bacon, avocado and crab salad would probably be a winner, and Diner E attested to that assumption. It was a winner. So much that he’d actually order this again, even with all the other great sounding dishes on their huge menu.

With that he gives Henry Loui’s  Crab Meat, Bacon and Avocado Double Decker Sandwich a “Saimin Kaukau” approved, very solid 3 SPAM Musubi.

Last but not least we have my order, which I went with their “Specialty of the House”, a half-rack of  Henry Loui’s Renowned Barbecued Baby Back Ribs, which they call the “Best Suckin’ Ribs In Hawaii!”…

Henry Loui’s Renowned Barbecued Baby Back Ribs. $13.95

Let’s have a look from another angle…

Diggin’ the koge (burnt) edges on the rib bone tips. You know this baby’s been kissed with the flames.  The generous slathering of sauce is welcome site as well. More sauce the better as far as I’m concerned.

Cutting a rib off, look how much tender-lookin’ meat is packed on there…

Here’s another very meaty individual baby back pork rib, where you can also see how gelatinous their house-made BBQ sauce is surrounding it…

Biting away at it (in a voracious caveman kinda’ way), you can see how it easily pulls (I won’t say falls) off the bone…

The pork meat was very tender, although not as juicy as I would have liked. I think because they boil their ribs which changes the texture, as compared to if they were slow-cooked in a barbecuepit, or even simply pre-baked on low heat in an oven; the latter of which is how I make my baby backs. Not that they were dry, as they weren’t, but not quite “pass me the napkins” succulent and moist as I consistently get at Tony Roma’s Waikiki location.

Speaking of Tony Roma’s, who I’m admittedly highly biased to LOVING their original sauce (as commercial as they are), as for Henry Loui’s sauce, I really don’t know where to go with it. Henry Loui’s Chef Ronie explains it like this: “(Our sauce is) a cross between an Asian and Texas base.”  The base is more shoyu influenced and there’s a gratifying lack of the sugary sweetness that sometime comes from over use of tomato sauce. They’re sweet for sure, but there’s definitely a hint of something more- and they truly do fall off the bone.”

I think that “something more” is Chinese Plum Sauce, which along with the shoyu explains the “asian” part of it. Don’t think Teriyaki, as the shoyu part of it is very subtle. There’s probably a few other spices in it, whether that may be garlic, ginger and/or chili pepper (although it’s not spicy hot at all). It certainly has sweet going on in a fruity, plum-flavored way, while being only mildly acidic.

But nothing in and of itself stood out, sort of being one nondescript homogeneous combination all the aforementioned attributes. All I can say is the sauce is “different”, and unlike any other barbecue sauce I’ve had before. “Interesting” is the best way I can explain my reaction to it.

Moving along, lunch entrees at Henry Loui’s include your choice of soup or tossed green salad and either french fries, mashed potatoes, red boiled potatoes, rice or pasta (or baked potato for $1.50 extra). Which for the starch I chose the boiled red potatoes…

Fork-tender, with a generous coating of garlic butter with parsley smothered on it. Delicious. While I still can’t over those EXCELLENT seasoned fries at Henry Loui’s, I’m still very happy with this starch as my side.

For the other choice, I went with the soup over the salad, which for this day was Cream of Chicken and Mushroom…

Not bad. They’re heavy on thickening with cornstarch here, as just like the rib sauce, so did the soup have that gelatinous texture to it. Was good though. It had a pleasant house-made restaurant quality taste to it if you will (ya’ know?), with generous slices of mushrooms and chunks of chicken in it (click on photo to see a spoonful).

Summing up Henry Loui’s half rack baby back ribs with red potatoes, mixed veggies and cream of chicken and mushroom lunch entree, for the most part everything was cooked properly and presented well (considering its takeout), while portions were generous and an overall good value. With the ribs itself being the only thing leaving me hanging on a fence, I give it 2-1/2 SPAM Musubi (I’m working on adding a half-SPAM Musubi icon to this blog’s rating system. Stay tuned).

The place was bustling when we got there at peak lunch hour, indicating Henry Loui’s has a well-established following of local clientele including both blue and white collar workers. Which like the also popular hidden gem-in-an-industrial area Side Street Inn, can have you scratching your head like “where do all these folks come from?!”.

I for one am certainly enthusiastic to return to sample more on the menu at Henry Loui’s, making it a point to dine in next time so we can absorb the unique ambiance and “flavor” of the place itself, where by first impression on this visit for me, looks to be just as important as the food, which for the most part, was a big thumbs-up!

Henry Loui’s
2850 Pa’a street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96819
Tel. 833-3728
www.HenryLouis.net

The Tasty Island rating:

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

Related links:
• Henry Loui’s Restaurant – Yelp user reviews
• Henry Loui’s – Enjoy Pupu, Drinks and Ribs in a Cozy Atmosphere in Mapunapuna – HawaiiDiner.com
• Henry Loui’s – Wine and Dine Hawaii

Grindz of the Day: Masa & Joyce, M&W Drive Inn, Yummy's and Zippy's

First up is a plate of goodies from Masa & Joyce Okazuya in Kaneohe I picked up this past week. That includes an Ume Musubi, Corned Beef Hash and Hot Dog Maki Sushi on the bottom row, and a Vegetable Tempura, Ahi Patty and Teri Burger Patty on the top row. My favorite of the bunch being the Vegetable Tempura and the Hot Dog Maki Sushi.

Notice the Okazuya style tempura (I’m not sure if it’s necessarily an Okinawan thing) has a batter that’s more glutenous and “doughy” than the more delicate and crispy Japanese Tempura. This allows it to hold up well even at room temperature, which is usually how Okazuya food served by the time lunch hour strikes. I love that. It’s like “beach food”. Ya’ know?

Also, Masa & Joyce is the only place I know of where they put an entire hot dog in the middle of the rice and nori, nicely rolled-up maki sushi style. Best part is the hot dog is kinda smoky, along with a light shoyu marinade, providing that magical savory ‘n salty contrast to the neutral white rice and earthy nori. Really ono! Sshhhh, don’t tell anyone, but I think I like this better than SPAM Musubi!

Next up, also in Kaneohe further down the street heading north we have this insane combination plate from M&W Drive Inn….

Diner E picked this up the other week from the place, which took over the spot where L&L used to be in front of Mui Kwai.

M&W is known for crazy combos that quite honestly, would have any cardiologist shaking their head. For instance, there’s Pizza, that also comes with Macaroni Salad, French Fries and Hamburger Steak. What the?!!!!

Or get a (carbo) load of the combo shown above. That’s a heaping pile of Chinese style fried rice with Charsiu in it, egg on top, AND a burger on the side to boot. Good Lord! Better be runnin’ a marathon after that one! lol

I imagine you can also get a chili dog plate with lup cheong instead of hot dogs in it, along with a duck egg on the side. Add cheese on your duck egg for 50 cents extra.  OMG, that last idea sounds so gross! lol

Driving back to Honolulu via Pali Highway, we have a Kal Bi plate from Yummy Korean Barbecue at the Kaheka street location fronting Don Quijote…

Speaking of carbo loading, notice for the banchan sides, there’s not one, but TWO styles of Korean Potatoes chosen as the “veggies” (which you get 4 choices total). There’s the type that’s simmered in shoyu, sugar and garlic, and also the type that’s smothered with mayonnaise…

I really dig Korean style potatoes, in how the sweetened shoyu permeates into the tender flesh.

Along with Choi Sum, I also selected this really tasty egg banchan, which was kinda’ like Egg Fu Yung…

The eggs were super moist and kinda’ buttery, while the veggies mixed in it added a fantastic flavor and texture contrast. Yummy’s-yum-num-num-num!  If you go to Yummy’s, I highly recommend you try this Banchan (if they have it).

Oh, as always, the Kal Bi was, as J.J. from the 70’s sitcom ‘Good Times’ would say, “DYYYYY-NO-MITE!”

Finally we head towards Ala Moana boulevard, then Nimitz highway where we’re back at Zippy’s where Diner A picked up their ever-popular Teri Beef Sandwich and Saimin Combo…

The Teri Beef Sandwich, looking fab’ as ever…

Rounding out the greatest combo ever “invented”, da’ saimin…

A bite of the teri burger, then a slurp of the saimin “nudoze” and, hoooooo, broke da’ mout’ winnahz!

Finally from Zippy’s, Diner E had one of their daily specials, the Corned Beef Sandwich, where they really put the BEEF in Corned Beef!…

Brah, what is that? Like half the brisket they slapped in there? Crazy! I mentioned to Diner E that the only thing it’s missing is the yellow mustard.

Notice Zippy’s is using Potato Buns now. I don’t remember seeing that used before. Good deal. Love potato buns. Teddy’s Bigger Burgers uses those. Zippy’s had a sign at the front counter saying you can also opt for a gourmet sesame bun. Nice.

Zippy’s. Gotta’ love ’em.

Goodness. Just looking at all that food, I need to go take a walk around the block. lol

Yamachan Miso Ramen with Fish Soup Base

Merchandised at Ward Marukai next to the new Shoyu Ramen with Chicken Soup Base, was this here Miso Ramen with Fish Soup Base. Wow, we’re gettin’ low on the base! Boom-boom-boom. Boom-boom-boom (to the tune of Black Eyed Peas). lol

This is another nama ramen product made for Yamachan of Japan by Nippon Food Service, Inc.. in San Jose, California. Luckily as I discovered with the their Shoyu Ramen with Chicken Base, being made in the USA doesn’t necessarily mean it will taste “Americanized”. It’s very authentic to ramen you’ll find right in Tokyo. Now let’s find out how their take on Miso Ramen is.

First of all I’ll have to admit I’m not a fan of Miso ramen. I LOVE Miso Soup. Love the stuff. But when it comes to ramen that’s miso-flavored? Nah, not my favorite. Yet I’ll still eat it. Besides, even so-so ramen can arguably be better in my mind than a really good burger. That’s how much I love the stuff!

Knowing my somewhat bias there on the get go, let’s move on and see what we’ve got, looking now at the back of the package…

I’m not about to retype all those ingredients, so if you want, go ahead and click on that photo to read what’s in it.

Without reading that, we do know that A: there’s miso paste in it; and B: it has a fish soup base. Namely from Bonito extract, or Dashi if you will.

Like most packages of nama ramen, it includes 2 servings….

Not really the most appetizing thing to look at, here’s the Miso and bonito soup base in the bowl, ready for some hot water…

Add 1-1/4 cup of boiling water, and you got your Miso Ramen broth…

Just like miso soup, notice the clouding effect as it moves within the current of the stirred water. Hey, that almost sounded poetic. “Like horses galloping on a wide open plain into the yonder, as the sunset kisses another day goodbye.” lol

I decided to add a boiled egg to this bowl of ramen, so killing two birds with one stone (no pun intended), I boiled the egg along with the noodles…

Add the noodles to the broth, then the garnish, including charsiu (Chinese style), menma (marinated bamboo shoots), negi (green onion) and tamago (egg), and voila, Miso Ramen, Yamachan style with fish soup base….

Hai, itadakimasu!…

You know what? Even though I said I don’t really care for miso-flavored ramen, I’m kinda’ diggin’ this one! If I drink the broth by itself I still don’t care for it, but when eaten with the eggy-flavored noodles, charsiu and menma, it’s pretty good! It certainly doesn’t taste simply like miso soup with noodles in it, but has a much more complex flavor thanks to all the other “stuff” they have in the soup base; most notably the bonito. While in my humble opinion, the Shoyu Ramen with Chicken Soup base is much, much better, for those who are fans of Miso Ramen, I think they’ll be pleased with this offering from Yamachan.

The noodles had the same qualities I explained in the last post on its, ehem, I’ll dare to say, BIGGER BROTHER lol, the Shoyu Ramen. Al dente, silky, with that distinctive “eggy” flavor, while only faintly being able to tell they were previously frozen.

Summing it up, in highly biased opinion towards Shoyu Ramen, I still give Yamachan’s Miso Ramen with Fish Soup Base a very solid 2 SPAM Musubi (good!).

What? Yamachan Miso Ramen with Miso Flavor Fish Soup Base
Who makes it? Nippon Food Trends, Inc. in San Jose, California, for Yamachan of Japan
Where did you buy it and how much did it cost? Ward Marukai. $2.49 per 11.43 oz. package (2 servings)
Big shaka to: Good enough to make a non-fan of Miso flavored ramen smile. Broth flavor has an authentic Japanese ramen shop complexity to it. Noodles are al dente, silky, with that distinctive “eggy” flavor.
No shaka to: Being biased against anything other than Tokyo style Shoyu Ramen.
The Tasty Island rating: 2 SPAM Musubi

Yamachan Shoyu Ramen with Chicken Soup Base

It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed nama ramen (packaged refrigerated uncooked fresh ramen noodles and broth), as there simply haven’t been any new ones to try in the stores for a while now.  That is until I recently went shopping at Ward Marukai where I discovered this here Shoyu Ramen by Yamachan, featuring an ‘Oriental Flavor Chicken Soup Base’. Hmm, sounds interesting!

It seems chicken-based ramen broths are quite popular nowadays, including at ramen shops right here in Honolulu over at Kiwami Ramen in Waikiki and Tenkaippin on Kapahulu. Can chicken really beat pork in flavor when it comes to a great ramen broth? Let’s find out!

Here’s the back of the package, where you notice like the front, everything is in English…

Yamachan of Japan has this product made in California by Nippon Trends Food Service, Inc..  So does that mean this ramen will taste “Americanized”? I sure hope not!

Notice in the soup base’ ingredients there’s what they call ‘Chicken Essence’.  But really what I really think is the key ingredient listed on there is the ‘Menma Powder’. THAT’s what’s separating this broth from the others. More on that in a bit.

Here’s the contents for 2 servings…

Unlike the mostly inferior dried instant ramen products out there, nama ramen includes fresh noodles and a concentrated soup base in liquid form….

Dipping my finger in the concentrated, undiluted “chicken-based” broth here for a taste, I could already tell this was going to be one FABULOUS bowl of noodles.

Unlike the inferior dried instant ramen, where you add the dehydrated powdered soup base to the boiling noodles, with nama ramen, you pour the liquid soup base in a bowl as shown above. Then you add boiling water to the bowl and stir it to combine…

Notice the globules of fatty oil floating at the surface, as in the ingredients it says there’s chicken oil and vegetable oil. That’s what helps give the ramen noodles that silky texture as it slides into your mouth. Love that!

I was skeptical the noodles would turn out good, as I threw into the boiling water from the frozen state that they were sold in…

But nope, they turned out just fine, not clumping together at all. Here they are all cooked and drained…

Add the cooked noodles to the broth, then the garnishes and voila!…

Notice I used Chinese style Charsiu instead of my usual Japanese Chashu. Hey, close enough. Should work.

Then there’s the all-important garnish I think is MANDATORY with Japanese Ramen, which is the Menma, or Japanese marinated bamboo shoots. That’s those three tan colored rectangle pieces at the 3 0’clock position. Yamachan’s factory in Japan makes one that’s specifically designed for Japanese Ramen here…

Finally, keeping it fairly simple, I finished this bowl with Negi (green onions).

Hai, itadakimasu!…

Mmm, yeah. the noodles are perfectly al dente, while I could only faintly tell they were previously frozen. This is the main advantage Sun Noodle factory in Honolulu has, is that they can deliver their nama ramen products absolutely fresh right off the production line and not have to freeze them to extend shelf life while in transit.

Otherwise, Yamachan’s nama ramen noodles were comparable to Sun in flavor and quality. Excellent! They have that “eggy” twang to them, that if you’re a Japanese Ramen fan, you know what I’m talking about. The noodles are a little thinner than Sun Noodle brand, which actually allows them to absorb the broth’s flavor a bit more. This also makes them nice and silky as you slurp ’em up. Yosh!

As for the broth, that is the question. That IS the question. How is it?  In a word, “OISHII!”. I’m very, very impressed. I think this is the best Shoyu Ramen broth I’ve had from a nama ramen package yet. I’ve tried Yamachan’s original shoyu ramen (from Japan) and didn’t care for it all. Sun Noodle’s Shoyu Ramen broth had them beat. But This chicken-based broth is much, much, MUCH better!

Like I hinted earlier though, I don’t think it’s just the chicken “essence” that’s making it here, but it’s that Menma Powder listed in the ingredients, which you can really taste in the “background”. That gives it this depth and complexity that’s really difficult to explain in words, but when you taste it you’ll know exactly what I’m talkin’ about. It truly tastes like a broth that if you didn’t know it came out of a store-bought package, would have thought it had been made for hours and hours as a labor of love by a ramen chef in a small shop in a back alley in the Ginza district of Tokyo.

So as for this being made in California, therefore it will taste “Americanized”, no way San Jose! I mean no way, Sensei! Or how about “no way, Goma Tei!”  lol

Yamachan’s Shoyu Ramen featuring Chicken Soup Base is the real deal, and should leave most Japanese Shoyu Ramen fans out there very impressed. Oishii!

What? Shoyu Ramen Japanese Style Premium Noodles with Oriental Flavor Chicken Soup Base
Who makes it? Nippon Trends Food Service, Inc. (San Jose, California) for Yamachan
Where did you buy it and how much did it cost? Ward Marukai. $2.49 (sale price) per 10.79 oz. package (2 servings)
Big shaka to: Rich, flavorful ramen broth tastes authentic to what you might find at a ramen shop in Tokyo. Menma powder a key ingredient that adds depth and complexity. Chicken has proven to be a highly qualified, very tasty option to pork in making a great ramen broth. Frozen nama ramen noodles cooked up really nicely, turning out perfectly al dente and not clumping together at all. Great “eggy” flavor and silky texture. While not “perfect”, this is the best tasting Nama Shoyu Ramen I’ve had yet.
No shaka to: Slight hint that the noodles were previously frozen. VOG
The Tasty Island rating: 4 SPAM Musubi

Warm Milk & Poi

Continuing on this culinary journey down memory lane, or as we say in Hawaii, “Hanabaddah dayz”, we have Warm Milk and Poi. Yes my friends, no need to adjust your monitor or reading glasses, as, bizarre and possibly horrifying as it sounds, I personally think it’s far from that!

There’s actually a drink called ‘Poi Cocktail‘, which is made with milk, poi, sugar and/or salt, along with a few other personal flavorings all blended together. This is said to have been made back in the day to “appeal to western tastes”.

Not quite the same as that, Warm Milk & Poi was considered more of a health food dish my grandmother (who was half English, half Hawaiian, and spoke both languages fluently) fed us when we were young kids to settle our stomach, or simply as comfort food. Which makes sense, as Poi is said to be one of the easiest foods to digest for infants.

The key difference with how my grandmother prepared it is that it wasn’t blended all together into a homogenized liquid mixture, but was served more like in porridge/cereal/soup form, with the warm milk floating around and over the slightly-sweetened poi in whole form in a bowl like this…

To make it, warm whole milk up on the stovetop (don’t microwave it, as it doesn’t taste as good) to just below the boiling point and pour it over a bowl of VERY FRESH POI served at room temperature, mixed with just a pinch or two of sugar in it. The key is that the poi is as fresh as you can get it. 2-day old or longer aged Poi won’t work for this. Gotta’ be fresh, fresh, fresh.

To eat it, simply spoon some poi along with the warm milk and throw it down.

Buggah’ so ono!  At least for me anyway. 5 bowls of Poi rated!

That said, like many other childhood favorites when it comes to food, Warm Milk and Poi is something you would have had to have grown up with eating in order to appreciate. Otherwise, you’ll probably think it taste like Wallpaper Paste multiplied by 1,000,000. Gotta’ admit, that does kinda’ look like concrete mix with acrylic fortifier added to it. Something you might find at the local hardware store.  lol

Another good example of having to have grown up eating a particular treat or ethnic food in order to fully appreciate it, we have here Goldilocks Cheesy Ensaymada….

This is a product of the Philippines that Diner C shared with us, which she got from a family member who recently returned from a trip back to P.I..

Along with this, there’s also one by Goldilocks filled with pieces of ham in it called ‘Hamonado Ensaymada’…

Here it is removed from the package…

Here’s the cheese model cut in half…

And the ‘Hamonado’ model…

How did I like it? Eh… emmmm…. errrrrrr… kinda’ weird. I dunno’. The combination of the “fatty” grated cheese generously sprinkled over the powdered sugar-dusted crust didn’t really work for me.

The cheese itself has this strange combination of tasting like American, Cheddar and mild Parmesan all in one. All while being a bit unnerving that it’s packaged for sale at room temperature.

The cuts of ham within the hamonado model didn’t really add much to the party for me either.

The bread itself was very soft and supple, while being a bit spongy, so props on that. Otherwise, uh, yeah, err, eh, umm, O.K..

See, but Diner C grew up eating this stuff, so she’s extremely fond of it, and I totally understand and respect that. While I don’t really “get” these Cheesy Ensaymadas from the Philippines myself, neither would I expect her, you, or 99% of the rest of the world population to “get” Warm Milk & Poi.

These are the kinda’ ethnic or regional foods you had to have grown up with from “small keed” (a.k.a. “hanabaddah dayz” or childhood) time to really appreciate.

Just don’t try to use Warm Milk and Poi to set fence posts in the ground around your yard anytime soon. Chances are highly likely it won’t work. lol

P.S. In case you’re going to ask, that 16 oz. (1 lb.) bag of fresh Taro brand Poi was $5.19 today (1.22.10) at the Kaheka Don Quijote.

Nip's Shrimp Flavored Chips

So far this blog has covered many (if not most) of the well-known “old school”, classic snack chips made in Hawaii. All of whom have a long, multi-generation history in the islands, with humble beginnings of the companies behind them.

From Maebo’s One-Ton Chips, Kitch ‘N Cook’d Maui Potato Chips, Kona’s Kitch ‘N Cook’d Potato Chips, Atebara Potato Chips to Yick Lung Nibb-its.

One company I’ve (surprisingly) never heard of  that dates back to being founded in Hawaii way back in 1929 is Nip’s Potato Chip Factory. 1929!

Diner E was in Alicia’s Market the other day when he happened to spot fresh new packages of Nip’s Shrimp Flavored Chips on the shelf there. When he told me about “Nip’s Potato Chips”, I told him it didn’t ring a bell.

Well for him it did, as seeing it once again immediately triggered his “Hanabaddah Dayz” alarm, remembering Nip’s brand Potato Chips that once filled the neighborhood mom ‘n pop shops he frequented in Kalihi where he grew up. A product he hasn’t seen (or noticed) for quite a long time since. Apparently some things never change, as here it is, still found almost exclusively in a Kalihi mom ‘n pop mini market.

Yet today there are some changes at Nip’s Potato Chip Factory, as according to my very brief conversation with Norman Nip, current owner/operator and son of founder James Nip (Chinese family), the company no longer makes Potato Chips or Taro Chips due to the “economic conditions”.

For now (only for now hopefully!), all that remains in the product line are their Shrimp flavored Chips…

As for the currently available Nip’s Shrimp Chips, according to Norman Nip, they can only be found at Alicia’s Market in Kalihi and select Long’s Drugs Stores on Oahu.

Gotta’ say, that pink Shrimp Chip in the center looks kinda’ like the tongue for the Rolling Stones logo. lol

As for the taste and quality of Nip’s Shrimp Flavored Chips, they’re pretty much standard fare for the genre, while thankfully being crisp, light and not greasy at all. My main suggestion is that they could use a little more salt. As it was, other than their shrimp-flavored undertone, they were kinda’ on the bland side.

In comparison, I’d have to admit the widely distributed Frito Lay’s Maui Style Shrimp Chips have considerably more flavor and even better texture than these.

Still, gotta’ support the local mom ‘n pop companies like Nip’s, with a history that goes back decades in our islands. Hopefully we’ll once again see Nip’s Potato Chips and Nip’s Taro Chips join their long-standing Shrimp Chips, along with many more varieties fill store shelves around the islands and beyond!

If you have memories of Nip’s Chips, please share!

What? Nip’s Shrimp Flavored Chips
Who makes it? Nip’s Potato Chips Factory
Pohukaina street,  Honolulu, Hawaii  96813  Tel. 808-593-8549
Where did you buy it and how much did it cost? Alicia’s Market @ $2.95 per 2-1/2 oz. bag
Big Shaka to: Light ‘n crispy; not greasy. Long history of being in business in Hawaii (established 1929!). “Hanabaddah Dayz” appeal.
No Shaka to: Needs more salt. Only one product in current company line-up. Very limited retail distribution on Oahu.
The Tasty Island rating: 2 SPAM Musubi (1 bonus point for longevity, with plenty room for growth!) 🙂

Li Hing Everything

Clockwise from bottom left: Pineapple, Fuji Apple, Korean Shingo Pear, Papaya
and Cantaloupe, with Li Hing Powder at the center of this fruity universe

Time to bust out the napkins, as some of the following images are bound to induce heavy salivation and possible drooling.

Seriously, for those of us who are fimiliar with it, immediately upon looking at that red color psychologically places that salty-sweet-tart blast on the tongue as if  we were actually nibbling and sucking on a Li Hing Mui, Li Hing-flavored Pickled Mango and much more as you’ll soon see.

Li Hing Mui, a Chinese preserved plum remains more popular than ever in Hawaii today as a candy of sorts, where like all the other ethnic specialties in the islands, were first introduced, then homogenized by immigrated laborers from that country during the plantation era.

Photo sourced from the Sunday Manoa album cover

The Yick Lung brand of Li Hing Mui, also sometimes called “crack seed” (which is a wetter, literally cracked Li Hing Mui seed) and other related preserved fruits and sweets under that brand dominated endcaps at the checkout stand at the neighborhood Long’s Drugs and Star Market (the latter now only a memory) during the 70’s and early 80’s when I grew up here in Hawaii (dating myself). You can’t mistake that classic yellow label with the rounded top. Remember that?!!!

While Yick Lung has since pulled out of this particular market, today you can find Li Hing flavored snacks under a number of new labels at grocery stores and other retailers all around the islands. Most of which maintaining the quality I remember Yick Lung offered, with the key exception being that Yick Lung was manufactured right here in Honolulu (made in Hawaii) at their former facility on Dillingham Boulevard (gotta’ miss that). This while the brands available today are mostly repackaged from sources in foreign countries.

According to the Wikipedia article on Li Hing Mui, the name translates in Chinese to “traveling plum”, with Li Hing meaning “traveling” and Mui meaning “plum”. I’ll assume being its preserved makes it easily portable, therefore the adjective “traveling”.

Now with the widespread availability of Li Hing Powder, we’re seeing more and more culinary uses for it. Local snack companies offer the everything from Li Hing Arare (Japanese rice crackers), Li Hing lollipops, Li Hing Gummy Bears and Gummy Worms, to an ever-growing variety of Li Hing dried fruits, such as these Fuji Apples…

Read the complete review of Li Hing Fuji Apples in the original write-up here.

Probably the most bizarre manufactured product I’ve seen yet is this Li Hing Plum Candy…

Read the complete Tasty Island review of Li Hing Plum Candy in the original write-up here.

When it comes to brands of Li Hing Powder (there’s a number of them out there now), I found the best tasting one is made by Jade…

Notice the flavoring is  prune (some others use licorice), while the sweetener is good ‘ole sugar (and dextrose monohydrate). Many other brands I’ve seen in the stores use Aspartame, a.k.a. Equal or NutraSweet. I’ve tried those Aspartame-sweetened ones, and they indeed have that slight “cough medicine” like taste in comparison to this one with regular sugar. You can definitely tell the difference.The Jade brand is also more reddish in color, while some other brands look more brown. Personally I prefer my Li Hing look red as it psychologically appears sweeter and candy-like.

Whether it has Aspartame or any other ingredients that seem questionable, the subject on whether Li Hing has harmful health effects has been addressed. Such as whether it has cancer risks in this Honolulu Advertiser article, and the 411 on PHENYLKETONURICS in this Midweek article.

The bottom line in both articles suggesting, like any other food high in sodium and/or sugar, in moderation there shouldn’t be a concern consuming Li Hing treats. Of course, make sure to brush your teeth afterwards.

It seems foods that are highly acidic are the most complimentary to the unique and intense salty-sweet-tart flavor profile of Li Hing powder.

As for the fresh fruits shown in the first photo above, that tan colored fruit at the 2 o’clock position is a Korean Shingo Pear, which isn’t really acidic, but thought I’d give it a try with Li Hing anyway.  Hear it is sliced in thin wedges and ready for a good sprinkling of Li Hing Powder….

Simply sprinkle the Li Hing Powder on all sides…

Repeat for whatever other fruits you wanna’ “Li Hinginize” lol. Then pop them in a ZipLoc bag and place in freezer until frozen just before the point of being ice hard.

Out they come for an ice cold, “hyper-tasty” snack!….

The top row on that plate is frozen Li Hing Pineapple, the second row frozen Li Hing Fuji Apple and the bottom row frozen Li Hing Korean Singo Pear. I didn’t apply Li Hing Powder to the Papaya or Cantaloupe as they weren’t ripe yet. I’ll add it in here later.

Now when I say “hyper-tasty”, I reallly mean that, as Li Hing is a potent and bold flavoring ingredient. There’s no mistaking when you taste it.

As I said earlier, Li Hing seems to be most complimentary with foods that are high in acidity. With that, between the Li Hing coated frozen Pear, Apple and Pineapple, my favorite is the highly acidic Pineapple. Good stuff. Its frozen state makes all the difference. I didn’t like any of them nearly as much at just chilled temperature. With the exception of Li Hing Mui Lemon, FROZEN is the way to go with fresh fruits done Li Hing style.

Then you have one of the most popular uses in Hawaii for Li Hing, whether it’s the powder or the plum seed, which is in Pickled Mango!…

OK, I have to admit, I just salivated after looking at that one. lol

Probably the most innovative use of Li Hing powder I’ve seen and tasted yet is Hawaii celebrity Chef Alan Wong’s Blanched Hamakua Springs Tomato and Japanese Cucumbers served with a Li Hing Vinaigrette and micro Thai Basil garnish…

That’s an absolutely gorgeous presentation. Best of all, that Li Hing Vinaigrette dressing along with the (acidic) tomato and cucumbers tastes AMAZING! So amazing that I was inspired to replicate the dish at home, which I did here…

I should have cut the Japanese Cucumbers thinner so there’s more to fan out and cover the seeds. That’s OK, still looks pretty good. I couldn’t find the micro Thai Basil in the supermarket, so opted instead for Shiso Leaves for the garnish, which Chef Wong also uses in his presentations.

The tomato’s skin is peeled for this dish, which you do by cutting an X at the bottom then place the tomato in boiling water and blanch for about 30 seconds. Then remove it and drop in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. The X cut on the bottom enables you to start the peel, making it much easier to pull the skin off in large sections. Then you cut the peeled tomato horizontally into sections about 3/8″ thick. The idea here is to have tomato “steaks” if you will.

Here’s the recipe for the Li Hing Vinaigrette, which I found on this website (mahalo!)….

Li Hing Mui Vinaigrette

• 1 whole egg
• 2 tablespoons Ume paste (Kinjirushi Neri Ume Shiso brand)*
• 2 tablespoons Li Hing Mui Powder**
• 1/4 cup Mitsukan rice vinegar
• 1 cup salad oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Place all the ingredients except the oil and lemon juice in a mixing bowl.  With hand-held immersion blender on medium speed, slowly add the oil in a steady stream to create an emulsion. Continue until all oil is incorporated. Finish with lemon juice. Chill until ready to use.

To make the dish, blanch and peel the tomato as directed above. Slice Japanese cucumbers thinly and fan out over a plate that’s coated evenly in the center with Li Hing Vinaigrette. Top with peeled and sliced tomato assembled as a whole and finish with garnish. Enjoy.

The combination of the “meaty” somewhat acidic tomato slices along with the crispy cucumber slices eaten together while coated in the creamy Li Hing and Ume flavored Vinaigrette is so, so ONO! I really encourage you to try making this refreshing and very unique salad. 5-SPAM Musubi!

Kat did a spin on this recipe, substituting Mayo for the egg and EVOO for the salad oil. Read about it on her blog here.

Moving along and pushing my “Li Hing Luck”, since I was on a roll and I had a fresh hot batch of Charsiu on-hand we just made,, I decided what the heck, let’s try it on that!…

You know what? It tasted pretty good! Not bad. Not bad at all. As you know pork goes well with sweet things, and salt always helps bring the flavor of the meat out. The only questionable part is the tart. That makes it taste a little weird, but not nearly as bad as I expected.

See, what I’m trying to concoct is a Li Hing Barbecue Sauce that would work good on Baby Back Pork Ribs. But I don’t want it to be too “Li Hingy” (that sounds funny), but just enough where you know it’s in there. I really think the sweet/sour/salty flavor of it would compliment pork (like it kinda’ did on the Charsiu) if the Li Hing BBQ sauce recipe formuation is done right. Any suggestions?

Star Pacific Trading, the same company that makes the Li Hing Plum Candy shown above also makes Li Hing Mui Sauce, so that looks like a good start. They show it being used on a salmon steak which sounds kinda’ interesting. I figure if lemon is a good flavor enhancer for fish, the tart factor in the Li Hing should work too if applied the right way. Yet in the fish’s case, I’m questioning how the sweetness would work with it. I’m thinking if I mix that Li Hing Mui Sauce with regular Barbeque Sauce that might be what I’m aiming for. I’ll keep you posted on that.

Oh, I know what might work with Li Hing Sauce – SHRIMP! As in the style of Chinese Sweet & Sour Shrimp, or as the fast-talkin’ Chinese waitress pronounces it, “Shee-shaw Ship”. lol!  I’ll do a follow-up post when I get around to trying that.

SPT has a recipe page for their Li Hing Mui sauce that includes that salmon I was talking about, which they call  ‘Li Hing Surprise’. There’s also ‘Sweet Li Hing Ginger Chicken’ (that sounds good!), ‘Li Hing Furikake Rice’ (sounds kinda’ scary), ‘Spicy Plum (Li Hing Mui) Sauce’ and coming soon ‘Sweet Shrimp Curry’. I like their thinking.

There’s certainly some things that DON’T work with Li Hing flavoring on it. I tried it on Popcorn, which is, eh, OK, but nah, pass. The tart flavor kinda’ clashes with it. Similar to that, I also tried it on Kahuku roasted corn being sold at the KCC Farmers Market…

Nah. Li Hing no work wit dis eedah (doesn’t work with the either lol). Teriyaki stay way mo’ bettah (is much better) with roasted or grilled corn.

Another one that didn’t fly well with me was Leonard’s Li Hing Malasada…

The glutenous, slightly sweet, rich and “bready” flavor of the deep-fried Malasada rather clashes with the tang factor of the Li Hing. Simple as that. Nice try though. Sounded good on paper.

Then there’s use for the flavor of Li Hing in cocktails, such as the Li Hing Margarita…

Photo courtesy of House of Annie

Notice instead of salt, they use the Li Hing powder to coat the rim of the glass. Pretty much a no-brainer there. I have yet to try one of these, which I hear Buzz’s Steakhouse in Lanikai is where it originated. It sounds and looks good!

Another tasty method is to put Li Hing Mui in Carona Beer. Stick like one or two LHM in the bottle and enjoy. The Li Hing surprisingly compliments with this particular beer really well as it imparts that three-dimensional taste. Try it. Winnahz!

I also tried Li Hing powder sprinkled on Vanilla Ice Cream, which wasn’t bad. Not my favorite, but I think there’s potential for a good Li Hing Ice Cream as long as it’s subtle. I just got an ice cream machine for Christmas, so plan on seeing that on here some time this year.

Of course there’s sryup for Li Hing Shave Ice, which I have yet to try.

That’s about all I can think of for now. If you have more great (or not so great) Li Hing ideas, or know of a restaurant that features a unique menu item featuring the flavor of Li Hing, let us hear about it!

Oh, and wipe that slobber off your keyboard. lol

Rating by Raveable