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Posts Tagged ‘Grindz’

Tatsuo’s Hamburger Steak & Smoked Chicken combo’ plate

We begin today’s “Grindz of the Day” with a spread we enjoyed several “Aloha Friday’s” ago at Tatsuo’s, which is pretty much your typical plate lunch joint, albeit, kicked up notches unknown to mankind, of course, located in the heart of the industrial Sand Island area of scenic Kalihi Kai.

Here at Tatsuo’s on this visit, I ordered a combination Beef Stew and Harm Ha Pork plate…

Tastuo’s Beef Stew & Harm Ha Pork combo’ plate

What is “Harm Ha Pork”, you might ask? Well, Harm Ha is a Chinese fermented shrimp paste that has a VERY pungent odor akin to Filipino Bagaong, along with a flavor profile that must be acquired in order to be appreciated. My mother LOVES Chinese food, and with that, I grew up eating stuff like this. Like Tripe (stew), Harm Ha smells pretty nasty to the uninitiated as it’s being heated in the pan. Yet, once you TASTE the final result in a dish such as this Harm Ha Pork, you quickly >>>at least should<<< appreciate it, if not LOVE IT! I know I do!

Tastuo’s Beef Stew & Harm Ha Pork combo’ plate

In this version made by Tatsuo’s, they used ground pork, which was the only thing I didn’t care for, as I’m used to this dish using whole pieces of pork, not ground-up. Aside of that, the Ung Choy (Chinese Water Spinach) was  cooked perfectly al dente if you will, while the balance of salty “shrimpiness” from the Harm Ha was pretty much spot-on.

Tastuo’s Beef Stew & Harm Ha Pork combo’ plate

As for the Beef Stew, pretty standard fare, with a basic tomato-based taste, yet I think could have used either beef stock or simmering longer to extract more savory goodness from the cuts of actual beef cuts in it. The celery, carrots and potatoes still had al dente integrity and weren’t rendered to “mush”, so thumbs-up on that.

Rice was cooked perfectly of course. Greens were crispy-fresh, served with an also standard fare Thousand Island’s Dressing.

Off to a good start, I give Tatsuo’s Harm Ha Pork & Beef Stew Plate Lunch combo 2-SPAM Musubi.

Next up we have Diner E’s Hamburger Steak “Gauge Plate”, by which he uses to measure every joint in this genre for their “Plate Lunch Savvy”…

Tatsuo’s Hamburger Steak mini plate

Sauteed onions? Check. Deep (and I mean DEEP), rich ‘n savory brown gravy? Check. Two char-grilled hand-formed beef patties? Check. Rice? Check. Game on!

Notice for the salad, for the most part, we all choose the tossed salad nowadays, as, well, we’re not getting any younger, and Mac’ Sal’ isn’t so kind in maintaining our “girlish” figure. Not that a heaping helping of hamburger smothered in gravy over white rice is so kind to that either, but hey, we gotta’ make some concessions somewhere. lol

And how is Tatsuo’s Hamburger Steak? Diner “Saimin Kaukau” E gives it a solid 3 SPAM Musubi, which to you and me would be FIVE!!!

Finally from Tastsuo’s on this visit, we have a combination Hamburger Steak and Smoked Chicken (yes, SMOKED CHICKEN) combo’ plate…

Tastuo’s Hamburger Steak & Smoked Chicken combo’ plate

O.M.G. That smoked chicken is AWESOME! Broke da’ mout’! I was skeptical about it before tasting it, because it was an item that had been sitting in a warmer on the deli line, yet one bite and I was absolutely HOOKED! Smoked meats (whether pork, beef, poultry or seafoods) can either be on or off-putting, depending how well the smoke-infused flavor comes across on your palate. In this case, the chicken is extremely tender and juicy inside, with the just the right balance of smokiness and seasoning on the skin, while being permeated just a little within the meat fibers.

Tatsuo’s Smoked Chicken

I’m most DEFINITELY going to have to try smoking some chicken on my next “run”. While I didn’t ask, I’m guessing the “secret” is in the brine.

I also got to try a taste of the gravy from the Hamburger Steak, and WOW. Also AMAZING, and most definitely one of the best Hamburger Steak gravy I’ve had in my most recent collective memory..

That said, Diner A gives his Smoked Chicken and Hamburger Steak combo’ plate from Tatsuo’s an “I’ll be back for more!” 5 SPAM Musubi!

Next up, from KCC Farmers’ Market, we have a Gourmet Veal Burger by Michel’s Executive Chef Hardy…

Chef Hardy’s Gourmet Veal Burger

Awwwe, ain’t them Hibiscus’ adorning the display model “purdy”?! lol

Here’s mine…

Chef Hardy’s Gourmet Veal Burger

Witness the beautifully grill-toasted Onion Roll Bun…

Chef Hardy’s Gourmet Veal Burger

Let’s do this…

Chef Hardy’s Gourmet Veal Burger

The finely-chopped red peppers laced within the veal certainly had an impact on the flavor profile, giving it a sort of south-western appeal if you will. It was surprisingly juicy, considering how lean veal is, yet can’t compare with good ole beef.

Chef Hardy’s Gourmet Veal Burger

There was also a distinct seasoning either coating or mixed within the veal patty, yet ironically, I couldn’t quite pinpoint exactly what the parts of its sum were. The cucumber was certainly a welcome and refreshing, crispy touch, and something I’d certainly try doing in a home burger-making project. Winner!

Summing it up, I give Chef Hardy’s Gourmet Veal Burger 2 SPAM Musubi.

Michel’s Chef Hardy cooks up gourmet Veal Burgers at the Kapiolani Community College Farmers Market

Learn more about Hawaiian Ranchers free range grass-fed Veal here…

Next, we stop by McDonald’s Waikiki location on Kalakaua avenue, right across Duke’s Statue, where I attempted to confirm whether their Saimin recipe truly needs help or not…

McDonald’s (Waikiki) Saimin. .85

That’s a cool ‘Hawaiianized” logo design with the polynesian canoe, although I think they should add the name “Saimin” in a script font going across the yellow double arches to boldly identify what exactly this is.

Let’s see what’s in the “bowl”…

McDonald’s (Waikiki) Saimin. .85

All the right stuff’s in there, including Kamaboko, Charsiu, Sliced Egg Omelet and Nori, except for one other standard garnish that must noted as absent is Green Onion. Ack!

Now, before I take a bite of this bowl from the Waikiki Kalakaua avenue location, you may remember about a year ago I reviewed McDonald’s Saimin from their Hawaii Kai Shopping Center location, which I was sadly disappointed by.

So let’s see if that was just a blunder, or an ongoing problem that needs fixing. Let’s do this…

McDonald’s (Waikiki) Saimin. .85

Meh. Still the same extremely BLAND broth, as if I’m eating “Hot Saimin Water”.  Like SERIOUSLY. The noodles are also “pasty”, while not entirely soggy, leaning more towards that end of the cooked doneness spectrum.

McDonald’s (Waikiki) Saimin. .85

The best part about this saimin was the single slice of Charsiu, which was very tender and packed with authentic Charsiu flavor on the edge.

Summing it up, I give McDonald’s Saimin on this second try -1 SPAM Musubi, which is a first on this blog. Bottom line, FIX the BROTH! Go visit Palace Saimin in Kalihi for the REAL SAIMIN DEAL!

Finally, hot on the heels of my previous review of Jollibee in Waipahu, we have some REAL Filipino grindz from an “unknown” vendor in the Maunakea Marketplace Food Court in Honolulu Chinatown…

(clockwise from top left) Dinuguan, Tinola, Pork Adobo and Pinakbet

A closer look, starting with the Pork Adobo (Pork simmered in Shoyu, Vinegar, Peppercorns and Bayleaf)…

Pinakbet (Bitter Melon, Eggplant, String Beans, Tomato, Pork and Shrimp)…

Dinuguan (Pig’s Blood Stew)…

Tinola (Chicken, Green Papaya, Malungay and Ginger soup)…

The Tinola could use more Malungay leaves IMO, but still, the broth ROCKED. Laced heavily with ginger, while throwing out a subtle-yet-distinguishable “chicken-ee” punch. Rounding it out, the green papaya chunks were cooked perfectly al dente, along with the malungay leaves adding that added dimension of texture and flavor to this soup that it could never do without.

The Dinuguan, Pinakbet and Pork Adobo were also all AWESOME, and as good as I’ve had from anywhere else, giving this “no name” filipino food vendor in Chinatown Honolulu’s food court a “Masarap-sarap” (really delicious) 5-SPAM Musubi!

Speaking of favorite Filipino dishes, for today’s BONUS ‘Grindz of the Day’ feature, I also recently made Chicken Tinola using my handy-dandy new Pressure Cooker, where here’s how it turned out…

Pomai’s pressure-cooked Tinola

Diner C got me the Malungay leaves from Pu’uhale Market, located in that little blue building on the corner of Pu’uhale Road and Dillingham Boulevard, where Wild Bean Espresso was located, across the street from OCCC.

Malungay from Pu’uhale Market. .50/bunch

I got the green Papaya from Don Quijote, which ran .49/lb., while for the chicken I used drumsticks that I carefully deboned and cut into chunks (Diner C recommends using a whole roasting chicken for this dish). For the broth, I first made a basic chicken stock using a miripoix (onion, celery and carrots), along with the chicken drumsticks bones. This took 45 minutes in the pressure cooker, which yielded FANTASTIC results, and tasted as if I had been simmering it for HOURS. Of course I could have just as easily used canned chicken stock, but I wanted to test my new pressure cooker out, so decided to make the entire dish from scratch.

Then to make the Tinola, to the strained chicken stock, I simply added CHOKE (plenty) ginger, along with the chicken, cubed green papaya and malungay leaves and let it cook under pressure for a speedy 5 minutes, finishing it off using the natural pressure release, after which yielded the final result you see here…

Pomai’s pressure-cooked Tinola

It turned out FANTASTIC. The chicken pieces were tender and cooked all the way through, while the green papaya was cooked perfectly al dente, leaning a little towards the firm side, which is good, as when I heat it up for leftovers, it will still have some firmness. But what REALLY separates this from any other chicken soup are the malungay leaves, which really do impart a flavor that’s difficult to describe, but you know it’s there, and it would certainly be lacking that “somethin’-somethin’ without it.

I LOVE Tinola! It’s so comforting, medicinal (think Chicken Noodle Soup), delicious, and best of all, so easy to make! Chicken, Ginger, Green Papaya, Chicken Stock and Malungay leaves and that’s it. Try it!

The Tasty Island

Arirang Bar-B-Q Korean Quisine – Fish Jun

Repeat visits are an obvious indicator we really dig the place, which brings us back once again to several spots.

We begin today’s “Grindz of the Day” with lunch at Arirang, where this past Aloha Friday Diner A and yours truly visited as we BOTH had da’ “ono’s” (craving) for Fish Jun.

Before I continue, I must note that there’s an ongoing “debate” on where exactly “Jun” originated. Namely “Meat Jun”.  Many folks on the mainland think it must be a “Hawaii thing”, because the Korean restaurants in their neck of the woods don’t have such a dish.

I found this interesting discussion over at WOWGRINDS.com on the subject, where lots of comments have helped to dispel the “Meat Jun Mystery”. One comment reads, “So I discovered this watching this korean show and the Kwangju region in Korea is known for the dish we call “meat jeon.” In korean it’s yukjeon (??), yuk meaning ‘meat.’ So it’s not a local Hawaiian invention, but maybe some Korean from that region brought it over and revised it.” Plus many other insightful comments you should click on over and read if you’re interested.

Apparently the “myth” part is due to how differently the name is SPELLED, as based on the common denominator of that discussion, the PROPER way to spell “Meat Jun” is “Meat Jeon”. or more properly than that, “Gogi Jeon” or “Yukjeon”.

To make it even more confusing, the various Korean restaurants around Oahu each have a slightly different way of spelling it. Arirang and Ah-Lang Korean Restaurant spells it “Meat Jun”, Soon’s Kal-Bi Drive-In spells it “Meat Jhun”, while Jin Joo Korean Restaurant spells it “Meat Chun”. ACK!!

Anyhow, if you have more information on Meat Jun or variation of the dish that you’ve encountered, I’d love to hear about it.

Not to confuse you any more, but another popular version of this flour and egg-battered Korean favorite is what we have here today in the form of Fish Jun…

Arirang Bar-B-Q Korean Quisine – Fish Jun. .95 (lunch price)

Or should I spell that Fish Jhun? Or Fish Junn? Or Fish Chun? Or Fish Jeon? Or Fish Joon? Or how about Fish June? lol

That was Diner A’s plate. Here’s mine, where in this shot I’ve broken a piece in half to reveal the super-moist and flaky Mahimahi within…

Arirang Bar-B-Q Korean Quisine – Fish Jun. .95 (lunch price)

The key here being they use Mahimahi, which makes for an EXCELLENT Fish Jun, as in my experience over the years, Mahimahi has always been the best type of fish for this dish. Reason being, Mahi has a good amount of oil in the flesh, offering a savory-yet-tame, sort of “buttery” white meat flavor that’s not “fishy” at all, while having a super moist, tender and flaky texture that just melts in your mouth. Awesome.

Rest assured, Mahimahi is what you’ll get in your Fish Jun at Arirang, as it specifically says that right on the menu. Whereas, many places don’t specify, so you never know what may be in it: could be (the cheaper) haddock, pollock or even talapia (not from the Ala Wai Canal of course). I’d love to sample how Ono, a.k.a. Wahoo tastes in Jun (or Junn or Jeon or June) form.

Notice how they cut the egg and flour-battered Mahimahi here, where they’re shaped like medalions that measure approximately 4″Lx3″Wx1/4″ thickness each, with four of them on this lunch-sized portion.

Most “Jun” dishes are served with a dipping sauce that’s pretty much like a simplified version of Japanese Ponzu;  in this case, made with soy sauce, vinegar and sugar…

That said, let’s hit it!..

First of all, as described above, the mahi has a buttery, mildy-savory flavor and is super moist ‘n tender. And it’s cooked to absolute PERFECTION. The flour and egg batter has a nice crunch going on, while being very lightly seasoned with what tastes like just salt, if even that. The egg flavor helps to amplify the wonderful taste of the Mahi within, underscoring the JUN in this Fish Jun.

If there’s one complaint, I’d just say the default “Jun” sauce they provide was too mild, as if the soy sauce (shoyu) they use was the low sodium variety, or something like that, as the sauce tasted like it was watered down.

Not to fret though, as we clearly remember the EXCELLENT house-made Gochujang sauce Arirang put on our table the last time we were here, so we requested that…

OK, let’s try again wit’ da’ Gochujang action…

I’ll put it to you this way: even though the default “ponzu style” Jun dipping sauce was on the mild side, it was still “MONEY”. Now with Arirang’s AWESOME house-made Gochujang sauce joining this Fish Jun party, it is “BANK”!!! Or so Guy Fieri would have said it. Serious “Bank”. Like 5 SPAM Musubi “Bank”. So, so delicious. I swear, if you’re looking for an EXCELLENT Fish Jun, you need to head on over to Arirang. High, HIGHLY recommended.

I’m gonna’ tease you with a few more bite-through shots so you can see just how moist and tender this broke da’ mout’ winnahz Mahimahi-based Fisch Jgeonng was…

Here I combined the default “Jun” Sauce with the Gochujang Sauce at about 3:1 ratio…

Oh yeah, now THAT’s rockin’!  You get a little tang, a little sweet, some heat, along with a savory “bottom” thanks to the miso they use in the Gochujang sauce, which really is its “secret”. In fact, I’m surprised our server admitted that they use that. Yet you can clearly taste there’s miso in the Gochujang sauce. All I know is you could pour that stuff on anything and it would taste good.

Not that this it needs a sauce, as just like the Angry Korean Lady’s Meat Jun and Chive Jun, this Fish Jun is SCUMPTIOUS just by itself, and the sauces are really just icing on an already fantastic cake.

Summing it up, “Bank” 5 SPAM for Arirang’s Fish Jun (jeon, jeong, june, jhun, junn, joon, whatevahz…)

Speaking of “Bank”, also winning top honors is Arirang’s EXCELLENT Banchan side dishes…

Arirang’s Kim Chee is certainly “Money”, while their Korean style Shoyu Potatoes are “BANK”!!! As Diner A noted, they almost “Taste like Shoyu Chicken”, where you could just as well order a plate of this stuff as the main entree along with rice and call it a day. It’s that “meaty”.

Look at how that deep ‘n savory, sweetened shoyu “goodness” penetrates the outer layer of the fork-tender red potatoes…

Rewinding to the beginning of our Fish Jun “experience” on this visit, we enjoyed the included house seaweed soup…

I asked our server if they had the Korean Stainless Steel Chopsticks to accompany the Korean Stainless Steel Spoon, but they didn’t have them.

As Diner A described it, “It’s like sipping on a hot bowl of the ocean”, is the best way to describe it. Seriously, as simple as this Kombu-based soup is, it’s LOVELY. Next time I come here, I’m going to ask them how to make it, so I can do it at home before EVERY meal. Heart-warming, soul-soothing good stuff!

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Moving on to our next “Grindz of the Day”, we go back a week to the previous Aloha Friday, where Diner A and yours truly returned yet again to Monarch Seafoods. This time around where Diner A “hanahou’d” their AWESOME Fried Poke, making that his single entree choice, while I decided to try their Spicy Calamari…

Monarch Seafoods – Spicy Thai Calamari Steak (left) and Fried Poke (right) plates

Let’s zoom in…

Monarch Seafoods – Deep Fried Poke. .95

All I can say is, in the battered ‘n fried fish category, next to the Fish Jun featured previously in this post, Monarch Seafood’s Fired Poke is as GOOD AS IT GETS!

Especially when it’s coated in Monarch’s KILLER house dressing…

It tastes like they marinade the ahi — which tastes VERY FRESH (not old stuff) — in some sort of shoyu-based marinade, then they coat it katsu style, taking a dredge in flour, egg and panko, then hitting the deep fryer to give it that “GBD” doneness, with no more and no less. So the Ahi within remains SUPER moist and succulent, especially when combined with that very tasty marinade it’s SOAKED with. FREAKIN’ AWESOME STUFF. PERIOD.

Another “Bank” 5 SPAM Musubi for Monarch Seafood’s Fried Poke. Make sure if you order this to ask for extra house dressing. Liquid Gold I tell ya’, Liquid Gold.

Now let’s check out Monarch’s Spicy Calamari…

Monarch Seafoods – Spicy Thai Calamari Steak. .95

These Panko-crusted Calamari (squid) “steaks” are some “tik” (thick) buggahz (suckers)…

As for the “Spicy” factor”, it both appears and tastes like, before hitting the panko and flour batter station, they basically coat the calamari steaks with the same Mae Ploy Sweet Thai Chili Sauce that’s used for dipping after the fact.

As you know, Calamari (squid) is very mild in flavor, as this was, while it was also notably tender, as you know how Calamari can be rubbery if over or undercooked. So “props” to Monarch on that. The panko and thick flour batter didn’t stick well to the Calamari within, yet for what it’s worth, added a nice flavor and texture contrast to it. While the Mae Ploy Sweet Thai Chili Sauce works for Wonton-wrapped stuff, I don’t think it works quite as well with pank0-battered stuff, as was the case here. By far, Monarch’s AWESOME house creamy dressing (the yellow-greenish stuff) is THE ONE to dip the “Spicy Calamari” into.

Spice-wise, it wasn’t hot at all, as Mae Ploy Sweet Thai Chili Sauce is very mild by default (at least to my palate).

Summing it up, I give Monarch Seafood’s Spicy Calamari 3 SPAM Musubi. Which really is saying a lot for someone who isn’t particularly a Calamari fan. If you are, you definitely need to try this.

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Last but never least, we round up today’s “Grindz of the Day” with two of just about everyone’s FAVORITE foods: BACON and CHOCOLATE.

If you’re a Food Network and Travel Channel “Foodie Junkie” like I am, you probably already at least seen it. Yet so far on Oahu, it’s not that commonly found on restaurant menus. Yet recently I was at Eat Cafe, where I noticed they had it sort of “scribbled” on their chalkboard menu as kind of an afterthought. And I thought, “Hmmmmmmm, I wonder?”

Since I had two huge SLABS of Costo-issue sliced Maple flavored smoked bacon in my fridge, I immediately went online to find out how to make the stuff.

As advertised, it’s literally Chocolate-covered Bacon, no more, no less. With Valentine’s Day right behind us, we naturally had a surplus of chocolates hangin’ around – most notably a bunch of Dark Chocolate, as that’s my girlfriend’s favorite.

So I began my Chocolate-covered Bacon quest by first baking half a slab of thick-cut Maple flavored smoked bacon in the oven until it reached a slight “rubberyness”, and not to the point of being “crunchy-crispy”, as I personally don’t like my bacon (over) done that way.

Then I took about 1 cup’s worth of Giradelli brand dark chocolate squares and “nuked” it on low heat in the microwave until it melted. I was a little disappointed that it came out kinda’ clumpy, so I looked online what the base of chocolate is, and it said oil. So I turned around and “tempered” the chocolate by adding a pat of butter to thin it into a usable viscosity.

After the cooked bacon cooled to room temperature, I then proceeded to coat each slice on all surfaces with the butter-tempered dark Giradelli chocolate. Then I stuck it in the refrigerator to “set” the chocolate, where out it came a few hours later looking like this…

The lighting exposure in that shot makes it look like milk chocolate. Here’s another angle that’s more color-accurate…

I SO can’t wait to try this.

Here’s a macro cross-cut shot of one of these Dark Chocolate-covered Bacon slices…

How is it? CRAZY. TASTY indeed, yet simply NUTS. The combination of the sweet, deep and robust dark chocolate, along with the salty, smokey, savory goodness of the bacon WORKS, yet your brain is like “WTH is this?!!!”. That’s the best way I can describe it upon first bite.

Yet, after about the third bite, it becomes pretty addictive. Mainly out of denial that this actually does taste good. But it does! Genius.

If there’s anything I’d improve on, it would be to cook the bacon more crispy, as the congealed fat at the doneness I baked the bacon (ha ha) was a little strange on the palate. I also need to work on my chocolate tempering skills to get it where it’s like “candy”, whereas on this first take, it was kinda’ “messy”. But those are just “minah ‘kine stuffs” (nothing serious).

All I can say is if you like bacon and if you like chocolate, chances are pretty likely you’ll LOVE Chocolate-covered Bacon. I’m personally not a chocolate person, so I can’t really appreciate that element, yet I’ll vouch for the sweet, robust ‘n savory thing going on with this unique hybrid “invention”. 3 SPAM Musubi.

The Tasty Island

Ilima Catering – Saimin Supreme: garnished with Teri’ Beef, Ham, Tofu and Green Onions (double order).

Well that’s a long post title.  Whatevahz. lol

Anyhoo, back in November, Diner E took me to have lunch at Ilima Restaurant & Catering, a truly “old school, Triple-D” kinda’ place, located in the heart of industrial Mapunapuna near HNL airport.  According to Ilima’s new owner, the original owner (which IIRC the last name being Uyehara) opened for business over 40 years ago in this very same spot…

Without further ado, here’s Ilima’s restaurant menu…

Wow, what a selection of local favorite comfort foods, all at GREAT prices!

There’s a small dining area to the right of a narrow galley fronting the service counter….

See, I wasn’t kidding when I said this place is “old school”. Seriously OLD SCHOOL! Notice the brown plastic catering warmer cube transport containers on that back wall.

With that, on this visit, Diner E decided to try Ilima’s Veal Cutlet plate…

Ilima Restaurant & Catering – Veal Cutlet Plate.

Looking at that, I just wanna’  light up the fireplace (pretending I have one) on a chilly winter night and curl up on my sofa, pop in a Blu-Ray and eat that slowly, savoring every bite as I enjoy the movie from beginning to end. lol Seriously, if that doesn’t make you hungry, I don’t what will! Looks SO ONO!

A “profile” angle…

Last but certainly not least for this mouth-watering Veal Cutlet plate, the ever-important “cross-cut” view of the cutlet itself…

Sheesh, I tell ya’, I wanna’ drink TANK that GRAVY just looking at it! lol

And how is it? “Diner “Saimin Kaukau” E immediately gave it a thumbs-up, super-solid 3 SPAM Musubi of approval, which to you and I would either be 4 or 5 SPAM Musubi. All I know is I hope tonight I have a wonderful dream of savoring a plate of Ilima’s Veal Cutlet by my fireplace while watching a movie. lol

On this particular late November day entering our “chilly” (at least by our standards) winter season here in the islands, I remember I was “jonesing” for either saimin or ramen, and thankfully Ilima’s had me covered, where I immediately set my sight on their “Saimin Supreme”. Saimin Supreme? Great name! HOOK. ME. UP! Yet for just , I assumed it wasn’t going to be enough to fill me up, so I requested to double my order in the same bowl, which the owner was more than happy to oblige…

Ilima Catering – Saimin Supreme, garnished with Teri’ Beef, Ham, Tofu and Green Onion. (double portion order; regular order)

I asked the owner how they make their broth, and he said it was simply dashi-based, which is absolutely A-OK with me, as, quite frankly, I’m not particularly a fan of saimin broths that taste heavily like shrimp shells,  which some other saimin houses tend to make theirs. Also, like most restaurants that serve saimin or ramen here on Oahu, Ilima sources their noodles from Sun Noodle Factory, which I’ll say time and time again, I’m a HUGE fan of.

That said, the broth was spot-on, with just enough dashi to give it that  depth and “Umami” factor, while the noodles were cooked perfectly al dente. The most important thing to note about this particular bowl of Saimin is how the Teri’ Beef actually ADDED to the saimin, and didn’t detract from it. I  was afraid the Teri’ Beef flavor would overpower the saimin broth and noodles, but it turned out very COMPLIMENTARY. Sweet. While I would have prefered the more traditional Chinese style Charsiu over the American style ham, for what it’s worth, it worked. I also missed having Kamaboko in it, yet the Tofu was nice, albeit obviously neutral-flavored garnishment touch.

Summing it up, I give Ilima Restaurant and Catering’s “Saimin Supreme” a super-solid 3 SPAM Musubi. Where if I may, my only suggestion to improve on, would be to switch out the American ham for Chinese Charsiu, and add Kamaboko. To which I’m most confident this would then easily achieve 4 or 5 SPAM Musubi Saimin “Supreme” stardom. Yay!

While on the subject of “oriental noodle soup”, moving along to our next venue, we land smack the center of Waikiki on Koa Street behind the Hyatt Regency & Spa Hotel over at Hana No Sato, where on this also first time visit, I couldn’t resist trying their Shoyu Ramen…

Hana No Sato – Shoyu Ramen. .00

Remember what I said a moment ago about curling up on the sofa with the fireplace lit, while watching a movie and DEVOURING that incredible looking, gravy-covered Veal Cutlet plate from Ilima’s? Well, OK, if you want, simply switch out the Veal Cutlet plate for this bowl of Shoyu Ramen from Hana No Sato and I’d be just as happy a camper! Seriously! lol

First I observe the bowl and go into my usual deep spiritual trance as I take in the “mana” (spirit) of what I’m about to partake on. Because, you know, Japanese Ramen is DEEP STUFF. Breath in the aroma of the hot, steaming broth. Appreciate it. Let it uplift your heart. Your “Tamashii”. OK, hai, itadaki masu….

Sugoi! Oishii-to-da’ max desu yo (my new hybrid word)!  Oh man, this is some mighty onolicious Shoyu Ramen! I won’t say it’s Tokyo style, because it ain’t. Yet for what it’s worth, this one is rockin’ it!

The (again) Sun Noodle Factory-sourced ramen noodles were cooked perfectly, while the broth had a complexity, yet simplicity all its own. I’d almost go on a limb and say it tasted “saimin-like”, yet in a GREAT WAY, that quite honestly I don’t think any local saimin house in the islands could ever achieve. Reason I say that is because owner Shogo-san is from Japan, and Nihonjin just have an understanding of the complex ingredients that make a great ramen that us local folks would never understand unless we lived there and/or worked in an authentic ramen-ya.

Anyhoo, let’s try the Charsiu…

Not bad. Can’t touch Goma Tei’s superior, melt-in-the-mouth, oh-so-fatty-good rolled pork belly Charsiu, yet for what it’s worth, this thinly-sliced simmered pork loin works. Thankfully Hana No Sato also includes Menma (marinaded bamboo shoots), which of course add an extra dimension of “Umaminess” to the broth, as well as the stringy-rubbery texture while you chew it along with the soft noodles. I am SUCH a menma fan, you don’t even know! Between that and mushrooms, I don’t need any meat. Just that and I’m good!

Here’s Hana No Sato owner and chef, Shogo-san…

Hana No Sato’s main dining counter…

Up next we return once again to what is probably my ichiban favorite “hole-in-the-wall plate lunch joint-gone-gourmet”, over at the ALWAYS FAN-TA-BULOUS Kahai Street Kitchen in ever-so-scenic industrial area of Kalihi Kai. This time around, where on two recent visits I tried their Nori-rolled Kataifi-wrapped Mahi Mahi plate…

Kahai Street Kitchen – Nori Rolled Kataifi Wrapped Mahi Mahi: Mahi Mahi rolled in Nori and Shredded Phyllo Dough, Fried to a golden brown Served with Wasabi Tartar. Choice of White or Brown Rice & Potato Mac or Tossed Salad. .50

Are you kidding me? This would EASILY run you three times that price in a Waikiki restaurant, yet don’t let the price fool you. Kahai Street Kitchen owner/Chef Nao Iwata has already proven he really KNOWS his stuff, and this was absolutely no exception, where it was PERFECTLY EXECUTED.

Behold this beauty…

Melts-in-the-mouth tender, moist ‘n flaky Mahimahi? CHECK!…

Then factor in the blast of “Umami” from the Nori that’s generously wrapping the Mahimahi filet, along with that delicately golden crispy ‘n stringy texture of the Kataifi, bringing it all home with the fat-meets-zesty heat punch of the Wasabi Aioli sauce and POW! That is seriously GOOD EATS (mahalo A.B.). No better way to put it. Nothing else to say but 5 SPAM MUSUBI for Kahai Street Kitchen’s Kataifi Mahimahi!

Several weeks later I decided to try their “Hamburger Club”…

The “profile” angle…

A quarter-slice…

The verdict? The burger patty overcooked, while there was just too much going on. Now if they would just stuff this Club Burger with Crab and Artichoke, then wrap it all up in Nori and Kataifi and then deep fry it, then we’ll be TALKIN’! lol

Summing up KSK’s Club Burger, 1 SPAM Musubi. The Kataifi Mahi is THE ONE!

Finally, I returned to Kahai Street Kitchen for yet another take on Mahimahi, this time in the form of being crusted with Crab and Artichoke…

Kahai Street Kitchen – Crab, Artichoke and Spinach Crusted Mahi Mahi. Served with White Wine Sauce. .50

Common now. If you seen “Mahi Mahi crusted with Crab and Artichoke” listed on the menu, could you resist? You can’t! At least I couldn’t!

Check it out…

The verdict? Yum! (I couldn’t say “ono” lest I confuse you with whether this is Mahimahi or Ono the fish lol). It didn’t have as much “impact” as the Nori and Kataifi-wrapped version, yet the added fattiness from the mayo-based Crab and Artichoke, along with the generous garlic in there had plenty-oh-punch on the palate. 3 SPAM Musubi.I also must note the Linguine pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, simply flavored with a light drizzle of EVOO, finely-chopped parsley, salt ‘n pep’. Nice. The slices of perfectly toasted French Baguettes were also a welcoming touch.

Next we have a Kalua Pig and Lomi Salmon plate from Young’s Fish Market…

While I personally find eating Hawaiian food with RICE almost a tragedy (if not an insult) vs. with POI, I understand the cost and demand/popularity considerations for not providing the latter. Thankfully Young’s completely REDEEMS any hangups I have on that by providing absolutely BROKE DA’ MOUT’ ONO Kalua Pig! It’s super moist thanks to copious amounts of pork fat and perfectly smoked, having a truly genuine Imu (traditional Hawaiian underground oven) flavor. I don’t know if Young’s actually does Imu-roast their pig, as this just as well may be oven-roasted with the help of liquid smoke and Ti leaves, yet for all I care, Young’s NAILS Kalua Pig (that didn’t sound right, but you know what I mean). lol

They also hit a home run on the Lomi Salmon, with generous chunks of salt salmon, immediately reminding you this is Lomi Salmon and NOT “Lomi Tomato”. Perfect balance of salt as well. What’s nice is the Lomi Salmon sort of is a suedo-replacement for Poi, where the combination of the salted salmon along with the savory, smoked pulled pork flavor compliment each other in truly “Hawaiian style” way in the eating experience. Ya’ know?

Summing it up, solid 5 SPAM Musubi for Young’s Kalua Pig and Lomi Salmon plate. 10 SPAM Musubi if had Poi!

Speaking of Young’s Fish Market, one of Oahu’s most respected purveyor of Hawaiian food, lately their Laulau hasn’t been quite up to snuff, with the Luau leaves being under-steamed and tough, while the filling hasn’t been seasoned with enough Hawaiian salt, and basically overall disappointing. That said, my Kuliou’ou cousins recently made a batch of homemade Laulau for a family fundraiser that was OFF THE CHARTS AMAZING!…

I didn’t get a photo of it cut open for service, but I’ll just say again, it was OFF THE CHARTS ONO!!! WOW LAU “Kuliou’ou” LAU!

Speaking of foods in wrapped-up form, one of my all-time favorite meals-on-the-go is Musubi. More specifically and simply, UME MUSUBI. That’s it. I don’t need no SPAM or this or that (although there is a time and place for it).  Just Ume and I’m GOOD! Where thanks to convenience, I regularly get myself an Ume Musubi from the Kaheha Street Don Quijote Omusubi counter, which is located adjacent to their meat and fish department…

Like the absolutely AWESOME Musubi-Ya Iyasume in Waikiki (next door to Hana No Sat0), DQ’s Omusubi uses Premium-grade rice…

Where’s the beef? Or actually, the Ume? Have a bite and you shall see, grass hopper…

Ahh, oooohhhh, aaaaahhhh.

My only complaint is that they don’t add ANY seasoning (salt) to the rice, so it depends entirely on the saltiness from the Ume and robust undertone from the Nori for flavor. Otherwise the premium-grade rice is cooked to perfection, with just the right amount of “stick”. All-in-all, 3 SPAM Musubi. Or, err, make that 3 Ume Musubi! lol

Finally for today’s “Grindz of the Day”, we’re back yet again at KCC Farmers’ Market this past Saturday morning to try another flavor. Where on this visit I decided to sample yet another NEW FLAVAH!…

I asked Joe which one he liked more, to which he immediately pointed me to the Apple Banana-MacNu, where here they are chillin’ in the chest…

I’m shivering just looking at that (a good thing)! lol

The selling point for me on this was the fact that Joe said these were generously laced with real chunks of Macadamia Nuts, which you shall soon see he wasn’t kidding!

Here’s OnoPops all-new for January ’11 “Apple Banana-Mac Nut” flavor, unwrapped and about to be completely DEVOURED by yours truly…

It certainly has a “Banana-ish” color to it, along with what appears to be chunks of Mac Nuts in it.

The “profile” angle…

It also looks frosty-cold, which is a welcome sight on a hot Hawaiian Saturday morning at the foot of Diamond Head crater (where KCC is located).

OK, let’s do this…

And?  It’s definitely “Banana-ee” in flavor profile (the other descriptor to “Banana-ish” lol), with a hint of acicidity due to it being sourced from Apple Bananas, which have that edge of tartness to them.

As for the Macadamia part of the equation, Joe was not kidding when he said there’s CHOKE NUTS in this Banana Pop (that didn’t sound right lol). Check it out…

See it? Here’s more as I eat my way through…

Summing it up, this is DEFINITELY A KEEPER and needs to make OnoPops already long list of regular menu items. I can just imagine this being dipped in Chocolate, either milk or dark variety for added “oomph”. Rating? 5 SPAM Musubi! WINNAH WINNAH MAC NUT ‘BANANA POP DINNAH.. or, err, dessert, that is. Or in my case this past Saturday morning, breakfast.

The Tasty Island

For today’s consecutive installment of “Grindz of the Day”, we begin with a stop by Teddy’s Bigger Burgers in Hawaii Kai, where I picked up a good ‘ole, all-American Cheeseburger. This being the “#2 Bigger Combo”, which includes a 7 oz. 100% ground chuck all-beef patty, where I had them char-grill it to medium-rare doneness by request; otherwise they cook it to medium by default .\

Usually whenever I order a burger, no matter where it is, my ichiban, no ka’ oi choice is the Swiss ‘n ‘Shroom, providing they offer that option. Yet this time I decided to think outside “my box” and go with the classic, back-to-basics Cheeseburger so I could REALLY taste the mechanics behind the face of what makes a Teddy’s Burger tick.

What I learned that I LOVE about Teddy’s burgers so much and what I really DON’T LIKE about them is this…

I LOVE the fresh, soft ‘n supple and most importantly TOASTED Potato Bun. Joining the love fest is that super tasty and juicy char-grilled 100% chuck all-beef, no-fillers patty, as well as the also-fresh ‘n cripsy leaf lettuce, tomato and slice of onion. Not to mention their grillmaster knows exactly when to yank the burger off the grill at medium-rare doness, while making sure the American cheese is completely melted on top of it. Sounds like Burgers 101 class, but you know as well as I do how often some places can seriously mess those basic rules up. Not here at Teddy’s, as they consistently turn out fabulously-executed burgers, where it’s down to a science as well as art for them.

What I DON’T like is their “Signature Sauce”. Sorry Teddy’s, but this does not work for me. What Teddy’s sauce tastes like (that doesn’t sound right) is essentially mayonnaise and BBQ sauce, with perhaps if I shall guess at any other “secrets”, perhaps a dash of Tobasco and/or Worcestershire and or Thousand Islands Dressing. But basically I’m guessing based on my close assessment of the sauce is that it’s primarily Mayo’ and BBQ Sauce. And one thing I don’t like my burger to taste like is ether Bacon or BBQ in a pork sense of the genre. I want my burger to taste like BEEF and beef only. So no, pass on Teddy’s Signature Sauce for me, as from now on when I hit them up, I’ll special-request Mayonnaise instead, thank you very much.

Along with the pungent Mayo-BBQ Sauce stuff, another no-go here is the pickles. I usually like pickles in my burger, but for some reason, Teddy’s is too pronounced, where I find, along with that sauce, those two toppings completely overcome my psychological insistence on tasting the BEEF and everything beef in the patty that those two components ultimately end up masking.

OK, enough ranting. I think I thought too deep about this cheeseburger. lol

As for Teddy’s fries, they’re definitely a winner, always deep-fried to perfection, thick-cut, with a tender, steamy interior, delicately-crispy “GBD” exterior and salted just right.

Summing it up, Teddy’s Bigger Burgers will and always has rocked, just from now, I’ll hold on their signature sauce and the pickles.

Next stop, just outside Teddy’s and around the corner in Koko Marina Center, literally ON the marina waterfront next to the boat slips, we stop by for some great live music, house-made custom beers and pub grub at Kona Brewing Co…

Kona Brewing Co. – “Hula Hefeweizen” () on the left and “Fire Rock” Pale Ale beer ( special) on the right, centered by KBC’s Niu Valley Nachos ( half order)

All of their in-house draft beers on tap are subtitled “Pints of Paradise”, which Kona Brewing Co. has no shame in their game in spicing up all the menu items with “Hawaiianized”, island-themed nicknames.

Here you see we have “Niu Valley Nachos”, which as you may know, Niu Valley is just a few miles down the Kalaniana’ole Highway heading west on the east side of Oahu near Hawaii Kai.

Back to the beer, KBC describes their “Hula Hefeweizen” like this: “Medium to full-bodied with a pronounced banana/herbal flavor
and aroma. This beer’s unique flavor profile is a result of the special type of yeast strain used to brew the beer.”

Then we have the “Fire Rock” Pale Ale, which KBC describes it like this: “Sit back and relax with the bold hop flavor and bright copper glow of Fire Rock Pale Ale. Go slow and enjoy the flow of this Hawaiian-style brew.”

Sounds “fluffy”, but how does it taste? Exactly as they said it, “bold hop flavor and bright copper glow”. It’s certainly a “man’s beer”, as at least speaking for my girlfriend who tends to like more “fruity” and smooth beers (a.k.a. “girly beers”), the Fire Rock may come across to the unitiated at first as tasting somewhat bitter and too bold. Really though, like many other bold beers, the Fire Rock is one of those that quickly acclimates to your palate after just a few sips, then it completely smooths out, turning absolutely fragrant and not bitter at all. Good stuff.

What makes the Fire Rock even more smooth and fragrant is the PRICE, where KBC-HK frequently runs this flavor as a special of the day for just a pint. Nice! Nice price, indeed. for a chilled pint of custom-brewed beer while overlooking the beautiful Hawaii Kai Marina, not to mention the many beautiful people that frequent this place and also-chilled out, relaxed and clean, cozy atmosphere, plus complimentary live music by some of Hawaii’s top musicians? Can’t go wrong with that!

As for the “Niu Valley Nachos”, KBC describes it like this: “Yellow Corn Kettle Chips layered with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, black beans, green chiles, tomatoes, black olives, corn, jalapeños and a side of salsa. Sour cream upon request.” In this case we opted for the Kalua Pig version, which ran for that “half order”, which was more than plenty to share between the two of us. Surprisingly the Kalua Pig retained its moisture and didn’t get dried out after being put under the broiler to melt the cheese. It also tasted like genuine Kalua Pig and not just plain ‘ole pulled pork, which often is the case when restaurants say something has “Kalua Pig” in it. This tasted like real-deal stuff.

Next up on our pupu spread, we have KBC’s Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil…

Kona Brewing Co. – Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil:  Local vine-ripened tomatoes, whole basil leaves and fresh mozzarella cheese served with toasted spent grain focaccia, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.” .

What? No fancy-shmancy “Hawaiianized” nickname for this one? Just “Tomato, Mozarella and Basil”? How vanilla! lol OK then, I’ll come up with an name. How’s about we call this the “Koko Marina Caprese” or “Koko Marina TMB”. Works for me.

Anyhow, what I’ll now name the “Koko Marina Caprese” (Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil) comes with a pre-sliced, house-made, fresh-baked loaf of KBC’s Spent Grain Focaccia Bread…

Let’s put some on a slice of Foccacia and have a taste…

The verdict? The large basil leaves were fresh, crisp and vibrant, the Mozzarella cheese smooth ‘n creamy and tomato tight ‘n fruity. However I think the Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil on it could have been better quality, as the one drizzled on this was too subtle. The Olive Oil definitely wasn’t EVOO, which would have been much better. The foccacia bread certainly rocked, so add a point or two for that alone, where I’d go as far as saying I’d be willing to pay for some of their Foccacia Bread to take home for later.

Rounding up our love of all things cheese on this particular evening, we ordered a plate of KBC’s Garlic Cheese Bread…

Kona Brewing Co. – Garlic Cheese Bread: Fire Rock focaccia bread with garlic aioli, provolone and
parmesan cheeses toasted and served with a side of marinara.

And what? No “Hawaiianized” nickname for the Garlic Cheese Bread either? K’den, I’ll go ahead and name this one “Lava Bread”. Or perhaps “Pahoe’hoe Bread”. Get it? Firerock (volcanic) Focaccia bread with Melted Cheese on it, with the cheese being the molten lava.

Anyhow, this “Lava Bread” is certainly piled thick with ooey-gooey, melted cheesy goodness melded with a strong garlic flavor. All topping their OEM pizza crust, which is pretty darned good, with just the right amount of salt to bring out the doughs flavor. It has a well-balanced glutenous chew, being neither too tough nor crumbly, along with toasty goodness underneath in all the right spots, without tasting burnt in any particular spots. Their cooks are on it when it comes to pizza oven management.

The marinara dipping sauce has lots of texture and full of herbal complexity, where I’d be just as happy tossing some fettuccine pasta into the stuff and calling it a day.

Summing it up, 3 SPAM Musubi for KBC’s Garlic Cheese Bread. Next time I gotta’ try the Mac Nut Pesto version of this.

On a previous visit to KBC, I tried their Lavaman Red Ale, which was the special of the day at the time…

Kona Brewing Co. – Lavaman Red Ale: “This full-bodied beer is deep red in color with a malty sweetness. The subtle hint of chocolate malt flavor is balanced by a unique blend of Pacific Northwest and European hop varieties.” /pint special of the day

Hmmm, subtle hint of chocolate malt, eh? I don’t remember getting that. Perhaps because I wasn’t really looking for it, whereas even though not doing so, I could certainly taste the coffee flavor in the Pipeline Porter right from the start. This one was certainly a little sweeter and a bit more smooth immediately upon firt impression in comparison to the Fire Rock Pale Ale.

Ultimately, ah, whatevahz, I like ‘em both, especially for just a pint!

On top of the great beer, food and beautiful waterfront view of Hawaii Kai Marina, KBC also offers the nahenahe (sweet sounds) music of Kiho’alu (slack key) legend Ledward Ka’apana every Sunday from 5 to 7pm…

That’s Ledward Ka’apana on lead guitar and vocals with the loud red boots, along with his sister Lei on Uke and vocals as well, while bringing up the back is Jesse on bass (my girlfriend’s cousin) in the Palaka shirt.

Next up, while most folks, lincluding  yours truly,  am dubious of chain restaurants — plus on top of that — chain restaurants with an ethnic theme, Panda Express has DELIVERED BIG TIME in the form of their new Kobari Beef dish. Folks, this thing ROCKS! Check it out…

As the sign clearly says, “Ask for FREE sample”, that is indeed what you MUST do on your next Hawaii Kai Costco run, or any any other run for that matter, providing there’s a Panda Express within the vicinity.

Like many of you may have the perception of, I was reluctant to accept Panda Express as a respectable Chinese food joint. Yet you know what? TOTALLY RESPECTABLE. It turns out, more like ADMIRABLE, as well as one of those rare eateries I’ve now become a regular of. At least speaking for the Hawaii Kai Towne Center location, which is situated about smack center between Costco and City Mill.

But, yeah, walk into Panda Express and ask them for a sample of any and every dish that looks interesting to you, to which the server will hand your choice over on a toothpick. Of course, don’t forget to try the Kobari Beef, because this one is GREAT!…

Panda Express (Hawaii Kai Towne Center location) Kobari Beef and Spicy Chicken 2-choice plate.

On the plate shown above are (clockwise from top left) Panda Express’ Kobari Beef, Spicy Chicken, which tastes and has the same texture as Sweet & Sour Shrimp, albeit with a spicy kick, and Chow Mein noodles.

Another angle…

Here’s the same entree choices of Panda Express Kobari Beef and Spicy Chicken, in this version having white rice as the starch…

To be specific, Panda Express’ tastes a little spicy, yet not intolerably hot. It has a deeply-marinated Shoyu/whatever other secret ingredients are in that sauce. Ultimately, plus on top of that, it has that wonderfully smokey, aromatic flavor that totally punches out the flavor of the tender strips of Kobari sauce-laced beef from being seared at high temperature in a FLAMING WOK, which as you may recall Chef Sam Choy highly advocates.

That’s pretty much my best way to describe Panda Express’ Kobari Beef. YOU just need to try it for yourself and be the judge. For me, I give Panda Express’ Kobari Beef a RESOUNDING 5 SPAM MUSUBI! Seriously.

Rounding off today’s “Grindz of the Day”, we stop by yet for another visit to KCC Farmers’ Market’ Ono Pops booth to sample yet another one of their “Exotic Hawaiian Popsicle” flavors…

With that, I couldn’t resist trying the first-listed flavor of the day, the Ume Thai Basil…

Ono Pops Ume-Thai Basil water-based popsicle.

Cool “Inspector Ume Man” logo label design. Let’s check it out unwrapped…

Looks like little bits ‘n pieces of Umeboshi in there, which apparently gives this water-based popsicle an overall pinkish hue. Let’s have a bite…

First impression? SALTY. Very salty, more so than sweet, while also not being as “Ume acidic” (tart) as I had hoped. You can certainly taste the Umeboshi (a Japanese pickled plum/apricot preserved in Vinegar and salt, Tsukemono style).

Yet at the same time, I feel the Thai Basil gets in the way of the Ume’s flavor, with it’s somewhat clashing licorice element. I think they should keep this one simple and eliminate the Thai Basil, where if anything, I’d go with Li Hing powder over Thai Basil for that exotic 3rd dimension of flavor for this chilly pop.

As it stand, I give Ono Pop’s water-based Ume-Thai Basil flavor 1 SPAM Musubi.

I so have dibs next weekend on Ono Pops‘ Watermelon Hibiscus Lemon Peel flavor, which the owner told me has bits of Lemon Peel in it.

The Tasty Island

Tenkaippin Ramen – Kotteri Ramen: “Healthy chicken-based soup, so rich, it’s habit forming.” .75

There’s a Foodland Turkey-To-Go review waiting on the backburner, yet I’ve decided to keep that on hold for at least a few weeks (or maybe until next year right before Thanksgiving ’11), as at this point you A.) probably STILL have Thanksgiving Day leftovers you’re trying to get rid of in the refrigerator, therefore hence, B.) the LAST thing you want to read about or see right now is Thanksgiving Day Turkey and its related side dishes. ACK!

Anyhow, thankfully that winter “nip” is finally beginning to kick into the air here in the islands, which makes warm comfort foods such as Japanese Ramen that much more appealing (or Jook anyone?!), where I begin this “Grindz of the Day” with a bowl of Tenakaippin’s famous Kotteri Ramen.

The first time I visited Tenkaippin Ramen on Kapahulu Avenue, the server kindly offered me a small sample cup of the Kotteri broth to try, which turned out being quite tasty when sipped by itself without any ramen noodles soaking in it. Yet I still questioned whether that thick gravy-like viscosity of the broth, along with its rather concentrated poultry flavor would be “too much” once the starchy ramen noodles jumped into “the drink”.

Well, as it turns out at least for me personally, my skeptical instinct held true. Now, after trying an entire bowl of Tenkaippin’s Kotteri Ramen with all the standard fixinz’, it ultimately is how I thought it’d be.

In fact, after having turkey ‘n gravy still fresh on my palate and mind, this Kotteri Ramen wasn’t far from essentially being a “noodlefied” or “pastafied” version of that.

Tenkaippin claims the Kotteri broth achieves its thickness from the natural collagen that comes out after boiling chicken bones for over 14 hours. Their punchline for it goes like this, ““Our #1 best seller.  Healthy chicken base soup so rich and unique, it’s habit forming.”

However it’s made, doesn’t that LOOK like Turkey Gravy? cI tell you, it practically tastes like it. Actually, more specifically a gravy made with roux and all the tasty drippings from a whole roasted chicken or turkey.

If there’s anything I could say separates this ramen “broth” from American style turkey or poultry gravy, is that of course it’s not THAT thick (by most standards), and there’s an additional hint of oriental spices and elements rounding it out that I can’t quite pinpoint which moves it ever-so-slightly away from tasting 100% American.

Perhaps a dash of Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese seven-flavor chili pepper), along with a drizzle of shoyu, and an ever-ever-so-slight hint of sesame, yet those additional complexities are very subtle.

Speaking of spices, what many fans of Tenkaippin’s Kotteri Ramen swear by when eating this is adding the house garlic and chili paste to it for added kick, which we have here on the job and ready for action…

Tenkaippin’s complimentary house Garlic-Chili Pepper Paste table-side ramen condiment

Taking inventory of what’s buried under the surface of the thick broth, there’s two very thin slices of Charsu…

As well as a good handful of Menma and sliced green onions, plus of course a typical single serving portion of thin Japanese style Ramen Noodles. Like the majority of ramen shops in Hawaii, the noodles at Tenkaippin are sourced from Sun Noodle Factory, specified to Tenkaippin’s own recipe.

Someone on Yelp suggested the experience of eating Kotteri Ramen is reminiscent of Chicken a la King, where I suppose when you see how the thick broth heavily coats the noodles as you pick it up with your chopsticks you can understand where they’re coming from…

It almost appears as if the noodles had been overcooked to the point of becoming one gelatinous starchy glob, but that is absolutely NOT the case. The noodles are certainly cooked al dente and individually integrated, but just so heavily-coated with the broth, wherewith it’s actually the BROTH that makes it seem like this seem like “one, gelatinous, starchy  glob”.

While eating the Kotteri-soaked ramen noodles, I had hoped it would taste more collagen-thickened than starch-thickened. Yet as it turned out, while the nature of the starchy ramen noodles play 50% of the role here, it pretty much dominates what your brain interprets being the “glue” so-to speak as it goes into and hits your mouth.

While I’m usually not a fan of garlic, chili pepper or any other “unusual” flavor enhancers/toppings in or on my ramen, , Tenkaippin’s complimentary house Garlic-Chili Paste certainly added plenty of “oomph” and extra dimension to the otherwise predominant and intense poultry-flavored Kotteri broth. If you’re not really sure, add some to just a spoonful of the broth first and try it before committing to it in your entire bowl. Surprisingly I really liked it, so I went and “choked” the Garlic-Chili Paste in my bowl, making sure to stir it in and incorporate it well.

The two included thin slices of Charsu, while appearing rather basic and certainly no comparison to Goma Tei in most regards, actually had quite a nice flavor, and was cooked wonderfully moist and tender, not being dry, lifeless or bland at all. Looking at the menu from the last time I visited this place, Tenkaippin used to offer Charsu versions of their Kotteri, Assari and Miso Ramen, although on this visit it appears they’ve since removed that off the menu, where now if you want more charsu, you must add it ala carte for .50 extra. Same goes for Menma, fresh garlic, bean sprouts and various other ramen toppings.

Summing it up, I give Tenkaippin’s famous Kotteri Ramen 2 SPAM Musubi, falling somewhere in the lines of me lamenting afterwards that it was “weird and kinda’ gross” just based on texture. Yet at the same time thinking, “Hey this is really, really tasty and something I could get used to!”  Had my appetite at the time been 20% higher, I probably would have LOVED it. Yet had my appetite been just 10% less than where it was, I probably would have DESPISED IT, if you know what I mean. Which is what lots of Yelp reviewers say about it as well. My girflfriend tried a sip of the Kotteri broth and didn’t care for it at all. Of course, as always, you gotta’ try it and judge for yourself on it.

Moving along, going with my recommendation, my girlfriend ordered Tenkaippin’s Assari Ramen on this visit…

Tenkaippin Ramen – Assari Ramen: “Healthy chicken base soup with soy sauce flavor”. .75

The verdict? She gives it a very satisfying 2 SPAM Musubi (Good, glad I tried it), noting her favorite is still Goma Tei.

Speaking of which, before we move on to Goma Tei Ala Moana, one last note on Tenkaippin is that they recently introduced a new Tan Tan “spicy” ramen flavor at their shop that they seem to be encouraging their patrons to try.

I’m actually more interested in trying their unlisted Kosssari Ramen, which is a half-half blend of their Kotteri and Assari broth. Which brings to mind, while I’ve never asked, I wonder if any ramen shops around town let their patrons order “suicide” broths? You know, da’ kine where you can mix anykine different types of broths all concocted into one bowl, like you used to with with different flavors of soda at the soda fountain. Remember doing that? “Um yeah, I’d like one Misoshiopaitantantonkotsukossari-men (basically all of the above) kudasai, triple the Menma, onegaishimasu”. lol

Next, heading back west from Kapahulu, right past Waikiki, we find ourselves on another Winter evening indulging in yet another comforting hot bowl of Japanese Ramen, this time from Goma Tei in Ala Moana Center…

Goma Tei – Char Siu Shoyu Ramen. .75

We both order the same thing, which is our ichiban Goma Tei favorite, their Char Siu Shoyu Ramen, while this time we decided to try their Ban Ban Ji Chicken as a side dish…

Goma Tei – Ban Ban Ji Chicken: Slices of chicken breast cooked in a sake, scallion and ginger broth, then chilled in ice and served on a bed of thinly-sliced cucumber. Served chilled with a slightly spicy and tangy sesame sauce. .75

First let’s try the Ban Ban Ji Chicken…

The verdict? Very refreshing, being that it’s served cold. This kinda’ reminds me of the Japanese version of Chinese Cold Ginger Chicken, except not quite as zesty as that. I LOVED the texture and complimentary flavor the long, evenly-sliced cucumbers offered along when eaten with the tender, thin slices of chicken breast. You could kinda’ taste ginger in the chicken, but it was very subtle. Being served cold where whatever fat in the chicken meat would congeal, didn’t have it come across as being MOIST, yet it certainly wasn’t dry either. Finally, the sesame sauce was indeed a little spicy and tangy, while also being quite savory, which I think is because it’s miso-based. Overall, again a very, very refreshing app’ that goes quite well with the hot bowl of Ramen. I’d like to see a fish version of this dish.Portion-wise, you could easily order this as a healthy main course for yourself along with a side bowl of rice and call it a day.

Summing it up, 3 SPAM Musubi for Goma Tei’s Ban Ban Ji Chicken.If you LOVE chicken, I think you’ll probably give it 4 or 5.

Now for the Ala Moana location’s take on Goma Tei’s highly-regarded Shoyu Ramen…

Broth piping hot? Check. Noodles cooked perfectly al dente? Check.

Pork belly-rolled, thick-sliced Char Siu stellar as always? For the most part, check. Except the outside could have been browned and crisped more. In retrospect, if you look at the slices of rolled-up Char Siu from the bowl of Shoyu Ramen at Goma Tei’s Ward location, theirs was much more crisped and browned on the outer edge.

Now for the Shoyu broth here at the Ala Moana location, that’s where personally I think they fell short of the EXCELLENT offering at Goma Tei’s Ward location. This Shoyu Ramen broth just didn’t have that “Japanese-ness” and “it factor” about it like the one at Ward pretty much grasped. Here it was as if they skimped on either an important step, broth-making time, ingredient or all of the above.

Not that it was a bad shoyu ramen, because I finished pretty much all of it, but I was really hoping both Goma Tei locations had absolute consistency.

That said, summing it up, I give Ala Moana Goma Tei’s Char Siu Shoyu Ramen 2 SPAM Musubi, where it made up a point for the perfectly cooked noodles, piping hot (albeit less accurate) broth and pretty-much on-point Char Siu slices. Not to mention the quick and friendly service.

While we were at Ala Moana Shopping Center, just steps away from Goma Tei on the street level makai side of the mall, right near the entrance of the Food Court we came upon Zsoli’s Chimney Cakes Kiosk, which you CAN’T miss…

The fellah that runs this place is super friendly and very informative, happily offering free samples and taking the time to explain the entire history and process of making Chimney Cakes.

You mall folks know all too well the alluring smell of hot, fresh baked pastries wafting in the bustling mall air as you walk on by, and this kiosk is no exception to the rule. Even more intriguing though, is the odd and peculiar cylindrical shape of the Chimney Cakes once you set eyes upon them on display in their window, where it immediately draws you in for a closer inspection…

I don’t know whether to eat it, stuff and decorate it with a bouquet of flowers or launch aerial fireworks from it. All of the above!  lol

Seriously though, this is how Chimney Cakes are explained by their company:

“Kürtőskalács or Kürtős Kalács is a Hungarian pastry also known as chimney cake, stove cake or Hungarian wedding cake, is a pastry cooked on a tapered spit over an open fire. Originally from Transylvania, it’s famous for being Hungary’s oldest pastry. Kürtőskalács is sold in bakeries, pastry shops and even street vendors who sell them on street corners, carnivals and fairs.”

Zsoli’s Chimney Cakes are made fresh from scratch, hand rolled onto wooden cylinders and coated with sugar then baked in a special rotisserie oven and sprinkled with cinnamon, chocolate, pecans or caramelized just for you.”

Very interesting and certainly something new to us.

The Chimney Cakes are offered in Original (melted sugar coating), Cinnamon, Pecan, Chocolate Sprinkles and Rainbow Sprinkles, which all sell for each.

Here in this photo you can see the wood cylinders the dough is wrapped around to give it its shape…

And here’s one all wrapped in dough and ready to hit the oven…

As you might expect, a Chimney Cakes Oven is going to be quite a unique “uni-tasker” contraption…

For the life of me, I can’t remember whether they rotated automatically in the oven, or whether they were hand-turned. You can see the heat elements though, going down the center, like a big, open rotisserie toaster.

And out comes these delicious-looking (and smelling!), very unique Hungarian Chimney Cake pastry treats…

Zsoli’s Chimney Cakes – Original (in back) and Cinnamon (foreground), each

Zsoli’s Chimney Cakes – (left to right) Pecan, Chocolate Sprinkles and Original, each

Here’s where you can see the hollow center…

Zsoli’s Chimney Cakes – (left to right) Strawberry Sprinkles, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Original and Pecan, each

All I can say is, I see SO MANY POSSIBILITIES to expand the use and flavors of this unique old-world European pastry. Perhaps cut it in shorter rings and fill it in the center on a plate with custard, ice cream or a fruit salad. Or how about making an “Edible Arrangements” bouquet, using a Chimney Cake as a vase. Also, you could expand the toppings and “Hawaiianize” it by using crushed Macadamia Nuts instead of Pecans, or go tropical sweet ‘n sour with a Guava-Pineapple glaze. And those are just the obvious ones.

So how does it taste? AWESOME! Personally I think it tastes like a cylindrically-shaped Cinnabon roll, sans the decadent butter-sugar glaze, while also being a little more glutenous and “tight” if you will on the inside of the baked dough. Yet it has that wonderfully-delicate, golden-brown-n-sweet crust that the Cinnabon inherently possesses.

You take that, plus the simple coating of granulated sugar and cinnamon that we opted for and BAM! It’s like Cinnamon Toast “on crack” if you will, with a cool shape that’s a fun novelty to pick and eat at as you walk through the mall. In fact, people who notice kinda’ stare at it, which is amusing in itself. lol

may seem like a handful of cash for a pastry, but each Chimney Cake is actually quite large, measuring I’ll guess about 8.5″ in length by 3.5″ in diameter by 3/4″ thick along the walls of it. Enough where the one we bought shared between us was way more than enough “dessert” to satisfy us both after a bowl of some Goma Tei Shoyu Ramen next door.

Summing it up, we give Zsoli’s Cinnamon Chimney Cake a super ono-Hungarian-licious 4 SPAM Musubi!

For more information, visit their website at:
www.ChimneyCakeHawaii.com

The Tasty Island

First up for today’s edition of “Grindz of the Day”, we have a Strawberry Slush Float “Shake” from Byron’s Drive-In.  Another one of many signature items a coworker of mine absoluted RAVED about and insisted I try it.  Well, apparently they got my order wrong, as even though I specifically told the cashier at Byron’s I wanted a Slush Shake, it turns out I was given a Strawberry Slush Float.

Not knowing the difference or bothering to ponder it, and without anyone with  me to tell me otherwise, in retrospect, this is indeed a Slush Float and not a Slush Shake, as you see the Vanilla ice cream floating on top of the Strawberry Slush…

Hey, who am I to know? Looks close enough to be a shake to me. The ice cream was soft enough. Besides, what the heck does a Slush Shake look like? Well, after taking a minute or two to thoroughly stir it, THIS is what a Strawberry Slush Shake should look like…

This, as my coworker explained, the Strawberry Slush Float and Slush Shake are the same thing, save for the Shake being put under the mixer to combine it evenly.

So how is it? WAY TOO SWEET for me. The combination of the artificially-flavored strawberry syrup, even though diluted in the slush, when combined with the also-sweet Vanilla ice cream is like a one-two punch. My coworker confessed she has a major sweet-tooth, so that explains her deep affection for this concoction, yet for me, pass. I barely could finish half of it before tossing it. I gotta’ say though, the Strawberry Slush itself had a nice finely-crushed ice texture, kinda’ like a “Liquid Shave Ice”.

How’s that for a new concept, eh? “Liquid Shave Ice”! Take all of those exotic Shave Ice flavors like Li Hing Mui, Pistachio, Coconut, Bubble Gum, etc. and, instead of the “usual” Shave Ice (a solid state snow cone), offer Slush!

Speaking of Shave Ice, along with my sweeter-than-Willy Wonka Strawberry Float “Shake”, I ordered another Hawaii favorite, a Loco Moco…

Thankfully I went with the mini version, as I could barely even finish this.  Honestly, I haven’t had a Loco Moco for quite a while for the simple reason that’s it’s way too much indulgence that my dwindling metabolism and aging body can barely afford anymore, as really, lots of the foods I feature on this blog are. Yet for now we wont’ dwell on that, enjoy the moment, and live for today. Grindz of the Day that is.

But yeah, the classic “loosen the belt buckle” Loco Moco here from Byron’s, that begins with a bed of white rice, topped by a house-made beef burger patty, which is then topped with an egg (sunnyside-up always my choice) and then smothered with brown gravy, while being accompanied by a scoop of Mac’ Sal’.

As you can tell, the burger patty was griddled (fried), not char-grilled as I always prefer. Yet aside of that shortcoming, it was cooked to medium perfection, being very moist and nicely seasoned.

Of course the most crucial element of a Loco Moco is the gravy, and Byron’s pretty much nails it. Deep, rich, thick and beefy, although I must also note it did taste like it could be based on that packaged “just add water” McCormick’s stuff. Which I really don’t have a problem with, as I enjoy packaged gravies, even though one reader once said “you lose all credentials” when I once said that before. Whatevahz.You go spend 10 hours making stock to make gravy. I’ll be ready to eat in minutes.

One thing I really like as a finishing touch on my Loco Moco are sauteed onions, which obviously Bryon’s doesn’t do, but that would have been great.

One of the best  parts of eating any gravy-laden plate lunch is when the gravy “kisses” the mac salad…

You get that creamy, rich mayo’ combined with the beefy flavor of the thick gravy, put some of that on your fork and lick it like, oh never mind. Just, mmm-mmm-yum, so ono! I think this very notion is what inspired Zippy’s to add “Mac Salad Sauce” to their Chili Moco. Brilliant!

Summing it up, I give Byron’s Drive In Loco Moco a solid 3 SPAM Musubi, while their Slush Float “Shake” gets 1. Surely you sweet tooth’ers will think more highly of it.

Staying on topic with the theme of “indulgent and decadent”, moving on to our next “Grindz of the Day”, we have some plates Diner A and family enjoyed a few weeks ago at the new Pancakes & Waffles in City Square Shopping Center in Kapalama. First off we have a Fried Rice, Eggs and Breakfast Links plate…

Good to see they use round paper plates, and not them dreaded non-eco-friendly, sterile and unfashionable white styrofoam clamshell containers.

Next up, what? Hamburger patty, eggs and brown gravy over plain ‘old boring white rice not enough to excite that inner Loco Moco desire deep within you? Then you need to hook up with a Fried Rice Loco Moco…

Be still my beating heart! Insane.

Next up, the last time we visited Pancakes & Waffles, it seemed all the rage here wasn’t their Pancakes or their Waffles, but actually more people around us were eating their Fried Chicken. So Diner A satisfied all our curiosities by ordering that on this visit…

These are some substantially-sized clucker thighs, as you see compared in scale to Diner A’s hand here….

They be T-Rex thighs.

Instead of Honey Butter, he opted for Ranch dressing as a dipping sauce for the fried chicken…

I suppose one way to look at it is, well, at this point, no sense ordering a diet soda and tossed green salad to accompany this meal. lol

Look at how juicy and tender the meat is…

While the battered crust is super “crisp’ety-crunch’ety” and well-seasoned….

IIRC, Diner A commented that it reminded him of Woolworth’s famous fried chicken. Remember that? That was one of the best things about going to Woolworth’s. As soon as you walk in the store, the combined aroma of scented candles, new clothes, coffee, popcorn and fried chicken would almost literally smack you in the face. Loved that! RIP Woolworth’s.

Anyhow, like our experience at Pancakes & Waffles, Diner A’s weekend brunch there with the family also was a 3 SPAM Musubi affair. Oh, and not to fret. They went to the beach afterwards to swim it all off.

Moving on, we get some stuffs from L&L Drive In/Hawaiian BBQ/whatever they call it, starting with this bowl of Saimin…

That looks to me like Japanese style Ramen Chashu. Check it out..

Like seemingly 90% of Hawaii’s restaurant industry uses, I’m going to guess these noodles are sourced from Sun Noodle Factory…

I got a sip of the broth, which tasted like your standard Dashi and Shoyu broth, while not getting much added flavor from the Charsiu (roast pork).

Summing it up, Diner A gives L&L’s Saimin 2 SPAM Musubi. Cheap, decent and satisfying.

The classic accompaniment to Saimin is a Hamburger, which Diner A added to his L&L Drive In meal here…

Personally, I’d pay extra to make it a ‘Deluxe’, as my burger MUST have Lettuce, Tomato and Onion on it. Cheese too, of course! Plain like this just doesn’t work for me. Biting into it, not much excitement going on…

Pretty much a plain-old griddle-cooked hamburger that I’m putting way too much writing effort into. Sorry to waste your bandwidth and time having to download these last two pictures and read all this blabbering. lol

Nah, but at least he gave it 2 SPAM Musubi, as the burger patty was moist and well-seasoned,  and of course it went quite well with the decent Saimin from L&L.

Getting a little more “exotic”, Diner E tried L&L’s Fried Shrimp Sandwich…

I don’t know why, but of all the dishes featured so far on today’s edition of “Grindz of the Day”, this Shrimp Sandwich is the one I crave most right about now. I think because I haven’t had shrimp for a couple of weeks now and could really go for some at this moment. Besides, honestly I’ve never had a Shrimp in sandwich form before, which I’m sure some of you will blast me for that.

The bite shot doesn’t reveal much, as evidently the shrimp tails in here are very small…

What is this, an Opae Sandwich? lol  Still, Diner E actually really enjoyed it, giving it a very solid 2 SPAM Musubi, which is favorable by his super-critical standards.

Speaking of chain restaurants (L&L Drive In continues to expand all over the US and internationally), next we have a Tonkatsu Curry takeout plate from Coco Ichibanya Curry House…

This generous portion of Tonkatsu and beef-based spicy curry and tsukemono comes in at a wallet-friendly .75.

Their curry tastes similar to the store-bought S&B brand, with a subtle sweetness to it that is typical of Japanese curries. If you go to Tokyo, you’ll find curry houses all over the place. Even their “spicy” curry isn’t hot at all. Notice it doesn’t have any kinds of vegetables in it, but acts more like a gravy for the tonkatsu and rice than as a stew.

The tonkatsu itself was right on point. The panko was evenly coated and deep-fried to “GBD” perfection, while the boneless pork was flavorful, moist and tender.

What’s nice is the specially-made takeout container is partitioned to isolate the curry “gravy” so it doesn’t make the crunchy tonkatsu soggy while in transit.

Summing it up, a very solid 3 SPAM Musubi for Coco Ichibanya Curry House’ Tonkatsu Curry takeout plate.

One last note on this place, I noticed lots of folks in there ordering the curry that had fresh grated cheddar cheese sprinkled on it and melted over, which looked GOOD! I’m so going to try that next time!

Still on restaurant chains, now we’re back at zippity-zip-zip Zippy’s for one of their Facebook coupon specials, the Spaghetti Fried Chicken plate…

Zippy’s Spaghetti isn’t going to put Assagio’s out business anytime soon, but for what it’s worth, it works. You get that, plus fried chicken, plus mac salad, plus toasted french bread for just ? Can’t go wrong!

One more chain restaurant, we’re back at Yummy’s Korean BBQ, this time with a Kalbi & Chicken Katsu mixed plate…

Yummy’s is getting a bit pricey as far as plate lunch joints go, as this mixed plate rang up to almost . Still, I must say their 4-choice banchan is, well, YUMMY! I especially love their Korean Potatoes and Korean style Potato salad, which are two of the choices on this plate. They also do really good job at making Chicken Katsu. My only complaint is Yummy’s Worcesterhire-based katsu sauce. Pass. Not to worry, as I have lots of my own Japanese Tonkatsu sauce to use on it. Kalbi is solid. Char-grilled and smokey-tasting with a deeply-marinaded sauce. Overall a very solid 4 SPAM here. The banchan makes it.

Finally, we’re back at Kahai Street Kitchen, one of our all-time favorite haute plate lunch haunts, where today we have this delicious-looking plate…

This is Kahai Street Kitchen’s special of the day, Baked Chicken in a Boursin Cheese Cream Sauce and topped with Tomato Provencal. It’s served with a Tossed Green Salad with Kahai Street Kitchen’s EXCELLENT house dressing and steamed “Hapa” (brown and white) rice.

Price of admission? . Just seven bucks! You’d easily pay at least four times that price for a dish prepared exactly the same way at a white table cloth restaurant. Actually, the folks from our accounting department ordered this in bulk for a party they were throwing. Needless to say, everyone told me they LOVED it, which I’m not surprised, as Kahai Street Kitchen always delivers. Nao and the gang there REALLY know how to cook!

That’s all I’ve got for now. After posting this, it’s made me hungry, so I’m off right now for yet another “Grindz of the Day”!

The Tasty Island