inuyaki » Hawaiian

Ted’s Bakery – Sunset Beach, HI

Arnold — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:26:47 +0000

When people talk about Ted’s Bakery, they’re usually talking about one thing: chocolate haupia pie. I’ve had Ted’s famous pie before, and you can get their pies at almost any market on Oahu, but on this trip, I wanted to get one directly from the source. But Ted’s has a lot more to offer than just pie; their selection of bentos and sandwiches is pretty impressive too.

Let’s start with the pie since I ate a slice while I was waiting for the rest of our food to arrive. It’s a simple pie crust with chocolate filling on the bottom, a layer of haupia in the middle and topped with whipped cream. The consistency of the chocolate filling is somewhere between pudding and mousse; it’s light but sturdy enough to support the denser haupia on top. Aside from the flavors, the texture contrast between the chocolate and haupia might be the best thing about this pie. The pie crust is forgettable so it’s only real purpose is to provide structure, but it’s blandness also lets the rest of the pie shine.

Ted’s Famous Chocolate Haupia Pie

My wife ordered the Crab and Bacon Combo off the Hot Foods menu. It’s basically a crab salad and bacon sandwich served on a hamburger bun and served with fries. This sounds weird on paper, but it’s a brilliant combination.

Ted’s Crab & Bacon Combo Sandwich

I ordered the Ted’s Bento, an amazing array of Hawaiian plate lunch standards—teriyaki beef, fried SPAM, fried mahi mahi, and fried chicken—served inexplicably over four scoops of rice. I only ate half the rice and think the folks at Ted’s would really be onto something if they went with two scoops of rice and then topped this bento with a fried egg or two on top. Doesn’t that sound perfect? ;)

Ted’s Bento

If you’re on the North Shore and looking for a great alternative to all the shrimp trucks that roam the area, look for Ted’s. They’ve got a lot going on besides those famous chocolate haupia pies. My only regret was that we didn’t get there in time for breakfast.

INFORMATION
Ted’s Bakery
59-024 Kamehameha Highway
Sunset Beach, Hawaii 96712
808.638.8207
Web site

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Reinventing Loco Moco

Arnold — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:21:54 +0000

Loco Moco is a classic Hawaiian plate lunch offering that’s made up of hamburger patties smothered with gravy, topped with two eggs and served with rice and mac salad. If you’ve never seen it before, it looks like this:

Loco Moco (picture from Dakine’s BBQ in San Francisco)

We had dinner at Alan Wong’s Restaurant last week, and one of the menu items that jumped out at us was the “Mini Loco Moco” appetizer. The menu describes it as “mochi-crusted unagi meatloaf, sunny-side quail egg, wasabi kabayaki sauce,” and we just had to try it.

Alan Wong’s “Mini Loco Moco”

Breaking it down, the mochi crust takes the place of the rice, the unagi meatloaf is the hamburger, quail egg replaces the hen egg and the wasabi kabayaki sauce replaces the gravy. It’s a perfect way to bring the loco moco concept into a fine dining setting, and it was excellent.

On the other end of the spectrum is Beard Papa and their Loco Moco Puff. It’s part of the Japanese cream puff chain’s localized Hawaii menu that also includes Breakfast Puffs, Creme Brulee Puffs, eclairs and pita sandwiches. Beard Papa describes their Loco Moco Puff as “two slices of oven-baked meat loaf, a fresh egg, sunny side up, onion-mushroom gravy with a dash of furikake on our signature puff shell,” which is more straightforward than Alan Wong’s. Basically, it’s an open-faced sandwich with the puff serving as the bread.

Beard Papa’s Loco Moco Puff

The finished product looked good and tasted like loco moco, but the puff really didn’t contribute anything to the dish and would have been fine without it. What was a bit disturbing was watching them assemble it. Without a proper kitchen, all of the cooked elements were microwaved right in front of us, and even then, I’m still not sure how they cooked the egg properly. I guess if you were on the run, this might be decent alternative, but I’d still rather have an Egg McMuffin.

Nothing could ever replace the traditional preparation of loco moco, especially since I love the side benefit of mixing the warm gravy with the cold mac salad. However, I always like to see if classic dishes can be modernized or deconstructed without diluting its essence. While Alan Wong’s radical take on loco moco might look foreign to traditionalists, the end result was delicious, refined, and reminded me of the original.

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Helena’s Hawaiian Foods – Honolulu, HI

Arnold — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 20:14:48 +0000

When a hole-in-the-wall place like Helena’s Hawaiian Foods wins a James Beard award for outstanding American regional cuisine, you know there’s something special going on over there. In Helena’s case, it’s definitely the pipikaula short ribs and as many of you know, I’m a freak for short ribs. Pipikaula is a Hawaiian version of beef jerky, but this is the first time I’ve seen it made with short ribs. They’re crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and even better if you dip it in the chili pepper water that comes on the side.

(From left) Kalua Pork and Pipikaula Short Ribs

Here’s a rundown of the rest of our order, which included familiar Hawaiian standards:

kalua pork – good but could have been smokier
squid luau – squid content was low but the flavors were spot on. My wife’s friend said this was just like the squid luau she grew up eating.
lomi salmon – not normally a fan, but I actually liked Helena’s.
chicken long rice – strong ginger flavor, which I liked, but it masks the chicken.
beef stew – solid
fried butterfish collar – rich and fatty…excellent.
poi – Nice purple color, but we don’t like poi. Our friend and her two-year-old daughter loved it, though.
haupia – the pipikaula had me in their trance and I forgot to have some! :( My wife liked it and said it was smooth and not watery like some haupias.

Helena’s is an a weird location for out-of-town visitors, but if you can make it over there, the pipikaula short ribs are definitely worth a try. Plus, everyone there is super nice, and they’ll make you feel at home.

INFORMATION
Helena’s Hawaiian Foods
1240 N. School Street
Honolulu, HI 96817 map
808.845.8044

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Shave Ice Showdown!

Arnold — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:06:02 +0000

It’s hot in Hawaii year round, and shave ice is a great way to cool off. Most people know the Big 3 in Oahu, but there’s one in Kauai that’s giving them a run for their money. Here my list in order of preference.

Waiola Bakery & Shave Ice

Waiola is the king of shave ice on Oahu with its finely shaved, snow-like ice and the killer selection of toppings. Plus it’s near Waikiki, especially Waiola II on Kapahulu Avenue (below), so you don’t have to drive an hour and half outside of town to get some. It’s really no contest.

On our last trip back, I discovered the power of Calpico at the Kapahulu store. Calpico is a Japanese drink with a tart yogurt flavor that is popular in Asia and other fine Asian delicacies, such as Yakult, yogurt soju, and Pinkberry.

Waiola’s Melona and Calpico shave ice

When you combine Calpico with Melona on shave ice, it’s the best of both worlds. The sweetness of the Melona works perfectly with the sour Calpico, and with vanilla ice cream on the bottom, you create a wonderful sweet-and-tart-and-creamy shave ice.

INFORMATION
Waiola Bakery & Shave Ice
Waiola
2135 Waiola Street
Honolulu, HI 96805 map
808.949.2269

Kapahulu
525 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815 map
808.735.8886

Hawaiian Blizzard

If shave ice was judged on purely on the ice, Kauai’s Hawaiian Blizzard might be the best in Hawaii. Yes…better than my Oahu favorites, Waiola and Aoki’s, and it makes Matsumoto look like a regular snow cone. It’s the lightest, fluffiest and most divine ice I’ve ever had.

Hawaiian Blizzard is a shave ice stand that sets up shop Mon-Fri from 1:30–5pm in front of the Big Save market in Kapaa. On our trip to Kauai in January, we landed in Lihue at around 3pm on a Friday and went straight to Kapaa to get some shave ice before driving down to our homebase of Poipu. The detour was definitely worth the trip.

Flavor selection is pretty standard, but I was excited that they had Melona, which in my mind is the perfect shave ice flavor. They might not have the flavors and varieties that the other guys offer, especially pretty standard add-ons like red beans or vanilla ice cream, but you can also opt for a “Snow Cap,” a drizzling of evaporated milk on top of the shave ice that’s a delicious alternative.

INFORMATION
Hawaiian Blizzard
(in front of Big Save Market)
4-1105 Kuhio Highway
Kapaa, HI 96746 map
Hours: Mon-Fri 1:30pm-5pm

Aoki’s Shave Ice

Aoki’s a couple hundred feet from their more famous competitor Matsumoto Shave Ice. The lines are much shorter, which means you generally don’t have to wait 20 minutes to get your shave ice, which is a big deal when it’s hot.

I like Aoki’s more than Matsumoto for one simple reason…the ice is shaved a lot finer, so it’s smooth and melts instantly once it hits your tongue. It’s actually very similar to Waiola, and my wife and I favor Waiola to Matsumoto anyway. Aoki’s is also where I discovered that Melona is my favorite shave ice flavor.

Aoki’s Lychee and Melona Shave Ice.

If it’s your first time to visit Haleiwa, then go to Matsumoto’s just because it’s the “famous” one. But if you’re in Haleiwa for a repeat visit to Matsumoto’s, stop by Aoki’s and do a taste test and see which one you really like.

INFORMATION
Aoki’s Shave Ice
66-117 Kamehameha Hwy
Haleiwa, HI 96715 map
808.637.7017
Web site

Matsumoto Shave Ice

Matsumoto was my first shave ice experience and it set an excellent baseline for every other shave ice I’ve ever had. But with Aoki’s just a few hundred feet away, and the fact that my wife’s family is walking distance from Waiola, there’s really no need for us to go to Matsumoto anymore.

Nowadays, I only go into Matsumoto if we’re with a shave ice newbie or to buy souvenirs because they’ve got some of the best T-shirts on the island. The selection is great and they have sizes for everyone from newborns to adults.

Picture by Soozums at flickr.

There will likely be a line when you get to Matsumoto’s because it’s so popular, but you’re on vacation…relax and check out the souvenirs and study the menu while you’re in line. But Matsumoto’s fame is probably best reserved for the souvenirs.

INFORMATION
Matsumoto Shave Ice
66-087 Kamehameha Highway
Haleiwa, HI 96712 map
808.637.4827
Web site

A shout out to House of Annie for inspiring this post.

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Bourdain Latest in Long Line of SPAM Converts

Arnold — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:09:51 +0000

This week’s episode of No Reservations brought Anthony Bourdain to Hawaii, and it was fun watching him enjoy some of the great food and drink Hawaii has to offer. I’ve been waiting for this show to air because I was curious about his impressions of local culture and cuisine, and I figured he’d be brutally honest about his experience.

Overall, the show did a pretty good job covering Hawaii in a short amount of time, but the most satisfying part of the show was when Bourdain professed his love for everyone’s favorite mystery meat…SPAM!

At the New Uptown Fountain in Kalihi, Bourdain settled into a meal with Honolulu Advertiser food columnist David Choo that can best be described as a local “tasting menu” that featured several local favorites, including different presentations of SPAM. (Choo chronicles his entire Bourdain experience on his blog, appropriately called Choo On This.

First up was SPAM Musubi (a.k.a. SPAM sushi), but this version had a fried rice filling instead of the traditional steamed rice.

“That’s great,” Bourdain said. “I’m thinking stoned at two o’clock in the morning, watching TV…I want this really badly.”

Next up was what Bourdain described “a SPAM frittata with kimchee on top, floating in curry sauce.” I’ve never heard of this concoction, but it looked great and apparently it’s a house specialty. After a little riff on how the hospitals in Hawaii must do tremendous business because of the food locals are eating, Bourdain said, “I’m going to stroke out at the end of this meal.”

A plate of SPAM, eggs and fried rice was next, followed by an intermezzo of chicken tofu and some homemade chili before a bowl of SPAM saimin arrived at the table. There were lots of other non-SPAM dishes on the table, including one of my favorites, Loco Moco (hamburger patty, over-easy eggs served over rice and mac salad and smothered in gravy), to which Bourdain remarked, “This…don’t even tell anyone that I enjoyed that.”

(NOTE: This chronology is based on what aired and is a product of editing. For more details on the meal, see Choo’s blog above.)

All in all, it was pretty funny watching Bourdain have his SPAM epiphany in Hawaii, probably the best place in the world to eat SPAM.

“In all of its high-sodium, gravy-drenched glory, SPAM has in every sense found its way into my heart,” he said. “I get it now. I feel inducted into the Church of True Knowledge.”

Throughout the episode, Bourdain’s observations about local culture showed that he really “gets” Hawaii in the sense that he understands how its plantation history, which includes the importation of labor from China, Japan, Korea and the Philippines to work the fields, as well as U.S military occupation and eventual statehood, helped create a unique, diverse local population and cultivated the beautiful mish-mosh of cuisine that accompanies it. He even called Hawaii “America’s Singapore.”

In addition to feasting on SPAM, Bourdain also visited Ono Hawaiian Foods, one of my favorite places to eat in Oahu, Side Street Inn, where he met up with a bunch of local chefs including Alan Wong, and Bailey’s Aloha Shirts on Kapahulu Ave., where he bought a $3000 Aloha shirt.

For more information on this episode of No Reservations, check out the No Reservations page on the Travel Channel Web site.

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Eating Oahu, Part 2: New Discoveries

Arnold — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 23:58:55 +0000

The old favorites are always nice, but we did get to try some new stuff in Oahu. Here’s some places you might not have read about in the tourist guides.

Hapa Grill

Hapa Grill is known for their teri beef, a family recipe that was a mainstay of the Sassy Kassy Lunch Wagon back in the day, and there are those who say it’s the best teri beef in Oahu. I think I’m inclined to agree, especially because it’s not overly sweet.

My wife had the fried noodles and teri beef and it was great. A huge plate of fried noodles with spam, eggs, fish cake with a side of the famous teri beef. The noodles were really good and it was (amazingly enough) the first bit of spam I’d had on this trip. I stole a piece of teri beef from my wife’s plate and immediately ordered myself a side order to complement my beef stew. The stew is the Wed. special and it was really good on this cool evening, esp. when it was mixed up with the rice. For dessert, we had an awesome chocolate mac nut brownie

It’s long drive out to Kapolei from town, but if you’re in the neighborhood or want a nice place to eat after shopping in Waikele, Hapa Grill’s not too far (about seven miles down H1 from Waikele) and definitely worth the drive.

INFORMATION
Hapa Grill
91590 Farrington Hwy
Kapolei, HI 96707 map
808.674.8400
Web site

Grass Skirt Grill

I really needed a break from eating meat, so when we were in Haleiwa on the North Shore visiting my sister-in-law, we ended up at Grass Skirt Grill for lunch (even though Kua Aina Burger smelled amazing when we walked by).

I ordered the excellent Grilled Hebi Salad because it featured locally grown vegetables and fresh, perfectly grilled fish (Hebi is a short-billed spearfish native to Hawaii). My wife and sister-in-law split a teri chicken sandwich that they both liked. We also got an order of onion rings and fries, but they were unremarkable.

Stick with the grilled fish and fresh veggies, especially if you’ve OD’ed on meat eating around the island, and you’ll have a light, satisfying lunch.

INFORMATION
Grass Skirt Grill
66-214 Kamehameha Hwy
Haleiwa, HI 96712 map
808.637.4852

Diamond Head Market and Grill

The market itself is great. When we got married in 2005, they were the only place in town that stocked Lorina’s French Lemonade, and we needed a couple dozen for our wedding reception, so we cleaned them out.

On this trip, we decided to try out the grill, and it made me sad. The food was good, but it wasn’t anything special (at least at lunch), and the prices are exorbitant compared to other places on the island.

I had the grilled ahi steak ($9.75) with the standard rice and green salad. It was good, but when I first opened up the container, I thought to myself “that’s it?” My wife had the portobello mushroom hamburger ($5.25), which was reasonably priced and tasted good to me, but she wasn’t impressed. We did like the jus that was included with the burger, and I ended up dipping my rice in it. She ordered fries to go with it ($2.25), and they were the worst fries we’ve had in a long time. They were tough and they tasted stale, as if they were sitting around and then refried before serving. At least they were crispy.

Now I’m not one to normally complain about prices, but at a place like Diamond Head Market and Grill, where they’re obviously making local favorites with better and fresher ingredients, the presentation could at least make it seem like we’re getting our money’s worth. And the stale fries were just unforgivable.

We’ll probably give them another shot one day, maybe on our next trip, but we may just settle for the prepared food in the market (which looks fantastic).

INFORMATION
Diamond Head Market and Grill
3158 Monsarrat
Honolulu, HI 96815
808.732.0077 map
Web site

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Eating Oahu, Part 1: Local Favorites

Arnold — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:54:18 +0000

Trips to Oahu are annual since we’ve got to visit the family, and this also means good and CHEAP eats. If you’re planning on going to visit Oahu, here’s some places where you can eat like a local.

Ono Hawaiian Foods

If Kapahulu Avenue was a baseball team comprised of restaurants and their lineup included Leonard’s Bakery, Waiola Shave Ice, and Rainbow Drive-In batting in the 1,2, and 3 spots, Ono Hawaiian Foods would be the clean up hitter waiting to drive them all in. There’s a reason Ono is an all the tourist books, and you know the place is good because the locals will put up with all the tourists to eat there.

Ono is THE place to get authentic Hawaiian food in Oahu. They’re known for their kalua pig and their enormous, almost plate-sized lau laus. And it’s not all taro leaves either…it’s a generous amount of pork, enough for two or three people to split. The pipikaula (Hawaiian beef jerky) is also excellent and something I’ll be ordering from now on. The ahi poke is fresh and wonderful and the butterfish luau was also really good.

INFORMATION
Ono Hawaiian Foods
726 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816 map
808.737.2275

Gina’s Bar-B-Q

Gina’s serves local-style Korean food, and it is one of my favorite places to eat in Hawaii because I love meat jun, which is almost impossible to find in this form on the mainland. Meat Jun is basically a really thin steak that’s dipped in egg batter and then fried. It’s kind of like a thin egg pancake with a sliver of steak in the middle. They serve it with a sweet dipping sauce that takes this humble dish to a whole other level.

On this trip, I paired my meat jun with some spicy fried chicken wings that were excellent. The crunchy, slightly spicy skin really hit the spot.

In addition to rice, you get your choice of four sides, which include basic Korean banchan offerings such as taegu, kim chee and pickled daikon, as well as local favorites like mac salad.

It’s small inside, so most of their business is take out, which is what we did. Best of all, Gina’s is cheap and the portions are extremely generous, so you get a lot of food for the money.

INFORMATION
Gina’s Bar-B-Q
2919 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96826 map
808.735.7964

Rainbow Drive-In

With the proliferation of Hawaiian barbecue places in the SF Bay Area over the past few years, my once rabid obsession with plate lunch slowly evolved into indifference and apathy. On our most recent visit, I wanted to go to Rainbow Drive-In because it had been a few years and I wanted try their mix plate (and ostensibly get my plate lunch mojo back). Rainbow is a Honolulu institution and luckily, my in-laws live right up the street.

Mix plates in Hawaii are a lot more varied than on the mainland, where you tend to get only teri beef, teri chicken and kalbi short rib. At Rainbow, you get some good teri beef, a really nice fried chicken cutlet that was less like katsu and more like a boneless fried chicken breast (a good thing) and a small but good piece of fried mahi mahi. My wife’s beef cutlet was really good…basically it’s a thin breaded steak smothered in gravy. As with traditional plate lunch, rice and mac salad was standard.

If it’s your first time eating Hawaiian plate lunch, then you must order the loco moco (hamburger patty, gravy and fried egg over rice).

The slush floats are another reason to go Rainbow. Basically it’s a strawberry slush with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. These are premade, so best to let this sit for a bit to let the ice cream melt into the slush so you get this cool, fruity and creamy concoction.

Rainbow is not too far from Waikiki, so you tourists can eat like locals if you want to walk.

INFORMATION
Rainbow Drive-In
3308 Kanaina Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815 map
808.737.0177

Mitsu-Ken

Mitsu-Ken is strictly a take-out operation (and very small, so you might drive right by). There’s always a line and parking sucks, but the service is fast and efficient so you’ll get in and out in no time. Their famous for their garlic chicken and it’s as good as everyone says it is. Small fried chicken pieces are tossed in an amazing garlic sauce that’s subtle and sweet (local food tends to skew sweet).

A mini bento is only $3.50, and you get four pieces of chicken, half a hot dog, and scrambled egg with bits of pickled ginger are served over rice sprinkled with furikake. It was a lot of food, and I can’t really imagine trying to eat a regular-sized order.

If you can find Mitsu-Ken on the always busy School Street, it’s definitely worth a trip. It was our last stop before the airport and flight home, and it was the perfect last meal.

INFORMATION
Mitsu-Ken
1223 N School St
Honolulu, HI 96817 map
808.848.5573

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Eating Kauai

Arnold — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 21:07:52 +0000

We were in Kauai for a wedding last weekend and didn’t have much time to explore the island and all its beauty, but we did our best to eat well. Here’s a rundown of our brief stay on the Garden Isle.

Hawaiian Blizzard

Hawaiian Blizzard is a shave ice stand that sets up shop Mon-Fri from 1:30-5pm in front of the Big Save market in Kapaa. We landed in Lihue at around 3pm Friday and went straight to Kapaa to get some shave ice before driving down to our homebase of Poipu, and it was definitely worth the trip.

If shave ice was judged on purely on the ice, Hawaiian Blizzard might be the best in Hawaii. Yes…better than my Oahu favorites, Aoki’s and Waiola, and it makes Matsumoto look like a regular snow cone. It’s the lightest, fluffiest and most divine ice I’ve ever had.

INFORMATION
Hawaiian Blizzard
(in front of Big Save Market)
4-1105 Kuhio Highway
Kapaa, HI 96746 map
Hours: Mon-Fri 1:30pm-5pm

Hamura’s Saimin

Hamura’s Saimin is what’s great about eating like a local in Hawaii. It’s cheap, the service is friendly and fast, and even though the place looks like a hole in the wall, the food makes you forget your surroundings and focus solely on the amazing meal that’s sitting in front of you. Also, if you see tons of locals eating there alongside the tourists, you know the place has to be good.

My wife and I aren’t the biggest saimin fans, but if we lived in Kauai, we’d definitely be regulars. My main problem with saimin is the broth. A bowl of L&L saimin I had a while back reminded me of dirty socks. Hamura’s broth was delicious and erased that crappy bowl of saimin from my memory. We both ordered the Special Saimin and feasted on the roast pork, thin slices of ham, wontons, kamaboko, vegetables and hard-boiled egg that topped the perfectly cooked noodles.

We also ordered a couple of meat sticks (beef and chicken) and a perfect piece of tempura shrimp. We finished off the meal with a slice of their lilikoi (passion fruit) chiffon pie, which was light and airy…perfect after all the other food we had just polished off.

If you’re in Kauai, Hamura’s Saimin is probably the one place that you MUST visit. Otherwise your trip just isn’t complete.

INFORMATION
Hamura’s Saimin
2956 Kress Street
Lihue, HI 96766 map
808.245.3271

Gaylord’s at Kilohana

We didn’t actually eat at Gaylord’s, but they did cater the wedding. Bottom line…it was the best wedding food we’d ever had.

We started with some nice pupus, including a delicious hoisin duck breast served on a wonton chip, and a nice Thai Chicken egg roll. The entree was surf-and-turf, featuring Filet Mignon with Madagascar Sauce and Sugarcane Skewered Shrimp served on a bed of mashed potatoes.

The filet was the biggest, thickest and best steak I’ve ever had at a wedding. It was cooked perfectly rare and it was tender and delicious. I actually got to eat two of them because they guy sitting next to me didn’t want his because it was too rare. The shrimp was good, too, but I was really excited to get a second filet.

If you’re planning an event on Kauai and you need a caterer, you should definitely give Gaylord’s a call.

INFORMATION
Gaylord’s at Kilohana
3-2087 Kaumualii Hwy.
Lihue, HI 96766 map
808.245.9593
Web site

Grinds Cafe

I should have known we were in trouble when we arrived and they told us to seat ourselves, but the only empty tables still hadn’t been cleared from the previous diners.

We sat at a table and started stacking dishes so we would have some place clean to sit. A few minutes later someone eventually came by to clear our table and take our order. You may be wondering why we didn’t leave when we saw this situation, but to be honest, I was distracted by the two huge TVs showing the Giants v. Cowboys that I didn’t mind waiting because I could watch football.

Silly me…

I had the loco moco, a standard dish that I use to gauge a restaurant’s competency. It was pretty good, but I thought the gravy was too peppery.

My wife’s chicken cutlet (one of her benchmarking dishes) was ordered with over easy eggs and when they arrived, the eggs were missing. When our waitress told the kitchen staff about the mistake they had a brief “discussion” about whether or not eggs came with her order, regardless of what was written on the ticket. The eggs came a few minutes later, but I don’t think it really improved what was already in her bowl.

What looked promising when we drove by the restaurant on our way to Waimea Canyon ended up being a major disappointment in the end. Just like the Cowboys, who went into the locker room at the half tied with the Giants 14-14 and ended up causing my second disappointment of the day by losing and eliminating themselves from the NFL playoffs.

Damn you, Jessica Simpson!

INFORMATION
Grinds Cafe
4469 Waialo Rd
Eleele, HI 96705 map
808.335.6027
Website

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Brandon’s Teriyaki Meatloaf

Arnold — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 10:42:54 +0000

This is my friend’s Teriyaki Meatloaf recipe and it’s really good. It’s sweeter than traditional meatloaf, which I just love.

INGREDIENTS
2 lg. onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 eggs
4 slices of bread torn apart (pref. white)
2 lb. ground beef (80/20 preferable)
1/2 cup shoyu (soy sauce for you non-Asians)
1/2 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix ingredients together and put into loaf pan or form into a loaf on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 1.5 hours or until internal temperature is at least 150 degrees

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Grandma Watanabe’s Pineapple-Glazed Ham

Arnold — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 10:40:25 +0000

Our friends made this ham for a Christmas party we had one year, and it was awesome. It’s a bit of work, but the results are amazing.

INGREDIENTS

1 8-12 lb whole ham or 5-7 lb canned ham (whole ham is better and weighs more because of the bone)
Whole cloves
1 cup brown sugar (tightly packed)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
20 oz canned pineapple slices in syrup
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon hot mustard (optional)

NOTES

You may want to double the glaze and reserve half for basting. Depends on how much area your ham occupies. Recommended for whole ham.

You’ll need a V-rack or sturdy pie-pan with holes poked/drilled through (like Marie Callendar’s pan) to support the ham off the bottom of the roasting pan.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Place V-rack (or pie pan inverted) in roasting pan. This will keep the ham from sitting directly on the bottom of the roasting pan.
Place ham fat side UP on rack or inverted pie pan and put in the oven
Bake ham, cooking at rate of around 18-24 min per pound. It may be helpful to use an electronic timer.

While the ham is baking, prepare the glaze:

Quarter (or 6th or 8th) the pineapple slices. You want flat pieces and you want to keep the syrup.
Combine brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, pineapple with syrup, lemon juice and mustard in saucepan on Medium.
Heat until sugar and cornstarch are dissolved.
45 minutes *before* end of ham baking time, pause timer and remove ham.
Lightly score ham in a cross-hatch pattern.
Place whole cloves in cuts.
Glaze ham with sauce and drippings
Put ham back in oven and finish cooking
After baking, remove ham and let cool.
Remove cloves.

This next section is optional, but will impart even more flavor to the ham.

Carve the ham and lay slices into an oven-friendly serving dish.
Place pineapple pieces between slices for spacing.
Apply remaining glaze (this is why I double the glaze)
Bake an additional 15-30 minutes, basting regularly.

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Tita’s Hale ‘Aina Pork Adobo

Arnold — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:35:03 +0000

I found this recipe in an article on SFGate.com while putzing around the Web. It’s from Tita’s Hale ‘Aina restaurant in San Francisco, but they closed a couple years ago. Don’t see why their recipe shouldn’t be shared with the world, so here it is.

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds boneless pork butt, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 bay leaf, crushed
1 tablespoon crushed dried red chiles

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a plastic or glass container. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Transfer the pork and its marinade to a Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes.
Uncover and simmer for 15 minutes longer, until the liquid has evaporated and the pork is lightly browned. Serve with rice.

Serves 4

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Kalua Pig in a Crock Pot

Arnold — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 21:42:22 +0000

Bring the luau home with this really easy recipe. (Recipe courtesy of alohajoe.com, picture courtesy of onokinegrindz blog.)

INGREDIENTS
Pork butt or shoulder (they are the same thing)
2 cups apple cider (non-alcoholic)
1/2 cap liquid smoke
1 tbsp. Hawaiian sea salt (kosher salt works, too)

DIRECTIONS
Rub salt on pork.
Put pork in crock pot.
Add apple cider and liquid smoke.
Turn crock pot on low and cook for 9-10 hours.
Take meat out of crock pot and shred with fork. Salt to taste.

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Alan Wong’s Restaurant

Arnold — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 04:20:27 +0000

Towards the end of our last trip back to Hawaii, I was craving something fancy, and the other “upscale” restaurants in town (Sam Choy’s, Roy’s) got mixed reviews from everyone I had talked to. Only Alan Wong’s Restaurant got universal praise, and it’s hard to argue with a place that’s garnered so many accolades, including the prestigious James Beard award.

We thought about ordering the 5-course prix fixe chef’s tasting menu ($75), but decided to eschew its rigidity in favor of ordering directly from the menu. This actually saved us money, and we got to eat exactly what we wanted.

We started off with the Nori-wrapped Seared Tempura Ahi, garnished with soy mustard and tomato ginger relish. It was beautifully presented and a great way to start the meal. Next were the hoisin BBQ ribs, which were a little sweet but completely decadent. The succulent rib meat was easily to separated from the bones using either chopsticks or a fork.

The entrees were the main attraction, and they were all so pretty when they arrived at the table. My sister-in-law had the Twice Cooked Short Ribs, Soy Braised and Grilled “Kalbi” Style with Gingered Shrimp, Ko Choo Jang Sauce. This was just about perfect. My wife had the Ginger-Crusted Onaga, a long-tailed red snapper served with a Miso-Sesame Vinaigrette, which she really loved. I had the Macadamia Nut-Coconut Crusted Lamb Chops with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Asian Ratatouille. I wasn’t too into the Ratatouille, but the lamb chops were delicious, probably the best I’ve ever had and the sauce was great with the mashed potatoes.

After dinner, we were given a coffee menu with a selection as diverse as any wine list. I opted for the chef’s current favorite, an Organic Lafayette Coffee from south Kona, which was delicious, although some grounds got into my cup through the French press.

For dessert, we ordered the Taste of Hawaii Cheesecakes, which was pretty good, but only two of the four flavors really stood out, the Kona Coffee and the purple Okinawan Sweet Potato with Haupia sorbet. We also ordered the Chocolate Crunch Bars, which were like gourmet Kit Kats. This was the perfect way to finish the meal.

Overall, the Alan Wong experience was excellent. Service was attentive and the plating of the food was so satisfied our food porn desires. The location is a little odd, and it doesn’t have the greatest view, but the food is the star here. So if you’ve got some cash to blow on your trip to Hawaii, I’d give it to Alan Wong before Sam Choy or Roy Yamaguchi.

INFORMATION
Alan Wong’s Restaurant
1857 S. King Street, Third Floor
Honolulu, HI 96826
808-949-2526
Web site

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