My latest obsession: Poke

I've been completely obsessed with poke. I think it all started when I moved back home a year and a half ago. I was never super into it growing up, but after spending 7 years in China, I learned how to eat all sorts of things I never would've considered back in the day, so now naturally poke fits in on the easy end of that scale.

My two top spots without a doubt are Tanioka's and Tamura's. Tanioka's when I'm out on the west side (which unfortunately, isn't very often) and Tamura's when I'm in town (it's in Kaimuki) or driving back from the North Shore. Tanioka's might win overall, just because they have so much other ono grindz to choose from ... musubi, bentos, sushi, hawaiian plate, etc. Then again, Tamura's does have the full alcohol selection (it's also a wine shop, at least in Town).

Here's the poke selection:

My dream birthday celebration includes a poke cake from Taniokas:

 

 Tamura's poke bowl with kalua pig and lomi salmon

 Tamura's spicy crab poke

Best lunch ever: Tamura's spicy ahi and limu poke, with 2 musubi from Fort Ruger Market

Here's one I just checked our recently: Ono Seafood (not to be confused with Ono Hawaiian Food across the street on Kapahulu). Ono Seafood is so tiny; it's hard to find:

 Inside Ono Seafood

 Ono Seafood spicy ahi and shoyu limu

 

For a sit down lunch with friends, I choose Pa'ina Cafe at Ward. Inside Pa'ina Cafe - super cute upgrade compared to their old kiosk

 Pa'ina Cafe mix bowl

 When I'm downtown and craving poke, I go to Ahi & Veg. I didn't have such great luck with my spicy salmon bowl at the Fort Street mall location:

But the just-opened location off of Bishop St (corner of Queen or Merchant? Next to Cake Couture) and I had much better luck with the spicy kim chee poke...winnah.

All this poke was getting $$ on my wallet, so I gave a shot at making my own. I thought, how hard can it be? Chop up some raw fish, add some shoyu, green onions, salt,avocado, whatevahs. But I found out the freshness of the fish really matters: buying it at Don Quixote and taking it home just can't compete with the freshness the poke markets are getting. I'll just have to find a better source for fish! (Below, my attempt at salmon-avocado, spicy ahi, and ahi green onion pokes)

Mmmm...Whole Ox Deli

Wow. I just had lunch at He'eia Pier earlier this week and we were talking about how "the boys" are opening a new concept this week: The Whole Ox. Everyone and their mother was there for the grand opening on Wednesday (and seem to have spent all day there - breakfast and lunch!). According to Honolulu Pulse, 

For months, there was buzz that Robert McGee (formerly of Apartment3 and Plancha Honolulu) was planning to open a new business in the former Blue Ocean Thai Restaurant space on Keawe Street. McGee used fundraising site IndieGOGO to collect donations for a smoker (costing roughly $11,000) and produce his own cold cuts.

McGee sources his pork from Maui and his beef from Hawaii Island (although not sure which ranch) I believe. We got to try both meats today, splitting a dry aged burger and the smoked pork sandwich. Although the menu is short (less than 10 items) it was soo hard to pick what to eat, because they all sounded so ono.

From the outside: super cute renovation of Blue Ocean Thai!

 Outdoor picnic tables

Ordering at the counter

The menu on a chalkboard behind the counter

This was actually the line at its shortest

 The Doug...something...pancetta (?)

 Smoked pork

 And...omg...the best burger I've ever had. It didn't need any condiments; the meat was that flavorful.

 

 

** Update 4/23/2012:
I went back again and tried the roast beef sandwich (per the rec of one of the staff). It was beautiful but not as good as the burger. My friend also recommends the french fries (actually fried potatoes) which are fried baby (fingerling?) potatoes...$4 a serving but big enough to share.

Here's some of the salads & pate / headcheese / prepared meats:

 
The deets:

327 Keawe St
Honolulu, HI 96813

Yelp 

No phone yet

Must eats for an Oahu vacation

A friend asked me for a list of places to eat for her boss's niece who is visiting Honolulu from New York City. Gee...they have a lot of good choices for foodies in NYC. I felt under quite a bit of pressure to come up with a list for some young 20-something year old hipsters!

What should I include on my best of list?? Here's what I came up with...let me know what you would add / take off!

1) Fancy local bar food

Side Street Inn - the original

Home Bar - the new comer

I can't choose between the two...I guess Side Street since it's more convenient for visitors staying in Waikiki.

2) Hipster diners

Downbeat Diner: For Sunday brunch or 2 am snacks after going out in Chinatown

3) Authentic Hawaiian Food (not what you get at a luau)

Helena's Hawaiian Food - in Kalihi

Ono's Hawaiian Food - on Kapahulu, closer to Waikiki

Both of these are LEGIT - hole in the wall, been there forever. Get a combo plate at either so you can try kalua pig, poi, laulau, lomi salmon and haupia.

 4) Japanese food

So many choices here - I went with Sasabune...currently on my bucket list of restaurants to try. This would be more high end Japanese. There are two different omakase options, and you put your meal in the hands of the chef to make all decisions for you.

 5) Locavore farm to table dining

Town.The first one in town. Located in Kaimuki, a more residential neighborhood, but still close to Waikiki. Others to consider are He'eia Pier, Sweet Home Waimanalo, and coming (in April 2012) The Whole Ox.

Here's my first trip and my second (more recently).

6) Misc. and snacks

Tanioka's musubi and poke: I can't get enough of the ahi poke, the mochiko chicken musubi, or the shiso musubi there. And if you've never had a spam musubi, gotta get one of those as well.

 Shimazu Shave Ice: Because you can't visit Hawaii without have shave ice (once...or 5 times!) This one has the most unique flavors to choose from.

 7) Bars

My current favorite spot on the island for drinks is the pool bar at the Modern (formerly the Edition) on the Ala Moana end of Waikiki. Feels very South Beach with the white chaise lounges.

The deets:

 

Side Street Inn: Yelp

Home Bar: Yelp

Downbeat Diner: Yelp

Helena's: Yelp

Ono Hawaiian Food: Yelp

Sasabune: Yelp

Town: Yelp

He'eia Pier: Yelp

Sweet Home Waimanalo: Yelp

Tanioka's: Yelp

Shimazu Shave Ice: Yelp

The Modern: Yelp

Sweet Home Waimanalo

I don't really know how to describe Sweet Home Waimanalo. It's a tiny cafe on the side of Kalanianiole Highway as you're driving through Waimanalo. The first time I heard about them, I heard about fish tacos. Then, the second time I heard about them, I heard they had a "roof garden" -- a garden growing on top of their roof. Now that I've eaten there, whenever someone asks me where I've been eating recently, I tell them:

Go to Sweet Home Waimanalo. Tomorrow. And get the beef stew with a side of cornbread.

From the outside:

Cute picnic tables!

Fish tacos with bok choy slaw...ok but would not order again.

 Now THIS is why you go there. Brisket beef stew with kalo (instead of potatoes) and "hapa" rice (mix of white and brown). It was small. I was still hungry. Which is why you get a side order of cornbread.

Brisket plate with cornbread, purple sweet potato salad, and nalo greens. I tried this the 2nd time I went, because I loved the brisket in the beef stew so much. I'd stick with the beef stew, but the cornbread with life changing (if you like a very sweet and buttery cornbread).

41-1025 Kalanianaole Hwy
Waimanalo, HI 96795

(808) 259-5737

www.sweethomewaimanalo.com 

Yelp

Shave ice on O'ahu

Nothing can beat a shave ice after day at the beach. Or a hike. Or a run. Or when a friend is visiting from the mainland. Or any hot afternoon. Or...the list goes on. 


That said, here are my favorite places on Oahu for shave ice.


I grew up going to Waiola Shave Ice (the original location, on Waiola Street). So that will always be my #1. Here's there new location in Kapahulu.

Waiola is renowned for the fine texture of shave ice - it just melts in your mouth. You don't have to chew on any ice granules. I like the lilikoi - lihingmui flavor combo, with lilikoi syrup (the seeds in the pic below) on top. YUM. I want one just thinking about it.

My 2nd favorite is a newer entrant to the market - Taiwanese style shave ice. It's the stuff you get after eating hot pot at Sweet Home Cafe, or in the picture here at City Cafe. City Cafe is a cute, tiny little place on Makaloa across from Ala Moana Shopping Center. You get to pick your flavor and your toppings: I got brown sugar syrup with mochi balls, coffee jelly and flan.

#3: Shimazu Shave Ice
This one has actually been around forever, but I'd never been until recently. They are popular for their trendy shave ice syrups, like red velvet and mojito, which I believe are all made in-house.


This is a small serving. It's massive! I think this was red velvet (super creamy tasting, like magic) and mango.

Inside the store; Mr Shimazu himself

#4) Old school: Your Kitchen in Kaimuki
Your Kitchen is a tiny little hole in the wall on 10th avenue known for their boiled pork plate lunch. But they also make a mean shave ice.

#5) New school: Snow Factory
I'm curious where this trend came from. Korea? Japan? Anyhoo, it's a block of flavored ice (can be dairy based) that is shaved into paper thin sheets, piled into a bowl, and topped with yummy treats.


Interior: feels like I'm in Korea listening to Korean pop music

 Green tea ice topped with condensed milk, mochi balls and azuki beans. Drier in your mouth than regular shave ice, but still really tasty.

1) Waiola Shave Ice

2135 Waiola St
Honolulu, HI 96826

(808) 949-2269
2) City Cafe

1518-F Makaloa St
Honolulu, HI 96814

(808) 398-7598

 3) Shimazu Store

330 N School St
Honolulu, HI 96817

(808) 371-8899
4) Your Kitchen
1423 10th Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 203-7685

5) Snow Factory

McCully Shopping Center
1960 Kapiolani Blvd, Ste 115
Honolulu, HI 96826

(808) 946-7669

Tour of the Island: best bakeries & what to get at each one

one of my friends, m, spoils us every year with her annual dessert party. it's a great way to catch up with all the friends who are only home in hawaii for the holiday...and, to gorge ourselves on sugary sweets.

this year she decided to pick up her favorite sweet treat from each of hawaii's top bakeries, so everyone could get to try them in one place. man, i recommend that everyone has the chance to do this one day!

#1) Pecan bars from Cakeworks (the old Mary Catherine's, known for wedding cakes)



#2) Cocoa puffs from Liliha Bakery

#3) Cupcakes from Cake Couture: there are a lot of opinions and a lot of new cupcakes in town (Hokulani, Let them eat cupcakes, Poppy coffee shop...), but Marissa and I both swear by Cake Couture. She recommended the Key Lime Coconut flavor (Tuesdays) so that is next on my to-try list.

#4) Pumpkin Crunch Cake from The Alley at Aiea Bowl. Legendary.

#5) Lemon Bars from Kaka'ako Kitchen

#6) Not available anywhere else: homemade bacon flan. Wowsers.

There was also a fruit tart from St Germaine (?) but I missed taking a photo of that one.