New Way To Explore Honolulu’s Chinatown

Ensen enjoying lunch at Mei Sum with Uncle Jon and Aunty Sarah.

We met up with Kelly’s brother Jon and his girlfriend Sarah for lunch yesterday at Mei Sum in Chinatown which is always a treat. The dim sum there is tasty and affordable which is the reason I eat there quite frequently. Everyone enjoyed the meal, especially Ensen who ate like there was no tomorrow.

Following lunch, we all headed to Hula Boba right down the street for a cold treat. They serve a delicious snowcone with ice made from soy milk (so even lactose intolerant people can enjoy). Kelly, Ensen, and I shared a lilikoi/lychee, while Jon and Sarah had the strawberry/honeydew. The combination of sweet, creamy, and cold made it the perfect snack on a hot Honolulu day.

But the most memorable part of the outing came towards the end when Ensen figured out a new way to enjoy Chinatown…being pulled around by Jon on the sidewalk in our portable pull cart. The video below says it all. Priceless!

Just a couple of our favorites in Chinatown in addition to shopping for inexpensive/quality produce. Care to share what you like most about C-town? Leave a comment.

-NGK

Spada Bar and Restaurant opens at the Wyland!

Those who follow the Kam Family Blog know that I love to eat…and eat well when I can. So I couldn’t pass up the invitation to have dinner with my friend and colleague Nancy Daniels (director of PR for Outrigger Enterprises Group) and her husband Dan at the brand new Spada Bar and Restaurant at The Wyland Waikiki. We turned it into a family night out with Kelly and Ensen joining us as well.

Let me just cut to the chase and say the food was fabulous. Executive Chef Tony Domingue’s Northern Italian menu was a hit with everyone. The portions plentiful and the dishes were flavorful! Couple this with the very attentive service and casual ambiance that captures the essence of Italian culture, and I think Spada has come up with a winning recipe for success in Waikiki. This the second Spada restaurant to open on Oahu (the other one is downtown…see my friend Melissa Chang’s blog for a review on the restaurant) and is a welcomed addition to The Wyland Waikiki and the Kuhio/Royal Hawaiian Avenue section of Waikiki.

But I digress. What did we feast on you ask? We managed to sample just a tip of the iceberg. I’ll let the photos do the talking…

We ordered the Shrimp Saltimbocca (jumbo shrimp filled with sage and fontina, wrapped in proscuitto with marsala butter) and the Crabcakes (blue and king crab with tarragon marscapone, sauteed and served with a rustic tomato coulis) as appetizers. Needless to say, both were amazing and a great way to start our meal. The last photo is the wonderful focaccia bread served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Yum!

For the main course, Kelly ordered the Pork Tenderloin which was huge and very tasty. I ordered the Paglia E Gamberettie (thin pasta with olive oil, garlic, shrimp, white wine, tomatoes, and basil) which was simple and delicious! Dan ordered the Pesce Del Giorno or the fresh fish of the day which happened to be ono. The fact that his plate was clean at the end of dinner indicates to me he liked the dish.

Nancy went for the Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca sans the anchovies and red sauce (spaghetti served with anchovies, garlic, capers, olives, and red chili marinara sauce). According to her feedback, it was also delicious. To end the evening, our server suggested we order the Tiramisu (homemade lady fingers drizzled with espresso and frangelico, layered with marscapone cheese and cream) and the Flourless Chocolate Cake (chocolate cake drizzled with a Kona Coffee reduction, served with a shot of vanilla rum creme). Both were “broke da mouth” and I highly recommend the Tiramisu which was one of the best I’ve ever tasted.

It was a great evening with friends and this won’t be the last time the Kam Family patronizes Spada Bar and Restaurant. If you’re looking for a great place to eat in Waikiki that’s casual, intimate (72 seats inside, 32 al fresco style), and serves great Italian food, Spada is the place for you.

Spada Bar & Restaurant at The Wyland Waikiki
400 Royal Hawaiian Avenue, Waikiki
Phone: 808-931-6222
Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Sunday-Thursday: 7-10:30 a.m. (B) / 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. (L) / 5:30-10 p.m. (D)
Friday-Saturday: 7-10:30 a.m. (B) / 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (L) / 5:30-11 p.m. (D)

-NGK

[Mahalo to Nancy Daniels for providing the last three photos in this post. Your Canon camera rocks!]

Ige’s Restaurant at last!

Ige’s famous Shoyu Pork is a winner! Soft, flavorful, and delicious!

I’ve heard a lot of good things about Ige’s Restaurant and 19th Puka in Aiea but never had the chance to eat there until this past weekend. Afterall, its catering service is legendary on the island. And let me tell you it was worth the wait! My parents were in town, so we picked up my Uncle Gerald (my dad’s brother) and headed out.

Kelly had been there before with her girlfriends and warned me that this place was probably not going to be what I expected. Not from a food point of view, but from an ambiance standpoint. And she was right. Upon entering the restaurant, I was immediately caught off guard by the size of the place. It is huge. I would describe Ige’s as the “Costco warehouse” version of Side Street Inn.

A few photos inside Ige’s with the family. That’s Uncle Gerald sitting next to Ensen in the photo on the right.

But let’s get down to what this place is all about. GREAT FOOD! And we certainly had our share that night along with some cold beers…and plenty of them. The look of the place may not win any awards, but the food is an entirely different story. A menu filled with “broke da mouth” local favorites perfect for any occasion. Not to mention the service there is attentive, speedy, and gracious.

I’ll stop rambling now and let the pictures of what we ate that night do the talking. If you’re looking for a great place for dinner with family and/or friends, Ige’s is the place.

The Crispy Pork, Fish Patties, and Fried Rice were all ono! No complaints here.

Ige’s Fresh Poke, Pulehu Steak, and Raw Sliced Tako with Miso Sauce were equally as tasty. All these dishes are a must order!

For the finale, we ordered the Bread Pudding with Ice Cream on the side which was super good! Then to our surprise, a generous order of Andagi came to the table (complimentary with the meal).

Ige’s Restaurant and 19th Puka
98-761 Oihana Place
808-486-3500

-NGK

Famous Kahuku Shrimp Truck

Famous Kahuku Shrimp Truck located across the street from Kahuku Hospital on Kamehameha Highway. (Photos in this post provided by Jason Evans/SilverShark Media)

About a month ago, I was on the North Shore on a scout for a TV show with Jason Evans of SilverShark Media (a Maui-based production company) and we decided to have lunch at one of the famous shrimp trucks that line the roadsides. I’ve heard a lot about them but never bothered to stop by in all the years I’ve been living on Oahu. Now I know what all the buzz is about and kick myself for not doing it sooner.

A colleague recommended the Famous Kahuku Shrimp Truck for some spicy Korean style shrimp and man was it delicious. For $10, you get a generous portion of sweet, tender, and flavorful shrimp, one scoop rice, and a scoop of mac salad. The Korean lady behind the counter who is the chef, host, and cashier will even peel the shrimp for you if you ask (hint, hint). The menu here is quite diverse with a ton of options for every palate…garlic butter, coconut tempura, surf and turf…you name it, they got it.

It’s not a meal I would have expected to enjoy so much coming out of an old truck that’s been transformed into a roadside kitchen. But as with other food establishments in Hawaii, often times the smaller, older, and more rundown the restaurant is, the better the food you find there. Case and point here, you can’t judge a book by its cover.

Will I be back to a shrimp truck again? You bet! Next time we’ll have to try Giovanni’s, Romy’s, Fumi’s, or one of the other many that line Kamehameha Highway between Kahuku and Turtle Bay Resort. I highly recommend you do the same the next time you’re on the North Shore.

Famous Kahuku Shrimp Truck
Kamehameha Highway (across from Kahuku Hospital)
Open daily from 9:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Phone: 808-389-1173
-NGK

Tsukiji Fish Market = Delicious Buffet!

In my last “Restaurant Ramblings” post, I confessed that I wasn’t a big fan of buffets. So what do we do this weekend with my mom in town? That’s right…we headed to Tsukiji Fish Market and Restaurant at Ala Moana Center to try its brunch BUFFET! To my credit though, it was my mom that really wanted to try this place. So off we went with the family, my mom Rhonda (sans my father who’s busy being “retired” on the Big Island working four side jobs…I’m still trying to figure that out), my sister Erin, and her boyfriend Craig.

The verdict? REALLY, REALLY GOOD! Tsukiji is a nice restaurant with a lot of space to spread out and navigate the buffet lines which feature Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and “local” fare. After being seated, I immediately headed for the sushi table which offered a nice assortment of ahi, salmon, hamachi, tamago (egg), ebi (shrimp), squid and an assortment of different rolls. All very fresh and very delicious. Check out the sushi station below.

Moving down the line, a variety of hot entrees awaited and I must say all were very well done…everything from chop steak and loco moco, to delicious kalbi ribs and shrimp and vegetable tempura. There was also selection of yummy Japanese style vegetables to feast on like kinpira (gobo) and dikon. Check out my plate above.

Mom and Erin digging in. Craig and Kelly enjoying loco moko and tempura. Ensen kicking back and enjoying the ambiance.

No buffet would be complete without dessert and Tsukiji had a nice assortment of cakes, fresh fruit, and SHAVE ICE!!! We all couldn’t resist a bowl of strawberry shave ice with condensed milk on the top. Simple…but delicious and just the right thing to end a wonderful meal.

All in all, another awesome buffet experience. In fact, I think I’m starting to enjoy them more and more. Tsukiji does a great job all around…great food, friendly staff, and a nice, clean restaurant to enjoy a fabulous meal with the family. Whoevever is reading this blog, I highly recommend you give it a try. Sunday brunch is only $18.95 for adults! Enjoy!

Tsukiji Fish Market and Restaurant
808-237-5444
TsukijiFishMarket.com

-NGK

Sunday Brunch at Plantation Cafe (Ala Moana Hotel)

It’s no secret that I love to eat…and eat well whenever I can. Places like Alan Wong’s, Town, Little Village Noodle House, and Tadashi Japanese Restaurant are among my favorites. I’m much more about quality, than quantity which is why I’d rather have a nice sit-down meal than battle a buffet line. But since we had a gift certificate for two to the Ala Moana Hotel’s Sunday Brunch at Plantation Cafe, Kelly, Ensen, and I headed there today to give it a shot.

To be honest, it was probably one of the better buffet’s we’ve been to lately. Very nice spread of hot entrees, seafood, sushi, prime rib, salads, made-to-order omeletes, a carving station of prime rib, and desserts.

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Upon arrival, Kelly immediately headed to the buffet line to pick up some steamed clams, bacon, sausage, potatoes, ham, omelete, some cheese, and fruit. I headed straight for the seafood section and got some cold oysters, crab legs, shrimp, then over to the hot entrees for pork chops, seafood ravioli, and prime rib. We went back a few times and tried just about everything. I couldn’t resist trying the warm bread pudding with vanilla sauce and a slice of pecan pie. All in all, very good and tasty.

Kelly and I left Plantation Cafe full and satisfied. Ensen enjoyed himself to, just napping away in his carseat. If you want to try out the Sunday Brunch yourself, call 808-955-4811 for reservations. Brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is $27.95 for adults.

Ala Moana Hotel’s Plantation Cafe
808-955-4811
AlaMoanaHotel.com

-NGK