ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
Honolulu has several excellent Japanese noodle shops. Ramen and saimin garner the lion’s share of devotion. But udon deserves as much attention, especially those served at Jimbo. Made in the Hokkaido style (according to the waiter), the broth is rich, luscious, slightly smoky from specially imported katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). We were told that one... Continue Reading →
The Waipahu Poke Stop is in the middle of an enormous shopping center, those maddening strip mall/village hybrids that meander over acres, making it almost impossible to find any particular store. What an odd place to set up shop for a chef who trained under Alan Wong, Emeril Lagasse and Sam Choy. But, it’s a... Continue Reading →
Hawaii’s Plantation Village showcases the restored living quarters of the sugar cane workers who worked on Oahu’s last sugar mill. Laborers came from all over: China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Portugal and Puerto Rico. Many of the buildings that housed the workers are on display, complete with furniture pieces, articles of everyday living and other... Continue Reading →
Hawaiian plate lunch diners serve all sorts of local staples that are islanders’ version of comfort food. They are believed to have originated in the sugar cane fields when workers used to take rice, leftovers and pickled vegetables for lunch. Eventually, food trucks began serving these lunches to the workers, a role that such trucks... Continue Reading →
Since the strong winds continued to blow this morning, we decided to go back to the Bishop Museum, after finding out too late yesterday that it was closed. Bishop is considered the finest museum of Hawaiian arts, culture, history and anthropology in the world. The Hawaiian Hall itself is worthy of a visit all by... Continue Reading →
Yotteko-Ya is hard to find at first. There is no restaurant with that name on the outside, only one that says “Kyoto Ramen.” It’s located on the second floor at the west end of the McCully Shopping Center. Yotteko-Ya is primarily a ramen restaurant, though a few other Japanese items are offered on the menu.... Continue Reading →
We stopped at Liliha Bakery on the way back from Helena's. Customers come here for the coco puffs. There was a line to order the bakery items. A cafe inside also serves meals, breakfast apparently being the favorite time. For the puffs, you get your choice of original, green tea, chocolate or custard, although it’s beyond... Continue Reading →
The last few days have been really blustery. Strong winds have been blowing across all the Hawaiian Islands, gusting up to 30mph right here in Honolulu, not exactly conducive to hiking weather. So we made a decision to stay in town. Our day out to Kalihi started out pretty badly. Bishop Museum turned out to... Continue Reading →
On most lists of the best of Hawaiian cooking on Oahu is Ono’s Hawaiian. The restaurant has been serving food since 1961 when it opened for business. Because Ono’s has been popular with locals and tourists alike, long lines form to get seated at one of the very few tables inside. A sign on the... Continue Reading →
Anyone who has ever visited a department store in Japan knows that an entire floor is devoted to food. The second floor of Shirokiya (third level of the mall) extends that experience to Hawaiians. Like in Japan, there are restaurants that prepare food as well as small family-owned businesses. Most of the food is purchased for... Continue Reading →
zoomeboshi 