It's easy to see why this fish is called a parrotfish (uhu, in Hawaiian). It's also good eating on the islands. We saw these specimens at the Maunakea Marketplace in Honolulu's Chinatown.
Yoohoo Uhu
The Conservatory at Foster Botanical Garden
Foster Botanical Garden in Honolulu is known for its outstanding collection of tropical trees, including an impressive set of palms. There is also an orchid garden, but we didn’t see many flowers in bloom. Inside the conservatory was another matter. Although not the largest orchid collection I've ever come across, there were some beautiful specimens interspersed... Continue Reading →
Mo’ Betta No Can Get: Side Street Inn on Da’ Strip (Honolulu, HI)
It wasn’t until Anthony Bourdain in 2009 featured Side Street Inn on “No Reservations” that this local hangout became nationally famous. It’s the answer to the oft-asked question, Where do famous chefs go to eat after work? Some of Honolulu’s top chefs, including Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong, had been coming all along just to “hang... Continue Reading →
Enjoying Young Coconut
One of my favorite dessert flavorings is coconut. Coconut muffins, coconut ice cream, coconut cookies, Ted’s chocolate-haupia cream pie, the list goes on. No bettah place to have than Hawaii, yeah? At the KCC Farmers Market, one particular vendor has been selling young coconut for at least the last three of our visits. Chilled in... Continue Reading →
The Pig and the Lady at the KCC Farmers Market (Honolulu, HI)
No sooner did we have an outstanding dinner at The Pig and the Lady last Tuesday than we came across them at the Honolulu Saturday Farmers Market. What was one of Honolulu’s hottest new restaurants doing here?, I wondered. It isn’t so strange, as it turns out, for The Pig and the Lady started out... Continue Reading →
Kilauea, Earth’s Seething Reminder
If we need a reminder that there is still turmoil beneath the Earth's surface, all we need do is visit the Big Island where Mauna Loa still periodically threatens with its lava flows and Kilauea releases gigantic plumes of volcanic gases. When the sun sets, the glow of the magma burning just below Kilauea's crater lights... Continue Reading →
Poké at Ono Seafood (Honolulu, HI)
Poké is ubiquitous in Hawaii. Virtually any restaurant serving island food will have it on the menu. It is typically made with raw yellowfin tuna (ahi poké). Combined with sea salt, soy sauce, sesame oil and limu (algae), it's a distinctively Hawaiian creation. Variations include other seasonings and aromatics. While it has been a popular food staple in the... Continue Reading →
Aloha Spirit at Mr. Ed’s Bakery (Honomu, HI)
Some of the friendliest people we’ve ever met live on the Big Island. The islanders call it the Aloha Spirit, and maybe this explains it to some degree. I suspect there’s something more, a generosity of spirit, an openness to strangers that one rarely encounters when traveling. Maybe it’s the fact that Big Islanders live in... Continue Reading →
Happy Hour at Chart House (Honolulu, HI)
After an exhausting day of sipping iced mochas at Starbucks and going to the movies, we decided to unwind by taking advantage of happy hour at Chart House lounge, where we’d last gone in 2009. The popularity of the bar—or maybe it’s the terrific view of the marina and the setting sun from almost any... Continue Reading →
Marukame Udon (Honolulu, HI)
The concept of customizing udon to suit your personal preference is not new. In my neck of the woods, U:Don in Seattle’s University District has been offering it for several years. Marukame Udon made a big splash in Waikiki when it opened in 2011, a udonya that copies the cafeteria-style service that made it so... Continue Reading →
zoomeboshi 