ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
"What're your most popular dishes here?" I asked the waitress. "Everything's good on the menu. It doesn't matter what it is." Normally, I would throw away an answer like that. In this case, the restaurant is Hawaiian Style Cafe in Hilo. I wasn't so quick this time to disregard it because Travel & Leisure Magazine voted... Continue Reading →
Koji's Bento Korner doesn't look like much from the outside, has nowhere to sit down inside; it's take-out only. It kind of reminds me of a country store, not out-of-character for Hilo. Inside, there's enough room for just a few people to order. Despite all that, locals come here for the Koji loco special: two hamburger patties, three Portuguese... Continue Reading →
Hawaiian Airlines proudly boasts that it’s the only carrier that serves complimentary meals at mealtime on all its domestic flights. Not only that, the promise is for a meal that is island-inspired. Hawaiian even goes so far as to name its executive chef, Chai Chaowasaree (who helms Pacifica Honolulu in Waikiki), suggestive of a Hawaiian-themed breakfast to... Continue Reading →
If phở hadn't become Vietnam's most popular dish here in the States, the vermicelli noodle salad known as bún might have taken its place. At least, that's what I like to think because I love them both and sometimes it's hard to pick between the two. For me, the choice might come down to the weather. Served at room temperature,... Continue Reading →
It's the peak of summer, but you'd never know it by this picture. There was a heavy rain the night before and the clouds hadn't yet lifted.
I've been a fan of Mongolian beef ever since the first time I had it at Hunan Restaurant (long since shuttered) in Seattle's Rainier Valley neighborhood. Thin slices of beef, green onions and dried red chiles, tossed in a sweet-savory sauce, all scooped on top of fried cellophane noodles (saifun), was a combination I had never... Continue Reading →
Far from Middle Earth (or New Zealand, for that matter), this storage bunker at the Bellevue Botanical Garden looks for all the world like a hobbit house—or gaol?
Among a stand of purple echinaceas (coneflowers), one of them dared to be different.
I was amazed by this tree trunk that looks like an elephant's head.
Yesterday when I arrived in Southern California to visit my wife's relatives, we were all treated to a classic Filipino dish, adobo, prepared by a family friend, Ronnie E. (His recipe for Bacon Bok Choy follows.) This particular dish, rather than being made with either chicken or pork, uses both, a recipe he learned from his mother.... Continue Reading →
zoomeboshi 