ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
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 →
There are so many Japanese customers at Eggs 'N Things that the lady taking names at the door for the waiting list speaks fluent nihongo, though she’s obviously a local. In fact, when she handed me the hand-held pager, she gave me instructions in Japanese, obviously not noticing my USC T-shirt. The word was that there is... Continue Reading →
I’m not particularly a big fan of tonkatsu but I will eat it. I’m usually indifferent and, if given the opportunity, will normally order something else. But it is Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin’s specialty. In this land known for its love of chicken katsu, this Ginza-based restaurant has set up business in Honolulu. There is also a branch in... Continue Reading →
Health Department closure several months ago notwithstanding, there was buzz about the new restaurant that served authentic Szechwan dishes. By authentic, I'm referring to the very liberal dose of Szechwan peppercorns that can leave your mouth numb for hours, a trait that is integral to Szechwan cooking, and to the equally liberal dose of dried red chiles.... Continue Reading →
zoomeboshi 