"Hawaii Grinds" via Ryan in Google Reader

Moena Café

2012-05-27T01:07:00Z

A very cute breakfast/lunch spot just opened in Hawaii Kai's Koko Marina, and reminds me of the very popular Sweet E's and Café Kaila. So happy that there's finally a spot like this on my side of the island. I'm just afraid that once this place gets more popular, the line will much be like Sweet E's and Café Kaila.....and the wait will be forever for this small restaurant.

Open from 630am-3pm, Moena serves a variety of different food items- the usual breakfast stuff- pancakes, eggs, waffles, omelettes, and eggs benedict and also sandwiches, salads, paninis, crepes, acai bowls, Mac N cheese and of course, coffee and tea items. Breakfast is served all day, lunch starts at 11am.

I was very excited to eat at this new place- Yelp reviews seem to say they have their act together. A new restaurant that has their act together?! I'm there.

While I did enjoy my friend's Eggs Benedict, I was sadly disappointed with their "Mo'Egga, A Moena Favorite," two pieces of bread with artichoke spread and 2 poached eggs on top. Their menu is really misleading for this item! When I see "A Moena Favorite," I think that this item has got to be one of the more popular things on the menu. But, in reality, the artichoke spread seemed more along the lines of garlic spread, and it was nothing special to me. The garlic was so strong that throughout the whole day, I felt like a dragon blowing out garlic fire. My mouth was just so garlicky!!!

I really liked Jeremy's Eggs Benedict- the bread was a bit on the thicker and tougher side, but when the runny egg yolk soaked into it, it was much more soft and flavorful. The Hickory-smoked ham was SO delicious and they gave a hefty slice of it! Love that!

Next time, I'd love to try their Crab Eggs Benedict or their Short Rib Loco Moco that I heard was another "favorite."

PS- I also tried their Mango-Peach Iced Tea. All the sweetness was at the bottom!

Eggs Benedict

Mo'Egga

Sparkling Tamarind Cooler (Agua de Tamarindo): Sweet & Tangy Warm Weather Refresher

2012-05-26T09:26:00Z

I have been looking at boxes of whole tamarind pods at my local Whole Foods for quite some time now. I love the slightly sweet and tart spiced flavor of these woody pods of fruit. I usually buy the pulp frozen or in a little containers in the Asian grocery store sections and markets here, so I thought it would be fun to try the fresh stuff. Rick Bayless has recipes in several of his books for making fresh tamarind pulp base and turning it into an agua fresca or cocktail. I made a batch of the base and made adaptations to turn part of it into a refreshing Sparkling Tamarind Cooler (Agua de Tamarindo).

Sparkling Tamarind Cooler (Agua de Tamarindo)

Adapted from Fiesta at Rick's by Rick Bayless

(Makes about 2 quarts)

Tamarind Base:

1 pound (about 16 large) fresh tamarind pods—flexible ones with shells that flake off easily.

Hold a pod in one hand, loosen the stem with the other, then firmly pull out the stem and all the runners that trail down between the shell and pulp. Peel off the shells.

In a large (4-quart), non-aluminum saucepan, bring 1 quart water to a boil. Add the tamarind, remove from the heat and let stand until completely soft—1 to 2 hours, depending on the freshness of the pods. Using your hand or the back of a large spoon, thoroughly dislodge the softened brown tamarind pulp from the fibrous material and seeds.

Strain, discarding the solids. You should have 1 quart of tamarind pulp; if you don’t, add water to reach that quantity.

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Sparkling Tamarind Cooler (Agua de Tamarindo):

Tamarind Base

honey to taste (can also use sugar, agave, or simple syrup)

club soda or seltzer
ice cubes (small ones are best)

Place tamarind base in a glass or pitcher (depending on how much cooler you are making). Stir in honey or desired sweetener to taste. (I used about 2 teaspoons for 1 large glass). Add club soda in an equal amount to base. Serve over ice in tall glasses and enjoy!

Notes/Results: Lightly sweet, perfect tangy, this is a fun warm weather refresher. You could of course make it more traditional with the plain water, but the bubbles in the soda water make it feel special. Honey pairs well with the tamarind and I think that it adds a more complex flavor than plain sugar. I ended up with two jars of the base and just made a couple of glasses of the cooler, leaving me plenty more to play around with. I will probably try a Mexican Snakebite or "La Culebra" (tamarind base, apple cider & Mexican beer) and use some base unsweetened in a savory dish. (There is a little Malaysian-Singaporean restaurant here that makes a delicious fish in tamarind sauce that I would love to recreate.) Making the tamarind pulp is a little messy and a bit of a pain, so I don't know that I will make my own base very often, but it was fun to try and the flavor is excellent. I did not take step by step photos of the process (it was sticky and I am lazy!), but check out this post over at girlichef where Heather has done a much better job of documenting it.

It's Potluck! week over at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week. You can check out what everyone made by going to the post and following the links.

Happy Aloha Friday!

Dash Gastropub UPDATED!

2012-05-25T21:44:00Z

I <3 Dash. I really do. Very laid-back, very good service, and I think the food is above par. They've got some unique, gourmet bar food, and I always look forward to trying their Specials.

A good way to describe Dash? Good friend, Kelley, who works there gave me this: "High-end beer and food at bar prices." They also are known for bringing in beers that most places don't have here. You won't see the usual Corona at Dash. Here, they serve Bohemia and other alternatives. Quite refreshing!

I went back for a 3rd time last week Friday with Joe and finally got to sample their hyped-up Green Tea Waffles with Yukari Chicken. So many different flavors in this dish, and honestly, they all work well together. The waffles have a light green tea flavor topped with fried karaage chicken, and drizzled with butterscotch Yuzu sauce. Boy, this sauce is out-of-this-world. Very distinct, citrusy flavor with sweetness from the butterscotch. And then, finally, it's all sprinkled with the saltiness of Yukari flakes. It's a must-try dish!!!

Our second dish was their Chicken Bao Sliders Trio. The first time I had it with all Ginger Chicken, though that night, there were 3 different Bao to try- Char Siu, Ginger Chicken, and Hoisin. I think I still preferred the Ginger Chicken, though. One of my favorite dishes at Dash!

Trio: Char Siu, Ginger Chicken, Hoisin.

Yukari Chicken with Green Tea Waffles with Butterscotch Yuzu drizzle.

Eat the Street Tomatofest

2012-05-26T05:27:48Z

Tomatofest: The food by Tracy Chan & Mari Taketa

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Eat the Street Tomatofest (1 of 35)

Tomatofest: The scene by Jonas Maon

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Tomatofest scenes (1 of 27)

Opening soon: Pint and Jigger

2012-05-25T21:18:00Z

A new bar whose partners include Dave Newman, formerly of Nobu, and Jonathan Schwalbenitz, formerly of Murphy's.

Eat the Street debut: SL2 Delectables

2012-05-25T16:08:25Z

Leonard’s Malasadas is making a tomato cupcake. Jawaiian Irie is stuffing a tomato with jerk chicken topped with melted cheddar and a tangy salsa. EAT Honolulu’s bringing a Shinsato pork sausage slider with green tomato relish, Momo Burger will have a curried Hauula tomato soup and patty melt, both OnoPops and Aloha Ice Cream Tricycle will have bloody mary pops, and Il Gelato has created a special white truffle gelato (yes, the prized fungus) with a caramelized tomato finish.

Got that, Honolulu? Eat the Street celebrates the versatile tomato at what’s likely the city’s first-ever Tomatofest: 43 food trucks and street food vendors in one mammoth lot in Kakaako, nearly all selling at least one dish paying homage to the juicy red orb.

Among them: SL2 Delectables, which makes an art out of Chinese finger foods with non-Chinese fillings. It’s hard to explain. Scroll through the photos below to see for yourself. And meanwhile, here’s the entire list of trucks, booths and their menus, and the rest of your deets for ETS Tomatofest.

When: Friday, May 25 from 4 to 9 p.m.
Where: 555 South St. in Kaka’ako (at Halekauwila, kitty-corner from Restaurant Row)
Admission: Free
Parking: On-site and street parking

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ETS preview: SL2 Delectables (1 of 7)

There's an undeniable symmetry about photographing an ETS preview spread in a parking lot, a much bigger version of which hosts the mega-street food rally that happens in Kakaako tonight, so we're very comfortable, SL2 Delectables and I, when Plan A for the photo shoot fizzles into Plan B fizzles into Plan C, and we end up in the parking lot of Kaimuki Dry Goods on 10th Avenue.

Which is where SL2's Steven Lee opens the passenger door of his silver Tacoma and shows me what's on his ETS menu for tonight.

SL2 Delectables
On Twitter @sl2delectables
On Facebook at SL2 Delectables

Wahoo and Palm: The return of the can

2012-05-25T15:28:45Z

Canned goods have never played much of a place in my pantry since I began a love affair with “gourmet cooking,” in the ’70s.

“Exotics,” yes — sardines, smoked oysters, Red Devil liver paste, water chestnuts until I discovered fresh ones in Seattle’s International District —but I would no more have served a canned protein, fruit or vegetable to a guest than a plate of dirt.

(I lie. Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk. My go-to dessert was fresh strawberries, a drizzle of the milk and a Pepperidge Farm sugar cookie, or perhaps a wafer cookie. And may I say, you have not eaten a strawberry until you’ve picked it yourself warm in the Snohomish County sun. They don’t travel well so you’ll never get them here.)

I kept tuna, of course, and beef and chicken stocks (no boxes then and I didn’t always have a stash of my own in the freezer, as I do now) and tomato products (sauce and paste and whole and crushed). Unlike my Grandma, who made her own “solid pack,” I had no garden (for which vegetables everywhere are grateful.) I kept canned spinach in case I got homesidk for laulau or chicken lu’au (until I found lu’au leaf fresh in the International District.)

But I was farm-to-table before the term existed. The Pacific Northwest, before there was a “regional cuisine,” personified the concept. Everyone I knew berried, clammed, had a secret morel or chanterelle stash (people who leave the location in their wills!), visited the Pike Place Market weekly, knew a cranky old farmer sold fresh apple cider every season (brown, tart-sweet, so refreshing), bought apples at local orchards, patronized a stall presided by an Italian woman who looked JUST like my grandmother where I got my greens, my parsley, herbs and good cooking advice in broken Italglish. Bless her soul. I knew a farm operated by Hmong where I could buy Chinese parsley (cilantro) in huge bouquets, and chives and Thai basil. I foraged in a civilized way. There were annual trips to Eastern Washington during apricot season (and, again, you haven’t eaten an apricot until you’ve had a ripe one, warm still, from the tree). Hazelnuts came from trips to Oregon. Salmon was everywhere; people just gave it to you. Mussels began to come from the then freshly planted floating acquaculture beds off Whidbey Island. …

Sorry, I lost myself in Northwest memories there.

After World War II, Hawai’i, the whole of the South Pacific, really, went canned good crazy. They were so cheap; so easy to make stretch to large, poor families; and haole food was considered “sophisticated.” We ate canned green beas, canned peas, canned peas-and-carrots (the worst!), canned corned beef, canned Dinty Moore Beef Stew. Grandpa even bought canned whole chickens that Swanson used to make (pale, unhappy looking things that tasted like … can).

Our “cream” was evaporated milk (you still see old recipes that call for 1 can cream). Except for milk (and when we were really poor, it was powdered), we never ate fresh dairy. And when you consider how many Portuguese kept their own cows and chickens in the early days, I don’t understand how they could stomach evaporated milk and margarine. But they did. With relish. Because they knew what work it took to get real food from the ground and the sea. Grandma thought sliced bread and cake mixes were a sign of the Second Coming she welcomed with open arms as if it had been the risen Christ.

But of late, two things have come into my life, both from the South Pacific and both banishing forever my can prejudice: One is canned wahoo (tougher to get now that there are fewer canneries there) and the other is Palm Corned Beef. Samoans buy Palm Corned Beef in industrial sized cans, for palusami, bundles of luau leaf with corned beef and coconut milk inside. They at least make their own coconut milk because they have become Hawai’is coconut tree trimmers so no tourists will get konked on the head.

Anyway, wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) is a scombrid fish the Puerto Ricans call peto, is a long, skinny, silvery fish, the fastest swimmer in the Pacific. They’re often a bycatch from other fisheries but they’re worth finding on their own. Canned, they are to tuna what canned peas are to fresh, oh the fresh-like flavor and large chunks! They’re packed solid, not full of lard pockets or mushy unidentfiable goop, richly flavorful and really expensive. But make an old-fashioned creamed tuna, an Italian tuna salad with tomatoes, white beans and fresh arugula, even just a sandwich with wahoo and mayo and you’ll never turn back. Whenever I find it, I buy several cans.

Palm Corned Beef was something I hesitated about. We always bought Libby, McNeil & Libby which, if I remember correctly, kept its characteristic black-and-red label just for Hawai’i, where we used it unceasingly in stir-fried corned beef and cabbage, a classic family stretch dish. Just melted butter, caramelized onions, ton o’ cabbage and then break up the corned beef and put inside. Throw on some chili peppah wattah and pile on hot rice and you back in Grandma’s kitchen like you been beamed there.

I heard it was oily. I had my doubts. But it was on sale the other day and I bought some. What a revelation. The meat is packed solid, the strands thick and meaty, no lard, a bit of oil, worth saving to cook the meat in. Though I now know what a housemade corned beef from grass-fed beef can taste like, the melting texture and tang of pickling spice (thanks, Mark Noguchi of He’eia Pier Market & Deli) … I’m not going to be making my own soon. I’m a Palm girl now.

The other day I was hungry, alone, opened the pantry and the fridge. Hmm, that can of Palm, some chilled pastry from a recipe testing session, onions, parsley from my garden pot. I made corned beef turnovers. Took minutes. Ate half a one in the time it takes to write this sentence. Groaned with pleasure. Can’t wait to do more: an old, tomato-based stew my Grandma used to make, for instance. I used the last of the can to make corned beef sandwiches, which always remind me of trips to the beach, or long holoholo (aimless) drives to the country, when they were wrapped in waxed paper and you couldn’t wait for lunch, which would be the sandwiches and whatever fruit you found (or stole from the pineapple field) along the way. Hmmm, corned beef and pineapple; now there’s an idea.

I’m in birth with two books: a Portuguese Hawai’i cookbook I’ve long wanted to write, and a small, simple local cookbook my publisher commissioned. I think of nothing but food all day. Every dish my friends talk about, or serve me, is nutrition for the “babies.”

I should have a photo of a can of wahoo and one of Palm Corned Beef but, you see, well, I ate them.

Pau Hana Patrol: Miguel’z delivers tasty, discounted happy hour

2012-05-25T10:08:56Z

Manager Sonja Monteiro of Miguel'z Mexican Grill & Cantina pours Triple Sec and Grand Marnier into a 16-ounce "Cadillac" margarita. --Cindy Ellen Russell / crussell@staradvertiser.com

Giant margaritas and homemade chips and salsa make a trip to Miguel’z Mexican Grill & Cantina worthwhile. The laid-back atmosphere makes Miguel’z a great spot to relax and catch up with friends, too.

I’m not typically a tequila drinker, but the frozen strawberry margarita I sampled at Miguel’z may have swayed me. It was the best margarita that I’ve ever had!

The li hing margarita was a close second. The bartender serves the colorful concoctions with a moat of top-shelf tequila swirling around the frozen cone.

APPETIZERS are 10 percent off during afternoon happy hour, with the exception of the table-side guacamole and the shrimp fiesta.

MIGUEL’Z MEXICAN GRILL & CANTINA

1029 Makolu St., Pearl City

455-9993

HAPPY HOUR
3 to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to closing, daily
» 10 percent off appetizers, afternoons only
» $5 Patron, Crown Royal shots
» $4 pint drafts
» $13 “Cadillac” margaritas

Among the discounted pupu is a “papi” sampler platter, with a tasty selection of nachos, flautas, fried calamari, jumbo shrimp and cheese quesadilla ($17.10 at pau hana), and a bowl of bottomless chips and salsa for $3.59.

Nachos ($8.10) are loaded with nacho cheese, beans, guacamole and sour cream — tasty! We added barria, shredded beef made from brisket and angus beef, to the mix. Adding chicken or beef costs an additional $1.99. The refried beans, rice and salsa are made fresh daily.

Queso Flameados, a flaming cheese dish, was made with a creamy poblano (mild chili pepper) sauce, layered on top of a Monterey-Cancun queso and baked. It is browned table-side as the server sets it aflame. The dish is served with corn tortillas and a choice of chicken or sauteed vegetables and costs $8.10.

Although it’s not one of the happy hour appetizers, manager Sonja Monteiro says that the fish tacos are one of the “best items on the menu.”

“I’ve been eating them for about four years now and haven’t grown tired of them,” she said.

Maryson Cabudoy and Sophia Pahio try the Queso Flameados, a flaming cheese dish with poblano sauce and Monterey-Cancun queso. It costs $9 at happy hour. --Cindy Ellen Russell / crussell@staradvertiser.com

HAPPY HOUR drink specials include $5 Patron and Crown Royal shots. The restaurant offers $4 pint drafts; it’s just $5 for 23-ounce drafts including Dos Equis (amber and lager), Negra Modelo and Pacifico.

A major pau hana enticement: $2 off “Cadillac” margaritas, made with 5 1/2 shots of top-shelf tequila (regularly $15) and $5 off the 60-ounce regular margarita, which has 12 shots (regularly $29.50).

Find Miguel’z near Walmart and the Pearl Highlands Shopping Center. If you miss happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m., you can return and enjoy the same drink specials from 9 p.m. to closing. Food discounts are only available during the afternoon, but there’s karaoke at night, at $1 per song.

–Nancy Arcayna / narcayna@staradvertiser.com

Quick Bites: Japengo offers tasty series on sake and sushi

2012-05-25T10:07:10Z

A new Saturday series at Japengo, in the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa, will teach guests about sake and sushi pairings. The restaurant's sushi offerings include the dragon maki roll. --Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa

SAKE AND SUSHI: Japengo is launching Sake and Sushi Saturday on the last Saturday of the month at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa.

Executive Chef Sven Ullrich and Young’s Market are launching the new series, which will teach guests about sake and sushi pairings.

“We find that guests either know a lot about sake and want to know how to better pair it at home, or that they are new to sake and really want to learn anything they can about it,” said Ullrich.

From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, diners will have the opportunity to sample four premier Mizbasho sakes paired with Japengo sushi.

Cost is $60 per person. Japengo’s Sushi Bar and Lounge is on the third floor of the Ewa Tower at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, 2424 Kalakaua Ave. Reservations are available at 237-6180 or at www.opentable.com.

LIL’ DINERS’ MENU: In case you haven’t heard, The Grove in Kailua — which features the globally inspired cuisine of chef Fred DeAngelo — is also family-friendly, offering healthy entrees for keiki.

The menu for diners 12 years or younger offers everything from soup du jour ($3) to Cruz’s Three Cheese Flatbread ($6), Whole Wheat Spaghetti ($5), Lil’ Lana’s Grilled New Zealand King Salmon served with furikake rice ($10) and Maya Rose’s Mini Surf & Turf ($11).

The lil’ diners can even order milk and cookies, a mini cake and ice cream for dessert ($2-$4).

A bucket of crayons and a colorable menu are also given to each child.

The Grove is at 33 Aulike St. Call 262-2898 to make reservations.

VERANDA’S NEW TEAS: The Veranda at The Kahala Hotel & Resort now offers a new set of signature teas by Harney & Sons.

The Veranda also has a new set of plush, tropical furnishings but still offers the same selection of savories and sweets with the themes of “Island Inspired,” “Asian Flair” or “European Elegance,” presented on a three-tiered tea tray.

For the Simple Tea Service ($17 per person), you can choose from a plate of four personally selected sweet treats and freshly baked scones or a plate of four personally selected savory sandwiches and your choice of a Harney & Sons tea.

More options are available for the Classic Tea Service ($28 per person) and Royal Tea Service ($42 per person).

Afternoon Tea is offered daily from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Call 739-8760 for more details or to make reservations.

CHOCOLATE PAU HANA: The last Friday of every month, Madre Chocolate offers pau hana time at its shop. Visitors can taste samples of experimental chocolates, talk about wine pairings and see what goes on behind the scenes.

These are typically limited editions of new single-origin chocolates Madre is working with in Indonesia, Vietnam, Venezuela, Waiahole and Kona. Past experiments used ingredients like calamansi lime.

Visitors can bring in a juice, wine, beer or cheese that they would like to pair with chocolate, and Madre will help find the right match.

The next pau hana is scheduled from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. today. The event is free at 20-A Kainehe St. in Kailua. Visit madrechocolate.com for more information.

–Compiled by Nina Wu. Email Quickbites news to nwu@staradvertiser.com.

Upcoming food events: Joy of Sake, Kahala celebrates Julia Child's 100th birthday

2012-05-24T22:19:00Z

Also, a Scherrer Winery Dinner and a Fourth of July bash at the Kahala

Two Ways To Wear Highlighter Yellow

2012-05-24T08:37:00Z

I've recently fallen in love with my new jacket from Nasty Gal. It may be bold for some because of the color, but I find it adds something more to otherwise typical patterns and prints. Here's the two ways I've worn it, two nights in a row!!

First, with a striped dress. Very simple.

H&M striped dress and Jeffrey Campbell booties

Next, with print! This, to me, was much more fun! Plus, summer is the perfect time for rompers!

Veronica M. romper, vintage F21 heels

A look at Menchanko Tei's new location

2012-05-23T21:32:00Z

Menchanko Tei opens on Keeaumoku Street and has it all: tonkatsu, nabe, ramen.

Summer Days

2012-05-22T23:12:00Z

I love the Summertime! The days are longer (I can now play golf until 7pm), the days are hotter (beach and pool time!!!), and the fruit trees are blossoming. And not to mention, I live in the best place possible for summertime fun...HAWAII.

Lunch on the beach. Amazing.

Li Hing Mui Margarita. Can't get any better than this.

Mountain apples springing up in the my own backyard! I'm so lucky.


Mango season! Thank you J.O.!!

It's amazing how great the quality on an iPhone is, right?

Las Vegas Restaurant: Estiatorio Milos

2012-05-22T21:39:21Z

One of the best prix fixe on The Strip: three courses of upscale Greek plates for $20.12.

Eating Kalihi: Hidden sweets

2012-05-22T17:12:10Z

Sometimes, the best treats are hidden from view. Sometimes they come with the best stories and the nicest people. Here are five of Kalihi’s gems.

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Hidden sweets (1 of 17)

Nisshodo Candy Store

What: Home of the legendary, pillowy pink-and-white chichi dango, plus all kinds of other traditional Japanese mochi and manju

Find it: Coming from town, go ewa on Dillingham, past Costco, and on the makai side of the street, when you see the last driveway before Kokea and the canal, turn in. The alley straight ahead won't look good, but stay straight until you see this.

1095 Dillingham Blvd. #109
808-847-1244
www.nisshodomochicandy.com

When live gives you lemons, make shogayaki

2012-05-22T11:45:17Z

Lemon ginger pork: My creation, with charred baby pak choy and Japanese rice. No husband noice but it was oishi (delicious!).

When life gives you lemons, throw ‘em at somebody. That’s kinda how I’m feeling right now. Or maybe, when life gives you lemons, let somebody else make you lemonade. And serve it to you. So cold it’s sweating. Preferably alongside the pool at a Four Seasons or a Ritz Carlton. While you lounge and a really delicious young man comes along and says, “Would you like a spritz?” And the dirty old lady in you thinks, “That’s not all I’d like, ab-boy.”

So this is how bad it’s been: I watched Mamma Mia the other day. This is my go-to, I -don’t-remember-when-I-last-felt-loved-or-appreciated movie. I laugh. I cry. I dance. It’s not pretty. But it works for me.

And then, for good measure, I watched an old movie you have to see if you have the heart of a romantic at all: Brief Encounter. So British. So touching. So stiff upper lip. So heart-rending. I cried. Felt a million bucks better.

Meanwhile, I am beginning work on two new books and I feel like I have twins. Just when you get one changed, fed, burped and down, the other one cries. And they’re very different books, so I feel schizophrenic. And so do I.

Made a thing I’m quite proud of and got another thing working that will either be wonderful or awful. Not sure and no time to work on it right this minute.

The proud thing is ginger broth: Just bring a big, sliced, no need to peel, hunk of ginger to a boil in 2-3 cups water. Turn it off. Steep and infuse. Use the broth instead of having to peel, cut, smash, mince or grate. Keep it in the fridge. Use it with dashi or other Japenese broth for soups or ramen or saimin or whatever. Doesn’t work for everything but I made a killer Yuzu Pork the other night with it instead of sake (which I didn’t have any and anyway, I try to keep booze out of the house or I’d drink whatever it is until I was insensible).

Here’s kind of what it was (because, on top of all that’s happened in the past two weeks, my hard drive died; lost two years of work; including last week). I’m sitting shiva and praying for a hard drive rescue miracle.

So I made a version of my favorite, a Japanese quick-fry called ginger pork, shoga(giner)yaki(fried) or sometimes buta(pork)yaki(really, it’s grilled on a flattop):

Pork in marinade; don't overdo. Less than a pound made two meals for two.

Yuzu Yaki One: Take some thin-sliced pork loin or pork chop. Very thin. Make a mixture of 1 tablespoon yuzu (bottled, more on that later), 2 tablespoons shoyu (Hawaii kine is sweeter), 2 1/2 tablespoons mirin (if you don’t got, use sugar), 2 tablespoons ginger broth, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Marinate one hour (don’t do it too long or the yuzu will cook the meat).

Get a frying pan really hot with 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil. Drain and fry the meat very quickly (I mean two minutes max!) until it’s golden to brown, turn and repeat. Have hot rice ready. And the charred choy I talked about (or any leafy vegetable, oven-broiled to a slight, singed, brown crustiness with the thicker parts still tender).

Is this not beautiful, or what? For a harried home cook, anyway.

Plunk rice on plate. Plunk greens on top. Plunk pork on top. You can drizzle the pan juices over if they haven’t burned.

Okay, now about yuzu. Yuzu is a Japanese citrus you can’t get most places outside Japan. There are bottled products, somewhat adulterated but not bad. I tried this with a product called Yuzu-It by Yamajirushi. Bad idea. Because, although I love the stuff, it’s a yuzu chili sauce, and the hot was a little wrong. I’m going to get some bottled yuzu and I am going also going to redo it with 1 lemon’s worth of zest in the marinade. Then you’ll get the lemon and not get hit with HOT on the second bite.

I didn’t get the husband noise. I got enthusiastic eating. Silent. I got eating all my leftovers. I got no noise. I am getting the damned noise if it’s the last thing I do.

YuzuiIt. But don't, for this recipe. But if you can find some, get it. With sashimi, it's the bomb!

Shoga, by the way, is not ginger. It’s a cousin, a young, rosey bud of ginger-like something that you can’t get easily, either. But I don’t think the first time I had ginger pork it was shoga, I think it was superfinely grated ginger. And I can’t find my ginger grater (it’s a little ashtray looking thing of porcelain with needle-sharp points sticking up and you rub the ginger—and generally your knuckles—over it and get ginger that’s not fibrous but not as searingly spicy as ginger juice, which is what you get if you grate with a regular grater, then squeeze. To the person who put my ginger grater away in the wrong place, grrrrrr).

I can’t believe I’m giving yuzu-shoga-ginger lectures at 1 a.m. but I CAN believe that little cat thinks it must be dinnertime. Because for him, life is all dinnertime.

ME, TOO, come to think of it.

Food La La: I left my stomach in Osaka!

2012-05-20T12:11:35Z

BY LINDSEY MURAOKA / Special to the Star-Advertiser

It’s been about a week since I returned from Japan. After recovering from jet lag and settling in, I can finally share with everyone the amazing time I had! The last time I visited Japan was six years ago, and I had almost forgotten how amazingly efficient and advanced the country is. Also, the food there is out of this world amazing. I

f you are a food lover (which you probably are if you are reading my blog!) you must visit Japan at least once in your lifetime.

I spent a total of eight days in Japan — three in Osaka and five in Tokyo. In Osaka, I stayed at the Il Cuore Hotel in Namba. It’s less than 10 minutes away from the Namba train station and Shinsaibashi (the main shopping area in Namba). The lobby area is sleek and modern looking. They had complimentary coffee which my friends drank every morning.

Hotel rooms in Japan are usually pretty small so I was surprised that my room was a lot bigger than I expected.

I got to Osaka in the evening time on a Saturday night, so my friends and I decided to wander around the area near our hotel and look for food.

Here’s video that I took of that night!

We ended up choosing this random izakaya because it looked lively and the aroma coming out from there was too enticing to pass up. I have no idea what the name of the place is or where exactly it was because we walked though many alleyways and streets before getting here.

There was no English menu here and I could only translate some of the words, so my friends and I left it up to our server to bring us whatever items was popular.

An interesting looking cabbage was given to us as a side dish that resembled kimchi but had an ume flavor.

Our first drinks in Japan! I had the sake.

The pork belly was quite tender and succulent.

This yummy chicken gizzard had a slight chewy yet crunchy texture.

My favorite was the delicious tsukune (chicken meatball) mixed into egg yolk!

A group picture with my friends Lee Wang, Kristina Chang and our server. Our server was very friendly and could speak English well.

There were “Aloha” vending machines everywhere in Osaka! I didn’t see any later on in Tokyo.

We wandered around Shinsaibashi but since all the stores were closed there weren’t many people around.

But we did find a takoyaki (grilled octopus balls) stand still open! Takoyaki originated in Osaka so it’s a must eat there.

It’s basically octopus, green onions, and ginger inside of a pancake ball. It’s chewy, sweet, and savory all rolled into one great street food snack!

Arcades are everywhere in Japan and they’re filled with tons of crane games with cute stuff animals.

I thought this was funny. Right near my hotel was a Hawaiian malasada shop being built.

Voulez-vous mangez avec moi? Kahala Resort holds Julia Child Tribute in August

2012-05-22T01:00:49Z

Julia Child continues to inspire chefs and launch a thousand food events. This August (when all good French citizens go on holiday), the Kahala Resort holds Bon Appétit!: A Tribute to Julia Child and Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The month-long event is held in honor of the French-cuisine chronicler’s 100th birthday.

There will be classes, a grazing event, and special menus in the hotel’s eateries, but the highlight is a benefit dinner for the James Beard Foundation. The press release says it will feature a “surprise French chef” (which means they haven’t signed a contract with someone yet), and I can’t wait to find out who it will be. Hmmm. Daniel Boulud? Eric Ripert? Alain Ducasse? Joël Robuchon? A girl can dream can’t she? And attending the dinner will be James Beard Foundation VP Mitchell Davis, who I know from way back when he wrote great mini-reviews for me when I was at the Time Out New York Eating + Drinking Guide.

Tickets for the James Beard Foundation dinner are $275 until July 1. You save $50 if you go the early-bird route. After July 1 the price is $325.

Filed under: Event Tagged: James Beard Foundation, Kahala Resort, Mitchell Davis

Las Vegas restaurant: China Poblano

2012-05-21T22:02:00Z

Comforting food and intriguing combinations at Jose Andres' Chinese and Mexican restaurant in The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

PICS: Hawaii Wine and Food Fest Grand Finale

2012-05-20T11:59:29Z

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PHOTOS BY JOAH BULEY / Special to the Star-Advertiser

Paradise Cove at the Ko Olina Resort was the location for the 2012 Hawaii Wine and Food Festival Grand Finale on Saturday, May 19. The event featured music by Rolando Sanchez, Kimo Keaulana and Steve Oliver, jewelry by Padma & Pickles and a fashion show by Honey Girl Swimsuits and Khush Clothing.

Featured chefs at the event included Candice Kumai (Stiletto Chef, New York), Patrick Callarec (Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa), Dave “DK” Kodama (Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar/d.k Steakhouse), Jinjie “JJ” Praseuth Luangkhot (JJ Bistro & French Pastry), Goran Streng (Tango Contemporary Cafe) and Darryl Shinogi (Roy’s Ko Olina).