PHO 27 VIETNAMESE CUISINE / FAIRWOOD INN

PHO 27

VIETNAMESE CUISINE

HONOLULU, HAWAII

The Fairwood Drive Inn and Pho 27 just opened in Kaimuki.  The restaurants are located next to Longs Drugs and across from Sacred Hearts Academy.  Both restaurants are in the same space with the Fairfield Drive Inn up front and Pho 27 in back.  While the Fairwood portion is bright and clean it is the Pho 27 space that is awesome.  It is difficult to understand that there are two restaurants in the space.  The menu on the door only shows the Fairwood Inn items which are pretty run of the mill Hawaiian style Drive Inn types; hamburgers, teri-burger, katsu, plate lunch type things.  We were about to walk away but I looked through the window and saw the Pho 27 space in the back.  The large white balls hanging from the ceiling and modern look caught my eye.   We walked in and right past Fairwood Inn.  We were happily greeted by young employees who seated near a window overlooking Chamanade University.  Beautiful green hills.  I loved the look of Pho 27.  Someone with some design talent went to work on this place.  They transformed an old beat up space with a 2'x4' tile ceiling into a piece of artwork.  The round oval lights on the roof contrast with the bright white puffs of light and yellow circles along the walls.  This is cool for a Vietnamese place I thought.  Someone really went off on design and spent some money making it just like they visioned.  We would normally order Pho which is a Vietnamese soup with noodles and various meats.  I opted to try a Vietnamese Sandwich.  They offer them with Chicken, Pork or Beef.  I went with the Chicken Sandwich ($5.75) and upgraded to the meal that includes soup and salad for an additional ($3).  Keli went with a noodle dish topped with Spring Rolls and BBQ Pork.  My sandwich was beautiful on the plate with thinly sliced carrots, cucumber and green onion flowing out.  I added some Sirachi Hot Sauce and took a bite.  The bread was fresh....super fresh....like something you dream about.  It had a light crunch and then just melted in your mouth.  Where did they get this bread I thought.  It was the best.  The chicken had flavor and was good.  Just wish there would have been more of the pickled Daikon and Carrot on the sandwich.  The salad was basic with a fresh and light dressing.  The soup had no taste and was left on the table.  Keli devoured her Spring Rolls that topped her noodle dish.  She ate about 1/4 of the noodles and just a little bit of the BBQ Pork.  She either was not too hungry or just didn't like the dish.  Looked good and came with a cup of fish base sauce.  I will go to Pho 27 again soon.  Many other menu items I would like to try and I like the feeling and service here.  Young, energetic kids wanting to do a good job.

PHO 27 VIETNAMESE CUISINE

SLEEK LINES, WARM COLORS AND MODERN

MENU IN LAID OUT WELL WITH LOTS OF PHOTOS

LONG ROWS OF TABLES AND A FEW BOOTHS

LARGE OVAL LIGHTS ON ROOF AND BEAUTIFUL CLOUDS OF LIGHT

WE LOVED THE LOOK AND FEEL OF PHO 27

NOODLES WITH SPRING ROOLS AND BBQ PORK

TWO SPRING ROLLS CUT INTO SLICES, BBQ PORK AND VEGETABLES
BOTTOM IS ALL NOODLES

HOUSE SALAD WITH LIGHT ORIENTAL DRESSING

VIETNAMESE SANDWICH WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

BEEF BROTH SOUP WAS PRETTY TASTELESS

SANDWICH COMBO MEAL WITH SALAD AND SOUP IS $8.75

CHICKEN SANDWICH

SUPER FRESH BREAD MADE THIS SANDWICH A BIG HIT

TUNA BAGEL SANDWICH

TUNA BAGEL SANDWICH

DINNER AT HOME

We had six bagels that we picked up from Costco.  Needed to put them to use so I whipped up some really good Tuna Salad with celery, red onion, carrots, sweet pickle relish, Old Bay Seasoning and mayo.  Mixed all this together with two cans of Tuna and place on bagel with lettuce, tomato and avocado that a friend gave us from his tree.  The sandwich was delicious. Add a slice of American Cheese to kick up another notch.  This was a very low cost meal that was enjoyed by the entire family.

TUNA, AVOCADO AND TOMATO ON A BAGEL

GREAT FLAVORS AND TEXTURE - THIS IS A GOOD SANDWICH!

JIN DIN ROU - XIAO LONG BAO

CONTEMPORARY LOOK ON KING AND KAHEKA STREETS

JIN DIN ROU
HONOLULU, HAWAII 

CLEAN LOOK INSIDE

VIEWING WINDOWS TO SEE HOW XIAO LONG BAO  IS MADE

We often drive by Jin Din Rou and see people waiting to get in.  Just had to give this place a try.  Jin Din Rou has several locations in Japan and one I think in Taiwan.  They have converted an old bank building in Honolulu into a very contemporary Dim Sum or Xiao Long Bao Restaurant complete with large viewing windows where you can seen the Dim Sum being made by hand and steamed on the flat top.  We did not know what to expect when we walked in the door.  The place was pretty packed so we had to wait just a few minutes.  The staff is young and very friendly.  They all wear white shirts that say JIN DIN ROU STAFF.  The menu is about six pages and has pictures of each item so you can see what you are getting. There are several set lunch menu items that have four courses for between $8 and $11.  We ordered (4) pieces of the House Pork Dim Sum ($5.90).  These were good.  The Spicy Pork Dim Sum ($6.50) was a little red in color but had no real heat.  The Dim Sum was really over seasoned with Chinese Five Spice.  That is all I could taste.  The Shrimp/Pork Dim Sum ($6.50) was my favorite.  You could taste the shrimp and pork and the sauce inside was good.  We followed the instructions on the table that showed you how to properly eat the Dim Sum.  Add a little vinegar to your spoon.  Drop in the Dim Sum.  Pop the wrapper so all the juice fills the spoon and then eat the entire thing.  Our absolute favorite dish was the Mapo Eggplant ($9.50).  A beautiful dish of Eggplant served with minced pork and a really good sauce.  We ordered some white rice to go with the Eggplant dish and it was awesome.  Also liked the Shanghai Noodles ($9.99).  Fresh noodles with cabbage, carrot, ginger, bell pepper and green onion.  I liked our visit here and would return again for the Eggplant dish.  

UPDATE:  THIS RESTAURANT CLOSED DOWN JANUARY 2012.

STAFF HAND MAKES THE XIAO LONG BAO

OLD BANK VAULT IS NOW VIP ROOM

PICKLED VEGETABLE AND FRESH GINGER

VINEGAR, SOY SAUCE AND BLACK VINEGAR FOR DIM SUM

HOT TEA

MENU FEATURES PHOTOS OF MOST DISHES

INSTRUCTION CARDS ON EACH TABLE
SHOW YOU HOW TO PROPERLY
ENJOY EATING XIAO LONG BAO

HOUSE PORK XIAO LONG BAO WAS DELICIOUS

SHRIMP AND PORK XIAO LONG BAO WAS MY FAVORITE

SPICY PORK XIAO LONG BAO HAD BIG FIVE SPICE TASTE

PLACE VINEGAR IN SPOON, TOP WITH XIAO LONG BAO
AND THEN POKE HOLE TO LET THE JUICE ESCAPE

SHRIMP AND PORK XIAO LONG BAO READY TO EAT

VINEGAR, BROTH AND XIAO LONG BAO

EGGPLANT WITH PORK IN A DELICIOUS SAUCE

SHANGHAI FRIED NOODLES

HAWAII VS BYU - ALOHA STADIUM DEC 3, 2011

HAWAII 20 - BYU 41

ALOHA STADIUM - DEC 3, 2011

Another loss that ended our season and Bowl hopes.

Still love the Bows win or lose!

HAWAII VS BYU - ALOHA STADIUM

HAWAII VS BYU

ALOHA STADIUM

HONOLULU, HAWAII 

My Bows lost 41-20.  Made a game of it during the first half but as usual faltered in the second half.  I think Coach McMackin will be released so we can begin a new era in Manoa.  While we were no match for BYU on the field, we can hold a candle to most teams when it comes to stadium food and beer stands.  Aloha Stadium must have the most beer stands of any college football team.  They are every ten feet around the stadium.  The food selections are pretty good too.  We finally found the Famous Pastrami Sandwich ($8) that many people have blogged about.  My wife waited in line for a while to get her hands on one.  Turns out this little stadium sandwich is really good.  They really put a lot of butter on the bread and toast it nicely.  Then add pastrami, cheese and a sort of Thousand Island Dressing.  I loved it!  We normally stick with the regular stadium hot dogs but this time tried the Woody's Hot Dog Stand.  Glad we did.  The Woody's dog ($7.50) is on a really good bun and served up with Chicago Style Green Relish, Mustard, Onions and Sport Peppers.  Just cannot get over the expensive price for a hot dog. Great bun, great hot dog flavor and great condiments.  My girls devoured slices of Papa Johns Pizza that are sold all around the stadium.  We wore green and white headbands that were given out to the first few thousand fans.  Ran into the Mayor of Honolulu and his wife at the beer stand and enjoyed some lively conversation.  He was actually pretty nice this time.  My friend Aldrino walked around the stadium prior to kickoff and we just thanked the Lord for letting us live in Hawaii.  Really a very special place with great people, food and weather.  Beers are $7.50 each which is a bit high.

PRE-GAME VISIT DOWN TO THE BYU SIDELINES

BYU PLAYERS WERE BIG 

THE GIRLS ENJOYING SOME PAPA JOHNS PIZZA

WOODY'S HOT DOG WAS GREAT!

THE PASTRAMI SANDWICH IS THE BEST!

ALDRINO WAS READY TO PARTY

HANGIN WITH PETER CARLISLE
MAYOR OF HONOLULU

GOT TO LOVE HAWAII IN DECEMBER
80 DEGREES, SHORTS AND TANK TOPS

A FEW SPRINKLES IN SECOND HALF

MY GIRLS HAVING SOME FUN

NEW HAIR DO FOR DAD AND KELI

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII WAHINE VS COLORADO STATE

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII WAHINE VS COLORADO STATE.

NCAA WOMAN'S VOLLEYBALL FIRST ROUND

STAN SHERIFF CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII

HAWAII WINS 3-1

HAWAII WOMANS VOLLEYBALL - NCAA REGIONALS

NCAA WOMANS VOLLEYBALL
STAN SHERIFF CENTER,
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII 


Hawaii received an early Christmas gift by being able to host the first round of NCAA Woman's Volleyball at the Stan Sheriff Center located on the campus of the University of Hawaii.  We played Northern Colorado and swept them quickly to move onto the second round vs Colorado State.  I love the fact that Hawaii made it to the NCAA Tournament.  Problem is that the NCAA bans beer sales at all events.  This means my little beer stand located just a few steps from our season ticket seats was closed.  Volleyball without a cold one?  How cruel.  Loved the game and our Wahine Volleyball Team.

HAWAII WAHINE BEAT NORTHERN COLORADO 3-0

MY BEER STAND WAS CLOSED

BEER GARDEN EMPTY

NACHOS ARE A BEST SELLER AT THE STAN SHERIFF CENTER

BEAUTIFUL FANS RIGHT NEXT TO ME

VARSITY GRILL AND BAR - HONOLULU, HAWAII

VARSITY GRILL AND BAR 
HONOLULU, HI


I am going to take my time on this one because I think it is important. We drive by the Varsity after most Volleyball and Basketball games at the Stan Sheriff Center on the campus of the University of Hawaii. What a great location to have a sports bar you would think.  Just a short walk to the campus and sporting events.  In any other city this would be a landmark destination for sports fan and University supporters.  I have been on University of Hawaii Football road trips to Alabama, Florida, Nevada, Boise, Washington, Fresno, Oregon,  USC and Las Vegas.  All of these cities had one or two great sports bars where fans congregated before and after games.  Hawaii has nothing like these other cities when it comes to college bars.  The Varsity is the perfect place for such a venue but it is, quite frankly a dump.  Dirty tables, filthy menus, lousy service, loads of junk in every corner and no sense of school spirit or identity.  This is probably why the place is empty on a Friday afternoon right before a volleyball game that has 10,000 fans in attendance.  We went in because it is the closest place to grab a beer near the University and the NCAA bans beer sales at NCAA Regional events.  We sat at a table near the bar.  The waitress and some other guy see us but don't offer service.  After a few minutes, we approached the bar.  The waitress looks right at us but does not ask to take our order or say anything.  We take a menu from the side of the cash register and open it up.  The thing is greasy, sticky and disgusting.  This menu had not been washed in weeks.  It was gross.  The table was also dirty and sticky plus it was wobbling like a rocking horse.  The floor was uneven and dirty too.  We decided to order a pizza.  The menu also features burgers, sandwiches and salads but when you have such a disgusting menu filled with dirt and grease it is difficult to think about ordering the food.  Just think what the kitchen looks like I thought.  We approached Ms. Personality at the bar and again got little response.  I just blurted out that we wanted a pitcher of Coors.  Got her attention.  When she came to the bar, we said we wanted a Pepperoni, Onion and Jalapeno Pizza and some Chicken Wings.  Total for food and beer was around $40.  Not bad for Hawaii prices.  We abandoned the wobbly table and ventured outside to tables that front the sidewalk on University.  Great place to people watch.  The first table we sat at was dirty and greasy.  My friend said lets move.  We went down one table and settled into a not so dirty table next to a row of dirty tables with very ugly and dirty looking chairs.  We had our pitcher of beer so I just poured and enjoyed the refreshing moment.  The Pizza and Wings came and I was surprised.  The pizza was huge and actually looked good.  The pizza slices were cut super big so that one slice is a meal.  We both only ate two slices and there was still half a pizza left.  We gave it to the people that look like they just came from an Occupy Wall Street event.  We went back to the bar to order another pitcher of beer.  Two guys were at the cash register.  Both looked up and continued talking to each other.  My friend waited for several minutes standing right in front of these two morons.  He never was asked to be helped and we left without the second pitcher.  I loved the pizza.  Great crust that is not too thick.  A nice crunchy and lightly charred crust, just enough cheese and good toppings.  Probably one of the best pizzas in town.  Cold beer and good pizza within walking distance of the University of Hawaii.  This place should rock.  Problem is it does not.  The Varsity Grill needs a Gordon Ramsey makeover.  It needs to be cleaned up, remodeled and set up to be "THE" place to be for all things U.H.  Hawaii needs a clean, safe and fun place for students and fans.  The Varsity has the location that could rock.
UPDATE 8/12 - TOOK A LOOK INSIDE AND LOOKS LIKE THE PLACE HAS BEEN TOTALLY REMODELED WITH NEW TABLES AND CHAIRS.

REALLY GOOD PIZZA WITH GREAT NOT TO THICK CRUST

INDOOR/OUTDOOR SEATING FRONTING
UNIVERSITY AVENUE.  GREAT LOCATION!

DOZENS OF BEER ON TAP AND LOTS OF WIDE SCREEN T.V'S

PLACE IS IN TERRIBLE CONDITION

PITCHERS OF COLD BEER

HOT WINGS