KONA BREWING COMPANY - HAWAII KAI, HAWAII

KONA BREWING COMPANY

HONOLULU AIRPORT

After learning that our plane was delayed, we headed over to the Kona Brewing Company in the Central lobby of the Honolulu Airport. We ordered some cold brews, a pizza and some chicken wings. All American snacking. The pizza was loaded with too much cheese and was not very good. The middle of the pizza was like rubber. The crust was not cooked through the middle. One slice and out for me. The wings were o.k. No heat so I poured Tabasco Sauce over them.

Probably would not order the pizza again.

MURPHY'S BAR AND GRILL - HONOLULU, HAWAII

MURPHY'S BAR AND GRILL

HONOLULU, HAWAII

Who would think that you can find a great Irish Pub in Hawaii. Well, Murphy's is a Hawaii institution. Great place to eat, drink and hang out with friends. I have been enjoying Murphy's for many years. Love the decor and feeling here. Once you walk through the doors, you are transported to another place far from Hawaii. I took my friend from Scotland here recently and enjoyed a "pint" and some good food. We started with the Jalapeno Poppers. Basic poppers with creme cheese filled jalapeno deep fried and served with Ranch Dressing. The Spicy Chicken Wings are meaty and good but NOT SPICY. I had to doctor them up with Tabasco Sauce to add some heat. The Steamed Clams were awesome. Plump little clams that tasted fresh and delicious. Probably some of the best clams I have had in Hawaii.  The Corned Beef and Cabbage was just o.k. according to my lovely bride and daughter. My friend enjoyed Fish n' Chips. I tried the fish and it was good. Waitress said it was Cod. The Hamburger Sliders were absolutely delicious. I only ate one but wish I had room for the two others. You can taste the beef, cheese and sauteed onions. Really good little burgers and highly recommended. We had excellent service on this night. The beer was cold and the food was good.

MURPHY'S FISH N' CHIPS

MURPHY'S FAMOUS CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE

JALAPENO POPPERS

STEAMED CLAMS

CHICKEN WINGS

BEEF SLIDERS WITH CHEESE

KINCAID'S FISH, CHOP & STEAKHOUSE

KINCAID'S FISH, CHOP AND STEAKHOUSE

HONOLULU, HAWAII

Just prior to the Djou debate on KGMB, we joined our good friends for pupu's at Kincaid's.

What a great choice this was. The food and service were excellent and during Happy Hour, many of their appetizers are heavily discounted. The House Wine is on $4 per glass too.

We started with the Ahi Poke ($7.50) served with cucumber and sprouts. This was fresh and delicious. The Calamari ($7) was also good. The Terriyaki Beef Tenders ($7) is a meal. Served with rice and very filling. The biggest surprise was the Chicken Wings ($7). These meaty little wings were FANTASTIC. Full of flavor and good spice. That is right. Spicy Chicken Wings that are actually spicy. Most restaurants serve Spicy Wings but they have no kick. The Kincaid's Wings have kick and most of all flavor. These could be the best wings in town. I am going back specifically for these wings. Everyone at the table agreed that they were great. I really like Kincaid's for cocktails and pupu's. I think the Happy Hour only runs Monday - Thursday.

CHICKEN WINGS

TERIYAKI BEEF TENDERS

WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE AHI POKE

CALAMARI WENT FAST

SANSEI SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & SUSHI BAR

SANSEI SEAFOOD RESTAURANT AND SUSHI BAR

WAIKIKI MARRIOTT HOTEL

I have dined at Sansei dozens of times. Probably one of my all time favorite Hawaii restaurants. This visit was again a great experience. Great food, service and friends.  We started with Crispy Fried Calamari with cocktail sauce. Pretty average fried calamari. Not too much batter so you can taste the Calamari. I absolutely loved the "Kenny G" sushi. Thinly sliced Shiromi Sashimi with minced garlic, Daikon Oroshi and Shiso with a tangy Ponzu Vinaigrette. This was "fresh" and very tasty. Also enjoy the "69 Roll" which is a California Roll topped with Unagi and Masago. One of my favorites is the "Caterpillar Roll". Unagi rolled inside-out, wrapped in avocado and topped with Masago and Unagi glaze. THE BOMB! Also enjoyed a Caesar Salad and some great Miso soup. I can't say enough good things about Sansei. Have been dining here for 10 years and it is always consistent.

TASTE OF HAWAII FAVORITE
Click link below for another post on Sansei:
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2013/02/sansei-seafood-restaurant-and-sushi-bar.html

CRISPY FRIED CALAMARI

CONGRESSMEN CHARLES DJOU DINNER

CONGRESSMEN CHARLES DJOU

SPEAKING AT OUR HOME

CONGRESSMEN CHARLES DJOU

MORIMOTO WAIKIKI

MORIMOTO WAIKIKI

HONOLULU, HAWAII

Enjoyed a very interesting and good lunch at Morimoto Waikiki. The famed Iron Chef did not cut corners in the design or construction of this spectacular restaurant. Even the restrooms are beautiful. During my first visit here we were asked not to take any photographs because the restaurant had not opened yet. This time I was able to snap photos of each dish. Also was in good condition to actually remember what the bathrooms looked like. The first visit included lots of wine and champagne that probably clouded my memory. The staff here is numerous and very attentive. Excellent coordination, presentation and execution. All of the dishes shown here are part of a lunch Tasting Menu that runs $70 per person. Big bucks for lunch or dinner. Is it worth it? Tough question. Part of me says no and the other says maybe. When you figure that you are getting several plates of top notch sushi, lobster, dessert and the other dishes it kind of feels worth it. My only problem was that there was no big dish that was full of flavor or so good that it blew me out of the water. You can tell that Morimoto uses only the highest quality and freshest products. This is worth something. Our first dish was a plate stuck in a bowl of ice. On the plate was crushed up raw fish served with wasabe, seaweed paste and some other stuff. How do you eat it we asked. I ended up mushing everything together and eating with chopsticks. Great presentation but there was no big flavor. Our next dish was fresh raw Himachi with a light Ponzu sauce. This was probably my favorite dish. Kind of like they do it at Nobu's but without the Jalapenos and Cilantro. If given a choice, I would choose the Nobu version. Our next dish was a pot of oil with garlic in it served with bread and mixed vegetables. Again just o.k. flavors but great presentation. The next dish was fresh sushi. This was excellent and perfect in every way. The main course was a lobster tail served with Morimoto seasoning and a light dip. The lobster was perfectly cooked and delicious. We were served two desserts. Both good flavor, but boy I was wanting a nice piece of something chocolate. The meal was very enjoyable. Loved the company, service and surroundings.
Clink links below for more posts on Morimoto Waikiki;
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2014/05/morimoto-waikiki.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/12/morimoto-waikiki.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/07/morimoto-waikiki-business-lunch.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2010/09/morimoto-waikiki.html

HIMACHI

HAWAII SENATORS DAN INOUYE AND DANIEL AKAKA

SENATOR DANIEL INOUYE AND DANIEL AKAKA

HAWAII'S DEMOCRAT LEADERS

In an effort to change the tax and spend mentality of Hawaii's Senators, I happily agreed to counsel our leaders on fiscal responsibility and the Constitution.

PABLO'S CANTINA

PABLO'S CANTINA

HONOLULU, HAWAII

The old Comprades Mexican Restaurant in Ward Center has now become Pablo's Cantina. The place has been renovated with a inside/outside bar and Cantina decor. We had lunch here on a Sunday. There were only about four tables with people and a few patrons at the bar watching football. Even with a small crowd, it took awhile to get service. The waitress was very friendly and did everything possible to make us feel comfortable. It seemed there were other employees but she was doing it all for all tables. This meant that service was very, very slow.

We got some warm chips and salsa to start. The salsa was good but lacked any heat. I went to the hot sauce wall and pulled off a bottle of Mad Anthony's Hot Sauce. The combination of the heat and flavor of this sauce coupled with the fresh salsa was perfect. I mixed the two together and had a darn good hot salsa to enjoy. I ordered the Three Street Tacos ($8.50). One Steak, One Pork and One Carnitas. I was a bit surprised when they arrived as they were tiny. The waitress asked me if this was going to be enough. I said we should be o.k. with the Shrimp Coctktail we ordered. "Shrimp Cocktail" she asked. Oh yes forgot to order that. She apologized and went back to the kitchen to order it. The Street Tacos were small, dried out and really lacking any flavor. They are served with diced onion and cilantro with a wedge of lime. Really could not believe they were so dry. Perhaps they were sitting under a heat lamp for awhile I thought. The Shrimp Cocktail ($9.95) had some nice shrimp in it but was covered and soaked in ketchup, onions and tomato with a little clam juice. The flavor is good, but there is just too much sauce. You cannot just eat Ketchup straight. Needs some substance in there. My daughter had the Kids Un Taco ($4.99). One Beef Taco served with French Fries. The Taco was delicious she said but it fell apart from the start. The shell was like a soggy mess. She called it "mushy". The fries were terrible. Frozen type that have no crunch and taste like the grease they were cooked in. The waitress apologized for the slow service and was very nice. She explained that they just opened and hope we come back. I will go back and try a few other menu items before I write this place off. Burritos, Fish Tacos, Chile Rellenos and Mexican Salads and Burgers also are on the menu.  UPDATE: 6/11.  Pablos Closed.

CONGRESSMEN CHARLES DJOU DINNER

CONGRESSMEN CHARLES DJOU

DINNER MESSAGE TO FRIENDS

Copy and paste the youtube link below to watch the complete message from Congressmen Djou

http://www.youtube.com/drewomite#p/a/u/0/Z_cZAAe91PY

CONGRESSMEN CHARLES DJOU DINNER

CONGRESSMEN CHARLES DJOU

DINNER FOR CONGRESSMEN CHARLES DJOU

CONGRESSMEN CHARLES DJOU DINNER

AT HOME

We were honored to host Congressmen Charles Djou and his with Stacy for dinner right after his television debate with Collen Hanabusa. Charles and Stacy came to our home minutes after the debate and were greeted by an excited crowd of supports that watched the debate live on t.v. As Charles entered our home, the crowd cheered with approval and support. The evening was filled with great wine, food and people. Our menu included an assortment of fresh Island Poke, Assorted meats and cheeses, fresh fruit and a delicious four course meal catered by Kahai Street Kitchen. Kahai Street did an excellent job presenting and serving the meal. Tuxedo clad waiters walked the room with Spicy Ahi Poke served on Chinese spoons. The poke was topped with Wasabi Aioli and garnished with Black Tobiko Caviar. I could not stop eating these taste bombs. Simply delicious. We also enjoyed an Assorted Bruschetta platter with fresh diced Mozzerella and Tomatoes, Olive Tapenade and Hummus served on a toasted garlic crostini. The Kataifi Wrapped Shrimp served with sweet chili sauce was a huge hit. Not one left over on this item. Entrees included; Sauteed Opakapaka with a Lomi Tomato Beurre Blanc sauce, Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Medallions with Sun Dried Tomato Creme Sauce, Tuscan Marinated Garlic Herb Steak with Chimichurri Sauce. The Chimichurri sauce put this dish over the top for me. Grilled Marinated Vegetables and rice finished off the dinner servings. For Dessert, we had the famous Pyramid Cakes from JJ's French Bistro. After dinner Charles spoke to the group of almost 50 supporters gathered in our living/dining room. Charles spoke about fiscal responsibility and the burden that is being put on our children to pay back Americas out of control debt.

ROYAL HAWAIIAN HOTEL

ROYAL HAWAIIAN HOTEL

HONOLULU, HAWAII

Spent a wonderful evening enjoying the sunset, cocktails and dinner at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki. This was a awards banquet for the Home Builders in Hawaii.