BRAISED SHORT RIBS AT HOME

BRAISED SHORT RIBS

DINNER AT HOME

Cooked overnight in the Crock Pot, these beef ribs fell off the bone.  Served with mashed potatoes with a little bit of sour creme and kernels of corn.

TERIYAKI CHICKEN

GLAZED TERIYAKI CHICKEN

DINNER AT HOME

Teriyaki Glazed Chicken with Grilled Pineapple, rice and fresh vegetables.  Nice dinner at home with the two most beautiful girls in the world.

J2 ASIAN FUSION

We are huge fans of JJ's Bistro & Bakery on Waialae Avenue in Kaimuki.  We have been enjoying the food, service and great pastries there for many years. When Owner JJ Luangkhot took over the space right next door,  I was very interested to see what he had come up with to compliment the very popular JJ's.  JJ is one of the hardest workers I have ever seen in the restaurant business.  He seems to work 24/7 at JJ's.  Always there, always cooking, baking or running the show and even the cash register.  I really respect the entire Luangkhot family.  An immigrant family from Laos that worked their fingers to the bone to find success in America.  I never regret spending money at JJ's.  In fact it is one of the only spots in Hawaii that I like to spend money at because I want to support this hard working family.  Plus the food is always great and the pastries are the best in Hawaii.  With that said, how would J2 stand up against the original JJ's.  Well, this is tough.
First off our waitress at J2 had a beautiful smile and made us feel at home with great service and personal attention.  We started with a Crab and Corn appetizer.  This has all the makings of a real nice dish, but it really missed the mark.  We could not taste or see any crab in the dish.  The dish was mostly something like mayo topped with roasted corn.  The shell was good and the green apple wedge ads a tart finish.  Just too much mush here and no crab.  The Spring Rolls were a bit dry and really lacked any real flavor.  The Hot and Sour soup I thought was delicious.  Filled with chunks of shredded chicken.  The Chicken Pho was a pretty bland soup.  The Opaka Fish really disappointed.  The filet was so small that you could not tell it was on the plate.  Covered in diced vegetables.  The fish was about 1/4" thick and less than 3 inches long.  Almost nothing.  The Pork Chop with Noodles was equally disappointing.  a 1/4" thick super dry piece of pork that tasted like Korean Kal Bi.  Served with Egg Noodles with zero taste.  The Shrimp Dumplings on the plate were the best thing on the plate.  There was a bowl of broth on the plate that the waitress said was a soup or used to dunk the noodles into.  This blog really is hard for me to do but I must be honest.  I really want to return to J2 again and try some other dishes.  I sincerely hope that J2 succeeds.  UPDATE:  Unfortunately J2 did not make it.  The owner closed the restaurant are then re-opened with new menu and new name.   It is now called Le Cacao. 

J2 SPRING ROLLS

HOT & SOUR SOUP

CHICKEN PHO

OPAKA FISH ENTREE

PORK CHOP WITH NOODLES

BURGER KING JALAPENO AND CHEDDAR STUFFED STEAKHOUSE BURGER

HOW THE JALAPENO CHEDDAR REALLY LOOKS

JALAPENO AND CHEDDAR 

STEAKHOUSE BURGER

My wife said she had the best burger at Burger King a few weeks back.  She tried the new Jalapeno and Cheddar Stuffed Burger and absolutely raved about the flavor.  I had to try one just to see if she was right on this.  I found the burger to be tasteless.  Could not taste the Jalapeno or Cheddar.  It was a good size.  Sat in my stomach like a rock.  Not worth the fat or calories for me.  I honestly would prefer a ninety nine cents Jumbo Jack.

THIS IS IT BAKERY AND DELI

THIS IS IT BAKERY AND DELI

HONOLULU, HAWAII 

Made an early morning stop into Fisher Hawaii Office Products and noticed a place across the street called This is It Bakery & Deli.  I have never heard of this place so I decided to venture in with the family for some breakfast.  This is It has a huge bakery in the back and a pretty good sized deli where you can buy fresh bagels, Scones, Danish, Pastries, Bialys and some really good sandwiches.  We tried the Plain Bagel with Creme Cheese ($2.10).  This thing was loaded with Creme Cheese.  Really enough for two people.  I got a Bagel Sandwich to enjoy at lunch.  Tried the Albacore Tuna Salad on a "Everything" Bagel ($7.65).  This thing was huge.  One half was enough for a meal.  Served with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and a bag of chips or macaroni salad.  I liked the bagel but the Tuna lacked something.  Not bad though.  We picked up a couple of Breakfast Bagels for some friends we were seeing.  The Rossi's Special ($4.00) is a steal.  This Bagel is stuffed with Hash Browns, Bacon, Eggs and American Cheese.  Our friends loved this sandwich and I cannot wait to go back and try one myself.  This is It serves up a variety of fresh bagels; Plain, Poppy Seed, Sesame, Onion, Garlic, Energy, Salt, Cinnamon Raisin, Blueberry and the Everything which is all the toppings on the bagel.  Some of the other Bagel Sandwiches offered are;  Egg Salad, Turkey, Corned Beef, Turkey Pastrami, Chicken Salad, Creme Cheese and Lox, Hand and Cheese, Hard Salami, Liverwurst, Roast Beef, Smoked Turkey, Hot Pastrami and Vegetarian.  I want to try them all.  All run around $6.25 to $8.65.

THIS IS IT BAKERY AND DELI PLAIN BAGEL WITH CREME CHEESE

THIS IS IT BAKERY VIDEO

FRESH BAGELS AND MORE AT THIS IS IT BAKERY AND DELI

BREAKFAST BAGELS 

ALBACORE TUNA SALAD

ROSSI'S SPECIAL - HASH BROWNS, BACON, EGGS AND CHEESE

TACOS AND MORE MEXICAN KITCHEN

TACOS AND MORE MEXICAN KITCHEN

WAIANAE, HAWAII

Visited the Waianae side of the Island and stopped into Tacos and More to try some Mexican food.  The Chicken Nachos ($9.95) include a mix of cheese wiz and shredded cheese with refried beans, sour creme and guacamole.  These were not bad but probably filled me up.  The Assorted Tacos ($11.95) were o.k.  I tried the Carne Asada, Carnitas and Shredded Beef.  You can choose crunch or soft shells.  The Beans and Rice ($2.50) were cold.  My friend had the Pork Burrito ($9.95) and loved it. I liked the fresh salsa served with the chips and the entrees are served with a red and green sauce on the side.  I really liked the red sauce on all of my tacos.  This is a family business that has grown over the years.  They continue to expand as business improves.  The addition of a liquor license has really boosted sales and growth.

TACOS AND MORE MEXICAN KITCHEN

TACOS AND MORE MEXICAN KITCHEN IN WAIANAE

Chicken Nachos

Carne Asada, Shredded Beef & Carnitas Tacos

Side of Beans and Rice

Pork Burrito

CHIN'S CHINATOWN RESTAURANT

CHIN'S CHINATOWN RESTAURANT

HONOLULU, HAWAII

I won a $50 gift certificate at a golf tournament last year.  The expiration date was January 30, 2011.  With that in mind, we went for some Chinese Take Out at Chin's.  This small place in Chinatown serves up some pretty good Chinese in a very small and crowded setting.  Glad we took the food home to enjoy while watching a movie. I liked the Fried Rice, Hot and Sour Soup and Sweet and Sour Pork Best.  The Young Chow Style Fried Rice is loaded with shrimp, pork, egg and vegetables ($7.95).  The Sweet Sour Pork ($8.95) includes breaded pork with onions, pineapple in a sweet and savory sauce.  Delicious.  The Kung Pao Chicken ($9.95) was full of chicken but lacked the "Pao" factor.  The Mongolian Beef ($9.95) included lots of sliced beef, peppers, onions, Ginger and garlic but lacked the heat unless you bit into one of the hot peppers. The Chicken and Beef dishes while good, did not have the sauce or flavor that really picks a dish up.  The chili peppers however were hot as heck.  I like Chin's.  They have a huge menu that includes a dozen appetizers, soups and then all the Chinese dishes you would expect; Chicken and Duck, Pork and Beef, Seafood, Sizzling Platters, Casseroles, Vegetables, Egg Dishes, Rice Soups, Chow Funn and Fried Noodles and Lobster specialties.

Young Chow Style Fried Rice

Hot and Sour Soup

Shrimp with Vegetables

Kung Pao Chicken

Mongolian Beef

Sweet and Sour Pork

PLUMERIA BEACH HOUSE - KAHALA HOTEL

PLUMERIA BEACH HOUSE

KAHALA HOTEL 

The Kahala Hotel is one of my favorite places to visit and hang out in Hawaii.  Just minutes from our house, the Kahala is a sanctuary nestled on a pristine beach just minutes from Waikiki.  If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Waikiki and the crowds, this is the place to be.  It is also the place to be during the Sony Open Golf Tournament which is held at the adjoining golf course every year.  We always go down to the Kahala for the Sony Open.  After a tough day of watching the world's greatest golfers and enjoying some cold libations we always seem to end up at the beach bar adjoining the Plumeria Beach House Restaurant.  After even more libations, we head over to the Plumeria for the dinner buffet.  The buffet includes the freshest Ahi Sashimi, Oysters, Salads, various entrees and usually a steak or meat along with a build your own noodle bar.  I ate mostly sushi and salad.  Had a little Orange Chicken and Fried Rice.  The wait for the noodle bar was just too long.  At the chef's Noodle Bar you can choose various seafoods and have them sauteed with vegetables and noodles.  Looked great.  Everyone at our table loved the sushi and oysters and a few raved about the desserts.  The Plumeria is located on the beach and features outdoor and indoor seating.  The service is top notch and the food while not the largest variety is top quality.  I loved the Fried Rice here and enjoyed the crab legs too.  Only gripe about the crab is that they do not cut it or make it easy to eat.

http://www.kahalaresort.com/dining/plumeria-beach-house.cfm

PLUMERIA BEACH HOUSE

KAHALA HOTEL IS A GEM JUST OUTSIDE OF WAIKIKI

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SEATING AT THE PLUMERIA BEACH HOUSE

OYSTERS AND AHI SASHIMI

MORE OYSTERS AND CRAB LEGS

SALAD, FRIED RICE AND SHRIMP

FRIED RICE, BEEF AND POTATO SALAD

DA KITCHEN CAFE

DA KITCHEN CAFE

HONOLULU, HAWAII 

I was excited to learn that a very popular Maui eatery was opening up in Honolulu.  We dine at Da Kitchen in Kahului, Maui quite often when working there.  Da Kitchen Honolulu is located on Isenberg Street across from Stadium Park.  Great location near the University of Hawaii.  I was surprised to show up at 11:45 and find the place not even half full.  On Maui, you need to be in the door by 11:30 am or you will be in for a wait.  Like Maui, the Honolulu location is staffed with young girls who are trained to provide excellent service.  The menu includes Burgers, Sandwiches, Fresh Fish, Salads and local Plate lunches like Teriyaki Chicken and Beef, Hamburger Steak, Loco Moco's, Chicken Katsu, Kalua Pork, Kalbi Ribs, Garlic Chicken, Fish Tempura and Fish & Chips. We tried the Won Tons with Shrimp and Pork ($2.99).  These were just o.k.  The Fried Mandoo ($4.99) with Korean Style Pork and Vegetables were better than the Won Tons.  I tried the fresh Ahi Plate.  Nice piece of Ahi Tuna perfectly cooked and covered with a salsa and fried rice noodles.  The dish is served with a nice salad and two huge scoops of rice for around $16.  My friend tried the Butterfish Plate.  This was a big piece of Butterfish.  I tried it and it was fantastic.  My friend said it was good....really, really good.  We just had to try the Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Banana Pie.  It was Da Bomb.  I really like Da Kitchen and their energetic staff.  This is a must try and I hope they have the same success in Honolulu as they have enjoyed on Maui.

www.Da-Kitchen.com

UPDATE:  Restaurant has closed.  Maui location is open.

DA KITCHEN CAFE

DA KITCHEN CAFE IN HONOLULU

INDOOR SEATING AREA

Salad Included with Entree

Fried Pork Mandoo

Fried Won Tons

Ahi Plate

Butterfish

Two Huge Scoops of Rice Included

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Banana Pie