CELEBRATING 650,000 PAGE VIEWS!

Celebrating 650,000 Page Views!

www.greateatshawaii.blogspot.com

TARTARE DI MARI FROM ARANCINO AT THE KAHALA HOTEL, OAHU, HAWAII

Mahalo for visiting this little food blog from Hawaii.  

Looking forward to posting more food, golf and adventures

 from Hawaii and around the world!

MAHI MAHI WITH WHITE WINE BUTTER SAUCE

MAHI MAHI WITH WHITE WINE AND BUTTER SAUCE

DINNER AT HOME

We have seen fresh Hawaiian Mahi Mahi go from $19 per pound to $5 and $10 per pound during the past few weeks.  Picked up a nice piece at Sam's Club for a total of $8.06.  The eight dollar piece of Mahi fed a family of three and we were all happy campers after the meal.  When Mahi Mahi is this fresh it is oh so good.  You really cannot mess it up as long as you do not overcook it.  We simply grilled the fresh Mahi and topped it with a quick and easy sauce consisting of butter, shallots, garlic, white wine, cream and capers.  Served with fresh vegetables and rice.  Totally filling and delicious meal that was pretty healthy too.  

BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGH WEEK

BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGH WEEK

DINNER AT HOME

We picked up one of those large packages of Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh's at Sam's Club.

There is more than enough in the package to cook chicken dishes for a week.  I like the Thigh's because they have more flavor than the Boneless Breasts and they seem to hold the flavor of sauces a bit better.  On one night we enjoyed a Chicken Alfredo dish with Broccoli and Spinach.  We used the Bertolli Alfredo Sauce from a jar so this dish only took a few minutes to prep and cook.  Added Broccoli and Spinach because we had a bunch plus it added color and vegetables to the dinner.  The next night we marinated some of the Chicken Thigh's in Teriyaki Sauce and then grilled it.  Served with steamed Carrots and Broccoli with some rice.  Delicious and pretty healthy meal prepared in just a few minutes.  

PASTA ALFREDO WITH CHICKEN, BROCCOLI AND SPINACH

TERIYAKI CHICKEN THIGHS

JADE DYNASTY SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

JADE DYNASTY SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

JADE DYNASTY SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

ALA MOANA SHOPPING CENTER

1450 ALA MOANA BLVD, #4220

HONOLULU, HI  96814

808-947-8818

HOURS:  Daily 10:30 AM - 10:00 PM

                 Dim Sum 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM

www.jadedynastyhawaii.com

I have been wanting to return to Jade Dynasty since blogging about it in 2011.  My post at that time yielded the best comments ever on this blog from what seemed to be the owner, manager or cook.  I loved the comments and have posted them here again along with a link to the 2011 post.  On this visit we arrived at noon to find the restaurant jam packed with what seemed like mostly Chinese patrons.  Must be good Chinese food if the Hawaii Chinese community dines here in droves.  We had about a 15 minute wait and then were seated by a hostess wearing a red Chinese dress.  Water and Hot Tea came quickly but it took awhile to have one of the wait staff dressed in bright yellow visit our table.  This may have been our fault because we had not filled out the menu left on a small clipboard on the table.  To order the Dim Sum items you simply look up the item number and then write on the paper how many orders you would like.  The waitress then comes by your table and picks up the order and adds anything else you want on the side bar.  She writes the order in Chinese and then brings back a ticket that shows each item you ordered in Chinese and English.  This paper stays on the clipboard through your entire meal.  As dishes arrive at the table, the staff marks them off the paper so they always know what has been served.  This place is super busy and there are about a hundred items on the menu so this system is brilliant and it works.  The volume of food served here is staggering and I would love to spend time in the kitchen watching how the chefs pump out so many orders so quickly. We were in and out of Jade Dynasty in just over one hour and the place was at full capacity.  After we figured out the ordering system I quickly wrote in the number 1 and ordered some Dim Sum.  I don't know if I would call this a Seafood Restaurant as there are so many more non Seafood items on the menu.  Wait until the guy who wrote the comments reads that.  I will get a list of the Seafood items on the menu sent to me.  No need, I posted the menu pages here.  One thing I will say up front is that the prices here are very reasonable.  I admit that I was wrong saying they were high on my 2011 post.   Most Dim Sum orders are under $4 and entrees for $12.95 is a deal in Hawaii.  After paying much more than this at other local Chinese restaurants and P.F. Chang's in Waikiki I realize that for the quality, Jade Dynasty is a good deal.  We started with the Chiu Chow Dumpling ($3.60).  Nice flavor but did not like the peanuts.  The Signature Shrimp Dumpling ($3.60) was fantastic.  Everyone at the table loved these little Dumplings and all agreed it was the best of the meal.  The Pot Stickers ($4.50) were a bit dry but were good.  We all liked the Choy Sum with Oyster Sauce ($8.50).  Nice fresh vegetable dish that I really like.  The Sweet and Sour Pork ($12.95) was good.  I did not care for the spices on the Chef's Special Roasted Duck ($8.50).  My Wife commented that she would not order it again.  All in all this was a nice visit and meal.  I would return to Jade Dynasty and go for some Seafood.  I liked the service from the food runners.  They pronounced the name of each dish as they served them and thanked us numerous times.  

Click link below to view my 2011 post on Jade Dynasty Seafood Restaurant.  Comment below is from the 2011 post:

http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2011/02/jade-dynasty-seafood-restaurant.html

1 comment:

FullMetalFlame said...

I believe the dish is called "green beans with minced meat" and if u actually pay attention to the menu instead of looking for stuff to complain about u would notice that it says "chicken and pork" at the top of the page... meaning that there IS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEF IN THE DISH JUST "MINCED MEAT (PORK)"... and yes, you can see "minced pork" in there with the beans, you'd have to be blind or almost blind to not be able to see pieces of pork in the dish...

as for high prices, did you even notice where the hell you were eating at?? you were in Ala Moana mall, and you weren't in the friggin food court, of course the prices is a bit higher. DUH! it's a "tourist mall", dumbass...

of course it tasted bland, EVERYTHING taste bland when you have a cold, not like the cooks know you have a cold and know that they would have to make the dishes have a stronger taste then what a normal, healthy human would want to eat...

and its called a seafood restaurant because it sells live seafood (crab/lobster/pawns/fish, etc.) and lots of other seafood dishes. why else would it be called a "seafood restaurant"?? it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out...

April 13, 2011 at 6:00 PM 

JADE DYNASTY SEAFOOD RESTAURANT IS UPSTAIRS IN THE HO'OKIPA TERRACE 

ENTRANCE TO JADE DYNASTY

HOSTESS STATION IN FRONT OF RESTAURANT

AWARD FOR BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT IN HONOLULU

TOP WRITE IN VOTE FOR OVERALL CHINESE FOOD IN HONOLULU MAGAZINE

LARGE RESTAURANT THAT REALLY JAMS OUT THE FOOD

FULL BAR AND LOTS OF CHINESE SPEAKING EMPLOYEES AND GUESTS

JADE DYNASTY DIM SUM MENU

TRADITIONAL AND SIGNATURE DIM SUM 

DIM SUM AND APPETIZERS

RICE AND NOODLE DISHES

SEAFOOD SPECIALTIES

COLD APPETIZERS AND SOUPS

POUTRY, BEEF AND PORK

SEAFOOD SPECIALS

VEGETABLES, TOFU AND RICE DISHES

NOODLES AND DESSERTS

SOY SAUCE AND HOT CHILI PASTE

HOT TEA WAS GOOD

DIM SUM ORDER SHEET - WRITE IN HOW MANY ORDERS OF EACH 

STEAMED DUMPLINGS - CHIU CHOW

LIKED EVERYTHING IN THIS DUMPLING BUT THE PEANUTS

POT STICKERS

CHOY SUM OYSTER SAUCE

SIGNATURE SHRIMP DUMPLING

THE SHRIMP DUMPLING WERE DELICIOUS AND A FAMILY FAVORITE

BBQ PORK LOOK FUN ROLL

CHEF'S SPECIAL ROASTED DUCK

SWEET AND SOUR PORK

EACH ITEM IS CHECKED OFF BY THE WAIT STAFF AS THEY ARRIVE AT YOUR TABLE

12TH AVENUE GRILL

12TH AVENUE GRILL

HONOLULU, HAWAII

12TH AVENUE GRILL

1120 12TH AVENUE

HONOLULU, HI  96816

808-732-9469

HOURS:  Monday thru Thursday 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM

                 Friday and Saturday 5:30 PM - 11:00 PM

                 Sunday 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

www.12thavegrill.com

12th Avenue Grill was named 2015 Oahu Restaurant of the Year so I had to make another visit back to check out the food and larger new location.  What I can say about this restaurant being named Oahu's best is "bullshit".  My entire family agreed that this was probably one of the worst meals of our lives and the cost was over $200 with tip.  Nothing was good here.  Not the appetizers or entrees.  Service was adequate but our waitress seemed not to care or just not be interested in making our experience special.  She rarely smiled, provided very little information about the menu and really did a good job making us want to dine somewhere else.  After less than one hour at our table and no mention of a dessert menu the rest of the staff circled our table like vultures waiting for us to give up our four top for the next group of people who hopefully will like the food better than wed did. We were seated just after 5:30 and we were out the door here by 6:35.  I was not done with half of my entree when people started coming by our table trying to clear it.  If ever there was an overrated award winning restaurant in Hawaii this is it.  I cannot fathom how this place racks up awards year after year.  It may be like our politics where everything is rigged and biased.  I can tell you honestly tough this is not Oahu's Best Restaurant of 2014.  In fact, it is probably the worst place that I would send you to spend $200 on a meal.  Dinner began with a small basket of breads with a tin of butter.  We started our meal with the Hawaiian Big Eye Ahi Tartare ($14) served with Crostini.  The Crostini were soaked in butter and so rich that after eating one nobody at the table wanted to eat the last one.  This dish was a waste of good fresh Ahi Tuna.  The sauce masque the flavor of the Ahi.  Why they put Celery Root with Ahi is beyond me.  The root has no flavor and does nothing to enhance the dish.  Next up was the Signature Appetizer Red Beet Gnocchi ($12).  My goodness.  We could not get beyond the rancid smell to eat this dish.  The melted Stilton Blue Cheese overpowered the dish.  One smell and all of us gasped for air.  I tried eating a Gnocchi and it did not look or taste like any Gnocchi I had eaten before.  Again I could not get past the smell of the cheese in this dish to eat anymore of it.  We left 3/4 of the dish on the plate as none of us could eat it.  My Daughter ordered the Soup of the Day ($8).  It was some type of Bean and Ham soup but tasted like Beef Stew.  Three of us tasted it and all came up saying "salty".  The salty soup remained in the dish too as my daughter could not eat it.  The Mac and Cheese side order ($11) was also a disappointment and again we left 3/4 of this dish on the table.  The Mac and Cheese was a soupy mess.  Just look at the photo below.  I took one bite and was not interested in having another.  Same for everyone at the table.  The Hawaii Ranchers Ribeye ($36) was not bad according to my Wife.  Served with Pappardelle Pasta and a burnt piece of Radicchio.  If you are going out to dinner for a steak, stick to Ruth's Chris or D.K.'s.  I ordered the Signature Entree which is the Grilled Pork Chop ($28).  The Chop came to my table looking thick and delicious.  I went to cut the Chop and found that it was hard as a rock.  I poked at the top and it was firm as a board.  Cutting into this was not easy as I had to place a lot of pressure on my knife to cut through it. This thing was like rubber.  I was going to eat it but my Wife insisted that I send it back.  When the waitress came over I asked her if the Chop was supposed to be this hard.  She answered no and said it should be a little pink in the middle.  She took my entree away and a few minutes later I was given a new plate with a new Pork Chop that had been cut into pieces.  I guess the Chef did not trust sending it out again without cutting it up to see how it was cooked.  I liked the flavor of the Chop but still felt that the entire thing was still too dry.  The Crispy Potato Pancake served with the Chop was not bad but it was over sauced with Horseradish.  I love Horseradish but there was a boat load covering the potatoes.  The highlight of the meal was the Flourless Chocolate Cake ($9).  This baby oozed chocolate and when combined with the Ice Cream was delicious.  I was about to shoot a photo of all the food we were leaving on the table when hands came flying in to clear our plates.  Lets get out of here I said to my wife.  As we left our table the waitress was nowhere in sight.  No goodbye or thank you.  I always rate a restaurant on whether I would return again.  The answer here for our entire family was no.  In fact, my Wife commented that she would not return to eat here if the dinner were free and she would have preferred going to McDonalds this night.  This is one of the harshest reviews I have done on a restaurant to date.  Had to be totally honest and call it as I eat em.  

Click link below to view previous post on 12th Avenue Grill:

http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2013/02/12th-ave-grill-honolulu-hawaii.html

12TH AVENUE GRILL

12TH AVENUE GRILL IN KAIMUKI - OAHU'S BEST RESTAURANT?  NOT IN MY BOOK.

THE RESTAURANT HAS A NICE LOOK A FEEL TO IT

LARGE BAR AND BOOTH SEATING

12TH AVENUE GRILL MENU

STARTERS, SOUP AND SALAD

ENTREES AND SIDES

DAILY SPECIALS

BREAD BOWL

HAWAIIAN BIG EYE AHI TARTARE

RED BEET GNOCCHI

SOUP OF THE DAY 

MAC AND CHEESE WITH HAM

MAC AND CHEESE WAS SOUPY, TASTELESS MESS

HAWAII RANCHERS RIBEYE

GRILLED PORK CHOP

PORK CHOP WAS DRY AND HARD LIKE A BRICK

MY SECOND PORK CHOP WAS SERVED CUT INTO PIECES

DESSERT MENU

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

THIS WAS HANDS DOWN THE BEST PART OF THE MEAL