Leonard's Bakery

Today was an eventful and productive "foodie day," as I like to call it. Late lunch at Zaratez, Shave ice at Waiola's, and finally a quick stop at Leonard's Bakery for some Malasadas!!! Yum!! I usually only stop in there with the intention of ordering one plain sugar malasada, but after reading Yelp reviews, I knew I just had to try the Cinnamon/sugar malasada, the LiHing Mui malasada, and of course, the stuffed custard one!

So there I was in line ordering 4 malasadas all for myself! Haha. (Hey, who cares, for 90 cents each, it's a bargain!) For the stuffed malasadas, I believe they have a chocolate (dobash) stuffed one, custard, and haupia stuffed. I'm not a big chocolate lover...I actually hate chocolate cake, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate in general, besides a few exceptions like hot chocolate and Hershey kisses. Therefore, I opted just for the custard-filled malasada. They also have a flavor of the month-stuffed malasada. This month was Banana. Yelpers have said it has a quite artificial banana taste to it, and did not like it, so I definitely wasn't going to get that one! Since July's coming up, get ready for flavor of the month, Mango!!

Verdict of 4 different malasadas? I always thought I'd only like the plain sugar one, since that's the one most associate with malasadas, however, after trying the cinnamon/sugar, custard-filled, and lihing mui, I really came to enjoy the lihing mui one! I thought it would be very overpowering, but it had a nice salty/sweet kick to it that was oddly pleasant and enjoyable.

This brings me to a great case in point regarding this blog. My parents told me many stories about when I was a little girl- how I never liked a lot of food and how hard they found it to make food I'd eat...in short, I was a very picky eater. However, as I've grown over the years, I've found myself trying many new foods and having an open mind. It's become one of my priorities. I really want to taste what the world has to offer. Many travel the world wanting to learn about new cultures. Me? I want to TASTE it! So this blog is not only about sharing my tasty eats and adventures with you, but also encouraging you to have an open mind (and open mouth) when new food and/or opportunities are put in front of you (or on your plate). Force yourself to try new things. Trust me, you won't regret it. You might find your new favorite food!
I hope all of you see that as my intention for this blog.

Thanks for letting me get that in there. Now, back to Leonard's.....!

This place opens at 530am and closes at 9am. If you can't get to the actual store location on Kapahulu Avenue, look for their red and white striped malasada trucks, to get 'em on-the-go!

Btw, they are also known for their Pao Doce with portuguese sausage. Pao Doce is a portuguese sweet bread, but Leonard's adds portuguese sausage to the center. Got to try this next time!

Waiola's Shave Ice

After my Zaratez run, I had to stop into Waiola's Shave Ice, right next door. It was a blazing hot day, and this seemed like the perfect thing after chowing down on a deliciously, spicy mulita (cheesy taco), and feeling the heat rise from the asphalt.

Read a ton of reviews on Waiola's last night before bed, just to see what flavors people choose for their shave ice. My usual boringness of a shave ice is Strawberry and Vanilla with ice cream and condensed milk. I wanted to try something different.

Most people favorites were:
Strawberry cream and lychee
Melona and lychee
Melona and lilikoi cream
Lilikoi and Lychee
Strawberry cream and calpico
Melona and calpico
and most favored toppings/sides were condensed milk, ice cream, flan/custard, mochi balls, and lilikoi cream (mentioned a good amount of times)

AHH, the choices!! So I went with Lilikoi and Lychee. I thought it would be a light and refreshing combination, plus I wanted lilikoi cream on top, plus ice cream, plus the flan, plus condensed milk. Could you do that?!! Apparently...YES! And only for $6? I thought it was a deal with all the stuff I plopped in my shave ice bowl.

My friend, Ike, had a mocha shave ice with condensed milk. Essentially what they did was take a Starbucks Mocha Frap bottle out of the fridge and poured that on top of his shave ice. Wow, really!?! That's the mocha? We later talked about how much of a rip off that was, as we should have just gone to the store to buy the bottle for like $2 (he paid $4 for the shave ice). And they didn't even let Ike have the rest of the frap in the bottle!

Verdict? I definitely don't think Ike will order that mocha shave ice again. And I know he forgot to order the mochi balls, so maybe next time will be better. For me- Flan is definitely a NO GO. It was not sweet at all, and tasted like egg in my shave ice. GROSS. I mean, I know what custard tastes like, and it's good. This custard/flan, whatever you want to call it, was really unappetizing in my shave ice. I made Ike try it, and he definitely agreed while making an unappetizing face at me. Everything else was spot on though, from the lychee and lilikoi flavors to the lilikoi cream to the ice cream. If I had not ordered the flan, everything would have been perfect! Just like some Yelpers had mentioned, the lilikoi cream has little black specks in it, the lilikoi seeds! I know some might think it's weird, but I enjoyed the little crunch it added. I would recommend it!

Zaratez UPDATED!

One of my weekly routines is visiting my favorite taco truck, Zaratez Mexicatessen, and its owner, Paul! I always have a major craving for his delicious carnitas tacos. Today, though, I changed it up and ordered a Carnitas Mulita. The first time I tried it with Carne Asada. Basically, what I like to call it, is a quesadilla...though, I always cringe when I say that in front of Paul, because I don't want to insult him! He likes to call it, "a cheesy taco." Anyway, I really liked the mulita and finished it all, however I still like my original Carnitas Tacos :P

Doesn't this plate look absolutely incredible? Making your mouth water? Yeah...I thought so :P Mine too!

Angry Korean Lady UPDATED!

For my third time at Angry Korean Lady, I had my usual Stone Pot Bi Bim Bap and Meat Jun, plus I finally got to taste her Beef Soondubu or Soft Tofu Soup. Oooh, how delicious it was! It was definitely worth the wait. My friend Grant and I ordered it with Spicy #4, which is mild-medium spice, though I found myself still sniffling a bit from the heat. I'm not a spicy person, but readers and bloggers alike, I am trying my best! Grant wondered how spicy her spiciest #8 would be.....but I'm just fine with the #4! Haha!

Though it's a hard decision to choose which dish is my favorite (so far, I've tried her Stone Pot Bi Bim Bap, Meat Jun, Fish Jun, steamed Mandoo, and now, her Soondubu- see link above for original post and all of these pics), I've got to say I could not stop eating her Soondubu! So spicy, but so addicting! Grant and I both agreed it would be so nice on a cold and rainy day, though, I would go in to order this any time! My three favorites are definitely the Stone Pot Bi Bim Bap, Meat Jun and Soondubu. I highly recommend those 3 dishes. I've yet to try her Korean Specialty Chicken Wings, but for now, I want to stick with those 3. I can't get enough of it!

UPDATE! For my 6th time at AKL, I finally got to try the Specialty Wings! They look extra spicy, but the flavoring is a sweet/salty flavor with a touch of spice. Tasty, but for me, I would have liked if they were boneless. I'm going to stick with my favorite 3- Soondubu, Stone Pot Bi Bim Bap, and Meat Jun!

Cherry Cola

One of my favorite color combinations is Red and Black. Paired my black chiffon button down with my Urban Outfitters Scalloped red shorts and my Kelsi Dagger wedges. Also wearing my new favorite Bamboo Sky Gold Necklace.

Eat The Street- June Edition

Having gone to my first Eat The Street in April, and throughly enjoyed it, I knew I had to make it to June's. The theme was 'Pig Out,' so I knew there would be LOTS and LOTS of kalua pig and bacon on the menu.

Eat The Street is from 4-9pm every last Friday of the month. Kelli and I got there around 430pm, which was perfect timing. We parked in the event parking lot (no pass needed!), tummies rumbling and ready to eat! Having agreed to take a fast walk-around just to see what the food trucks had to offer, we knew what we would come back around for. The sun was blazing, so Ju-Mui Ice Pops and Pineapple Iced Tea was one of our first stops! Just remember, if you go early like we did, it has its pros and cons. Pros? Parking was easy and quick, no lines, quick ordering. Cons? Blazing hot sun and the humidity is high. 

Here's a look at the June Edition of Eat The Street! Btw, my favorite menu item of the entire day was Elena's Pork Adobo Fried Rice Omelette. I'm completely obsessed.

I was also hoping Flipt Out Eats (another Filipino food truck) would be here, since I wanted to compare Elena's to them...hopefully next month!

Around 430pm.
There are people here, but it's calm and quick to get your food.
Best time to come!!
Btw, check out the derby girls on skates trying to recruit! Reminds me of Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page in Whip It!

When you first get here and walk around to see what trucks have to serve,
EVERYTHING looks delish.
This is Hula Shrimp Co!

Ju-Mui Ice Pops!

Had to cool down from the heat and have a Ju-Mui Ice Pop (Strawberry flavor is their #1),
and Pineapple Iced Tea.
It was HOT!
Ju-Mui tastes essentially like a Li-Hing Mui popsicle!

Yelp had a life-size Jenga game going on!
Toppled quite a few times while we were there.

Ono Pops! There are definitely some WEIRD flavors that sound amazing,
that are just that...amazing names but tastes weird once you buy it.
SHOOT!

FairyCakes Whoopie Pies on top!

Pig Tacos @ Baja Style Mexican Food!

One of the trucks had their own Roast Pig!
Everyone was intrigued and wanted some crispy skin,
but only one small piece per order...BOO!
@ Baja Style Mexican Food.

This had to be my favorite truck of all.

Pork Adobo Fried Rice Omelette!!!!!!

Local STOP's King Kamehameha Malasada Burger.
Another one of my favorites, although mine from April did NOT look like this!
A huge burger, Kalua Pig, lotsa cheese, sauteed mushrooms...MMM!

My friend Pace orders a refreshing variety of Xtreme tacos' Sampler tacos- the mini version.
BBQ Pork, Spicy Beef, Smoked Chicken, Shrimp Ceviche, and their most famous 'Falaco,'
a middle eastern falafel in a taco!

Why'z Blackened Ahi Slider- very dry and hard...
not one of my faves...

Mom and Dad's plate lunch was delicious!
From Grandma G's Kitchen.
Panko-crusted Ahi! YUM! Super moist, soft and delicious.
All of this for 10 bucks!

Ono Pops!
Kalamansi Coriander (MY FAVORITE, bc it tastes the most NORMAL),
Mountain Apple Rose (tastes like you're eating perfume),
and Cucumber Yogurt Shiso. I really had high hopes for the Cucumber Yog Shiso,
but it was like eating Cucumbers, plain and simple.

Ice Cream on a tricycle!

Lines get progressively longer as the day goes on.
This is around 6pm-ish

 Lickety Split is refreshing, but it ain't no Dairy Queen!
They also had a specialty on the menu for Eat The Street's PIG OUT theme:
Bacon Banana Split!

FairyCakes already running out and it's only 630pm?!

Lilikoi and Red Velvet Whoopie Pies