Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Yogurstory Dinner

Yep, Yogurstory now does dinner! Plus, they've converted their yogurt bar into a full liquor bar and now are happy to serve you at Happy Hour. Check out some yummy new items during my last visit at brunch here!

As for their dinner, I wouldn't go again. There are much better menu items for breakfast and lunch...especially for the price. My faves include the Fat Pig Fried Rice, Classic Eggs Bene, Hurricane Bowl (!!!!!), City Salad, Cobb Salad and their Breakfast Croissant.

And, now, to their drinks. I continually try to give their (non-alcoholic) drinks a chance. I've tried their Peach Iced Tea, Calamansi Mint Iced Tea, Strawberry Italian Soda, and recently, their Strawberry Lemonade. To be completely honest, I didn't like any of them. Yeah, sure, they're brightly-colored and pretty, but they don't taste great. Even the table next to me saw my Strawberry Italian Soda with whipped cream, ordered one, and abandoned it after taking only a couple sips.

But, on a better note, I did really enjoy their Hot Chocolate! Stick to their Coffee/Espresso drink items.

Next up on the list- I'll report back on their alcoholic drinks at Happy Hour! They, at least, sound tasty.








Kalbi Short Ribs

The Oinker! Fried Rice, Egg, Portuguese Sausage. Highly recommended!




Hot Chocolate for dessert!


The crazy bathroom upstairs!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Angry Korean Lady's KALBI and CHIVE PANCAKE


By now, you know how much I swear by Angry Korean Lady's Korean food. She acts a little crazy, but her food is crazy good. Read here and here.

Since my bf loves Kalbi, I wanted him to experience what AKL has to offer! After sitting down, I wrote down my favorites and he told me what he wanted to eat. Soon enough, we had about 5 menu items listed for just us two!

Personally, after ordering almost everything on the menu, her best items are her Meat Jun, Soondubu and Stone Pot Bi Bim Bap- my 3 favorites! Those are must-tries. PS- don't forget to make it a Stone Pot Bi Bim Bap if you like crispy rice!! That's the best!

The only negative thing about AKL is that it can get pricey. All dishes are at least 10 bucks, so if you want Stone Pot Bi Bim Bap, Soondubu and her famous Meat Jun, you're already putting out at least 30 bucks, not including tip. And of course, you have to tip her well..."It's a one-woman show!"

Kalbi

Chive Pancake

Mandoo

Delicious Stone Pot Bi Bim Bap!

Soondubu


Friday, February 24, 2012

Patisserie La Palme D'Or


After lunch one day, my good friend and restaurateur, Danny, took us to La Palme D'Or and told us we absolutely needed to try their Strawberry Shortcake. Then I saw all of the colorful roll cakes and specialty jelly drinks which all looked so delectable. I had to try something!

La Palme D'Or is located on mall level of Ala Moana. One of my favorite things is their Plantation Iced Tea. If you need a light snack (and yes, you will be eating while drinking this!) for browsing around the mall, this would be the perfect thing! Still can't compare with Pineapple Room's Plantation Iced tea, but it surely is worth a try.







Use your straw to scrape and break up the jelly in the bottom half of the cup! This is a Jelly Au Lait!



Wednesday, February 22, 2012

A Late Valentine's Day Post @ Nico's!

Passion fruit Margarita and a Sand Island Iced Tea (with some lovebirds in the background)

Yep, you've probably read about the new and improved Nico's here, but hey, that was just lunch! They are now open for dinner, and a really lovely one at that. Forget the hustle and bustle of the daily lunch crowd; when you're here for dinner, enjoy the serenity of a breezy hawaiian night and a much calmer crowd. Take a stroll around the Pier after dinner and look at the ships and boats on the water- it's a completely different scene at night. Brisk air (during this time of year) and if it's a clear night, you'll have front row seats of brilliantly-lit, twinkling stars for your viewing pleasure.

And that's exactly what Brian and I did for Valentine's Day. No hassle of making reservations years in advance at a ritzy expensive steak joint and no Prix Fixe set menu. Just a nice, relaxing dinner with an open-air setting, mojitos/margaritas galore, great service and delicious seafood to choose from at our favorite joint. It was divine!

As for their dinner menu, I would highly recommend their Steamed Clams on the dinner menu. I literally wanted to drink the steamed clams sauce, it was so good. The two small baguettes it came with wasn't enough to soak up the goodness in that bowl! And the clams.....a heaping amount of clams, I tell ya! The most I've seen for $14.75. I would definitely go back just for these clams. These were a standout.

Plus, there's bar service at night, so you can order cocktails and pupus right from a server who conveniently walks around and is at your beck and call. Our waitress was very attentive! Forgot her name, but she has nicely-laquered nails and manicures them herself!

Don't be confused- Order your meals at the regular counter/register, but if you want drinks or pupus, just wait for your server to come around to take your order. They're fast!

Hours are Sun-Sat Lunch 10am-430pm and Dinner from 5pm-9pm.

Happy late Vday to all you lovers!!

We also ordered Truffle Fries and my favorite lunch time special, the Garlic Pesto Shrimp to start us off.

Special of the Vday night

Delicious Steamed Clams and a broth that you will have you wanting to slurp up every last drop.



Friday, February 17, 2012

Wahoo's Fish Taco

Get your Margarita blended or on the rocks!
I first wrote about Wahoo's and their lovely Taco Tuesdays here. It's a great place to relax and enjoy inexpensive soft tacos and margaritas with friends. Very laid-back...I love this place!

BUT, recently, I have also come to discover their delicious burritos that you can order "WET." I used to go to the Ward location for years and order their Classic Burrito with shrimp, only to realize NOW that you can order it with red or green sauce and cheeeese on top! My one gripe is that I wish they advertised this option (is it on the menu??) or at least asked customers upon ordering at the cashier (Thank you to the nice lady at the Kahala location that asked!). I really believe that if more patrons knew about this, there would be NO hesitation in ordering their burritos wet (or maybe it's just me who didn't know! You tell me, readers!). It's unbelievably tasty. If you're like me and need some sort of sauce on your dry burritos, then you must try this.

Joe and I first ordered our burritos wet and enjoyed it thoroughly. We've since gone back a second time where he enjoyed the Outer Reef Burrito, which includes sour cream, guac, white or brown rice, and white or black beans inside. "Make it a wet burrito, too!"

I also really like the fact that they give lots of filling options. Not just the usual chicken, beef or shrimp. There's also carnitas, fish, carne asada, tofu, mushrooms, vegetarian, and Banzai Veggies (veggies sauteéd in teriyaki sauce).

PS- Besides their awesomely-wet burritos, they have a wide variety of other delicious menu items. Choose from taquitos, quesadillas, nachos, baja rolls, bowls, combo meals, salads and sandwiches, tacos and enchiladas and even a Kiddie Menu!

PSS- From 3-7pm every day, it's Happy Hour! You know what that means...MARGARITA HOUR! $5 Margs to be exact!
 


Joe's Banzai Burrito with chicken. The Banzai Burrito comes with Banzai Veggies, white or brown rice, black or cajun white beans and salsa.

Classic with Shrimp- comes with lettuce or cabbage, cheese and salsa. And more CHEESE on top if you order it WET!

Amazing after a long day of work.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Sunny Side

If you are ever in Wahiawa and in need of some good eats, Sunny Side is a much-loved local eatery that has been around for ages. Locals and a lot of old-timers that live in the area love to come here for breakfast and of course, a slice of their beloved pies.

My favorite is their Fried Rice Special, which almost indefinitely sells out by 930am! Call ahead and they will hold it for you until you're ready to pick up. They have held it for me as late as 1pm! Read my first post about their fried rice here. I proclaim it "the best fried rice on the island."






Blueberry Cream and Apple Pie! So good warmed up in the microwave!

Grecian Goddess

This basic beige maxi dress (from Bamboo Sky) somehow makes me feel like a Grecian Goddess. So light and simple, yet I feel elegant in it.

I also bought my first body chain from Bamboo Sky, which really lights up this dress!




Saturday, February 11, 2012

Sweet E's Cafe


I first read about this cute, homey café on my fashionable friend, Tiff's blog here. As soon as I saw the décor in her pictures, I knew I had to stop by. Then, I saw the delightful, mouth-watering food pictures, and I knew I had to make this a top priority. How can I best describe Sweet E's? It's a charming, well-lit, comfortable café that well, of course, makes you feel very "at home," and at ease. Family-owned, there's an array of black and white family pictures dispersed on the walls, cute quotes written on wooden blocks scattered throughout the café, and bright blue couches that go hand-in-hand with the colorful food they serve. Actually reminds me of a café you'd find in Laguna Beach or the OC with all its little seashells and starfish.

Parking is a breeze as well. If any of you women readers get your eyelash extensions done at Kristin Wood, then you know exactly what I'm talking about! Located in Kilohana Square at the beginning of Kapahulu, these shops have their own private parking lot. It's a small lot, but you will always be able to find a parking space.

Now that I've described to you how great the café's décor is, I need to get across just how great the food is too! Actually, I'm sure once you see the pictures, it's very self-explanatory. Sweet E's food tastes just as good as it looks! Specializing in breakfast/brunch/lunch food (and open til 3pm daily!), choose from an array of Eggs Benedicts, Omelettes, Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast, Breakfast Burritos, and Breakfast Sandwiches for "Breakfast Served All Day!" Their Lunch Menu consists of Salads, Flatbread Pizzas, Sandwiches, and Soups starting at 11am everyday. How good does that all sound?!

So what did I choose to order? Kalua Pig Eggs Benedict on a Poi English Muffin with a Plantation Iced Tea! It was a hard choice between the Eggs Bene and the Kalua Pig Omelette, but once I planted my taste buds on the eggs bene, I knew it was meant to be. I would highly recommend it. Hollandaise sauce was perfectly creamy and buttery, and went so well with the saltiness of the Kalua Pig. I loved the soft and purple-colored poi english muffin as well! The colors on this dish were bright and summery!

As for Brian, he enjoyed the Pesto Club very much! It was also highly recommended by our server, as he proclaimed it his "favorite sandwich" at Sweet E's. Brian's sandwich came packed with Turkey, Bacon, Avocado, Greens, Tomato, Provolone Cheese and smothered with what I think really "made" this sandwich- the Pesto Aioli!

Trust me, foodies, you gotta try this place!