Morning Glass Night Breakfast

Watermelon Fresca and Green Tea Latté

Morning Glass has become a lunch (and dinner) favorite of mine. My first time lunching here was back in March of last year, seen here. That's back when I wasn't into coffee at all, though much has changed since then. I am now a proclaimed "coffee addict," and have since tried a variety of their lattés and coffee drinks. The second time I wrote about Morning Glass was a few months later, seen here, when I came on a Sunday morning to try their weekend breakfast menu full of omelettes, fried rice and the like.

Since then, I've been back to Morning Glass a number of times, and most recently to try their infamous "Night Breakfast." It's became a hit among foodies and anyone who loves the occasional breakfast for dinner. I went for their second Night Breakfast back in December, though I believe they are planning to have one every month or on a weekly basis. I sure hope it's the latter!

I came here with my foodie friend, Chris, spur of the moment, and was able to snag the last table around 7pm. Night Breakfast runs from 6-9pm, but this place is small and seating is limited, so you will be best off getting there early.

What'd we order? Literally everything on the menu!! It's a small menu and we wanted to try it all! My absolute favorite, though, were their Mac N Cheese Pancakes. It's a must-get!! Drizzle with the syrup or eat it by itself. It is just that good. Also, I recommend their Watermelon Fresca. So very refreshing with a hint of lime.

I have to admit that everything we ordered that night was simply amazing. I don't think you can find this kind of food anywhere else. I highly recommend you hit up Morning Glass' next Night Breakfast, as the menu is constantly changing!

Kim Chee Fried Rice Parfait

Mac N Cheese Pancakes!

Breakfast Pizza- Tomato Jam, Prosciutto, Gruyere, Arugala, and sunny side up Kalei egg!

Crowded!

Mini Cereal Milk Ice Cream Pie. AMAZING end.

We closed this place up!

Pink Pep

Recently, I've been really into Peplum tops. Couldn't resist this top when I spotted it in Zara during my SF Thanksgiving trip. It's so easy to pick this top and pair it with a bandage skirt, my fave black skinny jeans, or shorts with a denim jacket. If I could wear it every day, I really would!!

Vintage Urban Outfitters necklace

BDG jeans, vintage F21 boots

Nico's Plate Lunch

Here's some pictures from my recent lunch to Nico's with a visiting friend. It was a Friday, and of course, I had to order their Hawaiian Plate! Couldn't pass that up!

Fish and Chips- Garrett said it was a bit dry, okay with the sauce though.

Hawaiian Plate!

Home Away From Home- Kona, HI

I had the pleasure of taking a mini vacay to Kona for some golf and relaxation. I haven't golfed on the outer islands since high school, so I jumped at the chance. Of course, I had to buy a new golf travel bag since I threw away my old one, but that small problem paled in comparison to the amount of immense fun I was about to have!

A few friends of mine and I rented out a Villa at Waikoloa, played golf all day, and came back to BBQ almost every night. I usually visit Hilo (which is about 2 hours away from Kona), so it was nice to take in Kona living for 5 days. Talk about rest and relaxation. Kona is much, much different from Hilo. If you want more to do and a little bit of town, I would stick around Hilo. If you love to golf, relax, and spend some dollars on resort food, Kona is it! The courses in Kona are just breathtaking. Views you will never forget. And talk about the gorgeous vacation homes and rentals all along the Mauna Lani North and South courses!!! These are houses you can only dream about. All equipped with high ceilings, jacuzzi and Infinity pool. Did I mention most were vacant?! Imagine living there for a week!

I can't wait to visit again! I left with very fond memories. Until another time, Kona!

Next on the list? I would love to golf at Manele Bay and Koele on Lanai! Stay tuned for that. I'm going to make it happen in 2013!

Upgraded to a Tahoe for all of our golf bags and passengers!

First stop after landing in Kona, head to Pine Tree Cafe for some good eats! What everyone does after landing in KOA. What did I grind? Oxtail Stew, of course!

40 mph winds. CRAZY!

Par 3. Closest to the hole!

Lots of holes with water or lava!

Checking into our Villa!

Drinks and Pupus while we wait for everyone to arrive!

I introduced everyone to my favorite cheese, Boursin, and they loved it just as much as I do!

Dinner time! Steak, Teriyaki Beef, Chicken, Sausage, Ribs with RICE every night. Cereal or Steak&Eggs the next mornings!

Next day: Range Practice.

No. Words.

Last day in Kona. Pool time, finally. No sun.

And before you know it, vacation over. Back to the daily grind. Oahu.

Doraku- Kapiolani Location

I've always heard great things about the Doraku in Waikiki. When the newest Doraku opened up in my good friend's condominium, The Pacifica on Kapiolani, I made it a point to check it out ASAP. My best friend, Kristen, came home for a week, so we stopped by one day for Happy Hour after a hot day at the beach. I loved the décor in the place. So stylish and modern. Some tables even had a couch with pillows! We asked for any of those tables, but they were all reserved. We settled on sitting outside, which also had some comfy seats. I was worried about it getting chilly or rainy, but weather turned out to be quite nice.

Of course I wanted to try everything, and Kristen was her usual, "not too hungry." I ended up just ordering everything I wanted on the menu and Kristen picked here and there. Her one request? Possible to order an ume roll? She got her wish even though our waiter said the sushi chefs are very strict about substituting things on the menu or making special items. Thank you, Doraku, for making an exception!

Service? We had a great waiter, Isaac, who was attentive and funny. Also, a high school classmate of ours, Ashley, also worked there and helped us with some drinks.

Parking was easy, as it's Valet only, for $5. Other than that, you can park by Kaka'ako and walk, but I suggest just forking up the $5 for Valet.

Food? I loved the presentation of the food. Taste was average and pricing was high. For everything we ordered, bill came out to $80 something and around $100 with tip. I think there are better sushi places on Oahu, but the atmosphere and ambiance are very cool. Some Happy Hour items were not memorable, except for the Tuna Tataki. What a standout food item!! And for only $5!! We had two orders of that, and could have had more. The only thing we hated? DO NOT ORDER THE MISO EDAMAME. Terrible, terrible, terrible. Isaac, our waiter, did actually warn us that the sweet and spicy miso was much less popular than the teriyaki garlic edamame, but KZ went ahead and ordered the miso. It was essentially just soybeans and miso paste. We probably ate 2-3 each and wasted the rest.

We also ordered some rolls that sounded SO delicious, but were just average- Emperor Roll and the Spicy Lobster Roll. I would have loved to also try their New Style Doraku Roll with Crab and Avocado topped with daikon, shiso leaves, crispy garlic chips and finished with Wasabi Yuzu Citrus Sauce. And also their Red Dragon Roll with Spicy Tuna, Shrimp Tempura, and Avocado topped with Unagi, Red Tobiko, Unagi sauce, Ao Nori, and finished with Spicy Aioli. Next time!

Other than that, I highly recommend the Momotaro Lemonade (Peach Vodka, Peach Liquer, and house made lemonade), and two of the Happy Hour items, both $5 each- Asari Clam Sakamushi and the Doraku Tuna Tataki. Small portions, but both delicious and cheap eats!

If you're looking to entertain some guests (local or visiting) and want to munch on some sushi rolls while dining in style, this is your place! Very impressive.

Happy Hour is everyday from 4-7pm and a late night Happy Hour from 10pm-closing.

"Doraku" means "The Road to Happiness" in Japanese. DO means road/path and RAKU means happiness or pleasure.

Such a pretty drink! Momotaro Lemonade.

Clams Sakamushi and Tuna Tataki, Kristen's Ume Shiso in the background.

Large clams in a small portion for $5

Emperor Roll- Tuna, Salmon, Crab, Shrimp, Scallop, and Avocado Roll crusted with Panko, flash-fried and served over Spring Mix with Sweet Onions, and finished with a Special Aioli Sauce and Tobiko.

Spicy Lobster Roll- Lobster, Shredded Crab, and Cream Cheese, Tempura fried, served with Red and Black Tobiko and finished with a Spicy Garlic Aioli.

Can't go without my favorite- one order of Ikura, please!

Miso paste Edamame

Finished with Green Tea Ice Cream, Azuki and fruit. A side of Lychee Martini!