The Village Idiots

I think I could give up eating beef, but the thought of never eating a good steak again would make it really tough. “In Search of a Steak Glory” is an Atlantic article by Marck Schatzcker about the quest for the greatest tasting steak. (He’s written a book about the quest called, Steak: One Man’s Quest for the World’s Tastiest Beef.) In the process, he’s come to examine what exactly makes steak taste so good. The answer is not simple, but according to him, it has nothing to do with marbling or with grain fed cattle. Schatzcker touches on the science of what makes beef so tasty, and it’s pretty interesting.

What are some of the best steaks you have eaten? What restaurants, in Hawai’i or other places you’ve tried, serve the best steak?

Larri and I will be going to the Big Island in May for the weekend, and I’m looking for restaurant recommendations, and recommendations of things to do in general.

A journal of my trip to Seattle and Las Vegas.

So I’m trying to cook more at home, and I have a really limited number of things to cook. My goal is to learn at least five new recipes this year, which should be easy, right? So I’m asking on you idiots for some of your favorite recipes that 1.) are relatively quick to make; 2.) contain ingredients easy to get; 3.) are relatively healthy (ixnay on the cream sauces and deep fried stuff) Here’s some of the dishes I cook now: Read more »

Kristen’s Kitchen in Waipahu. Kristen’s is located across from Times Supermarket on Farrington Hwy. The prime rib was not only cheap, but it was very good, particularly the au jus, which I’m usually indifferent to. (Perhaps, I enjoyed it so much because the leftover jus tasted so ono with the rice.) I believe they use to serve this every day, but they told me they only serve this on Tuesday and Thursday. They only have a limited supply, too.

What are some other great meal deals you know about?

I don’t think there are any reviews of Le Bistro here, which surprises me. This may be one of my favorite restaurants (although it is a bit pricey). The food here is basically upscale comfort food, nothing really hyper-creative or original, just feel good food done well. There are some items you can get under $20 but I would say most entres are above $25 and can get close to $40. Read more »

Royal Palace (Stadium Mall, next to Ice Palace)

A college classmate of mine took me here once, and I remember liking it, so Larri and I gave this a shot this past weekend. We were surprised to discover a lunch buffet for about $10, so we went with that. We came about 1:00 (the buffet closes at 2:00), and there were two huge parties going on, so many of the serving bins were almost empty, the food kinda cold. Despite this, the food was not bad. Here are some of the items I recall: roast pork with tofu; salt and pepper shrimp; egg rolls; Chinese chicken salad; choi sum; roast chicken (good); green beans and chicken; Singapore rice noodles (decent); chow fun; sweet and sour pork; and some other things I can’t recall. According to one of the newspaper clippings on the wall, this is Hong Kong cuisine, and they are known for their char siu and roast pork (which the owner recommends getting between 5:00-6:00, if I recall correctly, because that’s when it’s usually freshly prepared). It’s a solid Chinese restaurant, probably one of the better ones for people living on the Leeward side.

Caliente del Sol (Safeway strip mall on Kapahulu)

I should have wrote about this place first as I think other idiots would like it. This is Mexican version of Burgers on the Edge (same owners, I think): you can choose several different proteins, different sauces or cheeses in several different dishes (taco, burrito, quesadilla, enchilada). For the protein, you have an option of grilled rib-eye, chicken, fish and smoked pork. The enchiladas came with four different sauces. Instead of selecting sauces, you choose different cheeses (I think) for the quesadillas.

We got three things: a cobb salad with smoked pork (shredded), a taco with rib-eye in chipotle, and an enchilada with mahi in a lobster sauce. The salad, on the initial bites was good. First, the portion size was good. It looked well-prepared and I liked the avocados and shredded pork and the crunch of shredded cabbage. But there was a little too much cabbage and the overall flavor got tiresome afterawhile. Still, it was a good size and pretty good tasting salad.

The enchilada was OK, although the lobster sauce was a little too rich for me. We didnt’ finish it.

The taco with the steak was probably the best I’ve had (of the steak taco variety). I liked it with the chipotle, too. It cost a little over $3, and the price was just about right. I’d go back for this again, and this is something I think others would like.

Dorraku (Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center)

I probably shouldn’t write a review as I couldn’t try many of the dishes due to a gout flare up. This is a sushi/Japanese restaurant, with inclusion of Latin elements (chimchurri steak). We mostly ordered sushi and small plate dishes. I can’t remember all the dishes we got, but I do remember the presentation impressed me (partly because I wasn’t expecting it or expecting to care). I liked the seared ahi salad, which was basically a sashimi over some lettuce. I liked the dressing, which I believe had a mustard base. Seared ahi dishes are sort of bland for me, but this was one of the better dishes.

I also liked the cuban steak rolls which was a sushi with steak in chimchurri sauce rolled in rice. (I can’t remember the other ingredients.) There was also a fish dish, I think sea bass, that was good, too. I believe the rolls were around $10-$15. It’s kind of a izakaya style place, so it’s suited for people who like to drink, and the atmosphere was quite nice, although you could dress pretty casually.

Penny wrote:

Pho 777. Frankly, Viet Cafe (which is now closed and replaced with that Banana Leaf Pasta place) was better, but hopefully Pho 777 will get better in time. They are taking 20% off your bill until November 30, 2008 in honor of their Grand Opening. Read more »

Penny wrote:

Mitchell has pics, so hopefully he will post those as well as add his comments (Renee, too!) for A Taste of the Bayou.

Food: Very good. I was happy with everything I tried. Read more »

Don and I were talking about this the other day, and I know Joel expressed interest in starting a thread on this topic. The discussion will center on the best ramen places you’ve eaten at a restaurant (versus the packaged variety). I think we could also include saimin in the discussion, too. I like ramen, but I don’t think I’ve been to enough places to discriminate the good from the great. I’ve been to Goma-Ichi, Goma-Tei, Ezogiku, Tai-Sei, Sanoya, and probably some others I can’t remember right now. I love the tan-tan shiru at Goma-Ichi. In general, I like the ramen that has the layer of Chinese style gravy (gomoku variety). You can get those types at Ezogiku and Tai-Sei. So what’s the best ramen you’ve eaten?

P.F. Chang’s

I’ve been wanting to try the lamb bengu (or whatever it was called). We got that, lettuce wraps (OK), spicy chicken, which was fried in batter and came with a spicy sweet sauce, spicy green beans, singapore noodles (standard curry seasoning in thin, pancit style noodles) and the lamb. I thought the lamb was alright, although my sister’s boyfriend really liked it. The lamb was kinda gamey, so maybe that’s why I wasn’t really into it. Everything else was OK, kinda not worth the price.

Penny wrote:

Nordstrom Cafe. (1st floor by the men’s dept.) I liked it and will return. Big thumbs up for me. Read more »

Don asked this question in a conversation, and we never really got to discuss it for some reason, which is a shame because I would be interested in what other people like to eat when going out. I want to encourage people that don’t live on O’ahu to contribute their favorites, too.

Maharani

This is my favorite Indian restaurant in Hawai’i, but I always forget what I ordered, so I made sure I wrote down what we got. Here’s the list: Read more »

Reid, 28, August, 2008, 9:29

(at the Makai end of Lewers; on the new beachwalk)

We went here for my parents’ anniversary dinner. I’ve enjoyed the food at the other Roy restaurants, but if this were my first experience, I probably wouldn’t go back. From the menu, the evening didn’t start out well. When you look at a menu and nothing excites you, that’s a bad sign.

I don’t want to write much, but I do have pictures, and I’ll try to comment briefly on each.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3253/2798572711_112c5fcab8_m.jpg[/img]

I ordered the prixe fixe menu, which came with an appetizer, choice of entre and choice of a desssert. With paired wine the total was $54. The picture above is the trio appetizer: blackened ahi, baby back rib and chicken spring roll. Everything was good on this, although not outstanding.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3193/2798573629_da7c4e665a_m.jpg[/img]

This is the dim sum canoe for two ($27.50). I didn’t eat this that evening, but I had it before. In addition to the appetizers I had, the plate came with skewered shrimp and crab-cakes. The crab-cakes were pretty mediocre.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3053/2799424850_cb5290de2e_m.jpg[/img]

This is the shrimp with pancetta dish that my mom had. I just tried the shrimp, and I wasn’t impressed. Larri tried it with the vegetables and she thought it was good. My mom liked it, so that was good.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3256/2798576301_88b1bb1b05_m.jpg[/img]

My dad got this dish, chicken wrapped in prosciutto. We were all surprised because my dad almost always orders some kind of steak (usually, teri), but he explained that he had eaten a steak the night before. This was OK.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3051/2798577077_1ebd885d14_m.jpg[/img]

I had a choice of three entres: a salmon dish (basically grilled salmon), a dish I can’t remember and a short rib. This the short rib which came with a tiny cup of poi. The cut of meat was pretty big, but it was basically a pot roast, sans the gravy. I’ve liked the short rib at places like Mavro and 12th Ave, and this was not even close. My mom’s pot roast is just as good, if not better.

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2115/2798577919_11d4648aec_m.jpg[/img]

Larri got the ono. It was OK.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3165/2798578795_d2865dc837_m.jpg[/img]

This was a crab, artichoke au gratin side that came with Larri’s dish. It wasn’t that good, but I had a small bite.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/2798579841_35557d19e6_m.jpg[/img]

This is the rib-eye that my brother got. It was OK, but it was huge. It came with a bbq sauce, Southern style, which was OK, but I prefer steak without sauces.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3291/2799429858_142d0285cc_m.jpg[/img]

Here’s the salmon dish my sister ordered. I didn’t try it.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3059/2799430886_4e4a19b3c8_m.jpg[/img]

My brother’s wife got this Roy’s Classic Tribute: blackened ahi, hibachi salmon and misoyaki butterfish. I didn’t get to try this.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/2799431900_d4665bd0d8_m.jpg[/img]

This was the lamb dish my sister’s boyfriend got. It was pretty good. I especially liked the pineapple-mango (?) chutney.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3096/2798583039_150197c672_m.jpg[/img]

Here’s the pineapple upside cake, which Larri got. It takes a while to prepare and comes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was OK.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2798584127_ba895b8a9e_m.jpg[/img]

This was the mac nut tart a la mode. It was OK. I liked the fruit sauces on the side, but I would have preferred the nuts to not be chopped.

I also took a picture of the chocolate souffle cake, but the picture wasn’t great.

I apologize for not listing all of the ingredients in the various dishes, but I couldn’t remember them, and frankly I don’t think it matters. The dishes were just OK, imo. (choc souffle cake was still pretty dang good though). They weren’t that good when you think of the price you’re paying. If this is typical dinner at Roy’s, I won’t be interested in returning.

Reid, 25. August 2008, 21:51

(Kapahulu Safeway shopping area)

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3124/2791298253_6b62736b6a_s.jpg[/img]

We tried this place a few weeks ago.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3037/2791299255_fe3bb9f1f7_s.jpg[/img]

That’s the flat-screen menu that they have. One of the cool things about this place is that each burger comes with a choice of the type of patty you want–beef, wagyu, turkey (burger) or chicken (not a patty); one type of cheese; 4 sides like lettuce, onions, tomatoes; and one type of sauce (about 10 to choose from). They have small checklist where you can choose your items. Or you can order a pre-set burger. (You can sort of see some examples in the picture.) The burgers also come with a special buns made from another place that I don’t recall right now. Most of the burgers are about $8-$9.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3279/2792152788_fc79416de9_m.jpg[/img]

The burger above is a pre-set burgers–the Paris Burger–that I ordered. That came with a wagyu patty, foie gras, carmelized onions and apples. ($19).

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3221/2791301329_7840d0c5f6_m.jpg[/img]

Larri made up her own burger with the beef patty, some kind of aioli, mushrooms and feta cheese.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3070/2791303423_5cdb091bb6_m.jpg[/img]

We also got the fries with truffle oil and parmesan cheese (or some kind of cheese).

The verdict? The Paris burger definitely wasn’t worth the price. The foie gras wasn’t very tasty and the wagyu didn’t tasted like a normal beef patty. The apples and onions worked well with the burger though. The bun was also a problem to me. It was too pillowy, almost like a little thinner sweat bread. (Larri didn’t care for it either).

Larri’s burger wasn’t that tasty either. The patty wasn’t as flavorful, although she likes hers well-done, so that might have contributed to the lack of flavor.

There are a lot of combinations you could try, so it would be worth going again, although I wouldn’t recommend the Paris burger. (Oh, the fries weren’t that great either.) Read more »

Honolulu Advertiser’s Metronix page has pictures of some good desserts. (See Must-try Desserts.) I like going to a place after dinner for coffee, dessert and conversation, but I feel like I’ve found all the good places out there. I usually end up going to Cafe Laufer. I’ve been to JJ’s and Little Oven. Where are some good places you like to get coffee and dessert after dinner?

pen, 22. August 2008, 8:47

Recently checked out Harbor Court Bistro where Palomino and Cassis used to be and was quite underwhelmed. I went for Happy Hour which includes some drink specials and a handful of appetizers that are about $3 less than regular price.

Tried the dragon shrimp, which was a lightly battered big shrimp, but what made this dish was the green onion aioli that had a nice spicy kick to it. The shaved steak came on a sizzling cast iron platter with onions underneath. Tasted good, but the steak was sliced so thin and the platter was so hot that the meat cooked crisp in some areas and tough in others. My friend and I split an entree: mushroom risotto. It was cold, chewy (not in a good way) and the only thing good about the rice was the truffle oil drizzled over it. Everytime I hit a part with truffle oil, my mouth perked up. The mushrooms were good, but were more like a side dish, because they were nicely sauteed and placed around the rice (not mixed in it). For dessert we split a dish of chocolate habenero ice cream. Cool, creamy and sweet at first bite, then the heat spreads and there is a mildly sharp afterbite (and although that sounds like a contradiction, it isn’t). The menu said the ice cream was homemade and it tasted that way.

I am willing to go back once more, because there were some interesting entrees: green tea marinated chicken, a couple of straightforward steak dishes and a lamb dish, too.