Hawaii Restaurants~Corner Kitchen

Now that I work in town, I tend to stay in town until traffic dies down. What better way to spend my time than meeting up with friends for dinner?  I met up for one of my good friends from college and ate at Corner Kitchen in Kapahulu (since I had a groupon coupon).  

Chicken Katsu Curry and Rice. This is probably the most crispy chicken katsu that I had in a while. Yum!

We ordered a sampler platter that contained a spicy tuna roll, cory-en spicy chicken, and spicy shrimp.  Spicy Tuna Roll. Meh. We did not finish this plate. :(  We thought that the sushi would be tasty here since there are two pages on the menu devoted to sushi, but based on the spicy tuna sushi, we decided to try other sushi.

Shrimp was tasty! Deep-fried battered shrimp with spicy sauce and a mayonnaise sauce.

Cory-en Spicy Chicken. This was spicy tasty and crisp.  This was my friend's favorite dish.  

Miso Butter Ramen.  The ramen was okay.  I think that this dish was tasty but I think ramen shops with the word "ramen" in their name taste much better.

Overall, we thought the food at Corner Kitchen was just okay. Nothing was really memorable, but maybe we just ordered the wrong items. When we left the restaurant, it was kind of crowded. I think it was partially because there is free live music at 6:30pm, but we opted out of listening to music, so that we could chat and catch up.

We decided to end the night by walking over to Corner Kitchen for some frozen slush float. I had the strawberry slush float and my friend had the root beer slush float (I chose for him).  They were both tasty, but we both enjoyed the strawberry one the most. 

Corner Kitchen
477 Kapahulu Ave
 Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 732-3217

Rainbow Drive-In
3308 Kanaina Ave
 Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 737-0177

Hawaii Restaurants~Sweet E's Cafe

A couple of weekends ago, Mike and I had brunch with my parents at Sweet E's Cafe.  My mom chose to go here for her birthday and what a great choice.
Reviewers on  Yelp.com recommended the corned beef eggs benedict and the blueberry and cream cheese stuffed french toast, so that's what we ordered and shared.

My dad ordered the kalua pig omelet and Mike ordered the Hot Mess.

Kalua Omelet-Kalua Pig, Ham, Monterey Jack Cheese, onions, and tomatoes.  I think I am going to start putting monterey jack cheese in my omelets instead of cheddar. It makes a big difference.

Here's a picture of the inside of the french toast.  Mmmmm...blueberries and cream cheese.

Blueberry and Cream Cheese French Toast. This was tasty, but personally, I can only handle so much sweet food. I'm more of a savory breakfast food eater.

Corned Beef Hash Benedict

Everything was so tasty!  It was funny, each of liked dishes that others ordered.  My mom thought the Extreme Mess was the best, I liked the kalua omelet with the monterey jack cheese, and Mike enjoyed the corned beef hash eggs benedict the best.

Everyone enjoyed the Extreme mess. It contained hash browns, cheese, bacon, breakfast sausage, bell peppers, onions,  ham, eggs, I just did not care for it as much as everyone else because I do not like breakfast sausage.

I'm not a big breakfast food fan, but I'd go back in a heart beat!

Sweet E's Cafe
1016 Kapahulu Ave Ste 185
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 737-7771

Hawaii Restaurants~Monkey Pod Kitchen

One of my best friends and I met up for Happy Hour at the Monkey Pod Kitchen in Ko Olina.  The restaurant had a nice laid back ambiance and there was live music in the outdoor bar area. The Happy Hour consisted of $9 pizzas (Regular Price $14-18) and half off most appetizers (Regular Price $6-14).  There are also drink specials, but I rarely drink and I was there with one of my pregnant friends.
I searched Yelp.com for suggestions on what to order and also relied on my friend's previous dining experience at the Monkey Pod.  Here are the dishes that we shared:

Hand-cut fries with homemade ketchup and mustard sauce.  

Spicy Seared Kauai Shrimp

Hamakua Mushroom pizza

Strawberry Cream Pie

Pumpkin patch ravioli

I think that my favorite dish was the ravioli, which was topped with goat cheese, spinach, and a toasted walnut sage pesto.

Mike and I will have to go back to the Monkeypod Kitchen when we stay at Aulani again this Fall for our mini stay-cation.

Monkey Pod Kitchen
Ko Olina Station
92-1046 Olani St
Kapolei Hi, 96707
(808) 380-4086

Hawaii Restaurants~Teddy's Bigger Burgers

Mike and I used to eat burgers at least once a month in Texas.  After we moved back home to Hawaii, we have not been eating burgers.  The other week we met up with some friends at Teddy's Bigger Burgers at the Westridge location.

I had the plain 5oz burger because I'm a burger purist and I wanted to compare burgers to burgers.  For example, how do you know which ice cream shop is the best if you try different flavors at each place.  I've heard that you should compare vanilla ice creams to determine ice cream quality, but I like to compare Cookies and Cream flavor because after all Cookies and Cream is VANILLA ice cream with some extra cookie bits mixed in.
Whoops, we are talking about burgers today, not ice cream.
So I tried the plain burger.

Mike tried the Volcano Burger which is a Specialty Burger. It is composed of  a hot sauce, jalapeno peppers, and cheese.  I took one bite and it was a little too spicy for my taste, but Mike loved it.

I have not tested this theory, but I am guessing that if you order the small order of fries or onion rings you will  receive the same amount as ordering the large order of either.
We ordered a large fries and a large onion rings, but really, it comes in the basket with your burger, so the amount of fried goodness is limited by the remaining space in the basket.

One of my friends gave me a box of assorted macarons. I did not catch where she bought them from, but they were delicious! They are probably the best that I have tasted from Hawaii.

Teddy's Bigger Burgers
Multiple Locations
Westridge Center
98-150 Kaonohi St. C-115
 Aiea, HI 96701
808-486-2167

Hawaii Restaurants~Halekulani Orchids

Every so often we meet up with Mike's grand aunty for lunch.  She has refined taste and "tsks" at us if we say that we want to eat lunch at McDonald's or Zippy's.  I do not think that we have ever eaten at a restaurant that served food in styrofoam containers with his Aunty.
A couple of months back, she said that she wanted to go to her favorite restaurant, "Orchids" at the Halekulani hotel.  Apparently Mike's aunty frequently dines there because every staff member at the restaurant and the valets knew her by first name.  Wow! I guess Mike and I do not frequent places enough for staff to know us.

Bread Basket containing cheese focaccia bread, multi-grain rolls, and lavosh.  My favorite was the lavosh, Mike's favorite was the multi-grain roll.

 I ate the Onaga "Orchids Style" which was cooked Chinese style with shiitake mushrooms, green onion, cilantro, and soy sauce and seasame oil. The fish was cooked perfectly and I ate it all up!

Mike and his aunty both ordered the lobster and shrimp burger (with sambal aioli, and pickled cucumber, and potato wedges).

Here's a macro shot of the burger . Mike's aunty always orders this burger because it's so good!

Lilikoi and Chocolate bar Bar with mango coulis, and coconut ice cream.  The plate was also dressed with orange peel like pieces, which were actualy lilikoi gelee (yum!) and toasted macademia nuts.  

I can see why Orchids is Mike's aunty's favorite restaurant. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. I do not think that Mike and I will be frequenting Orchids with our current budget, but maybe one day in the far far future...

Orchids
Halekulani
2199 Kalia Road
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
(808) 923-2311

Hawaii Restaurants~Sushi Bay

I read an article in February 2013 that mentioned that Sushi Bay was under new ownership and the owner had ties with KuruKuru Sushi.   I convinced Mike's parents that we had to check it out.  There is always a long line at the Pearl Kai Shopping Center's KuruKuru Sushi, so we made the drive to Kapolei to avoid the lines.

Scallop Mayonnaise

Natto Sushi! I always have to order this.  Yum! It's on the yellow plate ($1.50) so it's slightly cheaper than Kuru Kuru Sushi.

Kabocha Tempura 

Here's a picture of the spicy salmon bowl at Sushi Bay ($8.99). They also sell a mini bowl for $4.80 (purple plate price) which does not contain the pieces of fish and is in a smaller bowl. I think the small bowl is about the same size as the current Kurukuru bowl. This is a picture of the "old" kurkuru" bowl for comparison. I do not have a picture of the current Kurukuru bowl.

Mike and I would definitely go back to Sushi Bay in Kapolei. I've actually been there a couple more times since.  My only complaint is that it seems like there is never sushi on the conveyor belt. I've been there for lunch and early dinner and the only items going around the conveyor belt is tofu and cold noodles.

Sushi Bay 
Kapolei Shopping Center
590 Farrington Hwy, Ste 130

 Kapolei, HI 96707
(808) 693-9922

Hawaii~Japengo

Before our trip to Hawaii I had bought a deal on Travelzoo for Japengo restaurant, which is in the Hyatt Regency Waikiki hotel. Japengo received pretty high marks on yelp, which was why we decided to check it out.  Sorry I know it's totally not related but every time I saw the name "Japengo" I kept thinking about the Jack in the Box commercial about the "Jumbaco"

Scallop Butter Yaki with sweet chili, black tobiko, and shiso. These scallops were perfectly cooked!

Japengo Crab and Shrimp Cakes with Ume Reduction and lemongrass

Rainbow Roll-Crab Mix, Cucumber, Avocado, Salmon, Hamachi, Ahi, Ebi

Torched Hamachi-yellow tail, garlic miso glaze, negi

Spider Roll-soft shell crab, kaiware, and tobiko

I am not sure what this roll was It was something with unagi on the top.  My friend's husband ordered this one. This might have been the dragon roll.  |

Blackened Ahi-California roll with wasabi tobiko, and dynamite sauce

 Molokai Sweet Potato Cheesecake with azuki bean and acai syrup.

 

Japengo Coconut Creme Brulee with chocolate coconut shell

Our deal cost $45 for two people and included two appetizers, 1 specialty roll, 2 sushi or maki rolls, and 1 dessert.  The food was tasty, but I'm not sure it would be worth it at regular price.  $90 seems a bit steep for two people, but sushi is usually on the pricey side. 

Japengo

Hyatt Regency Waikiki

2424 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
Neighborhood: Waikiki

(808) 923-1234

Hawaii~Roy's

The day after we enjoyed our meal at Alan Wong's, we met up with one of my friends and had dinner at Roy's Ko'olina.  We have been to the Roy's in Hawaii Kai, Waikiki, and in Dallas and even though the food is supposed to taste the same at all the restaurants, Mike and I enjoy the food at the Hawaii Kai location the best. 

Escargo

Hawaiian Fusion Sampler Plate

Spicy Tuna Roll

Misoyaki Style Butterfish with Sweet Ginger Wasabi Sauce

Roasted Macademia Nut Crusted Mahi

Three treasures? (I guess this is what happens when you blog three months after you ate the meal).  My friend ordered a plate with the macadamia nut crusted mahi, a prosciutto wrapped shrimp, and a third option. It was one of the specials of the night, so it isn't on the signature menu.

Warm Pineapple Upside Down Cake. The oven was not working properly, so we could not order the famous chocolate souffle.

Lilikoi Cheesecake

I've always preferred Roy's over Alan Wong's, but after eating at back to back at Alan Wong's and then Roy's, I might be switching alliances. I love fresh fish and feel that both restaurants know how to cook fish, but the onaga that I had at Alan Wong's might have beat out the misoyaki butterfish I ordered at Roy's.  The long wait at Alan Wong's just left me a bit jaded. 

Roy's
92-1220 Aliinui Drive
Kapolei, HI 96707

(808) 676-7697