Wish I Could Be Back On That Rock in the Middle of the Sea

Burned some pictures for Kris and realized I never posted food pics from our last Hawaii trip in January!

Frist stop: not Zippy's.  Always Chun Wah Kam.

Aaron craves roast pork. 

Featured here: roast pork, spicy pork with eggplant, and fried udon

My plate: chow fun with choi sum and tofu

Tropical Iceland at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center

Strawberry ice (fluffy shave ice with real strawberry and milk)

Dinner with the parents at Souvaly Thai Cuisine

Each person's rice comes in a fancy box

My choice: Ong Choy with garlic and chicken

Mom's choice: yellow curry

Pad Thai

Aaron's choice: Crispy fried chicken

Dad's choice: Seafood combination

Poke Stop in Waipahu

Went here with dad expecting them to have a soft shell crab hamburger we had read about, but no such luck.  It wasn't even on the menu.  They didn't have any ahi for the day, and the food was less than impressive.  I couldn't eat the poke, but dad and Aaron said the spicy ahi was delicious.

Dad got the surf and turf.  The beef wasn't so good and the shrimp didn't have flavor.

Aaron got the soft shell crab sandwich which wa ok, but not great.

My crab cake sandwich was tasty, full of crab, and I liked it.

Kaitie had been craving bruschetta for months.. in her pregnancy.

Aaron came over to make it for her

We all enjoyed it (and ordered pizza too)

Hiroshi's Eurasian Tapas

Aaron and I met Co after work one day at restaurant row.

Everything here was fancy and delicious.  In lieu of bread and butter, they give you a puffed rice cracker with a wasabi aioli.  I thought it was great, the puffed rice tasted like kaki mochi.

I got a lychee soda and Aaron got a lilikoi soda.  It was delicious.

First up: Portugese sausage potstickers.

with Nalo tatsoi, sweet corn, kim chi foam, and truffled ponzu sauce

2nd course: Misoyaki Big Island Butterfish

with wilted Nalo tatsoi, lemon-ume gelee, and baby bok choy

3rd: Grilled Japanese Mongo Squid

with roasted shiitake mushrooms, yamagobo, green beans, thyme and nampala butter sauce

4th: LaBelle Farms Foie Gras Sushi

with teriyaki glaze and essence of shiso

5th: Steamed Kurobuta Pork Belly
with torched brie cheese, ginger, shiso, fresh Hau`ula tomato-scallion salad, nori wrapped musubi and adobo sauce

Chocolate cake ooze

with vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate sauce

Lemon cake

with strawberry azuki bean ice cream and fresh whipped cream

Bananas Foster Cream Puff

with chocolate lollipop truffles and Hawaiian vanilla bean dip

We also picked up a few cupcakes at Hokulani

Port wine black cherry

Guittard chocolate organic peanut butter

Waialua chocolate fudge

Vanilla cupcake injected with an ounce of fudge and topped with buttercream frosting

Trip to the North Shore with Kris

Aaron's bacon cheeseburger

Kua `aina in Haleiwa

Dinner at Buca di Beppo

Shrimp Fra Diavlo

Eggplant Parmesean

Quattro al Forno

Finally made it to Boots and Kimo's to see what all the fuss is about

This is what the fuss is about: mac nut pancakes.

The fuss is well deserved.  There are long waits at this restaurant, but this mac nut sauce is worth it.  It's buttery and just sweet enough.  You would think it's too sweet or too rich, but it's not either.  It's just right.  It's perfection on a pancake.

My fried rice omelete: so delicious.

Aaron's pulehu short ribs: amazing salty goodness went perfectly with the sweet mac nut sauce

Swirl in Windward Mall

Kooky Kookie crumble: iced oatmeal cookies crumbled over a caramel apple

Kris's rockin rocky road caramel apple

Off the Wall

Met with Kathryn and Chad for some Okinawan fusion

Started with ika geso: Fried cuttlefish served with wasabi ketchup

Yakitori bacon wrapped shrimp

Bubu arare Karaage Chicken

The piece de resistance: Shoyu Pork Andagi

andagi, an Okinawan fried donut, filled with pork and topped with a teriyaki sauce, green onion, and ginger.  It takes 20-30min to make, so you need to tell your waiter at the beginning of your meal that you want them.  Make sure you do, they are not to be missed.

Meaty Goodness

Joey was in town!  So we went and had dinner.  It's the first time he's seen the bump since I've been prego.. He stepped out of the car, giggled, and said, "woah."  haha  We were initially going to go to Hash House A-Go-Go.  We parked right out front which hardly ever happens because it's always so crowded.. then we realized they're closed on Monday nights.  Not a problem, though.  We just walked right down the street to the Tractor Room, Hash House's sister restaurant.

The Tractor Room's focus: Meat and booze.

We had never been here for dinner before.  We always think of these restaurants as breakfast places (I've blogged about Hash House previously) because of the huge portions and great food.  The ambience is very sophisticated farmer.  Animal skulls hang from the walls, leather is used for many accents, and tractor/farm paraphernalia is found randomly around the room.  The furniture is dark, and the light fixtures are a mix of interesting chandeliers and light fixtures. 

Farm decor

The menu isn't very extensive, but everything on it sounds delish.  view the menu here!!  There are lots of interesting appetizers, and interestingly prepared meats.  We went during happy hour, but didn't end up getting anything off the happy hour menu.  We all got burgers; delicious burgers.

My prime beef burger topped with goat cheese and caramelized onions

Those criss-cut fries are delicious

Aaron's lamb burger with caramelized onions, goat cheese, and smoked bacon

Joey's braised buffalo sloppy joe with horseradish sour cream, caramelized onions, and shredded buffalo meat with an amazing bbq/asian sauce over it; so full of flavor and combined so well with the creamy sauce

..Joey seemed to push himself to the limit so he could finish that sandwich

Sloppy Joey and the big meat