Saturday, March 22, 2014

Jack in the Box "Bacon Insider"

Bacon Insider
Umami likes a good bacon burger, and Jack in the Box's Bacon Insider is a good one, even if it is blatantly pandering to the current bacon craze.  Sporting bacon in the burger and in the mayo, it's still the strips of bacon that make the sandwich.  Brioche bun is nice touch.  At $5, a solid burger.  And did Umami mention the bacon?

Jack in the Box
Tons of locations, but Umami went to:
1001 Bishop Street
Honolulu, Hawaii   96813

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

*Updated* New Ramen Place in Downtown Honolulu

Umami often gets lunch at the Remington College building downtown.  Noticed a new ramen place opened featuring a tonkotsu (pork broth) style.  Figured, why not?  $7.25 for the "classic tonkotsu ramen" and $0.25 for a scoop of rice (to soak up the rest of the broth).  This is what $7.25 gets you:
Seriously?
Seriously, that's it.  Turns out, garnishes cost $0.25 extra, as in $0.25 for corn, $0.25 for some sliced ham, or for nori, or for kamaboko.  Odd, though, isn't it, that Umami wouldn't mind paying $8 for a bowl with three toppings if it had just come packaged like that.  But give him options and suddenly it's looking like a pricey alternative.

Anyway, it's downstairs next Downtown Cafe fka Panya.  Umami will investigate further and get more facts.  Like, the name of the place.

*Update*

The name of the place is:  Kaka'ako Foods.  Here's the menu for the day Umami visited:
Such an array of choices!
Umami supposes there's a benefit to giving the customer some control over toppings, but Umami prefers the Korean BBQ method of choose your plate and pick any three sides over this.  Far better to price the bowl at $8.00 and say pick three toppings!  And, even at that, Umami finds the price a little steep when $8.00 will also buy you a nice plate lunch.  Barring a substantial change in pricing, Umami's not likely to return.

Well, unless Umami needs a side order rice.  $0.25 gets you a decent size scoop here.

  • Kaka'ako Foods
  • Remington College Building
  • 1111 Bishop St
    Honolulu, HI 96813