Quick Pic: Willows Pork Belly with Natural Jus

Father's Day Buffet at the Willows and Umami couldn't resist one of these . . . Pork Belly with Natural Jus.  Essentially, super thick cut of bacon.  One piece is plenty.

Ummm . . . Bacon . . . !

The Willows Restaurant
901 Hausten Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96826
Phone: (808) 952-9200
Fax: (808) 952-0050
Email: feedback@willowshawaii.com

Camille's on Wheels

One of the competitor's in the Punchbowl Lunchwagon Wars is Camille's on Wheels.  Camille Komine, the eponymous owner, is a veteran of the television and film industry as a set decorator and food stylist . . . food stylist . . . how cool is that??  Maybe Umami should hire her to help with his food photos???

Camille's on Wheels.  Honolulu Hale in the background.

Today, Umami and Makizushi wandered out to pick up lunch.  Umami opted for the #2 - choice of (2) tacos, with rice and black beans ($8).  Because he was trying to be good, he chose the quinoa/portobello and, because being good's not any fun, also chose the Thai pork.

Plate #2 - Thai pork taco on the left, Quinoa/Portobello on the right

Umami likes the rice, which is actually a very delicately flavored pilaf, and the black beans.  Umami wonders if azuki beans, coupled with a salty fiery pork taco, would work as sweet/savory deal.  Interesting . . . 


The tacos themselves are excellent.  The quinoa and portobello flavors are not pronounced, so if you're looking for true "mushroom" taco, you'll have to keep going.  Not a problem for Umami, who likes that the quinoa and mushroom are muted in favor of a letting the salsa, slaw, and cilantro carry the day.


The Thai pork is likewise not overpowering, but is assertive enough to cut through the salsa, slaw, and cilantro.  It's an outstanding dish.


And, because Makizushi and Umami like dessert once in a while, they split the Lemongrass/Kaffir Lime bar ($3).   They would have shared some with Ms. D, but she wasn't around . . . oh, well!

Lemongrass/Kaffir Lime Bar

It's a tremendous riff on a lemon bar to use lemongrass and Kaffir Lime.  It gives the whole thing a distinctly Thai feel, but is still a solid lemon bar.  Good stuff.


It was a brutal, grinding workday, and as it was winding down, Makizushi said lunch was the high point . . . Umami agreed, but added that this lunch would have been a high point of even a good day!

Camille's on Wheels
On this occasion:  Punchbowl between Honolulu Hale and State Library, Main Branch

But no real fixed address, so follow on Twitter: @Camillesonwheel
(808) 282-1740

Quick Pics: Yuki Lunchwagon Hot Roast Beef Sandwich

Ms. D went up to Yuki Lunchwagon the other day and decided on the Hot Roast Beef Sandwich ($6).

Umami would never, ever, eat such a thing!

Not for the faint of heart, this is roast pork on a hamburger bun, drowned in gravy.  It's perhaps the ultimate Brown and White Food, Sandwich Division.  If it had gravy on the potato-macaroni salad, it would have been just about perfect!  Interesting because, for once, there was enough salt (i.e., just shy of salt lick) on the meat and in the gravy.  Tasty.  Om Nomx3. 


Yuki Lunchwagon
Lauhala Street between Queen's Hospital and Board of Water Supply, on the Ewa side of the street.  It's the one closest to the street.

Ms. D's Birthday!

Ms. D turned "31" yesterday!  Makizushi wanted to do a small get-together in the office, complete with presents!  But, first, lunch . . .

Side Street Inn Pork Chop Plate

Lunch was pork chop plates from Side Street Inn ($15 or so).  Side Street is locally famous for being the place where Hawaii's celebrity chefs hang out.  The food is straightforward, but very well done.  The pork chop plate was two good sized chops, a big scoop of rice, and a big, mayonaise-y scoop of mac salad.

For a present, what else could they do but get a Goteborg sausage???  Trouble is, not too many places have them on Oahu.  Some internet research (thanks, Google!) said that Times Kahala might have some, so off went Umami to check it out.

One Big A$$ Sausage!

Umami was under the impression that Goteborgs were maybe a foot-long, maybe a pound.  No.  These buggers are 16" and weigh over three pounds!!  The check-out clerks seemed to think it was a toy and started waving it around at each other.  So inappropriate!  But,  Ms. D was super happy with her present, so all good!

Side Street Inn
1225 Hopaka St.
Honolulu, HI 96814
Lunch 10-1
Hours: Sunday – Saturday 2:00 pm – 2:00 am
Phone: 591-0253 or 596-8282 Fax: 591-1313


Times Supermarket (Kahala)
1173 21st Avenue
Honolulu, HI  96816
Phone:  733-2466
Fax:  732-3718

"It is freezing yo"

In my friend Ms. D's daughter K's words:  "It is freezing yo!!"

Dinner, therefore, was corn chowder with a liberal dosing of Tabasco.  Between a hot soup and hot sauce, got the cold under control!  ("YO!!")   But pictures of soup are not really that exciting, so I won't bother here, now.

Instead, here's a pic of lunch today.

It's the fried pork w tomato and onion mini plate from Nicky Lunchwagon.  (Not "Nicky's" . . . "Nicky").  It's basically a version of lechon.  I wish it were a little hotter (temperature-wise), but as far as meeting cravings for fat and salt, it's a winner. "Mini" in this case means only one scoop of rice, and a proportionately smaller amount of salt and fat.  My doc would still have a fit!