Moena Cafe Corned Beef Hash

Lazy Saturday, but Umami was inspired to get up and out for breakfast at Moena Cafe.  Was reasonably sure that Elle would be game, since Moena is one of Elle's faves for breakfast.

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Corned Beef Hash

Plenty of tempting menu items, but the girls at the next table had the Corned Beef Hash ($12.50) and it looked too good to pass up.  It's a huge portion of diced corned beef, potato, onion and comes with two any style eggs.  Enough for two actually.   Maybe enough for two breakfasts for two, with some toast.

Good stuff.

Moena Cafe

Koko Marina Shopping Center

7192 Kalanianaole Highway, Suite #D-101

Honolulu, HI  96825

Longhi's Sunrise Pasta

Sunrise Pasta

Basically, carbonara repurposed for breakfast by the inclusion of sausage.  Rich, filling, a bit pricey ($16) for what you get, but it is a nice breakfast nonetheless.

Longhi’s Ala Moana
Ala Moana Shopping Center
1450 Ala Moana Blvd #3001, Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 947-9899

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Subpreme - Chicken Pesto BLT

It's a been a while since Camille began running the Kailua Racquet Club kitchen and got too busy to bring her truck out.  Interesting that no one has really made an effort to take "her" space near the main State library.  Today, though, this newcomer popped up . . .

Not Really a Food Truck

Not really a food truck; more like a food trailer, Subpreme does variations on Vietnamese Banh Mi and Italian Sub sandwiches.

Today's Menu . . . 

Umami opted for the Today's Special - Chicken Pesto BLT ($8.50).  It took a while to come out, which surprised Umami because he thought it would be a cold sandwich that could be rather easily assembled.  Instead, turns out to be a nice warm sandwich, which melts the gouda to gooey perfection.

So good!

Tasty pesto aioli, bacon, lettuce, tomato, melted gouda, chicken on a Bale mini-French roll.

Needs More Bacon

Only quibble?  Needs more bacon!  (But, then, what doesn't?)  Umami will be back to try the other menu items . . . Honey Ham and Smoked Gouda . . . . mmmmmm!

Subpreme will trying Mondays near the State Library.  Regular locations are Tuesday and Thursday on Cooke Street near Imperial Plaza, Wednesday and Friday on Keeaumoku near Sorabol.

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Chicken Shawrma

Elle made Chicken Shawrma and Umami reaped the benfits of a huge lunch of leftovers!  Chicken, rice, salad, naan (geographically somewhat anomalous, says Umami, but still good combo), yogurt garlic sauce spiked w sriracha.  Good stuff!  Umami wonders if there's any left in the fridge . . .

Leftovers . . . yuuummmm!

Senpai: Fried Mahimahi

Decent sized piece of Mahi, two scoops brown rice, toss salad bachelor style (lettuce w dressing of mayo and ketchup).  For $8.50.  A typically healthy Umami lunch

Very straightforward Mahi plate 

Eponymous Golden Duck Plate

Golden Duck Plate

This is the Golden Duck Plate ($9.75) from, well, Golden Duck.  Clockwise from upper right:  Cold Ginger Chicken, Roast Duck, Fried Rice, (Char Siu) Pork Chow Min, Crispy Gau Gee (center).  All on an old school melamine plate.  Curiously, the Fried Rice and Chow Min are under salted, but it's nothing a little shoyu and mustard won't cure.

Golden Duck
1221 South King St
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 597-8088

Silliness

This is the Chicken Cutlet Plate from Anykine Grill :

Silly!

Okay, the extra scoop of mac salad is a gift from Tree-nah, who, inexplicably, does not eat mac salad(!).

Anykine was supposed to be closing at the end of April, but, as of May 1, was still in business.


Anykine Grill
1148 Bishop St
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 526-3030

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Super Cha Cha Cha!

Umami and Elle celebrated a Cinco de Mayo last night at Cha Cha Cha Salsaria, or, as Umami likes to call "ChaX3."  Food there is a fun mix of Mexican and Carribbean flavors.  It also has a large tequila and rum menu, which is neat.

Umami went for the Super Cha Cha Cha plate ($14.95), which has two enchiladas, one beef and one chicken, and a soft flour chicken taco.  With refried beans and rice (hiding under the taco), it makes for quite a spread.  The kicker here is that the shredded beef has some real chile flavor . . . nothing mild here!  It would make an excellent beef chili.

With a generous sized House Margarita ($5.50) and nice table by the water, it's a fine evening.

Cha Cha Cha Salsaria
377 Keahole St., #C-1A (near The Shack)
Honolulu, Hawaii  96825
808-395-7797
http://www.chachachasalsaria.com/

Bummer! Le Guignol to close April 30

Umami doesn't go very often, but thinks highly of the food.  He'll try to go one more time.

http://www.honolulupulse.com/food-drink/le-guignol-to-close-april-30

Golden Duck

Gau gee fun ($7).   Gau gee count =  4 (and good sized).  Fun count = lots.  Soup saltiness/flavor = bland side of mild.  Umami's overall impression?  Good, simple, fun.  ;-)

Gau Gee Fun

(P.S. , "fun" in this case also refers to the noodles, which are thicker than the more familiar "min."  Just so we're clear *wink*)

Golden Duck
1221 South King St
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 597-8088

Any Kine Grill Closing?

No sooner does Umami find a new go-to place for Brown and White food, then he finds out it might close!  Apparently, Anykine Grill is in a scrap with its landlord, and might actually close down on April 8.  We'll have to wait and see, but, in the meantime, Umami opted to pick up lunch there (just in case, you know . . . ).

Grilled Mahi

Grilled Mahi ($9.50) is two generous pieces of fish, egg battered and grilled.  With two scoops of brown rice, toss, and tartar sauce with a touch of mustard.  There's enough food for two reasonable lunches, so ideal for sharing.  For another week anyway.


Anykine Grill
1148 Bishop St
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 526-3030

Liliha Bakery LocoMoco

7 oz patty, two over easy eggs, double rice (instead of rice and toast), gravy.  $8.99. Nomx3

Anykine Grill

Umami has a new "go to" spot for brown and white food:  Anykine Grill.  It's located in downtown Honolulu on Bishop Street/Union Mall.  It's a small place with maybe six tables, that writes its specials on the windows.  Be sure to check the specials!

Umami and Ms. D, however, stuck to the basics when they went by the other day:  Chicken Cutlet ($8)  and Roast Pork ($8), gravy on the rice, natch!  Also natch:  Dr. Lois would not approve.

Roast Pork

Chicken Cutlet

Both plates were perfectly executed, the epitome of brown and white cuisine.   Good solid food, properly seasoned, generously sized portions.  Realistically, you get two (three, if you're Elle) meals out of one plate.

Later, Umami was passing by after a checkup with Dr. Lois and saw this on the Specials window:  "Oxtail Laulau."  This, he thought, is proof that the Universe has a sense of humor and, as a child of the Universe, I must go along with the joke.

Oxtail Laulau

Here, then, in all of its fearsome glory, is the Oxtail Laulau ($12).  The oxtail is smoked in texture, but with still a good amount of fat, so not too chewy.  It's beef and beef fat, so it is absurdly rich, much more so than a typical laulau (and that's saying something).  Plenty of leaf to pick up the juices.  It is a crazy dish, but well worth trying.  Realistically, you get three (four, if you're Elle) meals out of it.  Umami wouldn't eat it too often, but he would definitely eat it again. Don't tell Dr. Lois.

It's Not Boneless

Anykine Grill
1148 Bishop St
Honolulu, HI 96813
Neighborhood: Downtown(808) 526-3030
http://www.anykinegrill.com

Umami "Builds" a Guitar - Introduction

Umami's been fooling around with electric guitars and basses recently, spending money that could otherwise be spent on food.  Perhaps if he had to take the time to build one, it might slow the spending spree?  We'll soon find out, since Umami just got a Saga TC-10 Guitar Kit for his birthday!  (Thanks, Elle!)

Saga TC-10 Guitar Kit

For sale on Amazon at $107, it seemed a reasonable purchase for a learning experience that would, hopefully, result in a functional guitar.  The TC-10 is very, very similar to a Fender Telecaster.   (Here's link to Fender site:  http://www.fender.com/guitars/telecaster/).  It's not, of course; if it were, Fender's lawyers would soon be serving cease and desist orders on the offending party.

What's Inside the Box

The parts come mostly assembled.  The headstock and neck (top) come with fretboard, frets and nut already installed.  The body (lower right) is already shaped and has the pickguard held in place by a couple of screws (just for shipping purposes).

Unwrapped

The electronics are connected in sub-assemblies, so connection should be simplified.  That's in theory.  Whether that holds true in practice remains to be seen.  Elle says it's like the Millenium Falcon Lego Kit, but with way fewer parts.

So there are really only two decisions for Umami the Builder:  What shape for the headstock?  And what overall finish to guitar?  It's an interesting set of problems.  The Telecaster is one of the more traditional and classic guitars around.  Conceptually, it did not feel right to Umami to paint it over with, say, an optic yellow Pikachu.  Maybe a Stratocaster, but not a Telecaster.  Wouldn't be right.

So, what finish?  Natural wood?  Stain?  Dye?  Paint?  Satin?  Gloss?  Fade?  Burst?  What design?  None?  Abstract?  Pikachu?  How to deal with the design issues presented by the pick guard (so big!  so white!) and hardware (so cold!  so shiny!).

Can the design issues be handled on the fly?  Or must they be worked out in advance?  In the end, Umami decided on a fairly traditional "burst" finish (light in the middle, darker to the edges), but in green, which is not all that common, but which Umami had seen on a funky old Japanese guitar.  That's the plan anyway, but Umami's not very disciplined when it comes to artistic execution, so whether he follows that remains to be seen.

Next:  Headstock

HASR Bistro

Happy (Belated) New Year from Umami and Elle!  

Out and about in Chinatown last week and headed for dinner at HASR Bistro.  It's on Pauahi Street in the space formerly occupied by Grand Cafe, right next to HASR Wine Company.  Umami's heard good things about it and had to check it out.

The restaurant entrance is in a small courtyard that it shares with the wine company.  There are some tables in the courtyard for al fresco dining which would be nice option on a summer twilight.  This being winter, Umami and Elle dined indoors in the comfortable dining room.

Tequila Cured Salmon Tartare

The Tequila Cured Salmon Tartare ($10) has Cucumber Relish, Tarragon Aioli and Toast.  And Salmon.  It's pleasant enough but careful with the relish, since it tends to overpower the rather mild salmon.

French Onion Soup (Cup)

The French Onion Soup ($7 cup, $9 Bowl) was a light, flavorful soup, covered with some serious cheeses (look at that thing!).   Not as rich some others, but that's okay, considering what was to come.

Durock Pork Osso Bucco

What's "Durock" pork?  Umami didn't know, but a quick internet search dislosed that Durocs are types of pigs that produce a very high quality pork.  Durock Pork Osso Bucco ($23) is amazingly tender and subtle meat.  Comes with an excellent Hamakua Mushroom Risotto and Pineapple Chutney.  Umami's not a big pineapple fan, but the chutney added some welcome sweetness and acid to the dish.

Roasted Stuffed Organic Chicken

The Roasted Stuffed Organic Chicken ($23) came with a very, very good herb pilaf and madeira demi. What's it stuffed with, you ask?

Sausage en place

Kurobuta Sausage!  Kurobuta ("Black Pig") are, basically, Berkshire pigs, higher in fat (and, therefore, taste) and more tender than other cuts.  The sausage gave the the white meat chicken a richness that it would not have otherwise had.  A very clever dish.

Apple Tart

Alway room for dessert, so Umami and Elle split the Apple Tart.  Very thin slices of apple on a lot of so-so pastry, it was fine, but had Umami and Elle thinking back to Le Bistro's Apple Tarte, a lighter, buttery-er piece of dessert sin.

A very nice meal in a cozy little restaurant in Honolulu Chinatown.  With other intriguing menu options (Pekin Duck Confit Pot Pie!  HASR Cassoulet with Braised Veal, Duck Confit, Andouille, Bockwurst!) Umami will be back.

HASR Bistro
31 N Pauahi St
Honolulu, HI 96817