Town (restaurant in Honolulu)

Posted on August 30, 2013 by mayliang429

We discovered Town (located at 3435 Waialae Ave) on a recommendation by some friends the last time we were in Honolulu and returned on this past trip to see if it was as good as we remembered. It is as good and possibly better. Here are some photos of Town’s magnificence:

Appetizers include a baby arugula salad with beets, orange, fennel, mint, chickpeas and ricotta. The salad eater among us thought it was excellent.

Baby arugula salad

The ahi tartare on top of risotto cake and sprinkled with balsamic vinegar was amazing. The portions were also quite generous.

ahi tartare

The most picky eater had the New York strip steak served with French fries.

New York strip steak

There was also gnocchi with guanciale.

gnocchi with guanciale

And risotto with Waimea roma tomato and baby fennel.

risotto

For the carnivores, a Shinsato pork belly served on a bed of polenta and local vegetables.

pork belly with local vegetables

For dessert, orange sorbet and panna cotta served with local honey.

orange sorbet

panna cotta

We highly recommend Town the next time you’re in Honolulu. The food is fabulous, and it’s clear that the chef cares about his ingredients and cooking. The service is friendly and excellent. We will definitely be back!

Town’s motto is “Local first, organic whenever possible, with Aloha always.”

Asia-Lite Summer Vacation

Posted on August 16, 2013 by mayliang429

What we did on our summer vacation: we visited Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Honolulu—what I laughingly call our Asia-lite trip (anytime you go to Asia and you can drink the tap water, it’s not a true Asia trip).

The weather was hot and humid in both Hong Kong and Tokyo, but they were really fun trips. Here’s a view from our hotel in Hotel Kong:

view from the Island Shangri-la Hotel

Hong Kong Disney was a blast, and we were fortunate the day we went because there was some cloud cover and a slight breeze. Then, in true Hong Kong fashion, it poured during one of the parades where the characters spray you with water guns. As the kids said, “We didn’t get wet from the water guns at all!”

Hong Kong Disney parade

We also discovered the Museum of Coastal Defence in Hong Kong. (I know, the British spelling can be most disconcerting.) They used one of the actual bunkers to create the museum, which is very well done. Once again, the only quibble I have is the commentary about modern times. (“Reunification has brought about a new solidarity and brotherhood of common defence.” Or something along those lines.)

Tokyo was just a brief stop in order to participate in the US-Japan Leadership Program’s weekend activities. It was lovely to see a lot of people whom we hadn’t seen in a while and catch up. It was also nice to meet the new delegates and discover what an impressive group they are. We had a tour of the Diet (the Japanese Parliament building), walked around the fish market, and toured the Nezo Museum, which has a small but excellent collection of Chinese antique bronzes. (They have several other items of interest, but we love Chinese bronzes.)

Our final stop was Honolulu where we stayed at the Halekulani, our favorite hotel there.

Waikiki

The kids took surfing lessons every day; we visited the Bishop Museum, the Honolulu Art Museum, and the Plantation Life Museum. For a bit of kitsch, we went to the Dole Plantation, where we went through the maze and, most importantly, ate some Dole Whip. (I mean, yes, you can get fresh pineapple there, too, but what would be the fun in that?) We had some fabulous dinners at Alan Wong’s, Morimoto, Town, and Sushi Sasabune. More about the meals later. Their magnificence deserves their own blog entries. We also weathered Tropical Storm Flossie, which fortunately for us, only lightly touched Oahu. I’ve included some photos showing the imminent arrival of the storm (and the view from our hotel room).

view upon arrival

Tropical Storm Flossie approaching

Tropical Storm Flossie

after Tropical Storm Flossie

It was a relaxing and fun break, and we look forward to our next trip there!

Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha

Posted on August 9, 2013 by mayliang429

Only in Hawaii can you get away with a name like that. But Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha (located at 820 West Hind Drive #116 in the Aina Haina Shopping Center in Honolulu) not only has some of the best shave ice we’ve ever had, but it contains something even better—Uncle Clay himself.

First things first. The shave ice. Very fluffy and powdery, the way the ice should be. But, more importantly, all of the flavorings are natural. So rather than the oh-so-authentic looking blue raspberry, you have flavors such as lilikoi (passion fruit), mango, pineapple, and strawberry. We highly recommend the lilikoi and the pineapple. As with traditional Hawaiian shave ice, you can add ice cream to your shave ice (which the locals assure us is quite delicious, but which we have never tried). There are fruit toppings available as well. And the portions come in keiki (child-sized), medium, and large.

strawberry & lilikoi shave ice

Uncle Clay himself defies description. He is a gentle, zen-like soul who is genuinely flattered that you have come to eat his shave ice. But the best way to describe him is to give you The Pure Aloha oath, which he wrote himself.

The Pure Aloha Oath

I solemnly promise

To live every heartbeat of my life

From this day forward

With Pure Aloha.

Every single word that comes out of my mouth

And every single action, be it large or small

Must first come from my compassionate heart

And be supported by my thoughtful mind.

With an open heart and an open mind

I will unconditionally love

Every person who crosses my path in life

As a fellow member of our one world ohana.

If I truly try my best to do all these things

I will become the person I was born to be

Filled with inner peace and complete happiness.

Living every heartbeat with Pure Aloha

I can

Bring love into the hearts of others

And make our world a better place.

(www.houseofpurealoha.com)

Honolulu Restaurants

Posted on February 21, 2013 by mayliang429

Thanks to some friends of ours, we were introduced to a fabulous restaurant called Town in Honolulu. No photos of their delicious cooking, I’m sorry to say, but trust me, the food is wonderful. Their website is www.townkaimuki.com. Their motto is “Local first, organic whenever possible, with aloha always.” All we can add is that the kitchen clearly takes pride and care in their cooking. We highly recommend it.
We did dine at Alan Wong’s (of course!) and had their classic tasting menu again (I know I should branch out, but the foie gras and pulled pig sandwich served with tomato soup is to die for, and it’s the only way I can get it).
So, we started out with the appetizer, which was a Chopped Ahi Sashimi and Avocado Salsa Stack stacked on a crispy won ton and served with a spicy aioli and wasabi soy (on the left) and the “Soup and Sandwich,” a chilled vine ripened Hamakua Springs tomato soup and a grilled mozzarella cheese, foie gras and kalua pig sandwich. Really, there was no need for the rest of the dinner after that.

Chopped Ahi Sashimi & Avocado Salsa Stack and “Soup & Sandwich”

The second course was a Butter Poached Kona Cold Lobster served with Keahole abalone, Eryngi mushrooms and green onion oil.

Butter Poached Cold Lobster

The third course was the Ginger Crusted Onaga (Long-Tail Red Snapper) served with a miso sesame vinaigreete, organic Hamakua mushrooms and Kahuku corn.

Ginger Crusted Onaga

The main course was the Twice Cooked Short Rib, Soy Braised and Grilled “Kalbi” Style served with gingered shrimp and ko choo jang sauce.

Twice Cooked Short Rib

And, finally, dessert, Waialua Chocolate “Crunch Bars,” consisting of layers of milk chocolate macadamia nut crunch and bittersweet chocolate mousse.

Chocolate Crunch Bars

We also had dinner at Sushi Sasabune, a sushi restaurant where you eat off a set menu. You eat what they give you and how they tell you (if they say “no sauce,” you eat it with no sauce). The rumor is that you will be asked to leave if you flout their directions. I’m generally cantankerous enough that the attitude is a bit over-the-top for me, but there really is no attitude. The requests are phrased very politely, and the fish is so fresh (Japan quality fresh) and the dishes are so innovative that I just roll with the sushi (as it were).

We do try new restaurants, too, and in addition to Town, we went to Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas. The food here was also innovative and delicious. We opted to order only off the appetizer menu, although there are also entrees available. We started with a Duo of Contemporary Sushi (torched smoked cold Hamachi and miso glazed salmon).

Duo of Contemporary Sushi

Next was the Spicy Tuna, with konbu rice, homemade taegu, shiso, and tobiko.

Spicy Tuna

Then was the Steamed Kurobuta Pork Belly with torched brie cheese, ginger, shiso, fresh WOW Farm tomato-scallion salad, nori wrapped msubi and “adobo sauce.”

Steamed Pork Belly

After that was the Crispy Coriander Dusted Duck Leg served with Shantaku haricot vert, Chinese five spice pepper and soy star anise sauce.

Crispy Coriander Duck Leg

And our final course (because we were bursting at the seams) was the Portuguese Sausage Potstickers served with wilted choi sum, sweet corn, kim chee foam and truffled ponzu sauce.

Portuguese Sausage Potstickers

If we had to rank our dining experiences (and they were all delicious—you can’t go wrong with any of them), we would be forced to rank them in the following order: Alan Wong’s, Town, Sushi Sasabune, and Hiroshi.
And for more low brow dining, let’s not forget the International Marketplace (scheduled for demolition later this month). Where else you can find the world’s most delicious kim chee fried rice?

kimchee fried rice

And that completes the restaurant reviews for the day. ☺

Hawaii (and the US-Japan Leadership Program)

Posted on February 19, 2013 by mayliang429

I highly recommend the concept of being in Hawaii in February. (Yes, that absolutely was an exercise in gloating.) I was there for an executive committee meeting of the US-Japan Leadership Program, and Jim and I stayed a few extra days afterwards to enjoy paradise (aka Hawaii). We stayed in Honolulu, as we think the best restaurants and museums on the islands are there. (Restaurant reviews to follow.)

Our children were offered the option of missing a week of school to join us, but our daughter decided she’d be missing too much school that way and opted not to go. I am not certain whether to be pleased at the responsibility she demonstrated or appalled at the fact that she turned down a trip to Hawaii. I’m still pondering that one. Our son, who would have happily missed a week of school to go to Hawaii, is still rather miffed that he couldn’t go, thanks to his older sister.

The USJLP executive committee meeting went quite well, and I think we have a fabulous group of new delegates for the program. It should be a lively group in Japan this summer when they meet up. It was also really wonderful to see everyone on the executive committee again. They are a great group of people (and have an incredible capacity for beer and sake).

But the really lovely thing about Hawaii is its incredible natural beauty. (Jim would say that the natural beauty of the Hawaii residents isn’t bad either.) We hiked Diamondhead in the early morning so that we could see the sunrise up there. And, of course, there are miles of beautiful beaches and ocean.

This is the view from Diamondhead:

Diamondhead at sunrise

And this is the view from our (upgraded) hotel room:

view from the Halekulani

A big thank you to my parents, who were willing to fly out from southern California (where it’s sunny and warm) to watch the kids while we were gone (where it was neither sunny nor warm).

Alan Wong’s (a double helping)

Posted on August 15, 2012 by mayliang429

In our latest visit to Honolulu, we were greedy enough to eat at Alan Wong’s twice during our trip. The first meal was very good, but the second meal outdid itself. At the second dinner, Jim and I ordered the classic tasting menu, which we could do without having the entire table required to order it. (I understand the serving and pacing issues when only some at a table order the tasting menu, but it’s still a nice thing when a restaurant allows that flexibility.)

So, to summarize the meal, first, you have to start with the festive summer non-alcoholic drinks:

At the first dinner, we tried an organic butter (which was much better tasting than the normal butter) and a lilikoi (passionfruit) shot.

For the classic tasting menu, we started off with a “soup and sandwich” consisting of a chilled tomato soup with a grilled cheese-and-kalua-pig sandwich. It was amazing! This was followed by an ahi sashimi and avocado salsa stack, which is also an appetizer on the main menu. Yummy!

Our 13 year old ordered the Crazy Asian appetizer, which consists of Chinese roast duck and pork hash lumpia in a hoisin balsamic vinaigrette. It doesn’t sound like those ingredients would work together, but they do!

Next on the classic tasting menu was a ginger-crusted snapper served with a miso sesame vinaigrette and a seafood lasagne.

Entrees for the kids consisted of a “katsu curry” tilapia and a tenderloin steak (the photo shows only the remains of the steak, as it was consumed too quickly to get a presentation photo):

The last non-dessert dish in the classic tasting menu is the twice cooked short rib, soy braised and grilled “kalbi” style:

The classic tasting menu includes a dessert called the “mini coconut”–coconut sorbet served in a chocolate shell with tropical fruits and lilikoi sauce. The other dessert served at the table was a pineapple shave ice.

We left the restaurant both times in a delightful food coma. We can’t wait to eat there again the next time we go!

Our Hawaii Vacation

Posted on August 2, 2012 by mayliang429

We just returned from a fabulous week in Honolulu where the skies were blue, the ocean even bluer, and it was 80 degrees every day. Oahu is our favorite island, mostly because we aren’t sit-on-the-beach kind of people, so there is more to do in Honolulu than anywhere else. That’s not to say we didn’t sit on the beach and play in the pool a lot because we did. The kids took surfing lessons every day, and we built sandcastles and spent time in the pool. (We also did math homework and read from the school reading list, but that’s a topic for another day.)

In addition to our usual visits to the Bishop Museum and the Honolulu Art Museum (formerly the Honolulu Academy of Arts), we paid a visit to Pearl Harbor. Jim and I had been years ago, but this was the kids’ first visit. The USS Arizona Memorial is moving enough to break your heart. The tour of the aircraft carrier USS Missouri is amazing, both because of the sheer size of the ship and because of the role the ship played in history. (Among other things, the deck of the Missouri is the place where the Japanese signed the surrender documents ending World War II.) And the tour of the World War II submarine, the USS Bowfin, is not for the claustrophobic.

I was also fascinated at the number of Japanese tourists wending their way through the Pearl Harbor sites, as if they were visiting just another tourist spot. But, perhaps, they were learning things they didn’t know, just as Americans do when visiting Hiroshima. (It was still weird, however.)

We also ate our way through our vacation, dining at our favorite restaurant, Alan Wong’s, twice (more about the meals in a later blog post) and at our second favorite restaurant, Roy’s, twice as well. This is in addition to the meals of ramen, sushi, and kimchee fried rice that we consumed. (And let’s not forget the shave ice.)

If you’re interested in travel tips to Hawaii, you can mouse over the Travel section of my website and click on Hawaii for my Hawaii travel tome.

Alan Wong’s in Honolulu

Posted on December 27, 2011 by mayliang429

I’ll be describing our lovely Christmas in Hawaii later, once I get some photos uploaded. But I did want to talk about one of the best meals we had while we were there, at Alan Wong’s. He does a lovely East-West Hawaii-style cuisine, and it was one of the best meals we’ve ever had. Thanks to the app, Evernote Food, there are some nice photos of some of our dishes:

To the left is an appetizer called “Poki-Pines”–a riff off both the animal (porcupine) and the traditional Hawaiian dish, poke, made up of raw tuna and spices. To the right is an appetizer called Korean “chicken salad” made of cubes of chicken done Asian style (with skin and cut directly off the bone) accompanied by kimchee.

For the main dishes, to the left is “tilapia jun,” done in the traditional Korean style with egg batter, to the right is short ribs with gingered shrimp, and at the bottom is steamed shrimp and clams with penne in a chili black bean sauce.

We ordered dessert as well, but I have no beautiful photos of the desserts because we ate them before I remembered to take pictures! Every dish was delicious, but my personal favorites were the poki-pines and the penne. Reasonable minds can differ, however.

May’s Mutterings

Rants and Ramblings by May

Tag Archives: Honolulu

Town (restaurant in Honolulu)

Asia-Lite Summer Vacation

Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha

Honolulu Restaurants

Hawaii (and the US-Japan Leadership Program)

Alan Wong’s (a double helping)

Our Hawaii Vacation

Alan Wong’s in Honolulu

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