Restaurants

My secret garden (island)

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My previous eating experiences on Kauai have been limited to reconstituted backpacker food and fruit smoothies from juice shacks. A lot has changed since those wannabe-hippie days. For one, living in Hawaii has opened my palate to more local-style treats like donuts… [»Read]


‘Ae ‘ai

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Daniel Anthony says I’m the reason he’s in trouble. A few weeks ago, I took a picture for another publication of Anthony pounding taro at the Ward Farmers’ Market, prompting a visit from a health inspector who informed Anthony that he was in violation of health codes… [»Read]


Hot dog!

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Aloha Stadium looks like a spaceship as you approach it from a distance. This is funny, mostly because once you get inside, the aesthetic–not futuristic in the least–makes it hard to remember it’s not still 1979. But sports lovers, and not just those who had 2007 University… [»Read]


Pickle your fancy

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According to Pickle Packers International, we each consume 106 pickles on average per year–about nine pounds per person–mostly on sandwiches and in salads. A pickle refers to any food preserved in vinegar or brine. Pickles generally refer to cucumbers, but almost any vegetable… [»Read]


Hale good offerings

Hale Macrobiotic
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Hale Macrobiotic / I’m an unabashed meat eater. So how do I find myself at Hale Macrobiotic, a mostly vegan restaurant? Not for a need to jump on the health food, veggie bandwagon or for a sudden desire to curtail my soaring cholesterol levels. I’m at Hale because, quite simply, I hear… [»Read]


Absinthe maketh the heart grow fonder

Absinthe
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Absinthe / The word “absinthe” strikes a visceral chord. It brings to mind a crazed Van Gogh seeing the world in yellow and cutting off his ear. It conjures up fear of others (or yourself) hallucinating from a meeting with the “green fairy.” Or it draws curiosity and appreciation… [»Read]


HIFF-ing it down

Hawaii International Film Festival
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Hawaii International Film Festival / Intentionally or not, most of the food film screenings at the Hawaii International Film Festival are scheduled around dinner time. Too bad none of the films feature hot dogs and popcorn; the usual movie concessions probably aren’t going to satiate post-viewing food… [»Read]


Japanese breakfast

Eggs ’n‘ (a lotta other) things

Japanese breakfast
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Japanese breakfast / “What do Japanese people traditionally eat for breakfast anyway?” I asked myself. Rice, miso soup and fish, right? I couldn’t see what was so special about that. Can’t you just grab that at Shirokiya or any izakaya? To my surprise this article proved to be… [»Read]


Keeping it real

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For the hardcore beer enthusiast/amateur chemist/do-it-yourself aficionado, there is home-brewing. People who are fanatically serious about wine can move to Napa and sell their multi-million start-up companies to finance a hillside vineyard. For the rest of us, there are… [»Read]


How green is your box?

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Almost every eco-savvy parent is familiar with the lunch box dilemma–what to send the children to school with that’s nutritious and fun, yet keeps Mother Nature in mind. Sadly, most prepackaged convenience snacks geared towards tykes offer little true nourishment. Plus,… [»Read]


The bánh mì boogie

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Everyone knows at least one sandwich lover. Sometimes this lover is a former sandwich artist or comes from a place where hoagies and cheese steaks rule. Sometimes it’s someone who hails from a city where pork chop sandwiches are king. Or maybe it’s someone who just can’t… [»Read]


Kaimuki cravings

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Waialae Avenue is home to old Kaimuki establishments, a run-down movie theater and a plethora of restaurants. A recent Friday night dinner experience left me in a bit of a parking dilemma, proving once again that everyone eats on Waialae on weekend nights. And why… [»Read]


I see Okinawan food…

Okinawan Festival
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Okinawan Festival / Prior to the Okinawan Festival this past weekend, my exposure to Okinawan food culture has been decidedly limited. First, there’s the bit of trivia that Okinawans have one of the longest life expectancies in the world, a fact often attributed to their diets. My sole personal… [»Read]


You better you bet

Better Brands holiday trade show
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Better Brands holiday trade show / A liquor trade show is at once the best and worst situation in which to find your self. The rows upon rows of free booze. The buffet of free pupu. Attractive smiling liquor representatives happy to pour you more. Could this be real? Have you died and gone to alcohol heaven?… [»Read]


Mumbo Jamba

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We’ve all been there. 2pm. Lunch was two hours ago, dinner isn’t until six and your stomach is starting to grumble. As Americans have proven themselves more health conscious and weight-sensitive in the last few years, many of us have started heading for the nearest… [»Read]