With the help of shave ice, staying cool in Hawaii was pretty easy. And when we grew tired of shave ice (not me, David), there was always tart pineapple soft serve, guri-guri, and a variant of shave ice called snow. Cool yet?

In Maui, we stopped by Tasaka Guri Guri (founded in the 1900′s, currently still run by the Tasaka family), for the Maui classic: Guri-Guri. Supposedly, years ago, this “goodie-goodie” treat was sold to the Japanese plantation laborers in Maui, who in turn called it “guri-guri.” Not sure if this story is true or not, but it was definitely goodie-goodie to me. They only have two flavors, strawberry and pineapple, but it’s all that you need. This is a simple dessert, nothing fancy. Guri-guri tastes like sherbet, but a little creamier. I initially got two scoops ($1.10), one flavor each, but after a few bites, David went back into the store and got three more scoops ($1.65). Two scoops really isn’t enough.

Now I admit, the Dole Plantation is a tourist trap to the extreme, but dang, their pineapple soft-serve is damn good. At the Dole Plantation it goes by the name of Pineapple Cream, and a cup with pineapple topping is $4.50. It’s tangy, not too sweet, and creamy. Lazy asses that don’t want to make the trek to the Dole Plantation can also get their fix at Island Freeze in the The International Market Place. There, it’s called Dole Whip ($5.35; pictured above) and it tastes similar, but a little more icy, and the diced pineapple is fresher. The version at the Dole Plantation is better, but if you’re not heading up to the North Shore, it’s not really worth making a special trip for.

When I first went into the Snow Factory, I thought it was a shave ice shop. Quickly, however, I was told it wasn’t by Eddie (one of the owners). He said unlike shave ice which is ice with flavoring poured on top, snow is made from flavored ice. In addition, it’s shaved so thin the texture is like snow. He told me as soon as I put it in my mouth, it would “POOF!,” disappear “like a cloud.” I was convinced and I ordered the Lychee Snow ($4.25), upon his recommendation. Eddie was right, the texture was indeed completely different from shave ice. It was literally like flavored milky snow, light and fluffy. And he was also right about the flavor, lychee was the best. David and I tried passion fruit and grape on another occasion, but lychee tasted the most like the actual fruit. The Snow Factory also offers a few toppings (the usual: gummi bears, cereal, marshmallows, etc.), but Eddie advised against it. He said the toppings are for people who don’t get the concept of snow, and still want shave ice. We decided to listen to Eddie, but later David said he probably wouldn’t mind adding a topping. Taste-wise, the snow at Snow Factory is very subtle. If you have a sweet tooth like David, you might want a topping. I was fine without it. If we ever go back, I think David might sneak a topping or two when Eddie isn’t looking.

On the North Shore, Matsumoto and Aoki are the big kahunas of shave ice. I heard Matsumoto had the slight edge so we went there.

I got a small shave ice with azuki beans and condensed milk on top ($3). For my flavors, I picked lychee, pina colada, and guava syrup. If you want a plastic holder to catch all the melting shave ice and drippy syrup, it’s another quarter. I opted to forgo the holder and eat the shave ice faster instead.

In general, I liked Matsumoto’s. I wish the syrup was poured a little more uniformly so I didn’t end up with a lot of naked ice at the end, but overall the ice wasn’t too gravelly, and the azuki beans weren’t too mushy. My flavor choices however failed miserably in tandem with the condensed milk. The tart syrups and sticky sweet condensed milk tasted strangely bitter together. Bad combo, my bad.

David’s shave ice tasted better. He kept it simple by skipping the condensed milk, and sticking to basic flavors like tangerine and strawberry. Perhaps it’s best to keep it simple at Matsumoto’s.

My favorite shave ice was at Waiola, which Robyn wrote about on Serious Eats. I followed her lead and ordered the Custard Bowl ($4.50) in Obama Rainbow (cherry, lime, and passion fruit). Does our president like cherry, lime, and passion fruit? Who knows?! But I do.

The reason I liked Waiola the best is that they offer custard. It’s not caramelly flan, but it’s still good because you get some textural contrast. Icy shave ice and smooth custard is a win-win situation. Also, Waiola gets extra points for complete syrup coverage. Naked ice is for snowmen.

Do I have a favorite frozen Hawaiian dessert? I can’t really say, I guess it depends on my mood. As long as it’s delicious and cold, I’m happy. Stay cool guys, and happy long Labor Day weekend!

Tasaka Guri Guri
70 E Kaahumanu Avenue (b/n Hana and State Highway 311; map)
Kahului, HI 96732
808-871-4513

Dole Plantation
64-1550 Kamehameha Highway (map)
Wahiawa, Hawaii 96786
808-621-8408

Island Freeze
International Market Place
2330 Kalakaua Avenue (b/n Dukes Lane & Kaiulani Ave; map)
Honolulu, HI 96815
808-922-0030

Snow Factory
McCully Shopping Center
1960 Kapiolani Blvd (b/n Pumehana and McCully St; map)
Honolulu, HI 96826
808-946-7669

Matsumoto Shave Ice
66-087 Kamehameha Highway (at Emerson Road; map)
Haleiwa, HI 96712
808-637-4827

Waiola Shave Ice
2135 Waiola Ave (corner of Paani St; map)
Honolulu, HI 96805
808-949-2269

• More Plate Lunches – Honolulu
• Classic Hawaiian Lunch at Ono Hawaiian Foods – Honolulu
• Best Vacation Dinner Bites – Honolulu

In Honolulu, we went casual for dinner. Nothing fancy. Most evenings David and I would tumble out of the ocean when we were hungry, and then drive somewhere to eat; clothes damp from our bathing suits underneath, sand still clinging to our hair. Imanas Tei, an izakaya in Honolulu, was recommended by a Japanese desk clerk at our hotel in Waikiki. I don’t usually trust hotel people for food recommendations, but he seemed to have good taste. He told me he was married to a Korean woman. David may have thoughts to the contrary regarding this subject, but on Imanas Tei we both agreed it was delicious.

We had a number of tasty little bites at Imanas Tei, but the best of all was the King Crab Dynamite ($11.50), or king crab kaiyaki. I wrote how much I loved the kaiyaki at Sapporo East before, but this version I can say was even better. Imagine a king crab leg cut open lengthwise, smothered with spicy roe-laden mayonnaise, and baked until slightly charred at the edges. It was insanity. The sauce was less oily, more concentrated, and perfumed with the taste of crab, which by the way was cooked perfectly inside the shell. It’s pricey considering it’s only one leg, but worth it for a splurge when you’re on vacation. If I lived in Honolulu, on regular nights I’d probably make do with the plain Dynamite ($9.50). There’s no crab, but you get a huge pan of baked molten umami-rich goodness for a few dollars less.

Another favorite of ours was udon at Jimbo. We heard about Jimbo from David’s cousin who used to live in Honolulu. Jimbo makes fresh udon every day, and it was the best udon I ever ate. The soup was thicker than I generally like for udon, but the noodles were soft without being mushy, and flavorful throughout. Jimbo was the only restaurant we went to twice in Hawaii. We liked it that much. David preferred the cold udon dishes because of the summer heat, but I’m a soup girl regardless of the weather, so I opted for hot udon each time.

The Kizami Mochi ($11.90), udon soup with bean curd and mochi, I liked for the texture of the grilled mochi that somehow managed to remain crusty even in the steaming hot soup. However, the bland mochi and bean curd had me longing for a bit more flavor.

More satisfying was the Kani-Keiran ($13.20), udon with egg, snow crab meat, and a generous spoonful of grated ginger. The delicate crab meat was nice in that it didn’t overwhelm the taste of the noodles, and the ginger provided just enough zing to keep the the flavors alive. The noodles, of course, were perfect on both occasions.

Udon at Jimbo and dynamite at Imanas Tei weren’t incredibly luxurious, but both were worth getting out of the water for. In fact, I’d say both are worth taking a thirteen hour flight for.

Imanas Tei
2626 South King Street (South of Kalo Place; map)
Honolulu, HI 96826-3248
808-941-2626

Jimbo (a.k.a. Jimbo’s)
1936 South King Street (b/n Artesian & McCully St; map)
Honolulu, HI‎
808-947-2211‎

• The Hawaiian Dessert Edition – Maui, Oahu
• More Plate Lunches – Honolulu
• Classic Hawaiian Lunch at Ono Hawaiian Foods – Honolulu

Lots of plate lunches were had in Honolulu (some good, some bad, all humongous), but my favorite plate lunch was at Monarch Seafoods with Yummy Korean B-B-Q coming in at a close second. Monarch was great for incredibly fresh seafood, and Yummy Korean B-B-Q for surprisingly good galbi (갈비, Korean beef ribs, also spelled kalbi) from a fast food court.

I first read about Monarch on The Girl Who Ate Everything. Luckily, Robyn went to Honolulu a few months before I did, so I was able to take advantage of her foot/stomach work. Thanks Robyn!

Monarch is basically a catering business with a small storefront with lunch service. There’s no eat-in area, and the location is more commercial than scenic, so if you’re looking for ambiance, this isn’t the place to go. It started raining when we got there, so David and I ended up eating in our rental car. I don’t think he was happy with that, but he made do. David had the Ahi Sashimi Salad ($8.95), sliced yellowfin tuna on mixed greens from Nalo Farms with fried crispy noodles and the house creamy garlic dressing. The fish was fresh, but overall it was a bit plain and boring. Poke would have been a better option. Monarch makes an assortment of ahi poke — ahi limu (seaweed), spicy ahi, ahi shoyu, and spicy tako (octopus) — that looked awesome. Too bad we noticed after we ordered.

Fortunately, I ordered the Spicy Thai Calamari Steak ($7.95). It was freaking amazing.

It wasn’t really spicy, in fact, the Thai dipping sauce was reminiscent of supermarket “Oriental” sweet and sour sauce, but the thick slab of breaded squid steak was cooked perfectly, crunchy on the outside and tender to the bite on the inside. It was like calamari on steroids; a lot of crunch and a lot more squid. All lunches at Monarch, besides salads, come with a choice of house Nalo salad, tossed salad, or potato macaroni salad. I got the house salad which was fine, but I wasn’t a fan of the house dressing that seemed to be a hit with all the locals who asked for extra. With the tender greens, I would have preferred a light vinaigrette instead.

Yummy Korean B-B-Q I happen to come upon by accident. The first day in Oahu, David and I were taking a walk near our hotel on Waikiki beach and passed by The International Market Place. It looked like a complete tourist trap so we kept on moving. A few days later, when David was taking a nap, I was bored so I decided to go back and take a gander. Inside, lo and behold, there was a food court with a Korean food stall. I was wary, because it was Korean food in a food court, but I knew I had to try it because, again, it was Korean food in a food court! I mean, when does that ever happen in the the States?! The next day, after a day of surfing, I came back with David in tow. We ordered the Kalbi ($10.75), which comes with rice and four vegetables. I chose kimchi, japchae (잡채, stir-fried glass/cellophane noodles), eggplants, and sautéed greens. The sides weren’t noteworthy except the kimchi which was spicy, ripe, and tasted authentic. Likewise, the galbi tasted homey and delicious, as if a Korean mom made it. Yummy Korean B-B-Q may be a fast food court chain, but it’s not the Korean equivalent of Panda Express (sorry Panda, but we all know your food isn’t authentic). No Americanized BS food here. I was pretty happy.

Happy but not full. I wanted a little more of something else, and that ended up being half a dozen oysters at Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood Market next door. I watched the guys making my plate, and after the oysters were shucked, it took another guy more than five minutes to plate the dish. He was like the zen master of plating. Served with cocktail sauce, pineapple relish, and garnished with lemon slices and a purple orchid, the end result was indeed gorgeous, but I wish the person shucking had taken as much consideration as the person plating. Two of my oysters had a good number of shell bits in it. Crunchy shell shards I do not like in my oysters. The oysters themselves, however were huge and fresh, and I enjoyed the tartness of the pineapple relish with the oysters.

Brunching was tasty in Maui, but I realized I’m more of plate lunch girl, especially when fresh seafood and homey galbi is involved.

Monarch Seafoods
515 Kalihi Street (b/n Colburn & Hau St; map)
Honolulu, HI 96819
808-841-7877

Yummy Korean B-B-Q
International Market Place
2330 Kalakaua Avenue (b/n Dukes Lane & Kaiulani Ave; map)
Honolulu, HI 96815
808-922-2141

Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood Market
International Market Place
2330 Kalakaua Avenue (b/n Dukes Lane & Kaiulani Ave; map)
Honolulu, HI 96815
808-923-2529

• Classic Hawaiian Lunch at Ono Hawaiian Foods – Honolulu
• The Hawaiian Dessert Edition – Maui, Oahu
• North Shore Seafood Trucks – Oahu

In recent years, Ono Hawaiian Foods has become a tourist must-stop in Honolulu. It’s been in every guide book imaginable and after being featured on No Reservations, its fate was sealed. Still, the restaurant doesn’t seem to have changed much. When we went early one morning before they were open, there was a good share of locals already waiting, and the restaurant was as charming as ever; down to the sign on the door.

I made sure to “NO GET MAD” even though the sun was bearing down on me, and I was as hungry as hell.

At 11 am, the doors were finally unlocked, and David and I settled in and quickly ordered. David ordered the Fried Fish ($8.80). The fish of the day was fried ahi, and it was simply sautéed with minimal seasoning, and served on a bed of watercress. The fish was fresh and cooked well, if a little plain, especially when eating with a bowl of white rice. He made do though with a little drizzle of soy sauce.

I ordered the Laulau ($5.95), pork wrapped in taro leaves and steamed. The laulau came with white rice, chili water (a blend of water, pepper, and vinegar), chili sauce, and sliced raw onions.

I was a bit confused on how to go about eating the laulau, but upon seeing my confusion, the woman behind the counter came over to help. Steps are as follows: 1) Sprinkle sea salt on the sliced onions; 2) Tear the laulau open and rip off a piece of pork (taro leaves are edible); 3) Dip the pork in either the chili water or chili sauce (the chili water is less spicy); 4) Eat the pork with a slice of onion (the onion is supposed to open up your taste buds); and, 5) Repeat.

The steaming pork, luscious and tender, tore easily. I preferred dipping the pork in the chili water. Chili sauce is spicier, but sometimes it’s a bit too sharp, especially in this case where the pork was very mild in flavor. As for the taro leaves, it reminded me of cooked spinach, but less bright. Overall, I liked the laulau. In fact, I liked it a little too much. I ate more than I should have and after the meal, I was seriously porked out. During rest of the trip, I stuck to seafood.

I also ordered some poi ($1.88) to go with my laulau. At Ono, they have fresh poi or day-old poi. Day-old is more sour. I ordered the fresh, but even the fresh was much more sour than the version I had Mama’s Fish House. It was also more gummy. In terms of preference, I’m leaning towards the blander version at Mama’s, but I liked the poi at Ono also. Day-old poi may take some time getting used to.

Our meal ended with haupia, not the cute mignardise-sized bites at Mama’s, but two nice hefty squares. And although these blocks didn’t have toasted coconut on top like at Mama’s, it was made up for in size. Delicious. If only every meal ended with haupia; small, large, or otherwise.

We hoped to go back to Ono one more time before we left, but unfortunately, we ran out of time, especially with all the other places I wanted to try. As always, too much food, too little time. Tourists may love Ono Hawaiian Foods, but there’s a reason locals keep going back: good Hawaiian food at a reasonable price. Sometimes guide books aren’t too much off the mark.

Ono Hawaiian Foods
726 Kapahulu Avenue (b/n Hunter and Williams St; map)
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 737-2275

• More Plate Lunches – Honolulu
• The Hawaiian Dessert Edition – Maui, Oahu
• Best Vacation Dinner Bites – Honolulu

According to Joohyun, my friend’s awesome sister who deserves the “Best Sister Award” for acting as our culinary food guide last year in Seoul, I had to try Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck in Oahu. Unfortunately, the day David and I hit up the North Shore for some surfing and bomb-ass shrimp, Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck was out of commission. No fear, parked next door were three more food trucks open and ready for business. Shrimp were surely to be eaten that day.

I immediately queued up at Honos, the Korean shrimp truck. Opal Thai Food, the Thai truck, was tempting but I had shrimp on the brain.

I ordered the Garlic Spicy Shrimp ($12) and it was huge plate full of white rice, coleslaw, and several large shrimp covered in a sticky red sauce studded with copious amounts of chopped garlic. The spicy garlic sauce was saltier than I would have liked, but the shrimp plate was redeemed by the mouth-scorching spice. It was a Korean food truck after all, so I’m not sure why I assumed they wouldn’t bring the heat. Make use of the white rice, it’s there for a reason. The shrimp at Honos is tearfully good.

David, forever the fish n’ chips fan, ordered from Hui Ohana, the fish n’ chips truck. It was quite clear the truck had fish n’ chips. Along the side of the truck it said “Fish n’ Chips,” and just in case people may be thrown off by the “n’,” near the front of the truck there was sign that said “Fish & Chips.” Indeed, the truck had fish and chips.

An order of Our Famous Fish n’ Chips ($12) was served with salad and half an order of Maui onion rings and half an order of fries upon David’s request. We both loved the fish n’ chips. The battered white fish was crunchy on the outside without being too greasy, and the delicate fish inside was fresh and moist. For a truck, their frying skills were impressive. Those who like malt vinegar with their fish n’ chips though may be disappointed. The fish is served with tartar sauce.

As noted, David asked for half onion rings. The guy was nice enough to oblige without charging us extra. According to the menu, a “70 year old secret batter” is used to coat the onion rings. Fish n’ chips from a 1940′s Studebaker truck perhaps? In any case, the sweet Maui onion rings were crunchy and light, similar to the fried fish n’ chips.

I may have missed Giovanni’s, but I left full and content. Surfing however was a bust. The waves on the North Shore may be legendary in the winter, but last month the waves couldn’t even have given a baby sea turtle a ride. In the summer, go for the shrimp and fish n’ chips instead.

Honos & Hui Ohana
Kamehameha Highway (in a tree-shaded dirt lot south of McDonald’s and Paalaa Road)
Haleiwa, HI 96712

• More Plate Lunches – Honolulu
• Classic Hawaiian Lunch at Ono Hawaiian Foods – Honolulu
• Island Brunching – Maui

[NOTE: Semi-scary photo after the jump. Proceed with caution.]

Last weekend it was crazy hot, ninety-eight mother-f*cking degrees hot. So hot that when the power went out in my apartment and the building manager questioned why I had two air conditioners, I went berserk. It wasn’t a meltdown, it was a complete blaze-up. I don’t even know how I managed. I was weak from barely eating for three days (I was sick, not dieting god-forbid), but somehow all of a sudden I was ready to open a can of whoop-ass. Thinking back, I realize I need to take a minute or two before reacting sometimes. The poor guy was just trying to figure out what happened, but the only thing running through my head at that moment was, ‘This is America, I can have two air conditioners if I want!”

In any case, it won’t be as hot as heck this weekend, but a cool icy Halo-Halo ($4.50) from Johnny Air Mart will still hit the spot. The halo-halo at Johnny Air Mart is a milky concoction — more like a very icy frappé than shaved ice — full of soft beans (garbanzo and red mung beans), young coconut strips, caramelized diced plantains, chewy sugar palm fruit (kaong), and jelly-like nata de coco. It’s a gamut of textures. However, for me, the best part was the smooth square of flan swimming on top. I love Taiwanese and Korean shaved ice, but given the choice, why not have shaved ice with flan?! It just seems silly without it. Flan, where have you been my entire shaved icy life?

For those more adventurous, Johnny Air Mart also sells balut ($1.50), fertilized duck eggs. The eggs are sold uncooked, so you’ll have to cook it before eating it. At home, I boiled the balut for twenty minutes (as instructed at the store), and then gently cracked open the egg. I heard the liquid inside shouldn’t be wasted, so I drank that first. It was a bit like soup, a rich poultry soup without the oil. So far it wasn’t scary. Nothing too odd.. and then I saw the baby duck head and foot. The foot looked like a little clenched fist. Oh my. It was beginning to get scary, but I persevered and ate the tiny chick head first with a little salt. The body plus clenched foot I ate shortly after. It tasted pretty good. As you can expect, it tasted like egg and duck, but with a slight funky liver taste. I was expecting some crunch from the bones or beak, but everything was soft, except a hard white cartilage-like segment which I threw out. I hear it’s good for you because it’s all calcium, but it was quite tasteless, and I decided I get enough calcium from my daily multi-vitamin, thank you very much.

Would I eat it again? If served to me, why not? And if I ever find myself in the Philippines, I would definitely want to try it from a street vendor, but for now, I’m not in a mad rush to have any more. With halo-halo, that’s another story.

Johnny Air Mart
214 Avenue A (b/n 13th & 14th St; map)
NY, NY 10009
212-387-7080

• Lechón at Johnny Air Mart – NYC
• Cheapo Lunch at Lunch Box Buffet – NYC
• Pork Banh Mi with Pâté at Banh Mi Saigon – NYC

One night, after a full day of driving up and around Maui on mostly unpaved gravelly car sickness-inducing dirt trails (I actually missed the dirty New York subways in Hawaii), we came upon Mama’s Fish House. From the name, I had expected the restaurant to be a small homey establishment, but it was actually a bit fancy in the island resort type of way. And the place was packed. We were told there was a forty minute wait without reservations, but we were tired of driving, and decided to wait it out at the bar. When I told our waitress I hadn’t expected the restaurant to be a place where you had to make reservations, she informed me that it was five-star restaurant and reservations were always necessary. ‘OK,’ I thought, ‘five-star, let’s see what you’ve got.’

At the bar I got a Mai Tai ($16). I was in Hawaii, so I figured something with an umbrella was in order. It was decent cocktail with a nice orange edge, but $16 was a bit much. Perhaps I’m a bit spoiled, but a good cocktail in New York runs around $13, and even at Painkiller, a tiki-inspired bar on the Lower East Side without the tourist bullsh*t, the drinks run around $13-$16, with those in the upper range having enough alcohol to cure/kill all that ails you. Mama’s Mai Tai was good, but not worth $16.

Mid-drink, they moved us to a table. The bar area wasn’t bad, but a table was much appreciated. Dinner soon began with an amuse bouche: carrot tomato bisque. It was creamy, smooth, and hot. A very nice start.

For his appetizer, David ordered the Ahi Sashimi Salad ($25), tuna sashimi with fried wonton strips, mixed greens, crumbled wasabi goat cheese, and roasted sesame seeds tossed in a Maui honey and Dijon mustard dressing. A light bright salad with a lot of texture, it was quite delicious. The wasabi was mild, but the tanginess of the goat cheese made up for it in flavor. Size-wise it was much larger than expected. The restaurant may be 5-star, but the portions definitely didn’t reflect that.

For my appetizer, I chose the Ahi Poke ($16). Ahi poke is a regional specialty in Hawaii. Made with raw yellowfin tuna, it’s similiar to sashimi, but comes diced and dressed in a mixture of soy sauce, raw onions, chili pepper, kukui nut, seaweed, and sesame oil. Mama’s poke — made with sweet Maui onions and lots of spicy red pepper that made my Korean mouth burn — was the best I had throughout the whole trip. It was also the most expensive, but considering how much I enjoyed it, it was well worth it.

Poi (mashed corm of the taro plant), another ubiquitous Hawaiian dish, came free with our appetizers. It was my first time eating poi, and the waitress seemed apprehensive I wouldn’t like it, but it was pretty good. It reminded me of melted tapioca. It was definitely subtle in taste, but for a person who likes tapioca and rice cake, it wasn’t too weird. Later in the trip, I came to realize that Mama’s version was definitely more bland. Poi elsewhere, even when fresh, had a sour note Mama’s did not. Mama’s was also less viscous in texture. Both styles I liked, but I probably prefer Mama’s. The waitress suggested dipping the hot poke into the poi, but I was quite happy eating it alone with a spoon.

Our entrées were less successful, so I’ll keep it brief. I had the Stuffed Fish ($48), mahi-mahi baked in a macadamia nut crust and stuffed with lobster, crab, and Maui onion. I never like stuffed meats of any kind because the stuffing is usually so fine you can hardly taste anything and the protein (the stuffee) is most often overcooked in efforts to thoroughly cook the innards. Nevertheless I ordered it anyway because the waitress mentioned it was what the restaurant was known for. Big mistake. Sometimes it’s best to trust your gut, your own stuffing. They did a good job with the macadamia nut crust at least. It was browned well and crunchy.

After a few bites, I traded my fish for David’s Uku ($44), which was much better. It was fresh fish, caught that day, grilled and served in a light wine sauce with tomatoes and capers. Simple is sometimes best, especially since it’s harder to screw up. Stick to the fish in the “Today’s Fish” section at Mama’s. There’s a choice of at least three, so you can choose the type of fish you want.

We were too full for dessert, so the meal ended with haupia, as most meals in Hawaii do. Haupia is like coconut gelatin. I could eat slabs and slabs of it. The mignardise-sized haupia at Mama’s were lovely. Not too sweet, not too hard, and with bits of toasted coconut. It almost made up for my main course, almost… I would have needed a lot more mini-haupias for that to happen.

Dinner at Mama’s Fish House wasn’t bad. The appetizers, poi, and haupia were fabulous. The rest, over-priced resort fare. Service however was exceptional. Our waitress couldn’t have been nicer. If I ever go back, I’ll be keeping it simple, and drinks I’ll be having elsewhere.

Mama’s Fish House
799 Poho Place
Paia, HI 96779 (map)
808-579-8488

• Island Brunching – Maui
• The Hawaiian Dessert Edition – Maui, Oahu
• More Plate Lunches – Honolulu

As usual, my blogiversary post is late, but by now you should expect it. It’s become tradition. In any case, Bionic Bites turned two this week, and what better way to celebrate than to have a giveaway to thank all my loyal readers. Thank you for all your wonderful comments, tweets, and likes! Honestly, if it weren’t for you guys, I wouldn’t have kept this little blog going for so long.

As a thank you, I’m giving away a bottle of Esperanto Spiced Oil from Esperanto. If you’re not familiar with Esperanto, it’s a great local spot in Alphabet City specializing in Brazilian and South American cuisine. They serve an incredibly indulgent moqueca that I adore, but the place is really known for the spiced oil that they serve with their bread. The oil is a blend of olive oil, canola oil, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorn, red pepper flakes, salt, and garlic. It has hint of heat, and a nice nutty depth from the fennel and cumin seeds. To put it simply, it’s completely addictive. The last time I was there, David and I went through two baskets of bread, and with the remaining oil, we poured it all over our fried calamari. Probably not a smart move, but certainly delicious.

I notice the spiced oil they sell is slightly more mellow than their restaurant version, but I have a feeling that’s because it’s freshly bottled. A little more time, and I’m sure the oil will fully develop.

To win the Esperanto Spiced Oil, write in the comments below how you would use the oil. Dipping is great, but I imagine it would work beautifully in a marinade or simple sauté. I’ll be picking one lucky person at random. Giveaway ends Wednesday (July 28, 2010) at noon. U.S. entrants only. Good luck and thank you again for reading!

Update (7/28/2010): Jenny is the winner! Congratulations Jenny, and thanks everyone for participating. And remember, you can buy the spiced oil at Esperanto or online.

Update (8/28/2010): Attention potential out-of-state buyers, Jenny reports there was some leakage when she received the oil. I received the oil fine, but I live a few blocks away from the restaurant. Please keep this in mind if you live out-of-state and want to purchase the oil.

Esperanto
145 Avenue C (at 9th St; map)
New York, NY 10009
212-505-6559

• Bionic Bites turns 1 & Blogiversary Giveaway
• Family Lunches at Margon – NYC
• Eatin’, Rockin’, and Burnin’ @ Sirenfest – NYC

As I mentioned, portions are HUGE in Hawaii. Outrageously ridonkulous. So most days, David and I took the big brunch and dinner route. It was like weekends in New York, but everyday. Not a bad thing.

In Maui, our two favorite places for breakfast/brunch were Gazebo and Sam Sato’s. Both places had something for each of us: fat pancakes for David and non-breakfasty Asian-inspired food for me.

Sam Sato’s is known for saimin, the Hawaiian version of ramen. (Saimin is even on the menu at McDonald’s in Hawaii.) I ordered a small Saimin ($4.95), and it was a medium bowl (Small in Hawaii is like a regular size in New York) of curly egg noodles and porky broth, topped with roast pork and scallions. The pork was dry, but I liked the chewy noodles and the hot soup. After reading about saimin on Wikipedia, I had expected the soup to be a lighter and fishier, but the waitress told me they use a stock made from dashi and bones, usually pork and/or beef bones. She also said when people get sick, they order the soup to-go and cook it up with ginger at home. I could see that being a good cold remedy, but really, how do you get sick in Hawaii? It’s seventy degrees and gorgeous all year round! In any case, my first saimin was a success. Hot noodle soup is definitely my kind of brunch.

David opted for the Breakfast ($5.90), two eggs with a choice of starch and protein, and a Hot Cake ($2.60). He chose toast for the starch and a hamburger patty for the protein. The eggs, toast, and hamburger were average, but the Hot Cake ($2.60) was big and fluffy with a really nice crumb structure that quickly sopped up the super sweet pancake syrup and melted butter. Completely delicious. It reminded me of when I was little I would get the hot cakes at McDonald’s because they looked good on the menu. Unfortunately, after one dense and rubbery bite, I would always regret it. If they tasted like the hot cakes at Sam Sato’s, I would have been a happier and more rounder child.

At Gazebo, a small gazebo restaurant overlooking Napili Bay, we went the sweet and savory approach again. Sweet and savory for him, and savory for me. I ordered a half order of the Fried Rice Plate ($6.50), fried rice with bacon, Portuguese sausage, ham, red cabbage, peppers, and scrambled eggs on top. I rarely ever order fried rice in New York since it’s so easy to make it at home, but for breakfast/brunch in Hawaii, it was homey and comforting, even if it was heavy on the soy sauce. If the eggs were fried instead of scrambled, I would have loved it even more. Fried eggs with runny yolks make everything taste better. If I ever go back, I’ll make sure to ask for fried or poached eggs on top. I’m sure it would be easy for them to accommodate the request. In Honolulu, at a restaurant called Hula Grill, they were happy to oblige, and they even brought me a bottle Sriracha along with the fried rice. It was like they read my mind. It was absolute heaven.

David had the Two Egg Breakfast ($7.50) with potatoes and toast, but again nothing too exciting. More exciting were the Macadamia Nut Pancakes ($7.75 for a short stack), two large macadamia nut pancakes crowned with a giant dollop of whipped cream and garnished with chopped macadamia nuts. Pancake syrup and coconut syrup were served on the side. Again, the pancakes were thick and fluffy, but with the addition of airy whipped cream and drizzled with coconut syrup and pancake syrup, it was amazingly good. Coconut syrup is a little hokey, in that tropical gimmicky way, but we were eating macadamia nut pancakes in a gazebo in Hawaii after all, and it had a nice coconut flavor and it wasn’t too sweet. Combined with the pancake syrup, the sweetness level was perfect.

To drink, I bypassed my usual alcoholic brunch beverage for a POG ($2.95), a juice blend of passion fruit, orange, and guava juice. We were taking a boat out after brunch to snorkel, and I wanted to play it safe since I have problem with sea sickness sometimes. I’m sure the people of Hawaii didn’t want me to sully their beautiful azure waters with semi-digested fried rice. (By the way, I didn’t get sea sick and snorkeling was extremely fun. I saw two turtles!) POG was pretty much everywhere we went in Hawaii. Again, it’s one of those touristy things, but it’s tasty, like a light tropical punch.

One tip, lines are long at Gazebo, but if you get the food to-go, you can skip the line. As long as you can handle the heat, order your food to-go and take a seat by the pool of the Outrigger Napili Shores Condo right in front of Gazebo.

Pancakes and Asian-inspired food for brunch, not sure if a place like that would ever open in New York, but if it did, I would be there in an instant. Until then, Gazebo and Sam Sato’s awaits, albeit ten hours away…

Sam Sato’s
1750 Wili Pa Loop (map)
Wailuku, HI 96793
808-244-7124

Gazebo
5315 Lower Honoapiilani Road (map)
Lahaina, HI 96761-9005
808-669-5621

• Dinner at Mama’s Fish House – Maui
• North Shore Seafood Trucks – Oahu
• The Overpriced & The Bad – Las Vegas

Last month, to the joy of my sugar-loving boyfriend, I was invited by Melissa to Top Ten Pastry Chefs 2010, an event announcing the “the top toques of tuile, cocoa and sugar” according to Dessert Professional. During the event, guests were given the opportunity to walk from kitchen to kitchen at I.C.E. (The Institute for Culinary Education) and sample desserts from participating chefs. A lot of chocolate, sorbet, and even pop-rocks were eaten, but my favorite by far was Chapeau Chic by Nicholas Lodge of the French Pastry School.

This très chic dessert consisted of a pistachio mousse cake filled with sour cherry crémeux resting on a bed of red cherry granola, and topped with an edible gumpaste blossom. In a sea of intensely rich chocolate creations, this delicate cake stood out from the rest. The cake was light, the cherry crémeux airy and tart, and the granola and candy flower both had a wonderful crunch. Of all the desserts eaten that night — and trust me, we ate and conquered all — Chapeau Chic is the only dessert that really stands out in my memory one month later.

As a testament to the damage we did to our teeth that night, above is a slideshow of some of the desserts we devoured. Watch it with a glass of milk. You’ll need a big swig afterwards.

• I Heart Doughnuts Only at Doughnut Plant – NYC
• Fried Chicken and Fixins’ at Pies-n-Thighs – NYC
• An East Village VDay: Sapporo East & Milk Bar – NYC