Assaggio's UPDATED!

My family and I always go here for three reasons: the convenience, the food is consistent, and the service is always great. Read my original post on Assaggio's here.

This time, Dad and I had some major bosses in town and we needed a nice dinner spot to gather. Instead of our usual Hawaii Kai Assaggio's, we picked the one located at Ala Moana. Since most of our guests were staying in Waikiki, we thought this would be more convenient for them.

Verdict? They all loved it! I thoroughly enjoyed the venue and especially where they placed our party. We had about 12-15 people, so they seated us at a long table in one of their private meeting rooms, where we could be free to be as loud as we wanted and not have to worry about disturbing other people.

This post won't have as many entree pictures. I really wanted to catch some of the special appetizers we ordered that my family and I don't usually order. This was a special treat!

Portabello Mushroom stuffed with Eggplant, onions, red peppers, garlic and parsley. One of my favorite dishes! I couldn't get enough of the sweet balsamic-soaked mushrooms. Oh-so juicy!

Calamari

Shrimp Cocktail

Beginning of Caesar Salad. My ultimate fave here at Assaggio's. You won't find a better Caesar anywhere else. FYI, if you order 2 or more orders of Caesar Salad, they will prepare it table side!

Looks not-so-appetizing, but caesar dressing is best homemade! Made with anchovies, garlic, lemon, egg yolks, parmesan, worcestershire, tabasco, and extra virgin olive oil.

My entree: Shrimp Assaggio. Love the fact that it has both mushroom and capers! Yum!!

McDonald's Caramel Apple Parfait

I absolutely love the new things that McDonald's features, and always hope that they become staple items on their menu. This time, though, I might even write a letter to MCDs begging them to put the Caramel Apple Parfait on it for good! This one I really need. It's just THAT good.

Order it as a parfait or sundae (with nuts), and you're good to go! Great as an afternoon snack or hey, what the heck, breakfast! What I love is the thick, creamy vanilla yogurt topped with crisp/crunchy apple cuts and a dollop of caramel. I ADORE!!!! Only thing- I wish it was more of a 50/50 ratio of yogurt to the apples/caramel, rather than 90% yogurt and a bit of the apples. It's too good to pass up!

Work Attire Part 2

This past week has been full of hectic schedules, coordinating and running around like a crazy lady with no lunch. Boy, can you imagine me without lunch? Yeah...you definitely don't want to. Tried to keep my cool while my boss was around, but I realized simple pleasures like being fed and being able to use the bathroom when needed is quite a necessity. It is simple things like that, that we really take advantage of on a daily basis.

Anyway, one thing was constant this week was the "fashionably-forward" part. See here for the first day of work attire. One thing that always gets me in a giddy mood is either food or fashion/clothes/shoes. I always find shopping or eating cheers me up no matter how bad a day or how stressful. Do you find that too? Might just be me ;)

Bamboo Sky cardi, shorts, necklace, Jessica Simpson heels, American Apparel striped tank.

California Pizza Kitchen (Kahala Mall)

This one is a classic. Who doesn't love CPK?!

Last night, I treated Mom and Dad to a nice dinner at CPK with an old gift card that I've had for awhile. Dinner was only an extra $10 for tip! That's what I call a DEAL.

For once, CPK Kahala was not bustling with crowds, and "buzzers" were not being handed out to families waiting for a table. It was a Monday night, and we walked up to the hostess, and was immediately sat down at a table. Don't get me wrong- CPK was still crowded for a Monday night, though it was really nice to have to wait 30-40 minutes. Come on a Friday or Saturday, and you're going to be sitting on the benches outside for a good while, staring at your buzzer.

I'm really impressed. CPK has really expanded and diversified their menu over the years to keep it up to date with trends and new foodie items. Keeps things exciting, don't ya think!? I remember when they had first added their Sangria to the menu, and boy, was that a Godsend. Since then, their menu is very well-rounded and cultured. Egg Rolls, Dynamite Shrimp, Guacamole, Thai Crunch Salad, Korean BBQ Steak Tacos...ask and you shall receive!

Last night, everything we ordered was delicious. I was surprised Mom was willing to share a different salad and pizza with me. Our usual consists of Chinese Chicken Salad and Margherita Pizza. Truth be told, those are always great items to get if you're indecisive.

Dad is very traditional and got his usual Bolognese, and ate every last pasta noodle. Mom and I decided on Caramelized Peach Salad and Wild Mushroom Pizza. The Peach Salad was my utmost favorite. Omg, I should have just ordered a whole one!! It came with field greens, spinach, warm caramelized peaches, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, red onions, and Gorgonzola tossed in white Balsamic Vinaigrette. When served, the peaches are slightly warm...so tantalizing! This is a must-try!

As for the Mushroom Pizza- if you love mushrooms, you will just as much, love this pizza. It's topped with 4 different types of mushrooms- cremini, shiitake, white mushrooms and portabello. ANY mushroom-lover will have every craving satisfied!'

What I also loved was their unique guacamole. Though quite small, it is packed full of sweet white corn, black beans, scallions, cilantro, small bits of red pepper and of course, lots of chunky, creamy avocado. Not your usual smooth guacamole, but I loved it. Just wish it was a bit bigger!

California Pizza Kitchen is never at the top of my foodie list, but since this visit, I may be back for more Peach Salad and Guac!

Guacamole

Started off with their White Sangria- very fruity and sweet.

Bolognese

Wild Mushroom Pizza

Delicious Caramelized Peach Salad!!!!!!
This one's a winner!

Acid Wash Leopard Work Attire

My boss is in town this week, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to do an outfit post of "appropriate and casual" work attire for Hawaii.

First outfit for Tuesday- Rayban Wayfarers, Bamboo Sky Acid Wash jacket (first seen here and here), and Bamboo Sky Mink Pink Leopard dress with tie.

Z Pizza

A slice of the Provence

Every time I drive by Ward, I always see this colorful yellow and red restaurant peeking out. I read a couple newspaper articles about it when it first opened, and have been wanting to try it since! But as a foodie who wants to try everything, my list is long.

Born as a franchise, Z Pizza is known for serving pizza with ingredients that are only natural or certified organic. They are coined "The Pure One." Veggies are grown from local farmers, the mozzarella they serve is award-winning, and the meat they use are grass-fed Wisconsin cows. Also, their pizza crust is fire-baked for a crispier crust that "crunches with every bite." Allergic to gluten? Choose from regular, wheat or gluten-free crust! As you can see, Z Pizza boasts fresh, wholesome and hardy pizza; a much different twist on the usual Pizza Hut, Domino's or Papa John pizza that comes with extra garlic butter.

Well, I finally got around to it yesterday! As a post-pilates workout snack, I decided to head down to Ward and try a "healthy" slice or two. Read some Yelp reviews about their daily special- 2 slices of pizza, a salad and a drink for $8.50 OR 2 slices of pizza and a fountain drink for $7.99. "What a great deal!" I thought, as I had seen the prices for a small, medium or large pizza and they were a little on the steep side.

After looking at their menu online, all of their pizzas looked tasty, but the ones that caught my eye were the Casablanca (roasted garlic sauce, mozzarella, ricotta, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and parmesan), Provence (organic tomato sauce, roasted garlic sauce, mozzarella, artichoke hearts, capers, tomatoes, fresh basil), Napoli (roasted garlic sauce, mozzarella, tomatoes, parmesan, and basil), Tuscan (roasted garlic sauce, mozzarella, cremini, shiitake, and button mushrooms, caramelized onions, feta, truffle oil, and thyme), AND the Italian (basil pesto, mozzarella, ham, artichoke hearts, tomatoes and black olives).

Of course, I didn't get to try all of them! The choice of slices you get are already predetermined. Whatever they make that day and have on hand is all you get to choose from. They won't make bake you your preferred slices as you order. So yesterday, the choices were Provence (pronounced PRO-VAHNS), Cheese, Pepperoni and from what I think, the Santa Fe.

I asked about when they make the Casablanca- "only on Tuesdays and Saturdays usually." As for the Tuscan, they don't make certain pizzas by the slice, for example, the Berkeley Vegan, Thai, and Mexican. There are also the usual suspects- Cheese, Pepperoni, Ham and Pineapple, Sausage and Mushroom, or American choices, as well as, "Build Your Own Pizza!"

Not in the mood for pizza? I've heard their Pear and Gorgonzola Salad is a favorite!

My thoughts after taking a bite? I chose two slices of the Provence (pronounced PRO-VAHNS). Ate one there and took the second slice home for tomorrow's lunch! Although the pictures of their pizzas seemed topped with generous amounts of toppings, my two slices seemed a little bare. Taste was good, and I liked the light flavor of garlic sauce. My only gripe was MORE TOPPINGS! Other than that, I'm going back on Tues or Sat for the Casablanca!

Slices to choose from

UPDATE! Ok, so I open up my foiled plate with my second slice of Z Pizza in it for lunch. To my surprise, a BIG slice plus A LOT of topping. So my only gripe now? More consistency with the toppings on each slice, please!! Take a look at this!

Now THAT'S what a real slice of pizza should look like!

Sushi Ichiban

I have not written a "bad" review in awhile, but this place was quite awful for the price. It wasn't the worst food I've ever eaten, but for the price, it just wasn't worth it. Thank God for the 15% off discount coupon in Dining Out that we cut out and used! Saved a mere 5 bucks...ehhh.

Now, this place is located in the same Kaimuki parking lot as Maguro-Ya, Big City Diner, Cafe Laufer etc etc. First walked in and there were about 2 other families eating. The place was pretty empty. We were greeted, and I was shockingly surprised. Is this seriously another one of those "Japanese-food, but-owned-by-Koreans" joint?! I really wonder about those kinds of places!!

So, anyway, Dad and I look at the menu. It's got a mix of items- Nigiri (Ikura was $7.50! WHOA!), Sushi Rolls ($12-20!), Teishoku Lunch and Dinner Combos, Curry, Ramen.....the list goes on. When I was ordering, I pointed to the Miso Butterfish Dinner Teishoku set. As I was pointing to it, I didn't realize the price! $18.50?! WHOA. I can get this AND MORE at Sushi King or Hinone Mizunone, and for less $$$!!! Oh well, I had already ordered it. Dad ordered their Oxtail Ramen, because we're currently craving the Oxtail Ramen at Ton Ton Ramen in Waipahu. All I can say is, definitely not the same. The noodles were not japanese ramen noodles, but regular saimin noodles that looked eerily similar to Zippy's saimin. Also, the oxtail wasn't moist or fall-off-the-bone soft or tender at all. What I do give Sushi Ichiban props for is the portion size of their Ramen bowls. My God, it was HUGE. I'm surprised my Dad finished it all!

As for my Butterfish Teishoku, it was mediocre. I definitely liked the Miso Butterfish Teishoku at Hinone Mizunone better. While my Dad's portion of his Ramen was huge, mine was small. I'd rather go to Sushi King or Hinone Mizunone for that kind of money.

Another thing- While I was pleasantly surprised that my meal came with a scoop of ice cream (Rainbow Sherbert or Vanilla), there was a small detail that upset me. I ordered the Rainbow Sherbert, but the waiter came back a few minutes later to tell me they ran out, so.....would I be ok with the Vanilla? I know they also had Green Tea Ice Cream on the menu, so I asked if I could substitute that instead. Nope, apparently they just could not. Or they could, and I could pay $1.50. UHHH, yeah right. $18.50 for my small Teishoku PLUS an extra $1.50 for a different kind of ice cream?! GEEZ. Does Green Tea Ice Cream really cost that much more? I work in a field where customer service is always #1, and I know that was really bad PR. 

For a place that is not hopping on a Wednesday night (unlike Azteca down the street...we should have gone there!!), I would really think they'd want to retain their customers. To me (and I'm sure anyone), a small detail like substituting green tea for sherbert would really make a world of difference. We would have left happy.

2 were already eaten!