Summer Days

I love the Summertime! The days are longer (I can now play golf until 7pm), the days are hotter (beach and pool time!!!), and the fruit trees are blossoming. And not to mention, I live in the best place possible for summertime fun...HAWAII.

Lunch on the beach. Amazing.

Li Hing Mui Margarita. Can't get any better than this.

Mountain apples springing up in the my own backyard! I'm so lucky.

Mango season! Thank you J.O.!!

It's amazing how great the quality on an iPhone is, right?

Yuchun Korean Restaurant

Since my good friend, Brian T. talked about Yuchun's cold black noodles (located right next to Mckinley Car Wash and ProAm), it's been on my list of places to try out. I was definitely semi-hesitant...black noodles in cold, icy soup?! That's a new one.

Then, the perfect day arose for this kind of food. For one, it was one of the hottest days of Summer so far. And two, I was in the area. Needed to do some errands around Ward and three, I needed a car wash badly. So I called Brian and yep, he was up for Yuchun!

We arrived in the small parking lot, and thankfully found some spaces to pull into. Walking in, it was filled with many Koreans and surprisingly, many locals. All seemed to be sipping their cold black noodles- the #1 dish on the menu. So, Brian and I decided on Set A, which came with 2 orders of cold black noodles and Kalbi or Bulgogi. We went for the Kalbi.

Verdict? Definitely refreshing on a hot day. They brought our two bowls out, perfect presentation, then suddenly, the lady asks me (with scissors in her hand) if I want my noodles cut. "Yes," and to my horror, the "perfect presentation" toppled over into the cold soup. This is every food critics' nightmare. Of course I need to take pictures first!!! Thus, I tried to piece everything back together for my picture.

Yuchun's cold black noodles sure filled me up. There's a hefty portion of noodles, the cold broth is flavorful with bits of soft ice throughout, and I thoroughly enjoyed the toppings- half a hard-boiled egg, pickled turnip and thin slices of cucumber. I just wish they gave more than one thin slice of meat!

Oh, but don't let me forget the Kalbi! I was secretly hoping we'd order the Bulgogi, but was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the Kalbi. Seasoned well, a good size portion of Kalbi all came out sizzling on a hot plate. It was nice how tender the meat was. Kalbi can easily be very rubbery. But not Yuchun's!

Their Banchan to start

Miyabi Sushi

Jeremy had me all hyped up for this place, Miyabi. I had been here a long, long time ago, but don't remember it being that memorable. I was hoping to give it a second go.

A lot of Japanese seem to come here for the authentic food. It's a small little place with tables and a sushi bar. Very comfy. Parking is located right across the street at Go Bananas or street parking. Look for the spaces that are Miyabi's designated stalls.

The menu is quite extensive. We kept turning the pages and at the end, we were  constantly asking each other, "soooo, what do you want to order?" We finally settled on the Fried Flounder (I was most excited about this), Yamaimo and Maguro, Yellowtail Carpaccio, Conger Eel (Tohei) nigiri, Fried Lotus Root with Mentaiko and Shiso, and ended with Kinako Warabi Mochi.

The Fried Flounder was my favorite- the flounder chunks were meaty and tender, while I finished it off with breaking off pieces of the deliciously-crispy skeleton. It was like eating chips!! The Yamaimo and Maguro dish was quite...different. I'm not a fan of Yamaimo in the first place, just because of its gooey texture. We quickly added in some wasabi and shoyu, which made it just a bit more appetizing. A tiny bit.The Yellowtail Carpaccio was my second favorite. A simple dish of tender hamachi slices in ponzu. Next up, the Fried Lotus Root. It was a unique dish I've never seen before. The Mentaiko definitely salted up the bland taste of the lotus root with a little shiso for freshness. Not my most favorite. My third fave? Dessert!! You can't go wrong with Kinako Warabi Mochi a la modé!

Fried Flounder

Yamaimo and Maguro

Adding Shoyu and Wasabi to the Yamaimo Maguro

Hamachi (Yellowtail) Carpaccio

Monger Eel

Fried Lotus Root, Mentaiko and Shiso

Kinako Warabi Mochi

Roy's Hawaii Kai For My Birthday!

Mom and Dad graciously took me to Roy's for my Bday at my request. It's always a favorite of ours. We had a table overflowing with food, red wine on the house, and I even ended up taking shots of Peligroso Anejo with the General Manager, a dear friend of ours. What a Birthday Celebration it was!

Read my Roy's posts here here here and here. 

Here are some of our favorites!

Ahi Ten Roll on the house!

'Nalo Greens- A great salad. Highly recommend. Has a great balance between sweet, salty, and nutty. Goat Cheese is a hit.

My absolute fave! Frying Dragon!!

Clams

Hamachi Crudo

Fried Branzino- A European Sea Bass

This was different and we wouldn't order it again. Eat N Peel Kauai Shrimp with Lemon Aioli. However, the Lemon Aioli just tasted like Mayo. Ehh.

Thanks Brian Terayama for the sweet bday dessert surprise!!!

Arancino Di Mare For My Birthday!

Brian took me to Arancino Di Mare for my Bday dinner. I've always told him how much I enjoyed it the first time seen here, and the very first time at their Beachwalk location here. Take a glimpse at what we ordered this time!

Btw, I regretted not ordering Brian's dish, the Blue Crab Pasta. It was ultra creamy and so tasty with big chunks of crab surrounded throughout. A winner!

My Lobster Pasta was graciously topped with a huge 11-pounder, but the sauce fell short. It seemed essentially just red tomato sauce. I expected a little more. It's more of a head-turner than an epicurean delight.

Almost every single item I've ever ordered at these two locations are sensational. I recommend their Mushroom or Seafood Risotto, Lobster Bisque (below), Spaghetti Alla Pescatora, Crab Meat Pasta (below), Owner's Favorite Pizza (Shrimp and Cheese Pizza), Clams, Limoncello Tonic and their Affogato!

Lobster Bisque- SO creamy and delicious. I didn't want to share!! Definitely a must-order again.

Avocado and Shrimp Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Spaghetti Astice- An 11lb Whole Main Lobster served in its shell over Pasta

Spaghetti Granchio e Zucchini- Blue Crab Meat Pasta

Cafe Duck Butt

Cafe Duck Butt is located right off of Ward on Kawaiahao Street. Look for that sign above!! They are most known for their flavored soju, namely their Watermelon Soju, served in a big pitted watermelon! But, trust me, there are about 10 other flavors that you must try. And if you're hungry, they have a large menu specializing in Korean food, and might I say, really good Korean food!! I have to say some of the dishes we ordered were better than Angry Korean Lady. Ahhh can't believe I actually said that, but yes, I am in love with their Green Onion Pancake. If you know me and have kept up with my blog, I'm not a fan of onions! But Duck Butt's was thin and really crispy, so much that you could hardly taste the onion. A must-order for me next time!

Other notable dishes? Their Korean Tacos (chicken and Kalbi) were pretty good, but pretty expensive. 3 for $12! I've tasted better at Mai Tai's Taco Tuesdays, and for a lot less moola!

We also tried two other Soju flavors- Melona, which Kelley and I were so excited about, but for me, fell short. Towards the end, I could hardly finish my cup of Melona. Since our food was taking awhile (that's another thing, the food is not the quickest), the cute Hapa waiter brought us Yogurt Soju on the house! Many Yelpers have said that's their favorite, and I know why. It has a little kick to it- they must put in some tonic/soda or sprite in it, bc it has some carbonation. Gives it some depth.

Parking. Now this was less of a hassle than I thought it was going to be. They only have a small parking lot in the back, and it's usually filled, so you may need to find street parking on Ward or Kapiolani. Lucky for Kelley and I, our driver dropped us off while they found parking. Thanks Jeremy!!

And now for the best part! Get there between 5-8pm, and there's Happy Hour! Some flavored Soju is only $13, and there's a whole Happy Hour pupu list menu. We definitely went to town!

PS- There's only a small amount of tables that fill up pretty fast, so call ahead to reserve one.

The infamous Watermelon Soju

Stir-fried Spicy Mochi

Green Onion Pancake!!!!

Melona Soju

Fried Mandoo

Chicken and Kalbi Korean Tacos

Kalbi Quesadilla- SPICY!! Yogurt Soju in the background.

Bamboo Sky top, neon skirt and belt, Steve Madden booties

Happy Birthday To Me!

Yep, it's my 26th birthday today, and I've done nothing but relax and eat good food with my friends and family! Exactly how I wanted to spend my day.

I don't feel older, but wow, twenty-six can now be rounded up to 30! Crazy. People still ask me what high school or college I go to!

Let's just say that although I don't look older, I definitely feel wiser. Here are some valuable lessons I've learned in life so far:

1. Appreciate your Mother and Father (and lovable, happy Dog). They aren't getting any younger.
2. Be flexible. Be a little spontaneous every now and then. You can't plan everything.
3. Don't have such high expectations, or you may always be disappointed.
4. Patience!! (I'm still working on this)
5. Be PROactive. Think before you react.
6. Clothes, shoes, money won't always buy you happiness. But, food will!!!

Hope you all have a day as lovely as mine has been (so far)!