Bogart's UPDATED!

I originally posted about Bogart's here and here. Mom and I love Bogart's wide variety, but we especially love that everything we try there is exceptionally good! You will find Bogart's pretty busy throughout the day. Many come in after hiking Diamond Head hike and cooling down with a refreshing Acai Bowl. I, on the other hand, love their Crab and Avocado Omelette, and have come in for it a number of times!

Recently, I passed up one of their newest items, Garlic Shrimp Fried Rice, for my favorite Omelette. The omelette was delicious and satisfying, but the G.S. Fried Rice was constantly on my mind! The next day I went back for it.

Was it everything I had hoped it would be? The answer is an emphatic YES. The fried rice only had three simple ingredients- Garlic, Shrimp and Rice. But, to be honest, that's all it needed! Other than that, I assume the fried rice was correctly seasoned, as it wasn't bland at all. But beware, you will definitely be keeping the vampires away for the rest of the day and even maybe the next day after eating this!

Corn Beef Hash!

Crab and Avocado Omelette

Halloweekend

It's Halloween-weekend, and I'm sure most of you have carved your pumpkins or will do so soon. Last weekend, I went to Aloun Farm's Pumpkin Patch to pick my own pumpkin for the very first time, and it was quite an adventure to remember. Thought I'd walk away with just one pumpkin, but we walked away with 4! A good deal too....thirty dollars!

Here are some tips if you are heading down there:

1. It will be DIRTY. Red dirt everywhere. Do not wash your car beforehand and I can't stress this enough, WEAR SHOES.
2. Wear clothes you don't mind never wearing again. So, one of my favorite and oh-so comfy gray v-neck "weekend" tees was ruined after pumpkin sap dripped on it from the stem. I washed it, but it was a goner.
3. It is extremely hot. Bring water, sunscreen, hat, and an umbrella if you need.
4. There are lots of food booths, a blow-up bouncy castle and a mini pirate ship ride for the kids. Leonard's Malasadas is also there too!
5. Bring a wagon or wheelbarrow to lug your pumpkins! This is very important. You don't want to be carrying a gigantic pumpkin in the hot sun and trudging along in red dirt.
6. Head to the farther patches for the better pumpkins. If you don't go during the 1st weekend, you will need to walk a bit farther to find the big ones. We went during the second weekend, and there were a fair amount left. The BIG ones were sold. I have heard that the last weekend is the worst to go to, since most of the pumpkins are gone.
7. WET ONES! You will need these wipes before getting in your car.
8. There are only port-a-potties so "go" before heading to the patch.
9. Be careful when grabbing the stem of the pumpkin- there are mini thorns.
10. Pick from mini pumpkins, white "ghost" pumpkins, regular-size pumpkins and "Giant" pumpkins!

There are also Pick-Your-Own-Corn and Pick-Your-Own-Ewa Sweet Corn. I missed out since we went so close to closing, but it's a deal! Get a barrel, fill up as much as you can for only $10!!! Remember, go as soon as you can. The patch happens every weekend in October (for 3 weekends) and only from 8am-5pm.

HAVE A GREAT TIME!

PS- See below for tips on roasting pumpkin seeds!

A beautiful Sunflower field!

The first "perfect" pumpkin I saw!

Trust me, you will need this. Our "makeshift" wagon was a lifesaver.

This is why I recommend wearing shoes! And shoes that you don't mind never wearing again!

The one I finally chose!

Pricing

The last, best part of the Pumpkin Patch. A place to wash hands and feet! But no soap, of course.

Carving done! It's a MUMMY!

Now, for the roasting of the pumpkin seeds!
We just wanted easy, salted seeds, but there were a number of recipes online using cinnamon, cheese or lemon zest as seasoning. You can really roast it any way you like!
Basics:
1. When you are done taking your seeds out of the pumpkin, remove the stringy parts, wash and drain.
2. Preheat oven to 325.
3. Spread seeds on foiled baking sheet. Spray with PAM or oil. Make sure seeds are coated well.
4. Add your desired seasoning. We used sea salt. Make sure seeds are coated well with the seasoning.
5. Place baking sheet with seeds in oven for 45 minutes. You can occasionally stir seeds around if need be.
6. Take out and enjoy!

Sprinkle with sea salt!

Fresh, roasted Pumpkin Seeds!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Maroon Moon

Maroon is my favorite color for fall, and even though I live in Hawaii where it seems like Summer is year-round, I still love bringing out my darker-colored clothes and my ankle boots.

So far, I've been easing my way into fall...slowly. I love the Summertime, where the living is easy and the sun is always blazing. Shorts, slippers and a little SPF...that's all you need.

For one of my first outfits for fall, I paired my new House of Aria sleeveless maroon cross top with one of their black bandage skirts. I've been wanting a button-down top with a leather collar for awhile, so I snagged this as soon as I spotted it! How can you go wrong with maroon color, cross design and leather all in one?!

Bambu Desserts and Drinks

I went here a couple days ago after seeing deliciously-vivid pictures on Yelp. I couldn't help myself! I was hungry and the sun was blazing. Hawaii is HOT.

Checked Yelp in the car and thank goodness, they were open! Open at 9am....YES!

Walked in and no one else was there except some of the Vietnamese staff. The Vietnamese lady who helped me was so so so nice, and very patient while I perused the large menu of drinks and dessert-drinks. I asked her what drinks were popular, and she told me numbers 1, 2, 5 and 6. I finally chose #6, Che Trai Cay, with lychee, longan, red tapioca, jackfruit, palm seed, pandan jelly, jello, and young coconut. As some Yelpers describe it, it is essentially Halo Halo without the ube ice cream. Took a sip, and WOW, what a refreshing treat!

After sitting down and eating/sipping this delicious concoction, I went back and ordered their Avocado dessert drink. #5, Bo Dam, with fresh avocados, dark brick, combo jelly and pearl. I used the excuse "I'll get it for my dad," so I wouldn't feel bad about buying another drink! Took a few sips of this interesting avocado mix. Chunks of avocado and mashed avocado in a sweet drink with jelly and pearls. I have to admit the dark brick (coffee jello) is the perfect partner to avocado! I loved it! It's on the thicker side, but if you're feeling adventurous, go for it. Totally worth the mere $3.95! How can you go wrong with any of these drinks? It's a meal in itself.

And, Dad? I tried not to take sips in the car ride, but it was just too good to pass up! Well, I finally got the drink to him, and he finished it off. A very different drink you won't find anywhere else!

The only thing I could do without? The plain shave ice on the top of the drink. What is that for? I thought it was simply in the way of getting to the goods- the colorful, tasty jello and jelly on the bottom mixed with coconut milk! Plus, it left it watery if not eaten quickly.

I highly recommend Bambu Desserts and Drinks. Very inexpensive drinks made by very nice people, not to mention, it will leave your taste buds very satisfied!

Open 7 days a week 9am-10pm.

Usually they have all of their colored jelly on display, but I was early and they were still setting up.

NO A/C! Only this big fan...a little stuffy in there, but you cool down after taking a few bites of your dessert-drink!

#6

So many goodies beneath the icy top! Young Coconut and assorted jellies and boba!

Bo Dam! #5- Avocado goodness

A Place To Eat

I was curious about new businesses and foodie joints that just opened, so I turned to trusty Yelp for help with that. After checking out a few reviews, I found A Place To Eat. Newly opened, just 5 weeks old, Chef Willu Diaz operates a one-man show. Located in Puck's Alley, there are a some big positives. One, parking is free, and there's lots of it. Two, Chef Willu (pronounced "wi-loo") prepares your food fast. I don't know how he does it, but he takes your order and then runs to the kitchen to prepare it. All within 10 minutes. Amazing. Third, Chef Willu's initiative is to keep a low overhead while spending his money on fresh, local ingredients. I love that. He doesn't have many workers, if any. The first night we went, it was just him. The next day I grabbed take-out lunch from him and he had a girl manning the cashier. My fourth positive? It's BYOB. And we all know that's a biggie!!! And lastly, he's open from 11am-midnight Monday through Sunday! This guy has literally put all his efforts into his business. I respect that. Very honorable.

Support Local! Plus, his food is tasty, fresh and flavorful for a gourmet plate-lunch. When I first walked in, saw the menu and met the Chef, it immediately reminded me 4 King's Kitchen, located not too far from A Place To Eat.

So what did I order? I could barely make up my mind after seeing the menu! Did I want the Scallops I heard so much about on Yelp? Or the Coconut Curry? Or the Ribs? Or the Kahlua Pig Quesadilla?

Turns out, we had the Macnut Mahi Mahi, the Adobo Sea Scallops and the Kahlua Pig Quesadilla to share. I settled for that, but believe me, if I could have ordered and tried everything, I would have. And the next day, my impatience kicked in, and like I said above, I went back for lunch. Picked up Chef Willu's White Curry and his Tangy Sweet Sour Ribs.

Everything was delicious, though my favorite has to be the Kahlua Pig Quesadilla. Did I mention he soaks the kalua pig in Kahlua?! How delectable does that sound? Plus, his avocado sour cream dip is unbelievable. I literally dipped the quesadilla in it until it was completely covered in avocado sauce. So delicious. I wished Chef Willu gave more, but I was afraid to ask after he mentioned to us that he is a big advocate of not wasting food. Yikes! Trust me Chef Willu, I would have used all of it if I had more sauce!

Love this place. Highly recommend.

Macnut Mahi Mahi.  Fish is a little on the dry side (as most mahi is), but the crust is crunchy and hot. What makes this dish is the Ginger Coconut Cream Sauce. I wanted to DRINK that sauce. It's a on the thicker side, but oh-so delicious and worth the calories.

Kahlua Pig Quesadilla. THIS WAS A WINNER!

The Avocado Sour Cream sauce....WINNERS. You must devour the quesadilla with loads of the avocado sour cream sauce. The Pineapple Salsa wasn't my favorite...

Adobo Sea Scallops. Big, scrumptious scallops with a peppery crust. If you like pepper, you'll enjoy these.

Half rack of ribs. Yelpers said the meat fell off the bone, but I still had to pick at it. My go-to for ribs? Tony Roma's. Come on, they specialize in ribs!

Tofu White Curry. A deliciously-light curry!! And so healthy! Loaded with a bunch of cabbage, big tofu squares and bamboo shoots. If you love lemongrass like I do, you will love this dish. If you're craving meat, don't order this!