Gogi Korean Taco Truck

Hungry for some Korean tacos on-the-go? Go to Gogi Taco Truck!! My friend, Joe, and I recently tried this food truck located on Kapiolani Blvd. Catch 'em in the parking lot where Jazz Minds is located. 

They have a variety of different items on the menu, including Spicy Pork/BBQ Chicken/BBQ short ribs/Tofu Tacos for only $2 a piece, Kimchee Fries, BiBim Burrito, Gogi Dog V2.0, and Quesadilla and Sliders! What'd we try? Mmmm...basically EVERYTHING!!! And it wasn't expensive at all! This is great for a fast, tasty and inexpensive lunch!

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4 Tacos, 1 BiBim Burrito, and a Gogi Dog Version 2.0!

One each of the Taco (Spicy Pork, BBQ Short Rib, BBQ Chicken and Tofu)
Gogi Dog and Burrito

A bunch of stuff on this Dog!
Egg, Kewpie Mayo, Hot sauce, Furikake, Onions, Bulgogi, Cheese

Tofu, BBQ Short Rib, Spicy Pork (AKA Bulgogi), BBQ Chicken
I'd recommend the BBQ Short Rib.
Really flavorful and tender.

BiBim Burrito

The inside of the Gogi Dog.
You can see the egg yolk ooze out!

BiBim Burrito with Egg, Kim Chee, BBQ Short Rib, Kim Chee Fried Rice...
SO DELICIOUS. This was my favorite!!

Friend's dad owns this, so I got to check out the inside of the truck!

Check them out on Kapiolani Blvd!

Marukame Udon

If you're an Udon lover like myself, then you will surely like this "Cafeteria-style" Udon restaurant, Marukame Udon. Located on Kuhio Ave (Waikiki) in the old Jack in the Box, this place is big and poppin'! We went early around 530pm and didn't have to wait in a long line, but when we left, around 630pm, the line was out the door! I really want to love this restaurant, but the fact that it's located in Waikiki with limited street parking and no private lot, is a medium-size downfall.

On the upside, it's quick and easy to order your food and you get it almost immediately. What I really like are the many options of sides- different tempura to choose from, like Vegetable Tempura, Shrimp Tempura, Mushrooms, Sweet Potato, Fish Cake, and Asparagus; and also 3 different types of musubi on the side- Umeboshi, Salmon and Konbu. As some other side options, you can also pick up a spam musubi or some inari (cone sushi) as well. Now, this is all cafeteria-style, so they have to be able to keep the food coming, thus the food isn't always hot or as fresh as a regular restaurant would make your food upon order. That was a big downfall for me. But if I was in the area, looking for some good udon, I would definitely think of this place. Not so bad pricing I'd say, but I wanted to try all the sides (as the foodie I am) and my share was about 15-20 bucks. That's udon, drink, about 5 diff tempura, and 3 musubis (konbu, salmon and Umeboshi).

Bottom line: If you are in Waikiki (with no car to park), craving decent "fast food" udon at a decent price with lots of side options, check this place out!

PS- Forgot to mention they make their own udon! Personally, I don't think I'll like any udon place as much as Jimbo's. I'll have to do a separate post on Jimbo's, but I love the fact that you can order thin noodles, which are a little fatter than ramen, but skinnier than the usual udon noodles. Their combos are the perfect balance of rice and udon, not to mention their tempura is my favorite. My other favorite thing about Jimbos? Their udon broth is unlike any other I've tried- smoky and flavorful. I never leave a drop!

Anyway, let's get to some Marukame pics, before this post becomes JIMBO'S UDON! haha.

A huge plus- they promote clean hands before eating!!

Different Udon- range from Curry Udon, Bukkake Udon to Cold Udon.

My meal- Niku Udon which is Udon with tender slices of beef on top- very good and tasty!
3 types of musubi, cone sushi and assorted tempura.

Niku Udon with Eggplant Tempura, Vegetable Tempura and Umeboshi.

My Tempura- Sweet Potato on skewer, 2 Mushroom Tempura on skewer,
Asparagus Tempura, Fish Cake Tempura, and Croquette/Cone Sushi.

Niku Udon!

Late Night, Late Bite

Enjoying Life.

I was craving Shokudo's late night menu......and basically just Shokudo in general. Mmmm Mochi Cheese Gratin, Salmon Rice, Lychee Martini, Li Hing Shooters (that taste like juice!), and Honey Toast!!! To be honest, we went an hour and a half before the late night happy hour started just because I couldn't wait til 1030pm! But for reference-sake, their "Before Dark Happy Hour" starts from 4-6pm, and their "After Dark Happy Hour" starts at 1030-closing. They have great deals like $3 Sangria, $3 Kirin, $3 wine, and a variety of different plates for only $3! They also have their infamous Honey Toast for just $3 aptly-named "Honey Toast Jr." Instead of 2 big towers of Honey Toast, it comes with just one, but still big enough for 2-3 people to share!

Salmon Rice- the beginning

Salmon Rice- After.
Crispy rice with bits of Shiso leaf, Ikura and Salmon

Ume Cucumber Salad with Bonito Flakes
Ume dressing isn't overwhelming and pungent.
Bonito Flakes adds a bit of salty taste to it.

Rainbow Roll!

Really colorful! And also really tasty.
Topped with Shrimp, Avocado, Salmon, and Hamachi.

Enjoying a Lychee Tini made with Chrysanthemum Flower

Lychee Tini- Very Popular!

Sushi Pizza- Crab, Shrimp and Scallop shredded up and mixed together,
used as the topping. The bottom "crust" is Nori!

Shiso Salt Fries and my favorite, MOCHI CHEESE GRATIN.
Taste like heaven, but feels like each bite is about 1000 calories.
Why does everything that taste delicious have the most calories?!

Late Night Menu

Li Hing Sake Shooter! Juice in a shot!

Honey Toast JUNIOR

So So SO yummy I dream about it!!!

It's been a chilly couple of days lately, therefore I've been obsessed with my booties. Gotta keep my footsies warm! Also love how my Denim Jacket lightens the mood a little. I like having one piece of clothing or accessory that either really dresses UP an outfit, or makes it more casual. 

Another thing I've become obsessed about- mixing prints! I love me some floral and stripes...BUT this time, I tried floral and polka dots! I loved the combo, though my guy friends definitely did NOT get it. Oh well...what do they know!? ;)

Alan Wong's Pineapple Room

Mom and I decided to have a late lunch today at one of her favorite places, Pineapple Room. Since eating there this afternoon, it's easily become one of my favorites as well. 

If you've already read my Alan's Wong's restaurant post, then you'll love this post equally as much. This is the sister restaurant which is open for lunch and dinner. What I love about it is you can even come for a late lunch since they don't usually close the kitchen til 3:45pm! People were still sitting down at 3:35pm and being served. 

A little background info- Pineapple Room is located in Macy's on the top floor. The best place to park is in Hookipa Terrace, since the entrance to the restaurant is right as you enter. 

Good eats (and drinks)? I loved their Plantation Iced Tea, and saw many other patrons ordering it as well. It is what I believe a good Plantation Tea should taste like- Iced Tea, sweet, but not too sweet, and with a healthy amount of pineapple juice mixed in. Light and refreshing! You get at least 2 servings of it, so many people drink half, and then ask to take the rest out in a plastic cup. My mom doesn't like any drinks too sweet, so she prefers the regular Iced Tea, which is just as delicious. Sorry, no pictures of the Iced Teas- I forgot!!

What Mom recommends- Mom got her one of her favorite dishes- the Calamari Salad. I tasted a piece of the Calamari and it was very tasty! Lightly salted and a light batter! The dressing for the salad and Calamari is also a nice touch- it's got a slightly spicy flavor to it, but not overwhelmingly so. Even I, who doesn't prefer spicy food, liked the sauce. It goes well with the dish. As a nice surprise, there is also somen salad underneath the veggie greens! It's a very healthy meal with good portions of everything. Mom also recommends the Mahi Mahi Sand which is her favorite, but more on the heavy side. It's tempura-battered and also comes with tempura sauce to dip your sand in.

What I recommend- Kalua Pig BLT Sandwich! OMG, so juicy and delicious! If you haven't already noticed, I am a Hawaiian food lover. I love myself a good Hawaiian food plate lunch with the works- Kalua Pig, Lau Lau, Lomi and Poi, Rice, Poke...YUM! So anytime I can get my hands on some Kalua Pig or Lau Lau, I definitely do so! This sandwich comes with a generous amount of Kalua Pig with Onions, Bacon, Tomato and Lomi Lomi next to a good portion of Caesar Salad. Such a balanced meal in my mind!! I love the fact that the sandwich comes with salad instead of fries or whatever. It makes me feel like at least I had a salad with my meal!!!

Calamari Salad

Kalua Pig BLT Sandwich with Caesar Salad

So juicy that the bottom of the Onion bun is soaked!

Next round tomorrow for lunch?