Sunday, March 9, 2014

Kyung's Seafood



I hate writing this post for two reasons- because I'm drooling at the moment, and I probably can't go here for awhile, at least until my stomach lining heals. Yup, I have GERD/Acid Reflux, and I think going to Kyung's so many times triggered it. They specialize in seafood; and I mean fresh, fresh, seafood- uni, hamachi, fresh abalone, sweet shrimp from the North Shore, I could go on! But the owners are Korean and they also make some damn good Korean food too. That means everything that comes out from the kitchen is SPICY. So if you can't handle it, ask for everything mild.

My favorite? Their spicy tuna. Don't call it 'spicy ahi' because they won't know what you're talking about. The best part is that they usually give a big scoop of this for free with some other banchan sides. The last time, I asked for 3 more heaping scoops of Spicy Tuna to share......and that's exactly how my stomach is on fire now. It's just that good!!!

Parking? Street parking on the right side of King Street. This is where the restaurant is located too- right across the street from Tsunami's. If you go early before 330pm, BEWARE, it's a tow-away zone after 330pm on the LEFT side of the street (Tsunami's side). My friends and I learned about this the hard way last time we were here. The tow-away sign is red, but very faded, and if you don't look or look well enough, you might just overlook it like we did. There is also parking behind the restaurant so I've heard, but I've never parked behind before.

So, why go at 330pm? Well, their Happy Hour is from 11am-7pm. Yup, lunch time all through early dinner time, get their Strawberry Soju for only $6!!! And this Strawberry Soju is unlike any others- they blend their soju with frozen strawberries, so it's more like an icy, alcoholic strawberry slurpee! Trust me, you won't be able to get enough of this stuff!

Other stuff I love? Their Amaebi, which is so fresh it's still in its shell! Big honkers from the North Shore, and only $7. You get to peel it yourself, eat the sweet meat of the body, and then give it back to the kitchen to fry up. The shrimp with little baby tobiko is the best, fried up! Another must-get is their $30 Sashimi Platter which comes with Tuna, Hamachi, and Salmon. You can also sub more Hamachi for less Tuna or Salmon, and for me, that's the way I'd go. The Hamachi is melt in your mouth and like buttah.

The first time we went, my friends and I stayed so long and drank so much Strawberry soju, that the owner gave us Salmon Skin for free. Now, I get it every time I go. It's a must as well. Goes so well with a nice big pitcher of ice cold beer. Since then, I've also tried their Garlic Shrimp and Spicy (mild) Tripe, which are honorable mentions as well!

As for me, it's become one of my absolute favorite, casual places to eat and catch up with friends. Hopefully, in a couple weeks, my stomach will be strong enough to battle the spicy-ness of Kyung's food. As the saying goes, "It's so spicy, I just can't stop!"

Strawberry Soju to start!

$30 Sashimi platter

Jelly fish

Fresh Abalone

Banchan


Look at these big suckers!














Salmon Skin

Chapjae

Ask for some hot rice with this. Nothing better!

Kalbi, of course!

Fried Amaebi when you're done with the raw, sweet shrimp!

More Salmon Skin!

There you have it- Happy Hour from 11am-7pm!

Spicy Tripe. Mild. The next time we forgot to add "mild," and it came out very RED.

I spy Uni in the fridge!


Uni!

Garlic Shrimp, with a generous amount of garlic!

Spicy Squid with Somen Noodles

More banchan with Spicy Tuna!






TUNA

Salmon Skin, a third time!








Friday, January 31, 2014

Kung Hee Fat Choy!



Last weekend, Mom, Dad and I had our usual tradition of heading down to the Chinese Cultural Plaza for some good eats, browsing and overall Chinese fun! We stood in line for a couple hours waiting for our favorite Jai, browsed the little trinkets and gazillion colorful lai cee (red money envelopes) packets, enjoyed freshly-made jin doi, and went home with a beautifully-smelling Narcissus.

Happy Chinese New Year to you and your families! May the Year of the Wood Horse be prosperous, fulfilling, bountiful, and filled with much happiness.







Mini wontons. These were DELICIOUS.

Walked back to the car with some piping hot Coconut Jin Doi!

Sunday, January 12, 2014

La Gelateria

Dragonfruit Pineapple- look at the color on that!

I got more ice cream for ya! It's "colder" in Hawaii now, but for us, that still means 70 degree weather. And that still means you can eat ice cream year round!

I picked up Pineapple, Spumoni, Coconut, Guava, and Green Tea/Kaffir Lime/Lemongrass during the summertime, and just ran out of time to write about it. So here we go! Some of my favorites so far have been Coconut, Pineapple and Guava. Check out my previous post HERE, and you can also find La Gelateria's flavors at many restaurants. This includes some of my very favorites HASR, Kona Kai, and Tokkuri Tei!

During the holidays, I recently stopped by for Mac Nut, which my Mom loved when we dined at Kona Kai. But, when you walk in to La Gelateria, there is no such thing as picking just ONE flavor! So, I walked out of there with Egg Nog, Pumpkin, and also Dragonfruit Pineapple, which has become another one of my favorites. The dragonfruit color makes this sorbet pop, not to mention the bursting, sweet, pineapple flavor. Make more of this, Tori!

Check out Tokkuri Tei for a scoop of La Gelateria's Ume Guava, which is just mind blowingly-good. Trust me when I say that you can't find that anywhere else. See Ryuji, and he will top that scoop of sorbet with bubu arare, shiso, and ume. AMAZING. Stay tuned for that post soon!

Spumoni

Coconut


Pineapple, Spumoni, Coconut, GT/KF/LG, and Guava



The Pillbox Pharmacy

Strawberry and Espresso Almond Fudge, Cotton Candy and Huckleberry

Yup, this place is more than a pharmacy.....they got ice cream too!

This small, unknowing place is filled with the usual pharmacy picks, but walk into the back, and they also have a selection of ice cream! Pillbox can be found in Kaimuki's parking lot where Big City Diner, Kona Kai, and Happy Days are all located. Pick from infamous flavors like Moose Tracks, Black Cherry, or Huckleberry.

What's unique about this place besides super inexpensive ice cream in a pharmacy? They get their ice cream flavors shipped in from Cascade Glacier in Oregon- a lot of flavors you can't find anywhere else in Hawaii!

The bad part? No samples!!! Really?! But on the upside, since there's no samples, they are extremely patient while you ask questions about the flavors and take your time deciding what to order.

The best part? Two "doubles" came out to less than $5. Where else can you get that good of a deal on ice cream (besides Mcd's $1 ice cream cone)??!







Saturday, January 11, 2014

Dash2Go

Hamburger Steak/Pot Roast combo




I've wrote about my love for Dash HERE. Go there to catch up with friends over some good food and drink, challenge friends to a darts game if you've got that competitive streak (like I do), or watch your favorite sports game on TV with friends. But this year, they're expanding and trying something different. Dash is now open for lunch M-F 11am-2pm!!

What do I love most? Well, I'm Chinese, and I'll admit it, all Chinese love a good deal. To us, this may mean inexpensive and lots of tasty food. Delete that L&L phone number off your speed dial, folks, Dash has now got you covered. Talk about delicious plate lunch combos like my favorite, Wafu Hamburger Steak and Pot Roast. And then let's talk about major "Kanak Attack," while you drive home. Make sure a couch or bed is near because it's so good you're going to need a nap after. Trust me, plate lunch isn't the thing I crave too often, but I went here two days in a row!

Regular plate lunch is only $10. If you want to mix 2 options for a combo plate, it's just $12. Choose from everyday menu items like Shoyu Pork, Pot Roast, Dynamite Chicken, Furikake Chicken, Or Wafu Hamburger Steak, plus other Specials everyday as well. Have a sweet tooth? Get a big chunk of Butter Grilled Cake in your plate lunch for dessert! It's exactly what it sounds like- a buttery piece of cake/cornbread grilled to perfection. Outside is crisp and warm, while the inside is buttery and moist. You will want to order more and more of this goodness!

A suggestion of mine for Dash? Put that special Matsumura Cucumber Kimchee in the plate lunches, please!!!

If you post any of the plate lunch pics on Instagram or Facebook, don't forget to hashtag #dash2go!




Dynamite Chicken

Shepherd's Pie

Shoyu Pork/Beef Stew combo

Wafu Hamburger Steak- one of my faves!

Meat Loaf, Hamburger Steak, Furikake Chicken, Shoyu Pork, Pot Roast

Don't forget that Butter Grilled Cake!!

Pink Pantalones


Happy New Year, blog readers! Hope you all had a great Christmas holiday and best wishes for a great 2014!


I wanted to leave you with some pictures of my newest and most comfiest wide leg pants that I picked up from Bamboo Sky. They are light, stretchy and perfect for those dinner buffets! I wish they came in more colors??? (Tiff, hint hint!)