Late Night Eats List

It’s 5 past 10 and all of your favorite restaurants are closed! Why not bypass fast food and check out one of these great restaurants open till 11PM and later! I’ve taken the time to sort through all of the restaurants on the Honolulu Advertiser’s Best Restaurants of ’09-’10 website and list only the restaurants open past 11PM (plus a few choice extras). Enjoy.

Oh! And if you plan on copying this list please cite the sources (Honolulu Advertiser) as well as the person who compiled the list (The Chef @ 808FoodScene.net). Thanks!

Source: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/specials/bestrestaurants095/

Average Prices (guesses from looking at menu).
Prices “($)” means depending on what you eat it can range in the next category.

$ = $1-$6 per plate
$$ = $6-$12 per plate
$$$ = $12-$16 per plate
$$$$ = Over $16 per plate

Sorry for the mess. I’ll fix this up later. Time to sleep… This is just a rough draft.
If you know of a restaurant that should be on here that isn’t please leave a comment. Thanks Again.

Big City Diner 12 Midnight (10-12 menu: http://bigcitydinerhawaii.com/_library/documents/2010-menus/bcd4lateniteweb.pdf ) $$($)

Zippy’s 24 Hrs $($)

Like Like Drive Inn 24 Hrs $$($)

Leliha Bakery 24 Hrs Except Mondays $$

Wailana Coffee House 24 Hrs $$($)

Sorobol 24 Hrs $$($$) http://www.sorabolhawaii.com/sorabol.nsf/Menu1

Ojiya 1 AM closed Sundays $$($)

Dixie Grill 1 AM $$($)

Mac 24-7 24 Hrs (http://www.mac247waikiki.com/menus.htm ) $$$($) 15 dollar giant pancakes. 5 dollar milk shakes. Huge portions.

Ryan’s Grill Ward Centre (http://www.ryansgrill.com/page/menu/ ) 11pm Sunday- Thursday. 12 midnight Saturday-Sunday $$$($)

Soul de Cuba 11PM Friday-Saturday $$($) sandwiches $8. Entrees $12-22

Bob’s Bar-B-Que 11 PM Friday-Saturday $$

Sekiya’s 11PM Friday-Saturday $$($)

Side Street Inn 2AM!!!! 7 days a week!! $$$($) New Location Kapahulu Ave.

Kirin Restaurant 12 midnight Monday-Saturday $$($$)

Little Village Noodle House 12 Midnight $($$)

Sweet Home Café 11PM (last seating) $$$ (approx.)

Ichiriki Loft 2AM!!!!!!! $-$$$?

Uncle Bo’s 2AM!!!! $$($$) Steak = 23 dollars. Highest price.

Brasserie DuVin “Late” Monday-Saturday $$($) http://duvinlatenight.blogspot.com/

Formaggio Wine Bar – Market City! Monday-Thursday 12 Midnight, Friday-Saturday 1 AM!!! $$($) http://formaggio808.com/2010%20Jan%20FWB%20menu.pdf

Pane & Vino – 2AM!!! 923-8466 Lewers St $$($$)

Romano’s Macaroni Grill 11PM $$($)

Taormina Sicilian Cuisine 11PM Friday-Saturday $$$$

Akasaka 2AM!!! Monday-Saturday. 12 Midnight Sundays $$($)

Bistro A Un 1AM!!! Daily $($)

Doraku Sushi Sunday-Thursday 12 Midnight, Friday-Saturday 2AM!!!! $$($$) 30 dollars for sushi plate. Parking royal Hawaiian shopping center. http://www.dorakusushi.com/doraku_menu_waikiki.pdf

Gazen Izakaya 11PM Sunday-Thursday 12 Midnight Friday-Saturday $$($)

Gyotaku 11PM Sunday-Thursday 12 Midnight Friday-Saturday $$$

Imanas Tei 11:30 PM Monday-Saturday $$($) 30 dollar moriawase

Izakaya Nonbei 11:30 PM Monday-Saturday $($$) 30 dollar moriawase sashimi

Mr. Ojisan 12 Midnight Friday-Saturday WARNING: KAREOKE. $-$$$ 30 dollar sashimi plate

Shokudo 12 Midnight last call Sunday-Thursday. 1AM!!!Friday-Saturday last call. $(2 dollar plates) - $$$

Sushi King 2 AM !!!!!!!!!!! 11PM SPECIAL $$($) 35 dollar omakase

Sushi Izakaya Gaku 11PM Monday-Saturday $$($$)

Tenkaippin 11PM Friday-Saturday $$

Tokkuri-Tei 12 Midnight Monday-Saturday $($$)

Tsukuneya by UH!! 12Midnight Sunday-Thursday. 1AM!!!! Friday-Saturday $($$)

Yanagi Sushi 2 AM!!!! $$ 10:30-2AM SPECIAL ~10 Dollars $$($$) 32 dollar sushi omakase.

Choon Chun Chicken BBQ 2 AM!!! Family Style $$($)

Soul Garden Yakiniku 12 Midnight Daily $$$($)

Yakiniku Mikawon 11PM Daily $$$($)

Siam Garden Café 1:30 AM Last Call $ Nimitz Hwy.

Sumo Ramen and Curry

When it comes to authentic ramen here in Hawaii I feel like I'm on an epic food inspired adventure. Like every great adventure, there are times that the protagonist finds himself in a bit of a rut but always seems to make the best out of it. Walking into Sumo Ramen and Curry I felt like I was walking into a "rut" situation. The decor seemed somewhat cheap however the open kitchen made me feel right at home.

I was seated with a couple of friends during lunch and was handed a menu. The first thing that I noticed about the menu was that it was huge! The katsu curry and ramen combo is a classic and for the price seemed an excellent choice. Then my eyes landed on the one phrase that stole my heart and made my experience at Sumo Ramen and Curry complete... tonkotsu ramen.

I've mentioned in previous posts that I've been on the lookout for a restaurant that served tonkotsu ramen and here it was right under my nose in a restaurant that I've passed by countless times. It was settled. I ordered a bowl of tonkotsu ramen and a side of gyoza.

The gyoza was good but not great. It was steam-fried in the usual fashion yet the filling seemed to lack flavor. Truthfully I didn't much care about anything else because I knew that my ramen was on its way.

When the moment of truth arrived the only thing I could think about was the gigantic ladle in my bowl of ramen. I wasn't sure if the kitchen staff forgot to take their 3 oz ladle or if it was for consuming my bowl of ramen. After a minute or two I really didn't care. The rich broth was amazing and went well with the shoyu soaked egg and roast pork.

I ventured out of Sumo Ramen and Curry satisfied that I had overcome the rut and came away with a jewel. -- Oh and I hear their curry isn't bad either!

Sumo Ramen and Curry
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)

Service: 2.5
Food Quality: 2.25
Monetary Value: 3.75
Quality vs Quantity: Quantity (curry+ramen combo's are huge)
Overall: 2.8

2919 Kapiolanio Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96826
808-737-1868

Revisit: Fresh Catch Kaimuki

Over the years I've found that my love for cooking extends far beyond the kitchen and has taken root in other areas of my life. As a fisherman born and raised here in Hawaii I have had the privilege of catching a wide variety of tasty fish. Just like hunters who track a specific type of game, local fishermen must know where to go to catch specific types of fish. And just like hunting, fishing also has seasons allowing us only a short amount of time to catch fish that we otherwise would not be able to take home. Of course most of the time we come home empty handed which is why it is called "fishing" and not "catching".

You're probably asking yourself what I'm trying to convey at this point. My point is that when a chef looks to the source of their dish they find valuable information about what they are cooking that might have otherwise have been overlooked.

Case in point: the moana (many bar goatfish). The moana's favorite source of food is rock and sand crabs. This gives the moana a sweet crab-like taste that many local fishermen enjoy. As a chef you would want to take advantage of this knowledge. I personally would either stuff the fish with a crab mixture then bake and top with an aioli to be torched at the last minute or steam the fish and serve in a crab stock based miso soup. As a chef you want to know everything you can about your product and as a fisherman, you have a distinct advantage when it comes to seafood.

---------------------------------------------------------

Yesterday I decided to check back in on Fresh Catch to see what has changed.

I was relieved to find that my favorite styles of poke where still on the menu and that there were new creations that have been added to their line-up. If I were to suggest a handful of styles I would have to suggest the smoked tako, spicy hawaiian (limu ahi in spicy sauce), wasabi ahi and fireball ahi (very spicy. go with the less spicy stuff if you dont think you can handle). If you are feeling adventurous, there are a number of hard to find types of poke including korean-style top shell poke and spicy salmon depending on the day.

Although it was the poke that brought me back to Fresh Catch Kaimuki, it was the ahi katsu that will be bringing me back in the future. Although it isn't the seared sushi grade ahi katsu you might find "up the street" that will put a hole in your wallet (enough speculation on where I'm talking about) it is VERY good and is a large portion for only $10.25. The ahi katsu is topped with an aioli and a generous amount of furikake and would have to be one of the better fish dishes I have had in awhile (I've been trying to eat fish at least every other day for a month now). Now that I know that their ahi katsu is good I will have to come back to try more of their cooked menu.

For rating and full review click here.

Fresh Catch's Website.

The End-All Burger

I've been getting a lot of mixed review surrounding this questionable burger joint. Some say that the food served on its menu is pure genius and reflects contemporary tastes. Many agree that their burgers are, "A work of art. A masterpiece of burger construction." While on the other hand others feel that these over-dressed burgers take away from the pure taste that is so fondly recognized in angus beef. But why reflect on what other people think? I decided to look into this burger joint myself.

It was lunchtime and I expected the place to be packed but by no means was I prepared for such a staggering line of people (burger enthusiasts I presumed) that it pushed its way almost out the front door.

The decor was cheap yet strangely effective and people huddled around tables as this is an eat-in/eat-out restaurant. Being at the back of an immense line I had time to contemplate my plan of attack.

Aside from burgers the menu offered a wide range of sandwiches ranging from fish to chicken. I also noted that they served milkshakes so I knew that I had to order one of those. The fries. I've heard legends about this place's fries. Sung in epic prose by critics in much higher places I was practically dieing to get my hands on them. By this time there were only a couple of people in front of me so I decided on the classic burger, fries, milkshake combo. But what would I want on my burger? The time came and I decided. I walked up to the counter and ordered my, "Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun."

Happy April 1st.

-The Chef

Upcoming Posts

I just added a hit counter to the blog!

"To Visit List"
G-Sushi
Fort Ruger Market
Tokyo Noodle House
Kuru Kuru Sushi
Imanas Tei
Ichiriki Japanese Nabe Restaurant
Island Manapua Shop

"To Be Reviewed List"
Gina's BBQ
Ezogiku Ramen
Yama's Fish Market

Alicia's Market

If you are anything like me, you like to have more than just chips and dip on game day (especially the Super Bowl). Just in time for March Madness, I decided to check out a lead on a market dishing out everything that I need for the big game all in one stop.

Alicia's Market looks just like your ordinary family-run neighborhood market from the outside but stepping inside you will find that it is much more -- like Alice in Wonderland, but you are in awe with the food and not talking rabbits. Located along Mokauea Street near Nimitz and Sand Island, I again set out on another long (Hawaii standards) drive for good food. A drive I will gladly take for the food at Alicia's Market.

"What constitutes bowl game food," you may ask? Being a huge football and food fan I find that the food should be on par with the game itself. This of course means all measures of local delicacies that include (but are not limited to) Char-siu, roast pork, boiled peanuts, soy beans (edamame for you non-local types), at least three types of poke (may also include sashimi), and last but not least, a giant pot of rice (and maybe a barrel of zippy's chili). Alicia's Market has all of this (minus the Zippy's chili) and much more (beer)!

One thing I suggest with places that sell roast meats here in Hawaii is that you get there early. You want your roast meats as fresh out of the kitchen as possible. The same goes for your raw fish. You want your poke and sashimi as fresh as possible. Sometimes this isn't possible if the place you are going to doesn't bring in fresh fish daily. Again, getting your fish early is your best bet. Of course the food is always better the day of the big game as places like Alicia's market need to stock up on fresh product to meet demand.

As always, I'm usually in the mood for roast pork and that day was no exception. Last Super Bowl I had the fortunate opportunity to try a few pieces of roast pork from Alicia's Market. The roast pork was very good but when I visited the place in person this past weekend the roast pork wasn't up to standards. By the time I got home I found the roast pork soaking in a puddle of oil (20 minute drive) and not as good as I had remembered it to be. None the less it was still tasty. The char-siu was much better than the roast pork and was not sitting in oil when I opened it up.

Being the type that likes to try anything at least once, I had the opportunity to try turkey tails. It was cut up sort of like how the Chinese cut up roast duck (ask for it whole). Although turkey tails are mostly fat, they are extremely flavorful and will be on my list for my next Super Bowl party.

In addition to all of this, Alicia's market also provides roast duck, chicken, and PIG!!! Yes, twice a week (from what I heard) Alicia's market roasts pigs (lechon) and will gladly provide their expert roasting services to you for a fair price if you call ahead.

After ordering all of my roast meats, I felt like a kid in a candy store. But it would just get better as I stepped a few feet to my right to the poke counter.

During the last Super Bowl I also had a chance to try Alicia's Market's masago ahi poke. I have to admit that this was some of the freshest poke that I had ever eaten. Just as the roast pork on game day was better, so was the poke. I guess you just can't beat food on game day. However I would still rank the poke as superb even though it wasn't as great this time around.

The poke counter at Alicia's Market is amazing. "Bountiful" might be the right word. If you had ever been to a Foodland poke counter, this was larger and the quality of seafood much better. What more can you ask for? How about wasabi masago ahi poke? For those of you that might prefer the regular masago ahi poke over the wasabi version, there is only a hint of wasabi and it accents the poke perfectly. But for those of you who prefer the pure taste of raw fish over poke, the sashimi at Alicia's Market is excellent as well. Alicia's Market sells pre-sliced sashimi plates (the small ones are the perfect size for a lunch or dinner).

After ordering a 1/4 pound of pretty much everything at the roast meats and poke counters, I passed by the beer section (I was too preoccupied with the food to think about beer) and passed by the front counter (you pay for the roast meats and poke in back) when I noticed one of my favorite game day snacks sitting on the counter. Boiled peanuts anyone?

Growing up I've always been a big fan of boiled peanuts. However, it seems these days there aren't as many places that still make quality boiled peanuts (I can only name a few off the top of my head) so I was pleased to find that Alicia's Market also sells boiled peanuts. I picked up a two-pound bag as well as a container of soy beans (edamame) soaking in some liquid before I headed out the door and back home. After a long meal with a few friends we popped in a movie and eventually took out the peanuts and soy beans. The peanuts (although a bit over cooked) were excellent due to the cooking liquid (probably some of the best I've had) and the marinated soy beans were great as well (marinated in a garlic-poke sauce).

In conclusion, Alicia's Market is the place to go if you are looking for that "one stop shop" for your game day food needs. Just make sure you order ahead if you have a big order and be sure to come early regardless. Trust me, it will be worth it and you will be well pleased.

Alicia's Market
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)

Service: 4
Food Quality: 3.75 (better on game days)
Monetary Value: 2.75
Quality vs Quantity: Quality
Overall: 3.5

267 Mokauea St.
Honolulu, HI 96819
808-841-1921

Wailana Coffee House and Cocktail Lounge

"Park in the yellow stalls" is my favorite late-night phrase. Why, you may ask? Because it means cheap, filling food at the right price even if it's two in the morning. Located along Ala Moana Boulevard in Waikiki, Wailana Coffee House is a safe haven for line cooks getting off of work at the stroke of midnight, late night club-goers, the occasional insomniac, night students, and of course the jet-lagged tourist. Being one of only a handful of restaurants here on Oahu that are open 'round-the-clock (there are so few that I actually count Zippy's as a late-night dining option) Wailana Coffee House is usually filled with people regardless of the hour of night you arrive (the location helps I presume).

The ambiance in Wailana Coffee House is spectacular to say the least. It's like taking a trip back in time to the 1970's. Floral print lined seats and carpet, well lit and spacious main room with a back room seating larger parties, it kind of reminds you of old Hawaii -- elegant and classy with it's beige colored rooms yet laid-back (which is classic 1970's Hawaiian architecture).

Being open 24-hours-a-day and serving both local and classic diner food, Wailana Coffee House's menu is hard to beat. A hamburger and milkshake at 8 AM, breakfast at 8 PM, what's not to like? Wailana Coffee House also always comes through with their specials. Be it fried ice cream or endless pancakes their specials always hit the spot.

Did I mention the salad bar? This is probably Wailana Coffee House's best kept secret. If you order an item that includes soup or salad I definitely recommend the salad bar. The salad bar includes your usual salad choices (leafy greens, various dressings, croutons, etc.) as well as a pasta salad, kim chee, potato salad, jello, and a few other choices. Did I also mention that it's endless? Think about it: endless. salad. bar. Not bad for ordering a ten-dollar entree. Just make sure you get there by 10 PM because the salad bar closes by 11.

Aside from the salad bar, breakfast, and endless pancakes, Wailana Coffee House also delivers on their local specialties. While the patty for Wailana's loco moco isn't the greatest (kind of tough) they make up for it with their amazing gravy and their heap of tasty mac-salad! Hungry? Then try Wailana's meatloaf which includes the endless salad bar (score!), butter-roll, and a chocolate-mac nut sundae all for around $12.

Wailana Coffee House also serves your classic diner foods such as burgers and fries, various sandwiches, and is probably one of the last places left on the island (that is NOT Quizno's) that serves a PROPER french-dip (note: I love my french dips).

Overall, Wailana Coffee House is a major contender in Waikiki's over-flooded restaurant scene. Open 24/7 (well, almost. They're closed from midnight to 6am on Wednesdays) and serving both local and classic diner fare as well as breakfast is hard to beat when you don't know what you're in the mood for. As for parking, take a right right after Todai and the garage should be on your left. Just remember, "Park in the yellow stalls."

Wailana Coffee House and Cocktail Lounge
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)

Service: 4.25 (friendly wait-staff!)
Food Quality: 2.5
Monetary Value: 3.25
Quality vs Quantity: Tie (huge menu selection)
Overall: 3.3

1860 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96815
808-955-1764

Golden Eagle Chinese Restaurant

Golden Eagle Chinese Restaurant is one of those hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurants that at first glance you might avoid. You make excuses on why you haven't eaten there, "Oh, I don't know if it's open or not it's hard to tell..." or "It's the location. Maybe if it wasn't located in [insert rough neighborhood here. My personal favorite is China Town] I wouldn't mind eating there."

My initial excuse was that Golden Eagle Chinese Restaurant has large (and I mean LARGE) posters all over the exterior (and interior) of their restaurant advertising special dishes. Now these posters weren't colorful and displaying pictures of dishes. These posters were black and white large-font print. However interesting pepper-salt frog legs may sound to me I would much rather view a specials menu than gaze around the room looking at the additions to their menu.

Golden Eagle has a number of interesting items on their menu (this much I knew without taking a glance at the actual menu). "Wallpaper Specials" as I will refer to them in the future included pepper-salt frog legs (which I hear are delicious), pepper-salt quail, honey-shrimp with walnuts, shark fin soup, pork belly with taro and so on and so forth (yes I wasn't exaggerating as to the number of these papers lining the restaurant). While I didn't try any of these specials except the honey-shrimp with walnuts, I did get to try their house special for two.

The house special for two ($29.99) included egg-drop soup, chicken with house sauce, honey-shrimp with walnuts and crispy gau-gee mein. My friend and I also ordered beef-broccoli with cake noodle to top it off.

The waitress was friendly and it seemed that she was the only one running the front of the house operations at Golden Eagle. She brought us water and tea and took our order. I noticed that the tea was slightly sweet and not the usual tea that you would find at a Chinese restaurant. But I wasn't in much of a tea-drinking mood that day so I didn't mind too much.

The waitress reappeared with our egg-drop soup and served both of us a bowl-full. There was enough left over for maybe two more bowls so the portions were quite generous. The soup was your standard American-influenced egg-drop. I noticed that the carrots and peas that were added into the soup tasted frozen (maybe canned?) but definitely were not fresh-cut.

By the time I was about halfway done with my soup more dishes arrived. First up was the rice followed by the chicken in house sauce. The chicken was stir-fried with bell peppers and onions and covered in what looked to be a blazing-hot chili pepper sauce at first glance. However after diving into the platter of chicken I found it to be mildly spicy and quite tasty.

Next up was the crispy gau-gee mein and the beef-broccoli with cake noodles. Two very standard dishes that you see in most Americanized Chinese restaurants. The reason why these two dishes were ordered were of course for comparison between other Chinese restaurants around the island. After digging into both I came to the conclusion that they were your average crispy gau-gee mein and beef-broccoli with cake noodles with one exception -- the sauce was a bit too sweet.

Last to arrive was the honey-shrimp with walnuts. If you have read my previous Chinese restaurant reviews, you know that this is perhaps one of my favorite dishes to order. When the dish arrived I started with a walnut. It was good. Crunchy and slightly glazed as it should be. I then took a bite of shrimp. The mayonnaise sauce was a bit too sweet yet it was also lacking flavor (not enough salt or MSG. Not to say that they use MSG here of course). The shrimp also tasted a bit undercooked and slimy underneath the batter. I'm not sure what to make of their honey-shrimp with walnuts. Perhaps I'll have to give it another go.

Overall, the meal was decent and the service was great. Who can complain about a lunch like that? Well, I guess I could but hey, I'm sometimes overly critical (and obsessive) when it comes to honey-shrimp with walnuts.

NOTE: About MSG in your Chinese food...it isn't the bubonic plague. I for one don't mind MSG in my food. Please check out the website below for more information on MSG.
For More Information Click Here

Golden Eagle Chinese Restaurant
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)

Service: 4.25
Food Quality: 2.25
Monetary Value: 1.75
Quality vs Quantity: Tie
Overall: 2.75

2334 South King St. (The structure is located along South King however it is facing Young St.)
Honolulu, HI 96826
808-955-5080

Tenkaippin Ramen

A pet peeve? Maybe. A common misconception? Definitely. It is a sad fact that most of Hawai'i doesn't understand the difference between ramen and saimin. The two words are used almost interchangeably and yet if you were to ask someone what the difference between the two is a common reply might be, "Ramen is that dried packaged stuff right?" wrong! Well, technically yes, but there is so much more to ramen than a two-and-a-half minute soak in boiling water. When someone asks me what the difference is I send them to Tenkaippin.

Located along busy Kapahulu Avenue, Tenkaippin Ramen provides parking in the rear of the building. The first thing that I noticed when approaching Tenkaippin Ramen was that there were chairs outside with a sign stating to form line to the right. Fortunately there wasn't a line out the door when I arrived and was seated promptly.

The atmosphere at Tenkaippin Ramen is one of a kind. In particular it was of the Ultimate Japan type. Ultimate Japan everywhere infact! Ultimate Japan playing on the wall-mounted TV, Japanese wall-mounted posters featuring ramen, and what's that in the corner on that bookshelf -- is that manga? It is no surprise that the mastermind behind this restaurant is the man himself Scott Suzui (co-host of Ultimate Japan).

Tenkaippin Ramen prides itself on providing the freshest, top-quality ingredients from all over Japan (which makes sense since the bulk of the restaurant chain is located in Japan). This is the phrase that stuck with me as I was considering my options of what to eat.

On my first trip to Tenkaippin Ramen I ordered the paitan ramen with fried rice and gyoza. The fried rice and gyoza both came out at around the same time with my ramen following about five minutes later.

The fried rice was interesting to say the least. It wasn't bad yet it wasn't good. Usually I am used to either local-style or Chinese-style fried rice so this was an interesting take (perhaps it was Japanese-style!).

The gyoza was next. I ate one without any sauce and it was quite bland. It was almost like the ones that you get frozen in a package at your super market. There also wasn't any gyoza sauce to be found so I ended up mixing the bottles of shoyu, vinegar, and minced garlic together to make a sauce for my remaining two gyoza.

I (of course) have to talk about the bottle of minced garlic. It is genius. Although I'm not sure of the actual recipe it seems that they mince a truck-load of garlic and mix in Japanese chili pepper flakes. The results are astonishing. Potent, slightly spicy and perfect when mixed into shoyu or ramen (I was told this upon the arrive of my ramen the second time that I visited).

Before we get into the actual ramen itself, there is the fried chicken which I also was able to taste. When it came out it was hot and sizzling from the oil and I wasn't able to eat it right away (good sign I suppose). However when I did take a bite into it a few minutes later I found it (again) lacking flavor and slightly dry.

As for the ramen... it was excellent. As I stated before, I ordered the paitan ramen on my first visit. Paitan ramen is made using a pork and chicken based broth. I orderd this over the ever-popular kotteri because I had just finished watching the movie Ramen Girl the previous day (good movie!) and was craving tonkotsu ramen (similar to paitan). The ramen was filled with ingredients including the more intresting toppings of fukujin-zuke (pickled radish) and fried garlic chips. In my opinion these two toppings overpowered the taste of the ramen (especially the garlic chips that had a slightly burnt taste). I moved these to my empty gyoza plate and dove right into the good stuff. The broth was thick and rich as well as full of flavor (as ramen should be). The milky white color of the broth is achieved through a long cooking process in which the pork and chicken bones give off all of their flavor and texture (produced from the breakdown of collagen).

After taking several spoonfuls of delicious broth to my lips, I took my first bite of noodles. I could tell immediately that these noodles were special. They were perfectly cooked and were a lot more dense than the ramen noodles that I have eaten at other ramen houses. This of course was a good thing (not a Martha Stewart "good thing" but a good thing texture-wise).

On my second visit to Tenkaippin Ramen I ordered the famous kotteri ramen. The kotteri ramen is what made Tenkaippin Ramen famous here in Hawai'i. The rich chicken based broth was robust and full of flavor. I then understood why people would line up on the sidewalk for a bowl of ramen here. The koterri ramen is unlike anything most of us have tasted here in Hawai'i. The kotteri ramen was topped with bamboo shoots, green onion and roast pork instead of the nasty garlic chips which was a pleasant surprise. Half way through, I dabbed some of the minced garlic into my ramen and I just couldn't seem to get enough of the garlicy goodness running through my ramen (four spoonfuls).

I must admit, when I first walked into the door of Tenkaippin I wasn't much of a fan of Ultimate Japan. But now I'm starting to understand what the hype is all about. The ultimate ramen straight from Ultimate Japan.

Tenkaippin Ramen
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)

Service: 1.75 (note: a bit pushy)
Food Quality: 3.5 (note: I'd mark it a 4.5 if it were only based on the ramen)
Monetary Value: 2.5
Quality vs Quantity: Quality
Overall: 2.5

617 Kapahulu Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
808-732-1211

NOTE: You may be wondering how I score all of my reviews. It is based on the type of restaurant (ex. a ramen house, a steakhouse, plate lunch, fine dining, etc.).

NOTE: Add us on Facebook!

Sugoi

I'm usually not one who likes quoting local catch phrases but I feel that the only appropriate statement that I can make about Sugoi's garlic chicken is BROKE DA MOUT. For those of you that are not familiar with Pidgen English "broke da mout" translates to delicious or as I like to call it "serious eats". But I won't go into details about the garlic chicken just yet -- as always I like to start from the beginning.

"Disappointingly good" was my initial reaction when I took my first bite of Sugoi's garlic chicken. Why disappointing? Because it's located by the Dillingham DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) in Kalihi which (for me) is too far for a normal lunch break and the food at Sugoi's is... well, dare I say... "off the hook" (awesome). But at the moment I didn't care. I had garlic chicken.

Sugoi's garlic chicken is incredible. Most will agree that to make a good local fried chicken the batter must be light and airy yet flavorful, the chicken must be moist and not over cooked, and most importantly they skin should never be discarded! Sugoi's garlic chicken has this kind of amazing texture and flavor and to top it off, it's boneless! But what makes Sugoi's garlic chicken so special is the garlic sauce that they pour over the chicken (available at the counter in bottled form as well). I must warn you though, if you plan on going to an interview, giving a presentation -- any public speaking for that matter, talking to that girl you've been admiring from across the room, hanging out with friends, going on a date, taking your wife out, going shopping, karaoke, ANYTHING other than going straight home, I advise you bring some breath mints (strong ones at that) because after eating Sugoi's garlic chicken you will be reeking of garlic for the rest of the day. But trust me, it's definitely worth it.

Once your garlic chicken craze has settled down, you will realize that there is a lot more to the menu at Sugoi than you first noticed. Sugoi's tonkatsu (pork cutlet) as well as their chicken katsu is worth mentioning. Again, they score an "A+" on their sauce as well as a solid "A" on their breading proceedure. Sugoi also features a breakfast menu as well as a bento option (includes rice, teri beef, hot dog, egg, ume, and your main entree) in case you don't feel like a plate lunch.

Probably one of the first things that I noticed once I opened my plate lunch is that Sugoi's does not skimp on their portion size. For $9.25 I ordered their mixed plate (I chose garlic chicken and tonkatsu) and found to my surprise that I couldn't finish the whole thing. Their regular plate lunch costs ~$8.25 so I was pleased to find that for a dollar more I received a full serving of tonkatsu as well (they put my garlic chicken in a separate container because there was so much food and so that the garlic sauce wouldn't spill all over my tonkatsu. How thoughtful!). In fact, there was so much food to be eaten than it took me two full meals to consume the whole plate.

Overall, Sugoi is a force to reckon with. On an island filled with hole in the wall eateries catering local style plate lunches, Sugoi has them bested. Good food at a great price what more could you ask for? Well... maybe some breath mints!

Sugoi Bento and Catering
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)

Service: 4 (Note: Food came out quickly)
Food Quality: 4
Monetary Value: 5
Quality vs Quantity: Quantity
Overall: 4.3

1286 Kalani St #B-106
Honolulu, HI 96817
808-841-7984

Hours
Monday-Thursday: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday-Saturday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday: Closed (Catering Only)

Website: http://www.sugoihawaii.com/
Menu: http://www.sugoihawaii.com/menu_current.pdf

(Note: Orders for catering may be placed online with at least 2 days notice)

Chinese New Year

Since the revival of 808FS, I've been contemplating where to begin. After a few days of thinking I realized that February 14th was Chinese New Year. What better way to start off my list of long over-due reviews than start off with some of my favorite Chinese restaurants.

Duck Yun

For almost a year Aina Hina Shopping Center has been under constant renovation. Yet in the wake of it all lies one of my favorite Chinese restaurants on the island. One that I hope will not be eaten up in all of the construction.

Duck Yun, like most Chinese restaurants on the island, is a family style restaurant where dishes are ordered a la carte. Like most other Chinese restaurants around the island Duck Yun offers familiar staples such as beef broccoli over cake noodles, cold ginger chicken, chinese style sea bass, lemon chicken, shrimp canton and so on and so forth. However, unlike most Chinese restaurants that I have been to in Hawaii, Duck Yun actually excels in these familiar local staples. Although what really sets Duck Yun apart from most Chinese restaurants is its honey shrimp with walnuts.

Honey shrimp with walnuts. The dish is so amazing that it deserves its own paragraph. I have been to many Chinese restaurants (many popular Chinese restaurants might I add) and none have come close to beating Duck Yun when it comes down to Honey shrimp with walnuts. Don't know what it is? Let me enlighten you (oh you poor deprived...okay it isn't that great but it is tasty). It starts with walnuts that are dunked in simple syrup then left to dry on a cookie sheet then fresh shrimp (I like to think it's fresh..at least hope) dipped in a mochiko batter and wok fried and then tossed in a delicious sauce comprised of mayonnaise, honey, and condensed milk and then topped off with the glazed walnuts. Although I'm sure the recipe varies from place to place this is all that I can come up with from tasting and poking around restaurant to restaurant.

Aside from honey shrimp with walnuts, Duck Yun also makes good salt-pepper shrimp (spicy fried shrimp where you can eat the whole shrimp head, tail, shell and all) and a delicious cuttlefish with sour cabbage.

As for ambiance, Duck Yun is quite large for your typical Chinese restaurant and elaborately decorated with paintings and tables lined with your typical white table cloth. However the service can be improved on as placing an order on the telephone is a horrible ordeal and the wait staff seem a bit pushy. Price wise though, Duck Yun's daily lunch specials and dinner combinations can't be beat ($6.50-$10.00). The dinner combinations all come with soup and a variety of dishes (for one of course).


Duck Lee

If you have been my friend for at least a few months you probably have come to realize that there is something severely wrong with me. I have an obsessive habit. No, it's not drugs and it's not alcohol, it's roast pork. Recently I've been conflicted with my love of Chinese roast pork with the introduction of lechon back in late 2008. It's been a trying year but in 2010 love prevailed and Chinese roast pork is back on top. Recently I've been searching for the best roast pork on the island and what I found at Duck Lee surprised me.

Duck Lee is located in the corner of Market City Shopping Center right next to Fun Factory and has always been there since before I can remember. I remember when I was little I used to love to go to Fun Factory and I would always walk by the window with the chickens and ducks and thought, "Why would someone do that?" and "Why would some one want to eat that?". But now, there is no question in my mind that I would be the first person asking for a half-pound of the stuff. But I didn't show up at Duck Lee for the poultry, I came for pork, roast pork.

Duck Lee is your typical Chinese take-out with half-hotel pans filled with various dishes ranging from spicy eggplant to noodles to who knows what? I didn't care too much (although now that I've had the chance to come back most of what I ate was quite good). The only thing on my mind at the time was roast pork.

The roast pork was okay. Well..pretty good for island standards (and island standards are very good). It wasn't oily (which is the worst kind of roast pork) and the actual pork itself had a lot of flavor. The only reason why I say the roast pork was okay is because on my second trip to Duck Lee I experienced something much more satisfying. The second time around I (of course) ordered roast pork again but this time I also ordered some char siu. I was pleasantly surprised because up until now my preconceived notion was that char siu was a dry cut of meat when in actuality I have just been eating badly prepared char siu. The char siu at Duck Lee is moist and after it is cut up into pieces is covered with a spoonful of shoyu-colored sauce (not sure what it is but it's wonderful). As for the price, it's pretty typical and you can get a plate of the stuff over rice for $7.00.



Royal Kitchen

Being a Sunday morning church-goer I found myself with an amazing opportunity. Church service was early on Valentines Day (8:00 AM) and it just so happened that Chinese New Year fell on the exact same day this year. Being hungry at 8:00 AM on a Sunday morning isn't exactly a pleasant feeling so I was lucky that my church is located less than a block away from Royal Kitchen. And as you may expect, Royal Kitchen on Chinese New Year is a sight to behold.

Of course I didn't get to witness that sight as I got there early at 7:15 AM. It was early and there were only a few people standing around waiting for their orders. If you have never been to Royal Kitchen it is usually flooded out the door with people and their green tickets waiting for their number to be called. Royal Kitchen if you haven't heard is THE place for baked manapua.

You may ask what the difference between baked and steamed manapua is. It all has to do with texture. Steamed manapua is chewy while baked manapua is fluffy and more bread-like (if that is a word). In my opinion there is no question which I consider to be better. And at the price ($1.10 per manapua) it can't be beat.

At Royal Kitchen there are a wide variety of manapua's to choose from including char siu, lup chong (my favorite), chicken, kalua pig, sweet potato and the list goes on. Royal Kitchen also has a roasted meats counter (roast pork, char siu, duck, etc.) and your usual take-out items. That morning I opted for two lup chong manapua's, a 1/4 lb roast pork (of course), and a mochi rice ball (mochi rice wrapped in a large pork hash casing and steamed). How I managed to get through church without falling asleep after that meal was beyond me (literally speaking).


Reviews:

Duck Yun Chinese Restaurant
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)

Service: 1.75
Food Quality: 2.75
Monetary Value: 2.5
Quality vs Quantity: Quality
Overall: 2.3

820 West Hind Dr.
Honolulu, HI 96821
808-373-1303

Duck Lee
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)

Service: 2.25
Food Quality: 3.5
Monetary Value: 4
Quality vs Quantity: Quality
Overall: 3.25

2929 Kapiolani Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96826
808-735-5378

Revival

It's been almost a year since I've posted. I won't make excuses as to why I've been absent from 808FS. Instead, I will inform all of you that I have a few places in mind that I would like to review in the coming months.

"To Visit List"
Sugoi's
Alicia's Market
Morimoto's Waikiki
G-Sushi
Fort Ruger Market
Tokyo Noodle House
Kuru Kuru Sushi
Imanas Tei
Ichiriki Japanese Nabe Restaurant


"To Review List"
Tenkaippin Ramen
Duck Yun
Gina's BBQ
Ezogiku Ramen
BBQ Town