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
Showing posts with label sashimi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sashimi. Show all posts
March 20, 2010
March 7, 2009
Therapy Sports Grill
Looking for a home base for March Madness or just a great brew? Therapy Sports Grill is the place to be! Located in Koko Marina Center Therapy Sports Grill is a shining jewel in today's restaurant scene. Aside from having a wide selection of on-tap beer and made-to-order drink specialties, Therapy Sports Grill really shines through its eclectic menu.
Usually when someone is trying to put together a menu they stick with one or two types of cuisines. For example an Asian themed menu with a local Californian twist or a bar featuring traditional Japanese bar food. In Therapy's case, they took this standard and threw it out the window.
Therapy's menu consists of traditional bar food, local favorites, sushi and so much more. However, what you have to keep in mind is that like most bars, food is a premium and can therefore be costly. This is common for most restaurants and especially for bars (making money off of drinks rather than food). But enough about the ins and outs of restaurant finances, lets talk food.
Sushi. Before I continue let me just say just between myself and a friend we spent $120 on this review. I'll just let you guess how much of that went into sushi. Therapy's nigiri sushi menu is quite expensive and their sashimi menu directly reflects the sushi menu as well. My suggestion is to go with the sushi moriawase large ($50.00) for two people or small ($30.00) for one person. This platter (we ordered the large) contains a variety of nigiri (two pieces each) as well as a mound of lobster salad and spicy tuna. The quality of sushi was disappointing for $50.00 (not to say that it was bad but just disappointing). I'd place the quality a little above genki sushi. Aside from the nigiri menu Therapy also features a large hand roll menu with many creative and new combinations that are worth taking a look. Aside from sushi and sashimi Therapy also offers a few selections of house-made poke.
The salads and burgers at Therapy didn't stand out much in my mind so I didn't order any of them. However the pupu's and plates section really caught my attention. We ordered hamachi kama (which took about 45 minutes to cook but was worth the wait and was served with the traditional sauces and sides), wasabi chicken (sort of like mochiko chicken with wasabi aioli. very tasty) and mushrooms with brie (a classic). Let me also mention that their garlic chicken, furikake chicken, buffalo chicken and dynamite chicken are basically the same as the wasabi chicken but with different sauces. Other dishes that caught my eye were their black bean fried rice (sounds interesting), fried pickles (love them), and their fried mac and cheese (another classic). And to top it all off, Therapy also serves a variety of donburi including maguro & natto don and spicy tuna don.
Did I mention beer? Therapy prides itself in serving not only foreign and domestic but local as well. Their cocktail menu is also filled with a variety of classic drinks. No wonder it's called Therapy Sports Grill! The mix of sports, great eclectic food and drinks combined with a relaxed atmosphere really is therapy for the mind, body, and soul all in the heart of Hawai'i Kai.
Therapy Sports Grill
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)
Service: 2.75
Food Quality: 2.75
Monetary Value: 2
Quality vs Quantity: tie
Overall: 2.5
Open Daily
11 AM - 2 AM (Happy Hour: 2 PM - 6 PM [ Ain't it great when happy hour is hours long?])
7192 Kalanianaole Highway (Koko Marina Center)
Honolulu, HI 96825
808-394-8200
Note: The day that we went in to review Therapy they didn't accept credit cards. However I am assured that they do accept credit cards.
Usually when someone is trying to put together a menu they stick with one or two types of cuisines. For example an Asian themed menu with a local Californian twist or a bar featuring traditional Japanese bar food. In Therapy's case, they took this standard and threw it out the window.
Therapy's menu consists of traditional bar food, local favorites, sushi and so much more. However, what you have to keep in mind is that like most bars, food is a premium and can therefore be costly. This is common for most restaurants and especially for bars (making money off of drinks rather than food). But enough about the ins and outs of restaurant finances, lets talk food.
Sushi. Before I continue let me just say just between myself and a friend we spent $120 on this review. I'll just let you guess how much of that went into sushi. Therapy's nigiri sushi menu is quite expensive and their sashimi menu directly reflects the sushi menu as well. My suggestion is to go with the sushi moriawase large ($50.00) for two people or small ($30.00) for one person. This platter (we ordered the large) contains a variety of nigiri (two pieces each) as well as a mound of lobster salad and spicy tuna. The quality of sushi was disappointing for $50.00 (not to say that it was bad but just disappointing). I'd place the quality a little above genki sushi. Aside from the nigiri menu Therapy also features a large hand roll menu with many creative and new combinations that are worth taking a look. Aside from sushi and sashimi Therapy also offers a few selections of house-made poke.
The salads and burgers at Therapy didn't stand out much in my mind so I didn't order any of them. However the pupu's and plates section really caught my attention. We ordered hamachi kama (which took about 45 minutes to cook but was worth the wait and was served with the traditional sauces and sides), wasabi chicken (sort of like mochiko chicken with wasabi aioli. very tasty) and mushrooms with brie (a classic). Let me also mention that their garlic chicken, furikake chicken, buffalo chicken and dynamite chicken are basically the same as the wasabi chicken but with different sauces. Other dishes that caught my eye were their black bean fried rice (sounds interesting), fried pickles (love them), and their fried mac and cheese (another classic). And to top it all off, Therapy also serves a variety of donburi including maguro & natto don and spicy tuna don.
Did I mention beer? Therapy prides itself in serving not only foreign and domestic but local as well. Their cocktail menu is also filled with a variety of classic drinks. No wonder it's called Therapy Sports Grill! The mix of sports, great eclectic food and drinks combined with a relaxed atmosphere really is therapy for the mind, body, and soul all in the heart of Hawai'i Kai.
Therapy Sports Grill
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)
Service: 2.75
Food Quality: 2.75
Monetary Value: 2
Quality vs Quantity: tie
Overall: 2.5
Open Daily
11 AM - 2 AM (Happy Hour: 2 PM - 6 PM [ Ain't it great when happy hour is hours long?])
7192 Kalanianaole Highway (Koko Marina Center)
Honolulu, HI 96825
808-394-8200
Note: The day that we went in to review Therapy they didn't accept credit cards. However I am assured that they do accept credit cards.
January 9, 2009
Gyotaku (King Street)
Gyotaku
Situated along the busy hub that is King Street sits a restaurant that serves traditional Japanese fare. Its name is Gyotaku. Gyotaku is the Japanese tradition of fish printing. These paintings line the walls of this fine establishment and range from menpachi to papio. Parking at Gyotaku can be limited during the lunch and dinner rush but parking can usually be found at all hours.
Gyotaku serves most local Japanese influenced dishes along with an array of traditional ones. Gyotaku is known for it's combination bentos in which you can choose either two or three dishes for a reasonable price (2 choices for $13.95, 3 choices for $18.95) the meal also comes with rice, miso soup, salad, and pickled Japanese vegetables.
Another favorite of mine is the ten-don. It is shrimp and vegetable tempura served over rice with a sweet tempura sauce drizzled over the top (also served with miso soup and the other sides).
Gyotaku also prides itself in serving fresh sushi and sashimi. Although the selections aren't very impressive the quality is. If you are feeling a bit adventurous I suggest trying Gyotaku's nattocho's as an appetizer.
Overall, I feel that Gyotaku has hit the nail right on the head when it comes to Japanese food here in Hawai'i. Two thumbs up!
Gyotaku
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)
Service: 3
Food Quality: 3
Monetary Value: 2.5
Quality vs Quantity: Quality
Overall: 2.8
1824 King St.
Phone - 949-4584
Fax - 946-6529
Hours of Operation:
Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm
Fri-Sat 11am-10pm
Bento & Plate Lunch Window: 9am-1:30pm
Printable Menu's
Gyotaku Website
Situated along the busy hub that is King Street sits a restaurant that serves traditional Japanese fare. Its name is Gyotaku. Gyotaku is the Japanese tradition of fish printing. These paintings line the walls of this fine establishment and range from menpachi to papio. Parking at Gyotaku can be limited during the lunch and dinner rush but parking can usually be found at all hours.
Gyotaku serves most local Japanese influenced dishes along with an array of traditional ones. Gyotaku is known for it's combination bentos in which you can choose either two or three dishes for a reasonable price (2 choices for $13.95, 3 choices for $18.95) the meal also comes with rice, miso soup, salad, and pickled Japanese vegetables.
Another favorite of mine is the ten-don. It is shrimp and vegetable tempura served over rice with a sweet tempura sauce drizzled over the top (also served with miso soup and the other sides).
Gyotaku also prides itself in serving fresh sushi and sashimi. Although the selections aren't very impressive the quality is. If you are feeling a bit adventurous I suggest trying Gyotaku's nattocho's as an appetizer.
Overall, I feel that Gyotaku has hit the nail right on the head when it comes to Japanese food here in Hawai'i. Two thumbs up!
Gyotaku
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)
Service: 3
Food Quality: 3
Monetary Value: 2.5
Quality vs Quantity: Quality
Overall: 2.8
1824 King St.
Phone - 949-4584
Fax - 946-6529
Hours of Operation:
Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm
Fri-Sat 11am-10pm
Bento & Plate Lunch Window: 9am-1:30pm
Printable Menu's
Gyotaku Website
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