Love's Bakery 163 Years Old

Established in 1851 Love's Bakery is 163 years old. It's been around longer than all of us and making baked goods, mainly bread for the State of Hawaii. It's seen the good times and the bad but one thing is for sure, it's still going strong. The photo was made to look antique. 

Edible Dress

Happy Valentine's Day! Cake Works near the University of Hawaii makes cakes for all occasions and on display was this edible dress... perfect for the sexy Valentine's evening wear.

Anytime I see a pineapple, it reminds me of the largest pineapple in the world that was once located in Iwilei,  Kakaako. Although it has been dismantled, the iconic Dole pineapple water tower stood proud and tall and it could be seen from most vantage points in Honolulu from as far as Diamond Head. Years ago we bought a white ceramic pineapple water jug to remind of us of that tower.

Fish

  

The benefits of having a friend whose dad is a sushi chef is of course the best sashimi fish for dinner. Pictured is a beautiful onaga, salmon cuts, fresh ahi, a tray of uni, and abalone. Other dishes served were rib eye, sauteed clams, and a variety of sushi. Thanks for the invite!

A Popular Drive Inn

This is the very first L &L Drive Inn in that was started on Liliha Street. It hasn't been renovated and it retains it's original retro look. Before becoming a nationwide franchise, this was one of the first drive-inn that made plate lunches popular in Honolulu next to Rainbow Drive Inn. Some popular local favorites are that can be found on the menu here are Bbq chicken,  hamburger steaks with gravy and macaroni salad, chicken katsu, lemon chicken, and teriyaki short ribs.

Hawaiian Ulu

Ulu otherwise known as breadfruit is the staple food of many Polynesians. They are beautiful trees with big green leaves and an abundance of fruits. If left to over ripen the fruits become soft but they are still edible. They are like exotic potatoes of the tropics providing starch for the meals. The way I prepare them is cutting them in half, baking them for about 20 minutes at 325 degrees, then putting melted butter, honey, and cinnamon on them to taste. Simple, fast, and yummy!

Originally from Haleiwa

Just a local favorite for yummy burgers at the Ward Center in Kakaako. Originally Kua'aina Burger began in Haleiwa.

An Off-the-Hook Performance

Chinese New Year is always very festive and celebratory. Tonight was action packed with martial arts, dragon and lion dances, crafts, and a variety of food vendors at the Chinese Cultural Plaza. The Wah Ngai Lion Dance Association showed off their lion pole dancing skills with their off the hook performance. They hopped and skipped to the beat of the drums and cymbals and moved so smoothly over the poles that it appeared as if the lion had no fear of falling. They had the crowd in the palm of their hands with each movement that the lion made. They cheered, whistled, and at times even cringed for the performers when the lion hit each daring step with perilous precision.

Ramen Nakamura

Ramen Nakamura on Kalakaua Ave. is known for their oxtail ramen. Ramen shops in Honolulu have recently become popular and each noodle shop has it's own special soup base. Although oxtail ramen is popular here, I'd recommend the miso ramen any day! Click here to see other photos on facebook.

Amuse

Chocolate pudding cake at Amuse at Honolulu Design Center wine bar. It was complex tasting with berries, chocolate cake, nuts, whipped cream, and drizzled with it's own unique sauce. Mixing fashionable furniture with fine foods, this wine bar sits between Stages restaurant and the concept furniture design center.

He'eia Pier in Kaneohe

A handful of people were fishing off of He'eia Pier in Kaneohe waiting for a fresh catch of the day. To the right of this photo is the He'eia general store and Deli. Chef Mark makes delicious loco mocos (burger patty, over easy egg, and brown gravy). A we'ke (veke)/goatfish that was caught off this pier and served to us for lunch. It was perfectly cooked and was surprisingly spiced just right. Click here to see other photos of this wonderful local spot.

Gummy Candies and Salted Plum

One of the few cracked seed stores that sell dried fruits, gummy candies, salted plums, etc... in old fashioned glass jars is located in Honolulu Chinatown. It's a nostalgic Hawaii that reminds some of us of another time when society moved slower, things were handmade, and people appreciated snacks didn't come in wrapper.

On the Ninth Day of Christmas

 

On the ninth day of Chrismas my tutu give to me, nine pounds of poi,

Sample Them Uncooked

In Kahaluu near Kualoa Ranch, there is a macadamia nut farm tucked to the left headed north. With garden tours, jams, jellies, sauces, and of course macadamia nut products for sale at the gift shop, people stop in for a look-see. There are thousands of nuts still in their shell in a container where visitors may crack them upon a log with a rock to sample them uncooked. They have a hint of coconut flavor when eaten raw. Click here to see another image of all the mac nuts.

Saint Germaine Bakery

I called to reserve a pumpkin pie at a bakery in Liliha and when I got there, the people before me bought the last one. The cashier then said that the wait was an hour before I could have my reserved pie. So instead of waiting, I went to St. Germaine and bought an ogura cake instead thus, St. Germaine has it for the photo of the day. Check out what an ogura cake looks like by clicking here.

Searching for Poi

Happy Black Friday! Since everyone was at the malls on this first day of Christmas shopping, I was hoping to get a Hawaiian plate with fresh poi at the Waiahole Poi Factory and avoid the mad rush. Unfortunately, the crew was probably at the malls too so I'll have to make another trip there the next Friday that I have off. We ended up at Ono's Hawaiian Foods on Kapahulu to satisfy my palate for some laulau, kalua pig, lomilomi salmon, chicken long rice, pipi kaula, and of course poi.

The Braids of Ku

Passing this farm in Waianae Valley today, I noticed a statue of Ku that was standing at the front gates. Ku is famously known as the god of war and most attribute the energy of bloodshed with this Hawaiian god although there are many other peaceful attributes that Ku was also known for. The original statues were on display at the Bishop Museum for a short time and was lucky enough to see them. I was told that if the braids of Ku touches the ground the people would be prosperous since Ku was also compassionate. Click here to see a short video on Ku and notice that the middle statue has long braids that touches the earth.

Murphy's Bar and Grill

I wanted to be the first to wish everyone happy holidays. Today's photo of the day is the follow up for my November 17, 2011 post with the lucky clovers. As mentioned then, I was treated to lunch at Murphy's Bar and Grill on Merchant Street and I thought that for those who have read the post you may be wondering what it looks like. So, here it is.

Waianae McDonald's

The Waianae McDonald's was just renovated a few months ago. I always admired the mountain range in the backdrop and the vibrant colors of the American flag, Hawaiian flag, and the McDonald's waving proudly. There is also the word, "Aloha" right above the new entrance on the left that may be unique to this one shop.

Buta Kaku-ni

 

There are so many variety of pork recipes somewhat like shrimps that I believe it can define an entire area by recipe and taste. We have pork chops for starters, pulled pork sandwiches, pork cutlet, smoked pork, Chinese kau yook, Filipino pork adobo, and don't forget the bacon, etc... The dish above is called Buta Kaku-ni in Japanese and it took three hours to stew on low heat. It went perfectly with the rice cake (mochi) and the blanched vegetables I bought from the farmer's market.