For those of you who don’t know (which is probably all of you because I don’t expect this to be in any of your calendars! LOL!), this World Wide Ed blog recently turned 6 years old! Crazy yeah? My very first blog here was entitled “Aloooooha!” and made its debut on the then Honolulu Advertiser on April 28, 2008. 2008! Hoooo, da old!
Anyway, no need bake me one cake or anything. Just send cash. π
Thanks for sticking with me for all of these years. You guys have seen me get married, have two kids, and start a clothing company all through this blog so it means a lot that you folks still read and comment from time to time. It’s not easy sometimes to keep on keepin’ on, but just knowing that you’re out there helps to motivate me to stay up late to put these things together. π
Anyway, nuff wit da mush. Let’s get to da pics! π
Last week‘s Winnahs:
* Ala Moana Beach (carokun)
* Hukilau Sports Bar & Grill (Isao)
* Krispy Kreme (Maui) (carokun)
* VH07V at the 2014 Waikiki SPAM Jam! VH07V is super fortunate to again be selected as one of only just a handful of craft vendors to participate at this weekend’s epic SPAM Jam festival in Waikiki! Be sure to come and visit our booth THIS SATURDAY May 3rd from 4pm (or whenever we finish setting up) to 10pm for special, show only pricing, free stickers with every purchase, and to check out some brand new items making their debut for the first time ever at the show!
* PARKING: Waikiki block parties are fun, but the parking usually isn’t. Fortunately, the organizers of the Waikiki Spam Jam have worked out deals with many major parking structures in Waikiki for a FIVE FOR FIVE deal. Park for up to five hours for $5. See this page for participating garages: spamjamhawaii.com/parking. Now you have no excuse not to see us! π
* Spotted!
My friend Marcus has a tough road ahead of him, but is confident he can beat this return occurrence of Cancer. Here’s a fun video he worked on recently to tell his story. Please help us pray for his speedy recovery!
* Mailing List
If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for our mailing list to get the latest scoops! I promise I don’t email too often (takes planny effort you know da kine! π ).
* Order Online!
Get all of the latest VH07V gear at:
Sorry peeps. I took one shmall kine two week break. Well, one week since last week wuz one holiday week anyway. Speaking of which, how was everyone’s Easter?
This week, I upped the difficulty level by a tiny notch. Let’s see how you guys do!
Last time‘s Winnahs:
* Ala Moana Center (Lia)
* Hawaii Theatre (Lia)
* Kahului Airport (Lia)
* VH07V at the 2014 Waikiki SPAM Jam! VH07V is fortunate enough to once again be one of just a handful of craft vendors invited to participate at next weekend’s epic SPAM Jam festival in Waikiki! Be sure to come on down next Saturday May 3rd from 4pm-10pm and check out all of our latest items including those making their debut at the show!
* Spotted!
Our Blue “Blocks” Ladies Racerback was spotted in this mini-documentary of UK Photographer Sam Wren doing a photo shoot in Europe. Really cool how our brand is getting out there!
* Mailing List
If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for our mailing list to get the latest scoops! I promise I don’t email too often (takes planny effort you know da kine! π ).
* Order Online!
Get all of the latest VH07V gear at:
* Man vs. VH07V?
How cool is this!? The Travel Channel’s popular host Adam Richman liked some of our #VH07V pics on Instagram recently! Who hoo! We gettin’ dea!
* Spotted!
The Skinny Hawaiians are at it again with this week’s “Spotted” shot for VH07V. This time, they teach you how to make SPAM Musubi Quick and Easy!
* Mailing List
If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for our mailing list to get the latest scoops! I promise I don’t email too often (takes planny effort you know da kine! π ).
* Order Online!
Get all of the latest VH07V gear at:
Whenever I travel anywhere new, I always make sure that grinding at the local hot spot is on the agenda. And although Kaneohe is not exactly “traveling” necessarily, buggah is far for me so getting to the Windward side these days is almost like going on a trip.
But like the chicken from KJ’s, poke from JJ’s, and okazu from Masa & Joyce, Dean’s Drive Inn in the Adon Plaza building off Kamehameha Highway has built a cult-like following for its fresher than fresh seafood and ono kine grindz, so making that “trek” is well worth it.
Behind it all is local boy and shoreline fisherman Dean Mishima. A graduate of Castle High, Mishima started cooking back in 1975 and caught the culinary bug ever since. Between cooking and fishing, he also ended up, ironically enough, becoming a fishing game warden at Kaneohe Marine Corps Base. Mishima’s last job before opening up Dean’s Drive Inn back in 2006, was as Executive Chef for 19 years at the old Liberty House in Ala Moana Center.
Dean Mishima in 1998
One weekday afternoon, Lawai`a’s Marc Inouye, Sterling Kaya, “Aunty Kwong” and I made our way through the Koolaus to try Dean’s dishes first hand. Here’s a peek at what and we pounded.
Surf & Turf: Ahi Cakes & Teri Beef Combo ($12.95) – Their most popular dish.
Island Fresh Ahi Belly ($12.95)
Island Fresh Shutome with Ginger, Butter & Capers ($12.95)
Rack of Lamb (3 pc – $14.95)
Kualoa Ranch Homemade 7 oz. Hamburger Steak ($9.50)
Pork with Watercress Soup
A bite of his wife Doreen’s Baked Butter Mochi Cup Topped with Chocolate Ganache and Haupia Pudding ($2.15)
The parking and accommodations at the Adon Plaza is not the greatest (small parking lot with no bathrooms on premise), but one bite of Dean’s mean eats will no doubt bring you back on this “trek” time and time again.
Dean Mishima
Dean’s Drive Inn 45-773 Kamehameha Hwy Kaneohe, HI 96744 (808) 247-1300
Since many of us have the day off today (let’s face it, we only read this blog during work hours π ), we’ll take a break from our “Where In Hawaii” game this week. Just wanted to wish you a nice day off to celebrate Prince Jonah Kuhio’s birthday. Go beach, go hike, go do something fun and we’ll catch y’all next week.
For those interested, the Yajiima-Ya “Shop & Eat” Pop Up Event for VH07V went suuuuuuuper good! So much so that we were thinking of doing it again, perhaps with a handful of other vendors? Click on the photo below to see some of the sights from the day:
Wow, lau lau. Last week‘s post got a whoppin’ 5 comments! Maybe the pics were too easy, cause sistah Lia got all three answers right away! This time, I’m insuring a slightly more challenging contest (I hope!)… Go getum y’all!
Last week‘s Winnahs:
* Leonard’s Bakery (Lia)
* Jewel or Juice (Lia & jknakas1)
* Ala Moana (Lia & jknakas1)
*** POP-UP EVENT AT YAJIMA-YA – NEXT SATURDAY 3/22! ***
We’ve partnered with our friends at Yajima-ya Lunch Wagon to hold our next pop-up event on their lot (located off of Sheridan Street behind Hinone Mizunone between South King & Liona) NEXT SATURDAY, 3/22 from 10am-3pm! Details below!
1) EAT & SAVE! – Purchase a plate lunch from Yajima-Ya that day and receive an immediate 10% OFF your #VH07V purchase!
2) PRE-ORDER & GET FREE SHIPPING! – Order online at http://a7oha.com/ from now through next Wednesday (3/19/14) with the special, free shipping code “YAJIMAYA322” and we will bring your order to the event for pick up!*
* Orders using this code will not be mailed & must be picked up. Offers not combinable. Other rules and restrictions may apply.
** PARKING: Yajima-Ya will be making 2-3 stalls out front and up to 8 stalls available in the lot next door (to the left) specifically for this event! Come on down!
* Spotted!
This week’s “Spotted” shot for VH07V is another funny video from Bruddah Bryan from the Skinny Hawaiians. This one covering the Hawaiian word: Lua!
Pidgin English Lesson – Lua
* Mailing List
If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for our mailing list to get the latest scoops! I promise I don’t email too often (takes planny effort you know da kine! π ).
* Order Online!
Get all of the latest VH07V gear at:
* Thoughts on the new WiFi at Kakaako?
* Thoughts on this supposed hoverboard from HUVr Tech?
* Thoughts on the Oscar’s?
* Thoughts on Comcast’s possible takeover of (Oceanic) Time Warner Cable?
* Did you guys partake in “Fat Tuesday” yesterday with some Malasadas? I swear, Leonard’s (hint, hint) owes whoever invented that concept some money. π
* Spotted!
This week’s “Spotted” shot for VH07V is preview from the newest Cookin’ With Cutty episode hitting the airwaves this Saturday, March 8th at 9am on OC16 (Oceanic Time Warner Cable channel 12 or HD 1012) and simulcast on www.oc16.tv! Entitled “You Are What You Eat”, the show focuses on Bragg Health Institute’s newest Health Education and Outreach program, BraggHealthKids.org, which, in the coming months, will release a series of online lessons and curriculum based on the Bragg health Philosophy, “you are what you eat drink, breath, think, say and do”. The curriculum, which meets school-age educational guidelines, will be made available to teachers, students and parents around the world, both online and in print. The online curriculum features a kid-friendly website with educational videos, games and exercises for school-age kids.
* Mailing List
If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for our mailing list to get the latest scoops! I promise I don’t email too often (takes planny effort you know da kine! π ).
* Order Online!
Get all of the latest VH07V gear at:
When you hear the words Pioneer Saloon, the first thing you probably think of is an old, rowdy bar in the wild, wild west. With tumbleweeds rolling by, you picture a clean-cut sheriff greeting people with "howdy pardner" as he enters swinging batwing doors looking for the bearded bag guy.
Well, this place in Diamond Head off Monsarrat, is not quite that place.
Outside Pioneer Saloon
Although some of the exterior and interior trimmings give it that rustic, cowboy-ish vibe…
Inside Pioneer Saloon
… this Pioneer Saloon is actually a very popular, Japanese style plate lunch eatery, just minutes away from the iconic Diamond Head.
On our first visit, we were the first in line (we got there a little too early, prior to their 11am opening), but within minutes, there was a line out the door.
The line at Pioneer Saloon just after opening
While waiting for our food, we had the chance to peruse their other merchandise, which included apparel and cute little trinkets and tchotchkes.
Apparel and goods at Pioneer Saloon
Because owner Chef Nori Sakamoto is from Japan, his eatery has received a good amount of coverage from the Japanese media. As a result, much of his clientele are tourists from Japan. More and more these days though, you'll see your local and mainland folk grinding his concoctions from the kitchen, which range from Ahi Katsu to Mochiko Chicken to Thai Style Green Curry.
Here's a peek at some of the dishes we tried that day.
The Halibut was dope! Halibut is probably one of my favorite cooked fishes, so it wasn't easy to impress me, but the Wasabi Ponzu was something I've never tried before on that fish. On point! The wife, who split the Shio Salmon and Mochiko Chicken with her mom and our daughter, liked hers as well.
The portions are not hu-MANG-ous like we're used to at your typical kanak attack inducing "plate lunch" kine place, but it was still enough to fill us up. The neat thing about Pioneer Saloon is that you can choose from 4 very different rice options: White, Brown, Mixed Grains & Beans, and Shiso Wakame. The Mixed Grains & Beans and Shiso Wakame options are $0.50 extra but very worth it if you're looking for something different. You'll see the Mixed Grains & Beans option with the Mochiko Chicken above and the Shiso Wakame option in the other two plates above. I'm not a big fan of Shiso, but totally love this one.
With satisfied tummies, we were already eager to figure out when our next trip to town would be so we could have an excuse to visit again. That day came a few weeks later during a busy lunch hour when every single table inside was taken… more the norm. Good thing we were getting our grindz to go!
Typical crowd at Pioneer Saloon
Here's a look at some of the other options we picked up this time.
Grilled Teriyaki Salmon – $9
Hamburger Steak w/ Ponzu Sauce – $9
Wasabi Shoyu Ahi Poke Bowl – $11.50
Wife enjoyed her Salmon again, while we shared the Hamburger Steak with each other and my mom. It looks hard and dry in the photo, but braaaaah! She go! Was super moist and juicy. It reminded me of the γγ³γγΌγ¬γΉγγΌγ (hanbaa-gah sutee-ki) I used to pound at this small hole in the wall in Kyoto Japan.
The ahi poke bowl to me was a slight disappointment. I don't really like avocado in my poke and this one had it in bunches. It also had shiso (see shiso reference above). Also, the tuna salad, though super delish, was VERY sparse. I think they were just running low on the visit though because it wasn't like that the last time.
Overall, love and highly recommend Pioneer Saloon. It's not really a new discovery (they took over the space vacated by the old Mi Casa Taqueria restaurant back in 2009), but it seems like it is still not widely known by us locals. Hopefully, this encourages some of you to check them out… pardner.
Pioneer Saloon 3046 Monsarrat Ave Honolulu, HI 96815 (808) 732-4001
Last week must’ve been too hard. This one won’t be any easier though (I think), but if you live in these neighborhoods, should be duck soup! Chance um!
Last week‘s Winnahs:
* Crack Seed Store (Lia)
* Hoku’s (jknakas)
* Les Murakami Stadium (Lia)
* VH07V on Tiny TV!
Our popular #TarpSurfing Commercial will air on the 3rd television show in as many weeks! Super exciting! This week, we’ll be on Tiny Tadani’s Tiny TV show on OC16 (Oceanic Time Warner Cable channel 12 or HD 1012) airing TONIGHT at 10:30pm and then repeating this Thursday and Friday at 10:30pm!
* Groove Hawaii Now Open!
This past Saturday 2/22, the much anticipated The Groove Hawaii officially opened its doors to the public. On Friday 2/21, as part of a social media event, I had the unique opportunity to preview their facilities during a soft launch opening. Was super fun, especially when you get a bunch of testosterone-filled men trying to get the better of each other on the Go-Kart race track (see pic below)! LOL! You can also play parlor games (arcades & billiards, darts, air-hockey, shuffleboard, etc.), climb a “rock” wall, take Segways tours, ride a Paradise Pedals Party Bike around town, or hold your next party or corporate event there. It’s the closest thing to Castle Park that we’ve had in a loonnnnnng time! Oh the memories. π Hope they do well. Go and support them k? #SupportLocal
* Mailing List
If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for our mailing list to get the latest scoops! I promise I don’t email too often (takes planny effort you know da kine! π ).
* Order Online!
Get all of the latest VH07V gear at:
So wot? You guys went survive Valentine’s Day? I’m kinda lucky cause the wife is very against the inflated prices of flowers and restaurants on V-Day, so I get a pass shmall kine. I still picked up 3 heart-shaped balloons for my 3 girls so hopefully, that won some points from them. π Did you guys do anything special?
This week is all food again, so hopefully you’re not reading this before lunch time. If so, sorry ah!
Last week‘s Winnahs:
* Alan Wong’s (pink lady)
* Tokkuri Tei (jknakas1)
* Molly’s Smokehouse (jknakas1)
* VH07V on Cookin’ With Cutty TONIGHT!
Tune in to OC16 (Oceanic Time Warner Cable channel 12 or HD 1012) TONIGHT at 8:30pm for the season premiere of Cookin’ With Cutty! Good kine quality programming for the entire ohana, from a bruddah with plenny #ALOHA in his heart! And watch the commercials all the way through ok? 8) You may just catch VH07V’s newest #TarpSurfing spot! π
* VH07V on HI*Sessions TOMORROW NIGHT!
And TOMORROW NIGHT… Catch another episode of HI*Sessions at 7pm on K5 The Home Team, where our spot will run twice!
Kolohe Kai is back together again, and their new album “Paradise” is coming out in less than 1 week (Feb 25th)! Yesterday, band leader Roman De Peralta visited Phat Joe and the Reggae Cafe at the Island 98.5FM studios and guess what shirt he wore!? Super blessed and honored! Here’s Roman playing an acoustic version of a song called Stinky Air. Funny lyrics!
Kolohe Kai (Roman De Peralta)- Stinky Air (acoustic)
* VH07V’s New Ladies and Keiki stuff!
Check out VH07V‘s 3 newest items for da Ladies and da Keiki!
* Mailing List
If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for our mailing list to get the latest scoops! I promise I don’t email too often (takes planny effort you know da kine! π ).
* Order Online!
Get all of the latest VH07V gear at:
