Ummm… Ooohhhkay, so I took a shmall kine hiatus from this blog for the last couple weeks. Did anyone even reconotice? 😛 But actually July 4th was one holiday so technically, I only took one week off.
In any case, I apologize if you guys were just dying without your WIH Wednesday fix. Probably all four of you: mom, dad, wifey and bebe (if she could read). Actually, I don’t even know if any of them check this blog out. Sad no? Haha! Anyway, let’s get on with this week’s pics!
Points for Photo #1…
* Location: 2 points
* General area: 1 point
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each
* Google Street View link (if get)?: 2 points
* First names of the two shadows in the reflection: 3 points each
* Month photo was taken?: 1 point
* Day of the month photo was taken?: 1 point
* Day of the week photo was taken?: 1 point
* Year photo was taken?: 1 point
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
Points for Photo #2…
* Location: 2 points
* General area: 1 point
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each
* Google Street View link (if get)?: 2 points
* First names of the peeps in the pic: 3 points each
* Month photo was taken?: 1 point
* Day of the month photo was taken?: 1 point
* Day of the week photo was taken?: 1 point
* Year photo was taken?: 1 point
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
Points for Photo #3…
* Location: 2 points
* General area: 1 point
* Island: 2 points
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each
* Google Street View link (if get)?: 2 points
* Name of the bruddah on the sign: 2 points
* Name of the guy he’s fighting next: 3 points
* Which UFC Card and when?:5 points
* Month photo was taken?: 1 point
* Day of the month photo was taken?: 1 point
* Day of the week photo was taken?: 1 point
* Year photo was taken?: 1 point
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
Points for Photo #1
* Location: 2 points (Wakiki Beach Walk – carokun)
* General area: 1 point (Waikiki – carokun)
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each (Kalakaua Ave – carokun, Lewers St – Paco)
* Google Street View link (if get)?: 2 points (Paco)
* Name each merchant here: 1 point each (Oasis, Ruth Chris, Yard house, ABC store, Folli Follie, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Crazy Shirts – Paco, Coffe Bean and Tea Leaf, Giovanni Pastrami – pink lady, Na Hoku, Island Heritage, Honolua Surf, Quiksiver, Wyland Galleries, Island Pearls, Malibu Shirts, Peter Lik Gallery, Alter Ego, Subway, Mahina, Coco Cove, Roy’s Waikiki, UPS Store, Kaiwa Waikiki, Prime Jewelry, Hawaiian Quilt Collection, Under the Koa Tree – Coconut Willy)
* Month photo was taken?: 1 point
* Day of the month photo was taken?: 1 point
* Day of the week photo was taken?: 1 point
* Year photo was taken?: 1 point
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
I used to train with Sage at HMC Academy where his father Kevin (the co-founder of the school) would coach. Sage was the most humble and kindhearted guy you would ever meet, but when it came down to train and spar, bruddah was a beast! You could just see that fire in his eyes!
Here’s a picture of Sage and his dad Kevin on the flight to Japan and his caption from Instagram. Best of luck bruddah Sage. We are all pulling for you and know you will do us proud! WWE `ohana, please help me send some good vibes to him and his dad during this exciting time in their lives.
Sage and Kevin Yoshida on the plane to Deep – Tokyo Impact in Japan
“On our way to Japan! Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me, loved me, and pushed me through this throughout my lifetime. I feel so humbled by what everyone had done for me to help me accomplish one of the aspirations and goals I have dreamed about since I was a kid! I’ll be home soon too baby @mmhx3, just gotta do my best to hopefully get that win first 🙂 Love all you guys, God bless ! @kickboxerx5 #ThankYouJesus #Japan #ShootBoxing #DefendHawaii #WorkHardToWin #Humbled”
Put in another “replenishing” order of over 200 “fill-in” pieces for existing VH07V stock in addition to a new color combo. Stay tuned for that. Will also be looking into expanding into different styles/designs. More to come!
Aside from that, business has been picking up some MAYJAH steam (Mahalos for all of your support). I’ve been grabbing at least 50 pieces pretty regularly from storage every weekend while the other weekend had me going for 70+! Eek!
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Where/When you can find VH07V in the coming weeks:
09/15/12: University of Hawaii Football game – Will likely be tailgating along the main walkway leading up to Aloha Stadium prior to the 6pm game vs. Lamar. Stop by and say hi.
09/22/12: University of Hawaii Football game – Will likely be tailgating along the main walkway leading up to Aloha Stadium prior to the 4:30pm game vs. Nevada. Stop by and say hi.
09/29/12: 3rd Annual Rice Fest – As a sponsor of the event, VH07V will also have a booth at this year’s Rice Fest where we will sell all of our VH07V shirts in addition to the custom event shirt! Come on down to the Ward Warehouse complex to visit our booth any time from 11am-7pm.
10/13/12: University of Hawaii Football game – Will likely be tailgating along the main walkway leading up to Aloha Stadium prior to the 6pm game vs. New Mexico. Stop by and say hi.
10/19/12-10/21/12: 48th Annual Food & New Products Show – Get your Christmas shopping done at the Blaisdell all weekend! Come visit us at our booth for a free gift!
11/10/12: University of Hawaii Football game – Will likely be tailgating along the main walkway leading up to Aloha Stadium prior to the 2pm game vs. Boise State. Stop by and say hi.
11/24/12: University of Hawaii Football game – Will likely be tailgating along the main walkway leading up to Aloha Stadium prior to the 6pm game vs. UNLV. Stop by and say hi.
12/01/12: University of Hawaii Football game – Will likely be tailgating along the main walkway leading up to Aloha Stadium prior to the 6pm game vs. South Alabama. Stop by and say hi.
See you there!
As always, a big mahalos to everyone for your support and for helping to spread the VH07V! 8)
So this review of the legendary Sam Sato’s on Maui is more than a few years delayed. My bad. I guess it’s shmall kine hahd for this Oahu boy to get around these days, especially with the little one around. But trust… It’s worth the wait! 🙂
Sam Sato’s is a pseudo hole-in-the-wall type eatery, located in Wailuku Maui, in the same “historical” lineage of the Hamura’s Saimins (Kauai), Nori’s Saimin & Snacks (Big Island) and Shiro’s Saimin Havens (Oahu) of the world.
Sam Sato’s sign
On any given day, there will usually always be a wait to get in. Be prepared.
The wait outside Sam Sato’s
Don’t forget to sign in on their cute, self-waitlist system: a pen and a pad.
The waiting list system at Sam Sato’s
Once you hit the lottery and your name gets called, you are seated inside, which has all the charm and nostalgia of yesteryear including palaka style window trimmings, old school paintings, and black & white photos from back in the day.
Inside Sam Sato’s
You’ll even find posters/photos signed by local celebrities like Na Leo, Frank DeLima, & Maui natives Ekolu, as well as our two Hawaii-born living legends BJ Penn & Shane Victorino (also a Maui boy).
Signed photos from Shane Victorino and BJ Penn
Sam Sato’s has a variety of popular noodle dishes like their Saimins, Won Ton Meins and Chow Funs, but none are as popular as their Dry Noodles, endearingly referred to as Dry Mein, due to their lack of a traditional soup base.
Sam Sato’s Dry Noodles, aka Dry Mein
The noodles aren’t exactly dry-dry. In fact, the consistency and flavor almost reminds you of a fried saimin/noodle type dish. The kicker here is that the dish comes with a small bowl of a chicken based stock/broth, which you are supposed to drizzle on before every bite.
Sam Sato’s Dry Mein order with broth (S – $4.95, L – $5.75, Double – $7.25)
Like many of the other old school saimin shops, Sam Sato’s is also known for their BBQ sticks. My buddy Joel, a Maui native, ordered a couple BBQ Beef Sticks for good measure.
BBQ Beef Sticks from Sam Sato’s ($1.25 each)
Since he’s been here many times, Joel decided to forego the Dry Mein and feed his craving for Hamburger Steak, which he claims was also “Bomb.” Here’s a shot of our food.
BBQ Beef Sticks, Dry Mein and Hamburger Steak ($7) from Sam Sato’s
As if that weren’t enough, these buggahs also make some of the most ono kine manjus & turnovers evaaaar!
Partial Manju display at Sam Sato’s
Pictured here is the Azuki Bean Manju, with the Coconut, Peach and Apple Turnovers. They also had a Lima Bean Manju along with the Pineapple-Coconut, Pineapple-Peach, and Blueberry Turnovers. I’m not really a sweets person, but bruddah ova hea went to town! For omiyage of course! 😉
Manju and Turnovers from Sam Sato’s
My favorite part was the “key” they stamped on every take out box so you knew exactly which turnover was what.
Turnover “key” stamped on take out box
Sam Sato’s is one of those “must-visits” whenever you are in Maui. Personally, I’m already trying to figure out when my next visit there will be. Likely not soon enough.
Sam Sato’s 1750 Wili Pa Loop Wailuku, HI 96793 (map) (808) 244-7124 Mon-Sat: 7am-2pm (meals), 7am-4pm (manju pick-up)
VH07V Gear The latest in Hawaii lifestyle apparel. Check it out!
OK, so the story I’m about to share is not as dramatic as my title suggests, but let’s be honest… for many of us TV fanatics, forgetting to set our DVR to record our favorite show(s) often does seem like life or death.
Let’s take a few steps back and talk about what Remote DVR is. In fact, maybe I should moonwalk a little further and talk about what DVR itself is because, believe it or not, I still get asked this question on the regular.
DVR, which stands for Digital Video Recorder, is the greatest thing since sliced bread. And I’m not just saying that because I work for the company. 😉 It’s basically a smarter, “nu skool”-ier version of the beloved VHS recorder. Instead of using tapes like the VHS, it uses an internal hard drive (like a computer). And instead of relying on you and your fading memory (let’s face it, we’re getting old) to check the guide in the daily paper and set your recordings manually, the DVR automatically syncs to the on-screen guide through which you can set all of your recordings. You can even set it to record a whole series of shows, adjust start and end times, and much more!
Remote DVR, which was recently launched here in the Hawaii market, takes this convenience to the next level. Thanks to the power of the Interwebs, you can now log in to http://dvr.timewarnercable.com (using TimeWarnerCable.com’s MyServices portal) from any Internet connected device, and manage your DVR recordings even when you aren’t home.
For Apple iPad users, you can leverage the power of our uber popular TWCable TV iPad App to similarly manage your DVR recordings. As a new father, I’ve found this service particularly useful & convenient because once baby goes to bed, the wife mandates that the TV be off. Not a problem. If I forgot to set a recording, I’ll just whip out my trusty iPad…
TWCable TV App on the iPad
fire up the TWCable TV app…
TWCable TV app launching
go into the DVR screen, and record away.
On this particular occasion, I forgot to set all of my UFC 137 related recordings. As a HUGE UFC and MMA fan in general, this event is of particular interest to me – as well as the rest of the state – because our local boy BJ Penn is headlining the card. (Read an interview I did with BJ Penn back in 2009.)
Since the “no TV when baby is sleeping” rule was in full effect, I simply did a search for “UFC” in the TWCable TV app and found all shows in the next 7 days with “UFC” in the title.
Searching for “UFC” in the TWCable TV app
From there, I simply selected the shows I wanted to record and, bingo-bango, they were all automagically set to record without even having to turn on my TV. Sweet right? Here’s what one sequence looked like when I scheduled a show (UFC 137 Prelims) to record on Spike HD.
Selecting UFC 137 Prelims in the search results brought up this options window
Selecting the HD version brought up this window that displayed additional show info and the Record button.
Pressing the Record button brought up the options screen where you could adjust the Save Time (“Until space needed” or “Do not delete”) and the Start and End times.
Pressing the Confirm Changes button set my recording
Not exactly life saving, but definitely time saving. Now, with all this extra time, I can concentrate on preparing for my UFC 137 BBQ/Party! 8) Goooooo BJ!
I first met Reagan Penn when I flew up to Hilo in May of 2009 to interview his famous brother, beloved MMA legend BJ Penn. We were meeting up at their other brother JD’s house, and Reagan came by on his bicycle after a day at the gym.
Fast forward to today. Bruddah is preparing for one of the biggest weekends of his life when he will be making his professional fighting debut on one of the most anticipated MMA fight cards in recent Hawaii history as Pro Elite (re)debuts on Saturday, September 27th at the Neal Blaisdell Arena with a stacked card featuring former UFC stars Andrei Arlovski, Kendall Grove, Joe Riggs and Drew McFedries. The real story though, at least for true fight fans like myself, is the one surrounding Reagan Penn.
Prior to this, Reagan led a relatively modest but exciting life, supporting his brother BJ as he went on to capture UFC glory by winning both the Welterweight and Lightweight titles. This weekend, when Reagan faces an undefeated Paul Gardiner, he will step out his brother’s shadow to work on creating his own legacy in the fight world.
Check out my quick interview with Reagan Penn on the story behind his name, his ground game, his fight this weekend and what’s in store for his future… WAR Reagan!
Interview with Reagan Penn
Edward Sugimoto) First of all thank you very much taking the time out of your busy schedule. I know you have a fight this weekend right?
Reagan Penn) Yes thank you. Thank you for having me.
Edward Sugimoto) So let me see if I have this straight. You have three older brothers all named “Jay Dee” (Jay, JD, Baby Jay)?
Reagan Penn) Yes.
Edward Sugimoto) And you’re the youngest, the fourth, named Reagan?
Reagan Penn) Yes.
Edward Sugimoto) Where did that name come from? Do you know?
Reagan Penn) Yeah, actually my dad was going to name all his sons (Jay Dee), but my mom grabbed the birth certificate before my dad could, during the pregnancy and she put that name down.
Edward Sugimoto) Was that like one of her favorites?
Reagan Penn) She was actually watching TV during her pregnancy, her labor I mean and there was a football player who kinda scored a winning touchdown named Reagan so that’s how I got my name.
Edward Sugimoto) So everybody knows the story about how your dad’s neighbor Tom Callos and how he introduced you guys to jiu-jitsu. Be honest, who’s the most talented jiu-jitsu practitioner amongst the Penn brothers?
Reagan Penn) *laughs* That’s funny. Everybody asks that question. We’re all good at different positions you know so it’s hard to really say who would be better in really jiu-jitsu but me and my brothers, we all have certain positions that we’re all better at so it’s tough to really say. *laughs*
Edward Sugimoto) So you guys tap each other out regularly then?
Reagan Penn) *laughs* Yeah exactly so it’s back and forth.
Edward Sugimoto) That makes you better too right?
Reagan Penn) *laughs* That’s how you get better for sure.
Edward Sugimoto) So I read somewhere that you helped your family’s business with computer help and you actually started up BJPenn.com and helped out with that. How did you go from that to wanting to fight professionally?
Reagan Penn) In our family, everybody just gotta help out with what is ever going on so mostly we were working on the site BJPenn.com and then slowly we had more people helping us with it and I could train more, so I found myself training a lot more than I was doing my other jobs so I figured, hey, let’s try it out. Getting punched in the head, sparring every day. *laughs*
Edward Sugimoto) So let’s talk about getting punched in the head. You have a fight this Saturday… How did training camp go? Are you all set? Are you nervous? Excited?
Reagan Penn) Yeah, I can definitely feel the nerves now just thinking about how I want to be with my weight, getting in there, and the whole crowd thing. So I wasn’t feeling too nervous a couple days ago, but I’m definitely starting to feel the adrenaline and I’m starting to have dreams about fighting so, it’s definitely coming.
Edward Sugimoto) So there’s a lot of big buzz surrounding you because of your name and because it’s your first debut fight… Are you pretty nervous? Pretty excited? *laughs* I guess we just went over that huh?
Reagan Penn) *laughs* Yeah same thing.
Edward Sugimoto) Do you feel some pressure?
Reagan Penn) I just want to do good you know I don’t want to go in there and choke and panic or whatever can happen in there, you know, that’s the main thing. I just want to go in there and try to stay as calm as I can until I get in there and just show what I got. Whatever happens, I’m gonna try my best.
Edward Sugimoto) So your opponent is undefeated Paul Gardiner. What do you know about him and how’d you prepare?
Reagan Penn) Yeah, my opponent Paul Gardiner, I seen him on YouTube, I seen a few of his fights and I noticed he likes a lot to take the guy down but he can also strike. I seen him knock one of his opponents down so I’m not sure, since I think he has more of a jiu-jitsu base, he might be thinking I might have better jiu-jitsu and he might wanna try to stand with me, maybe just go all out and trade with me, but you never know until you get in there. We’ll just have to see what happens.
Edward Sugimoto) And if he does stand up with you, he’s in trouble right?
Reagan Penn) *laughs* Well we’re ready for everything. I didn’t really know what kind of opponent I had so all my training kinda was just geared for whoever, then just a few weeks ago, they finally got my opponent and I could just watch some tapes, but I didn’t really look at too much of his stuff until maybe the last week ago, two weeks ago, when my training started winding down and I started getting whatever bored, I’ll jump on the Internet. *laughs*
Edward Sugimoto) So after this match, after you win of course, what are your long term plans in fighting if you have any?
Reagan Penn) Yeah I want to try and pursue this sport as far as I can go. Of course, this is my first fight. I gotta see how this one goes. But yeah, I’m definitely planning on fighting right away if all goes well.
Edward Sugimoto) So you know all of us Hawaii folks are backing you, (I love) Just Scrap your shirt, we all have a lot of love and aloha. Do you have anything else to say to your fans out there?
Reagan Penn) Hey you guys. I’m gonna do my best for you guys, and eh, thanks for coming and watching and supporting us cause you’re the guys who make it happen.
Local band Island Rhythms pretty much summed it up in their classic hit, “Is This the End?”
Is this the end?
Are you my friend?
It seems to me
We are to be free…
Over the last 4 months, we’ve been poke-ing it up across our great state. We’ve visited some great institutions like Yama’s Fish Market, Tanioka’s, the Honolulu Fish Auction, Haili’s, and Tamashiro Market, and have met with some interesting folks in the industry like Sam Choy, Mel and Justin Tanioka, Hideaki “Santa” Miyoshi, Alan Wong, Jed Inouye, Brooks Takenaka, Rachel Haili, Guy Tamashiro, and Hilo’s Uncle Solomon.
Chef/Owner Reno Henriques grew up next to Kaneohe Bay and spent much of his childhood fishing, diving, and trolling in the ocean. After graduating from St. Louis School, he attended Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, where he honed his culinary skills. Reno returned to Hawaii to help with his family’s businesses (brother Dominic Henriques owns RRR Recycling Services and parents Linda and Robert Henriques own Rolloffs Hawaii), until an opportunity presented itself to open his own place. Fresh Catch was born.
Wanna learn more about Fresh Catch? Here’s a recent interview I did with owner, Bruddah Reno Henriques.
Reno Henriques Interview
[Edward Sugimoto] Give us a little history about yourself.
[Reno Henriques] I was born and raised in Kaneohe, fished my whole life, went to high school, St. Louis High School, and then after I graduated St. Louis, I went to Western Culinary Institute in Portland Oregon and did a lot of culinary up there. And then, when I came back, my parents own Rolloffs Hawaii, a rubbish company, and my brother does Triple R, I was working for them for about maybe 10 years. Then, my brother started a recycle thing in Kaimuki, so he asked me… ’cause the place was available and it’s too big for him… if I would like to do poke with him. I mean do a poke thing, and then he do his recycling in the parking lot. At first I was like ah, might as well. I didn’t cook for about maybe 10-15 years, but I figured, ah, I’ll give it a shot, I always cook at home. So I came in, prior to that, about a year, I was helping somebody else in Kaneohe, used to be called Slow Poke, it was a fish market. I was just helping him after work, you know, mix poke. One day he got real busy, he was like, “Reno go back there and make your own poke.” So I started mixing and next thing you know, people was telling me, “Oh I wanna try that one, try that one.” So I started making for him, and then, next thing you know, he was like, “You know what. Come over, help me, and you can work off your bill.” *laughs* Free poke and beer. And then he just helped me work couple hours a day, during the rush hour. So that’s how I kinda got into it, and then he taught me a lot of things, and then he retired about 8 months ago and I took over that business also. So now I have two stores, the Kaimuki store and then the Kaneohe store.
[Edward Sugimoto] How many different types of poke do you have and what are some of your more popular ones?
[Reno Henriques] Huuu. Probably got maybe over, I’d say about, between 30-35 different types of poke.
Fresh Catch’s wide poke selection [Photo Credit: Arthur Betts]
[Reno Henriques] The most popular one is up to you. I don’t know everybody has their flavor.
Close-up of one of my favorites: the Smoked Tako Poke
[Reno Henriques] You know, shoyu’s a good one. Everybody likes shoyu poke.
Shoyu Poke from Fresh Catch [Photo Credit: Arthur Betts]
[Reno Henriques] I started a new one, it’s called the Spicy Hawaiian. It’s kinda like an Ahi Limu Poke with spicy sauce inside. Different, but the thing is good, plus with the crunch with the limu.
Spicy Hawaiian Poke from Fresh Catch
[Reno Henriques] And the salmon poke is one of my popular ones. Teri Furikake Salmon Poke, da buggah’s ono.
Furikake Salmon Poke from Fresh Catch
[Edward Sugimoto] How about some of your personal favorites?
[Reno Henriques] My personal favorites is, you know the old school Hawaiian stuff like ake (liver), lomi oio…
Lomi Oio [Photo Credit: Arthur Betts]
[Reno Henriques] … Dry aku, a real popular one too is our taegu dry aku. It’s like dry aku, we cut it up, and then, got my grandma’s special taegu sauce. Everybody’s trying to get that one outta me, but cannot part with that one. *laughs*
Reno mixing up a batch of Taegu Dry Aku Poke [Photo Credit: Arthur Betts]
[Edward Sugimoto] And you don’t just have poke. You have plate lunches, marinated meats (party platters, and Red Velvet Cupcakes from Divine Desserts, etc.)…
[Reno Henriques] Yeah, we have all the different plate lunches. Our most popular plate lunch is the Teri Furikake Baked Salmon. That thing is deadly. Moist, juicy…
Teri Furikake Baked Salmon from Fresh Catch
[Reno Henriques] Then we got like local favorites like a Deep Fried Ahi Belly with a butter garlic heavy cream sauce.
Deep Fried Ahi Belly from Fresh Catch
[Reno Henriques] We got grandma’s fatty beef stew. Plenny gravy. And then we got pateles, lau lau, we make smoked meat, chopped steak, just all kine local styles. We also sell marinated meats for the barbeque grill, you know tailgate time?
Marinated Meats from Fresh Catch
[Reno Henriques] And then we have some cold beverages. My wife and my cousins make red velvet cupcakes. It’s the best on the island I’m tellin’ you. *smiles* It’s the cream cheese frosting with chocolate chips. Mmm.
Red Velvet Cupcake from Divine Desserts (at Fresh Catch)
[Edward Sugimoto] So it’s a whole family affair over here.
[Edward Sugimoto] What’s in store for Fresh Catch?
[Reno Henriques] You know like everybody else, become famous and rich. Nah! *laughs* I’m trying to bottle my sauces right now. So I’ve been going to the mainland. I went to Boston’s seafood show, got some ideas. I want to start bottling a couple of my sauces and maybe one day, you know selling it throughout the world hopefully.
[Edward Sugimoto] Anything else to add to your current or future customers?
[Reno Henriques] Thank you everybody for your awesome business and your support. Fresh Catch will be coming up with a new special very shortly. I can’t tell you guys too much but yeah.
Note: Fresh Catch will be holding their 2nd Annual Father’s Day “Up In Smoke” Cooking Contest and “Nobody Cares” Hawaiian Style Car Show on Sunday, June 20, 2010 at the Aloha Stadium Nimitz Parking Lot. Click here for more details.
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Ono Seafood Products, Inc.
Through one of my many blogs/tweets/status updates (I don’t remember which), I asked where the best poke place in town was. One of the names that came up regularly was Ono Seafood on Kapahulu.
Ono Seafood Products, Inc
Self-proclaimed as “The Best Poke in Honolulu,” this “Ono’s” should not be confused with the Hawaiian Food restaurant “Ono’s” with the same/similar name: Ono Hawaiian Food.
Outside Ono Hawaiian Food
The Hawaiian Food “Ono’s” also resides on Kapahulu, and, to make things even more confusing, they serve poke as well.
Hawaiian Style Poke at Ono Hawaiian Food
But getting back to Ono Seafood Products, Inc… Here’s a quote from my friend Dean Shimamoto, who teaches us what and how to order:
“Every order of poke is made in front of you… You have the option to pick what you want, but I usually get ‘everything’ which means fish, onions, ogo, some kind of chili sauce thing, inamona (i think) and their special sauces. Ogo is fresh and their sauce is mean (haven’t tasted anything like it). How to order… ‘One pound Ahi with Everything’. You can also specify the spiciness, but if you don’t say anything it’s assumed to be mild. I’ve gone enough to know not to go on Tuesdays before 2pm when they get their shipment of fresh ogo.”
-Dean Shimamoto
As you may’ve noticed in the picture above, I arrived at Ono Seafood a tad early and was greeted with their delightful “Closed” sign. After killing an hour or so, I was the first, excitable patron through door. An older woman, whom I could only assume was the reverent “Judy,” took my order.
A confused Aunty Judy takes my order
Though Ono’s has a reasonable variety of products beyond poke like dried goods (ahi, aku, squid jerkey, smoked tako, taegu, etc.) sashimi, party platters, boiled peanuts, and pickled products (kinilau, pickle onion, cucumber kim chee, lomi salmon, etc.), they’re primarily known for their poke and poke bowls.
Poke options at Ono Seafood
On this occasion, I picked up a half pound of shoyu poke (ahi)…
Shoyu Ahi Poke from Ono Seafood ($14/lb)
… and a half pound of miso ahi.
Miso Ahi Poke from Ono Seafood ($14/lb)
As mentioned by Dean-o, my orders were made to order. And though I didn’t say anything about my spiciness preference, the Shoyu Ahi actually had some pretty good kick to it. If you no can handle (Randall), you should ask for mild regardless.
I don’t know if I’d go as far as naming them “The Best Poke in Honolulu” but it was tasty. Made to order care using only fresh fish is tough to beat.
Ono Seafood Products, Inc.
747 Kapahulu Ave, Apt 4
Honolulu, HI 96816 (map)
(808) 732-4806
Mon-Sat: 9am-6pm
Sun: 10am-3pm
If the Poke Bowl is what you’re after, there is actually a science as to how to order. First you choose your size (small or large or extra large), rice (white or brown) and sauce (hot or mild). Then you pick your poke (Spicy Tuna, Shoyu Ahi, Hot Shoyu Ahi, or Limu Ahi), and cover it with one of 10 toppings at 50 cents a piece: Natto, Taegu, Kim Chee, Takuan, Shredded Nori, Fukujinzuke, Pickled Onions, Furikake, Green Onions, or Seaweed Salad.
Small Hot Shoyu Ahi Poke Bowl with Furikake and Seaweed Salad on White Rice
Since there are so many options, you can literally go several times and never get the same thing.
One Small Spicy Tuna Poke Bowl with Shredded Nori, Seaweed Salad and Green Onion on White Rice, and one Small Shoyu Ahi Poke Bowl with Pickled Onions and Seaweed Salad on Brown Rice
Derek has informed me that they will actually be moving again in August to the nearby location formerly occupied by the Chowder House. Even more space and seating for their loyal and growing following.
The brother in law told us about this unique, Okinawan joint sitting in the middle of Pearl Kai Shopping Center. Wifey and I checked it out one day and were pleasantly surprised with their eclectic dishes, especially their andagi options: the Shoyu Pork Andagi…
Shoyu Pork Andagi – Crispy andagi batter surrounding a shoyu pork filling. Served with a shoyu pork sauce and yuzu beurre blanc. $3 each
… and their house specialty: the Chocolate Filled Andagi…
Chocolate Filled Andagi $2 each
Some notes from their menu regarding the Chocolate Filled Andagi FYI: “Absolutely made nowhere else! Warning: After eating our Andagi we are NOT responsible for any uncontrollable cravings to eat more than one! We cook our andagi to order and it does take some time to make (approx 20-30 min). Please order your andagi at the beginning of your meal.”
Off the Wall also featured many izakaya-type dishes, including a poke one called the “Naked” Spicy Ahi Poke Musubi.
“Naked” Spicy Ahi Poke Musubi – Our poke layered on a bed of furikake rice and drizzled with a spicy aioli. – $8
Off the Wall
Pearl Kai Shopping Center
98-199 Kamehameha Hwy, B-10
Aiea, HI 96701 (map)
(808) 486-9255
Wed, Thu, Fri: 11am-2pm (take out lunch)
Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun: 5pm-9:30pm (dinner and drinks)
Fri: 5pm-2am (dinner and drinks)
Mon, Tue: Closed
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JJ Seafoods
Another name mentioned in my informal survey was a place in Kaneohe called JJ Seafoods. Since I don’t spend nearly as much time on the Windward side as I should, I wasn’t exactly familiar with this place. I did though, remember driving by their very unique looking pink building many a time.
JJ Seafoods in Kaneohe
It’s not a large place in the slightest. Very mom and pops-ish, which I love.
Inside JJ Seafoods
We were off to a party in the ‘hood so we had to pick up at least two pounds. Unfortunately, we were strolling in just as they were closing and they were all out of their Shoyu Ahi. To our delight, they were willing to mix a fresh batch just for us to go along with our Tako Poke.
Tako Poke from JJ Seafoods ($11.99/lb)
Ahi Shoyu Poke from JJ Seafoods ($11.99/lb)
Go and support small, family-run businesses like JJ Seafoods k?
JJ Seafoods
45-726 Kamehameha Highway
Kaneohe, HI 96744
(808) 236-4987
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Kahuku Superette
Back in high school, I used to dread seeing “Kahuku” on our basketball schedule. Not only were they good and likely to wipe the floor with us, the bus ride over was a killer in itself. (There’s only so many times one can listen to Boyz II Men on the Walkman. 😛 ) Now that I live somewhat closer to the north shore of Oahu and, more importantly, have my own car, taking that drive, like Rocky says, “ain’t so bad!”
Outside Kahuku Superette
Inside you’ll find your typical superette, complete with groceries and various knickknacks, but head to the back of the store and you’ll find a setup that’s uber popular.
Inside Kahuku Superette
In addition to poke, Kahuku Superette also sells boiled peanuts, seafood salad, and various meats (like kalbi, teriyaki pork chop, chicken bbq and Korean cooked beef), by the pound. You can purchase your poke by the pound, on its own ($9.99/lb), or in a bowl ($9.99/lb + $1, $1.50, or $1.75 for the small, medium or large sizes).
Small Ahi Shoyu Poke Bowl from Kahuku Superette ($9.99/lb + $1)
(Ed’s Tip: If you can help it, I would recommend eating right away if you get the bowl version. Reason being, the rice is mega hot, so it actually cooks the cold poke on top just a tad.)
Here’s a cross section of the poke bowl.
Side view of the small Ahi Shoyu Poke Bowl from Kahuku Superette ($9.99/lb + $1)
Wifey was particularly impressed with the meticulousness of their system. They actually took the weight of the container itself (before anything was in it), and subtracted that from the weight of the entire dish. Although, miniscule, I commend them for being that honest and fair about their pricing.
We also got half a pound of their Ahi Limu Poke.
Ahi Limu Poke ($9.99/lb)
Oddly enough, ther Ahi Limu Poke tasted pre-frozen, though their Ahi Shoyu (on the rice) did not. Not sure if it was just a time of day situation or if their Ahi Limu is always pre-frozen (or they serve fresh fish in the bowls only?), but just a head’s up.
And that’s it! Five amazing months of meeting and eating everything and everyone poke. When we return, I’m hoping to hit up other popular places like Alicia’s, Ruger Market, Tamura’s, Marujyu Market, Monarch Seafoods, Inc., Masa & Joyce, Young’s Fish Market, and Da Pokeman, among others, but until then, kick back, relax and poke it up brah! Hope you enjoyed the series up until this point! Wow, I think I might get a little emotional here. Queue Island Rhythms…
Sorry, I know some of y’all were looking forward to another Where In Hawaii game today, but I gotsta make a special announcement that trumps that for the time being.
It’s our birthday yo!
Das right! Today, we celebrate our 2nd year in existence. Yay to us!
I started to research all of the blogs I did in the last year and was gonna just link to all of the ones that got high comment counts, but there were simply too many like that to list. Muhahahahaha! Nah, nah, who am I kidding right? But really, we actually did have quite a few that did pretty well. Mahaloz to all of you for always joining in on the convos and making this a fun place for us to hang out. 🙂 Here are some of my faves (high comment count or not) that I remember:
Where In Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – April 28, 2010
OK, I won’t make it a boring post and end things there. Let’s combine this birthday celebration with a lil’ WIH action and turn this into the longest blog in Honolulu Advertiser history! LOL! AND… to celebrate our 2nd Anniversary, I’m doubling the points today! Woo hoo! See! Good thing you kept reading/scrolling aftah all yeah? 😛
Points for…
* Name of this establishment?: 2 points!
* Name of new establishment? (see hint below): 2 points!
* Google Maps Street View Link:2 points!
Big ups to last week‘s winnahz rayboyjr, Coconut Willy and Takeshi!
Where In Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – April 28, 2010
Hint: On the birth date of WWE (04/28/08), I was here at this location (like how I tie everything together? 😛 ). I know this hint doesn’t really help you (unless you were with me on this occasion), but perhaps this hint next will?: “No longer open.”
Da “Where In Hawaii” Winnahz Circle!
Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – April 21, 2010: rayboyjr – 2 points (Name: Laie Chop Suey), rayboyjr – 1/2 point (Where: Laie), Coconut Willy – 2 points (Dish: Dinner Plate), Takeshi – 1 point (Google Street View link)
Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto kuda.d – April 14, 2010: Takeshi – 1 (Where: Sangha Hall), onecupcoffee – 1/2 point (Who: Wailoa Razorbacks pop Warner football), Coconut Willy – 1 point (How much: $6), tita leerz – 3 points (Bonus: Fried Kole)
Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – April 7, 2010: Takeshi – 1 (Name of Location: New Elim), Coconut Willy – 1/2 point (General Location : Koreamoku Keeaumoku), rayboyjr, Coconut Willy, HNL2LAS, – 1 point each (Date photo taken?: July 21, 2007)
Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto hemajang – March 24, 2010: Coconut Willy – 1 (Name of Location: Jane’s Fountain in Liliha), S-Ticket – 1 point (Name of Enka Singer: Hibari Misora), kuya.d – 1/2 point (Object above cash register: Bull Horns)
Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – March 3, 2010: Takeshi – 1 (Exact Name of Location: Oahu Country Club), Takeshi – 1/2 point (General Location: Nuuanu), Takeshi – 1 point (Google Maps Street View link)
Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – February 24, 2010: Coconut Willy – 1 (General Location: Waikiki/Kapahulu), Coconut Willy – 1/2 point (x4), and rayboyjr – 1/2 point (Cross Streets: Kapahulu, Ala Wai, Paki, Leahi, Hollinger), Takeshi – 2 points (Google Maps Street View link)
Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – February 10, 2010: NaPueo – 1 ((General) Name of Business: St.-Germain Bakery), NaPueo – 1/2 point ((General) Name of Location: Beretania St.), rayboyjr – 2 points ((Exact) Name of Location (based on web site’s description): Beretania Times Arcade), Rosey – 2 points (Mushy Valentine’s Love Story: guy has 50 cents…)
Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – February 3, 2010: BananaFysh – 1 (Name of Restaurant: Sansei), Takeshi – 1/2 point (Name of Location: Waikiki), kuya.d – 1/2 point (Name of Island: Oahu), tita leerz – 2 points (Timestamp of Photo: 7:41PM), rayboyjr – 3 points (Most Comments: 102!)
Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – January 27, 2010: snow – 1 (Name of Beach: Waikiki Beach (Kuhio)), rayboyjr – 1 point (Name of Island: Oahu), rayboyjr – 1 point, Scott – 1 point, and tita leerz – 1 point (Three Funniest Captions: “Buns and a Weenie”, “Dude, I am so missing Hawaii right now!”, and “I wonder, do GUYS ever wanna stick your face in that like you wanna in boobs?”)
Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – January 20, 2010: Dave – 1 (Name of Establishment: Tsukiji Fish Market), rayboyjr– 2 points (Game: “first plug up each urinal … 3 guys, with six-pack of beer in hand … first one to guzzle down the beer and fill up the urinal wins … disqualified if you cannot aim straight and the stream hits da floor!!!”)
Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – January 13, 2010: BananaFysh – 1 (Name of General Location: Chinatown), kuya.d – 1 (Name of Specific Location: Maunakea Marketplace), Coconut Willy and rayboyjr– 1 point each and Takeshi– 2 points (Guess what the sign said: “White Headless Shrimp – $4.95”)
Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – January 6, 2010: Takeshi – 1 (Name of Business: Foodland), Coconut Willy – 1 (Location of Business: Market City), kuya.d, rayboyjr, and tita leerz– 1 point each and Rosette– bonus 0.5 point (Top 3 Captions: “Ed Sugimoto with a tan”, “Tiger ain’t got nothin’ on me!”, “Boobs, it ain’t just for women” and Rosey’s “YES ADD an inch to my chest…!” was too good to pass up!), Takeshi, David In Oregon, BananaFysh, rayboyjr, kuya.d, and Coconut Willy– 1 point each (Names of Celebs: Tosca Reno, Amanda Bynes, Pink, Rihanna, Joel Stubbs, Kim Dolan-Leto)
Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – November 25, 2009: Coconut Willy and rayboyjr – 0.5 (Dole Park in Lanai City), rayboyjr – 1 (Lanai Airport), Coconut Willy and snow – 1 (Hulopo’e Beach at Manele Bay), snow – 1 (Lodge at Koele), kuya.d – 2 (Tanigawa Burgers from Canoes Lanai)
First thing’s first. As an MMA fan, I would be remiss if I did not mention tomorrow’s big UFC card that will showcase two of our very own, local, Hawaii boys: Hilo’s BJ Penn and Maui’s Kendall Grove.
Local Boys: Lightweight Champ BJ Penn (left) and Middleweight Contender Kendall Grove (right)
Lightweight champ BJ Penn (remember him?) will be defending his belt against top contender Frankie Edgar, while middleweight standout Kendall Grove will take on wrestler Mark Munoz. See bottom for all the details.
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A-ight with that outta the way, let’s get today’s Fave Friday show on the road. Now I know the title says “Sports”, but for those of you who aren’t big fans of the stick and ball kine games, feel free to list “Activities” like hiking or swimming, etc. Here’s my list:
Fave Sports to Watch:
* Baseball – Sooooo happy the 2010 season is under way again! Go “pills” right uncle jimmy? 😛 Don’t know what it is, but I could just sit there and watch a whole game without getting bored at all. * MMA – I used to be all crazy widit and watch every second of every event, but now, with limited watching hours in my day, I pretty much just focus on the UFC, WEC and some Strikeforce events with spot watching of the other ones like Bellator. Even then, I fast forward through the boring fights. I really do miss HDNet and their MMA coverage, especially with Dream. BTW, while we’re on the topic of MMA and local boys, don’t forget to support Brad Tavares who is reppin’ Hawaii on this season’s cast of the Ultimate Fighter, Wednesday nights at 7PM on Spike TV (Oceanic Cable 559 or HD 1559). * Basketball – Orlando’s my team, but I’ll watch good matchups sometimes. UH is fun watching live, but it’s been really depressing the last few years. 😦 * Football (I guess) – only to follow my fantasy players. LOL! Live games at UH are fun too, but I like the tailgating more! 😛 * Boxing – used to watch a lot, until MMA came along and killed it! RIP. 😉
Fave Sports/Activities to Do:
* Snowboarding – snowboarding is life. Period. * Jiu Jitsu – don’t get to roll as much as in the past, but the cognitive part of it is soooo interesting to me. * Baseball/Softball – my first sport ever = my first love. * Basketball – played a lot of hoops in high school and college, but kinda slowed down later in life. I should get back into it again. * Swimming – ever since training for the Tinman, I’ve been itching to get back in the water on the regular. Not only is it a good workout, but you get a mean tan to boot.
So what sports or activities do you like to watch/play? Holla!
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In other sports-related news, what do you think of Nike’s new commercial with Tiger Woods, using his dad’s voice as the narrative?
Tiger Woods’ Nike Commercial
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UPDATE:
Just got shown the new 3-D Channel on Oceanic Time Warner Cable channel 1217 and, lemme tell ya, it looks pretty mean! If you have a new HD 3-D television set, pop on your 3-D specs, turn them on, and tune to channel 1217 to watch some cool, On Demand content – including coverage of the Masters – in crystal clear 3-D. I sound like an infomercial don’t I? 😛
Masters Content in 3-D from Oceanic Time Warner Cable
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UFC 112 Details
UFC 112: Invincible is being held on Yas Island all the way in Abu Dhabi so it will actually air live at a strange 7AM hour for us here in Hawaii, on Oceanic Time Warner Cable’s channel 701 or HD 1701. Hurr’s the official poster:
UFC 112 Poster
… and here’s sistah Bel showing some love for our local boy BJ Penn:
Bel Kissing the UFC 112 Poster
If you’re not a fan of waking up early on Saturdays, Oceanic will be re-airing the fight card at 10AM, with an afternoon airing at 4PM (re-aired at 7PM). Just select the time that works best for you. Click here for streaming UFC 112 content or here for ordering information.
K, pau! Sorry. Commercial ova. Have one awesome Friday and weekend gang, and I’ll see you on Monday K!? Shooooots!
So, the other day The Frankie was rollin’ through the Las Vegas MGM hotel with a gangsta lean and was gobsmacked and mortified by the scene before him… a man carrying his woman’s purse!
Full disclosure: The Frankie has been known on occasion to “protect” his wife’s purse for her while she’s, ahem, powdering her nose at a public restroom. It’s a matter of simple courtesy! (And besides, like learning to squeeze your butt cheeks together before every sneeze, being kind to your woman is an essential survival skill when it comes to navigating the treacherous waters of relationships.) However, this homie was holding her purse and walking with it while she strode aside him simultaneously empty handed and yet with both hands holding a death grip on his boiled eggs. I instantly poured a little liquor on the ground from the 40 oz. I was carrying in honor of yet another ninja lost to the curse of the Murse a.k.a. the Male Purse.
Editor’s note: the current use of the term Murse in this post is not to be confused with the term murse, which can be applied to male nurses, male curses (such as David Hasselhoff) and male purses (large bags designed for men), because this Murse is not a purse for men, but rather a Male Purse accessory for women.
Note the distinction, my friends and frenemies, because trust me when I tell you that it is better to be an asset rather than an accessory. While there is never a relationship that is truly equal, you would rather have the balance be 51% vs. 49% instead of 90% vs. 10% because in order to love her, you must also be able to love yourself first. And you can’t love yourself if you cease to exist. So, my ninjas, are you a Murse? Here’s a little quiz! You get one point for every “yes” answer to the following questions:
Instead of painting her nails, does she paint yours?
Have you ever changed the TV station from a college football or basketball game without her asking you to when she sits down on the couch next to you?
Do her girlfriends ask you for dating advice?
Have you ever participated in a Bikram Yoga or Pilates session?
Have you had a slice of vegetarian pizza in the past month?
Did you ever do the fast clapping part in the “Friends” TV show theme song?
Results!
0-1 points – See you at the next BJ Penn fight. IMUA!
2-3 points – Sorry, friend, but the store is called Ann Taylor, not Mann Taylor
4-5 points – OMG! When is the Sex and the City sequel coming out?!
6 points – Nice Hello Kitty tattoo there, son!
But all kidding aside, homies, you do not want your life to be relegated to that of an accessory. One of the purposes of a relationship is to push your wife or girlfriend to be a better person and you cannot do that if you are spending all of your time under her feet instead of by her side. You also do not want to wake up one day and find yourself unfulfilled with the life of a Murse.
So be strong, my ninjas. Beware the curse of the Murse! The next time a girl tries to make you into a Murse, pretend like she’s a girl who shops at Hot Topic and run for your life!
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The Guest Blog Schedule:
THU 03/11 – Chicken Grease – “TheGrease and TheBus”
FRI 03/12 – kuya.d – “I’m So Over It”
MON 03/15 – JMAW – “Something like a Phenomenon”
TUE 03/16 – frankie – “The Curse of the Murse”
WED 03/17 – kako mochi – “Where in Oregon is kako mochi?”
Since my friends were in from outta town recently, I decided to take a vacation day the other day and tag along with them as they took care of some errands. We did some local kine stuffs (ate at Shige’s Saimin Stand in Wahiawa, and went to the swap meet), and we also did some touristy kine stuffs (checked out Dole Plantation, and went to the swap meet 😛 ), and actually had quite a good time playing tourist.
Amusing Graphic Tees at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet
Even though many of us have lived in the islands our entire lives, ain’t it still fun to hit up the north shore for some shave ice or stay at a hotel in “waiks” from time to time, just because? Why let the tourists have all the fun in this beautiful state we call home? Let’s list our fave things to do in the islands to “play tourist”. Who knows? Maybe some of you will even do a few of these this weekend. 🙂 Hurr’s mine:
1) Travel to a neighbor island – OK, so technically, I actually AM a tourist when I travel outside of Oahu, but still, it’s fun, and yet, I still feel “local”, naw mean?
2) Show “real” tourists around – I get many visitors from the mainland as well as the muthaland, and there’s no greater joy I get from seeing their faces light up when I show them those great places to eat, drink and be merry!
3) North shore ack-shon – Growing up in town and east Oahu, the north shore was always so far for me that I rarely got to get out there (it was like going to another planet!). Whenever I hit up Haleiwa town or check out the shrimp trucks or get out to Laie side, it’s always new and fun.
4) Stay in Waiks – It’s always fun to feel how the tourists feel when they visit us.
5) Cruise Waiks – Just park anywhere in Waikiki (probably at the Zoo or along the Ala Wai) and walk up and down Kalakaua Ave (and/or Kuhio). Fun times!
So how do you guys play tourist? Post your thoughts in the comment area below!
Happy VHO7V Friday, and have a great weekend y’all! 🙂 Shoots!
Weekend Events!
*Â Local boy BJ Penn is taking on Diego Sanchez tomorrow night at UFC 107 (5PM HST on Oceanic Time Warner Cable Pay-Per-View). Be sure to support our Hawaiian brutha and root him on k? Watch the UFC 107 streaming events throughout the weekend here.
*Â Our UH Rainbow Warriors are taking on Chicago State at the Stan Sheriff Center. Support the Bows as well! If you can’t make it to the game, you can always order it on TV! 8)
* The 2009 Honolulu Marathon is this Sunday. Unless you’re a fan of traffic, try to avoid the path that the marathon takes at all costs. (no sales pitch here! 😛 )
TWCable TV App on the iPad
TWCable TV app launching
Searching for “UFC” in the TWCable TV app
Selecting UFC 137 Prelims in the search results brought up this options window
Selecting the HD version brought up this window that displayed additional show info and the Record button.
Pressing the Record button brought up the options screen where you could adjust the Save Time (“Until space needed” or “Do not delete”) and the Start and End times.
Pressing the Confirm Changes button set my recording
UFC 137 Poster (Poster Art Courtesy: UFC)
![Fresh Catch's wide poke selection [Photo Credit: Arthur Betts]](https://i0.wp.com/www.world-wide-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2010-05_poke-paradise5-002.jpg)
![Shoyu Poke from Fresh Catch [Photo Credit: Arthur Betts]](https://i0.wp.com/www.world-wide-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2010-05_poke-paradise5-004.jpg)
![Lomi Oio [Photo Credit: Arthur Betts]](https://i0.wp.com/www.world-wide-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2010-05_poke-paradise5-007.jpg)
![Reno mixing up a batch of Taegu Dry Aku Poke [Photo Credit: Arthur Betts]](https://i0.wp.com/www.world-wide-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2010-05_poke-paradise5-008.jpg)
![The line outside Pa`ina Café [Photo Credit: Ryan Ozawa]](https://i0.wp.com/www.world-wide-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2010-05_poke-paradise5-020.jpg)
World Wide Ed 