Where In the Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – July 18, 2012

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!

Photo #1

Where In the Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – July 18, 2012

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

Photo #2

Where In the Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – July 18, 2012

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

Photo #3

Where In the Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – July 18, 2012

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

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Last Time’s Results (6/27)
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	Totals This Week 4 points – carokun 10 points – Paco 2 points – pink lady 18 points – Coconut Willy
	Round 7 Leadahz 29.0 – Paco 28.0 – Coconut Willy 19.0 – carokun 17.0 – rayboyjr 07.0 – pink lady 04.0 – J-Dog, soogs 03.0 – Ynaku 02.0 – pink lady, che
[Da Leadahboard]

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WAR SAGE!

This Saturday (Friday Hawaii time), Hawaii’s own Sage Yoshida will be representing us at the “Deep – Tokyo Impact 2012” (alternate link) event at Differ Ariake Arena in Tokyo Japan, as he takes on MMA legend Akihiro Gono in a shoot boxing (rules) match. (Story 1) (Story 2)

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”

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VH07V SPOTTED!

This week’s “Spotted” shot for VH07V is a pic a friend took of some folks attending the “I Love Kailua” Town Party back in April.

VH07V got its shirt popped at the “I Love Kailua” Town Party

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Weekly VH07V T-Shirt Updates!

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)

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Have a happy VH07V Wednesday y’all! Shoooots!

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Hawaii Ramen Quest – Part IV

Part I | Part II | Part III |  Part IV  | Part V

We’re already 3 deep in our Hawaii Ramen Quest, but before we get all up into the 4th, I wanted to check in with y’all real quick-like, to see how your holiday season went. Didja get to cruise with family and friends and pound ono kine grinds? Ain’t that da best? And what about your resolutions for the new year? Hopefully, one of them wasn’t to lose weight ’cause here comes another flurry of ramen photos to make you hungry! 😉

First up is Kiwami Ramen. I’ve heard a lot about this place (from reputable resources!) and have been dying to go there for the longest time, but Waiks ain’t exactly the easiest place to get to, or park for that matter… So when a meeting in Waikiki recently came about, I planned my lunch around a visit to this authentic tasting ramen shop in Waikiki Shopping Plaza’s food court.

Taking the escalator down to the Waikiki Shopping Plaza’s Food Court

At first glance, this place looked legit. Japanese customers (from the muthaland kine) being waited on by a hardcore Japanese wait staff with Ramen Chef Yasuyoshi Sato manning the ship. I kept having to remind myself that d’uh… we were in Waikiki, where most of the Japanese tourists who visit us in this great state, congregate (mate!).

Then came the food. Although we ordered just ramen, we were given a complimentary small bowl of their Charsiu Rice. Wasn’t quite sure if it was because we were kama`aina, super handsome 😉 or if it was complimentary for everyone, but I wasn’t about to question it. Into my trap went the pork!

Small Charsiu (Roast Pork) Rice – $2.50

It wasn’t quite as flavorful and tasty as my favorite from Yotteko-Ya, but it was an ono start nonetheless… and it was FREE! 🙂

Then came my jam-packed order. While most ramens on Kiwami’s menu hover in the $8-$10 range, I saw a big ticket item at the top of the menu, smack dab in the middle. Referred to as the “Special Topping” Ramen, this $13.75 option – which included charsiu, egg, bamboo, corn and green onions – was the one I just had to have.

“Special Topping” Shoyu Ramen – $13.75 (Miso & Shoyu Thick Noodle options are $14.25)

Their soup base comes from a chicken feet & fruit combination that is boiled together for over 5 hours. Chiyu (chicken oil) is also added to select ramen dishes.

My buddy Todd got the Shoyu Thick Noodle ramen option, which resembled the kotteri style of ramen that I was looking for a little more, came with a shoyu based soup with pork fat. Here he is showing off his choice (and trying his best to smile).

Todd with his Shoyu Thick Noodle ramen – $9.25

You can really tell their attention to detail when it comes to the flavor and temperature of the soup and the consistency of the noodles. In fact, according to their web site, Chef Sato stands by three simple rules: 1) the ramen must be served quickly, 2) the soup must be hot, and 3) the taste must be consistent. They definitely hit on all three. So much so that I am looking forward to going back to try it again (and again).

Kiwami Ramen
Waikiki Shopping Plaza
2250 Kalakaua Ave, Suite LL102
Honolulu, HI 96815 (Street View)
(808) 924-6744
Daily: 11 am – 2:30 pm (lunch)
Daily: 5 pm – 10 pm (dinner)

 

My earliest memory of pounding ramen in Hawaii was at an Ezogiku, and, looking at their web site, it looks as though I’m right. They opened their first ramen specialty shop here way back in 1974! Wow, that was before some of us were born! Nobody I know, but still… 8)

With only a limited supply of poor quality photos of take out dishes from a previous visit to the Pearl City Ezogiku, I was in dire need of some better looking shots for this piece. Four friends/co-workers stepped up to the plate for me as we took a little field trip to the Ezogiku in Waimalu for some quickie lunch hour fooding.

Maribel, Trina, Wendy and Dennis ready to grind at Ezogiku Waimalu

Afraid that I would tease her for ordering yet another combo (see Hawaii Ramen Quest – Part III) Maribel threw me off the scent by ordering something totally different than her norm. She went with the Seafood Ankake Crispy Noodle.

Seafood Ankake Crispy Noodle – $7.25

Trina was torn between the Seafood Champon and the Ankake Ramen, but, since she likes her food spicy, she went with a suggestion from aunty (our waitress): the Spicy Ankake Ramen.

Spicy Ankake Ramen – $7.75

Wendy seems to like her fried noodles (see Hawaii Ramen Quest – Part III). She’s not really helping a brutha out on this RAMEN quest is she!? Haha, nah, nah Wen! Variety is good right? Here’s her order of Pork & Vegetable Fried Noodle.

Pork & Vegetable Fried Noodle (yakisoba) – $6.25

Ezogiku is known for their Miso. In fact, their miso paste, fermented for over 2 months, is homemade and produced only out of their Honten (Main Branch at Waseda, Tokyo). The recipe, consisting of more than 30 spices, is super secret and is only known by their late Ezogiku chief cook Tomoji Onishi’s successor and founder Kenichiro Mitsui. Whether he knew all of this or not 😛 , Dennis ordered the Miso Ramen like a champ.

Miso Ramen – $6.25

I went with the other dish that Trina was hung up on: the Seafood Champon Ramen. It was tasty, but reminded me of many of the ramens covered in Part III. Perhaps I’ll go miso next time.

Seafood Champon Ramen – $7.25

Although Ezogiku started its Sapporo style ramen in Japan, they have several locations in Hawaii as well as Vancouver, BC. Fun tip: The name Ezogiku derives from the two words Ezo & Giku. Ezo is the original name of the island of Hokkaido (where their Sapporo style ramen originated) and Giku (kiku) means chrysanthemum, the national flower of Japan. You can’t say you never learn anything from my articles now. 😉

Ezogiku
Waimalu Shopping Center
98-020 Kamehameha Hwy
Aiea, HI 96701 (Street View)
(808) 488-9850
Daily: 11am-10pm

 

I noticed this next place when lunching it with my boy Bari one day at our usual hotspot: Mama Woo’s BBQ on South King Street. Located on the backside of this tiny strip mall, the sign and entrance to Chinpei Ramen is rather unassuming.

Sign outside Chinpei Ramen

The interior still has that old school feeling (I remember eating here when it was an old Japanese restaurant long ago), but it is very clean with new tables and chairs, paint and furnishings. One freshly painted wall then takes us back to old school again with hand-written menu items taped haphazardly throughout.

Handwritten menu items at Chinpei Ramen

I ask the waitress in her native Japanese what the most popular ramen is and she tells me it’s the Samma-Men. Samma-Men it is!

Large Samma-Men (Thick Soup) Ramen – $9.30 ($7.60 – Small / $8.30 – Regular)

You can also choose the size of noodle you’d like (Egg Thick Noodle or Thin Noodle) in a variety of styles (udon, yam noodle or shirataki, harusame, or organic flour noodle).

Bari and I were in the mood for Shumai as well so we ordered the 6 piece. Here’s Bari with the Shumai and a mouthful of Samma-Men. Sorry B! 8)

Bari with his Samma-Men and our 6-piece Shumai order ($5.93)

You can order the Shumai and Vegetable Gyoza in quantities of 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12, and the regular Gyoza (Pot Sticker) goes even further with additional quantities of 14, 16, 18, 21, or 24!

Chinpei Ramen
2080 S King Street
Honolulu, HI 96826 (Street View)
(808) 947-5919
Tue-Fri: 11am-2:30pm (lunch)
Tue-Fri: 5pm-10pm (dinner)
Sat: 11am-10pm
Sun: 11am-9pm
Closed: Mondays

 

On a rare drive out to the Windward side, we decided to hit up Rai Rai Ramen in Kailua before taking some hacks on the Bay View Mini-Putt Pali course. I remember the experience (taste) being really good at Rai Rai, with various new and special menu items, and vowing to return again the next time I set foot (or tire) on Oneawa Street.

Rai Rai Ramen (Kailua) sign

Wifey had the Miso Ramen, which included konbu, wakame, char siu, kamaboko, green onions and garlic chips.

Miso Ramen – $7.50

I got something off their new (at the time) menu called Hot & Spicy Seafood Ramen. It wasn’t as spicy as I expected, which was a good thing since I am still attending Spicy Training University. 😛

Hot & Spicy Seafood Ramen – $9.75

I also ordered a side of Fried Oysters for good measure.

Side Order of Fried Oyster (3 Piece) – $3.25

Rai Rai Ramen (Kailua)
124 Oneawa Street
Kailua, HI 96734
(808) 230-8208
Wed-Mon: 11am-8:30pm
Closed Tuesday

 

I will refer to these final two locations as our one hit wonders. Not necessarily because it’s the only ramen option they got. Quite the opposite actually. More so because it’s the only photo I took at the time. *blush* Check it.

Mr. Ojisan is one of my friend Grant’s favorite restaurants. Amongst a menu chock-full of Japanese eats, they carry 5 different ramens: Miso Charsiu Ramen, Vegetable Charsiu Ramen, Cold Ramen, Tonkotsu Miso Ramen (which I must go back and try!) and the one I got on this particular visit: the Ojisan Ramen.

Ojisan Ramen – $8.95

Mr. Ojisan Japanese Restaurant
1016 Kapahulu Ave #140
Honolulu, HI 96816 (Street View)
(808) 735-4455
Mon-Fri: 11am-1:45pm (Lunch)
Mon-Thu: 5:30pm-10:30pm (Dinner)
Fri-Sat: 5:30pm-12am (Dinner), with Karaoke from 10pm-2am

 

Even though Yakitori Yoshi is primarily a yakitori house, they still have three ramens on their menu: Butter Ramen, Tonkotsu Ramen (which, again, I must try), and the Yoshi Ramen below.

Yoshi Ramen – $5.90

At least I think it’s the Yoshi Ramen. My friend Rick, who was the one who actually ate it, can’t even remember eating at the restaurant, let alone what he ordered that night. LOL! We’ll go with the Yoshi Ramen. 😛

Yakitori Yoshi
1427 Makaloa Street
Honolulu, HI 96814 (Street View)
(808) 941-6891
Daily: 5:30pm-12am

 

And there you have it. Part 4 of the Hawaii Ramen Quest is in the books. Next month, we wrap things up with a visit to Sun Noodle Factory and an interview with the man himself Hidehito Uki. Space permitting, I’ll also try to mention a few must eat ramen spots in the muthaland itself… Japan.

Now get back to your New Year’s diet! 😉

Part I | Part II | Part III |  Part IV  | Part V

Eating Your Way Through Japan – Part I

 Part I  | Part II

[A hearty welcome to all you new World Wide Ed readers from the print world… Much love for visiting! Let’s make um a habit from now k? 😛 ]

About a month ago, the brand spankin’ new wifey and I went back to the motherland for our honeymoon. ‘Twas ten days of ‘moonin bliss, complete with shopping, temples, trains, onsens, monkeys (yeah, monkeys!), snow, wedding reception #2, and, best of all… food.

I’m hoping to eventually break this out into a full-fledged review of Japan (little girl diary style 😛 ), but for purposes of this blog, let’s just concentrate on the eats yo! Cool? Cool! Let’s do this!

Our first night was spent touring the Odaiba area where we stayed. We walked over to the Aqua City and Decks Tokyo Beach (Tokyo Joyopolis) shopping districts for some product-browsing and sight-seeing.

Night time view of Rainbow Bridge in Odaiba

In the mood for some good kine Japanese rahmen, we poked around the food courts at Decks to see if anything spoke to us. Nothing did. So we took it to the streets. Awesome choice, as we ran into Yotteko-Ya Ramen. Yeah, the same one that made its way to McCully Shopping Center on Oahu.

Located on the ground floor between Decks Tokyo Beach and the Yurikamome Line (local train), the flamboyant exterior quickly catches your eye.

Outside Odaiba’s Yotteko-Ya Ramen

I swear, every time we visited the one in McCully, they were sold out of their popular Paitan soup base ramen (the thick, creamy one). We’ve been there on at least 5 different occasions at 5 different times (even like 10 in the morning!), and, every single time, they were sold out. We were beginning to think that it was some kind of a conspiracy, and that they only made enough soup base for three bowls or something. We were glad to get the authentic one straight from the source.

Char Siu Ramen from Yotteko-Ya Ramen

Yotteko-Ya Ramen

Much like some Las Vegas hotel packages, the great thing about some of the hotels in Japan is that the price of the room includes meals. The next morning, we enjoyed a delicious Japanese style buffet breakfast at Ocean Dining Restaurant.

Buffet table at Ocean Dining Restaurant, Hotel Nikko Tokyo Hotel, Odaiba

Our view of Rainbow Bridge during our eats was amazing!

Our beautiful view with my not so beautiful mound o’ food

Hotel Nikko Tokyo – Odaiba

Then, it was off to see the town baby. We took the Yurikamome line to Shimbashi Station and walked to the Ginza district. There, the wife shopped at various department stores, including the (apparently *rolling eyes*) popular H&M store from America. We also found some time to snack in between.

Treats at Nenrinya

Yes, we’re posers. We didn’t actually buy anything from here (if you saw the crazy lines, you wouldn’t either! 😛 ), but we did capture some shots for you curious bees out there.

The line at Nenrinya

Nenrinya

One place we weren’t posers at was Starbucks (the Ginza Matsuya-dori store to be exact). We stopped to fill our tummies here real quick like.

Two Tall Tazo Chai Tea Lattes (¥940) and one Strawberry Roll (¥280). Typical Starbucks prices…

On the wall, we noticed a sign that said “Starbucks Coffee Japan, Ltd. The 1st Store August 2nd 1996″… Pretty cool! We’ve been to the first store in America (Seattle) and now Japan. Where’s next? 🙂

Sign at Starbucks Ginza Matsuya-dori store: “Starbucks Coffee Japan, Ltd. The 1st Store August 2nd 1996”

Starbucks Ginza Matsuya-dori

Refueled, we caught the JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku to check out the famous Takeshita Doori. There we went to a food court and ate at the best looking option: Umaya.

Umaya

They are famous for their Miso Fried Noodles, which I loaded up with all the toppings I could get my hands on (including Nori, Katsuobushi (dried tuna), Sansho (Sichuan pepper), and Black Pepper)!

Miso Yakisoba (Fried Noodles) from Umaya (with my bevy of sprinkles!)

The next day, we headed to Ueno to check out the popular Ameyayokocho shopping street.

Ameyayokocho, also known as Ameyoko, in Ueno

This area is good for buying snack-type omiyage or produce if you were gonna whip up something yourself at home. We walked by a fresh fish/sashimi type street stand that seemed to be getting a lot of action Jackson. Perhaps, if it were lunchtime we would’ve checked it out, but, ah, next time!

The line at a popular sushi/sashimi stand in Ameyoko

Next stop: Sensoji Temple in Asakusa.

Sensoji Temple in Asakusa

The path leading to the temple is full of vendors selling anything from gifts, to good luck charms, to food.

Mall leading to Sensoji Temple in Asakusa

We ate our share of fresh snacks like kinako mochi on a stick, fresh senbei (cooked right in front of you) and red bean manju in the shape of birds.

For lack of a better name, let’s call this one mochi-on-a-stick. 😛

Frying up fresh senbei and dipping it in their shoyu-sugar base. YUM!

Wifey got her hands on all the warm, an filled manju

Then it was back to Ginza for a kushikatsu restaurant recommended by pops. To kill time, we did more browsing/shopping and ended up at a neat, little Tea Lounge on the top floor of Ito-Ya (a popular paper/pen/office supply type store).

Ito-Ya Tea Lounge, Ginza, Japan

There, we rested our bones from the day’s travel, next to a hot (and cold) cup of Joe, er Tea.

Hot and Cold Tea from Ito-Ya’s Tea Lounge

And that concludes Part I yo. WHEW!

Sorry, but there are CHOKE photos from the kushikatsu restaurant, so you’re gonna have to wait for those in part II. *grin*

Talk to me!
* Been to any of these hotspots yourself?
* How were your experiences there?
* Gonna check um out next time you go to Japan?
* What are the “must-trys” at the places I went to so far, but missed?
* Did I make you hungry yet? 😛

Happy New Year y’all! Hope you’re still holding strong by your resolutions this, what, 4th day into the new year. 😉 Shoots!

 Part I  | Part II

P.S. No fo-get fo check out my latest AroundHawaii.com column:

Anuhea Jenkins – Reppin’ Hawaii One Song At a Time

Let’s Get On With the Shokudo

Pops and I have this ongoing joke/battle with each other about where the best Japanese eats are around town. Hailing directly from the heart of Tokyo, he’s got this unyielding, old school, traditional Japanese palate, while I have more of an open “nu skool” hunger for innovative dining experiences. Who’s right? Let’s get it on and see shall we?

When you think of traditional Japanese fare, you think tsukemono, miso soup, okara, chawanmushi, nabeyaki udon, oden, tonkatsu, and much more. Oxtail rahmen, sushi pizza, spicy tuna summer rolls, or beef tataki with balsamic sushi doesn’t exactly enter the mind. As well, sliding shoji or fusuma doors, tatami mats, and servers dressed in yukata kimonos are all what you would relate to a traditional Japanese restaurant. Not, funky light fixtures and eclectic design aspects, in an upbeat, colorful setting.

I think this is where I’m losing pops.

Shokudo Japanese Restaurant & Bar, located on the ground floor of the Ala Moana Pacific Center on Kapiolani Boulevard (next to Angelo Pietro), opened its doors on March 2nd, 2005 and has been rolling ever since. In their first year in Hawaii, they earned the Gold Hale `Aina Award for “Best Japanese Restaurant” and have continued to garner accolades since. As part of a franchise of Dream Dining Honolulu LLC, they have since successfully spawned a second store by the name of Tokyo Table in La Cienega California in late December 2006.

Dream who? Dining what? Shokudo Restaurant Manager Geraldine Jordan details the history: “Tetsuya Emura, President & CEO of Dream Dining Honolulu LLC. d.b.a. Shokudo Japanese Restaurant & Bar, once occupied many important roles in management for Watami Food Service Co. in Japan. Watami is a food service conglomerate that owns 400 restaurants which operates 10 different types of restaurants. In 1998, he was appointed the position of the founding CEO of T.G.I. Friday’s Japan, Inc. This company established a subsidiary of Watami Co. in a joint venture between Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, Inc. Watami Co. acquired a T.G.I. Friday’s restaurant in Guam that gained him the invaluable experiences with the unfamiliar laws, foreign business custom, and new market. He also got involved in the setting up of a Japanese Izakaya restaurant named ‘Watami’ in Hong Kong. His successes and invaluable experiences from Watami had led him to venture on his own and introduce Japanese food culture overseas.”

One of the greatest things about your dining experience at Shokudo is just that, it’s an experience. I’ve been here for large parties (private room holds up to 20-25 people), after work get-togethers (excellent bar selection, including wine, beer, sake, shochu and vodka sodas), the first stop of a bachelor party night (don’t ask), and date nights with the lady, and all experiences proved to be equally fulfilling, festive and fun. Taking one look at the company info page on their web site, it’s not hard to understand why. They take great pride in balancing and enriching their customers, employees and company to create what they refer to as the Triangle Theory. Jordan explains:

“The Triangle Theory and philosophy is one of the main reasons why I came to join the company in the first place. It consists of three major aspects: the employees, the guests, and the company. It is important to harmoniously balance and equally enrich these areas to build a wholesome and successful business. It is also good for the community to raise these values in their business. We have to understand that the business success is due to the employees that will take care of our guests. And if our guest is well taken cared of, we create loyalty. My past experiences working in the food and beverage in larger corporation may have etched somewhat of this theory in their mission statement, but was never practiced or really valued. Look at it like a tripod. If one leg is in poor condition or missing, the result will lead the tripod to fall. It’s really a simple analogy yet so profound with fundamentals to building a successful business.”

With everything now in perfect harmony, let’s get to the food!

Shokudo’s selection is as eclectic as its interior design. Research & Development Manager Norimasa Okazaki is responsible for most of the 60 or so diverse dishes they carry. A few of the items on their seasonal and grand menu have been influenced by the staff that Nori could not resist putting in the lineup.

Their best seller is the Chicken Karaage. Not particularly unique on its own, but with the Spicy Tartar Sauce, it gives it that extra oomph that you’re looking for.

Chicken Karaage with Spicy Tartar Sauce

According to Jordan, other popular dishes include their homemade fresh tofu, tofu salad, Ishiyaki (hot stone bowls), and the mouth watering Honey Toast.

Honey Toast

But are you going to take the Restaurant Manger’s word for it or mine? 😉 (kidding Geri!)

I’ve had the Chicken Karaage with Spicy Tartar Sauce, homemade fresh tofu and of course, the Honey Toast, and yes, I agree with you peeps that these are definitely the must-haves. However, I’m not one to go with the crowd. I run with scissors and talk to the driver while the bus is in motion. You can’t stop me! 😛

For me, the one constant is their Agedashi Tofu. Good lord! Deep fried and covered with katsuobushi, two types of negi (onions) and their shoyu-based sauce, it’s Fergalicious!

Agedashi Tofu

Other personal favorites include the Rock Shrimp,

Rock Shrimp

the Clam Miso Soup,

Clam Miso Soup

and the Fried Chicken with Sweet & Spicy Sauce.

Fried Chicken with Sweet & Spicy Sauce

If you’re bringing a hot date here, some fun things to try are one of the many variations of Vodka Soda,

Grape Calpico Vodka Soda

the Honey Toast of course, or the Garlic Marlin Seared on Hot Plate.

Garlic Marlin Seared on Hot Plate

This is a truly interactive dish and can prove to be the ice breaker you need to save this “hot” date of yours. The seasoned garlic marlin comes raw and is cooked by you on a provided hot plate.

(! – World-Wide-Ed Tip: Next time you stop by, be sure to sign up for their Dream Diner E-Frequent Member Card! It’s free and will collect valuable points (special hours will earn you double points) every time you dine there, good for special savings and a 1 in 20 chance to win a lottery prize giveaway. Best of all, you automatically earn a one time $25 birthday reward, which you can redeem during your birthday month.)

Future plans are to open up more restaurants in the L.A. area by the end of the year, and continue to service their loyal customers here in Hawaii.

“We can’t thank the community enough for all their love and support. Without the community support, we would not exist. But I cannot forget to mention our staff that truly loves serving our guests that they developed a bond beyond business. Some of our regular guests are like family to us. And we welcome anyone to join our family here at Shokudo Japanese Restaurant and Bar.” says Jordan.

As soon as I publish this article, I’m sending the URL to pops. It won’t be long until he joins me back in the Nu Skool…

The Shokudo Management Staff (L to R): Sam Eligio (Operation Manager), Takaaki Fujii (General Manager), Justin Mizufuka (MIT/Manager in Training), Kellyn Higa (MIT/Manager in Training, Geraldine Jordan (Restaurant Manager), Yuji Shimojo (Kitchen Manager), Eiji Kato (Kitchen Manager in Training), Takahide Kukidome (HR and Kitchen Manager in Training).

Shokudo Japanese Restaurant & Bar
Ala Moana Pacific Center, Ground Floor
1585 Kapiolani Boulevard
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814 (map)
(808) 941-3701
Sunday-Thursday: 11:30am to 1am
Friday-Saturday: 11:30am to 2am
E-mail: InfoSHOKUDO@hawaii.rr.com