38 Problems Only People From Hawaii Will Understand

Rice Fest countdown = 11 days! 8)

Sorry peeps, no “Where In Hawaii” this week. I figgah I go try and mix things up a bit once in a while. 8)

So some of you may know about this funny piece called “38 Problems Only People From Hawaii Will Understand” that was recently posted on Buzzfeed by Community Contributor Matthew Dekneef. It has gone fairly viral and for good reason. Buggah is funny.

But for those who haven’t seen it yet (and even for those who have), I thought I’d try to see if we can add to the list in the comment area below. First da list…

1. There are some days where it’s so cold you just have to put on a shirt. – It’s 70° degrees! I’m gonna get frostbite!!!”
2. Always forgetting to use your kama`aina discount. – I mean, do places locals really go even take kama`aina discounts?
3. You don’t know who your cousins are and who your actual cousins are. – Everyone’s your cousin! This, of course, includes all your aunties. Your bus driver. Your bank teller. Your next door neighbor’s neighbor’s neighbor. Everyone’s your aunty!
4. That overwhelming urge to defend the miracle that is SPAM. – Blasphemy! Spam musubis are a religion.
5. Giving/getting directions is always an adventure. – “Okay, you wanna go mauka, and when you get to the third mango tree make a left, you’ll see one waterfall on your right hand side, just keep going. When you get to the menehune at the U-turn, he’ll ask you three questions…”
6. When shipping costs more than the total cost of the item you’re shipping.
7. Baked vs. steamed (manapua). – You can’t make me decide.
8. Shave ice vs. your indecisiveness. – SERIOUSLY YOU CAN’T MAKE ME DECIDE.
9. If it doesn’t have rice, then it’s not a real meal. – These are the rules.
10. When you haven’t been to the beach since yesterday…
11. …and then can’t decide which beach to go to. – Okay, fine, take it back… we got 99 problems and a beach ain’t one.
12. That said, it is kind of hard to enjoy all of Hawaii’s natural breathtaking beauty… – …when you’re trapped in (traffic) all day. Because Honolulu has the second worst traffic in the country, just after L.A. The average driver here wastes 50 hours in gridlock a year. That’s over a week’s worth of surfing.
13. Not to mention gas already costs an arm and a leg and your first-born keiki.
14. When you can enter to win a free, 7-day, all expenses paid, VIP, luxury vacation for two to……………………………………………………………..Hawaii.
15. It can be off the air everywhere else, but here every week is “Shark Week”.
16. When you have to call Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner for something…
17. There’s no civilized way to eat a malasada… …or a coco puff. – Don’t even try. It’s physically and emotionally impossible!
18. Anyone dressed in head-to-toe Jeans Warehouse. – This isn’t just a problem. It’s a fashion emergency!
19. The name of this product: BotoLift. – So, wait, wait, wait, wait… You put this where?!?!
20. When one of these melts in your pocket (white rabbit candy).
21. That one Nicki Minaj verse. Because you can’t be “in the islands of Waikiki,” Nicki.
22. Your throat will start tightening up and you’ll begin salivating in 3, 2, 1… (lihing mui)
23. These stairs are safe, right? (stairway to heaven)
24. That Google Maps doesn’t have an “Avoid Potholes” option. – Because sometimes there’s a road in our potholes.
25. Your favorite band will NEVER tour here. Ever. – Just accept it.
26. When Obama won the presidency, you had to force yourself to be happy for someone from Punahou for the first time ever. – It was a struggle.
27. You’re not sure who to trust: Dan Cooke or Guy Hagi? – Not that it really matters… It’s not like the weather ever really changes anyway.
28. This thing called “Hawaiian” pizza. – Are we still calling it that? Okay, just checking…
29. You’ve gotten into serious debates over which Zippy’s is the best Zippy’s. – Foolproof BFF Test: If they don’t know your Zippy’s order by heart, then they are NOT your BFF. No exceptions!
30. Your legit ID always gets a harder look on the mainland. – Mahalo, “Superbad”.
31. This question on Yahoo! Answers (Do they have Internet in Hawaii?). And let’s not forget the classics like, “Do you still live in grass shacks?” and “What about electricity?” FUN FACT: ‘Iolani Palace had electricity and telephones before the White House did! Also, yes, you can use U.S. currency here, and no, you don’t need your U.S. passport and power adaptors when you visit.
32. When someone uses “Hawaiian” the same way they’d use “Californian” or “New Yorker”. – Yeah, that’s not going to work… BECAUSE HAWAIIAN IS A RACE.
33. When someone corrects the way you pronounce “karaoke” and “karate”. – Sigh, we’re just saying it right.
34. Or you’re told you pronounce “Hawai`i” funny. – Again, not “funny,” just right. We live here. WE WOULD KNOW.
35. But wait, honestly, though – do we really have an accent? – Apparently we do say some words like “button” and “candy” kind of weird or something?
36. Even though they don’t have laces, leaving anybody’s house is going to take an extra minute. – And for the last time…
37. THEY’RE CALLED SLIPPERS.
38. However, the biggest problem is taking it all for granted because… Lucky We Live Hawaii! Chee hoo!

Got any to add? Post it in the comment area below. Here’s mine to start:

* Your idea of an Aloha shirt is much different than mine!

K, what say you?

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Saimin Adventures – The Search for Hawaii’s Best Saimin – Part I

It wasn’t long after wrapping up the final part in my 5 part series on Hawaii’s best ramen, that people started harassing me. “You need to cover saimin now!” “What about Hawaii’s best saimin places!?”

As good as their suggestions were, prior to my interview with Sun Noodle president Hidehito Uki, I was a full-on ramen snob. I would normally only “stoop” to eating saimin out of desperation. At Zippy’s, in a drunken state, during the wee hours of night during our clubbin’ days. When driving to a ramen place in town was too far. Or when your whole group agrees on a saimin place and it’s too late to renege on your previous “up to you” comment.

I’m of course exaggerating (I love anything with noodles!), but Mr. Uki seriously slapped some saimin sense in me with his life changing, epiphanic quote:

“Each area in Japan has their own, unique style of ramen. Kyushu has Hakata style (tonkotsu), Hokkaido has Sapporo style (miso)… Saimin is Hawaii’s style of ramen.”

Sun Noodle’s Hidehito Uki during our “Hawaii Ramen Quest – Part V” interview back in February

Hellooooo!? The world now made perfect sense to me. And with that, I was no longer a ramen snob, ready to tackle the next noodle adventure around the state. “Saimin Adventures”, here we come!

We start with my favorite saimin place in the state: Shige’s Saimin Stand in Wahiawa.

Shige’s Saimin Stand sign

Living and working in the often chilly Central Oahu, it’s easy to pay this place a visit at least once a week to warm the ol’ soul. But it’s not because of convenience that Shige’s tops my list for local style saimin, it’s taste.

Large Wunton Mein

Although their menu boasts a fair amount of alternatives like Hamburger Steak, Loco Moco, Fried Saimin, Roast Beef Sandwiches, and udon, I *always* order their Wunton Mein. I just can’t bring myself to go to Shige’s and NOT order saimin. The soup base is “clean” & subtle, and not overbearing, while the homemade, signature, flat noodles is always soft and never clumpy (my pet peeve). The balance of noodles to Wunwon/garnishes (another pet peeve of mine) is also jussssst riiiight.

If I’m hungry (or I have someone to share it with), I like to order their BBQ Cheeseburger on the side to round out my meal. She go!

Large Wunton Mein and BBQ Cheeseburger

I did notice a sudden increase in their prices lately, but I think it’s only because I’ve been spoiled to their 80s style pricing up until now.

Shige’s Saimin Stand
70 Kukui Street
Wahiawa, HI 96786 (Street View)
(808) 621-3621
Mon-Thu: 10am-10pm
Fri & Sat: 10am-midnight
Closed Sundays

The next place has been somewhere I’ve been trying to get to for a long time: Nakai Saimin. There is a family association between Shige’s and Nakai (the noodles are based on the same recipe), and since Shige’s is up there on my list, I wanted to see how Nakai compared. So I enlisted the help of Twitter friends and Nakai regulars Russ Sumida (@ParkRat), Brandon Suyeoka (@WeHeartHawaii) and Rick Nakama (@RickNakama).

Russ Sumida, Brandon Suyeoka and Rick Nakama outside Nakai Saimin

The first thing you notice is the soup base. It’s clearer with a tad less flavor. And I’m hoping I caught them on a bad day, but remember how I said that my pet peeve was clumpy noodles? There were some elements of clumpiness going on there. It seemed that the noodles and the won ton may’ve been of the previously frozen variety.

Small Won Ton Mein ($5.95)

For good measure, I thought I’d give their popular BBQ Stick a try.

BBQ Stick ($2.75)

Although it wasn’t as hard/crisp as what I’m used to with BBQ sticks (which may actually be a good thing), this one had good flavor throughout.

I’m willing to go back again for sure, but if I had to pick a winner between Shige’s and Nakai (based on this visit), I would have to give it to Shige’s. The boys didn’t agree with me.

 

Russ Sumida, Brandon Suyeoka and Rick Nakama give their review of Nakai Saimin

Nakai is expanding both their hours (see below) and their footprint. Rumor has it that another Nakai Saimin recently opened up in Haleiwa, the town where it actually all started (their original location was in Haleiwa back in the ’50s).

Nakai Saimin
1329 Nuuanu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96813 (Street View)
(808) 531-9000
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 6am-2:30pm (Breakfast & Lunch)
Fri: 5:30pm-9pm (Dinner)
Sat: 7am-2:30pm (Breakfast & Lunch)
Sat: 5:30pm-9pm (Dinner)
Sun: 7am-3:30pm (Breakfast & Lunch)
Wed: Closed

Lastly, let’s pay a visit to everyone’s favorite late night eatery: Zippy’s! Like Shige’s, it’s difficult for me to go there and NOT get the saimin. In this case, it’s Zippy’s signature favorite: the Zip Min.

Zip Min (Saimin noodles, wun tun, breaded shrimp, choi sum, fishcake, dried seaweed, egg, sweet pork, and green onions.

In a recent visit there, the wun tun had a noticeably different (and stronger/”garlic-y”) taste. Over the years, the portions – as with many of the other menu items here – seem to be shrinking while the cost continues to rise. A sign of the economic times I suppose.

Zippy’s
Locations: Varied
Hours: Varied
808-973‑0880

Look for more during our “Saimin Adventures” where we explore the famous noodles from places like Hamura’s on Kauai, Sam Sato’s on Maui and Shiro’s right here on Oahu. If you have any other suggestions for places I should visit (yes, Palace is on my list! 🙂 ), leave a comment for me below.

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Hawaii Ramen Quest – Part V

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

Although varying in sizes and flavors, many of the ramen shops we covered in this series have one thing in common: their noodles are supplied by the same, local, noodle factory based right here in Hawaii. So what better way to close this series out than with where ramen in Hawaii all begins… Sun Noodle.

Outside Sun Noodle’s Honolulu Factory

At the helm of it all is Sun Noodle Founder and President Mr. Hidehito Uki who started the business more than 30 years ago (founded way back on July 10, 1981). Uki-san in fact comes from a noodle making bloodline. His family had a fresh noodle making “ya” (store) in the Tochigi Prefecture (then) named the Ikeda Noodle Company. Here, he perfected the art of “men” before moving to Hawaii.

Sun Noodle President Mr. Hidehito Uki

While studying ESL (English as a Second Language) here at Hawaii Pacific University (Hawaii Pacific College at the time), he would often eat at local ramen shops looking for a place that reminded him of home. Frustrated, he set out to do something about it and that’s how Sun Noodle was born.

“There’s nothing more powerful than the sun. When you think of Hawaii, you think of the sun. That’s why I named the business Sun Noodle.”

His 10,000 square foot Honolulu factory on Colburn Street can produce up to 30,000 servings of raw noodles per 8 hour day. They churn out over 100 products like yakisoba, udon, chow fun, pancit, gyoza and won ton wrappers, and, for ramen alone, they make over 30 different styles!

Overlooking the Sun Noodle factory from above

Amazingly, even with that many choices, Mr. Uki’s philosophy is that every noodle order must be custom made for his clients based, on the flavor of their soup.

“Every soup our customer makes is their personality. The noodles and the soup have to have a nice combination. Even if you make good noodles and good soup, if it doesn’t match, it’s no good. That’s why we go out there and taste the soup from each client and try to figure out what noodle would go best with that particular soup. We keep trying until we get it right. Sometimes I spend months to find the perfect noodle to match their soup.”

Most of his factory’s noodles start with the same base: flour, water, salt and potassium carbonate. It is the variances in flour type and water that makes all the difference.

“We are lucky to have good water here in Hawaii. It makes good noodles.”

The ingredients are thrown in (by hand) to a large vat…

Sun Noodle employee throwing in the ingredients for this batch of noodles

… where it is mixed together…

Ingredients are mixed together

… and flattened into a thin sheet by automated machinery. Large rolls of these flattened concoctions are then fed into another machine…

Large flour rolls feeding into the machine that cuts them into noodles

… which slices and dices them into their famous noodle shape.

Where noodles are cut into their famous shape(s)

Some are straight, some are wavy, and some even have a different color to them (based on the type of flour). Here’s a batch of noodles being prepared for Zippy’s Restaurants’ famous Zip Min.

Noodles for Zippy’s Restaurants’ Zip Min

Depending on what is being made, the noodles are then either packaged right there or sent off to the steaming/cooking room where they (usually yakisoba or udon) take a bath before being packaged.

Trays of yakisoba noodles are cooked in hot water before being packaged

For a while, he tried to service his mainland customers out of this factory alone, but it proved to be a difficult task with them being spread throughout California, Washington, Nevada, Vancouver BC (Canada), and parts of the East Coast. Ultimately, in order to provide the freshest noodles possible to his mainland customers, he decided to open up another factory in the greater Los Angeles area (on W Mahalo Place ironically) in 2004. Not satisfied, he will soon open up another factory in the New Jersey area so that his East Coast customers and their clientele get the freshest Sun Noodles they can get.

“Providing fresh noodle is the best! Instead of making the noodles in L.A., freezing it, and shipping it to the East Coast, we decided to make a factory in the East Coast so we can provide the freshest noodles possible.”

During the tour, I asked Mr. Uki what he thought of Saimin (compared to ramen), and his answer, which I really enjoyed, gave me that ultimate “a-ha” moment.

“Each area in Japan has their own, unique style of ramen. Kyushu has Hakata style (tonkotsu), Hokkaido has Sapporo style (miso)… Saimin is Hawaii’s style of ramen.”

I never thought of it that way, but it’s very true! I now have a new found appreciation for saimin. Being from Hawaii, I’m required to be proud of it. 😉

I also asked him what his thoughts were on slurping as a custom. I once asked my parents (who are also from Japan) why people slurp so loudly when eating their ramen. They told me that it is a sign of respect and appreciation for the ramen chef. It tells them that the noodles are delicious and is the ultimate compliment you can give to them. Mr. Uki had a different explanation:

“It looks tasty if you slurp your noodles. If you don’t smell the noodles, you can’t taste it. Of course, when you slurp, you bring in the air, which is important to help you smell and taste the ramen. Nowadays, even the non-Japanese community is starting to slurp their noodles.”

In my brief conversation with Mr. Uki, I could tell that his passion for noodles ran deep.

“We try to make the best noodle possible. We will try to make best noodle market in Hawaii for everybody to enjoy ramen.”

He truly loves what he does and best exemplifies what I love so much about ramen: a warm base with humble beginnings… Here’s to another 30 years!

 

Mahalo for following along during this obsessive, noodle & soup-filled expedition. Although the Hawaii Ramen Quest series has come to an end, the journey continues. See y’all at the next ramen stop!

Note: R.I.P. to Hawaii Journalism legend Mr. John Heckathorn who also covered Hidehito Uki and Sun Noodle in his noodle series: “In Search of the Ultimate Noodle“.

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

Fave Friday – Hawaii’s Best 24 Hour Eateries?

[This topic was a special request by the BIL (Brutha-In-Law). Please help a brutha out. (yeah, literally, my brother) 😛 ]

Later this year, the shift at BIL’s job will be changing from “normal” to dracula-like, overnight hours. Other than the complete lifestyle change, one of his main concerns was where to grind after work. He’ll be getting off of work when the rest of us non-zombies will be just waking up, so his “dinner” would essentially be in the wee hours of the morning!

So how about it? Where are your picks for the best 24 hour eateries around Oahu? My pea-sized brain can only think of the easy standards like Zippy’s and Like Like (yeah, I meant to spell it like that ! 😛 ). What else y’all got?

P.S. Happy VHO7V Friday and have a good weekend y’all! I’ll be back in a couple weeks. Wish me luck with sistah Colbs. Shoots!

Box Full of Memories

So all day Friday and all day yesterday, I had to help the ‘rents clean up/organize for an up coming garage sale. Their neighbors were having one so they (the ‘rents) thought it would be a good idea to piggy back on that and have one of their own as well. Granted their crib has become a storage facility of sorts (hey, their house is bigger 😛 ), and loads of the junk in their garage is probably mine, but to have me slave over boxes and boxes of random stuff from my elementary school days!? (OK, ok, I know… it IS my responsibility…. das why I wuz dea! 😉 )

As I went through these boxes, memory after memory kept appearing before my very eyes. Old cassette singles or “mixes” of songs that marked a certain point in my life, old birthday/graduation cards, yearbooks, and even photos and letters from yesteryear. If I had any kind of emotion, I may have actually shed a tear or two. 8)

(BTW, you know you’re a product of the Internet when you look at old school photos and tell yourself, “That would be classic on Facebook!”)

One of the funniest things was reading what my friends wrote in my yearbook, er, actually how they wrote it. We used to talk so differently back then eh?

“Wuz fun having you in my [insert class name here] class!”

“Stay cool!”

“Have one good summah!”

“K-den, see you next year. Frenz fo-evah!”

Ahahahahaha! Those made me almost cry (with laughter that is)!

But the more I read, the more I cherished the friendships I have – to this day – with all of them. We’ve been through a lot and will continue to go through more “for-evah”!

K, before I get too mushy on y’all let’s get to the part where I ask for your feedback.

Talk to me!
* Share one or more of your favorite memories from back in the day.
* First crush?
* First car?
* Favorite hang out?

Mine would have to be when “the boys” were all single and looking to mingle. LOL! We thought we were all bomb, cruising Waiks in our hand-me-down car, complete with body kit and boom in the back. Then we’d hit up Tower Records before heading to Brian’s to shoot some pool and play Street Fighter. After unsuccessfully meeting quality girls, we’d go to Zippy’s late night, before heading home. Then, we’d call each other on the Wonderphone and do it all over again. When we were older, we’d replace Waiks and Tower Records with work, Brian’s with Oceans, and Zippy’s with Zippy’s. Awww… those were the days. 😛

What say you?

Survey Thursday: Favorite Zippy’s?

When the answer was revealed during one of our previous Where In Hawaii contests (which was Zippy’s), it was suggested by kuya.d to do a Survey Thursday around that particular topic… So… hurr we are…

We’ve all got our favorite Zippy’s. Our “home base” if you will. This be yo chance to sound off and represent. So without further ado… *clears throat*

Chicky chicky check if your school favorite Zippy’s is in effect – Represent! LOL!

Growing up in H.K. during those “hard core Zippy’s years”, Zippy’s Koko Marina was probably the one I identified with the most. It could’ve been the lunch-pick-up on the way to the beach, the dinner-pick-up on the way home from school/work, the midnight thang after chillin’ at the homey’s crib, or, even the 2AM-er after a long night of shooting 9-ball at Brian’s/Shark’s/Velvet’s (LOL!)… We’d be there. Some close seconds would be the McCully one (that’s usually where the “scenery” was at), and the Kahala one (new and on the way home).

Since Zippy’s is so much a part of all of our cultures, we shouldn’t just limit this survey to locations. What say we open thangs up and share our favorite Zippy’s story/stories as well as our favorite Zippy’s dish(es) while we’re at it? Bonus question: Which Zippy’s have you NOT been to (click here for help or here’s a list: Ala Moana, Dillingham, Ewa, Kahala, Kailua, Kaimuki, Kalihi, Kaneohe, Kaneohe (William Henry Road), Kapahulu, Kahului, Kapolei, Koko Marina, Makiki, Mc Cully, Mililani, Nimitz, Pearl City, Pearl Ridge, Vineyard, Waiau, Wahiawa, Waimalu, Waipahu, Waipio)? I’ll start:

Favorite Zippy’s: Koko Marina (for sentimental reasons)
Favorite Zippy’s Story: I actually applied for Zippy’s back in da high school days and got rejected! How you figgah? Well, I did get called in to their main office for an interview, but never received that final call back… so that is kinda like getting rejected right? So shame! Ah, das ok, I got a higher paying job where I got to eat poke all day (seafood department at Safeway) so it all worked out. 😛
Favorite Zippy’s Dish: Zip Min
Zippy’s Location(s) I’ve Never Been To: Ewa, Kalihi, Kaneohe (William Henry Road location), Kahului, Kapolei, Waipahu. Just 6 out of 25? Not bad at all… 8)

Go get um yo!

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Results from last week (Wireless Carrier Survey)

• AT&T: 9 (DA WINNAH!)
• T-Mobile: 8
• Verizon: 7
• Sprint: 5

Happy Survey Thursday… Woo Hoo it’s almost TGI(F)F!

Oh yeah, for you old older peeps, here’s a blast from the past (70’s) that you might enjoy! No offense! 😉

For those more my age, hea’s a classic (starring Jade Moon). If you’ve never seen either of these two videos, zip it! 😛

My thoughts and prayers go out to hemajang and the Yoshida family during this difficult time… 😦

Where In Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – April 1, 2009

Yeah, I know it’s Wednesday and the millions 10 of you reading this blog errry week are dying to guess this week’s Where In Hawaii contest, but we’re gonna switch it up a bit this week. Today we’re gonna let our emotions go while sharing our deepest, darkest secrets with one another around the virtual camp fire…

APRIL FOOLS!

You’ve gots ta be kiddin’… Wednesdays = Where In Hawaii Wednesdays and I sure as heck can’t let all 10 of you down, naw-mean!? 😛

Last week, sistah snow got back to her winning ways by correctly guessing Zippy’s. She even scooped on the bonus points by guessing Zip Min too. Sheez, “Next Stop” expert eh snow? 😉

I’m pretty sure this week is another easy one, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see right? Go getum!

Where In Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – April 1, 2009

Hint: If necessary…

 

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Da “Where In Hawaii” Winnahz Circle!

• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – March 25, 2009: snow (Zippy’s Restaurant, Honolulu)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – March 18, 2009: Takeshi (Little Seoul Korean Restaurant, Honolulu)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – March 11, 2009: jack (Mai Tai Bar, Honolulu)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – March 4, 2009: frankie (Coffee or Tea, Honolulu)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – February 25, 2009: skycastles (California Pizza Kitchen, Honolulu)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – February 18, 2009: Ynaku (Shokudo Restaurant, Honolulu)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – February 11, 2009: Paco (Mililani Restaurant, Mililani)
• Where In Hawaii Vegas Is Edward Sugimoto – February 4, 2009: Takeshi (Garden Court at the Main Street Station Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – January 28, 2009: Coconut Willy (Princeville Resort, Princeville, Kauai)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – January 21, 2009: Paco (Taiyo Ramen, Honolulu)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – January 14, 2009: Paco (Spaghettini, Haleiwa)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – January 7, 2009: Coconut Willy (Island Snow, Kailua)
• Where In Hawaii Japan Is Edward Sugimoto – December 17, 2008: Rodney (Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – December 10, 2008: HNL2LAS (International Marketplace)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – November 19, 2008: Coconut Willy with credit to che for the hints (Lanikuhonua)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – November 12, 2008: snow (Duke Kahanamoku Statue, Waikiki)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – November 5, 2008: snow (Big Kahuna’s Marketplace in the Waikiki Shopping Plaza)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – October 29, 2008: jr. (Waiola Store)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – October 22, 2008: Coconut Willy (Gina’s Bar-B-Q)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – October 15, 2008: HNL2LAS (Jurison’s Inn)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – October 8, 2008: jr. (Makapu`u Lighthouse Trail)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – October 1, 2008: HNL2LAS (Dole Plantation)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – September 24, 2008: teej (M Matsumoto Grocery Store or Matsumoto’s Shave Ice Sign)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – September 17, 2008: M (Tree Tunnel on Highway 520 (Maluhia Road) in Kauai)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – September 10, 2008: snow (Tasaka Guri Guri, Maui)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – September 3, 2008: M with props to Rodney (Laie Point State Wayside)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – August 27, 2008: nobody!, but dsosa was close (Camp Erdman)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – August 20, 2008: BarbieQ! (Old Koloa Town)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – August 6, 2008: kako mochi (Kincaid’s)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – July 30, 2008: ijiwarui (Dave & Buster’s)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – July 23, 2008: MoOgooGuypAN and Coconut Willy’s wifey (La Pietra Hawaii School for Girls)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – June 27, 2008: GumbysHorse (White Plains Beach, Barber’s Point)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – May 19, 2008: nobody! (the mall fronting Kekaulike Market in Chinatown)
• Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – May 7, 2008: nobody!, but 1dble was pretty dang close (Ward area, more specifically, right in front of the Starbucks/Big City Diner area)

Talk to me!
* Who’s toast this week for American Idol?

Check out my latest AroundHawaii.com article… an Interview with Bruddah Justin Young! Let me know what you think man!

Just In Time – A Conversation With Justin Young, Superstar In the Making

Happy Hump Day Where In Hawaii Wednesday y’all. 🙂

EATS! – Kauaian Style – Part I

 Part I  | Part II | Part III

OK, I’ve got issues. 427 pictures and videos in just 4 short days on Kauai… I need help.

But my issues = your gain cause we’ll get to embark on the second adventure of EATS (Ed Ate Tasty Stuffs)! Ya ready?

So right off the bat, we head southwest towards Kalaheo. We first stop by a vendor’s office to drop off some famous Apple Napples from Zippy’s, then kill time in the area by going on a mini hike at _____________ park and the nearby town of ________________. Crud! Sorry folks… I forgot that if I name these places, a future edition of “Where in Hawaii” would be ruined. LOL! Just use your imagination with me won’tcha? 😉

In any case, we head back to Kalaheo and arrive at a favorite of many: Brick Oven Pizza, some of the best damn pizza you’ll ever eat.

Super Pizza from Brick Oven Pizza

We ordered the popular “Super Pizza” with garlic butter crust and all the fixin’s. What an awesome start to our vacay.

*skipping boring details of our trip*

For our next meal, we decided to go to BarbieQ!‘s suggested Blossoming Lotus in Kapaa. I’ve heard a lot about this place (heck, they’ve even won numerous awards), but have never gone because, well, frankly, I’m a meatatarian (yes dudes, it’s a vegan joint). The lady was interested in checking it out, so we did.

Kaya’s Cosmic Cornbread – Southwest spelt cornbread served with homemade squash sage butter. – $7

Teriyaki Bowl – Brown rice, kale, peanut sauce and choice of tofu or tempeh. – $13

Seniorita Bombia’s Enchilada Casserole – Spanish marinated & baked tempeh, beans, rice, chili sauce & cashew “cheeze” layered between corn tortillas and topped with carob mole, salsa and sour cream. – $20

*skipping more details…*

For lunch the next day, we stopped over at Garden Island Barbecue & Chinese Restaurant in Lihue. This was suggested many times by the readers of my Kau Kau Kauai series, as well as BarbieQ! again right here, so there is where we had to be.

Mini Mahi Mahi – $5.75

Mixed Plate (Hamburger Steak, Teriyaki Steak Lemon Chicken and Beef Curry) – $7.25
(Requested – and got! – a change for the Lemon Chicken! Yay!)

Since this Wednesday will be “Where in Hawaii” Wednesday (based out of Kauai), I’ll make the posts for this whole week Kauai related. Smaht chyeah?

EATS! for Tuesday will include Kauai Chocolate, pupus aboard Holoholo Charters and Hamura’s Saimin, and Thursday we’ll cover Kountry Style Kitchen, Postcards Cafe, and Kalypso. Then, we’ll round it all off on Friday with a Kauai-related Fave Five Friday post. Sound like fun? 🙂 Sound off below won’tcha?

 Part I  | Part II | Part III