Visit San Francisco: Propagation

It's easy to walk past Propagation and not realize it's a cozy bar.  At first glimpse all you'll see is a sign that makes you think it's a laundromat, and as you get closer, you'll notice a lot of plants inside.  

But step inside, and you'll be greeted with plants galore and a sleek bar with warm tones.

The garden-centric bar's vibe is chill and relaxing, especially being surrounded by all the plants.

At the time of our visit, they were running a promo for Maui relief efforts. There were two cocktails to choose from, and I chose the "Prayers to Maui" - PCHS Kohana Rum, fresh citrus, and sugar.  

It sure was strong, but quite delicious.

It was nice to step into such a welcoming bar and see that they were supporting Maui relief efforts, and serving Kohana Rum.

Propagation was a perfect pre-dinner spot!

Propagation
895 Post St

San Francisco, CA 94109

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Visit Kaua`i: Big Save Market Breakfast

It was early in Koloa, and not too many places were open for breakfast, but my husband found that Big Save Market (a Times Supermarket Store) was open and had breakfast options.

The options are so inexpensive, and for the amount of food they give, I was quite impressed.  

Regular Breakfast

For just $5.99, I got a huge plate of scrambled eggs, loads of bacon, and rice.

Sumo Breakfast

For $7.99, the Sumo Breakfast included 2 eggs, 2 scoops of rice, ham, hot dog, link sausage, Portuguese sausage, and SPAM.  What a deal for so much food!

Loco Moco

The Loco Moco was just $6.99, and you could sub with fried rice for just $.70 more.

Big Save Market was a great find for hearty breakfasts at very reasonable prices!

Big Save Market

5516 Koloa Rd, Koloa, HI 96756
 

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Visit Sydney: The Walrus

Our first breakfast in Sydney was at The Walrus, a charming cafe that also offers lunch.

It was freezing in Sydney, so all the kids got some hot chocolate, all of which came with some cool designs!

Breakfast Roll

Breakfast Rolls are common in Australia, so of course I had to get one.  It was enormous, consisting of a fried egg, a huge piece of bacon, and chili jam.

It was so huge, I had to "knife and fork" it.  It was a great breakfast - one that I could eat every day!

Walrus Omelette

The Walrus Omelette was stuffed with truffled musrhooms and brie on a grilled sourdough.  It was one of the fanciest omelettes I've ever seen!

Buttermilk Pancakes

The Buttermilk Pancakes were so whimsical!  They were surround by fresh berries in a pool of maple syrup, and topped with yuzu mascarpone cheese and "fairy floss." 

Diced Avocado

Diced Avocado was essentially avocado toast with tomatoes, poached eggs, feta, and dukkah - a quintessential Aussie breakfast!

Service was excellent, and it was a great start to our first full day in Sydney!

The Walrus

SHOP 1, 276 PITT ST SYDNEY

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Restaurant ʻOlili inside Waikiki Market

Located inside Waikiki Market on Kuhio Ave is restaurant ʻOlili which means “sparkling, shimmering, shining.” This meaning reminds me of the song from Aladdin and indeed I did find a shiny, stylish restaurant in the corner of the grocery market. I found the look of the restaurant quite impressive and I liked the open booth we were seated at which overlooked Waikiki.

The menu is basically comprised of a selection of eight appetizers and eight entrees. Your best bet would be to order family style. We were happy with our menu selections and overall the dinner was great. If I had to pick a favorite, I would go with the burger. My dinner mates loved the bone marrow and the smoked fish dip.  

Smoked Fish Dip

Local Roots

Kanpachi Crudo

Bone Marrow

Garlic Shrimp Forbidden Rice

Chili Crab Noodles

Pulehu Half Chicken

Burger with BBQ spiced fries

Okinawan Haupia “Mud” Bar

Our server was excellent and brought out a Hawaiian rainbow cake to celebrate our friend's birthday. He also made the recommendation to order the Okinawan Haupia “Mud” Bar made of ube custard, macadamia nut crust, haupia sorbet, and shaved Okinawan potato. The crust on the dessert was amazing.

Kama’aina, don't forget to inquire about the 10% discount with valid Hawaii ID. The restaurant is open daily from 4pm and validates parking for 2 hours for $4. You can easily make a reservation on Open Table.  

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Battle of the Big Island Apple Pies

A conversation about Holy's Bakery Apple Pie and Big Island Candies Apple Pie resulted in a taste-test with some co-workers and friends. 

Both pies were found in the freezer section at KTA in Hilo (you can also find them at various grocers on O`ahu).

We prepared the pies and baked them according to instructions.

The smell of apple pie was wafting through the kitchen, and in about 90 minutes we had a couple of golden brown pies.

Those with Kohala roots stuck with Holy's Bakery, which is where the bakery is located, and those with Hilo roots favored Big Island Candies.

However, the consensus was that everyone liked the filling of Holy's Bakery, which had a nice cinnamon flavor, and they liked the crust of Big Island Candies, which had a nice buttery flavor and flaky texture.  Many even joked "If only Holy's Bakery's and Big Island Candies' apple pies had a baby . . . "

Overall, the Big Island Candies Apple Pie beat out Holy's Bakery by just one vote, but they are really both great pies to have on hand for whenever the mood strikes or last-minute company comes by.  

You can't go wrong with either, and you're supporting local! 

 

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Visit England: Stonehenge

Stonehenge was a must-see on the itinerary when we decided to visit London after booking a Northern Europe and Norwegian Fjords Cruise. There were several options to see Stonehenge, but what best suited us was to book transportation from our London hotel to the Southampton port with a stop at Stonehenge on the way.

When we arrived at Stonehenge, I was so excited to see the stones that I had my family immediately start walking. I didn’t realize the stones were over a mile away and it happened to be a very hot and sunny day. Each time the shuttle bus passed us during our walk, my family would remind me that catching the bus was the better option. Luckily after we were finished admiring the stones, we were able to catch the shuttle back to the visitor’s center. 

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument dating between 3000 BC to 2000 BC. The sarsen stones measures around 13 feet high, seven feet wide, and weighing around 25 tons are topped by connecting horizontal lintel stones. To this day, no one knows what Stonehenge’s purpose was or who built it. However, the fact that the sun rises over the Heel Stone on the longest day of the year (summer solstice) and sets over it on the shortest day (winter solstice) gives theory that it was a prehistoric temple aligned with the sun’s movements. 

I thought Stonehenge was amazing to see in person and totally worth the walk! Although our visit was brief, some visitors make a day out of it with a picnic near the stones. On the day we went, there was an exhibit celebrating the rich culture of prehistoric Japan and so we caught part of a taiko performance in the field near the stones.     

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Visit Sydney: Envoy Cafe

At the bottom floor of our hotel in Sydney was a charming little cafe, Envoy Cafe, that served breakfast and lunch.

One of the kids wanted hotcakes one morning (actually, they could eat hotcakes every morning), so we ordered take-out.

The Strawberry Hotcakes were loaded with more than just strawberries!  There was caramel popcorn, walnuts, blueberries, a house berry sauce, and ice cream on the side!

What a treat!

There are so many cute cafes throughout Sydney, and Envoy Cafe was no exception!

Envoy Cafe

Ground Floor/511 Kent St

Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

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