The Local General Store

I recently went back to The Local General Store, and in addition to my favorite mushroom danish, I made sure to get the House Made Char Siu, Pickled Mustard Greens, and Sesame Seeds Croissant as recommended by Chef Keoni Regidor.

Just look at how beautiful and shiny it is!  It is reminisicent of a manapua, but with a twist.  I loved the flakiness of the pastry and savoriness of the glaze, and the char siu, made in house with Mountain View Farms pork, was so flavorful.

From top left clockwise: Small Kine Farm Keiki Mushrooms, Bechamel, Gruyere; Lilikoi-Orange-Guava; Chocolate Croissant; House Made Char Siu, Pickled Mustard Greens, and Sesame Seeds 

In my opinion, The Local General Store is one of the best spots on the island for sweet and savory pastries! 

The Local General Store
3458 Waialae Ave

Honolulu, HI 96816 

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Yujin K-BBQ

Yujin K-BBQ is a fairly new Korean restaurant in Waipahu, and I was quite impressed with the food!

BBQ Chicken & Mandoo

The chicken was tender, smoky, and tasty, and the mandoo was perfectly crispy with a flavorful filling.

Bulgogi & BBQ Chicken

Mandoo & Spicy Pork

Meat Jun & Spicy Pork

Yujin Special

The Yujin Special comes with 2 pieces kalbi, 2 pieces BBQ chicken, Bulgogi, and mandoo.

All plates also come with rice, a piece of zucchini jun, and 5 different banchan (my fave is always the braised potatoes!).

Each plate lasted for two meals so we had lunch and dinner!

Waipahu has a number of great Korean restaurants, and Yujin can be added to that list! 

Yujin K-BBQ
94-300 Farrington Hwy B-03

Waipahu, HI 96797
Phone: (808) 200-1285

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Artizen by MW

Although I've done pick-up from Artizen by MW a number of times, for the first time recently, I dined in!

Caesar

We got the Caesar salad, which had a very delicious Caesar dressing (you could taste the anchovies!)  After the fact, we discovered that there should've been croutons, which really would've completed the salad, but it was still a good salad.

Bubu Arare Garlic Chicken Sandwich

The Bubu Arare Garlic Chicken Sandwich was so moist and flavorful.  I loved the namasu, and I especially loved the accompanying fries!  The piece of chicken was huge as well - extending way over the bun!

Oxtail Soup

My friend has the Oxtail Soup, which also consisted of corned beef and pork belly.  He really loved how the soup had all the elements of a traditional oxtail, but it was elevated.  It was one of the best Oxtail Soups he ever had!

Pumpkin Crunch Cheesecake

Of course we had to get dessert!  The Pumpkin Crunch Cheesecake was heavenly.  It had a nice firmness and such a delightful pumpkin flavor that is so perfect for the season!

Chocolate Cake

Their signature Chocolate Cake was divine as well.

We had a great meal at Artizen!

Artizen by MW
888 Kapiolani Blvd, Commercial Unit, Suite 102
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 524-0499

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Celine's Best

I tried Celine's Best's loaded fries once at a food truck event and I enjoyed it, so I was happy to see they were offering food at a recent event at a local high school. 

They once again had a lot of loaded fries on the menu, but it was a 30-minute wait for fries, so I decided upon getting one of their "Walking Tacos" options.

Birria Nachos

I had the Birria Nachos, which had shredded beef, cheese sauce, cilantro, and onions.  They did have a toppings bar where you could add things like sour cream and jalapenos, but I didn't add any.  I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it - the beef was tender and it was overall just a super fun meal.  

Doritos Snackos Tacos

They really loaded the Doritos Snackos Tacos with toppings!

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Waffle Dog

They also offered a variety of waffle dogs.  Can't go wrong with the Cheesy Bacon Ranch combo!

Follow @celinesbest on IG to find out where they'll be popping up!

 

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Visit Hilo: Kalo & Cream

I'm not a soda drinker, but I love supporting all things local, and have been wanting to try Kalo & Cream because I love the menu full of nostalgic flavors.  I saw them at the Kanaka Culinary Explosion and I immediately stood in line.

Crack Seed

I opted for the crack seed.  It was a lovely sweet, salty concoction that uses real crack seed!  It was so refreshing.  

Because they make different syrups to mix with soda water for each of the flavors, they also sell the syrups so you can make your own at home!

Follow them on IG @kaloandcream to find out where you can get their sodas! 

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Visit Hilo: Miyo's Restaurant

I recently had dinner at Miyo's Restaurant in Hilo.

Miso Soup

I once again had the Chicken Katsu Curry Rice.

Chicken Katsu Curry Rice

It was a very generous serving!  The katsu was crispy, yet tender, and the curry was good, although I could've done without the brocolli in the curry.  

Side Green Salad

Broiled Saba and Vegetable Tempura

My friend said that the Tempura is always consistent - perfectly fried and so delicious.

Side Sesame Chicken

The service was great, and I appreciated the huge portions!

Miyo's Restaurant
564 Hinano St
Hilo, HI 96720

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Visit Los Angeles: Thanksgiving Day at Disneyland

When we first planned our Thanksgiving weekend trip to Los Angeles, Disneyland wasn’t even on the agenda. But a few weeks before our flight, the idea of spending a holiday at the Happiest Place on Earth started sounding really tempting. The only dilemma: Should we go on Thanksgiving Day or brave the crowds on Black Friday?

After scanning the internet for advice, the consensus was clear—Thanksgiving tends to be less crowded than the day after. So we made a spontaneous decision, bought Park Hopper tickets, and committed to spending Thanksgiving at Disneyland… even though we were landing that morning on a red-eye.

Because we’d already booked a great hotel deal near LAX (and didn’t want to give that up), we took an Uber to Anaheim so that I wouldn't have to worry about driving back to the hotel late at night. The ride cost $79 to Disneyland, which felt worth it for the convenience.  After landing, picking up our rental car, and dropping our bags at the hotel, we headed straight to Disneyland and arrived just before 9 a.m.

The entrance lines looked daunting at first, but we managed to spot a tucked-away queue that no one else seemed to notice. Five minutes later, we were inside—and the magic began.

From there, the day was a whirlwind of rides, treats, and holiday cheer. At one point, we even had our own version of Thanksgiving dinner: sharing three giant turkey legs because, honestly, you can’t go to Disneyland without getting a turkey leg!  We didn’t get to do or eat everything on our list, but it didn’t matter. Disneyland is always special, but during the holidays, it becomes something extraordinary. The Christmas décor, the festive music, and the holiday parade could put even the Grinch in the holiday spirit.

Check out the photos to see what we rode, where we wandered, and what we ate.  It was an unforgettable Thanksgiving, and now I totally understand the hype about visiting during the holiday season. I already can’t wait to go back next year!

Disneyland's 70th Celebration D Glow Cube

We LOVE the popcorn at Disneyland (we even stashed some to snack on for the plane ride home)

The Lightning Lane Multi Pass included unlimited downloads of Disney PhotoPass

Churros are another one of our favorite snacks at Disneyland

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance - we bought Lightning Lane Single Passes to bypass the 85 minute standby line.

Chicken Tenders Plate from Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree

Classic Cheeseburger

A Christmas Fantasy Parade (3 PM showtime)

Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough at night

California Adventure

Thanksgiving Dinner!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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