The Rice Factory

Here in Honolulu, we are lucky to have The Rice Factory, a Japanese rice specialty shop that provides the finest Japanese rice (short grain), that has been carefully selected and grown with no or very low amount of agricultural chemicals. 

Did you know rice is a "fresh" food and much like vegetables, the taste and quality degrades with time.  So if you are looking for the freshest and highest quality rice, you can get it at the Rice Factory.  Simply choose the type of rice you like and they will it mill it fresh right there to your specifications. 

We've tried yumepirika, which is ranked first in the Japanese rice grain quality ranking, but our favorite is nanatsuboshi which is a versatile rice that a lot of local restaurants use.  The Rice Factory also sells other Japanese food items and kitchen items like chopsticks and standing rice paddles.  If you're still in a need of a gift for the person who has everything this holiday season, consider a 5 pound bag of fresh rice that would make a great gourmet gift item!


The Rice Factory
955 Kawaiahao Street
Honolulu, HI 96814

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Char Hung Sut

I've eaten Char Hung Sut's Manapua's many times before, but for the first time I actually went into the shop to order some!

Manapua

Half Moon; Pork Hash

As soon as I stepped in a man proceeded to ask what I wanted to order.  I was a little taken aback, because at first I didn't see a menu.  All I saw were a couple of people waiting for their orders, and employees making half moon and pork hash.

I quickly scanned the unassuming room to find a menu, way up high on a wall.  

I ordered ten each of manapua, half moon, and pork hash.  The man said it would take about 7 minutes because of a wait for the pork hash.  

As I waited, the line grew exponentially longer behind me.  

Fortunately, the wait was indeed very short, and before I knew it, I left with two boxes of food.

The prices are very reasonable, and the manapuas are huge - one is enough for a meal!  

Next time I'll know to call my order in ahead of time, just in case.


Char Hung Sut
64 N Pauahi St, Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 538-3335

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Visit Tokyo: Shiokaze Park

While in Odaiba we went to Shiokaze Park in search of a playground.  Unfortunately, it wasn't until we got to the park did we realize the playground was dismantled just a few months earlier due to safety reasons. 

However, we did stroll the park a bit, and got to view some cherry blossoms.

The Park has thousands of trees, and is right along the Odaiba waterfront, so you can see the Tokyo Bay and Rainbow Bridge.

It's a short walk from DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, so when the kids start getting hungry, walk on over to the food court or the numerous restaurants there, and get some shopping done too!

Shiokaze Park
1 Higashiyashio, Shinagawa

Tokyo 135-0092, Japan
 +81 3-5500-2455

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DFS Hawaii December Events and Promotions

T Galleria by DFS, Hawaii and DFS, Hawaii Daniel K. Inoue International Airport present many exciting events and promotions during December. Enjoy enticing events, great promotions and offers at T Galleria by DFS, Hawaii and DFS Daniel K. Inoue International Airport!


Personalization Gift Shop Until February 17, 2018 | T Galleria by DFS, Hawaii 1F
Personalize your gifts for friends and family. Monogrammed bags, embroidered T-shirts and tote bags, and more! *

Beauty Promotion Until December 31, 2018 | T Galleria by DFS, Hawaii 2F Beauty
Buy 2 full price beauty items over $100 or more, receive 20% off on the 3rd item.*

Duty Free Promotion Until December 31, 2018 | T Galleria by DFS, Hawaii 3F Duty Free
Shop Duty Free and save up to an additional 10% percent off your purchase.*

Watch it Snow in Waikiki From now until January 14, 2019, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, and 10pm  T Galleria by DFS, Hawaii 1F
Come and experience the winter wonderland in Waikiki. Watch it snow every night and watch the Golden Holiday Wishes live show on special days.*
* Golden Holiday Wishes live show on Dec. 19-23, 27-30, 2018 8pm & 9pm.

Meet Santa December 16, 20, 22, 23, & 24, 2018 7pm -9pm | T Galleria by DFS, Hawaii 3F
Meet Santa at 3rd floor of T Galleria for a free photo with Santa Claus for a Christmas memory to cherish for years to come.

Kid’s Magic Show and Balloon Twisting December 28-31, 2018 7PM-9PM T Galleria by DFS, Hawaii 1F
Families can enjoy a free magic show and balloon twisting.

New Year’s Eve Beauty Party December 31, 2018 8PM to 10PM T Galleria by DFS, Hawaii | 2F BEAUTY
Celebrate with complimentary champagne, exciting events & receive a party hat upon a beauty
purchase, only at the beauty floor.*

Jo Malone pop up store From now until January 4, 2019 | T Galleria by DFS, Hawaii 1F
Visit Jo Malone pop up store and try Christmas limited edition of “English Pear and Freesia” cologne and enjoy personalized gift box with purchase.

* While supplies last. Terms and conditions apply. Brand exclusions apply. See store for details.

Schedule subject to change without any notice.

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Snickers Blondies

This year it seems like the candy the kids received the most from their trick-or-treating adventures is Snickers.

So, I decided to make Snickers Blondies! It's one of the few ways I'll eat Snickers (in addition to in brownies, or in ice cream).

I love blondies, and I really enjoyed these Snickers Blondies, and so did the kids!

Snickers Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 c (2 sticks) room temperature butter
• 1 c brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 c flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t salt
• 2 c Snickers, chopped

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking/baking spray.  
• In a medium bowl cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
• Add in the vanilla.
• Add in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  
• In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. 
• Fold in 1 cup of chopped Snickers
• Pour batter into pan.
• Bake for 30 minutes.  
• Sprinkle remaining cup of chopped Snickers.

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Visit Albuquerque: Rude Boy Cookies

When you visit Rude Boy Cookies, you'll get some of the best cookies you've ever eaten, and very friendly service to go along with it.

A tantalizing display of cookies made it somewhat difficult to choose, but ultimately we ended up ordering:

Sugar

Duke

Red Velvet

Gold Bar

I ordered the Duke - an enormous Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookie that is made with ice cream (flavors change for this XXL cookie). 

It was one of the best cookies I've tried.  It was chewy, and so flavorful.  I'm thinking the ice cream made it taste so amazing, but whatever it was, the cookie was just fantastic.

Cookie-lovers must visit Rude Boy Cookies!

In case you're wondering, according to the website:
The “Rude Boy” portion of our name is rooted in ska history and a love of ska music. The term Rude Boy (or Rude Girl) refers to an avid listener of ska music, especially that of “traditional” and “2-tone” waves of ska. And further, the word “Rude” in “Rude Boy” is a reference to Jamaican culture where it is slang for mischievous.

Rude Boy Cookies115 Harvard Dr SE #7
Albuquerque, NM 87106
(505) 200-2235

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Scratch Kitchen & Meatery Winter 2018 Menu

Nat and I met at Scratch Kitchen & Meatery just a few days after the new Winter 2018 menu launched.

I was devastated because the Grilled Cheese Sammy was not available!

But thankfully, my all-time fave - Haupia Creme Brulee French Toast, is still on the menu, as well as the popular 'Milk N' Cereal' Pancakes.

'Milk N' Cereal' Pancakes

Haupia Creme Brulee French Toast

Lately, I've been eating a lot of cauliflower dishes whenever I dine out, so I couldn't resist getting the Roasted Cauliflower Tacos.

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos

I thought they were quite good!  The cauliflower was seasoned nicely, and was stuffed in a tortilla along with chickpeas and topped with a chipotle crema

Breakfast Burrito Ahogado

The Breakfast Burrito was stuffed with bacon (they were out of chorizo), eggs, black beans, potatoes, and tomatoes, and was served in a chipotle-tomato sauce.  The dish was accompanied by taters, and overall it was very tasty and very filling.

The food did not disappoint, and I look forward to going back to try the Grilled Cheese Sammy!

Scratch Kitchen & Meatery
1170 Auahi St.
Honolulu, HI 96816

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