Hawaii Mom Blog: November 2009

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November 28, 2009

P.F. Chang's China Bistro

After opening up in the islands a few years ago and hearing so many good things about it, we finally went to P.F. Chang's China Bistro.

We went to the P.F. Chang's in Hokua, which is also the first location that opened up in Hawaii. We arrived at about 11am, and it was pretty empty.

Since I've heard people rave about the Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps, we decided to give it a try, and it was quite good!

I ended up ordering Chang's Spicy Chicken. It was good--spicy and tasty (and also tasted quite similar to a fast food restaurant's Asian chicken).

DH ordered the Asian Marinated New York Strip and he enjoyed it.

DS1 ordered the Kids Honey Chicken. It was quite a lot of chicken, and the sauce was good!
We all ended up getting dessert, and we each tried one P.F. Chang's mini desserts.

DS1 devoured the Great Wall of Chocolate.
DH got the Strawberry Cheesecake.

I got the S'Mores.

I thought the desserts were just the right size. I usually never order dessert when I go out to eat since I'm always so stuffed, but after seeing how these desserts were indeed mini, I thought I could definitely indulge a little!

Overall we thought the food was good, despite being a bit pricey and not being "authentic" Chinese.

The best part about our visit was our server. She was EXCELLENT!

She's a mom herself, and she did a lot of little things that really made our dining experience special. Whenever DS2 started to get fussy she'd come by and offer to see if there was anything she could do, and when I was packing up, she saw that I had so much to pack and carry that she gave me a big P.F. Chang's take-out bag to stuff everything in.

We're fortunate to usually experience good service whenever we dine out, but on this visit to P.F. Chang's the service was exceptional.

Despite the "okay" food, I'm sure one day we'll go back, and it's all because of the service.


P.F. Chang's China Bistro-1288 Ala Moana Blvd # 110, Honolulu, HI 96814, 808 596-4710
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November 24, 2009

Big City Diner

It was a holiday, so we decided to take the entire family out to lunch at Big City Diner in Waipahu (Waipio).

Every time I've been to Big City Diner I've ordered something different, and so far I haven't been disappointed. On this visit I ordered the Big City Club with Garlic Fries.


DH ordered the Big Burger, and also ordered it with Garlic Fries.


Since DS1 loves pancakes, he had the Big Silver Dollar Pancakes with Bacon from the keiki menu. Check out those huge pancakes--and that's off of the keiki menu! I don't even think I could eat all of those pancakes!
The food was great (especially the garlic fries) and the service was excellent!

I can't wait to go back!

Big City Diner 94-800 Ukee St.,Waipahu, HI 96797-4044, 678-8868
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November 18, 2009

Outback Steakhouse

Yes, I enjoy going to chain restaurants, and Outback Steakhouse is one of our favorites. Here's a look at our most recent visit at the Waipahu (Waipio) location:

The complimentary bread.
The Bloomin' Onion. So unhealthy but soooooo addicting! I ordered the Grilled Chicken and Swiss Sandwich.
DH ordered the Mushroom Swiss Burger. DS1 ordered the Boomerang Cheeseburger.

We all enjoyed our sandwiches/burgers and the service was really good.

I can't wait to go back and eat more of the Bloomin' Onion!


Outback Steakhouse: 810 Ukee Street, Waipahu, HI 96797, 808-671-7200

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November 17, 2009

Grace's Inn

I remember the first time a friend of mine told me to try chicken cutlet several years ago--I thought "yuck--why would I want gravy on my chicken katsu?"

Well, we went to Grace's Inn and I tried the Chicken Cutlet, and ever since then, the Chicken Cutlet has been a favorite of mine.

So on our way home from Toys "R" Us one day, DH and I went to Grace's Inn in Aiea to pick up some plate lunches.

I ordered the Chicken Cutlet, of course.

DH ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry.
The food was really good, and we both ended up with lots of leftovers.

Grace's prices are reasonable, and the portions sizes are generous.

I think Grace's has some of the best chicken katsu (and katsu sauce) on the island, so whether you want it "plain," or with gravy or curry, I would recommend Grace's Inn.

Grace's Inn: 98-820 Moanalua Rd # 2028, Aiea, HI 96701, 484-2028
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November 9, 2009

Noboru Restaurant

We haven't had much luck finding a good Japanese restaurant in Kaneohe, therefore, we decided to try our luck in Kailua, in hopes of finding a good one on the Windward side of Oahu.  My co-worker recommended Noboru Restaurant - we loved it!  The restaurant is located next door to Zia's Cafe on Hamakua Drive.  There is plenty of parking in the back of the building.  On the window of the restaurant, we saw the words "Genuine Japanese" - most times when a restaurant will actually label themselves as "genuine", it's a red flag to signify that you are in for a very "non-genuine" experience.  But in this case, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that their food is quite genuine indeed.


The restaurant is relatively small with approximately 7 tables and a counter.  The decor is modern and not what you'd find at a traditional Japanese restaurant, but you must keep in mind that we are in Kailua.


We both received the dish below, compliments of the chef.  I have no idea what it is (my guess would be some kind of seaweed), but it was pretty good.  It was a little on the sweet side.


We ordered a California sushi roll and an order of salmon nigiri.  Both were delicious.  


Here is the soft shell crab appetizer - a soft shell crab deep fried with tempura batter.  


As you can see, this crab was FULL of meat!


Our combination dinner came with salad and miso soup.  Their ginger salad dressing was tasty and refreshing.


We ordered a 3-item combination dinner of tempura, chicken katsu, and miso butterfish.  I'm so glad we decided to share this combo meal - look at the portions!


I believe they have "Sake Night" monthly - if you come in to dine on Sake Night, they give you a free sample of 3 different sakes.  The next Sake Night is Saturday, November 28th.  They will be serving hot sake that evening.  Come down and check it out!  They also have a Sake class on Thursdays.  


We are happy to have finally found a Japanese restaurant to our liking that is relatively close to home.  The prices are comparable to the Japanese restaurants in town.  There are a lot of other items on the menu that we definitely want try, such as the shabu shabu and chanko nabe.

Noboru Restaurant
201 Hamakua Drive, #102
(808) 261-3033

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November 7, 2009

Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour & Restaurant

Last month after doing some shopping in the Aiea area, we decided to go to Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour & Restaurant in Pearlridge Uptown.

I remember going to Farrell's often when I was a little kid. I remember lots of noise, lots of people, and lots of ice cream!

So when Farrell's reopened in the islands a few years ago, it's been a favorite spot to take our kids.

I ordered the North Shore Club with Criss-Cut Fries.

It was a good club sandwich, and my favorite part of the meal was the fries!

DH ordered one of the specials of the day--the Two-Alarm Burger. He said it was good, but not that spicy.
DS1 had the Keiki Hamburger, which comes with Criss-Cut Fries.

He mostly ate the fries and hardly any of the hamburger (he's becoming like his mommy).

And we finished off with a Clown Sundae (which took over 10 minutes to get to us!)

I had a spoonful of ice cream and ate the cone, while DH and DS1 shared the rest of the sundae.

Farrell's wasn't that crowded, so I was surprised at how slow (but friendly) the service was, but despite that, the food was good and it's a fun atmosphere for kids of all ages, and I know will be going there again (in fact we already have since this visit)!


Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour & Restaurant: Pearlridge Shopping Center Uptown, 98-1005 Moanalua Rd. Aiea, HI 96701, (808)488-9339
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November 5, 2009

Dessert Fantasy

If you have a sweet tooth, which most people do, there is one event in November that you cannot miss - Dessert Fantasy - a benefit for United Cerebral Palsy of Hawaii.  A $25 donation entitles you to UNLIMITED sampling of over 40 of Hawaii's best desserts all in one place.   This fundraiser event is held yearly on the first Sunday of November at Pacific Beach Hotel's Grand Ballroom from 1-3pm.  Attendees are given a ballot at the door and are asked to vote for their favorite dessert on each table.  Awards are given at the end of the event for the winners who received the most votes.  Notable participants include Ani's Bake Shop, Big City Diner, Cafe Laufer, Haagen-Dazs Shops Hawaii, Lappert's Hawaii, and Tango Contemporary Cafe, just to name a few.  

Herb Ohta, Jr. & Friends provide the entertainment every year.  


There is a silent auction where you can bid for anything from bottles of wine to gift certificates to local restaurants


Chocolate Raspberry Indulgence from Cake Works


Chi Chi Dango from Nisshodo 


Triple Chocolate Rum Truffles from Haleiwa Joe's at Haiku


Red Velvet Cupcakes from Hokulani Bakery


The Lemon Drop Crunch Cake from The Alley in Aiea


Winner of the Chef's Choice Award - Chocolate Phantom from Gros Bonnet Culinary Academy


Winner of the People's Choice Award - Guava Cheesecake and Mango Cheesecake with Macadamia Nut from Gourmet Delite, Inc.


Freshly made malasadas from Agnes Portuguese Bake Shop


The best part is that at the end of the event, for a $5 donation, you can get a container to take home your favorite desserts, or the ones that you weren't able to try.  

This event would not be possible without the generous donations from their sponsors, Pacific Beach Hotel, and numerous volunteers.

If you are interested in donating your product for next year's event, or you would like to attend or volunteer at the event, contact the UCPA Office.   

United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawaii
www.ucpahi.org

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November 4, 2009

Children & Youth Day

In Hawaii, October is designated as Children and Youth Month, and the first Sunday of October is known as Children's Day. To celebrate Children's Day, a Children & Youth Day event was held on the grounds of the State Capitol and surrounding areas.

A friend of mine had mentioned how she took her son to the event last year and how they had such a good time, so based on her recommendation, we decided to go, and we called our friends to meet us there.

There was live entertainment, and all sorts of fun things for kids--bouncers, crafts, rock climbing, sports, and so much more.

Kids got a lot of free stuff at the event--candy, goodie bags, stickers, pumpkins...We even got coupons for free hay rides at the Aloun Farms Pumpkin Patch and coupons for BOGO circus tickets.

DS1 didn't seem too interested in most of the activities. He was more interested in simply walking around, viewing the sights, and eating!

I was a bit disappointed at the lack of variety of food booths.

I ended up ordering garlic chicken. I didn't want to order it at first because it was chicken wings with garlic sauce, which I thought it would be quite messy, and it was expensive, but after walking around and not seeing any other options, I ended up purchasing a plate, and it turned out to be really tasty! DH just ate a hot dog. And DS1 ate a pizza. The slice was huge--DH ended up eating the rest.The highlight of our day was the slush floats. I got one strawberry slush float and one vanilla for the three of us (DS1, DH, and I) to share. It was an extremely hot day, and after walking just a few steps from the slush float stand to where we were eating, the ice cream melted!

Despite how messy it was, it was sooooo good. Tasty and refreshing!

Although there didn't seem to be a great selection of food, and it was very, very, very hot and humid, we enjoyed the company of our friends and got to see the sights around the State Capitol.

It was a great way to celebrate Hawaii's keiki!

More photos from Children & Youth Day:


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