December 30, 2009
December 29, 2009
Dave & Buster's
Last week, before we headed out to see the Honolulu City Lights, we had dinner at Dave & Buster's.
I ordered The Boss Chicken Club. Stacked with bacon, onions, garlic-herb cheese and more, it was a pretty good sandwich! However, the fries were just "okay" (I LOVE fries!).
DH ordered the Black Jack BBQ Burger. He said it wasn't that great.
DS1 and DS2 shared a Grilled Cheese Sandwich. DS1 seemed to love it, and DS2 only ate the fries.
Despite DH not liking his burger, the service was fine, and we had fun in the Million Dollar Midway.
I already know we'll be back to Dave & Buster's to at least play games again, and if we go back to dine I'm sure DH will order something other than the Black Jack BBQ Burger.
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I ordered The Boss Chicken Club. Stacked with bacon, onions, garlic-herb cheese and more, it was a pretty good sandwich! However, the fries were just "okay" (I LOVE fries!).
DH ordered the Black Jack BBQ Burger. He said it wasn't that great.
DS1 and DS2 shared a Grilled Cheese Sandwich. DS1 seemed to love it, and DS2 only ate the fries.
Despite DH not liking his burger, the service was fine, and we had fun in the Million Dollar Midway.
I already know we'll be back to Dave & Buster's to at least play games again, and if we go back to dine I'm sure DH will order something other than the Black Jack BBQ Burger.
Island Savings: Receive $5 off $20 food purchase with the 2010 Entertainment Book Coupon.
Dave & Buster's: 1030 Auahi St Honolulu , HI 96814 808-589-2215
December 27, 2009
Fire Truck Hawaii
Before Christmas we decided to take the boys on the Fire Truck Hawaii City Lights Tour.
It costs $8 per person, and children 2 and under are $4.
I'm not sure how many fire trucks they usually have for the City Lights Tour, but there were two fire trucks that evening.
We made reservations in advance, which is highly recommended, because the night we went they let very few people on that didn't have reservations.
It's quite a popular tour, as I saw many friends who were scheduled for tours before and after the one that we were scheduled for.
The tour is about 30 minutes long, and we were driven around a few blocks.
The boys (and other kids) had fun ringing bells as our driver rang an even louder bell and sounded the siren a couple of times.
Our driver was funny, but it was a little hard to hear him as he identified different landmarks around Honolulu and asked us trivia questions.
The ride was a lot of fun, and the highlight, of course, was seeing the Christmas lights. As we passed all of the lights so many spectators would wave at us and yell "Merry Christmas!" and take photos of the fire truck.
Fire Truck Hawaii also does private parties and other special events.
The City Lights Tour was a fun way to see the Honolulu City Lights!
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It costs $8 per person, and children 2 and under are $4.
I'm not sure how many fire trucks they usually have for the City Lights Tour, but there were two fire trucks that evening.
We made reservations in advance, which is highly recommended, because the night we went they let very few people on that didn't have reservations.
It's quite a popular tour, as I saw many friends who were scheduled for tours before and after the one that we were scheduled for.
The tour is about 30 minutes long, and we were driven around a few blocks.
The boys (and other kids) had fun ringing bells as our driver rang an even louder bell and sounded the siren a couple of times.
Our driver was funny, but it was a little hard to hear him as he identified different landmarks around Honolulu and asked us trivia questions.
The ride was a lot of fun, and the highlight, of course, was seeing the Christmas lights. As we passed all of the lights so many spectators would wave at us and yell "Merry Christmas!" and take photos of the fire truck.
Fire Truck Hawaii also does private parties and other special events.
The City Lights Tour was a fun way to see the Honolulu City Lights!
December 25, 2009
Honolulu City Lights
We took our boys to see the Honolulu City Lights for the first time, and it was such a magical evening!
It's been over 10 years since I last saw the lights, so it was a lot of fun to see how much things have changed, and it was especially fun to see how much our boys enjoyed the displays.
There was so much to see and do--we weren't able to see and do everything, but we'll definitely be back next year, and I'm sure seeing the Honolulu City Lights will become a tradition for our family!
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It's been over 10 years since I last saw the lights, so it was a lot of fun to see how much things have changed, and it was especially fun to see how much our boys enjoyed the displays.
There was so much to see and do--we weren't able to see and do everything, but we'll definitely be back next year, and I'm sure seeing the Honolulu City Lights will become a tradition for our family!
December 23, 2009
WW: Mele Kalikimaka
Photo taken at the Honolulu City Lights.Visit Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom for more participants.
December 16, 2009
December 13, 2009
M. Matsumoto Store aka Matsumoto Shave Ice
When we were in Haleiwa a couple of weeks ago, we decided to have the boys try shave ice for the first time, and there's no better place to get shave ice from than M. Matsumoto Store (aka Matsumoto Shave Ice)!
Of course, the line was quite long--I probably waited about 20 minutes in line, but it was worth the wait!I ordered two flavors of shave ice--Creamsicle and Vanilla, both large and with ice cream for $2.75 each, plus an additional $.25 each for the plastic holders (a necessity since we'd be sharing with the boys).
The shave ice was cool and tasty, and the boys loved it! My favorite part was once I reached the ice cream. YUM!It was a refreshing and sweet way to end our day in Haleiwa!
M.Matsumoto Store: 66-087 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI, 96712, (808)637-4827
December 12, 2009
Breakers Restaurant & Bar
After our disappointing visit to the Green Christmas Festival, we decided to make the most of our trip to Haleiwa and eat at a local restaurant, so we headed to Breakers Restaurant & Bar.
It's a nice little restaurant with lots of big screen TVs and a very present "surf" and "beach" ambiance.
For lunch, I ordered the Asian Wrap, which was full of chicken and veggies. It was a nice wrap, but unfortunately it tasted a little bland.
DH ordered the Mahi Club. He said it was good, and I think next time I'd try that.
They also had a macadamia nut crusted chicken sandwich that I wish I would've gotten instead of the wrap.
Although my food was just "okay," the service was good, and I'm sure we'd visit Breakers again in the future.
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It's a nice little restaurant with lots of big screen TVs and a very present "surf" and "beach" ambiance.
For lunch, I ordered the Asian Wrap, which was full of chicken and veggies. It was a nice wrap, but unfortunately it tasted a little bland.
DS1 ordered the Chicken Tenders.
DH ordered the Mahi Club. He said it was good, and I think next time I'd try that.
They also had a macadamia nut crusted chicken sandwich that I wish I would've gotten instead of the wrap.Although my food was just "okay," the service was good, and I'm sure we'd visit Breakers again in the future.
Breakers Restaurant & Bar: 66250 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712, 808-637-9898
December 7, 2009
Cafe Laufer
Last weekend my husband and I were in the Kaimuki area, wondering what to eat for lunch. There were a lot of places to choose from - Big City Diner, To Thai For, Happy Days, etc. But after eating a lot of greasy, fried food at the previous night's football game, we wanted something light and healthy, so we decided to visit Cafe Laufer.
Cafe Laufer is located on Waialae Avenue, next to Maguro-Ya. You can enter the restaurant from Waialae Avenue, or from the parking lot behind the restaurant (pictured below). You have to pay for parking if you park in the back, however the cost is minimal (we paid $.75).
The restaurant is tastefully decorated with original artwork on the walls and lights on the trees.
One of my favorite items on the lunch menu is the sandwich with pasta salad. For the sandwiches, you can choose the bread, meat, and cheese. For the salad, you can select either a regular green salad or the pasta salad.
My other favorite item is the chinese chicken salad. The salad comes with generous amounts of won ton chips and small pieces of chicken breast. I love the dressing they use - I'm sure it's made from scratch. It's very light and tasty.
The coffee at Cafe Laufer is excellent. I'm not sure what kind of coffee they use, but it's very bold and dark. I also can't figure out how they get this light-colored froth-like coating on the top of the coffee. It's not cream or milk, this coffee is black.
Cafe Laufer is predominantly known for their desserts. The desserts are displayed in the display case at the front of the restaurant where you order, so you can plan your dessert before you order your meal. I had a hard time choosing between their coconut cake and the strawberry shortcake. The strawberry shortcake won. It went perfectly with my cup of coffee.
Cafe Laufer also has a dinner menu that is different from the lunch menu (sandwiches are not available for dinner). Don't forget to leave room for dessert.
Cafe Laufer
3565 Waialae Avenue
(808) 735-7717
December 6, 2009
Green Christmas Festival
Last Friday I didn't dare head down to a mall or any department store.
The "festival" itself was rather small, and there were very few attendees. There were about 10 booths--a couple selling food, drinks, and desserts, and most other booths were selling art, shirts, and hand-crafted items.
Perhaps it got more crowded in the evening (it lasted until 10pm), but even when we passed by on our way home in the afternoon, it was still quite empty.
Perhaps if another Green Christmas Festival is held in the future, hopefully there will be more vendors and more activities so it will draw more attendees.
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Instead, after browsing through a local calendar of events online, I saw that there was a Green Christmas Festival at the Historic Haleiwa Gym that sounded interesting. The description of the event said there would be eco-gifts, crafts, food, keiki activities, and more, and it sounded as if it would be like the Haleiwa Farmers' Market, but on a bigger scale.
So we headed down to Haleiwa mid-morning, and when we got to the Historic Haleiwa Gym, it was quite disappointing.
The "festival" itself was rather small, and there were very few attendees. There were about 10 booths--a couple selling food, drinks, and desserts, and most other booths were selling art, shirts, and hand-crafted items.There was nothing wrong with what the booths had to offer, but I was hoping that there would be a lot more--more booths, more selection, more food, and more keiki activities. There was only one keiki activity--a single bouncer.
I'm not sure if there was not enough notice given out to request vendors, inadequate advertising, or perhaps the venue or date was not appealing to many people, but it was indeed disappointing.
Perhaps it got more crowded in the evening (it lasted until 10pm), but even when we passed by on our way home in the afternoon, it was still quite empty.
Although the Green Christmas Festival was a disappointment, we made the most of our drive out to Haleiwa, enjoying the sights, sounds, and food, which I'll be posting about later.
Perhaps if another Green Christmas Festival is held in the future, hopefully there will be more vendors and more activities so it will draw more attendees.
December 3, 2009
Young's Kal Bee
After I tweeted about chicken katsu one day, @wk808 let me know how @wowgrinds rated Young's Kal Bee in Aiea #1 in a blind taste test of chicken katsu.
So naturally, I had to give their Chicken Katsu a try.
We arrived there just after it opened at 10:30am.
I waited in the car with DS2, and DH went in to place our order. After talking to the female employee for a while and discovering that she and her husband own/work at Young's Kal Bee, he mentioned how he heard that they were known for their Chicken Katsu. She said "are you sure you don't mean the Meat Jun?"
So DH thought I must've told him wrong information, and while waiting for the food (which took quite a long time) he Google-searched Young's Kal-Bee, and sure enough the one thing that kept popping up the most was how they have the best Meat Jun.
She then asked him if he wanted to change his order, and he said no.
It was funny because there were also several reviews about how the woman who works at the restaurant is so nice and offers good customer service, so DH showed her the reviews and she told him "I can get grouchy sometimes!"
Well, even though the food took a while, the woman was indeed very friendly.
Finally, we got our food, and I couldn't wait to dig in .
The Chicken Katsu came with kim chee and vegetables (which I don't eat), and a container of rice on the side.
The plate was HUGE! There was so much katsu! They didn't serve katsu sauce though--they just gave the sauce that they give to dip the meat jun in, which I didn't think went well with the katsu.
DH ordered the Lunch Special, which included Barbecue Chicken, Meat Jun, Fried Man Doo, 3 Vegetables, and Kim Chee.
Despite waiting a while for our food and the prices being a little on the high side (about $20 total for both plates), the co-owner was very friendly, and overall the food was good.
And did I think the Chicken Katsu was the best?
No.
It was good, but not the best--I thought it tasted a little bland.
DH thought the Katsu was really good.
And he thought the Meat Jun was indeed the best. Even when he ate the leftovers he kept commenting on how it was so good.
Next time we go there we'll call ahead for take-out, and I'll probably order something other than the Chicken Katsu, but I know DH will want to get the Meat Jun again.
Read More
So naturally, I had to give their Chicken Katsu a try.
We arrived there just after it opened at 10:30am.
I waited in the car with DS2, and DH went in to place our order. After talking to the female employee for a while and discovering that she and her husband own/work at Young's Kal Bee, he mentioned how he heard that they were known for their Chicken Katsu. She said "are you sure you don't mean the Meat Jun?"
So DH thought I must've told him wrong information, and while waiting for the food (which took quite a long time) he Google-searched Young's Kal-Bee, and sure enough the one thing that kept popping up the most was how they have the best Meat Jun.
She then asked him if he wanted to change his order, and he said no.
It was funny because there were also several reviews about how the woman who works at the restaurant is so nice and offers good customer service, so DH showed her the reviews and she told him "I can get grouchy sometimes!"
Well, even though the food took a while, the woman was indeed very friendly.
Finally, we got our food, and I couldn't wait to dig in .
The Chicken Katsu came with kim chee and vegetables (which I don't eat), and a container of rice on the side.
The plate was HUGE! There was so much katsu! They didn't serve katsu sauce though--they just gave the sauce that they give to dip the meat jun in, which I didn't think went well with the katsu.
DH ordered the Lunch Special, which included Barbecue Chicken, Meat Jun, Fried Man Doo, 3 Vegetables, and Kim Chee.
Despite waiting a while for our food and the prices being a little on the high side (about $20 total for both plates), the co-owner was very friendly, and overall the food was good.And did I think the Chicken Katsu was the best?
No.
It was good, but not the best--I thought it tasted a little bland.
DH thought the Katsu was really good.
And he thought the Meat Jun was indeed the best. Even when he ate the leftovers he kept commenting on how it was so good.
Next time we go there we'll call ahead for take-out, and I'll probably order something other than the Chicken Katsu, but I know DH will want to get the Meat Jun again.
Young's Kal Bee 99-084 Kauhale St., #A-2, Aiea, HI 96701 488-0251
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