Shiro's Saimin Haven

During the late winter chill we recently experienced, I was craving saimin, so we headed to Shiro's Saimin Haven.

I got the Wun Tun Min with Garnishes.

It tasted as good as it looked.

And of course I had to get some French Fries with Gravy.

After I became addicted to french fries with gravy after trying them for the first time in Victoria, BC, I always check out restaurants' menus on the island to see if they serve their fries with gravy, and so far I've found that Shiro's is one of the few places in Hawaii that has them on their menu (most places I have to request the gravy).

DH has been trying to eat healthy, so he ordered the Grilled Mahi Mahi with Brown Rice.

It was quite a generous serving of mahi, and it sure looked good! DH ate the entire thing!

We ordered DS2 the Keiki Hot Dog with Fries.

The service was quick and friendly, the food was good, and I already can't wait to go back.

Shiro's Saimin Haven: 98-020 Kamehameha Highway, Aiea, HI 96701, (808) 488-4834

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Giovanni Pastrami

After spending the morning playing tourist in Waikiki a few weeks ago, we decided to get lunch at Giovanni Pastrami.

The boys shared the Kids Pancakes.

I ordered the Western Chicken Sandwich--a chicken sandwich topped with barbecue sauce, bacon, fried onion rings, and jack cheese.

I normally don't like barbecue sauce, but this sandwich was good! It was pretty messy though--I ended up eating it with a knife and fork.

DH ordered the Western Burger, which was a burger topped with the same items as the Western Chicken Sandwich.

He enjoyed the sandwich and he really liked the onion rings too.

The service was pretty good, and prices are typical Waikiki prices (on the higher side), but we took advantage of a web coupon they were offering so we really saved some money.

Next time I'm going to have to try the pizza (Round Table Pizza), because I heard their pizzas are really good!

Giovanni Pastrami: 227 Lewers Street, Honolulu, HI 96815, (808) 923-2100

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Phuket Thai

Recently I met @incirclepets at Phuket Thai in Mililani while she was in town visiting family and friends.

We ordered Spring Rolls (poh pia).

I thought they were really good. Crispy and tasty.

And of course I had to order the Chicken Thai Fried Noodles (paht thai).

It's really the only other thing I eat at Thai restaurants other than the spring rolls.

Although I had to pull out all of the bean sprouts, I thought it was good (and so did DH, who ate the leftovers).

@incirclepets ordered a beef salad dish (don't know the exact name of the dish).

She said it was good, and the beef was tender. It looked pretty spicy too.

The service was pretty good and overall it was a really nice lunch, especially since I got to see @incirclepets (we've known each other since we were four years old!)!

Phuket Thai: 95-1249 Meheula Pkwy, #A6, Mililani, HI 96789, 808-623-6228

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Wildlife at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa

When we decided to play tourist in Waikiki a few weeks ago, one of our stops was the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa to see the various wildlife there.

The main reason we went was to see the African Black-Footed Penguins.

DS1 loves penguins so he enjoyed watching them.

There were also turtles...

lots of koi...

African ibises...

ducks...

flamingos...

and macaws.

We all enjoyed seeing the different types of wildlife at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Maybe one day we'll take a "staycation" there so we can spend more time visiting and seeing everything else at the Hilton Hawaiian Village!

Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa: 2005 Kalia Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96815 Tel: (808) 949-4321

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Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant & Market

After taking the boys to Jungle Fun, we decided to eat lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant & Market.

The boys shared the Kids Ping Pong Pepperoni Pizza.

The meal also included a side and dessert (french fries and JELL-O) which came in a cute little boat.
I ordered a Blueberry Smoothie (which I got for free after completing an online survey).

And for lunch I had the Texas Cajun Chicken Sandwich

It was really good--how can anything with bacon and guacamole ever not be good?

DH ordered the Accidental Fish & Shrimp.

He said it was good, but thought the portion sizes were a little too small.

For dessert DH and DS1 ordered Jenny's Minis: Peanut Butter and Chocolate and Red, White and Blue.

Since we've been to Bubba Gump's a few times before, and DH loves movie trivia, we already knew the answers to the trivia questions the server asked, but it was still fun to see if we could remember them.

Overall it was a nice lunch--great food, good service, and I'm sure we'll be back again!

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.: Ala Moana Shopping Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Suite 3253 Honolulu, HI 96814, 808-949-GUMP.

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Hawaii Army Museum

Even though I've passed by numerous times, I've never set foot into the Hawaii Army Museum until a few weeks ago, when our family played tourists in Waikiki.

Admission is free, but they welcome donations.

There were all sorts of exhibits both inside and outside of the museum, but we didn't get to spend too much time browsing because my boys were fussy.

These are some of the Hawaiian weapons.



There were many other exhibits, including a lot dealing with the attack of Pearl Harbor, but what really drew interest from my boys were the outdoor exhibits.

There are tanks outside of the museum.

And a helicopter on the rooftop.Unfortunately they closed the helicopter exhibit the day we went because of the strong winds.

The exhibits were interesting and maybe one day when we have more time and my boys are older we'll visit again.

Hawaii Army Museum: 2161 Kalia Road, Honolulu, HI 96815, (808) 955-9552.

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New Genki Ramen

Recently we ordered take out from New Genki Ramen.

I ordered the Chicken Katsu Ramen.


Now, I'm not a ramen expert like @wehearthawaii or @nanigurl, but I thought this ramen was just okay. I didn't like the soup (chicken and pork stock), and I don't care for bean sprouts, which there seemed to be too much off.

However, I really liked the chicken katsu.

I wish I ordered what DH did--the Chicken Katsu Curry Rice plate.

We took advantage of the Happy Hour Special--from 2:00pm to 5:00pm you can get 4 pieces of gyoza or a soft drink for free with any regular order.

We ended up getting two free orders of gyoza.

They were pretty good.

Next time I order from New Genki Ramen I'm definitely getting the chicken katsu curry.

New Genki Ramen: 95-1840 Meheula Parkway, Mililani, HI 96789 626-7829

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Jungle Fun

I've never been to Jungle Fun until a few weeks ago, when we took the boys on a Furlough Friday.

Located in the Ala Moana Center, this jungle-themed family entertainment center is geared mostly towards the little ones, although there are games that kids at heart can play too.


The boys' first ride was in this car.
Then they rode the mini merry-go-round.

DS2 enjoyed hitting this drum.

They both enjoyed basketball.

And in the end, this was DS1's favorite game.

All he had to do was push a button and he'd get tickets.

Lots and lots of tickets (every play is a winner of at least 1 ticket).

And we redeemed them for toy airplanes and cars, and other little toys.

It was a fun morning and I'm sure we'll be back again one day so DS1 can win more tickets!

Jungle Fun: 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96814, 949-4905.

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Mitch's Fish Market & Sushi Bar

I've heard a lot about this place but have never ventured out to Mitch's because I was always intimidated by the price tag of their food. But recently, I read a few blog posts on this place and saw that the quality was unparalleled as far as freshness was concerned. So tonight with a few friends, my mom & her husband, I hit Mitch's.

You'll never guess by the area that the restaurant is in that there is an eatery tucked away in the warehouse district near the airport off Ualena Street. At night this can be a shady area so I'll pre-warn you to try and park in front of the establishment or nearby. There are a few stalls outside of the restaurant and street parking. There really isn't any street lights, so if you have to park on the street make sure you travel in a group. I'm not discouraging you to check this place out but safety first right?!

Mitch's Fish Market & Sushi Bar.

Inside Mitch's, it's small but quaint & has a pleasant atmosphere.

Although the prices were high, and I mean high (click here for menu) I have to say that we were not disappointed by the quality of the cuts of sashimi and the overall taste of our food. There is so much on the menu that I wanted to try like the lobster miso soup or the lobster sashimi....I was tempted but refrained.

My Chirashi Special - $25

Sushi Ume - 8 pieces + 1 tekka maki roll - $25

Ume Shiso maki - $4 & Spicy Tuna roll - $8

Maguro - $8, Unagi - $6, Tobiko - $6 & Salmon skin roll - $8

So if you ever get the chance, maybe on payday, take a drive over to Mitch's and indulge in some of the freshest seafood in town!

Mitch's Fish Market & Sushi Bar
524 Ohohia Street (off Ualena Street). Click here for map.
Monday - Saturday 11:30am - 8:30pm
Closed Sundays
Ph. 837-7774
info@mitchsushi.com
www.mitchsushi.com

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MAC 24/7 Bar & Restaurant

After a morning at the Waikiki Aquarium, we decided to head to MAC 24/7 Bar & Restaurant (the restaurant is located in the Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio, and offers valet parking only).

I recently joined the MAC 24/7 Bar & Restaurant eClub, and received a coupon via email for Free Mac Daddy Pancakes with purchase of an Entree (the coupon was valid for one month after I signed up), so I decided that the boys could share the pancakes and we'd get another meal for them from the kids menu in case they were still hungry.

We ordered the Cinnamon Streussel pancakes with the coupon.

I was NOT prepared for how big the Mac Daddy Pancakes would be. I knew they were going to be big, but to actually see the plate of pancakes come out was shocking!

These pictures don't really do justice to the 14" pancakes (3 of them!).

The pancakes could easily feed a family of 4.

I tasted them and they were really good--the cinnamon streussel made them even better.

I ordered the Roast Turkey Avocado Club. It was very good too.

To give you an idea of how big the pancakes were--check them out next to my club sandwich. They're HUGE!

DH ordered the meatloaf. He said the meatloaf was good, and the onion rings are the best he's ever had.

We got chicken strips for the boys also. It was a nice presentation, but needless to say this was hardly touched since they indulged in pancakes!

We had so much pancakes leftover. When they boxed them it looked like we were leaving with a birthday cake--the box was enormous.

Although the prices are typical Waikiki prices, the food was really, really good and so was our service.

Since DS1 loves pancakes I'm sure we'll order them again the next time we go to MAC 24/7, but this time we'll know better and we'll all probably share an order!

MAC 24/7 Bar & Restaurant: 2500 Kuhio Avenue Waikiki, HI 96815, 808.921.5564

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WW: A Favorite Back in the Hanabata Days...

...but now you get a sticker instead of a toy.


Visit Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom for more participants.

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