Augie's Laugh Shack at the Pagoda Hotel

Earlier this month we had a "grown-ups night out" with 6 other couples and went to watch Augie's Laugh Shack at the Pagoda Hotel La Salle Room.

The cost is $10 per person with a two drink minimum (you purchase two $5 drink tickets upon entering).

They do serve pupus which were not bad (sorry--I forgot to take pictures of the pupus), such as chicken wings, edamame, fries, and calamari.

The show is from 8 to 9:30pm.  It started a little late with a few other comedians doing stand-up (one was Jose Dynamite--pretty funny!), but once Augie came on stage, it was just about non-stop laughter.

Our table was right in the middle, and our friends from the mainland, who were the last to arrive of all the couples, had the seats closest to the stage, so it was inevitable that they would get picked on.

Seeing our friends get picked on was really funny, but Augie himself was just super hilarious.

He joked about different lifestyles, ethnicities, relationships, and even his own children.

My favorite part was during the hana hou - he talked about the silly games kids used to play such as the string games and paper fortune telling games, and our table just cracked up because we played those exact games when we were kids!  

The show did end a little late because of the hana hou, but overall, the show was great and Augie T was super funny.

There is one more show for the year on Friday October 7, and if you're in the mood for lots of laughs check it out!

Note: Like Augie said during his act, if you're sensitive to jokes about cultures, lifestyles, etc., you should think twice about going.  It is, after all, a comedy show, but he said some people still do end up getting offended!

Augie's Laugh Shack: Call 479-0576 to hold your seats

Read More

El Charro Mexicano Restaurant

@nanigurl is on a mission to discover a really good Mexican restaurant that will become my new favorite (since my current favorite Mexican restaurant is one she doesn't really care for), so we decided to meet up at El Charro Mexicano Restaurant in Aiea (near Aiea Bowl).

Upon arrival we got a complimentary bowl of chips and salsa.

They give you only one complimentary order of chips and salsa, and additional orders are $1 each.

We did get another order of chips and salsa, but we didn't get charged for it either because they messed up on my order (they gave me kalua pork instead of chicken in my Chimichanga) or our server simply forgot because he did forget to bring us the chips and salsa and had to remind him.

Here is the Chicken Chimichanga I ordered.  It was really good, although I did not expect it to have any sauce on it.

@nanigurl ordered the Two Taco Plate, one with Shredded Chicken and the other with Kalua Pork.

One thing about the restaurant was that it was REALLY warm.  I don't know if that's how it usually is or if the air conditioning was just broken that day, but it was uncomfortably warm.

Overall, the food was good, the service really friendly, but at times slow (such as when we had to wait for the chips and salsa and also while waiting for our change--it took a looooooong time), and although I can't say it's my new favorite Mexican restaurant, I can say that I really liked it and I will be happy to meet @nanigurl there anytime!

El Charro Mexicano Restaurant: 99-115 Aiea Heights Dr, Ste 304, Aiea, HI 96701, (808) 488-9727

Read More

Chuck E. Cheese's - Pearl City

Since DS2 didn't go to Chuck E. Cheese's in a while since DS3 was born, we thought it was time to go back!

I used a coupon in the Entertainment Book for 1 Large  Pizza + 40 tokens and 4 drinks for $27.99.

We ordered a Super Combo Pizza.

I've always enjoyed the pizza at Chuck E. Cheese's, but they've been promoting their "new" pizza, which has a crispier crust, among other things, and I did think it tasted really good. 

We also ordered some breadsticks, which were also very good.

Of course DS2 had a blast on the rides.  Everything is only 1 token, and we still have so many tokens leftover from not only this recent visit, but previous visits too, so you can be sure we'll be back again soon!

Chuck E. Cheese's: 850 Kamehameha Highway- #140A, Pearl City, HI 96782, 808-455-1448

Read More

Hawaii Children's Discovery Center

We recently took DS2 to the Hawaii Children's Discovery Center.

He went there once before, but he was still an infant, so he didn't get to enjoy all of the displays.

Admission is $10 and children under 1 are free.  Kama`aina admission is $8.

There are many, many exhibits throughout the museum, including a Tot Spot for kids 5 years old and under.  The area has lots of toys, activity tables, and puzzles.

I think DS2 would've been happy staying in there all day!

The first bunch of exhibits are "Fantastic You," where kids learn all about the human body.

DS2 loved the food exhibit.

There are other exhibits referencing different parts of the body, how different parts of the body work, etc.

The Your Town exhibits include a mini neighborhood in which kids can pretend to work in a bank, go grocery shopping, work as mechanics, drive a bus, etc.

There's also a really cool room with lots and lots of books and neat places to read them (in a castle, in a big tree trunk, in a HUGE chair).

The second floor is themed Hawaiian Rainbows.  The exhibits here focus on Hawaii's past and present (plantation days, tourism, etc.).

Here is DS2 on an airplane exhibit.

The top level exhibits are themed Your Rainbow World.

Different cultures are represented throughout the exhibits, and you can take a peek into what life would be like in Japan, Korea, and many other countries.

DS2 loved the Hawaii Children's Discovery Center.  He could've stayed there all day.

I know we'll be back again, especially once DS3 is able to walk around and enjoy the exhibits himself!

Note: Strollers are not allowed.

Hawaii Children's Discovery Center: 111 Ohe Street, Honolulu, HI  96813, 524-5437

Read More

Kua `Aina

If you're in the mood for a burger, you have many places to choose from. You can always hit one of the traditional burger establishments like McDonald's, Burger King, or Jack in the Box; or you don't mind spending a little more money, you can opt for a gourmet burger from Kua 'Aina. They started as a hole in the wall establishment in Haleiwa Town, and have expanded to a second Hawaii location in Ward Centre, a franchise in Japan, and they recently opened in London.

Here's their 1/2 lb bacon burger (well done) on a kaiser roll with cheddar cheese (50 cents extra) and grilled onions.

Large order of French Fries - I love their fries!!

Our 1/2 lb bacon burger with cheese, large fries, and one soda set us back $15. Luckily we shared the burger otherwise our meal would have easily exceeded $20. But, it's worth every penny.
Kua 'Aina

1200 Ala Moana Blvd. (Ward Centre)

(808) 591-9133

Mon-Sat 10:30 am - 9:00 pm

Sun 10:30 am - 8:00 pm

Read More

WW: Sunset

Read More

Puffettes

I've heard about this new food truck on many social media websites (Twitter, Facebook, Nonstophonolulu). I finally tracked them down on Ward Avenue on Labor Day. They are normally closed on Mondays, however, I guess they decided to open today since it was a holiday.

They were parked under a tree on Ward Avenue in front of Sports Authority.

They have a little sheet that describes what an egg puff is. You are free to take one. An egg puff is basically a spherical pancake popular in Cantonese-speaking regions of China. It is made from egg, flour, light evaporated milk, and sugar.

They have a really nice video menu board.

We tried the original (custard) egg puff for $3.50.

For $3.50 you get 35 of these little interconnected balls

I erroneously thought that they were custard-filled, therefore, I was disappointed when I took a bite and discovered otherwise. To me, it tasted bland, although I think what many people like about this dessert is that it's light and not too sweet. No arguments here - it's definitely light and not sweet.

Puffettes

Follow them on Twitter - @puffettes

Location varies daily

Read More

Okinawan Festival

If you're on Oahu and looking for something to do this weekend, head to the Okinawan Festival at Kapiolani Park. The festival runs through tonight and Sunday.

A lot of people turned out on Saturday morning. They all had the same idea as me - go early to avoid the heat and long lines at the food booths.

Here's what everyone comes for - the freshly made andagi (Japanese donut).

Another popular item is the okidog - a tortilla filled with a hot dog, chili, shoyu pork, lettuce.

My friends enjoyed the okinawan soba and an andadog (Japanese version of a corndog - they use the andagi batter - mmmm!).

I opted for the yakisoba - okinawan style noodles, stir fried luncheon meat and veggies

They had ATMs available, but they were out of order! #fail

You could also buy pretty orchids like these...

Read More

The Pig and the Lady

Pop up Restaurants are popping up everywhere all over the nation, even in Hawaii. The concept is brilliant - a young chef will find a restaurant that only operates in the day, and will transform that restaurant into an entirely different concept at night. The chef is able to showcase his/her skills to the outside world with minimal start up costs and minimal risk.

One of the first pop up restaurants in Hawaii is The Pig and the Lady. It's co-owned by Chef Andrew Le (formerly of Chef Mavro) and Martha Cheng (freelance writer, food editor for the Honolulu Weekly and freelance contributor to Honolulu Magazine, co-owner of Melt food truck). They've been popping up at Hank's Haute Dog on Coral Street all summer long. Here's a look at their final menu:

Location - Hank's Haute Dogs

Appetizer - chips with pickled veggies

First Course - Squash Blossoms (zucchini mousse, pickled hearts of palm, summer vegetables, tomato curry vinaigrette)

Second Course - Caramelized Fish (sea asparagus, jicama, pressed jasmine rice)

Third Course - trotter croquette, pickled mustard cabbage with bacon, roasted pineapple pork jus)

Fourth Course - Bun Mang Vit (duck and bamboo noodle soup, rau ram vermicelli)

Jasmine Tea Ice Cream (honeycomb sugar, mung bean cake, figs)

These are all original creations by Chef Le, and it's definitely not something that you'll find at any restaurant in town. The fourth course is actually the brainchild of Chef Le's mom, which everyone calls "Mama Le". She herself could probably open her own restaurant just serving her soups.

Unfortunately, their last two evenings is this Tuesday and Wednesday (Sept 6 & 7), however, I believe they are planning to pop up again after a brief hiatus, so you'll just have to cross your fingers until then.

The Pig and the Lady

http://thepigandthelady.com/

Read More

Ramen Festival at Shirokiya - Menya Ifudoudou

I had to post this right away, because the food in these photos will no longer be available in Hawaii after a few days. In fact, I believe it'll only be available thru Monday, September 5th.

If you are a fan of ramen, you need to try it. It's part of Shirokiya's "Ramen Festival", where they bring in ramen vendors from Japan to showcase their ramen for a limited time. This week, they invited Menya Ifudoudou to come to Hawaii. You can find them on the second floor, mauka end of the store.

We went on a Friday night at around 7:30 pm and there was a crowd. There was a line to order, and then there was a cluster of folks who were waiting for their number to be called.

You basically have two options - the Kuroton

or the Akaton

We both ordered the kuroton because we didn't want to eat anything spicy. The lady in front of us who knew Japanese told us that kuroton translated to "black", and that the broth had burnt garlic in it (hence the black color). Sounds good to me.

Kuroton Char Siu Sibori

Kuruton Sibori

The noodles they used were not the kind of noodles that you usually see at ramen shops in Hawaii. I think most shops here use Sun Noodles. These noodles were whiter, thinner. I wonder if they were made by them from scratch. Either way, what makes this ramen ono is the broth. It is on the oily side, but there is so much flavor. I did not have to add shoyu, which I often have to do at ramen shops.

The portion is small considering the price, but it's well worth it.

Read More