Visit Paris - Mắm from Hanoï

After a week of French food and champagne on a recent trip to Paris, I certainly wasn't complaining. But one of my friends knew we'd all be comforted by a big bowl of quality pho and so she made a reservation for her favorite pho place in Paris for our last meal in the City of Love.

The restaurant is small, but cozy and very popular so definitely recommend making a reservation. Mam features northern Vietnamese cuisine and the must haves on the menu are their family recipe's signature pork nem (fried spring rolls) and two styles of their pho - traditional and modern. I opted for the traditional pho made of beef broth, bone marrow, and pho spices simmered for 24 hours. The pho was fragrant and delicious. After finishing our pho and two orders of spring rolls, we left completely happy and stuffed.

Signature Pork Nem

Traditional Pho

Mắm from Hanoï

39 Rue de Cléry, Paris, Île-de-France, France

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Hokkaido Ramen Bonbori and Dragon Burger

Mahalo to Ramen Bonbori and Dragon Burger for the complimentary meal and the opportunity to try their offerings. As always, all opinions are my own!

We recently received an invitation to check out Ramen Bonbori, a new eatery with an interesting concept. The restaurant is supervised by Michelin chef Makoto Ishii, who brings his French culinary background into the world of Japanese ramen. 

We tried the Yoichi Soy Sauce Ramen ($17). What makes this ramen different is the broth. They use French consommé techniques to create a clear, additive-free broth made with chicken, pork, and seafood that's simmered for eight hours.

Even the noodles are specially made! They're custom wheat bran noodles co-developed with Sun Noodles for the restaurant.

There's definitely a lot of thought and technique that goes into making this ramen, and the flavors were rich. The concept is interesting, and I'm glad we got to try it!

Moving on, we were also invited a burger from Dragon Burger which shares the same stall!

The burger we tried, the "Classic", features a 5-ounce Wagyu beef patty, a spring onion, onion miso,  cheddar cheese, and two kinds of mustard (American and Karashi). Dragon Burger's concept, by British chef Adam Lawson, is to create an authentic Western-style burger using Japanese ingredients.  

This burger had A LOT of umami! The flavors were rich, and it was definitely a heavy burger. But wow, it was amazing! You really can't go wrong with Wagyu beef. The combination of flavors made this one memorable, and the crisp fries were a great addition to the meal.

It was fun to try two different concepts in one visit.   Come check out Ramen Bonbori and Dragon Burger and let me know what you think!

RAMEN BONBORI AND DRAGON BURGER

1515 LIONA STREET

Instagram: @ramenbonbori, @dragonburger_honolulu

 

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Lil T Cup Cafe in Aiea

Turkey & Bacon Guava Jam Burger

Looking for a new place to lunch, I found Lil T Cup Cafe on Yelp. Located in Aiea Town Square, Lil T Cup Cafe serves up coffees, cold brews, lattes, teas and matcha as well as sandwiches, musubis, and plates. The cafe also offers Lil Tea Time at a special launch rate of $27/seat. Tea Time is offered 8am-3pm on weekdays, and 10am-3pm on Saturdays.

On our visit, we spoke with cafe owner Marisa and she recommended the Turkey and Bacon Guava Jam Burger made with house made bacon guava jam. My friend got Da Betty - a cheeseburger with bacon guava jam served on toasted sourdough. We both enjoyed our sandwiches and the bacon guava jam was definitely the highlight.

Da Betty

Spacious dining area

What's also impressive is the size of the dining area where you are welcomed to hang out. According to their website, Lil T Cup Cafe exists for the community: to uplift local artisans, support underrepresented voices, and offer a space where kindness, creativity, and care lead the way. Check out their IG for community events. 

Lil T Cup Cafe
99-080 Kauhale St # C4-C5
Aiea, Hawaii 96701-4116

Closed Mondays and Sundays

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HAVEN 3-in-1 Lantern

It has been quite a busy hurricane season, so I was thankful to have been sent a complimentary HAVEN 3-in-1 Lantern 6000 to review.  

This light source and power bank is similar to other solar lanterns I have, but with a few differences.

The most obvious is the shape.  I like the cylindrical shape and the ease in which to expand and collapse the lantern.  The lantern shines very bright, and has 9 light modes, including red light mode, flashlight mode, and SOS mode.

The HAVEN is equipped with a sturdy solar panel atop the lantern, allowing it to be recharged even if the power is out.  In my initial test run, it took just 8 hours to charge from 25% to 75%, which was quite fast compared to the other solar lanterns I have.  The lantern also comes with a USB-C cable, allowing you to charge via a power adapter. 

Charging a phone was also pretty quick.  In 1 hour, a phone went from 48% to 88%.  The lantern battery went down from 100% to 75% after charging the phone.  

One thing that I dislike is how the battery indicator button will activate the flashlight, but other than that, I think the HAVEN 3-in-1 Lantern is a great product to have during a power outage as a source of light or power for your phone.   It's thoughtfully designed, and the price is very reasonable compared to similar products.  

Visit the HAVEN website for more information. 

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‘Ōlena by Chef Ron Simon

The last time we went to ‘Ōlena by Chef Ron Simon, they were in Kalihi. Although they since moved to Dole Cannery Food Court, the great food and super friendly service hasn't changed.

I don't eat a lot of beef, but the beef stew at ‘Ōlena by Chef Ron Simon is my favorite thing to eat there.

‘Ōlena Burger

Adobo Pork Belly Bowl

Loco Moco

Red Wine Beef Stew (with ‘Ōlena Rice)

The beef and the veggies were all so perfectly tender.  Definitely would order it again and again!

‘Ōlena by Chef Ron Simon

Dole Cannery Food Court

650 Iwilei Rd #135

Honolulu, HI 96819

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Visit Anchorage: The Ulu Factory

Unlike the ʻulu that we are familiar with in Hawaii, the ulu that The Ulu Factory sells is actually a type of knife that the natives in Alaska created from rocks, and eventually they were made with steel.

It is still commonly used today around the world.

An employee can demo it for you, and answer any questions you may have (one common question was how to care for it).

We did not buy one since we are a carry-on only family and I'm sure this would not have passed security. 

Even if you're not interested in buying an ulu, the factory has a nice selection of Alaskan-made products to buy as souvenirs or gifts!

The Ulu Factory
211 West Ship Creek Avenue
Anchorage, Alaska 99501-1603

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Dave's Ice Cream - Aiea

I have a lot of pohā in my freezer, but I still haven’t gotten around to making ice cream yet. Thankfully, I was able to satisfy my pohā ice cream cravings at Dave's Ice Cream in Aiea!

Pohā Berry

I thought it could've used a bit more pohā flavor, but I'm glad it wasn't overpowering and too tart. 

Kahlúa Fudge

Hawaiian Mud Pie

Honey Dew Mochi

The employees were so friendly - it really made our visit special!


Dave's Ice Cream
98-820 Moanalua Road
Aiea, Hawaii 96701
(808) 487-7887

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