New Menu Items at Okome Kakaako!

New Menu Items!

I recently had dinner at Okome and I was very impressed with the number of new menu items available. Not only do you have your choice of tendon and poke bowls, but you can now order a number of Korean dishes like kalbi, meat jun, tteokbokki, and their amazing Korean chicken wings. The chicken wings were my favorite and so crispy! I was amazed they are gluten free!

The Okome chicken comes in flavors: Snow, Garlic Shoyu, and Yangyum - a Korean sweet and spicy sauce. You can order them on their own or in special combos. There's even a World Cup Match Combo currently available.

Kalbi

Mandoo

Meat Jun

Tteokbokki

Chicken Combo

Tendon Bowl

Okome 

685 Auahi Street

Honolulu

 

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Lunch at J. Dolan's

Giacomo Pizza

I've been a longtime fan of the pizza at J. Dolan's. So long, that I remember when it used to be JJ Dolan's, but I had not visited the Kahala location until last month. I am happy to report the thin crust pizzas are still delicious as ever.

We walked in on a Sunday afternoon and were seated right away. J. Dolan's is all you want in a pub - cozy atmosphere, friendly service, and good food and drinks. It's great for a casual lunch while you watch your favorite sports game.

You can order pizza by the slice or by the whole pie. If you are not in the mood for pizza, other menu options offered are fish and chips, fries, onion rings, calamari, chicken wings, and salads. I didn't see a dessert menu, but we walked over to Kahala MKT next door to satisfy my sweet tooth. 

J. Dolan's is open daily from 11am and is available for group reservations and private parties.

Fish and Chips

J. Dolan's 

4210 Waialae Ave

Honolulu, HI 96816

 

 

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Ringer Hut Restaurant at Ala Moana Shopping Center

Oyako Donburi

If you're like me and don't know what a Ringer Hut is, then let me tell you it's a restaurant that was founded in Nagasaki, Japan in 1974 and now has expanded to over 500 locations. Their specialty is the Nagasaki Champon; a soul food noodle dish with pork, seafood, and vegetables that originated from Nagasaki and is popular in Japan.

Ringer Hut is located in Ala Moana Shopping Center facing Kona Street. We walked in for dinner and were seated quickly. We all have our go-to order when it comes to Japanese food so it was a quick decision for us, but there is a nice selection of noodles, donburi, curry rice, and set meal choices along with gyoza and other side dishes. Most menu items are under $20.00.

Tonkatsu with Curry

Double Tonkatsu Set

The food came quickly and we all enjoyed our meals. Service was efficient and friendly. The only downside was there was no dessert menu, but they do serve beer, wine, and whiskey with soda. We really enjoyed our experience and would recommend it for a casual dinner. 

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Visit Maui: Nalu’s South Shore Grill

Nalu's Chicken and Waffle - served all day!

On the last night of our "Friends-cation" my friends and I like to have a nice sit-down meal together at a restaurant. Staying in Kihei, Maui there are many great options, but we found Nalu's South Shore Grill a great choice since we could make a reservation for our group of 15. Also great is the casual, open air atmosphere and the many menu options. 

What made splitting the bill easy was that the restaurant has you order and pay for your meal before you sit down. We picked up our drinks from the bar and then sat at our table. The food came quickly and we enjoyed our tasty meals. 

Poke Bowl of the Day

Sammy's Lobster Roll

Apple Brie Burger

Island Style Ribs

Loaded Grilled Cheese

Nalu's is open 7 days a week 8 am – 9 pm and offers a daily Happy Hour from 3 pm – 6 pm. 

Nalu's South Shore Grill
Azeka Shopping Center – Makai
1280 South Kihei Road, Ste 132,
Kihei, Hawaii 96753

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Visit Maui: Smash Burgers and Fresh Poke at Havens

Located @Plate Lunch Market Place

We kicked off our stay in Maui by making Havens our first stop from the airport. It was super easy to order online and we made sure to do that when we first landed since it takes about 20 minutes to prepare the order. Havens offers a menu of smash burgers, poke bowls, poke, sides, and temaki specials. When we arrived at Havens, our order was ready and we quickly found a table to sit down to eat.

My son had the original smash burger and my daughter and I had the spicy ahi poke bowls. I had a bite of the smash burger and it was saucy and delicious. Messy, but worth it. The poke bowls were fresh and so tasty! They had the perfect amount of kick. Next time, I want to try the paniolo burger. The applewood bacon, onion rings, and BBQ sauce that go with it sounds right up my alley. Whatever you decide on, do not miss the crinkle fries! 

Original Smash Burger - onion, dill pickle, American cheese, OG sauce

Spicy Ahi Poke Bowl - avocado, cucumber, tobiko, furikake, spicy mayo, unagi sauce

Havens owner Chef Zach Sato is a former chef from Hotel Wailea and is opening a much anticipated steak and chophouse in the Maalea Harbor Shops. Look for Havens Harborside restaurant coming soon! 

Havens

591 Haleakala Hwy

Maui, HI 96732

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Dinner at Scratch Kitchen Hawaii

Cider Braised Pork Belly and Apple Pasta

It's been awhile since I dined at Scratch Kitchen at Ward Village, but my friend was craving their Pinky Pasta so we decided to have her birthday dinner there. The menu has lots of options complete with your favorite comfort foods like their House Burger, Loco Moco, or the Country Gravy Fried Chicken Biscuit. Whatever you get, don't forget to order their famous Crispy Brussels to start.

Guava Picker cocktail

Crispy Brussels

Apple Bacon Burger

Mahi Mahi Fish and Chips

Country Gravy Fried Chicken Biscuit

Scratch Loco Moco

Pinky Pasta

Lamb Rack Gandule Rice

House-made Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Banana Bread Pudding

Service is great and the ambience is casual and cozy. It's going to a fun dining experience. The Ward location is open daily and closes at 9pm. Reservations are accepted after 3pm. They have a second location in Hawaii Kai.

Scratch Kitchen

1170 Auahi Street

Honolulu, Hawaii

(808) 589-1669

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Fresh House-made Pasta at Cucina Moon

I'm always in the mood for pasta so I was excited to check out Cucina Moon - a casual Italian eatery serving fresh house-made pasta with traditional Italian sauces. All pasta dishes are reasonably priced set menus and come with a house-made focaccia and your choice of a variety of vegan gelato flavors. The gelato is also made in-house featuring Hawaii fruits and ingredients. They can even accommodate gluten free requests if you call them a few days in advance.

I ordered the arrabbiata and the rigatoni pasta was cooked to a nice al dente texture. It was tasty and had a light tomato flavor. I think next time I'd prefer something richer like my friends' bolognese which they loved. The focaccia was amazing.  

Bolognese

Salmon tagliatelle

Arrabbiata

Bolognese with Gluten Free pasta

House-made focaccia

Bar seating and table seating available

The service was great and there was plenty of seating for the restaurant. They are located on the second floor near the stairwell on the left side of the shopping center.     

Cucina Moon 

1960 Kapiolani Blvd.

Honolulu, HI 96826

808-200-5933

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New Supreme Donuts at Aloha Mamacita

S'mores Supreme Donut

Have you seen the newest foodie trend of croissant donuts?  I have and was so tempted to check out Aloha Mamacita's round version at her new location at Restaurant Row on release day.  I was right to stay away because they sold out of 500 the first day!

Lucky for me I have some amazing friends and one of them picked up a supreme donut for me.  The viral croissants currently come in 6 flavors: ube, chocolate, cookie butter, cookie monster, oreo and s'mores at $10 each. I reheated my day old s'mores supreme donut in the toaster oven and it was delicious. I noticed there wasn't too much filling in it, but I loved the flakey buttery croissant anyway. 

Some say one donut is enough to share with 2-3 people, but I could have seriously put one away by myself because it was so yummy.  While you are there getting your sweet fix, check out Aloha Mamacita's birria tacos and poke bowls. Open 10am-8pm Monday through Saturday and 10am-5pm on Sundays.  

Aloha Mamacita
500 Ala Moana Blvd. 4-A
Honolulu, HI 96813  

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The Social Honolulu

Cheers! Moscow mules, mai tai, and a soda.

My friend visiting from out of town happened upon the Social Honolulu in her search for great local bar food.  Located on the second floor of the South Shore Market, the Social offers a casual place to enjoy great drinks and tasty food while watching your favorite sports teams.

We started off with cocktails and ordered the brussels spouts, zucchini fries, bacon fried rice and rib eye to share.  We caught a peek of the chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting while ordering and saved room for dessert! We had a great time and enjoyed the food!  The service is also really great and attentive.  The Social is a great place for large parties and they take reservations. If you want to save on the credit card fee, bring cash. 

Brussels

Zucchini Fries

Bacon Fried Rice

Ribeye

Save room for dessert! Chocolate cake with Peanut Butter frosting!

The Social Honolulu

1170 Auahi St Ste 250 Honolulu, HI 96814

(808) 892-1112

          

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Mama Pho at Ala Moana

Order of 2 spring rolls

Mama Pho's second location at Ala Moana has been around for some time, but I finally got to dine there with a friend last night.  We were both running late and had trouble finding parking due to the holidays, but we were able to easily get a table once we got there.  Mama Pho is family owned and they serve authentic Vietnamese food using their own family recipes.  

I like the layout of the restaurant. It's spacious, clean and there are both tables and booths available.  The menu has many offerings, but it is not overwhelming and easy to understand.  We started with some drinks and spring rolls.  My friend ordered the Grilled Pork and Spring Roll Vermicelli Bowl and I had the Brisket Pho.  We both enjoyed our meals, especially the spring rolls.  My pho was great and they are very generous with the brisket as I didn't come close to finishing it all.  Next time, I may add extra noodles.  

Grilled Pork and Spring Roll Vermicelli Bowl 

Brisket Pho

We had a great time and great service and it was nice to find an escape from all the mall craziness during the holidays.

 

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Pint + Jigger at the Ala Moana Hotel

I finally got the chance to check out the new Pint + Jigger located in the lobby of the newly renovated Ala Moana hotel.  Pint + Jigger is a local favorite offering craft beer and craft cocktails and well known for their extensive whiskey collection as well as their famous Scotch Egg.  Pint + Jigger is also home to Harry’s Hardware Emporium, a 1920’s themed speakeasy.

My friends and I came for an early Sunday dinner and had a great time.  Service was attentive and the drinks and food were delicious.  Pint + Jigger is a casual restaurant and great for large and small groups alike.  

The Hulk BLT

Fried green tomatoes, bacon, lettuce, and remoulade on sourdough bread w/fries. 

The PINT + JIGGER Stout Burger

Served with beer cheese, garlic aioli, lettuce, pickle, and french fries

“Scotch Egg”*

Soft-boiled egg wrapped in pork rillettes, breaded

and deep fried

Blackened Fish Sliders

Blackened fish, topped with a spicy avocado cilantro slaw, and a pickle chip

Large dining area

Entrance to hidden speakeasy

Pint + Jigger, Ala Moana Hotel lobby

808-744-9593

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