The Lanai at Ala Moana Center Revisited

Last year I visited The Lanai at Ala Moana Center for the first time, and was disappointed that the one thing I wanted to try - Soul Fries from Seoul Mix 2.0, wasn't available.

I recently visited The Lanai again, and was happy that I finally got to try the Soul Fries.

The fries were topped with kim chee, smoked pork, cheese, and green onions.  So yummy!

Other eats we indulged in at The Lanai were:

SPAM Musubi from Musubi Cafe Iyasume

Menehune Sliders from Mahaloha Burger

The Alan Wong from Ike's Love & Sandwiches

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Eats at Moanalua 99

On the third Sunday of every month, 808 Craft and Gift Fairs hosts a craft fair at Moanalua 99 (formerly known as Ranch 99). This past Sunday we went to the craft fair to visit our friend @dkfphotoworks, who sells beautiful metal photo prints.  While we were down there visiting him, we decided to eat lunch from several of the food vendors at Moanalua 99:

Kake udon and a side order of mochiko chicken from Urawa Japanese Fusion

Char Siu noodle soup from Mini Garden Express

Strawberry Smoothie with Mochi Balls from Bee's Dessert House 

Teri burger and french fries from Bee's Dessert House

The four of us love eating at Moanalua 99 because there is something for everyone. The prices are reasonable too!

MOANALUA 99

1151 Mapunapuna Street

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Shirokiya Japan Village Walk

Eateries have come and gone at Shirokiya Japan Village Walk, so we decided to see what was new.

Usagiya - Shrimp Tempura Bento & Chicken Tempura Bento

Takoyaki Yama-Chan - Garlic Salt Butter Takoyaki

Kamitoku Ramen - Fried Rice + Ramen Combo

Charmy - Vanilla Strawberry Mix Ice Cream

We pretty much stuck to the same eateries that we've been to before.  I enjoyed the Chicken Tempura Bento, but did try out a new (quite expensive) Harajuku-inspired ice cream shop.  The ice cream was $8.50 (more than the bento!).

The Keiki Corner is now huge, with over 300 Gachapon machines. Every Sunday, kids 12 and under get 1 free token!

It's always fun to see (and taste!) what's new at Shirokiya Japan Village Walk.

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Lunch at The Street, A Michael Mina Social House

The Street, a collection of culinary experiences curated by James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Mina, recently debuted at the International Market Place in Honolulu, Hawaii.  My husband is a HUGE fan of Michael Mina, so we headed here for lunch on a recent day off from work.

Since I am a fan of tokyo-style ramen, I made a b-line to The Ramen Bar by Chef Ken Tominaga. Out of the four ramen choices on the menu, I tried the Tokyo Shoyu Ramen.

It was decent - not mind-blowing, but not bad either. Would I order it again? Probably not.

The hubby was originally planning to try International Smoke, but since he knew I wanted to try a burger from Maui Onion Burger, he ordered a burger combo from Maui Onion Burger - what a guy! 

He opted for the Maui Onion Cheeseburger, after all, the place is called Maui Onion Burger.  This burger consisted of a toasted Hawaiian sweet potato roll, Maui onions 3 ways, surf sauce, lettuce, and American cheese.  Since we were going to split this burger, he ordered the larger size (which they call "wide") - OMG, who knew it would turn out to be this large.  No wonder they call it "wide".

The "wide" burger fills up the entire compartment of your typical regular sized plate lunch container! 

Word to the wise - ask for a knife and cut this baby into halves or quarters after you take your pictures, but before taking a bite.  Also, make sure you have a lot of napkins handy....

The burger itself was okay, but it was hard for me to taste of the burger and maui onions since those flavors were drowned out by the surf sauce.  Also, American cheese is not my cheese of choice, but they do not have other types of cheese on the menu.  

It cost an additional $4.99 to make it a combo w/fries and a 20 ounce drink.  He liked the fries, I wasn't as impressed since I like thin shoestring fries.

Although I wasn't amazed by The Ramen Bar or Maui Onion Burger, I did like the atmosphere and vibe of The Street.  I will probably return in the near future to try some of the other restaurants.

The Street - A Michael Mina Social House
2330 Kalakaua Avenue (ground level, International Marketplace)
(808) 377-4402

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