Oakberry Acai Bowls Now in Kapolei Commons

Oakberry began in 2016 in Brazil and now its acai bowls are served at over 600 operating stores in over 35 countries. Oakberry uses USDA organic-certified acai and are vegan, high in antioxidants, gluten-free, and trans-fat-free. Located at the Kapolei Commons, their signature blend contains no added juices, sweeteners, ice, or fruit like bananas or apples. 

There is a variety of signature preset selections on the menu, but you can also build your own bowl or smoothie and add an unlimited number of toppings! There's a ton of delicious choices ranging from fruits, nuts, seeds, proteins, and more. We opted for the signature Original acai bowl with granola, peanut butter, banana and the Create your own classic 12 oz acai bowl with chia seeds and peanut butter.  

Signature menu

Create your own menu

Located next to Aloha Salads

The shop itself is bright and the service was great. There is some counter seating inside the shop and a couple of tables outside. They are open Monday through Friday from 10am and 9am on Saturday and Sundays.

Oakberry Acai 
4450 Kapolei Pkwy, Ste 104

Read More

Scratch Kapolei Official Grand Opening Promotions May 2

SPICY SOUTHERNFRIED CHICKEN N' WAFFLE

Scratch Kitchen Kapolei will celebrate its official grand opening on May 2nd at 1pm with live entertainment by Typical Hawaiians with the following exciting promotions:

From 1pm - 4:30pm, every patron over the age of 18 dining at Scratch Kitchen Kapolei during this time will receive a complimentary $25 gift card valid on a return visit from May 3 on (proof of age may be required). Patrons must be in line by 4pm to qualify. From 5pm - 8pm, the smoked prime rib will be a dinner special for just $19.95. No reservations accepted, as this will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Scratch Kitchen Kapolei is located in Ka Makana Alii next to the food court. They will be offering new dishes exclusive to the Kapolei location such as the Gumbo Pot Pie, Fried Chicken Plate, and Smoked Prime Rib.

ABACARGOT (PACIFIC ABALONE)

GUMBO POT PIE

SMOKED PRIME RIB

BRULEED FRENCH TOAST

MILK N' CEREAL PANCAKES

Read More

Dickey's Barbecue Pit

Complimentary meal provided by our sponsor. All opinions are my own.

This past weekend we drove 25 miles to check out the Texas-style barbecue meats at Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Kapolei.  Dickey's is the nation's largest barbecue chain, with over 450 locations worldwide, including one on Oahu! It offers responsibly raised, quality meats such as pulled pork, beef brisket, chicken, chicken wings, ribs, turkey, and traditional barbecue sides such as barbecue beans, slaw, potato salad, mac & cheese, jalapeno beans, baked potato casserole, etc.

Our generous sponsor provided my family with a PICNIC PACK which comes with one pound of meat, two medium sides, four rolls, and choice of barbecue sauce. 

For the sides, I chose the mac & cheese for my sons  - it was very cheesy and rich!

I also chose  the baked potato casserole, because I will always order mashed  potatoes whenever it is an option. But this is not just your ordinary mashed potatoes - they put smokey bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onions in it! 

For the meat, I selected the beef brisket, after all, aren't all Texas BBQ places judged by the quality of their beef brisket? The brisket was AMAZING! So tender, you don't need a knife. So flavorful, you don't need to add BBQ sauce.  Not surprising since all of their meats are smoked for 12-24 hours.  

The dinner rolls go great with the meal, but we also used them to make slides with the leftover brisket the next day.  The rolls are slightly sweet, which go well with the savory beef brisket.

I also got to try the pulled pork classic sandwich - good thing I ate this sandwich at home because it was really juicy.  You'll definitely want to have some napkins on stand-by if you order this! I like how they use brioche buns - very buttery and as soft as a pillow. 

 My family and I really enjoyed our meal from Dickey's. There was definitely no shortage of quality or taste in anything we ate. Considering we drove halfway across  the island for it, we thought it was worth the drive and we definitely want to come back again some day.  Aside from the delicious grinds, the service was also phenomenal. I was a few minutes early, yet my order was already packed and ready for me. The employees were also very friendly and the restaurant was clean and spacious.

BTW, did you know that kids eat free on Sundays? If you buy one adult meal of $10 or more, you can get a free kids meal with your order (code: KEFOLO). Not valid with any other discounts, promotions, coupons, or offers.

Skip the line by ordering online.

Dickey's Barbecue Pit - Kapolei
91-710 Farrington Highway
(808) 674-2271
Instagram: @dickeys_kapolei

Read More

`I`o + Kō Rum Pairings Dinner at La Hiki Steak

Over the weekend I had the honor of attending an `I`o + Kō Rum Pairings Dinner at La Hiki Steak at the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina.  Chef Simeon Hall, Jr. showcased local grass-fed beefs in dishes made and paired with Kō Hana Rum. 

Hawaii Meats Hot "Dogette" and Hawaii Mixed Meat Barbacoa

Guests were welcomed with a duo of eats - a delicious Hawaii Meats Hot “Dogette” served with sweet and sour pickles and banana rum ketchup, and a Hawaii Mixed Meat Barbacoa Bao with Maui onions, radishes, wild edibles and La Hiki Steak Sauce.  They were both good, but I loved the "Dogette" - the sausage was so flavorful!

Hawaii Meats Bone Broth with KôHana Rum flamed onions, Kahumana Farms root vegetables

Kōjito

I enjoyed the bone broth, which was warm and comforting, and I really liked Kō Hana Rum's take on a typical mojito.

Hawaii Meats Carpaccio, Kahumana Egg, Brioche & Truffle Salt

El Presidente

The Carpaccio was delicate, yet bold in flavor.  It was served with a local quail egg.  

The El Presidente cocktail was just as bold.  I loved the addition of the sugar cane stick!

Tableside Carved Rib of Grass Fed Beef, Kahumana Vegetable Pot Pie and Oxtail Rum Demi-Glace  

Bold Fashioned

The main course was enormous.  Local rib of grass-fed beef was carved tableside, and was accompanied by a hearty vegetable pot pie.  It's amazing how delicious quality, grass-fed beef can be!

The Bold Fashioned was smoky (literally - it came out smoking!).

Kokoleka

Flaming Rum Cake

I LOVE Kokoleka (chocolate rum)! When I went on the Kō Hana Rum tour, I enjoyed the Kokoleka so much from the tasting, I ended up buying a bottle!

It paired nicely with the amazing Flaming Rum Cake. I could've eaten the entire dessert myself!

It's always great to see what Chef Simeon cooks up.  He loves learning about local products and businesses, and is eager to pass that knowledge on to guests through his food and stories.  

The `I`o + Kō Rum Pairings Dinner was fabulous, and I'm looking forward to more of Chef Simeon's creations!

“Our food is an informative, delicious translation of the natural world. Here, our chefs, ranchers, distillers, service staff and nature collaborate to create a dining experience that supports the movement of positive social gastronomy. Cooking as nature intended.” – Chef Simeon Hall Jr.

Read More

Mad About Mad Bene

We drove 27 miles to try Mad Bene in Kapolei Commons, and we'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Mad Bene, brought to you by the owners of the popular nightspot Duck Butt in Kakaako, offers East Coast Italian fare in a spacious setting with reasonable prices.  

Since Gem was traveling in the second half of December, I thought for sure I would get down here before she did, but as it turns out, she beat me to it! Click here to read about her experience.

First of all, make a reservation before you go. We arrived at 5:15 for our 5:30 pm reservation, and we overhead the front desk telling other people that the wait time for a table was over 1 1/2 hours.  Yikes! Although, I would say it's worth the wait, especially if you traveled across the island like how we did.  But really, just go to their website now and book your reservation.  And may I suggest gathering a group of friends to go with you so that you can order a bunch of dishes to share.  Final tip - tell your friends to be on time. They won't seat you until your ENTIRE party is present.

If you are interested in the kids menu, ask your server. They don't have print outs of the kids menu.  Our kids have simple tastes, so we ordered the spaghetti and cheese pizza for them. They gave two thumbs up for both!

kids spaghetti

kids cheese pizza

The rest of us decided to order a bunch of dishes to share, because everything on the menu sounded delicious. Here's what we tried:

spaghetti and meatballs

pappardelle bolognese

N.Y.C.

fusilli pesto 

crispy potato guy

Every dish was amazing!  If I had to choose my favorite dish for the evening, it would be the pappardelle bolognese. They executed this classic dish perfectly.  And in case you were wondering, they make their pastas in-house! 

MAD BENE

4450 Kapolei Pkwy

(808) 744-7400

Read More

Moani Island Bistro & Bar Revisited

Horrendous traffic going West forced us to detour and make alternate dinner plans one evening, so we ended up at Moani Island Bistro & Bar.

Pork Hash Sliders

Kiawe Smoked 16oz Ribeye

Uncle Tom's Smoked Meat Fried Rice

Char Siu Pork Belly Skewers

Everything was delicious, but my favorite was the Char Siu Pork Belly Skewers.  The pork was melt-in-your mouth tender and just so tasty!

The Fried Rice was yummy, with bits of smoked meat (it would've been nice to have larger pieces), and the Sliders - a spin on manapua, and Ribeye were both good too.

Service was great, and we got to experience some of the live entertainment while dining.

Moani Island Bistro & Bar is a great place for local-style food!

Moani Island Bistro & Bar
91-5431 Kapolei Pkwy

Kapolei, HI 96707

Read More

Hokulea at the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina

For a quick breakfast, a grab-and-go-lunch, or a decadent treat, stop at Hokulea at the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina.

From coffee to wine, or salads to sweets, Hokulea's convenient options for drinks and eats make it the perfect stop to start or end your day. 

We swung by Hokulea one morning to pick up breakfast to eat by the pool.

Breakfast Burrito

Banana Bread

Raspberry Donut

Chocolate Donut

The donuts were enormous!

It was a great way to start our day at Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina!

Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
92-1001 Olani St

Kapolei, HI 96707

Read More

La Tour Cafe - Kapolei

After spending a little over an hour at the Touch a Truck event at Kapolei Commons, we were all hungry and in need of a place to sit. Since La Tour Cafe was within walking distance, we headed there for lunch.

A lot of other people had the same idea, as the place was pretty busy, but we managed to find a table for the four of us in the air-conditioned seating area inside the restaurant. Although there was a line of customers before us, the line moved at an acceptable rate and the food arrived sooner than I had expected!

The hubby ordered the French Dip sandwich. It must have been good because he kept asking me if I wanted to try it. 

I was in the mood for something lighter, so I ordered the chicken pesto panini. I was expecting the chicken to be chunkier....

One of our twins wanted the Mac & Cheese - he gave it two thumbs up.  

The other one wanted crispy chicken tenders - they sure were crispy. He enjoyed them with ketchup.

I was impressed with the speed of service considering they were busy from the Touch a Truck event right outside. I would definitely come here again, but would probably skip the chicken pesto panini for something else on the menu (the Bulgogi Burger looks pretty amazing on Yelp!).

La Tour Cafe - Kapolei 

Kapolei Commons

4450 Kapolei Parkway #530

(808) 888-2220

Read More

Plantation Tavern

It's been four years since I've dined at Plantation Tavern.  We first went there shortly after they celebrated their grand opening, and we enjoyed it.  

Garlic Chicken Sandwich

Kalua Pig Sandwich on Poi Bun

Kalua Pig Nachos

Big Island Cacao Brownie with Vanilla Gelato and Chocolate Sauce

I decided to get the nachos - fried wontons topped with kalua pork, tomatoes, avocado, and onions, and drizzled with a sriracha aioli and unagi sauce.  I loved this twist on traditional nachos.  The wontons were extra crispy, and the sriracha aioli and unagi sauce were so good! 

My son ate up the sandwich (it came with a lot of fries!), and he wanted a brownie for dessert - it was rich and decadent!

Service was excellent as well.  I'm not sure why it took us so long to return, but hopefully we'll be back sooner than later.  We had a great meal!

Plantation Tavern
590 Farrington Hwy
Kapolei, HI 96707
(808) 888-4299

Read More