Chunky & Co.

When I saw my foodie friend @kellishiromabraiotta post about Chunky & Co., I knew I had to visit the next time I was in Laie.

Chocolate Chip Walnut

S'mores

Double Chocolate Caramel

Even though we arrived more than 3 hours before closing, they were already out of a couple of flavors, one of which was Chocolate Chip.   I even asked an employee, thinking maybe a batch of Chocolate Chip was baking, and I totally would've waited for a fresh batch, but was told that if it's not there, then they're out.

But at least there was Chocolate Chip Walnut, which was close enough.

It is a very enormous cookie - definitely shareable!

It had a nice external crispness, a wonderful soft and chunky middle, loaded with chocolate chips and walnuts.  Definitely one of the best cookies I've had on the island!

Chunky & Co.

55-370 Kamehameha Hwy

Laie, HI 96762

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Seven Brothers

I first went to Seven Brothers in Laie nearly 7 1/2 years ago, and I've been a fan ever since.  

I had to be in Laie for an event recently, and I didn't hesitate about where to go for dinner!  

Seven Brothers is known for their burgers, but since I don't eat a lot of beef, I went with the Grilled Cheese.  

I love how the bun is reversed and toasted!

Crazy Fries

The Crazy Fries is a must, with grilled onions, cheese, and house sauce.

Cheeseburger

Spencer Burger

The Spencer Burger was topped with grilled jalapeno, bacon, Swiss cheese, and onion rings.

Shem Burger

The Shem Burger was topped with guac, bacon, American cheese, and house sauce.

The food did not disappoint! Seven Brothers also offers salads and seafood plates if burgers are not your thing.

Seven Brothers
Laie Shopping Center

55-510 Kamehameha Hwy

Laie, HI 96762
(808) 744-6440

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Pounders Restaurant Welcomes New Executive Chef Graham Elliot

World-renowned Chef Graham Elliot is the new Executive Chef at Pounders Restaurant at Hukilau Marketplace at Polynesian Cultural Center.

Chef Graham, who grew up in Ewa Beach, returns to his roots to put his spin on local favorites at this very family-friendly eatery.

Housemade Taro Roll

The Taro Roll with Lilikoi Butter is such a treat to start with, and the Roasted Beet Poke was light and refreshing. I remember Chef Graham had made a Beet Poke at a Hawai`i Food & Wine Festival event a few years ago, and I'm happy that it made the Pounders menu.  The whipped avocado and mac nuts added nice textural contrast, and the acidity of the pineapples rounded out the dish.

Roasted Beet Poke

Woodfire Grilled He`e

The He`e was a fave of the table. The octopus was grilled perfectly and was so tender and flavorful.  People raved about the red pepper puree, and the fennel salad was delightful.

"Char Siu" Double-Cut Porkchop

The Porkchop was enormous! I never saw one that huge before. I enjoyed the subtle char siu flavor, and the mango salsa was a nice complement.

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

The Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee was very good. It was a nice way to end a meal, especially if you're not into rich, heavy desserts.

If you're in the area, check out Pounders and see what they have to offer, as the menu will change often.

Welcome, Chef Graham!

Pounders
Hukilau Marketplace
55-370 Kamehameha Hwy
Laie, HI 96762
(808) 293-3287

 

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Seven Brothers

 

The hubby has been wanting to try Seven Brothers for a while now, yet we could never get ourselves to drive out to Laie just to try their burgers.  But recently, we were in the area for a service project at Gunstock Ranch, so we headed to Seven Brothers in Laie Shopping Center afterwards for lunch.

We decided to split the Paniolo and made it a combo, so that we could get the fries and drink. 

Of course we had to stack the onion rings in the burger 'for the gram', but in reality, we ate the onion rings on the side because it was just too big of a burger with the onion rings in it.

The burger itself was delicious! I regretted not ordering my own burger. The fries were unusual, but good - thin slices of real potatoes, deep fried and seasoned.

We ordered plain hamburgers for the littles, and they ate it just as fast as us.  

Order ahead (for any of their three locations) on their website or app!

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Seven Brothers - Laie

55-510 Kamehameha Highway

(808) 744-6440

Closed Sundays

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Seven Brothers Laie

Ever since trying the fries at Seven Brothers in Laie, I've been wanting to go back (yes, they're that good!).

Finally, just over a year after our first visit, I had a chance to indulge in the amazing fries once again.

Paniolo Fries

The fries on their own are really good, especially with the house sauce, but since I wasn't planning on eating anything else, I ordered the Paniolo Fries. Topped with grilled pineapple, bacon, onion rings, BBQ, and Seven Brothers Sauce, it truly is a meal in itself.  Of course I didn't finish it, but it was so good!

Bruce Irons

What Seven Brothers is really known for is their burgers. The Bruce Irons is marinated with Teriyaki sauce and topped with a 1/2 avocado.

Seven Brothers also offers kids meals at a great price (includes a drink!).

Keiki Cheeseburger

Keiki Grilled Cheese

Keiki Hot Dog

If you love burgers and/or fries, you must visit Seven Brothers while in Laie!

Seven Brothers
Laie Shopping Center

55-510 Kamehameha Hwy

Laie, HI 96762
(808) 744-6440

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Lunch at Pounders Restaurant

Before adventuring through the grounds of the Polynesian Cultural Center (read about our adventure here), our family of four had lunch at Pounders Restaurant in the Hukilau Marketplace. Pounders is a full-service, air conditioned restaurant that proudly offers produce fresh from island farms, organic beef raised in Hawaii, and seafood caught in nearby waters. 

Upon entering the restaurant, the first thing I noticed were the two display cases full of tantalizing pies, cheesecakes, cookies, and assorted pastries from Aunty Emily's Bakery.  At this point I knew I would need to save room for dessert.

Since the boys were starving, we looked at the keiki menu first. It was very easy to follow - choose an entree, choose a side dish, and choose a drink. I love simple menus!

One of our boys wanted to build his own pizza, the other wanted a hamburger. Both wanted fries as side dish, and fruit punch for a drink.

After placing our order, we were then invited to the pizza station to build our pizza.

Here's what we started with - a prepared dough, pizza sauce and cut mozzarella cheese. 

My son has made his own pizza before so he knew exactly what to do.  

The cheese was the most fun part of the process for him. He said he was making a puzzle.  He ran out of pieces towards the end, but the pizza man was more than happy to give him more cheese so that he could finish his puzzle.

After he was finished making his pizza, the pizza was placed in the kiawe-fired brick oven which was imported from Napoli. 

After the pizza was baked, they plated it nicely with a side of french fries.

Here's the Little Buddy's hamburger (it's actually a cheeseburger on the menu but we asked for it without cheese) with a side of french fries.

The hubby and I shared three pupu items:

the mahimahi nuggets, which were my personal favorite..

the kalua pork quesadilla, which was served with a side of mango-papaya salad...

and the snow crab cakes.

I've been telling everyone I know, including Gem, who has dined here several times (click here) for her most recent blog post on this restaurant), how much I loved the mahimahi nuggets! They were crispy, moist, and tasted so good.  The next time we dine here, the hubby and I will skip the crab cakes and order two orders of the mahimahi nuggets, because he loved them too!

The kalua pork quesadilla took us by surprise, as the serving was much larger (almost double the size) as pictured on the menu.  

For dessert, we ordered a cupcake and lilikoi roll.....

Pounders Restaurant at the Hukilau Marketplace is a great place for family dining in the Laie area. There is plenty of free parking, the service is friendly, it's very casual and low-key, it's air conditioned (!), and there are plenty of shops at the marketplace to browse through before or after your meal.  

We rarely visit this side of the island, but the next time we do, we will definitely revisit Pounders Restaurant to try more of their menu items.  

Mahalo to our sponsor for hosting our meal today! 

Pounders Restaurant at the Hukilau Marketplace

55-370 Kamehameha Highway

(808) 293-3287

Reservations via Yelp

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The Cook Islands Showcase at the Polynesian Cultural Center

Complimentary general admission passes were provided by our sponsor

The Cook Islands showcase run at the Polynesian Cultural Center is wrapping up its 6 week exhibition on Oahu's north shore, but there are still a few days left to see it, and believe me, you don't want to miss out on this special opportunity to get a taste of the Cook Islands.

Last Friday the four of us visited the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). It was the first visit for our twin sons.

So much has changed since my husband and I last visited PCC. We managed to find the ticket office, which is now located in the new Hukilau Marketplace.  But where is the front entrance?  Just follow the painted yellow flowers!

We wanted to catch the first performance at the Cook Islands exhibit, so we had to make a bee-line from the entrance all the way to the opposite end of the center t catch the 1pm performance.  The center itself covers 42 acres, so that gives you an idea of how far we had to speed-walk!

We arrived just as they were starting the show. Thankfully there was covered seating.

The performance was spectacular, from the drumming, to the dancing by both the female and male performers.  It's definitely entertaining for people of all ages.

They even taught us a couple of their dance moves!

After the 30 minute performance was over, we had the opportunity to learn more about the Cook Islands through their handouts and cultural demonstrations. 

The Cook Islands is comprised of 15 islands in the South Pacific.  Rarotonga (pictured below) is the most populated of all islands, and where the international airport is located. There is one non-stop flight between Los Angles and Rarotonga once a week.  It's a 10 hour flight.  Otherwise, you have to fly into New Zealand and then catch another flight from New Zealand to Rarotonga.

The art displays hands-on demonstrations are always fun to watch. My boys were too shy to participate...

After spending time at the Cook Islands exhibit, we were hoping to take a canoe ride, but when this canoe arrived at the landing, we were told the canoes were going to get prepped for the canoe pageant at 2:30.  

It turned out to be a blessing because we ended up taking a leisurely walk through some of the other villages at PCC (there are 6 villages in total).

At about 2:15 pm, we took a seat in the stands and waited for the start of the canoe pageant. We bought some ice cream to cool off while we were waiting.

Promptly at 2:30, the canoe pageant started.  The canoes came through one by one.  Each island had its own canoe and performed a dance representative of their culture.

There were a lot of activities that we missed out on (like the canoe tours, Hawaiian Journey Movie Experience, Laie Tram Tour, and the other cultural demonstrations and activities in the villages). We will have to save those experiences for our next visit!

The Cook Island showcase is open from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm through August 24, 2017.  Here is the daily schedule:

1:00 p.m.    Main Cultural Presentation

1:30 p.m.    Activities

1:55 p.m.    Main Cultural Presentation

3:05 p.m.    Main Cultural Presentation

3:30 p.m.    Activities

4:00 p.m.    Main Cultural Presentation

General Admission:

Adults: $59.95

Children (4 -11): $47.96

Kamaaina pricing available

Visit the Polynesian Cultural Center website for more information.

I would like to extend a big mahalo to our sponsor for providing us with complimentary admission tickets to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Polynesian Cultural Center

55-370 Kamehameha Highway

1-800-367-7060

Monday - Saturday: 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Sunday: Closed

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