Feast

 We recently (finally!) tried Feast. 

Spicy Lobster Roll

The lobster roll, topped with Sho'Nuff Sambal, was really good, according to my husband. 

Chicken Shawarma

I had the Chicken Shawarma, which was really good as well.  The chicken was seasoned nicely and the pieces were tender and juicy.

Hamburger Steak

Big MacBara Burger

The Big MacBara Burger had two beef patties, along with bacon, cheese, caramelized onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and house sauce.

Feast
2970 East Manoa Road

2845 Lowrey Ave

Honolulu, HI 96822

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Mother's Day Specials at Choco le'a

Mother's Day Special Set

Mother's Day is just around the corner and if you are still searching for the perfect gift, Choco le'a has got you covered. Hawaii Mom Blog was delighted to be gifted this Mother's Day Special Set (retail of $76.99) which includes: their NEW Strawberry Matcha Crunch a le'a (exclusive to this set and not sold separately); one Dark Chocolate Covered Animal Crackers; one Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon Dark Chocolate Truffle; and one 9 piece of Mom's Favorite Flavors Truffle Box (Hokkaido Yubari Melon, Hojicha, Lychee, Salted Caramel & Almond, Triple Chocolate, Fudge, Orange Creamsicle, Vietnamese Coffee, Lavender).

This gift set is luxurious, decadent, and enough to share with the entire family - although I am setting aside the box of truffles to enjoy slowly. My favorite so far has been the dark chocolate covered animal crackers! As a big fan of dark chocolate, I love this sweet and crunchy treat. 

9pc Mom's Favorite Flavors Truffle Box

NEW Strawberry Matcha Crunch a le'a

Choco le'a is located in Manoa and is open Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00am - 5:00pm (closed Sunday & Monday). You can also easily shop online here: https://www.chocolea.com/shop

Thank you Choco le'a! 

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Choco le'a: April Specials

Thank you to our sponsor for the complimentary products!

Choco leʻa is one of my favorite small local businesses on Oahu. Not only do they make high quality and unique chocolate products, but every time I've visited the shop, it's been such a pleasant experience. 

The shop is located in Manoa, a block from Manoa Marketplace. 

Inside you'll find all of their chocolate offering neatly displayed.

In March 2024, they debuted soft cream....

Japanese soft cream, to be exact, made with Hokkaido milk powder! Choose between Choco leʻa Chocolate, Hokkaido Cream Vanilla, and swirl. If you want to take this up a notch, ask for their  housemade chocolate cut up (sauce).  It's so refreshing, creamy and delicious!

But the main reason for my coming here today was to pick up a bag of chocolates to share with you all. Ready for it?!

Here it is, the specials for the month of April!

April Specials 

 

Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookie

3 PC Truffle Box

Solid 72% Dark Chocolate Bar

Dark Chocolate Melts

Dark Chocolate Nut Mix

Oreo Cream Cheese Cake Pop

Here's a closer look at each item:

Chocolate melts - dark chocolate ganache pieces, dusted in fine cocoa powder. These are really rich!!

Oreo Cake Pop (with chocolate melts bottom right)

Shortbread Cookie - this is a collaboration with Hokulani Bakeshop, another small locally owned biz!)

3PC truffle box - Macallan 12, Orange Creamsicle, and Melina - all yummy!

72% Dark Chocolate Bar - according to their website, this is soy-free, dairy-free, and packed with health benefits! 

Dark Chocolate Nut Mix - salty pistachios, soft pecans, and crunch almonds - more health benefits! Those who like the sweet and salty combo will love this one!

You can buy the April Specials Bundle for $59.99 which includes one of each item. You can also purchase the items separately. 

With Administrative Professionals' Day coming up on April 24, 2024, purchase the bundle for the hard-working, deserving APs in your life, or buy it to thank yourself - you deserve it! :)

Current Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm

Shipping to the neighbor islands and continental U.S. is available.

Visit their website for more information. 

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Choco leʻa
2909 Lowrey Avenue

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Ding Tea - University of Hawaii Campus Center

I've been working on the University of Hawaii Manoa Campus for over 10 years, and I always thought the one thing this campus was missing was a place to get bubble tea (a.k.a. boba).  Well, earlier this year (towards the end of the 2023 Spring semester)  a bubble tea house finally opened at UH Manoa, on the first floor of Campus Center - Ding Tea!

They have a variety of flavors of teas, milk teas, Yakult/Yogurt, Lattes, Coffees, and Toppings. 

You can customize the sugar level and ice level too!

My go-to at any boba shop is the iced lychee green tea. It's so refreshing!  I like to order it with zero sweetness (the lychee already adds some sweetness to the tea) and some kind of topping such as lychee jelly or boba.  

If boba is not your thing, they also sell Pop Culture Artisan Pops - locally crafted ice pops that come in a variety of refreshing flavors.  The creator and owner of Pop Culture Artisan Pop is a graduate of UH/Kapiolani Community College.

 If you're not on the UH Manoa campus, you can visit their other location in downtown Honolulu on Halekauwila Street.  That location also sells banh mi sandwiches!

Hours for the UH location are Monday through Friday from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm.

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DING TEA
2465 Campus Road, Floor 1

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Best Lobster Roll on Oahu - FEAST by Jon Matsubara

FEAST'S lobster roll still reigns as the best lobster roll on Oahu, IMHO. 

The umami mayo sauce, butter, and pillowy-soft King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread rolls (there are 3!) makes this lobster roll hard to beat.

The crispy shoestring French fries are equally amazing. And they give A LOT of fries!

We also tried the chicken shawarma plate, which used to be a special, but is now a daily offering. It comes with Kula lettuce, local cucumber and tomato, hummus, tumeric rice, naan bread, and tzatziki sauce. 

They use chicken breast, which can be dry, but this one was far from dry. They must brine the chicken because it was very moist and tender. It was topped with a generous amount of tzatziki sauce.

We added on the Falafel for $8. I haven't tried many Falafels in my lifetime so I can't judge how it compares to other places, but I liked it, especially since it same with a side of tzatziki sauce! Can you tell I really like Tzatziki sauce??

We couldn't resist buying the Cookie of the Day for dessert.  We wish it had some nuts or sea salt sprinkled on it. But we liked how they use chunks of high quality chocolate, instead of generic chocolate chips.

Here's a few grab-n-go items that we saw in their refer today:

Dine-in tables are available, and they accept phone and online orders.  

BTW, Chef/Owner Jon Matsubara recently earned $10,000 and national recognition for being the winning chef from Hawaii on the Food Network's Alex vs. America (Alex vs Hawaii edition)! 

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FEAST

2970 East Manoa Road

808-840-0488

 

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Waioli Kitchen & Bake Shop

Waioli Kitchen & Bake Shop is more than just a bakey and restaurant, it's a training ground for individuals who want and are given hope and a chance to learn life skills. But you would never know it, if you came here without the knowledge of this restaurant's history and mission.

The restaurant is located in Manoa, which is primarily a residental area. It rains here a lot, which is why the grounds are so lush and green.  

The menu is limited with just a handful of breakfast and luinch items, as well as baked goods. My friends and I met here for lunch on a weekday and really enjoyed our meal. 

BLTA

Waioli Breakfast Bowl

Waioli Bacon Cheeseburger

Goodies from the Bakery

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Tarta de Santiago

Blueberry Scone

 The ingredients tasted fresh and you can tell the dishes were carefully crafted and put together with care and effort, not just slapped together and thrown on a plate. the BLTA is served with Japanese milk bread, and the burger is made with grassfed beef from the Big Island and served with a grilled housemade bun. I really liked the burger - it was very juicy!

A 3% fee is added to every check to support their mission of training and recovery. I did not mind paying this considering what it's for. The workers here were friendly and seemed to care about their jobs and what they were doing. To help support a business whose mission is to help its own employees is reason enough for me to keep coming back.

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WAIOLI KITCHEN & BAKE SHOP 

2950 Manoa Road

808-744-1619

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