Curry Factory Kankuro

I always love trying new eateries at Shirokiya Japan Village Walk, and on a recent visit I tried Curry Factory Kankuro.

I tried the Karaage Curry, which came with a mug of curry on the side, along with a small green salad and small pasta salad.

I thought the curry was delish, and so was the chicken.  Combined it was the perfect pairing.  I could've done without the salads, but overall I thought it was a great meal, satisfying my curry craving!

Curry Factory Kankuro
Shirokiya Japan Village Walk
1450 Ala Moana Blvd #1360

Honolulu, HI 96814

Read More

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.

Read More

More Eats at Shirokiya Japan Village Walk

Our family loves going to Shirokiya Japan Village Walk.  We love the variety of eateries, and there seems to be something new to try each time.

The kids once again opted for musubis and chicken from Musubi Cafe Iyasume, but my husband and I tried a couple of different places.

Tamura - Special Combo

Curry Cheese Fries at Steakhouse Pineapple

SPAM Fries at Steakhouse Pineapple

For dessert we stopped at kulu kulu cake.

They have the cutest desserts!

I was excited that the Shirokiya location now offers soft serve ice cream!

We loved everything we ordered!

Can't wait to go back and try out more new places!

Read More

Keiki Corner at the Shirokiya Japan Village Walk

Now there is another fun reason to dine at Shirokiya's Japan Village Walk.  Keiki, 12 and under with an adult, can receive a free coin to use at any of the toy vending machines at the Keiki Corner.  After the keiki take out their toys, just return the plastic container for reuse.

I can't give you the specifics of the keiki corner location except that it's in the back somewhere.  I'm usually very good around food courts, but  I lose all sense of direction inside the Village Walk.  It probably has something to do with all the yummy food and delicious desserts everywhere you turn!


Shirokiya Japan Village Walk
Ala Moana Shopping Center
Open daily at 10am


     

Read More

8 Half Desserts Express

Last year I blogged about 8 Half Desserts - a new ice cream shop that opened up in Kaimuki. They recently opened up 8 Half Desserts Express in the Shirokiya Japan Village Walk in Ala Moana Center.

8 Chocolate

Citrus

The Citrus was tart, yet refreshing.  The 8 Chocolate had 8 different chocolate components and was very delicious!

The ice cream is pretty pricey - $7 for a small, but from 10am to 3pm you can take advantage of "buy one, get one for half price."

8 Half Desserts Express also offers ice cream sandwiches, ice cream pies, and even poke with garlic crab fries!


8 Half Desserts
Shirokiya Japan Village Walk
1450 Ala Moana Blvd #1360
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 973-9111

Read More

Even More Eats from Shirokiya Japan Village Walk

Despite how overwhelming Shirokiya Japan Village Walk is - so many options, and just so many people! - our family decided to head there for lunch again after shopping at Ala Moana Center.

We've tried a few of the places at Shirokiya Japan Village Walk on previous visits, and a few more eateries have opened up since then.

On this most recent visit I saw a noticeably smaller crowd (although still busy), but the options were still dizzying - I walked around the entire place about three times before I finally figured out what I wanted to eat!

Chicken Katsu Curry from Onoya

Miso Pork Spicy Bowl from Ramen Hanabi

Chicken Cutlet Bento from Tokugawa

I ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry from Onoya.  I wanted to order it on a previous visit since I saw a photo on Instagram, but they didn't have curry on the day I went.  It was worth the wait.  The curry, which was a bit spicy, was so good!  The katsu was perfectly cooked.  Both the katsu and curry were great on their own, but together - so delicious!

My husband opted for the Miso Pork Spicy Bowl from one of the new eateries, Ramen Hanabi.  It was good, but the serving was quite small for $10.50!

On an earlier visit, I picked up a Chicken Cutlet Bento from Tokugawa.

There are still quite a few eateries I want to try at Shirokiya Japan Village Walk!

Read More

Nadia's Experience at Tokyo Hotdogs

I was pretty excited when I visited Shirokiya's new Japan Village Walk for the first time, but I found the crowds to be quite overwhelming.  There are like a gazillion eateries, but none that were new or exciting to me.  That is, until I found Tokyo Hotdogs.  

These hotdogs are not your ordinary hotdogs and are topped with enough food to make a second meal!  As guests of Tokyo Hotdogs, we tried the yakisoba dog, karaage dog, and my personal favorite the beef bowl dog which is topped with the same yummy beef from their sister restaurant Mei-Ko-En.     

Yakisoba dog

Karaage dog

Beef Bowl dog

Each hotdog is paired with some crinkle cut fries and while the fries could have used some more salt, I thought the hotdogs were pretty close to perfection.  The bun (from La Tour Café) complimented the hotdogs like a dream.  You're getting perfect bun to hotdog ratio!  As for the toppings, you cannot go wrong with the beef; the yakisoba is sure to be a favorite with the kids; and the huge chicken karaage pieces will deliver.   

Tokyo Hotdogs make a filling meal and are a fun option among the other contenders at the Japan Village Walk.  They are open daily from 10am to 10pm.  Be sure to check them out! 

Read More

More Eats from Shirokiya Japan Village Walk

Our family went back to Shirokiya Japan Village Walk again, and tried out a few more eateries:

Midori Ramen from Gashoken

Nat had actually mentioned the "Pesto Ramen" to me, and since I love pesto, I decided to give it a try.

I thought it was very delicious!  The ramen had a very prominent basil pesto flavor, and was topped with char siu, green onions, Parmesan cheese, tomatos, and mushrooms.

Gyoza from Manichi Ifudodo

Chicken Panang Curry from S&S Thai Kitchen

Pig Cheese

Chocolate Chiffon

Hello Kitty Waffles

We all got desserts from Kulu Kulu Cake.

The Pig Cheese was super light and yummy, with a delightful strawberry filling.

The Hello Kitty Waffles came in 6 flavors - Custard, Red Bean, Cream Cheese, Plain, Chocolate, and Strawberry.  There was a 6-waffle limit that day, so I decided to get one of each flavor.  My favorite was the Strawberry.

Once again Shirokiya Japan Village Walk was packed.  We arrived there about 9:50am, and a line was already formed near the door closest to Marion Crepes.  Soon lines were forming at other doors, and promptly at 10:00am, people rushed to save tables or get in line at one of the vendors.

There's still so much more I want to try, and you can be sure I'll be there early again the next time I go.

Read More

Tokyo Hotdogs and Mei-Ko-En Beef Bowls at Shirokiya Japan Village Walk

Tokyo Hotdogs

Shirokiya Japan Village Walk has welcomed non-stop crowds ever since its opening last month, and over the weekend I got to try out two of the eateries with @nanigurl808 and @wehearthawaii  - Tokyo Hotdogs and Mei-Ko-En, both of which are Meat Hero, Inc. companies.

We met with co-founder "Aki" over the weekend to sample some of Tokyo Hotdogs' and Mei-Ko-En's eats.

Tokyo Hotdogs offers hot dogs stuffed in buns made by La Tour, topped with a variety of fixings, and accompanied by some fries.  .

The best seller is the Yakisoba Dog - Yakisoba, mayo, dried seaweed, and red pickled ginger.  Aki advised that in Japan, Yakisoba is commonly eaten in a roll split down the middle, so I can see why the Yakisoba Dog is a best-seller.

Yakisoba Dog

I tried the Karaage Dog.  I loved it.  The pieces of chicken were juicy and flavorful.  

Karaage Dog

Be sure to grab a knife and fork - most of the hot dogs are piled high with toppings making it nearly impossible to eat mess-free with just your hands.

Other hot dogs we tried that day were the Kimchee Dog and Beef Bowl Dog.

Kimchee Dog

Beef Bowl Dog

The hot dogs are very filling because they're just loaded with toppings.

For less adventurous eaters, Tokyo Hotdogs offers a Classic Dog with just Ketchup and Mustard, and will soon be offering a Chili Cheese Dog.  A Terimayo Chicken Dog is coming soon as well - I definitely would want to give that a try.

And in case you're wondering what Aki's favorite hotdog is - it's the Natto Dog!

Natto Dog

At the other end of Shirokiya Japan Village Walk is Mei-Ko-En.  Mei-Ko-En, which was established in 1978 in Japan, specializes in Gyu-Don, or Beef Bowls.  

For just $8.99, you'll get a generous bowl of rice topped with thinly sliced beef in the secret Gyu-Don Sauce. 

The bowls are huge, and could easily be shared!  Mei-Ko-En also offers beef bowls with kimchee or cheese, as well as a variety of bentos.

Both Tokyo Hotdogs and Mei-Ko-En offer delicious and convenient grab-and-go eats.

Check them out the next time you're at Shirokiya Japan Village Walk!

Read More

Marion Crepes at Shirokiya Japan Village Walk

Marion Crepes is located inside Shirokiya's Japan Village Walk.  It'll be the station with the long line. 

The creperie offers both sweet and savory crepes ranging in price from $6-$12.  My son and I were in the mood for sweet so we ordered the Japanese Special with kuromitsu (sugar syrup) sauce.  The freshly made crepe is filled with red bean, whipped cream, green tea ice cream, strawberry, mochi, and kinako.  

I was pretty bummed that they wouldn't switch out the green tea ice cream for vanilla ice cream, but I ordered it anyway since I really wanted the red bean and mochi.  The crepe was yummy, super sweet as expected, and in my opinion enough to share. 

Overall, my Marion Crepes experience was a good one, but at $10.50, it was one that has been satisfied. 

Read More

Shirokiya Japan Village Walk

I've seen photos on social media of long lines and huge crowds at Shirokiya Japan Village Walk at Ala Moana Center, and I had no plans on going there for a while, but a last-minute change of plans resulted in our family heading there for lunch on Sunday.

Fortunately, we were there early enough that there were many empty tables, and the lines were not too long (with the exception of lines for Marion Crepes and Vintage Cave Bakery - those lines did not seem to end!).

After finding a table, we then went to look at all the different vendors to figure out what to eat.

The options were so overwhelming!  We ended up with a nice variety:

Kid's Cheeseburger and Fries from Honolulu Burger Co.

HBC Loaded Fries from Honolulu Burger Co.

SPAM Bento from Musubi Cafe Iyasume

SPAM Musubi from Musubi Cafe Iyasume

Garlic Salt Butter Takoyaki from Takoyaki Yama-Chan

Spicy Pork Kimchi Yakisoba from Takoyaki Yama-Chan

Strawberry Chocolate Sundae Crepe from Marion Crepe

Banana Chocolate Sundae Crepe

Strawberry & Sweet Milk Kakigori from Hikotaro

I had a hard time deciding on what to eat, but I ended up ordering the Takoyaki.  It was so good!  Even my middle son kept wanting to eat more and more.  The Yakisoba was very delicious as well.

The HBC Loaded Fries were another fave - with cheese, bacon, green onions, jalapenos, tomatoes, and sour cream - it was so addicting!

As mentioned, the line for Marion Crepes was very long.  It moved slowly, and at some points they stop taking orders until the crepe makers have some time to catch up with all of the orders.  The menu is also a bit confusing (and I was bummed they only had vanilla and green tea ice cream available), but the crepes were yummy.

My husband couldn't resist the $1 beers, and don't forget to bring your own water, or you can buy bottled water for cheap (small bottles were less than a dollar).

The Shirokiya Japan Village Walk is indeed huge, with a seating capacity of 900, and 56 stores. Before long the place was packed, and I can imagine the crowds will only continue.

I can't wait to go back though - there are so many other food items I want to try!

Read More