Freshly Made Obanyaki inside Times Aiea

A friend's Instagram story put me on high alert that Times Aiea was selling freshly made obanyaki by Kansai Yamato.  Obanyaki is a Japanese dessert similar to a stuffed pancake made with a special iron pan and traditionally filled with sweet azuki paste.  Kansai Yamato has their main location inside Moanalua 99 and is famous for their fresh mochi.  Nat just posted about them last month raving about their fruit chichi dango that I will have to try next! 

The obanyaki is made fresh right inside Times and they offer several fillings.  That day, I picked up the mochi red bean and vanilla custard. They are sold in packs of 2 for $3.99.  While we were there, the ladies working offered us a sample of their Baby Kasutella cakes - delicious bite sized cakes with filling. 

For your next obanyaki and mochi fix, visit Kansai Yamato in Times Aiea! 

Vanilla Custard and Red bean/Mochi

Made fresh inside Times! 

Read More

Kansai Yamato Mochi

I HEART mochi. Any kind of mochi. Chi chi dango (sweet mochi), daifuku mochi (mochi stuffed with sweet fillings, usually an - a sweet red bean paste), mochi waffles, mochi pancakes, mochi ice cream ... virtually anything with the word "mochi" in it.

I have recently been addicted to the mochi offerings from Kansai Yamato. Their flagship store is located in Moanalua 99 (formerly Ranch 99) in Mapunapuna, but they also have small shops in Times Kahala, Aiea, and Beretania. You can also find some of their products in other Times locations, Marukai, and other stores around Oahu.  Since their store in Moanalua 99 is their main location, you'll find all of their offerings here.  Everything is made fresh everyday, throughout the day.

My favorite item right now is the Fruit ChiChi Dango. Imagine pillowy soft mochi topped with sweet red bean paste, whipped cream, and sliced fresh strawberries. 

The strawberries are so fresh, and the whipped cream is so light. 

The mochi stays soft, even after a day or two in the refrigerator.

Another favorite item of mine are these strawberry bombs which are labeled as "Yukiichigo". 

I refer to them as strawberry bombs because that's what they look like to me! It's a very large piece of mochi filled with whipped cream and a big strawberry. 

I love whipped cream, and this has lots of it. I will usually cut this in half and eat one half at a time.  There is also an oreo version of this which I would love to try, but I always end up getting the strawberry. 

Kansai Yamato also makes traditional chichi dango and daifuku mochi, honey cake, Ohbanyaki with assorted fillings, sakura, puddings, mochi platters, chinese pretzels, and more!

Follow @kansaiyamato_hawaii on Instagram for updates!

_______________________________

KANSAI YAMATO

1151 MAPUNAPUNA ST.

(808) 838-1355

 

Read More

Taste of Times Mililani

Friends have told us that they've been pleasantly surprised with the recently-opened Taste of Times Mililani, where customers can get doughnuts, hot breakfasts, pizzas, sandwiches, pastries, burritos, and even ice cream!

With that in mind, we decided to check it out and pick up some lunch there.

Grilled Chicken Bowl

Hot Dog & Cheese Croissant

Kalua Pig Croissant

Peppered Pig

Big Cheese Pizza

I decided to get the Grilled Chicken Bowl, which included black beans, rice, sauteed onions, peppers, cheese, cilantro, chipotle ranch, and pico de gallo.  I thought it was good - everything was tasty and seasoned well.

My husband ordered the Peppered Pig Sandwich - pork, bacon, pickled red onion, pickles, and lettuce.  He thought it was pretty good, and especially liked the Sweet Potato Chip blend it was served with.

One of my kids ordered a slice of Big Cheese.  $3.50 for a huge slice (that was cut in two).

My other kids ordered the Hot Dog & Cheese Croissant and Kalua Pig Croissant.

Prices are very reasonable, and the service was friendly, but I thought there were a few kinks to work out.

People seemed to be confused with the way the different lines moved and where to pay, resulting in people going back and forth a lot, so hopefully better signage is put up or the store figures out a more efficient way of letting people order and pay.

Also, it took a really long time for the employees to assemble our meals.  They kept referring to papers taped on the counter to make sure they put the correct ingredients in each sandwich or bowl, which resulted in people waiting a long time for their food.

I'm sure as time passes things will flow quicker and more smoothly, and I wouldn't hesitate to order from Taste of Times Mililani again!



Taste of Times Mililani
95-1249 Meheula Pkwy

Mililani, HI 96789
(808) 564-7160

Read More