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One place I've been wanting to check out for a very long time is Hamada General Store, and I finally found myself in the area during their business hours recently.
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| Mix |
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| Bleu Cheese Steak |
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| Maxi's Cajun Smash Burger |
October 26, 2026
Hamada General Store
Pho & Grindz
After a day at Kailua beach, we were ready to grab some food and decided to try someplace newish to us — Pho & Grindz.
The restaurant used to be called Hot Pot Heaven. The owners eventually added pho to the menu, and it was so well received that they decided to change the name and concept. Now, the menu offers a mix of classic Vietnamese dishes and local plate lunch favorites, so there's a little something for everyone.
We ordered a few different dishes to share, including shrimp wontons, miso udon, garlic chicken, and the grilled pork vermicelli noodle plate.
The portions were generous, and overall, everything was tasty. The shrimp wontons and miso udon were good choices, and the grilled pork vermicelli noodle plate was very satisfying!
The garlic chicken, however, wasn't quite what we expected. It had a bit of a weird aftertaste, possibly from the sauce, and my son wasn't a fan. Taste is always subjective, though, and the other dishes hit the spot!
What really stood out was how nice the owners were. They were super friendly and welcoming, which always makes a dining experience that much better.
If you're in Kailua and looking for a place that serves both Vietnamese favorites and local comfort food, Pho & Grindz is worth checking out.
PHO & GRINDZ
201 HAMAKUA DRIVE
808-263-9695
October 25, 2026
Ayame Curry & Ramen House Re-Opens!
After being closed for some time for renovations, Ayame & Curry & Ramen House in Kaneohe is finally back! Today was their grand reopening, so we decided to stop by and check out the refreshed spot.
We arrived around 7 PM, and wow, it was BUSY! Thankfully, the wait for a table was only about five minutes. The wait for our food, however, was a whole different story.
Looking around, we noticed quite a few tables still waiting for their orders, so we figured it would be a while before our food arrived. One of the workers even came around with small plates of potato chips for the tables that were waiting. I thought that was such a nice gesture! It was a little something to tide everyone over while they waited.
I didn't dare ask them to pause for photos when the food finally arrived - I knew they were famished and so I just let them go at it!
There were also tons of takeout orders coming through. When I paid the bill, the owner personally thanked me for coming in and apologized for the wait. He explained that they had started putting takeout orders on the back burner so they could catch up on the dine-in orders. I appreciated him taking the time to explain and acknowledge the wait.
Opening day is never easy, especially when so many people show up at once! It was clear that Ayame had a lot of hungry customers eager to welcome them back.
Welcome back, Ayame! It's obvious you've been missed! Wishing the team all the best as they settle back in and get into their groove. We'll definitely be back! 🍜
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AYAME CURRY & RAMEN HOUSE
45-480 KANEOHE BAY DRIVE (Windward City Shopping Center)
808-236-3883
October 23, 2026
Visit Anchorage: New Sagaya
We went to check out New Sagaya, a grocery store that specializes in Asian foods, for omiyage.
New Sagaya reminded me of a Don Quijote or Marukai.
At New Sagaya, you'll also find lots of fresh seafood, a bakery, deli, and more.
We even found some local Hawaii products!
Although we didn't find as much omiyage as we hoped for, we did leave with some made-in-Alaska gifts, as well as some snacks!
New Sagaya
3700 Old Seward Hwy
Anchorage, AK 99503
October 22, 2026
Visit New York - TWA Hotel
I had a long layover at JFK in New York and researched my options since I knew I would be tired following the 10 plus hour flight from Honolulu. It looked like my best option was to book a room at the TWA Hotel. The hotel is directly connected to Terminal 5 and accessible via the JFK AirTrain so I wouldn't have to leave the airport. The hotel has a cafe, restaurant, lounge, gym, and rooftop pool.
Daytripper stays are available at an hourly rate from 6am to 8pm for a minimum of four hours and a maximum of 12 hours. When I arrived at the hotel my room was not ready, but they got me in as soon as they could and adjusted my rate. Due to availability, I received an upgrade to the Executive King Suite with Runway view. The room was spacious and after a shower, I slept like a baby for five hours. I would definitely recommend if you need a convenient place to stay during a long layover.
The hotel was once an abandoned terminal.
Executive King Suite with Runway view
Sitting area with floor to ceiling windows
Bar area
Sunken Lounge - Part of the original 1962 design.
Island X Hawaii
We were in Waialua and wanted shave ice, so we went to Island X Hawaii. I love that their shave ice is all natural - no artificial colors or flavorings!
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| Waialua Dark Chocolate |
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| Strawberry |
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| Mango Matcha Latte |
October 21, 2026
ESCAPE! Alaska
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We made a spontaneous decision to do an escape room one evening, and we ended up at ESCAPE! Alaska.
We did the NOIR escape room, in which we had to determine who was a murderer, amongst other things.
You're given an hour, and you are also given a business card with which you can use a phone in the Escape Room and call a number for clues / assistance.
And we had to call the number a few times in the first 30 minutes because we are very novice escape room players.
Once we got the hang of things, it was easier for us to find clues.
We did eventually escape within the time frame allotted, with just minutes (seconds?) to spare.
I thought the experience was really fun and the clues / puzzles very clever compared to some of the other escape rooms we've done.
Of course we did not make the leaderboard, but it was impressive to see how some teams finish the room in under 20 minutes.
ESCAPE! Alaska was definitely a fun way to spend an evening!
ESCAPE! Alaska
2000 W International Airport Rd Ste A8
Anchorage, AK 99502
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