Category Archives: For the Foodies

If you are lucky enough to afford the ridiculously expensive food at Nobu, then you know what I’m talking about when I say, “Yellow Tail Sashimi with Jalapeno.”  This is one of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s signature dishes, an always order, and a must try if it’s your first time at Nobu.

The combinations of super delicate yellowfin tuna, yuzu juice, and spicy jalapenos makes this dish fresh, simple, but with a kick.  These tiny pieces of heaven will go down too easy, and you will be craving the flavors until your next visit to Nobu. 

Yes, ALL THE FOOD at Nobu is really that good, no…EXCELLENT, no… AMAZING!  Yes, believe the hype, I’ve been there too many times to count and can tell you first hand that this restaurant pays attention to fresh quality ingredients (this point is an understatement), decadence, creativity, and you will have one of the best meals of your life here. 

The Nobu dining experience is constantly changing depending on what’s in season and the fresh catches of the day, which keeps me coming back.  The yellowtail sashimi dish barely scratches the surface of the over the top menu at Nobu, and yes you might have to save up a month’s rent to enjoy it, but it’ll be worth it!      

I am a little mad about only now finding out about Bruno’s Forno on Maunakea Street because I didn’t realize what I was missing: homemade lasagna noddles and fresh baked breads! Yeah, so who’s been holding out on me?!

Bruno’s has been around for a couple years serving authentic Italian food for lunch 7 days a week from 9 am to 3 pm and dinner Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays from 5 pm to 9 pm.  Located in the heart of Chinatown near all the Asian hustle and bustle, I guess I overlooked this cute, clean Italian spot.  

Homemade, homemade, and homemade is what sold me at Bruno’s with their high quality cheeses, fresh ingredients, and warm and friendly service.  For my first visit to Bruno’s Megan and I shared the Lasgna Funghi and their Italian Panini. 

The lasagna funghi ($8.50) was absolutely delicious! It was not your typical lasagna with multiple layers, but two layers of homemade noodles.  The sauce was a unique mix of a white sauce, red sauce, and what seemed like a pesto sauce with portobello mushrooms and fresh mozzarella cheese.  I was thoroughly impressed with this dish and my only complaint was that I didn’t have more to eat. 

The Italian panini ($8.00) was made with salami, fresh mozzarella cheese, all on fresh baked homemade wheat bread.  There was a taste of sauce in the sandwich that I think was a spread of pesto and olive oil.  This sandwich was toasted, so served warm, and every bite was really enjoyable.  Both lunch entrees came with  a fresh mixed organic green salad and the lasagna dish also came with fresh baked ciabatta bread.   

If those two dishes didn’t sell me on this place, Megan decided to spurge (on the calories) and ordered a slice of their lemon cheesecake ($3.50).  The cheesecake was creamy and homemade tasting with just the right amount of zesty lemon flavor, and just the thing to roll me out of there with a huge smile on my face. 

Only after my first visit, I am completely sold on this place and can’t wait to go back again.  Great Italian food is hard to come by in Hawaii, and I am very appreciative of a good Italian meal!  

People who’ve been to Sanoya Rahmen on King Street either hate it or love it. Sanoya’s menu is quite large with dishes ranging from all types of ramen, curry entrees, chicken katsu, and much more. They serve only water and soft drinks. In my experiences the service is borderline terrible, but some of the dishes make up for the poor service.  I only come to Sanoya for two things, the Mabo Tofu Ramen and the gyoza.

Mabo Ramen at Sanoya

In my opinion, Sanoya has the best Mabo ramen on the island and super inexpensive at about $7 a bowl.  I hear the noodles are Sun brand noodles made especially for Sanoya, taste fresh, are served al dente, and the serving are so large that you can hardly finish your bowl. 

The gravy on the Mabo is my favorite with chunks of ground pork with a whole lot of chili spice.  I aways order my Mabo ramen with extra mixed vegetables and this really makes the dish with a heaping pile of fresh veggies like broccoli, cabbage, carrots, etc.   

You can’t eat a bowl of Mabo ramen with out some of Sanoya gyoza on the side.  The gyoza is pan fried and slightly crisp.  It also tasted freshly made with lots of garlic and ginger for flavor.

I’ll keep coming back to Sanoya for the Mabo ramen and you should too if you like spicy noodles and are looking for great prices and huge amounts of food, just don’t expect good service.

Ahi Shoyu Poke on Rice

Most people who travel the east-side of the island of Oahu have stopped by the Kahuku Superette for a quick snack, drink, or that missing dinner item. Why many people stop here is simply for the POKE. Just off Kamehameha Highway directly across the street from Kahuku High School, is this local supermarket with the best Ahi Shoyu Poke.

In the back of this mini-supermarket you will find a small deli cooler of pre-made local favorites like Ahi limu and shoyu poke, and some other tasty morsels like cucumber kim chee, marinated kalbi, and tako poke. When you get to the cooler you can pick what you want and hand it to the “poke lady” and she will measure and pack your amount of food.

If you haven’t been to Kahuku Superette yet, when you do go you have to order the Ahi shoyu poke over rice, it’s the best. The poke is a reasonable $9.99 per pound. What I do is ask for a serving of rice and tell the “poke lady” to fill the rest of with shoyu poke. The portion is great for one hungry person or two people looking to snack. This portion comes out to about $6 and it is such a great deal!

I swear that years ago a little ole Korean lady who worked at the Superette told me that their shoyu poke marinade is a secret Korean recipe and it is fermented in buckets for months like aging wine and that is the secret to its richness and perfection. I may have dreamt that story and Steven thinks I’m smoking crack when I tell that story, but if you look on the wall in the deli area you will see a photo of buckets in rows. I think its the shoyu poke marinade!

Once you’ve tried Kahuku Superette’s shoyu poke it’s really hard not to crave it. The shoyu marinade is so tasty it makes your mouth water and complements the ahi so well. The Superette also uses great cuts of fresh ahi, so every bite is heaven.

This past winter I made a quick stop there and there was a line about 8 hungry surfers at the poke cooler. Those who know this place love it. If you’re in the neighborhood it’s definitely worth the stop in.