Hawai'i: Shokudo with Justin

Met up with Justin as soon as he came home to Hawai'i for the holiday's. He's a close high school friend, and busy at Yale law so I rarely ever get to see this guy! We went to Shokudo...home of some pretty random and fun dishes. Not serious food by any means, but tasty (especially the house-made tofu), and it sure puts a smile on my face.

Our meal, below:
Fresh Zaru Tofu...
...served with Green Onions, Sea Salt, and Nori...
...and Soy Dashi Broth.
Then, the Spider Roll: Soft Shell Crab Tempura with Crab Mayo, Cucumber, Burdock Root & Kaiware Sprouts.
And of course, the weirdly delicious Mochi Cheese Gratin. Mochi Cubes with Mozzarella & Soy Dashi Broth. Baked and Topped with Green Onions and Nori. So random.
Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice: Crispy Sushi Rice Topped with Spicy Raw Tuna and Pickled Jalapenos.

No room for the famed honey toast - this was my first meal at Shokudo that didn't end in honey toast! I had afternoon tea at the Moana Surfrider right before this, and was off to drinks/dessert with Farida afterwards...so gotta save room ^_^

Shokudo Japanese
Ala Moana Pacific Center, Ground Floor
1585 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 941-3701

Sugar Rushed.

Below, posts for Serious Eats New York for the latter half of December :)
Sugar Rush: Che Ba Mau at Banh Mi Saigon
Sugar Rush: Green Tea and Sesame Ice Cream at Sundaes & Cones
Sugar Rush: Ginger Cupcake at Two Little Red Hens
Lunch for One: Takashimaya Tea Box Café
Sugar Rush: Blackberry-Almond Danish at Petrossian
Sugar Rush: Cardamom Coffee at Hampton Chutney Co. in Soho
Dessert Files: Where To Get Your Gingerbread Man Fix
Sugar Rush: Banana Pudding at Out of the Kitchen
Sugar Rush: Linzer Tarts at Balthazar Bakery
Sugar Rush: Ceci-Cela's Bûche de Noël
Lunch for One: EN Japanese Brasserie
Sugar Rush: Carrot Cake at Momofuku Milk Bar
Sugar Rush: Eggnog Ice Cream at Ronnybrook Milk Bar
The Dessert Files: Holiday Sweets at Bouchon Bakery

Hawai'i: Wolfgang's Steakhouse

The meat locker

I get to hang out with my mom and dad a lot when I come back to Hawai'i, but I see my sister less often. She's a high school senior, and always off doing her own things with friends. But we try to gather for dinner with the four of us at least once a week. We did just that on a Tuesday: dinner at Wolfgang's, followed by Avatar at the Ward Theatres.
There are two locations of Wolfgang's in Manhattan, but I haven't tried them yet, go figure. Our meal started with their bread (pass), and oysters...
...and super thick slices of Canadian bacon.
We had the 'steak for three' - a wonderful, but scary huge amount of meat. A good amount was left unfinished, I think 'steak for two' would have been the perfect size. Portions are gigantic.
For sides: creamed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes, both pictured above.
And dessert? Apple strudel with extra schlag.
I confess to enjoying the whipped cream more that the strudel itself! So thick and voluminous!

I've been to most of the steakhouses in Hawai'i, and though Wolfgang's undoubtly has the best steak, Hy's remains my favourite for overall experiences (bonus: that cheese bread they give out is beyond glorious ;).

Wolfgang's Steakhouse
2301 Kalakaua Avenue
Bldg C, Third Level, C301
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 922-3600