FUUD: Breakfast at Nico’s Pier 38

By • November 22, 2013 • Food

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Our gang meets up for breakfast almost every morning.

And it’s almost exclusively at Rainbow Drive-In. (Hence why I post so many photos from there.)

We eat there for three reasons: food is great and cheap, it’s the closest spot to where we surf (Waikiki and Diamond Head), and we know the owner, so we can cruise there for as long as we want.

But the other day, someone suggested that we try a new place every month. She and her husband had just been to Nico’s Pier 38, a restaurant and fish market located just off Nimitz Highway.

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I had been there before for lunch and dinner — it’s been open since 2004, but last year it moved to a nearby location and expanded to 160 seats with a full bar — but I didn’t know it served breakfast.

So I was intrigued.

Breakfast runs from 6:30 to 10 a.m. everyday but Sunday (which I thought was strange). And the menu is big enough, with items like fish and eggs, loco moco, fried rice, pancakes, French toast and sides. Prices range from $3.25 for a bowl of saimin with Spam, kamaboko and green onions to $8.95 for a fish omelette with garlic and green onions. A bit pricey — at least compared to Rainbow’s — but you get a ton of high-quality food. And you really can’t beat the view!

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So here’s what we ate: (All photos taken with a waterproof camera — Pentax WG-3 — by the way.)

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Here’s the omelette ($7.95), which can come with two of the following: Portuguese sausage, bacon, ham, Spam, kamaboko, cheese, mushrooms and green onions. The omelette also comes with white or brown rice and fruits.

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This is the loco moco ($8.75, $5.95 for a mini). It’s a combination of Nico’s hamburger steak — which tastes a lot like meatloaf — and two eggs and rice with a mushroom-onion gravy. This guy opted for fried rice, which is on the peppery side. Talk about overkill — but in a good way!

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The French toast ($5.25) is made with sweet bread from Kaneohe Bakery — plus! It’s got cinnamon, too, which was a nice touch, and the plate comes with fruits.

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Here’s the fish omelette ($8.95) with chunks of grilled ahi, garlic and green onions.

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I got the breakfast croissant ($4.25) with bacon — it actually comes with ham, but you can substitute it out — eggs and lots of cheddar cheese in between a buttery, flaky croissant. Heaven.

So if you’re looking for an uncrowded, relaxed place to eat breakfast, consider Nico’s Pier 38. You order your meals take-out-style and grab any table you want in the dining room. It’s hard to believe more people don’t venture here, but then again, maybe that’s a good thing for us.

Nico’s Pier 38, 1129 North Nimitz Highway. Hours for breakfast: 6:30-10 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Phone: (808) 540-1377.

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#TasteTest: Velvet Rope Bake Shop’s Cake Truffles

By • November 20, 2013 • Food

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Back in October, I got a DM (direct message) on Twitter that got me really excited.

“We really enjoy your posts! My sis will be in HI next week. I’d love to send you some treats! We wouldn’t turn down a review on your blog :)”

That came from @velvetropebakes, the Twitter account for Velvet Rope Bake Shop, a LA-based dessert shop that opened in 2010 and specializes in handcrafted cake truffles and sweet-and-salty cookies, all made from scratch and in small batches.

But here’s the best part: you can buy them online!

I say this because when I travel, I love to hit bakeries. And not all of them have products that can survive the flight back to Honolulu. So when I find bakeries or dessert shops like this one — or Levain Bakery in New York City and Sweet Lydia’s in Lowell, Mass. — that sell their specialities online, I get overly excited.

So here’s the deal: Owner Eric Katigbak was a TV commercial and music video producer who had a passion for baking. After years of baking treats for friends and celebrity clients, he decided to turn his love for baking into a full-fledged career.

Now he sells his goodies online and in stores in Southern California and Texas.

And yes, he delivers to Hawaii.

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“He wants me to taste test his cake truffles?” I thought to myself. “Did he really have to ask?”

Eric sent me a box of assorted cake truffles (top). For $25, you a gift box filled with nine different flavors of cake truffles: red velvet (above) double chocolate, lemon, carrot cake, chocolate-covered banana, coconut, peanut butter chocolate, cafe mocha and s’mores.

The box of truffles can last up to two weeks in your refrigerator, so you don’t have to eat them right away. In fact, I didn’t. I took my time eating them, savoring each one.

The red velvet, which, I’m assuming is its signature flavor, was a dense piece of cake coated in white chocolate. These truffles look small, but they’re packed with flavor that eating one is enough. The flavor of the red velvet cake was subtle — maybe I had it in the fridge too long — but it was still a nice ending to my dinner that night.

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Though I enjoyed the lemon and carrot cake truffles, my favorite was the double chocolate. I felt this flavor worked the best with the concept of using a dense cake covered in a chocolate coating. It was rich and decadent — just how I wanted it.

The verdict? This would make a great gift for anyone who loves cakes and chocolate. And the flavors are interesting enough to satisfy even the most finicky dessert eater. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s unique and special and beautifully packaged.

Velvet Rope Bake Shop Cake Truffles can be found online and at the following sites: www.cocodot.com, www.mamarockys.com, www.sneakpeeq.com, www.davia.com. They’re also sold at The Curious Palate in West L.A., Fresco Community Market in L.A., and Hubbell & Hudson Market and Bistro in The Woodlands, Texas. Follow them on Twitter @velvetropebakes and Instagram @velvetropebakeshop.

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Here’s your excuse to eat out this week

By • November 18, 2013 • Food

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You’ve got a really good reason to eat out this week.

From Monday through Nov. 24, more than 50 of eateries around the state — from upscale fine dining to uber-casual fast food — will participate in the 6th annual Restaurant Week, offering special menus, promotions and discounts.

This is a weeklong celebration of Hawaii’s diverse cuisine scene, local ingredients and world-class chefs, with proceeds supporting the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head — Hawaii’s first four-year culinary program. The celebration serves as a reminder that Hawaii is a top culinary destination, known for top celebrity chefs and farm-to-table dinning.

Everyone wins.

Here are some examples of what will be offered during the week:

• Award-winning restaurant Alan Wong’s is revisiting a classic, with manapua-style quesadilla, Hawaiian kampachi and shellfish stew, Maui Cattle Co. roasted New York strip steak and a lilikoi white chocolate mousse for $65 per person.

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• Le Bistro in Niu Valley is serving a three-course meal for $42 per person. The menu boasts a choice of appetizer (sweet Kahuku corn salad or French onion soup, top), entrée (cheese-and-apple chicken, above, or a combination of red wine-and-peppercorn short ribs and a mini Wagyu beef burger stuffed with Stilton blue cheese and foie gras) and dessert (apple tarte tatin or Valrhona chocolate cake).

• Chef Chai is offering a five-course meal — starter, an appetizers sampler, a salad, a choice of entrees (petite beef tenderloin, grilled Kobayaki New Zealand king salmon, or vegetarian terrine with a Thai green curry sauce) and dessert for $50 per person.

• For $55 per person, the Signature Prime Steak & Seafood at Ala Moana is serving a three-course meal that includes a salad, a choice of its more popular entrées (prime ribeye, miso butterfish or Kurobuta pork chop) and dessert. Kamaaina diners get a discount on all bottles of wine, too.

• Hank’s Haute Dogs in Kakaako will serve a bratwurst Francais with sautéed mushrooms and truffle mustard for $8.50. Pair that with truffle cheese fries for $12.

• All three locations of Eggs ‘N Things will be serving a $25 dinner menu that features a choice of appetizer (spinach artichoke dip or ginger mac nut poke), entrée (chicken madeira, vegetarian frittata or pork chop parmesan), and dessert (signature waffle folds or a slice of fresh strawberry guava cheesecake).

Like you all needed an excuse to eat out. 😀

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Lessons I’ve learned from riding the bus

By • November 18, 2013 • #CatTravels, Musings, The Daily Dish

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Last week I got around on one of the nation’s best public bus systems.

And it was interesting to say the least.

I saw former students and ex-coworkers riding TheBus. I sat alongside folks heading to work, to the mall, to school, to the grocery store. Some knew the driver — one guy actually stood next to the driver and talked with him for the entire ride — and others, mostly tourists, had never been on the city bus before. There were professionals going to their offices in downtown, kids going to the beach, couples going home.

And then there was me.

The girl who got a ticket for not having a current safety check or registration and was too paranoid to drive until she got all of that squared away.

I spent a lot of time thinking about this mode of transportation and the culture that surrounds it. People catch the bus for a variety of reasons. Some believe in public transportation, some think it’s a greener way to get around. Some can’t afford cars, some aren’t old enough to drive. And there are others who prefer the convenience of not having to drive or look for parking.

I will say, getting around on the bus isn’t as difficult as it may seem to those who haven’t hopped on one lately. I mean, 75.5 million boardings every year must mean something.

But I couldn’t survive on TheBus alone. For one, I can’t take my dogs on it, so that makes going hiking and to the vet impossible. And I have to jet to appointments, meetings and interviews all the time, sometimes on very short-notice, and getting around on the bus would be challenging.

So I rushed to get the safety check and registration squared away — I also had to replace a tail light — just so I could use my car again.

But I don’t regret the week without my wheels. I learned a lot.

Here are some of those lessons:

• HEA is awesome. TheBus has a very helpful, real-time website that tells you exactly when each bus is stopping at whatever bus stop you’re at. Oahu Transit Services, which operates TheBus, launched this bus-located site several years ago. It tracks Global Positioning System (GPS) devices on each bus and updates every two minutes with a bus’ estimated arrival time at a particular stop. I lived by that!

• Bus passes aren’t prorated. It cost $60 for a monthly pass for an adult — it’s less for students, seniors and members of the military. I walked into 7-Eleven to inquire about a monthly pass, but it was already the middle of November. The cashier said I would still have to pay the entire $60 for the pass even though it was only good for two weeks. Good to know.

• Stand up to get noticed. I made the mistake of not standing up at the bus stop when the bus arrived. I was still sitting, putting away my Kindle, when I saw the bus approaching. I suppose because I wasn’t standing up, the bus driver just drove past without stopping. I had to wait for the next bus. Now I know better.

• There’s no Internet on TheBus. As far as I know, there’s no free Wifi onboard. Which is too bad, especially for foreign travelers. (I know how important free Wifi is when I’m traveling abroad.)

• Sit forward. If you’re prone to motion sickness, pick a seat that faces forward. The side-facing seats can make you feel sick. (I learned this from experience.)

• You still sit in traffic. Just because you’re using public transportation doesn’t mean you get anywhere faster. The bus stops more often than you would in your car, and you still sit in the same traffic. So you still have to plan out your trip factoring in those things. Mass transit rail will be different. But until then, this is it.

In all, I’m glad I did it, even if just for a week. It made me realize there are other ways to get around — and despite how much I love to actually drive my own car, it was nice ego sit back, relax and read my Kindle on the way to work.

I don’t think I’d ditch my car, but don’t be surprised if you see me on the bus again.

To learn more about Honolulu’s public bus system or to find routes and timetables, call (808) 848-5555 or visit www.thebus.org.

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#FUUD: Agu Ramen in Moiliili

By • November 15, 2013 • Food

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I’m obsessed with ramen.

I could literally eat a bowl of hot noodles every week. And if I find a great ramen shop (that’s convenient and has parking) like Kiwami Ramen on Keeaumoku Street, I have going back and ordering the same exact thing.

Ask my friends.

So when I heard yet another ramen shop had opened up, this time in Moiliili, I had to find a way to stop going to Kiwami for once and try the new place.

So I did.

This week my girlfriend and I dine at Agu Ramen, one of the newest ramen shops to open on Oahu in the last few months. It specializes in tonkotsu ramen — the broth is made using simmered pork bones — like the style I had in Fukuoka. The noodles are thinner, too, and the broth is rich and thick — just like it was in Kyushu. It took me back.

So here’s what we ate:

Agu Ramen

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This ramen shop opened recently in the space vacated by Maui's Da Kitchen. Lots of parking in the back. Bonus!

Agu Ramen, 925 Isenberg St. in Moiliili. Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Phone: (808) 492-1637.

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