The Counter

Best for: Burgers
Location: Kahala

1/3-lb burger with sauteéd mushrooms ($10.50)

I get the same thing every time I come to the Counter: a 1/3-lb beef burger on a multigrain bun, with gruyére, grilled onions and sauteéd mushrooms. I think the only ingredient I've altered is the type of sauce, which is selected from a list of almost 30 different sauces by filling in the bubble (my favorite type of multiple choice test!) on one of the disposable paper menus attached to a clipboard.



These types of endless, excessive options are somewhat wasted on people like me but are exactly what [supposedly] make America so great. Lettuce blend or organic mixed greens? Roasted green chilis or roasted red peppers? We are very particular because we can be. Choice makes humans happy...right?



Last night Anthony and I had dinner at the Counter because I had a "buy one get one free" coupon (crazy, right?) which had been mailed to my father a few days that I knew would go to waste if I didn't use it. I tried the chipotle aioli sauce with my gruyére-onion-mushroom burger. Absolutely delicious - although, I suppose that's not difficult to do with those ingredients. Anthony and I shared some fries, which were nice and thin, but I really miss Kua'aina's old french fries, which were crispy and sprinkled with parsley.

Now that's what I call medium rare

a legit old fashioned

Anthony's a snob about old fashioneds, so we were relieved when his cocktail came with all the proper components. Good job, Counter, you have now joined the ranks of Lobby Bar and Ruby Tuesday's. Apparently Anthony was in a Greek mood because he ordered his 2/3-lb burger with feta cheese and tzatziki sauce. I suppose this is a legitimate reason for having too many options - we can now cater to our every cultural craving at any moment. We both left stuffed and brought home almost half of our meal.

 

The following day, I pan fried my leftover burger and fries on low heat without oil and chopped some parsley for the fries. The bun now had a nice crisp to it, the cheese was even more melted, and the fries were properly seasoned. I've always been a fan of bringing home leftovers because 1) I hardly ever finish my meal in its entirety, and 2) I feel like a saint - it's like recycling, but tastier! But who knew leftovers could surpass the original?

my kahala plantation tea

Mac 24-7

Best for: Late-nite
Location: Hilton Waikiki Beach



Why oh why did it take me so long to try Mac 24-7? I blame the unappealing name. And perhaps the fact that it's located on Kuhio, a street I tend to avoid particularly when I need a place exactly like Mac 24-7, i.e., to sober up. However, if I had known that Mac 24-7 was located in a decent hotel, had purple walls, and was more than just abhorrent pancake challenges (thanks, Man vs. Food), I would have ditched all those late nights at Wailana for this place in a heartbeat.

Don't get me wrong. I still love Wailana. And, to tell you the truth, the two can't really be compared. Wailana is the epitome of a diner and costs about half as much as Mac 24-7, whereas the chic decor and music fit for a lounge put Mac 24-7 in a somewhat different category. Lesson to be learned: just because it's 24-hours doesn't mean it has to be trashy. I know, Portland, this blows your mind.




Anthony and I had come after being drenched by a torrential downpour while attempting to view the Christmas lights in downtown. We were cold and hungry, so we went where any other person at midnight would go: Waikiki. We sat at the bar, which was fine for that night, but I definitely want to try a table in the other room next time. I convinced Anthony that he wanted to share a smoked salmon benedict (not that I really need to convince anyone that they want a smoked salmon benedict) with me and ordered a coffee. I guess I'm used to the dainty portions at Orchid's and the Beachhouse, because I was overwhelmed by the epic benedict here. That English muffin must have been colossal.

smoked salmon benedict ($17)

This was my first time having a smoked salmon benedict, and, while it wasn't life-altering (I don't even remember what the smoked salmon tasted like), and the breakfast potatoes could have been crispier, the benedict hit the spot.



I'll definitely be back sometime (I just have to get drunk first so I can properly justify sobering up here), as I'm sure that guy from LOST will be, too.

Jawaiian Irie Jerk

Best for: Jamaican
Location: Kaimuki
Foodgasmic dish: Jerk wings



town was completely booked for dinner a couple of weeks ago (how dare you, town! I really should have special privileges at that restaurant considering I'm always there and shamelessly promote them whenever I can; maybe I should have called for the reservation?), so Jon, Sarah, Anthony, and I decided to move our double date to Jawaiian Irie Jerk, a casual Jamaican restaurant that opened up about 6 months ago, just a few blocks away from town.



We brought in a bottle of pinot noir and were seated at a cozy table in the back corner. Just like Maharani, Jawaiian Irie Jerk is somewhat exotic to locals, so the restaurant basically has an obligation to Hawaii to confirm our preconceived images of a culture about which we know much too little. Hence, the bright walls and lively music.



We started off with some spicy jerk wings. They were perfect - not just because jerk wings are the perfect Jamaican cliché with which to start our meal, but because the succulent meat was grilled perfectly and fell right off the bone.

Spicy jerk wings ($6.95)

Jamaican jerk chicken ($12.95)

Apparently I couldn't get enough of that jerk chicken because I ended up ordering more as my entreé, which was marinated with Chef Cassie's jerk marinade overnight and served with rice, peas, and Italian stew. I don't remember what anyone else got (shame on me! That's what happens when I wait this long to review a place...), but I do remember that we were all happy and eager to save room for dessert. We shared the Caribbean style bread pudding and Jamaican coconut rum cream pie, both of which were served with a rich creamy rum sauce. As I'm sure you know, alcohol makes everything better - it can even make fruit edible!

Caribbean style bread pudding $5.95

Jawaiian Irie Jerk is a wonderful addition to Waialae's restaurant row. It shares a building with the Himalayan Kitchen and Bella Mia, and right across the parking lot are Happy Day, Magura-ya, and To Thai For. It's no wonder that I love this neighborhood.

Now if someone would just listen to me about our lack of Middle Eastern food...

Duk Lee

Best for: Chinese
Location: Market City Shopping Center

2-combo plate: fried rice, roast pork, and lemon chicken ($8)

My dad and I used to stop by Duk Lee to pick up a pound of char siu (and roast pork too, if my dad's feeling up to it) every Sunday after my piano lessons. Since high school, I returned for the first time with Anthony because we were both hungry, low on funds, and right around the corner from Market City.



Duk Lee is a small restaurant with one long counter of food, about eight small tables, and a huge window displaying rows of hanging meat. Yum. We shared a 2-combination plate and a side order of chow fun, for a total of $12. Not sure why we got the extra noodles; the plate was more than enough for the two of us. It came with fried rice, roast pork, and lemon chicken. The roast pork was fantastic - loaded with flavor, crispy skin, and just enough fat. The lemon chicken was good, but can't really compare to roast pork, and its sauce went perfectly with the fried rice and complimentary bean sprouts.

chow fun (under $4)

Market City is another one of those areas blessed with an assortment of cheap, reliable restaurants - just like Waialae Avenue and Kapahulu. Anthony and I have set a goal to try every single restaurant in this shopping center. We can already check off Gina's and Duk Lee; next up - G Sushi, Anytime Cafe, Kaila, a burger place, and that odd Mexican bar.

another angle of our wonderful combination plate

Lappert's

Best for: Ice cream
Location: Hilton Hawaiian Village



Anthony and Mizuki were somehow still craving ice cream after our feast at Yakiniku Don-Day a few days ago. Since we had gone to Bubbie's recently, we decided to go to our only other option: Lappert's in Waikiki. I have fond memories of this place, mainly because after ballet performances at the Hilton, Steve would buy our entire company ice cream from Lappert's. Free gourmet ice cream after a hard day's work remains one of the highlights of my rosy childhood.




I usually order the mint chip, but on this particular night, I wasn't very hungry (probably because I hadn't danced ballet right before) so I just shared a bowl with Anthony. I'm not sure which fancy flavor he chose, but I could taste creamy vanilla and chunks of fudge. Perhaps it was the Big Island Inspiration? Mizuki ordered a kona coffee waffle cone and a latte and joined us on the only bench outside.



Lappert's has some pretty interesting flavors:

• Maui Mango Madness: mango ice cream, mango sorbet and grand marnier
• Mauna Kea's Secret: white chocolate ice cream swirled with raspberry sorbet and loaded with chocolate chips and chocolate brownies
• Tutu's Anniversary: coconut ice cream with raspberry and passion fruit sorbet
• Heavenly Hana: creamy chocolate ice cream with delicate swirls of marshmallow ribboned throughout handmade chunks of white chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, dark chocolate almond chunks, chocolate bits and roasted almonds

Perfect for the Hilton tourists.

Yakiniku Don-Day

Best for: Korean
Location: Koreamoku



When Mizuki said she wanted Korean food, I was thrilled and prepared my stomach for spicy chicken wings, 2 scoops of rice, and 4 choices of vegetables. However, I should have known that dinner with Mizuki would never be as simple as ordering a plate from Yummy's Korean BBQ. As we desperately tried to find parking on Keeaumoku, my heart skipped a beat when I saw the sign of the restaurant: "Yakiniku Don-Day." Yakiniku! The last time I had yakiniku was at Yakiniku Seoul last year with my family. For those of you who don't know what yakiniku means, it refers to meat dishes that you grill right at your table. In other words: the epitome of a dining experience.

Yakiniku Don-Day is a lovely, informal restaurant at which guests can sit outside, under four large green umbrellas surrounded by Christmas lights. Moments like these remind me why I love Hawaii: the ability to dine outside at night all year round.

cooking beef tongue perfectly takes concentration and patience

We ordered one drink each: I had the bekseju, a Korean rice wine infused with ginseng, licorice, omija, wolfberry, ginger, and cinnamon; Anthony and Mizuki had a couple of beers. Anthony had ordered the Cass because our waiter told us it was Korea's most popular beer ("It tastes like Coors Lite; no wonder it's so popular"), but, after doing some much needed Korean beer research, I just found out that the beer Mizuki ordered (Hite) is actually the top selling beer there. That liar!

Mizuki and Anthony's Korean beers

my bekseju

We ordered beef tongue, pork belly, and marinated kal bi. The meal came with an assortment of little plates of pickled vegetables. Our waiter laughed at us because we didn't know that we were supposed to grill the long pieces of kim chee. In fact, I'm pretty sure he was laughing at us throughout the night because [surprise, surprise] eventually I got tipsy (hey, my wine had 3x as much alcohol as the beers) and was probably very amusing.

Our bill was about $115, which is reasonable considering how much we ordered. I should do yakiniku more often. There's something so simple, so utterly human about a group of people sitting in a circle, cooking chunks of meat on a cast iron grill. [I guess this means vegetarians aren't human?] In the unlikely chance that I do end up moving to Korea next year, I can definitely get used to eating like this every night.

JJ Bistro & French Pastry

Best for: Dessert
Location: Kaimuki
Foodgasmic dish: Chocolate pyramid

chocolate pyramid and a complimentary coffee-chocolate macaron

My family and I have been coming here since it opened about a decade ago. JJ has watched me grow up, just as I've seen his two daughters grow up. JJ is a master pastry chef, originally from Laos, educated in New York, and now famous in Hawaii due to his desserts. His most famous dessert is the one that I always get: the chocolate pyramid. This is a pyramid of chocolate mousse, sitting on a thin layer of dense chocolate cake and covered in chocolate powder. The whole rich concoction melts in your mouth. Foodgasm!

pistachio cherry brandy pastry and some coffee

There are, of course, many other desserts, all of which are less than $5. Ten years after opening, and we still haven't tried all of JJ's creations. But we haven't had a bad one yet. It is certainly difficult to try new things when you have already fallen in love with a few (isn't that life?).

Besides desserts, JJ's is open for lunch and dinner, both of which are French/Laotian fusion and pretty good, but desserts are definitely his specialty. JJ has expanded a lot since he first opened - more than double the size.

Lao pizza: chili basil chicken, onion, red bell peppers, and zucchini ($7)

Last night I brought my brother here for dinner to watch the Kaimuki Christmas parade. JJ's wife recognized Sam and me as soon as we came in and gave us some complimentary corn chowder, served in adorable penguin-in-a-suit bowls. I wasn't that hungry so I ordered the Laos pizza, with chili basil chicken, onions, red bell peppers, and zucchini. The crust was nice and crispy, and you can't go wrong with chili basil chicken. JJ is a pastry chef, so of course his pizzas would be perfect little pan sizes, like the ones found at Pizza Hut - but much better, of course. Sam had a pepperoni pizza, while Anthony had the House Special Pizza, with green curry sauce, chicken, onion, red bell peppers, zucchini, and eggplant. Curry is an interesting ingredient to add to pizza. I like it, but I can understand why it might be a little strange to some people. Anthony was craving something crunchy, so he ordered the Baked Lobster Avocado, which came with three slices of French bread topped with lobster meat and mozzarella, surrounding arugula and an avocado aioli placed in the center. He got that crunch he was craving, and I got to eat baked lobster. It was a very good choice.

Baked Lobster Avocado: lobster meat with avocado aioli on French bread and mozzarella ($8)

 

For dessert, I disappointed my brother by ordering another chocolate pyramid. And coffee. Just black. You know a dessert is good when I don't add cream and sugar to the coffee.

red velvet, a chocolate pyramid, and two fruit pastries that I don't remember

Ezogiku

Best for: Cheap ramen
Location: Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center



Pizza to Anthony is like ramen to me - even bad ramen is good ramen. Before ballet class, a bunch of us used to buy those huge spicy ramen bowls from the convenience store downstairs and eat and gossip in the hall. Ramen and ballerinas...that's not something you'd expect to see everyday. Once in a while, when my dad was lazy and the temperature in Hawaii actually dropped below 70, he'd make ramen using the noodles from the Top Ramen package and create his own broth using bouillon, char siu, and fresh vegetables. My brother and I always looked forward to these days. I even enjoy those crappy Cup Noodles, with too much salt and nondescript vegetables.

"Oh, there's the noodles!"

Ezogiku doesn't offer the best ramen (go to Yotteko-ya for that), but it's cheap and convenient and looked a hell of a lot more appetizing than the other fast food restaurants in the food court, e.g. Maui Tacos, Kenny's "Hawaiian" Express. Considering I only enjoy eating in food courts when I'm in Singapore, the fact that I happily brought Anthony to this place already says a lot.



For about $13, he ordered the ramen + gyoza combo and a drink - slightly cheaper than Goma Tei's ramen + gyoza combo, but smaller portions and not quite as good. In other words, you get what you pay for. And, as someone who loves ramen of all qualities, that works for me.

Happy Day

Best for: Chinese, Cheap dim sum
Location: Kaimuki

My family's ritual of dim sum on Sundays is made possible by Happy Day. They have all the standard dishes: har gao, siu mai, seafood roll, and jin dui. While I prefer the dim sum at Jade and Mandalay, Happy Day is less than a 10-minute drive from home and is extremely cheap, especially when you order takeout and pay cash. The rest of east Honolulu knows how good a deal this place is, so expect to wait in line when picking up your order.

egg custard bun

Besides dim sum, I come here pretty often for dinner because my uncle is friends with the entire staff. Thus, he invites every single Chinese relative he knows and treats us to 7+ course dinners. What are families for?

steamed fish with ginger and soy sauce

Peking duck