Review: Tango Contemporary Cafe

My husband and I love dining at Tango Contemporary Cafe. This popular restaurant occupies a small corner on the ground floor of the Hokua building a couple of blocks west of the Ala Moana Shopping Center. Although it's always a treat to have lunch or dinner at Tango, the breakfast service really shines!

We just had breakfast there last weekend and were surprised to see that their menu was updated recently. I ordered one of the new breakfast items, the Gravlax Pytt i Panna ($9.75) which is a Swedish-style hash of diced breakfast potatoes, onions, bell peppers, and smoked salmon topped with two sunny side eggs. This dish is similar to their "Pytt i Panna" ($9.25), which comes with diced ham and sausage instead of smoked salmon.

My husband's favorite is the Swedish Pancakes ($8.50) with fresh fruits, fruit compote, and whipped cream. He always orders a side of crispy bacon ($3.75) as well. I occassionally order the Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese and (toasted) Bagel ($10.50) which comes with all the trimmings. I have also tried the Shredded Duck Confit ($9.50) with onions, potatoes and eggs, but it's a bit too rich for me. I have not tried the healthy Bircher Muesli ($7.25) but I know it's popular because I see a lot of people ordering it.

The "benedict dishes" are very popular and Tango offers traditional Eggs Benedict ($9.75) plus a few variations such as Crab Hash Benedict ($10.50), Gravlax Benedict ($10), and Loco Moco Eggs Benedict ($10.25) which is Asian-style braised beef atop local-style fried rice. All of the benedict dishes are topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. I have tasted every variation and my favorite is the Crab Hash Benedict with the hollandaise sauce served on the side.

Tango is also known for their delicious coffee. They have a special expresso machine that can turn regular coffee into a really special cup of coffee ($2.25 with one refill). My husband rarely drinks coffee, but he always orders a cup once he smells mine.  I like it when he orders the Swedish Pancakes because he doesn't use the rich whipped cream, which I happily plop into my coffee!

Gravlax Pytt I Panna

Swedish Pancakes with a side order of bacon 

If you can't make it to Tango for breakfast, you can stop by for lunch or dinner. I have two absolute favorites for lunch at Tango. The first is the Hearts of Romaine Classic Caesar Salad with Blackened Mahimahi ($13.00). The mahi is always very fresh! My second favorite is Chef Goran's Signature Open Faced Gravlax Sandwich on Finnish Rye Bread ($12.50). The combination of gravlax, Boursin cheese spread, boiled egg slices, tomatoes, cucumber and mustard dill sauce is so satisfying and delicious! All of the sandwiches come with a choice of baby greens with balsamic vinaigrette or lightly seasoned fries.

Caesar Salad with Blackened Mahimahi

Chef Goran's Signature Gravlax Sandwich

For dinner, I like to start off with the rich Escargot on Sour Dough Crostini ($10.50) to share with my husband. For my entree, my favorite is the Mustard Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb ($28.50) with tapenade demi glace and rosemary mashed potatoes. I'm sad to learn that my other favorite entree, a shellfish with fettuccini dish, is no longer on their menu. However, it looks like it may have been replaced with the Sauteed Langoustines with Handcut Fetuccine ($21.50) with smoked trout roe, lobster cream, and pesto. I will definitely be trying this new dish during my next visit to see how it compares. My husband also likes the Bouillabaisse of Fresh Island Fish, Clams, Prawns and Mussels, which is a very good deal at $24.50. The seafood is always fresh at Tango!

Free parking is available in the Hokua building with validation. Be prepared to add your name to a list to wait for a table if you don't have a reservation. Breakfast is first come, first served.

Tango Contemporary Cafe
1288 Ala Moana Boulevard
Honolulu, HI 96814
Phone: (808) 593-7288
www.tangocafehawaii.com

Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

1 envelope Rapid Rise active dry yeast (1/4 oz)
1½ cups warm water (110 degrees F)
2 Tbs white sugar
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
4 cups flour (plus more for kneading)
Cooking spray
Parchment paper

1. Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar. Stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes until the mixture looks creamy.
2. Add the oil and 2 cups of flour. Mix together, then add 1/2 cup of flour at a time until all 4 cups are incorporated and the dough pulls away from the bowl.
3. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic.
4. Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Add the dough into the bowl and spray more cooking spray lightly over the top of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth for and let rest for 1 hour.
5. Punch down the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12 balls.
6. Place the balls 1-2 inches apart on a parchment covered baking sheet. Cover the balls with a damp cloth for 30 minutes or until they double in size.
7. Pre-heat the oven at 400 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes or until the buns are lightly browned.

We ate these with butter and my Easy Crab and Shrimp soup for dinner tonight.

Easy Crab and Shrimp Soup

 

I like to research recipes to get ideas, but many are too complex when I don't feel like spending all day in the kitchen. Here is an easy recipe I created when my husband and I had a craving for cioppino. It's not the same, but still delicious and fast.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup round onions, chopped OR sliced shallots
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
2 lbs frozen King Crab legs
1/2 lb fresh shrimps, peeled and deveined
2 cans chopped clams (6.5 oz)
1 can whole tomatoes (28 oz) - Centeno or Progresso brand is recommended
2 cans chicken broth (15 oz)
Water
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Black pepper to taste
Fresh Italian parsley for garnish

1. Rinse the extra ice off of the frozen crab legs and chop into 2 inch pieces with a heavy cleaver. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onions/shallots, garlic, and green pepper. Saute the vegetables until lightly browned.
3. Add the chicken broth, clam juice (reserve the clams), and tomatoes including the liquid. Fill the tomato can with water and add it to the broth. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add the crab legs, thyme and pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes to defrost the crab.
5. Add the clams and shrimp. Simmer for 10-15 minutes to combine the flavors.
6. Turn off the heat and add the chopped parsley before serving with crusty bread. (See my recipe for dinner rolls.)

Serves 2-4

Before

 

After

Review: Aladdin Restaurant - San Diego

On the recommendation of Daughter #1's classmate, we had lunch at Aladdin in Hillcrest, which is about 10 miles south of the UCSD campus. Although it was nearly 2:00 p.m., the small restaurant was completely full because it was Father's Day.
Fortunately, there were tables available on the patio where we enjoyed the nice weather.

We love Mediterranean food so it was difficult to decide what to order. I ended up ordering the Aladdin Meza Platter ($26) to share with my husband since the waiter said it was enough to feed two. There was actually enough food for three people since the dish included slices of chicken and lamb shawerma, three big falafels, koufta, three dolmas, hummus, tabouleh salad, baba ghanoush, mixed pickles, garlic sauce, and a generous portion of pita bread. Everything was made from scratch and I loved everything with the exception of the koufta, which was a bit oily.

Daughter #1 ordered the Chicken Tika Kebabs ($19) and Daughter #2 ordered the Shrimp Kebabs (I think it was $22). Both orders came with basmati rice, hummus, Lebanese salad, garlic sauce, and pita bread. Daughter #1's friend ordered the Vegetarian Byrani ($11.50) with tomato, cucumbers, onion, mushrooms, squash, pepper, carrots, peas, green beans and almond slivers. He noted that there was no "centerpiece item" to replace the meat so this dish would have been better as a side dish rather than an entrée. I did notice that his meal seemed small, especially compared to mine. We shared some of our food with him and he agreed that the falafel from my Meza Platter was superb.

In addition, Daughter #1 ordered the Jallab, which is a cold beverage made with a dark syrup and topped with pine nuts. My husband felt adventurous and ordered one, too. I tasted his Jallab and detected rosewater, which I don't care for. Although my well-traveled daughter enjoyed her sweet cool drink, my husband and I agreed that it was an acquired taste.

When we placed our order, the waiter advised us that the kitchen was busy filling the order of a large party so we would have to wait at least 20 minutes for our food. That gave me time to check out Trader Joe's across the street, which we don't have in Hawaii. Daughter #2 and I walked over to buy a few items as gifts to take home and returned just in time for our meal. Unfortunately, everyone was already eating when we returned to the table so I was only able to get a photo of my dish.

Overall, the service was good and the food was presented very nicely. The only caveat was the fact that the waiter added an 18 percent tip to the bill without notifying me first. We were only a party of five so I thought it was unusual since adding the tip to the bill is usually only done for large parties in most restaurants.

Would I eat there the next time I'm in San Diego? Most definitely, but I would make sure to check whether or not the tip was already added to the bill before paying.

Aladdin Restaurant
Hillcrest Shopping Plaza
3900 Vermont Street
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 574-1111
http://aladdinsd.com

 

Aladdin Meza Platter

(There was so much food that I had to angle my iPhone to take the photo.)



Review: Uva Bar and Cafe - Downtown Disney

Although the true purpose of our recent family vacation was to attend Daughter #1's graduation at UCSD, we couldn't resist a side trip to Disneyland. In a semi-successful attempt to cut down on expenses, I purchased One Day Park Hopper passes for the four of us to spend the first day at Disneyland and California Adventure and the second day shopping. As planned, we spent Saturday morning browsing the shops at Downtown Disney before driving back to San Diego, thus saving the cost of another day's theme park admission.

Downtown Disney has its own parking lot on the opposite side of the entrance to the theme parks. Parking is free for the first three hours, which can be extended an additional two hours with validation from dining at one of the restaurants. We had lunch at Uva Bar and Café, which is nicely situated in the middle of the mall. The bar is surrounded by individual tables shaded by umbrellas arranged in a large circle. It was a great location for people-watching as we ate our upscale lunch.

My husband order the Market Fish ala Plancha (market price), which was seared salmon with asparagus and citrus sauce. It was superb! Daughter #1 ordered the Steamed Mussels ($18) from the appetizer menu, which was flavored with tomatoes, chorizo, garlic and came with two large pieces of crostini for dipping. She gave each of us one mussel and devoured the rest, dipping the crostini into the sauce to catch all of the goodness. Daughter #2 ordered the Fish and Chips ($18), which came with garlic fries, a small portion of pickled radish salad, and tartar sauce for dipping. The deep fried cod tasted fresh, but the batter itself was a little greasy.

I ordered the Manchego Cheese Salad ($14) comprised of arugula, Manchego cheese, dates, green apples, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette. The salad is misnamed because the Manchego was so sparse. The dish should be called Arugula Apple Salad instead and the chef could have paid closer attention to the presentation of my salad. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish my salad because the dressing was just too tart. In any case, the portion sizes were good and everyone else was very happy with their meals.

Overall, I would recommend this restaurant to those who are tired of eating "kid food" while visiting The Magic Kingdom and don't mind paying a little more for a nice meal. However, I don't recommend the Manchego Cheese Salad as an entrée, although it would make an excellent dish to share. The service was very good from the cute and friendly waitress to the manager who helped me process my traveler's cheques. (Refer to my rant about the difficulty of using traveler's cheques in my previous post for Amaya Restaurant.) Be prepared to pay $20+ per person after tax and tip.

Uva Bar and Café
Downtown Disney
1580 Disneyland Drive
Anaheim, CA 92802
(714) 774-4442
www.patinagroup.com/restaurant.php?restaurants_id=135

Market Fish ala Plancha

(Salmon was the fish of the day)

Manchego Cheese Salad

(Notice the poor presentation with the sliced apples just dumped over the top!)

Fish and Chips

Review: Carnation Cafe - Disneyland Resort

We took a side trip to Disneyland while in California for my daughter's graduation from UCSD. Heeding the warnings of other bloggers, my expectations were rather low in regards to food choices and quality at this famous theme park. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the refreshing desserts we had at the Carnation Café, located on Main Street USA in the Disneyland theme park.

We had just spent a few hours on the Star Tours, Indiana Jones, It's a Small World, and Roger Rabbit rides on a warm, summer day. Mickey's Soundsational Parade was about to start and we were hot and thirsty so we ducked into the Carnation Café, which is one of the few restaurants in the park that offers table service. We originally planned to grab take-out ice cream next door at the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor, but the line there was ridiculously long.

After a short wait, we were seated inside the café having opted for air conditioning instead of good outdoor seats to view the parade. My husband ordered a chocolate milk shake and I ordered a chocolate malt. We originally met while we both worked at an ice cream parlor so we are familiar with ice cream drinks. Not only were the malt/shakes delicious, but the portions were large since they also give you the blender cup. I estimate that my malt was 24 ounces total. This cool, creamy drink along with a glass of iced water really hit the spot!

Daughter #1 had a chocolate shake and Daughter #2 had a vanilla shake and S'Mores in a Mason Jar ($5). Unfortunately, she didn't care for the S'Mores because the layers of flavored marshmallow were way too sweet. The drinks were only $4.99 each so I was pleasantly surprised when I received the bill.

After finishing our snack, we went outside to watch the parade feeling cool and refreshed.

Carnation Café
Disneyland Resort
Main Street USA
Anaheim, CA
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/carnation-cafe/

 

Chocolate Malt with whipped cream

(Served in a glass along with a few more ounces of goodness in the accompanying blender cup!)

 

S'Mores in a Mason Jar

(The serving is small, but rich)

 

View of the restaurant as you enter Main Street USA from the main entrance

 

Review: Amaya Restaurant - San Diego, CA

My husband made dinner reservations at Amaya Restaurant at The Grand Del Mar Resort to celebrate Daughter #1's graduation from UCSD last Sunday. My husband and daughter were very impressed with Amaya when they dined there two years ago. Making reservations through Open Table was easy and the restaurant accommodated us when we had to change our reservations at the last minute. Amaya's decor is consistent with the rest of The Grand Del Mar Resort's upscale Mediterranean design. The restaurant wasn't busy even though it was Father's Day and the other guests seemed to be tourists like us. We were seated outside on the patio with the heat lamps turned on to keep us warm.

My husband ordered from the Chef's Tasting Menu ($55 without wine pairing) consisting of three courses. His appetizer was a cold cucumber soup with three tiny oysters, which were each the size of a nickel. I ate one of the oysters and it just tasted like seawater. His entree was two types of lamb - a tender piece of lamb shank and a succulent lamb chop with polenta and veggies. He gave me one bite of the lamb shank then quietly devoured the rest. For dessert, he was served passion fruit creme brulee with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My easy-to-please husband raved about his entree, but was neutral about his appetizer and dessert.

Daughter #1 ordered the Center Cut Rotisserie Pork Chop with a vegetable/potato hash ($32). The pork chop was thick and tender, but my daughter thought that the hash was a bit strange. She is well traveled and has tried many different types of cuisine so she is no novice to exotic food. Daughter #2 and I both ordered the Lobster and Crab Pappardelle with tarragon, mushrooms, tomatoes, and Parmigiano-Reggiano ($32). The portion was generous with a big piece of lobster claw meat on top. I loved the extra-wide pappardelle noodles, which were paper thin and nicely incorporated with a light sauce and chunks of blue crab meat. I also had the Butter Lettuce Salad with crispy onion rings, bleu cheese, and buttermilk dressing ($11) which was very nice. For dessert, Daughter #1 ordered the sorbet trio (chocolate, guava, and coconut), which came with "Congratulations" painted on a banner made of fondant. The flavors were fresh and delicious.

The food was very good overall, but we were disappointed with the service. I'm certain that our waiter was new and probably just hired for the summer. He was a very polite and respectful young man, but we had to ask for everything. We even had to flag down the hostess to get the waiter to take our order. He was overwhelmed despite it being a slow night. Both my husband and I used to wait tables at a crazy theme restaurant that required us to sing and make announcements. Therefore, I try to be patient with servers because I feel their pain, but I expect excellent service when I'm paying $30-$55 for the entrées!

Finally, I wanted to pay with traveler's cheques (TC's), which none of the waiters at any of the restaurants we visited during this trip ever saw before they met me. (Yes, I know that nobody uses TC's anymore, but I won't bore you with the reason I had to use them this time.) If the establishment accepts TC's, then customers shouldn't be made to feel uncomfortable and have to wait a long time to pay using TC's, which are supposed to be treated the same as cash. Our waiter had to run to another part of the hotel with my TC's (and ID) to get approval to accept them, then run back to the restaurant with my change. He did the best he could under the circumstances so I gave him a decent tip. On the plus side, valet parking was free with validation.

Overall, I recommend Amaya for special occasions. I plan to order one of the meat dishes the next time because the lamb and pork dishes were absolutely scrumptious!

Amaya Restaurant
The Grand Del Mar
5300 Grand Del Mar Court
San Diego, CA 92130
Phone: (858) 314-2727
www.thegranddelmar.com/san-diego-dining-amaya/

 Lobster and Crab Pappardelle

Center Cut Rotisserie Pork Chops

Lamb Shank and Lamb Chop

Passion Fruit Crème Brulee with Vanilla Ice Cream

Lobby of The Grande Del Mar - San Diego

Sunday Beef Stew

I like to make this recipe on Sundays right after returning home from grocery shopping.

Ingredients:
2 lbs beef - either chuck steak, chuck roast, or short ribs
Flour to coat meat, about 2 Tbs.
1 Tbs canola oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp fresh ginger (optional)
1 round onion, cut into wedges
2 stalks celery, chopped 1-2 inch pieces
1-2 cups baby carrots
1 large russet potato, chopped 2 inch pieces
1 can Condensed Tomato Soup (10 oz)
1 can Stewed Tomatoes (14.5 oz)
1 can Beef Broth (14.5 oz)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Water

1. Cut the meat into 2-3 inch pieces, removing excess fat.
2. Coat the meat lightly with flour and shake off excess flour.
3. Heat the oil in a pot and sear the meat. Add the onion wedges and brown lightly.
4. Add the beef broth, tomatoes, garlic, and ginger.  If the liquid doesn't cover the meat, add enough water to cover the meat by at least one inch. Turn down the heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the meat is tender.
5. Add the tomato soup and vegetables. Simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
6. Season to taste.

Serves 4

Tip: Here in Hawaii, we like to eat stew with either rice or poi. Some of us also like kim chee with our stew as pictured below.

Review: HASR Bistro

HASR Bistro was the perfect place for a belated Administrative Professional's Day lunch. This relatively new restaurant is housed at the former Grand Cafe & Bakery location in Honolulu's Chinatown. The atmosphere is casual yet upscale French bistro with their own wine shop in the adjoining store.

I ordered the Grilled Shrimp Puttanesca and although the menu didn't specify the type of pasta, I was surprised when I was served penne instead of spaghetti or linguine which other restaurants normally serve for this dish. The sauce was very tasty, but it only came with 3 shrimps so $18 is a pretty steep price for this dish. One of the managers ordered the Osso Buco, which seemed fairly priced at $18 considering the heartiness of the dish. Two other coworkers ordered the Pesto Chicken ($17) which both said was delicious. Another coworker had to wait a long time for the catch-of-the day entitled, "HB Pier 38" (market price). When his food finally arrived, he devoured it and said that it was one of the best fish dishes he's had in a while.

If you work downtown, the distance to the restaurant is walkable. Although the neighborhood is considered to be The Art District, the area can be a little sketchy especially at night. Fortunately, there is an underground municipal parking lot directly across the street with reasonable parking rates. This restaurant is a good place for a business lunch with the lovely decor and friendly staff. I plan to return with my husband for dinner sometime soon.

According to HASR's website, happy hour is strangely early - 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. I meet regularly with my former classmates after work for happy hour at various locations around town. However, we will have to skip this place because we definitely wouldn't be able to get there in time.

Finally, you may be wondering what "HASR" stands for. According to an article in Honolulu magazine, it stands for "Highly Allocated Spoiled Rotten!"

HASR Bistro

31 N. Pauahi Street

Honolulu, Hawaii 96817

Phone: (808) 533-4277

www.hasrbistro.com

Hours:

Lunch: Mon - Sat, 10:30-2:30

Happy Hour: Tue - Sat, 2:30-5:30

Dinner: Tue - Sat, 5:30-9:00

Pesto Chicken

Osso Bucco with Risotto

Shrimp Puttanesca

HB Pier 38

Karen's Breakfast Potatoes

We have these yummy potatoes with Portuguese sausage and eggs for breakfast on weekends. Serves 2-3, depending on the size of the potato as well as your appetite.

Ingredients:
1 large Russet potato

1 Tbs olive or canola oil

1 Tbs green onions, chopped

Hawaiian salt to taste

Garlic powder to taste

Black pepper to taste

1. Peel potato and dice into 1 inch pieces.

2. Place the pieces in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a damp paper towel.

3. Microwave on high for 3-4 min. If pieces are still hard, microwave for another 2 minutes and recheck to make sure that the potato pieces are cooked.

4. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the potato pieces. Brown the pieces on high/high-medium.

5. Season to taste and garnish with the green onions.