Homemade Granola

The basic recipe is from my gym friend, Susan. It has been slightly altered to suit my personal taste.

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 Cups Rolled Oats, uncooked and unflavored (Quaker Oats)
1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut
1 Cup Unsalted Nuts, such as 1/2 cup of pecans and 1/2 cup of almond slices
1 Cup of Dried Fruits, such as cranberrries

1. Combine the brown sugar and water in a large bowl. Microwave for 30-60 seconds to melt the sugar. Add the vanilla extract and stir to break up any sugar lumps.
2. Pour the oatmeal, nuts and coconut into the bowl. Stir gently to coat with the liquid.
3. Spread the granola mixture evenly on a large foil-covered cookie sheet.
4. Place the cookie sheet in the oven, pre-heated at 275 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes. Gently stir the granola after 20 minutes and return to the oven to finish baking.
5. The granola should be tan and toasted after 45 minutes. Bake for 5-10 minutes longer if it's not crispy enough for your taste.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Add the dried fruits to the cooled granola. Store in an air-tight container.

Tastes great with Greek yogurt and sliced bananas or as a topping for ice cream!

Review: Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant

I first discovered Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant a few years ago when there was only one small location at Ward Centre in the Ward Centers complex. Although the original restaurant is still popular, I usually dine at their newer and much larger Ala Moana Center location. Both restaurants are always packed with locals and tourists from Japan, especially on the weekend. We just add our name, and the number of people in our party, to the clipboard attached to the door and try to find a shady spot to await our turn. If given a choice, I prefer to sit at the long counter instead of at a table. The tall chairs at the counter are comfortable and the service seems to be faster.

Today, my husband and I were among the first customers when the Ala Moana restaurant opened for lunch at 11AM. This establishment is famous for their Tan Tan Ramen dishes and I looked forward to having a delicious bowl of noodles, despite the hot summer weather. For those that are unfamiliar, Goma Tei's tan tan broth is made with a sesame seed miso (miso is a concentrated, fermented paste usually made with soybeans) that the restaurant makes in-house. A special dashi (soup base) of bonito (dried fish shavings) and konbu (edible kelp) are incorporated into the thick broth. Chili oil is also added and depending on the cook, the broth can be spicy and salty. The menu offers several variations of both Tan Tan Ramen and Shoyu Ramen (soy sauce-based broth.) I love the savory and slightly spicy tan tan broth and have tried the char siu (roasted pork), chicken, tonkatsu (pork cutlet), wakame (seaweed), vegetable, and seafood versions.

My favorite is the basic Tan Tan Ramen #1 ($9.05), which comes with a thick, fatty slice of Japanese-style char siu. This leaves a little room in my stomach for the plump, meaty gyozas (dumplings). A side order of five made-to-order gyozas ($7.55) takes a while to prepare and I'm usually half done with my ramen when it finally arrives. It's worth the wait because this restaurant makes their own gyozas and serves them fresh. (Some noodle shops serve commercial frozen gyozas that are sold in supermarkets!)

My husband wasn't in the mood for hot soup so he ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry ($11.35). His meal was comprised of a breaded, fried chicken thigh cutlet on white rice and smothered with Japanese-style curry. He enjoyed his lunch, but many restaurants in Hawaii serve similar dishes at a lower price. However, not many serve tan tan ramen and the ones that do, prepare it differently. I personally prefer Goma Tei's version over the others that I have tried. Although Goma Tei also serves a few other dishes, their specialty is Tan Tan Ramen and I recommend giving it a try.

The service is usually very efficient and both locations are clean and thankfully, air conditioned. The Ala Moana location also has its own well-maintained restrooms. As you can tell by the addresses below, the two locations are just down the street from each other. However, a little birdie told me that Goma Tei will be opening a third location at the Pearlridge Shopping Center in early-2014. That's great news for people who live on the Leeward side of Oahu - like me!

Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant
Ala Moana Shopping Center
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
Phone: (808) 947-9188
Located on the Street Level, Makai (facing the ocean)

Hours: 
Monday - Thursday, 11:00 a.m. – 9:30 pm
Friday - Saturday, 11:00 am – 10 pm
Sunday, 11:00 am – 8:30 pm

AND:

Ward Centre
1200 Ala Moana Boulevard
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
Phone: (808) 591-9188
Located on Level One, Diamond Head (east side of the mall)

Hours:
Monday - Saturday, 11:00 am – 9:30 pm
Sunday, 11:30 am – 9:30 pm
 

Tan Tan Ramen #1 with a side order of Gyoza

Chicken Katsu Curry

 Entrance of the Ala Moana restaurant

Counter at the Ala Moana restaurant

Review: Happy Hour at Kincaid's

My graduate school cohort meets regularly for happy hour ever since we graduated about two years ago. It was my turn to plan this time, so I chose Kincaid's Restaurant at Ward Warehouse for the convenient location and free parking. The restaurant offers two happy hours every night, 3:00 to 7:00 and 9:00 to closing. Since we usually meet right after work, my husband and I arrived around 4:15 to reserve a choice spot for the 10-12 expected attendees. The restaurant's atmosphere is relaxed and the staff is very friendly. There is also a nice view of Kewalo Basin through the large glass wall facing the water.

Wine by the glass and all draft beers are $4 during happy hour, and a small selection of mixed drinks are $5. I am not much of a drinker, so I ordered the Pomegranate Margarita. It was very sweet and tasty, but I started to get tipsy as we waited for our food. There were only two waitresses on the floor and the restaurant was busy even though it was still early. My husband ordered a black-and-tan, while my classmates ordered Long Board, Blue Moon and Guinness beers.

The Happy Hour Menu offers a good selection of full-sized appetizers for about half the regular price. The Oven Roasted Crab and Artichoke Dip ($8.75) came with sliced bread for dipping. (Kincaid's sister-store, Ryan's Grill, offers a similar dip with house-made foccaccia bread instead.) The Buffalo Chicken Wings ($7.95) was served with the usual celery sticks and bleu cheese dipping sauce. Each order came with about 8 crispy pieces. Since the sauce is pretty spicy, the waitress suggested that one of our orders come with the wings dipped in the sauce and the other with the sauce served on the side. That was a good suggestion, because my mouth was on fire after eating two savory, sauce-coated wings.

The French Fry Trio ($3.75) is comprised of three small buckets filled with sweet potato fries, regular french fries, and thick-cut potato chips drizzled with truffle oil and parmesan cheese. It was a big hit as we took turns dipping the various forms of potato into the mustard-garlic aioli and ketchup. Our waitress suggested the Country Fried Calamari ($7.95) which included chunks of fried artichokes along with the calamari. Each piece was lightly crispy and delicious. A couple of people in our group ordered Kincaid's Tasting Sampler ($17.95) which consisted of Shrimp Scampi, Grilled Teriyaki Tenderloins, and Roasted Crab and Artichoke Dip served on a three-tiered frame. I was too full to partake, but one of my classmates said that each dish was delicious. She also said that the crab/artichoke dip was her favorite of the three.

The Fresh Smoked Salmon ($6.95) was a bit disappointing because the salmon was cut into tiny pieces and mixed with a lot of onions and tomatoes. I was expecting thin slices of salmon instead. The dish also came with potato chips, which was not a good match. I ordered the Grilled Teriyaki Tenderloins ($7.25) for my husband and "son" who are big meat eaters. The serving consisted of 4 or 5 chunks of meat on white rice. They didn't care for this dish and the last piece of meat just sat on the plate for the next hour.

The restaurant got busier as happy hour came to an end, but the service actually improved as more waitstaff came on duty. We continued to receive friendly and efficient service when ordering additional drinks and food as our party grew larger. Most of us left around 7:00, but some lingered to continue chatting. Despite the fact that we took up a dozen seats for nearly three hours, we didn't feel rushed to leave.

Kincaid's Restaurant
Ward Warehouse, 2nd Floor
1050 Ala Moana Boulevard
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
Phone: (808) 591-2005
www.kincaids.com

Roasted Crab and Artichoke Dip

 

Country Fried Calamari

 

French Fry Trio

 

Fresh Smoked Salmon

 

Kincaid's Sampler Trio

Review: Cafe Blue

Café Blue is located on the sixth floor of Bank of Hawaii's main branch. It is open to the public and serves as the bank's employee cafeteria. You won't be able to find it from the street unless you know that you have to go inside the bank to get there. My coworker and I entered the bank and walked toward the elevators on the makai (south) wall. A security guard is posted nearby, but he didn't say anything as I pressed the elevator button to go up.

 

The cafe's atmosphere is clean, relaxed and new. There are flat screen televisions on the walls, plenty of light coming through large windows, and adequate seating. There is also seating on the lanai outside. You can help yourself to 'grab and go' salads (pasta, Cobb, Caesar, grilled chicken) from the open cooler shelves. There were also two pots of self-serve soups and a pot of vegetarian chili. The café offers daily entrée specials in addition to regular menu items, which are mostly sandwiches. Hot items are ordered directly from the cashier. When your order is ready, the cashier calls your number so you can pick up your food.

My coworker ordered a Fried Fish Sandwich ($7.95) which was two breaded and fried fish filets on a hamburger bun. She was surprised to see that her mayo-laden coleslaw was inside the sandwich instead of on the side. She didn't care for the coleslaw being served this way, but she ate most of her sandwich. I was hungry and ordered the Café Blue Burger ($7.95) which was a standard beef patty served on a hamburger bun with cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado spread and a seedy brown mustard. I didn't care for the taste of the sweet mustard and I was expecting avocado slices instead of avocado spread. Both orders came with a choice of fries or tossed salad. We both had the fries, which was the best part of our meal.

Despite the average-quality food, you have to remember that this place is really an employee cafeteria. (I believe bank employees get a good discount.) Specials change daily so there is good variety for regular patrons. The portions are generous, the prices are reasonable, and the location is too close to my office to ignore. So, I decided to give the café a second try and went back with my husband the following week.

This time, I ordered the Fresh Catch Sandwich ($7.95) which was a nicely seasoned slice of opah (moonfish) with lettuce, tomato, tartar sauce, and avocado spread on a hamburger bun. The fish was delicious, but there was too much tartar sauce and too much avocado spread. It pains me to say this because I am 'the condiment queen.' However, too much sauce caused the bun to fall apart before I could finish my sandwich. My husband had the Club Sandwich ($7.95) which was a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich with turkey. He opted for white bread (instead of brown) and fries (instead of tossed greens). He was very happy with his lightly grilled sandwich as we ate our lunch in air conditioned comfort.
 

Café Blue

Bank of Hawaii Building

111 S. King Street, 6th Floor

Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

https://www.boh.com/landing-pages/cafe-blue.asp
 

Hours:

Monday to Friday

Breakfast - 7:00 - 10:00

Lunch - 11:00 - 2:00

 

Fried Fish Sandwich

 

Café Blue Burger

 

Fresh Catch Sandwich

 

 

Club Sandwich 

 

Easy Banana Muffins

Use up over-ripe bananas with this easy recipe.

1/2 Cup Butter

1 Cup Sugar

3 Bananas, very ripe, mashed

2 Eggs

2 Cups Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 - 3/4 Cup Walnuts, half or large pieces

Cupcake paper liners 

1. Cream the butter in a large bowl. Add the sugar and mix well.

2. Add the eggs to the batter and mix well.

3. Add the mashed bananas to the batter and mix well.

4. Sift the the baking soda and add to 1/2 a cup of flour. Stir the flour/baking soda into the batter.

5. Add 1/2 cup of flour into the batter and stir to incorporate. Repeat until all of the flour has been incorporated into the batter. Do not over-stir or the muffins will be tough.

6. Place the cupcake liners into the cups of the muffin pan. Scoop the batter evenly into each liner.

7. Add the walnuts over the top of each muffin.

8. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick.

Tip: I recommend using an ice cream scoop with a spring hinge to scoop the batter into the muffin cups. 

Review: La Cucina Ristorante Italiano

My husband and I are always looking out for a good restaurant and although Honolulu is not exactly the mecca of Italian cuisine, a friend recommended that we try La Cucina Ristorante Italiano. This small restaurant is located in the Imperial Plaza building at the edge of downtown Honolulu. To manage the crowd, they only take reservations for parties of four or more. There are only a few tables for two as well as a few seats at the bar. People without reservations have been known to line up outside prior to the 5:30 dinner service.

Our friend made a reservation for our party of five and we were seated right away. The waitress took our drink orders and brought warm bread with a dipping sauce of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Everything is fresh and made to order so I was told to anticipate a wait between courses. Knowing this ahead of time, I didn't mind waiting and engaged in interesting conversations with my dinner mates.

We started off with the popular Crostini Al Porcini ($7) to share. The serving included four slices of toasted crostini covered with mushrooms sautéed in a garlicky sauce. The bonus was a small slice of mozzarella hiding beneath the mushrooms. It was a nice start to a hearty dinner. We also shared the Insalata di Casa ($6) which was large enough for the five of us. The house dressing is a vinaigrette with a unique tomato relish. It is one of the best salad dressings I have ever tasted! (It reminds me of the house dressing at the former Alfred's for those seasoned enough to remember that restaurant.) I plan to try the Insalata di Mare ($14) on my next visit because it comes with the same dressing. My mouth is watering as I type this - it was that good!

Our friend ordered the Cioppino di Pesce ($22) which included a variety of seafood in a wonderful, light broth and a side of garlic crostini. My daughter ordered the Risotto Funghi ($16) which was a delicious blend of risotto, mushrooms, truffle oil and parmesan cheese. This dish was so heavenly that I ate her leftovers the next day.

My husband ordered the Frutti de Mare ($17). He was given the option of several house-made pastas for the evening so he chose the fettuccini. I know that he enjoyed his dish because he didn't offer to share and kept his head down until he was done. I ordered the Trenette Norcina ($15) comprised of wide trenette noodles and a hearty sauce of house-made spicy sausage and two types of mushrooms. The sausage was a bit too spicy and salty for me, but it was too good to leave on the table so I took my leftovers home.

Finally, our other friend ordered the last serving of Osso Bucco ($25) comprised of two fat veal shanks in a light tomato sauce over mashed potatoes. We all tasted his dish and it was superb! Be warned, however, that osso bucco should be ordered in advance to reserve one of the few servings made each day. The servings were all generous, fairly priced, and nicely presented.

In addition, we asked the waitress to recommend a good wine and we were not disappointed with the bottle of Falesco Merlot 2009. The second bottle, a Sangio Vese, was a lighter red and also good. I don't know the prices of the wine, but it came to $70 for the two bottles.

For dessert, we ordered the highly recommended Tiramisu ($6) and Crème Brulee Cheesecake ($5) along with five forks. I'm not a big fan of desserts, but I was in absolute hog heaven with every bite! The tiramisu was light and not overly sweet. The Crème Brulee Cheesecake was superb with a thin layer of caramelized sugar over the top as one would find on crème brulee.

Although we were there for over two hours, the wait staff was attentive and friendly which I feel is an important component of a good dining experience. Three different staffers came by our table every so often to make sure we were okay. In addition, our table was cleared promptly between courses and our glasses were always full. We didn't feel rushed and the wait for our food didn't seem all that long to me.

Parking is available on Cooke Street (metered) or in the Imperial Plaza parking garage. Enter the garage from Kawaihao Street. The parking attendant was gone by the time we were done with dinner so we just dropped our ticket into the box and left. I couldn't find a website for La Cucina, but I did find them on Facebook.

La Cucina Ristorante Italiano
Imperial Plaza
725 Kapiolani Boulevard
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone: (808) 593-2626

Lunch: Monday - Friday, 11:00 to 2:00
Dinner: Monday - Thursday, 5:30 to 9:30 and Friday - Saturday, 5:30 to 10:00

Complementary Bread and Dipping Sauce

Crostini Al Porcini

Insalata di Casa

Cioppino di Pesce

Risotto Fungi

Frutti de Mare

Trenette Norcina

Osso Bucco

Tiramisu

Crème Brulee Cheesecake