Review: Candy Art Hawaii

I heard that there is a local company that will create custom lollipops out of sugar right in front of your eyes. I was thrilled to find that Candy Art Hawaii had a vendor table at the Downtown Decadence fundraiser at the YWCA last night.

 

Trained in Japan, candy artists Nathan and Chika have mastered the art of molding hot melted sugar to create "amezaiku" - traditional Japanese candy art. For a modest donation of $5, event attendees selected an animal shape and color from a list and watched while the candy artist created custom-made lollipops.

 

My husband was intrigued as he watched Nathan create a yellow cat for me out of a hot, shiny, ball of melted sugar. He asked Nathan and Chika for a butterfly and a dragon for our daughters. As Nathan rolled the hot candy between his palms, he shared that Candy Art Hawaii is often hired for small parties and events such as children's birthday parties.

 

Once the sculpture is created and placed on a pop stick, it is hung upside down for a few minutes to cool. Each lollipop is then carefully placed in a clear cellophane. I must admit that I was tempted to remove the cellophane to get a taste of my cute little candy cat. Nathan said that most children forgo the cellophane and eat their candy art as soon as it's handed to them.

 

Check out their website at www.candyarthawaii.com or contact Nathan and Chika at candyarthawaii@gmail.com.

 

Review: Kit n Kitchen - Pearl City

I just happened to notice a small sign advertising Kit n Kitchen's Pearl City location on the back of a new-ish building near Walmart. My husband was happy to have another dining venue on the Leeward side and was eager to try it. Parking was a bit tight at the small strip mall that also houses a Starbucks. We parked at the far end of the Walmart parking lot instead and walked the short distance to Kit n Kitchen.

There used to be a Mexican bar/restaurant at this location and Kit n Kitchen kept the dark tables and dark interior. Despite this, the interior was nicely decorated including a brightly painted wall over the bar. Iced water was served in nostalgic metal cups. I haven't seen those since the 1960's. I didn't even look at the regular menu because the lunch specials seemed enticing. For $9.99, you have a choice of a half dozen dishes including Chicken Chimichurri, Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs, or Mixed Mushrooms Spaghetti with a choice of tomato veggie soup or house salad.

My husband ordered the Chicken Chimichurri with rice (he was given a choice of rice or spaghetti). The regular price for this dish without the salad is $10.95. I had a hard time deciding between the Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs and the Mix Mushrooms Spaghetti. I opted for the later prepared with oil and garlic instead of tomato sauce, cream sauce, or creamy pesto sauce. It was nice to have a choice of sauces for my entrée. We both opted for the house salad with Caesar dressing.

The house salad is the same salad that is served at their university location, comprised of carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, daikon sticks, and canned corn on lettuce. (Unique, for sure!) Both of our entrees were topped with toasted garlic bits, which was too strong for my husband's taste, but I loved it! I thought the chimichurri sauce was outstanding, but it was bit too spicy for my husband. I kept picking at his food to "help" him finish his dish.

My dish was a huge portion of shiitake, button, and enoki mushrooms over spaghetti. I was afraid the garlic oil would be too rich, but there was a lot of liquid from the mushrooms to dilute the oil. It would have been nice to have some Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over my pasta, but the waiter seemed to be relatively new and didn't check back until we were nearly done eating. The regular price for this dish without the salad is $11.95. Our entire bill for our two-course lunch with table service in an air conditioned restaurant was $20.83. Not bad!

The restaurant has only been open for a couple of months, but there seemed to be a steady, although light, stream of customers while we were there. The Pearl City location is open for lunch and dinner, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily.

Kit n Kitchen
1029 Makolu Street
Pearl City, Hawaii 96782
Ph: (808) 294-5888
http://www.kitnkitchen.com/

House Salad

Chicken Chimichurri on rice

Mix Mushrooms Spaghetti

Interior shot

 



Kit n Kitchen Pearl City is located next to Starbucks

Review: Buenos Antojitos at LCC Farmer's Market

My husband noticed a sign advertising a Farmer's Market as we drove past Leeward Community College today. We decided to check it out and discovered Buenos Antojitos. It was the first day that Chef Joan Fadely and her husband set up their food tent among the dozen or so vendors at this relatively new venue.

 

I couldn't resist the aroma of freshly made Puerto Rican-style empanadas as we approached the tent. There was a choice of chicken, beef, or shrimp filling priced between $3 and $4. I ordered a Chicken Empanada ($3) and my husband had a Beef Empanada ($3.50). I was pleasantly surprised by the large size of my tasty "second breakfast." I bit into the warm, light, flaky crust and found a generous and delicious filling of shredded chicken. It wasn't heavy or overladen with spices and was perfect for a mid-morning snack. By the time I turned around after taking a few photos, my husband had eaten most of his empanada and there was barely any left for me to taste.

 

You can find Chef Joan at the Buenos Antojitos food tent on Sundays at Leeward Community College Farmer's Market from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. She is also involved in other culinary activities featuring authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. Check out her website for more information at www.buenosantojitos.com or on Facebook by doing a search for "Buenos Antojitos-Honolulu."