Friday, May 23, 2014

Goma Tei Ramen Pearlridge is Finally Open!

Goma Tei Ramen has finally opened their third location* at Pearlridge Center in the space formerly occupied by J.C. Penney. Leeward residents don't have to trek into town to have a warm bowl of their favorite ramen anymore. The original opening date was January of this year but I think it was worth the wait.

I went to check it out alone today and wrote my name on the sign up sheet hanging from the door. I was seated at the end of the high top counter and thought about ordering something different this time. I decided to order my usual Tan Tan Ramen #1 and a side of Gyoza (5 large pieces) to make it easier to compare this new restaurant with their other two locations. Everything was delicious and tasted just as good as I expected. My bill came to $17.81, which is a little steep for lunch. However, I'm not complaining because I got to eat all of the gyoza since my hubby wasn't there to share them with me. This is one of the few ramen places I know of that actually makes their own gyoza instead of serving the frozen variety that is sold at the supermarket!

The new restaurant is large and I think they could actually fit more tables if they wanted to. The dining room is much brighter than the other two locations due to the light coming in through the glass doors of the second entrance facing the parking lot. This outside entrance allows diners to enter the restaurant after mall hours. Goma Tei Pearlridge is already drawing a crowd and was quite busy today despite it being a weekday.

Goma Tei Ramen
Pearlridge Center, Uptown (1st Floor next to Farrell's)
98-1005 Moanalua Road, Aiea, HI 96701
Phone: (808) 488-9188

Hours:
Mo-Th 11:00A-9:30P
Fr-Sa 11:00A-10P
Su 11:00A-9:00P

*Please check out my original review posted on July 27, 2013.

Gyoza and Tan Tan Ramen #1

Update: 
I went back to Goma Tei with my husband two days later. He had the Tan Tan #1 and I tried the Chicken Cold Noodles ($9.99). I heard this was a popular dish and having satisfied my tan tan ramen craving a couple of days earlier, I was eager to try it. The udon noodles were perfectly cooked as I slurped my chewy noodles covered with tan tan dipping sauce. I shouldn't haved poured all of the sauce over the noodles because that made everything a little too salty. The generous portion of chicken breast was thinly sliced as was the Japanese cucumber. What a cool treat for a hot summer day! Here it is:


Dessert for Lunch at Baker & Butcher

Have you ever wanted to have dessert for lunch instead of the usual boring sandwich or cold salad? My lunch buddy, MC, lured me to Baker & Butcher to do just that! She mentioned that this take out lunch place also sells chilled sandwiches, a few salads, and a couple of hot entrees each day. However, the desserts are the true gems there!

Personally, I prefer savory over sweet and can live without dessert if I have to make a choice between an appetizer or dessert. However, MC and I decided it was a good time to try something different. My lunch consisted of the following:

Salted Caramel Brownie Sandwich
This "sandwich" was a two inch square walnut brownie with a salty caramel filling. The brownie was dense and chewy with a dark chocolate flavor as a good brownie should be. The caramel wasn't as sweet as I expected and left a slight salty flavor in my mouth as I swallowed each bite. One piece was $3, but it was a darn good brownie and worth the calories!


Creme Brulee
I've always loved crème brulee ever since Horatio's Restaurant (now Kincaid's) opened in Ward Warehouse. The serving looked small for $3, but the rich creaminess was just right. If it was any bigger, I wouldn't have been able to finish it. Yum!


Lilikoi Cheesecake
I really like cheesecake in general, but hate it when a restaurant drowns it in a weird sauce. The tangy lilikoi (passion fruit) topping was a good match for the creamy cheesecake with graham cracker crust. This piece set me back $3.75. I shared it with a coworker and she thought it was better than the brownie.



Baker & Butcher is located on the street level of the Remington College Building in downtown Honolulu.




Ono Pops (Yes, they are!)

With summer coming up fast, I have a new secret weapon for staying cool - Ono Pops! The aptly named Ono Pops ('ono' means delicious in Hawaiian) offers 30 distinctive and unusual flavors made with only organic, local ingredients.

So far, I have only tried four flavors. Here they are according to preference:

Pineapple Li Hing
Chunks of lovely frozen pineapple lightly flavored with sweet/salty li hing powder.* I initially made a face when I heard of this flavor, but I was pleasantly surprised when I finally tasted it! The fruit was so dense in this little pop that it was almost like biting into a freshly frozen slice of pineapple. I was inspired to start this post after trying this flavor for the first time!

Kula Strawberry and Maui Goat Cheese
Creamy, refreshing and delish! There is a slight "goat cheesy" flavor but the natural strawberry bits and creamy flavor are more prominent. I attended a party one hot afternoon where these were being handed out to the guests. I had two!

Pineapple Vanilla
Vanilla is my favorite flavor for shave ice, popsicles, snow cones, etc. so I had to try this flavor. I'm not sure if the flavors are supposed to be mixed or layered, but the top tasted like fresh vanilla ice cream with a hint of pineapple while the bottom of the pop tasted like diluted pineapple juice with no vanilla flavor. It was a nice treat nevertheless, and it left me feeling cool and refreshed.

Kalamansi Coriander
My initial impression upon tasting this pop was a clean, fresh, lime flavor. However, this pop quickly became too tart for me. There is also a slightly bitter after taste, which made this flavor not among my favorites. Interestingly, I met someone who said that the bitter after taste is the very reason this flavor is his favorite. Yes, there is a flavor for everyone!

Until today, I never paid for an Ono Pop so I wasn't sure about the price. I didn't have a good photo either (tastes so good, melts so fast) so I went to my neighborhood Foodland Supermarket to buy a variety pack. I found just two boxes in the frozen gourmet/natural foods section. Both contained Pineapple Vanilla and Pineapple Li Hing. I paid $9.99 for a box of four pops, two of each flavor.

Go to the Ono Pops website for a list of Oahu stores and farmer's markets that sell these beauties. You can also hire Ono Pops for special events, which is where I got my first taste of my new favorite frozen treat. And don't let the unusual flavors dissuade you from trying them. I think you will be pleasantly surprised and happy once you give these pops a try. It's going to be a long, hot summer and I can hardly wait to try more flavors!

You can also find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/OnoPops/108529795845932

*Li Hing Powder - Sweet and salty reddish powder originally used to flavor Chinese dried plum snacks, known in Hawaii as Li Hing Mui.

Pineapple Li Hing (still in the wrapper) and Pineapple Vanilla

Ono Pops Variety Pack

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Nachos with Homemade Salsa & Guacamole

The salsa recipe is my own creation while the guacamole recipe is from a former coworker whose specialty is Mexican cuisine. You can make the nachos using commercial salsa and guacamole. But if you like to make things from scratch, here you go!

Ingredients:
1 lb Ground Beef (7% fat)
1 Tbs Canola Oil
1 pkt Taco Seasoning
1/4 cup Water
Tortilla Chips
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream
Salsa (recipe follows)
Guacamole (recipe follows)

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet with the oil. Add the taco seasoning and water. Combine and heat until the meat is cooked.
2. Spread tortilla chips onto a large plate. (I usually make individual servings.)
3. Sprinkle the desired amount of cheese over the chips.
4. Add the desired amount of ground beef over the cheese.
5. Microwave uncovered for one minute or until the cheese is melted. (Don't over-nuke or the cheese will become hard.)
6. Top with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Salsa
1 Tomato, chopped into large pieces
1/4-1/2 cup Cilantro (I just grab a handful)
1/2 cup Round Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, chopped
1 can Stewed Tomato, don't use the juice
1 Hot Pepper, chopped
1 tsp Olive Oil
1/2-1 tsp Chili Powder
1/4-1/2 tsp Cumin
Juice from 1/2 Lime
Salt to taste

1. Combine all salsa ingredients in a food processor.
2. Pulse then scrape down the sides and pulse again until the ingredients are combined. Be careful not to over-process or the salsa will be too runny.
3. Keep chilled until ready to use.
 
Guacamole*
1 large ripe Avocado (or two small ones)
1/2 cup Round Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 cup Cilantro, sliced fine
1/4-1/2 cup Tomato, chopped and most of the seeds removed
Salt to taste
1 tsp Lime Juice
 
1. Scoop avocado meat into a bowl and mash with a fork until it reaches your desired texture. (I prefer lumpy guac.)
2. Add the remaining ingredients OR* add a tablespoon or two of salsa. Stir until combined.
3. Use immediately before it oxidizes and turns brown. (Or put the avocado seed in the middle of the guacamole, wrap tightly and refrigerate if you have to make it in advance. The seed is suppose to prevent the guac from turning brown, but it doesn't always work for me.)

Apologies for the fuzzy photo. I was starving!