hawai'i: tanioka's seafoods and catering for some poke lovin'

my first trip to oahu was possibly one of the most relaxing, belly stuffing experiences ever. something about the clear blue hawaiian waters, the lush greenery, and the 24/7 warm weather brought out my ultimate relaxed state of mind. and as you might know, when one feels relaxed, one indulges.

thanks to misty and a few other resources i scrounged up, as soon as humanly possible, i searched for my first gustatory indulgence; poke (!) and was lead to tanioka's seafoods and catering in waipahu for some ono poke. OMG. ono is right.

there's all kinds of ono eats here which explained the crazy long line, but i was determined to stick to the poke plan. i mean, i know it's my vacation and all, but i didn't want to be mistaken as a beached whale when i lie on the beach. moderation is key. yes? besides, there were many days of eating to be conquered.

the variety of poke offered at tanioka's was rather amazing so i decided to order a bit of everything with a few extras thrown in. even though it was a bit pricey, the freedom to choose as much or as little as you want since it was charged by weight gave me some leeway with my wallet.

i settled on six different poke flavors; the alaea poke, onion with limu, onion poke, lomi ahi, limu, hot alaea poke, seaweed salad, and spam musubi. i was determined to experience a poke overdose...and i did.

what a fantastic spread! everything looked so fresh too! and the ahi was so chunky....yumz.

the alaea poke had this deep redness to it and was mesmerizing to look at. taste-wise, it was rather light and one dimensional since all i really tasted was the alaea sea salt. i must admit, not a favorite of the bunch but so pretty to look at!

the limu poke on the other hand, had great texture to it. the crunch and saltiness from the sea algae was a pleasant addition to the ahi.

but the best tasting poke in all that bunch was the hot alaea poke. i really enjoyed the spicy sweetness to it and the supple fish was just plain pleasurable in my mouth. i aggressively finished the whole container on my own without sharing and will definitely go back for this baby when i visit oahu again.

and to round out our first official hawaiian meal, i ended the poke overdose with my first spam musubi on the island. not the best that i've tasted but satisfying nevertheless. but boy, tanioka's poke has left quite an impression on me. i shall return.

Tanioka's Seafoods and Catering
94-903 Farrington Hwy
Waipahu, HI 96797
(808) 671-3779

www.taniokas.com/

price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!

fall prix fixe menu at roy's

do you know how to speed up a slow work week? lottsa alcohol and a media tasting at roy's restaurant in downtown l.a., that's what. woot! an invite back to roy's to try their fall prix fixe menu was a breath of much needed fresh air especially after painful meetings that run themselves into the ground. yes. renew my tastebuds and my spirit please? roy?

my spirits were immediately lifted with a glass of these spirits, the original hawaiian martini which encompassed a whole lotta vodka and a touch of rum...not to mention a tasty splash of pineapple juice that's always a welcomed element. this is definitely a drink one drinks when one is drinking on a beach. preferably on the lovely sands of hawai'i and wearing a tiny drink umbrella behind the ear....

or perhaps this one? the 1988 tasted like a naughty version of ocean spray grapefruit juice. the delicious combi of pomegranate and grapefruit juice, lychee liqueur, and vodka makes it dangerously addictive. without divulging too much info, let's just say smuggling a water bottle of this stuff during one of my meetings may actually make it an interesting and productive one. hmmm.....

the tasting started off with the delicious "elaine's" kabocha squash salad. yums in the tums. imagine a thanksgiving turkey dinner sans the turkey and a whole lot healthier. i really enjoyed the traditional cranberry vinaigrette, toasted pumpkins seeds, and a hearty piece of kabocha squash to start this fall meal.

the blackened rock shrimp and red bean soup was a favorite amongst a lot of folks that night. the petite cup was an explosion of favors, one that reminded me of a happy orgy of flavors between a bowl of chili, salsa, and gumbo.

the artichoke and goat cheese crusted salmon laid on a bed of sauteed spinach. although the salmon was tasty, the sauteed spinach clearly stole the show for me. seriously, make the spinach into a side dish please? if it's good for popeye, it's good for you roy! come on....

my favorite bite of the night was the cilantro grilled tiger shrimp with stewed curried lentils. the shrimp was perfectly cooked and the lentils was love, love. i kinda wished i inhaled two or ten.

the tender braised short ribs was indeed tender. tender like a lover's kiss but a lot beefier than one. yum.

the night ended with a plate of dessert, just like how all yummy dinners should end. the signature roy's melting hot chocolate souffle provided the perfect chocolate touch and the pumpkin and ginger cheese cake was spicy and creamy to the tongue.

and of course, no roy's restaurant posting would be complete without an uber cute pic of chef partner garrett mukogawa, the captain of this downtown l.a. branch. to the embarrassment of my dinner companion, i HAD to snap an adorable mug shot of chef garrett while calling him a cutie. yes, that's what two cocktails will do to this belly! thanks for humoring me chef!

so a delicious fall prix fixe menu at roy's for $35.95....so what the heck are you waiting for?! i told you the secret to speed up the work week, now didn't i? so go now and get it rolling!

Roy's Restaurant
800 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 488-4994

www.roysrestaurant.com

verdict: tasty, try it!

aloha roy's ohana tour

this past thursday, i was invited to a media tasting at roy's restaurant in downtown to kick off roy's l.a. ohana tour. if you're excited about roy's food AND like sweepstakes on top of that, then this tour might be just the thang for you:

• An inaugural trip to a participating Roy's restaurant, where guests are awarded an Ohana Tour card to present at the next Roy's location.
• On the second visit, guests will receie a complimentary Chocolate Souffle (with purchase of entree).
  
• At the third location, guests will receive a $20 gift card (with purchase of entree) and entry into the Hawaii sweepstakes.
• Restaurants participating in the tour include Roy's Anaheim, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Pasadena and Woodland Hills locations.

since roy does not have the ability to be in a million places at once, he has "chef partners" in all of his restaurant locations. after talking to this cutie, garrett mukogawa, the chef partner at roy's downtown restaurant, i learned that being a "chef partner" meant that he has liberties to create his own items on the menu as well to go along with roy's classics.

i also enjoyed the fact that libations were flung at me and being the good guest, i did not deny them the pleasure of getting me buzzed. i started off with a very strong, highly recommended the original hawaiian martini. it is a favorite at the restaurant and i can see why. hello! fuck me up please :) coconut and pineapple flavors with a good dose of vodka. ooooh la la.

first up was the yellow fin ahi poke which had chunky tuna pieces mixed with guac and topped with tobiko (flying fish roe). i liked this a lot and though it was slightly salty, it didn't stop me from inhaling three. yes, that's right. three. they were small cups ok!

the spiced duck confit tarts were little cups of sweetened shredded duck meat. a bit sweet for my taste, but my guest ate two. oink.

what?! another drink for me? sure! here's a refreshing glass of basil cucumber collins. lovely, refreshing drink full of....vodka. i like.

by that time, the grilled albacore flatbread came out so that i can use it to soak up the alcohol.

the savory side of the tasting ended with the short ribs of beef au poivre. i enjoyed the truffle tator tot capsule. mmmm....

and the night ended sweetly with their strawberry basil panna cotta. the basil presence was strong so thank god i like me some basil. the dessert was quite refreshing.

overall, the tasting was a good introduction to roy's and i even had the pleasure of meeting susan of reservation for three. anyways people, do the tour and win a trip. it's all good. happy eating!

Roy's
800 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 488-4994
www.roysrestaurant.com

spam love at shakas

a prohibitive love i have comes compacted in a can with oozy jelly on top. its pink flesh and mysterious taste indicates that it's pork, but if you allow your imagination to wander like a crazy rob zombie movie, then perhaps the pink flesh is actually made up of grounded up fingers chopped off of meat factory workers. you know, terrible, terrible accidents...they happen all the time. or perhaps it is just spam.

i first felt the tingling sensation of spam love when my friend introduced me to shakas about 8 years ago. the scene of the love crime; shakas hawaiian flavors in monterey park. it's a casual place and you order at the counter and they bring you your food, kind of like an urth cafe but faster, cheaper, and fattier.

the menu is pretty diverse, though i can't vouch for it much because i'm pretty monagamous to the shaka plate. to me, the combination of sesame chicken, teriyaki beef, chinese chicken salad, SPAM MUSUBI, and a side of heiniously fatty macaroni salad makes my belly happy. overall though, the plate sways to the sweeter side because of the teriyaki sauce and the salad dressing. if you like your things on the savory side, this may not be your pick but i do urge you to get a taste of their spam musubi and the macaroni salad. one taste will change your life for the better...just like mine.

the menu (click on the picture for price points because their online menu won't list any).

the shaka plate...yummy!

do not pass go, go directly into my pie hole please.

i've never been to hawai'i but i imagine a special road made out of spam bricks....mmm, and if it's wrapped up in rice and nori with a smear of teriyaki sauce, that would be even better. spam musubi, shaka plate....the magic happens here at shakas!

Shakas
2300 S Garfield Ave
Ste D
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(323) 888-2695
shakas.com

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

getting spammed

L & L Hawaiian BBQ
4414 York Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90042
http://www.hawaiianbarbeque.com/

price: $
verdict: it's aight

Super
Pork
Acting like
Meat

the only time i will allow SPAM to touch my lips is if it's encased in rice and nori a la spam musubi. there's something incredibly enticing about the sweet/salty combo that makes it hard for this fat girl to resist. although SPAM is gelatinous and rubbery with its make up of porky scrap meat, once it's fried to a nice crust with a slathering of teriyaki sauce rolled up in rice and bound by nori, i find that i am NOT turned off by this canned meat. in fact, i would eat this hawaiian luncheon favorite every day, 25/8 (an extra day and hour wouldn't hurt) if i could.

i use to go to shakas in monterey park for its spam musubi, but it is a far drive that i don't always care to take. then i discovered l & l hawaiian bbq while i was rocking out in eagle rock. holy moly spam musubi was what i thought and i entered this fast food restaurant in heavy breathing anticipation.

an order of spam musubi will set you back $1.85. i did not go overboard this time as i normally would when i see this spamtacular crack and stuck to one as oppose to my usual 2 orders. nice thick piece of pan fried spam, sweet teriyaki sauce, firm rice with softened nori. it was gooooooood. mind you, it is pedestrian food. you will not find a sprig of parsely on it as garnish ya hear...and don't judge.

i also always order a side of macaroni salad and in any hawaiian food place, you will surely find some. this one wasn't bad either. mayoey, generous sprinkles of black pepper, bits of carrots (to make it nutritious), and bits of egg yolk. i got a small order since i knew it would go straight to my thighs and did not want to add an extra ripple to my cellulite.

this fatty lunch ended on a sweet note with their coconut haupia (pudding) which i thought would be soft but turned out to be a lot stiffer than expected. it tastes like almond jello with a coconut twist, but unlike almond jello, the gelatin is a bit excessive in it which created a rather firm jello/pudding. seriously, how many puddings out there can hang off a spoon like this one can?

spam musubi is my cheap thrill. ahhh, sometimes, it feels sooooo good to go this cheap. aloha.