hawai'i: infamous coco puffs at liliha bakery

opened since 1950, liliha bakery has become an integral part of the oahu food scene. their infamous coco puffs even made a cameo on the cbs t.v. show, hawaii five-0, which fueled a resurgence of coco puff lovin' and skyrocketed these pastries into super puffy stardom.

although their puffs placed liliha on the dessert map for those living outside of the aloha state, it should also be noted that they offer more than just their coco puffs which can be seen here

and here

and here too.

but similar to the man in line in front of me who bought 16 boxes of coco puffs to place in his cooler before his flight back to seattle, i knew I HAD TO TRY these darling looking coco puffs for myself.

so i got four coco puffs for us to try. two chocolate ones, the regular coco puff, and the green tea coco puff. and just as quickly as i bought the puffs, they went *puff* in the air as we expertly knocked down each one in rapid succession, not once acknowledging our bulging guts.

because the lovely element about this coco puff was the salty chantilly icing on top which contrasted beautifully with the chocolate filling inside. a definite crowd pleaser as you will see once you do a little more research for yourself. as for me, my most favorite puff of all was not the original but rather the green tea one which offered strong matcha flavors that tempered the overall sweetness of the puff.

and before we left, we bought a box of original coco puffs to give to a relative we were going to meet up that night. and as we presented this box to her, the first thing she said was "ahh, you went everywhere didn't you. you go where the locals go..." which made me sigh happily inside because after a 6 hour plane ride across the pacific ocean, the last thing i wanted to do was eat where the locals won't touch with a ten foot pole. not to mention, these puffs were dang good, too.

Liliha Bakery
515 N. Kuakini St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 531-1651

lilihabakeryhawaii.com

price: $
verdict: tasty, try it!

hawai'i: giovanni's aloha shrimp truck gives you delicious garlic breath stank

this truck looks busted.

but admittedly, it serves some hoppin' delicious skrimp amongst all the shrimp trucks lined up in oahu's north shore.

giovanni's aloha shrimp truck is easily located by the use of a gps (a godsend when you're driving around hawai'i). their menu is concise and basic because you get skrimp, or you get skrimp...and maybe a hot dog, but i'm not sure why you're going to get a hot dog at a shrimp truck.

the shrimp scampi ($13) was pretty DERICIOUS. huge skrimps swaddled in a garlic butter sauce dotted with finely chopped garlic accompanied by two scoops of rice. although simple and probably replicable in your own home, i can see why you would want to drop by giovanni's if you so happen to crave shrimp and you so happen to be in north shore. i sure did.

on the other hand, their hot and spicy ($13) shrimp was pretty terrible. the hot sauce turned out to be dominated by this vinegar funk which gave these shrimps a very one noted flavor profile. i am not a fan of eating things that taste like vinegar. to add insult to injury, there is a a warning for it on the menu board "very hot. no refunds." omg, bye, bye $13.

before we headed back to our hotel, i HAD to stop by ted's bakery for their infamous chocolate haupia cream pie which is also located in north shore. oh boy, thick, decadent, chocolatey, with a whisper of coconut haupia in the mix. oh dear, how i wish they had a storefront here!

we also picked up a slice of ted's pineapple cheese pie because we had visited the dole plantation earlier that day so i still had prickly pineapples on my mind. though this slice was delicious, it was pretty clear to me that the chocolate haupia pie was the be all and end all dessert in hawai'i. in fact, i think i will be dreaming about the chocolate haupia tonight.

ted's bakery also serves bento boxes and various lunch items which were delicious. alas, we were hungry and scarfed them down before i could take pics. just another reason for me to head back with my belly and my camera. good times!

Giovanni's Aloha Shrimp Truck
66-472 Kamehameha Hwy
Haleiwa, HI 96712
(808) 293-1839

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

Ted's Bakery
59-024 Kamehameha Hwy
Haleiwa, HI 96712
(808) 638-8207

www.tedsbakery.com/

price: $
verdict: omg, i love it!

hawai'i: spamming at mitsu-ken

like the guy you never thought you would end up falling for...maybe too short, too fat, too hairy, farts too much...i too, didn't think i would fall for spam as hard as i have. oh man SPAM. canned meat pumped full of sodium?! who would have thunk that i would be so smitten by gelatinous pink meat in a can...but that was before i had my first taste of spam musubi about 10 years ago so visiting hawai'i was as much about searching for relaxation as it was about looking for the perfect bite of spam musubi.

with this mission in mind, we were lucky to have found mitsu-ken early into our trip, thanks to a quick tweet from julian informing me about this small stand across the street from helena's. but after such a heavy meal at helena's, my first visit to mitsu-ken was a tentative one so i walked away from this tiny storefront with only one spam musubi in hand.

but literally, after one hefty bite of the spam musubi, a tidal wave of regret rushed in. why didn't i get more? how am i suppose to share just one? does d really need a taste? can we head back there now? WHY THE HECK DID I JUST BUY ONE I AM SUCH AN IDIOT!

so the following day, i was determined not to deal with food regrets from the day before. i picked up a mitsu-ken bento ($6) which consisted of garlic chicken, teri beef, a slice of spam, half a hot dog, egg omelet, and rice with furikake on top for lunch. everything on the plate had a sweet note to it, but since i tend to like sweet/savory foods, this whole bento box was right up my alley. EXTREMELY delicious.

and of course, the spam musubi ($1.25). it was everything i wished a spam musubi would be. it had the right amount of rice (not too much, not too little) and the right amount of saltiness and sweetness from the spam and soy sauce. although relatively easy to make, the "perfect" spam musubi bite can be rather elusive, but mitsu-ken smacked these flavor profiles right on the head. all you have to do is look at my leaning tower of spamisa to see how much i adored them.

sun, sand, spam. i'm hella coming back to this one! and next time, we're doubling up the spamisa to 10. ha! :0

Mitsu-Ken
1223 N. School Street
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 848-5573

price: $
verdict: holy shit!

hawai'i: the crack seed store supplies me with good crack

it was just a matter of time before this crack whore found herself in front of THE crack seed store in honolulu. yeah, it might have taken a 6 hour plane ride and flying over the pacific ocean to do so, but once she stood in front of the doors of this tiny temple that glorified all that was crack seed, it was GAME OVER. her slitty eyes immediately zoned in on the rows and rows of glass jars that housed the crack she had long been searching for.

she was overjoyed that the savory crack seeds were aplenty, the legal kind that can't be smoked, shot up the arms, nor snorted lest you want to deal with a big plum seed stuck uncomfortably in your left nostril. because dahlings, crack seed, for those of you unfamiliar with it, is a preserved asian "candy" a.k.a. preserved plum that is typified by salty, sweet, and sour flavor profiles. li hing mui would be the powdery form of crack seed and is utilized most commonly on fresh or dried fruits to provide a contrast to the said fruit's natural sweetness. once eaten and appreciated, these crack seeds are truly addictive, befitting of its name.

crack jars. lovely, lovely, crack jars.

before long, her eyes rested on this glorious green shelf laden with THE THINGS she flew so far for, li hing mui covered gummies. powdery li hing mui covered sour patch kids, green apple gummies, watermelon gummies, sour belts and the like...totally sweet, yet totally sour. loves.

her mouth puckered in anticipation, knowing that each piece of li hing mui covered gummy will taste even better than the last and with giddy anticipation, she ended up buying enough bags to put her over her carry-on limit.

this crack seed store is also known for their li hing mui icee which is a regular icee mixed with a spoonful of li hing mui juice. the salty flavors mixed well with the typically sweet icee flavors.

and how grand was it for her to find a little crack seed in the midst of this refreshing red sea? she was happy. this crack, ain't whack she says and with one hefty sip and a bag full of li hing mui gummies, she bade the crack seed store a fond farewell and swore to come back again. and she will.

The Crack Seed Store
1156 Koko Head Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 737-1022

price: $
verdict: omg, i love it!

hawai'i: helena's hawaiian food will pop your pants good

while people head towards hawai'i thinking of sunning on the beach or snorkeling with the fishes, my own hawaiian plans involved eating till my pants popped. sure, i can pop my pants anywhere, BUT, i wanted to pop them real good with some authentic hawaiian food like the stuff you find at helena's hawaiian foods in honolulu. omg, ono. no, seriously, ono.

in order to avoid the maddening lines that form almost as soon as helena's open, we got there at exactly 10am (they are open tuesday through friday so plan accordingly). given the option to sit anywhere, i made sure i found a seat that faced the infamous pipikaula short ribs as showcased in the man vs. food hawaiian episode. i think i'm just intrigued by hanging meat and by golly there were lots of them!

after a quick once-over with the menu, we settled on "menu d" ($17.85) which was comprised of their four most popular items; kalua pig, pipikaula short ribs, lomi salmon, luau squid, two cubes of coconut haupia for dessert, and a choice of either two scoops of rice or poi.

although everything was delicious, the standout items by far was the luau squid which consisted of taro leaves, squid, and coconut milk which was cooked until it became a mushy, delicious green mess reminiscent of creamed spinach. although unattractive to look at, it was in fact, one of the highlights of the meal and the silky fragrance of this dish made it rather craveable.

but the king of it all, the main reason to go to helena's is THIS, the pipikaula short ribs. omg. the 24 hour drying process allowed the short ribs to attain an almost jerky like texture but the flavors of the marinade has also deeply penetrated the meat, giving it an intense flavor with every bite. it also didn't hurt the flavor cause that these ribs were deep fried before serving which gave them a crunchy exterior.

we were so smitten by these short ribs, we literally ordered another large order of pipikaula ($10.40) and had to fight each other for the last piece too! in fact, right before we flew home, we came back again to order some food to go. too bad helena's is so dang far away!

alaea sea salt (unrefined sea salt mixed with hawaiian clay that is rich in iron oxide) served with slices of raw maui onion which was a curiously delicious accompaniment to the meal. i was so smitten with the salt after this introduction that before we headed home, i bought 5 bags to take with me which promptly got me pulled to the side by the tsa at the airport.

overall, the food was intensely satisfying and my expectations were met. when i come back to oahu, i will make sure helena's is the first place i visit. and next time, i will be wearing a floral dress so i can avoid all this pants popping business...it is so embarrassing when one cannot zip up one's pants.

Helena's Hawaiian Food
1240 N. School St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 845-8044

www.helenashawaiianfood.com/

price: $$
verdict: holy shit!

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!