Actual good food in Waikiki (Goofy Cafe)

With no reservations, we had a 30 minute wait

With the three day weekend here, we were fortunate enough to enjoy a three night stay at a nice hotel in Waikiki.  While fun and full of activity, Waikiki has always suffered from a lack of good eateries for the discerning diner.  Consulting Yelp, we decided to take a chance on a small cafe tucked away in a nearly forgotten corner of this tourist jungle.

Goofy Cafe & Dine seats about 50 and highlights locally sourced food at a price reasonable for it's quality and location.  The highlights of the evening were the Hamakua mushrooms sauteed in garlic and oil as an appetizer and a Pesto pasta with Kahulu Shrimp for the entree. 

Mushrooms and garlic.  Nice and simple

Homemade pesto absolutely made this meal

Both dishes were simple and delicious highlighting the freshness of locally sourced mushrooms and vegetables. 

As they take reservations, I would recommend coming here for those who like non-chain quirky cooking with a charming atmosphere. 

Thanks for playing. 

Chicken Wings Aren't Just Bar Food Anymore

Most weeks, due to a fairly busy schedule, I cook my dinners with the idea that there will be leftovers for at least 1 or 2 nights.  I found myself today with a need to cook dinner that yielded no leftovers since we usually do not eat at home for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights and by Sunday I have no interest in eating food I cooked Thursday. It was this premise in mind that I decided to try thisrecipe from Ferran Adria's new cookbook The Family Meal. 

If' you're a crazy food stalker like me, you'll recognize the name of Ferran Adria as the owner and chef  of the former el Bulli in Spain.  His new cookbook contains recipes not from his restaurant but from those foods that was often cooked for his staff behind closed doors. With this in mind, I decided to tackle this rustic recipe that not only looked delicious on paper but is also budget minded, utilizing the lowly chicken wing and elevating it beyond that of bar food. 

As I proceeded cooking this dish, there were a few thing that I found appealling

1) The transformation from this...

....to this.

And with the addition of a few spices and some cremini mushrooms, I can go from this...

....to this

Viola!!

Overall, the dish takes about 40 minutes to cook, of which 30 minutes is spent cooking the wings on medium heat to get a high-index crispiness that gives both texture and fantastic flavor.  A very simple dish (it only uses 7 ingredients, 5 of which I already had in my pantry), and at $8 for dinner for two , it is certainly worth a try.

Thanks for reading!!