Yelp Check: Salted Lemon (Liliha)

The other day, probably because it's starting to get hot by mid-morning, I felt the unusual craving for an Acai Bowl for breakfast.  Not having a clue where to get a decent one, I did a quick scan on Yelp to see what was fairly nearby with a decent rating.

Salted Lemon is a juice bar located in the heart of Liliha on Liliha Street.  Having a rating of 4.5 stars on Yelp after 130 ratings, While skeptical of Yelp, I figured it was at least worth a quick look since I needed to be in that area anyway.  Once I found parking on the street (they have no parking of their own), I walked inside to find a charming looking establishment in-between a couple of long-standing businesses in the area.

Once inside, I quickly ordered the Acai Bowl that drew me there.  Although they do have an interesting and fairly varied menu I did find that everything seemed a bit too expensive for a place that is off the beaten food path and doesn't have it's own parking.  

Having received the Acai bowl I ate it in fairly quick fashion and finished it in equally short time as well.  

While it is a very generous portion of Acai (almost a full pound) I did find that the sorbet a little light on flavor and wanted more tartness to match up to the sweetness of the honey and ripe bananas.  What I did enjoy is the layering of granola throughout the bowl so the diner is able to enjoy the complexity of this trendy yet healthy breakfast addition.

So was it worth the 4.5 Yelp stars?  Personally I would give it 4.0 stars taking away a half star for paying a large sum ($9.50) for breakfast without having parking provided to the diner.  All in all, I suppose this does match up closely to the bevy of Yelpers on this round.

Thanks for playing

Butter Coffee? How about salt instead.

There has been a lot of discussion over the last year about Bulletproof Coffee (good and bad).  While I honestly haven't tried it myself, I like to drink coffee for the taste and the few minutes of downtime it allows you to have while catching up with yourself mentally during a busy work day.

Whatever your feelings are around the "butter" coffee fad, I recommend you try "salted" coffee.  Unlike the price of putting cow fat in your cup of joe that requires you to buy all sorts of added ingredients, "salted" coffee is just as advertised.  All you need is a dash of your favorite rock salt, kosher salt, sea sat, (no table salt please) and you'll find the taste to be clearer and sweeter than usual.  Having tried this myself, I can say that it is a nice touch to enhance a good bean (Kona is my choice) and ask that you give this a try.

Thanks for playing!

Vegetarian Salad for a Carnivore

Being an unapologetic meat eater, you'll rarely see me wax poetic the wonderment of a vegan salad.  Nonetheless, this corn black bean salad with lime vinaigrette is a favorite of mine after discovering it's simple pleasures online last summer (recipe here). 

The secret to it's magic is in its simplicity by best utilizing the raw freshness of corn, bell peppers, shallots, and garlic, lifted to completion with the citrus notes of freshly squeezed limes.

I highly recommend the use of fresh corn if available to you

  Needless to say, it's important to buy good ingredients, local if possible, to maximize it's potential. 

Add beans, bell peppers, etc (I cheated with the garlic paste). . .

I like mixing this way so as not to squash any beans

Save those avocados for last and voila!!

I've made this several times over the last year and has become a pool bbq staple.  Maybe this could be a good gateway good to transition you from the doldrums of a long winter to the upcoming warmth of summer. 

Great salad but I still wanted meat (pulled pork on Hawaiian sweet roll and grilled buffalo wings).

Thanks for playing with me today. 

Friday Morning (Meat)ing-Verde Kaimuki

This morning I needed to conduct some business in Kaimuki which gave me a great reason to satisfy the everpresent craving for breakfast tacos at
Verde Kaimuki.

What I like about this place is it's no apologies, stuffed to the max, flavor filled breakfast taco that contains only the necessities (tortilla, egg, meat, seasoned potatoes).  Today, I went with the chorizo version, but they also have a bacon our soy-rizo option as well.  I also chose to top it off with their homemade mango habanero salsa which gave it that necessary breakfast taco burn. 

While well established that it is almost impossible to find decent Mexican good in Hawaii (this place is admittedly Cal-Mex), I would recommend it for those in need of a breakfast taco fix. 

(Meat)ing adjourned.

Second Lunch (Tamari)

Before I returned to the airport I wanted to try this place that was touted as authentic and affordable. 

At $4.99 this yakisoba was not only cheap but very delicious.  

The owner/chef prepares all dishes ala minute which only enhances the overall value of the dishes that are being served.

As I was in a rush, I'll have to return on my next trip and try some of the other dishes that have piqued my interest. 

Sushi Ebisuya (Sushi for the Uninitiated)

I had the chance to be in Hilo for work today.  Following a recommendation from Frolic Hawaii, I decided to eat at Sushi Ebisuya.

Being a hard-core sushi eater I went in with a bit of trepidation as Hilo has yet to impress me on sushi of any type. While the sushi pictured looks pretty enough, and tastes ok, it is definitely not for the true sushi enthisiast who expect traditional Edomae nigiri sushi.  It is certainly fit for those who dabble in sushi but need to have equal parts avocado and fish with a good helping of sweet soy glaze drizzled over everything. 

The one thing that is worth mentioning is that this three roll set was only $11.99 and comes with a bowl of miso soup in the side.  At this price, you can certainly bring in your non-sushi eating friends and not feel like money was wasted.

My love of Loco Moco

A confession.  I love, love, love, eating a Loco Moco.  It doesn't matter what time of day or how many times of the week I have it, I love this dish.  For the uninitiated, a Loco Moco is a dish unique to the Hawaiian Islands and, for me, is the ultimate comfort food.  You start with a scoop (or two) of white rice, top with a properly grilled hamburger, blanket with a perfectly cooked over-easy egg (or two), and finish it with a gigantic hug of brown gravy (not demi-glace, don't be pretentious).

Due to my actual job, I'm  lucky enough to travel to all of the commercial islands in Hawaii and indulge myself throughly in all things Loco Moco.  This begs the question, what Loco Moco is my favorite.  Leading up to it, here are my top 3:

#3 (Ishihara Market - Waimea, Kauai) 

Pro:  Comes in 3 different sizes.  This is the "Regular" size which comes with 2 griddled hamburgers, 2 eggs, mac salad, and whatever additional side they have for the day.  This day, it was Kimchi cucumbers.  While most places rush the cook of the burger, Ishihara's takes their time to get a proper crust on the burger which gives this dish the respect it deserves.  It should be noted that Ishihara's uses locally raised cattle for their burgers, so extra points for them. 

Con: Ishihara's uses breading in their burgers which give them an almost meatloaf quality to it (presumably to keep the cost down from using local cattle).  Also, the addition of the side dishes almost always take away from the flavor of the overall dish rather than enhance.  

#2 (Koji's Bento Corner - Hilo)

Pro:  Koji's gives a lot of food for a very reasonable price. For $6.95, you get two Teriyaki hamburgers, one fried egg, two slices of Portugese Sausage, mac salad, and Cabbage Kimchi.  Unlike Ishihara's, the sides actually do enhance the overall flavor of the dish. 

Con:  Koji's uses a very loose, thin, gravy on their dish that appears to be utilized more like a condiment than an actual gravy (think shoyu on rice).  

#1 (Liliha Bakery - Honolulu)

Pro:  Simple and unpretentious, this dish features two all-beef fire grilled hamburger patties, two fried eggs, and an old school gravy that can only be described as "Brown Gravy".  There are no side dishes to be a distraction so the Loco Moco gets the whole stage to itself..  ***Bonus*** this place is located a short 5 minute drive from my home so extra points for that.  

Con:  Because Liliha Bakery is such a popular spot for locals and tourists alike, there is often a line and the wait can be as long as 30 minutes if you have a party of 3 or more (they only have 14 counter seats to choose from.  The gravy is kept warm, throughout the day, in a large stock pot on the griddle and refilled as needed.  When it's very busy, the gravy can be poured on the dish at a temperature slightly below that of the entire dish.  While this doesn't happen often, it is a little bit of an inconsistency that you'll overlook after that first bite of grilled hamburger hits your taste buds.  

Damn, I'm hungry again.  Thanks for stopping by.  

Ishihara Market

Koji's Bento Corner

Liliha Bakery