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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

FUJITSU LETS DANCE TELEVISION COMMERCIAL

FUJITSU "LETS DANCE"
TELEVISION COMMERCIAL

This is our new Fujitsu Air Conditioning television commercial that will debut this Saturday
during the University of Hawaii vs USC Football game on Fox KHON Channel 2 in Hawaii.
My sincere thanks to Greg Davis at KHON who wrote, directed and produced this great spot.
Greg put his heart into this production and completed it on a next to nothing budget.  Our daughter Keli is the female lead and that is Riley doing the great dancing.  My wife Shirley and Rich Miano's wife Lori have cameo appearances as well as kids from Sacred Hearts Academy and Mid Pacific Institute.
Thanks to the cast, crew and everyone at KHON who rocked this one out.
Visit www.ilovemyfujitsu.com to see all of our Hawaii Fujitsu commercials


Monday, August 27, 2012

TSUKIJI'S FISH MARKET AND RESTAURANT

TSUKIJI'S FISH MARKET AND RESTAURANT
ALA MOANA SHOPPING CENTER
HONOLULU, HAWAII

TSUKIJI'S FISH MARKET AND RESTAURANT
HO'OKIPA TERRACE AT ALA MOANA SHOPPING CENTER
1450 ALA MOANA BLVD, SUITE 4250
HONOLULU, HAWAII  96814
808-237-5444
HOURS:  Monday thru Sunday 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
                 Monday thru Sunday 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
                 Lounge Hours: Monday thru Sunday 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM
                 Happy Hour Special 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Here is a tip for locals and tourists.  If you are looking for a good Japanese/Local Buffet for lunch then Tsukiji's Fish Market is the place to go.  For $20 per person you can enjoy a huge array of Sushi and local favorites like Kalbi Ribs, Chicken Katsu, Tempura, Saimin, Seafood, Salads and Beef.  I was pleased with the quality and taste of the Sushi.  Also enjoyed the Tempura, Breaded Shrimp and Chinese Chicken Salad.  The Fried Rice was also excellent with nice pieces of Portuguese Sausage.   My associates enjoyed the Saimin that is cooked to order and complete with its own section of the buffet where you can add your own toppings.  Really could not believe that this buffet is only $20. Great deal if you want a big lunch that will carry you all the way through dinner.  

TSUKIJI'S FISH MARKET AND RESTAURANT

HO'OKIPA TERRACE AT ALA MOANA CENTER
TSUKIJI'S FISH MARKET AND RESTAURANT
SEVERAL LARGE BARS IN THE RESTAURANT.
THE PLACE TURNS INTO A NIGHTCLUB AT NIGHT
HUGE BUFFET STATIONS WITH LOTS TO CHOOSE FROM
RESTAURANT IS HUGE INSIDE
JAPANESE, LOCAL AND AMERICAN FOOD SERVED HOT AND FRESH.
SHRIMP AND VEGETABLE TEMPURA WAS GREAT
LOTS OF FRESH SUSHI THAT WAS CONTINUALLY RESTOCKED 
LARGE ASSORTMENT OF SUSHI.  THIS ALONE IS WORTH THE $20 PRICE FOR LUNCH
KALBI RIBS, SHORT RIBS, CHICKEN KATSU, FRIED RICE
AND A WHOLE LOT MORE ON THE MENU
I ENJOYED ASSORTED SUSHI, TEMPURA, FRIED RICE, CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD,
BREADED SHRIMP WITH COCKTAIL SAUCE AND KALBI RIBS.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

PHO KAPAHULU VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

PHO KAPAHULU VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT
HONOLULU, HAWAII

PHO KAPAHULU VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT
804 KAPAHULU AVENUE
HONOLULU, HAWAII  96816
808-737-2055
HOURS:  Monday thru Sunday 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM

We were walking down Kapahulu Avenue looking for a new place to try before a Wahine Volleyball game.  A sign for Lu Lu's Mexican food caught our eye so we headed towards the sign.  Turned out that the Mexican food was being served at the On Stage Bar.  We looked in the place and it just did not seem inviting or the place to take children.  Right next door was Pho Kapahulu.  A tiny little place with no air conditioning and around six tables.  We looked in and saw that it was very clean and empty except for one table serving a couple.  We were greeted by a smiling man that wore a shirt that said I love Pho.  Pho is the famous Vietnamese soup that is one of my favorite dishes.  Pho Kapahulu specializes in serving Pho and also they promote their Ox Tail Soup.  Will have to try these on another visit.  Since it was hot and the restaurant did not have air conditioning the entire family decided not to have a hot soup dish during this visit.  Instead we went for some lighter dishes that the family could share. We ordered the Spring Rolls ($9.50).  Served with lettuce for wrapping and cucumber, noodles and dipping sauce.  We place the Spring Roll on the lettuce, add the cucumber, noodles, dipping sauce and hot sauce to make a great little Vietnamese Burrito.  These Spring Rolls were good.  Better than most places we have tried.  One thing about Pho Kapahulu is do not go here if you are in a rush.  Takes a bit of time to get your dishes, but you can tell that they prepare things properly and care about everything on the plate.  Nice presentations and clean.  The Green Papaya Salad ($9.50) included fresh shredded Green Papaya, roast pork, boiled shrimp, mint leaves and cilantro.  I liked the shredded papaya and light sauce.  Didn't quite think the slices of pork went with the salad.  Good though, we all enjoyed it.  The Grilled BBQ Chicken ($11.95) was marinated in Lemon Grass and served with onion, cilantro and cucumber.  Needed to add some hot sauce to this for flavor.  I liked Pho Kapahulu.  You can tell that these are hard working people running the business.  The food is good and the place is clean.  I will be back soon to try the Pho.

PHO KAPAHULU VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

PHO KAPAHULU - A SMALL HOLE IN THE WALL THAT WE ARE GLAD WE FOUND
SMALL RESTAURANT WITH 6-7 TABLES
VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT CONDIMENTS
SPRING ROLLS WITH DIPPING SAUCE
GREAT TASTING SPRING ROLLS
PLACE SPRING ROLL IN LETTUCE AND MAKE SURE
YOU ADD SOME HOT SAUCE FOR KICK
WRAP UP LIKE A BURRITO AND ENJOY!
GREEN PAPAYA SALAD
BBQ CHICKEN

Monday, August 20, 2012

THE WHOLE OX - HONOLULU, HAWAII

THE WHOLE OX
HONOLULU, HAWAII

THE WHOLE OX
327 KEAWE STREET
HONOLULU, HAWAII
808-699-6328
HOURS:  Monday thru Saturday 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM
                 Monday thru Saturday 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
EMAIL: hello@wholeoxdeli.com

The Whole Ox on Keawe Street near Ala Moana Blvd opened to long lines and rave reviews.  The concept of using all parts of locally raised pigs from Maui is the mainstay of the menu.  The restaurant itself is more like warehouse space with wood bench seating on the inside and outside patio.  The menu is hand written on a giant chalkboard over a self service counter.  After reviewing the board, we decided to try a few items and share them.  The waitress asked if we had ever tried their burgers.  I said no and she suggested we try one.  One Dry Aged Burger ($11) was ordered.  We followed the burger with The Street Grinder ($10) and a Porchettabrutit, Doug ($10).  The food was ready in just a few minutes.  I heard them call my name and made my way for the counter to pick up the plates.  Wow I thought, these plates are pretty bare.  Basically the sandwich thrown on a plate and thats it.  My friend said they should throw on a few chips or pickle.  Anything to fill the plate considering the price.  The Dry Aged Burger was thick and juicy.  Cooked to a perfect medium.  Juices oozed from the meat that sat atop a fresh bun with just a bit of Caper Aioli and grilled red onions.  The beef has a totally different taste than a regular burger.  The Aioli and Onions are lost in the taste of the beef.  You really have to want to enjoy the meat and not condiments when eating this burger.  My rating for food is basically the question "would I order this item again".  In the case of the Dry Aged Burger the answer is no.  Not for  eleven bucks.  The Street Grinder was a pressed sandwich with thinly sliced meats and a few pickle slices and piece of cheese.  Could not taste the cheese.  Again for ten bucks I would not order this sandwich again.  Really could not distinguish the tastes of the variety of meats.  The highlight of the lunch was the Porchettabrutit, Doug Sandwich.  Thinly sliced pork with some pork cracklings and fennel.  Did not taste much of the fennel but liked the sandwich.  It was however very small.  I want to return to the Whole Ox to try a few more menu items before I write this place off.  There are some other menu items that caught my eye and look very good.  They serve breakfast which seems to be very popular.  

PORCHETTA WITH FENNEL AND CRACKLINGS




GREAT WOOD CARVING AT ENTRANCE
DRY AGED BURGER WITH CAPER AIOLI AND RED ONION
DRY AGED BURGER DID NOT LIVE UP TO THE $11 PRICE
THE STREET GRINDER - MORTADELLA, HOT CAPPACOLLA, PROSCIUTTO AND GRUYERE 

Sunday, August 19, 2012

CRAB CITY - HONOLULU, HAWAII

CRAB CITY
HONOLULU, HAWAII


CRAB CITY
441 WAIALAE AVENUE
HONOLULU, HAWAII 96816
808-780-3115
HOURS: Monday thru Sunday 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM
UPDATE 8/13 - THIS RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED

Crab City on 9th Avenue and Waialae in Kaimuki is Chef J.J. Luangkhot's latest creation in the same location where the former La Cacao Bistro stood.  We are huge fans of Chef J.J. and his flagship restaurant JJ's Bistro.  JJ and his family are among the hardest working families in the restaurant business and seem to work 24/7/365.  I was happy to see Crab City open with a different concept than JJ's Bistro type eateries.  As long as the original JJ's Bistro stays open, I am very happy.  Now onto the new Crab City.  I am a huge fan of Hot and Juicy Crawfish in Las Vegas.  They set the bar for spicy seafood served in a steaming hot bag.  These type of restaurants seem to be popping up all over Honolulu lately with Crab City, The Raging Crab and Kickin Kajun leading the way.  We went by Crab City on a Saturday evening and there were dozens of people waiting outside.  Not wanting to wait we ventured back on Sunday and found the place to be about half full.  We were greeted enthusiastically by the young staff wearing shorts and polo shirts.  The restaurant is simply decorated with crab nets, a few surfboards and several television monitors that were playing WNBA Basketball, The Food Network, A Movie and a Dog Channel.  Now I love dogs, but usually you tune into Football or Golf on a Sunday.  I asked the waitress if we could watch the Golf Channel and they quickly turned off the movie and turned on the LPGA tournament with Hawaii's own Michele Wie dressed to kill and coming on strong. One thing I will say about Crab City is that the staff is excellent.  Always smiling, offering to refill drinks and making sure we are enjoying the meal.  We ordered the Crab City Combo #1 ($48).  The Combo includes lobster, shrimp, mussels, clams, crawfish, corn and sausage.  I cannot eat mussels but there are no substitutions allowed.  All of the combos include mussels.  You can order your seafood with Cajun Spices, Butter and Garlic or Lemon Garlic Butter.  There are three heat levels;  Mild - Medium and Volcanic.  We went with the Butter and Garlic plus Volcanic hoping for some heat.  Our bag arrived steaming hot with butter and garlic oozing everywhere.  Where is the Volcanic sauce we asked the waitress.  That is it she said.  They just add crushed red pepper to the bag for spice.  Wow...we were kind of shocked because we were expecting a flavorful hot sauce like what is served at Hot and Juicy Crawfish and The Raging Crab.  The waitress offered to bring more crushed red pepper to add to the bag.  We added the peppers but the heat level was still low.  The shellfish itself was good. The lobster was large in the shell but yielded very little meat.  You need to sop up the sauce onto the lobster to get the flavor.  There was a whole potato in the bag that was not cut.  With no utensils you have to break it up with your hands and sop up the sauce as it does not pass through the skin.  The shellfish is hot and very buttery.  Wear the gloves or your hands with stink for a week.  The bib should also be worn as the sauce can get all over the place.  This is a fun way to eat family style.  Everyone just picks there favorite piece out of the bag and removes the shell before devouring.  We ordered extra Corn (.75) per piece and some White Rice ($1.50) along with Salt and Pepper Calamari ($10.99).  The Calamari is served with French Fries.  I liked the Calamari breading but it really did not have much Salt and Pepper flavor.  Served with Ranch Dressing and Ketchup.  Cocktail Sauce would be better choice. I liked the service, atmosphere and food but it lacked the "spicy" sauce that we were yearning for.  I would recommend Crab City to any seafood lover who wants to have a fun meal.  You can bring your own beer and wine here.  Having a six pack of cold ones may have kicked it up a notch.  Hope this is a huge success for the Luankhot family. 

CRAB CITY 

CRAB CITY ON WAIALAE AVENUE IN KAIMUKI
SIMPLE ONE PAGE MAIN DISH MENU
SIDES AND DRINK MENU
INSIDE FEATURES CRAB NETS AND HANGING SURFBOARDS
WIDE SCREEN AND SMALL TV'S ON THE WALLS
BIBS AND GLOVES ARE A MUST
READY TO DO BATTLE


LIME WITH SALT AND PEPPER FOR DIPPING SAUCE.  DID NOT GET THIS ONE.
BAG OF SHELLFISH BROUGHT TO YOUR TABLE IN BUCKETS
EVERYTHING GOES IN THE BAG AND IS MIXED WITH SPICES AND SEASONING
OPEN THE BAG - CAREFUL, THE SEAFOOD IS HOT 
CRAWFISH LOADED WITH GARLIC
SALT AND PEPPER CALAMARI
SIDE ORDER OF CORN ON THE COBB 
CRAB CITY COMBO #1
LOBSTER, MUSSELS, SHRIMP, CLAMS, CRAWFISH, CORN AND SAUSAGE
THE LOBSTER IS READY
SMALL LOBSTER TAIL FROM LARGE LOBSTER
THE AFTERMATH