LA TAQUERIA DE RAMIRO

LA TAQUERIA DE RAMIRO

HONOLULU, HAWAII

I was working downtown this week with a rep from California.  We decided to get a quick lunch on Fort Street Mall across from Hawaii Pacific University.  We both saw a taco joint and said lets go.  La Taqueria De Ramiro serves up fast Mexican food at affordable prices.  I tried a carne asada taco and chicken tostada with beans and rice.  My friend had a beef burrito with beans and rice.  The carne asada taco was filled with Mexican rice and refried beans and a good bit of meat.  It was not what I expected and lacked flavor.  The tostada was large but the chicken tasted like it was just boiled in water with little or no seasoning.  The burrito was huge for around $6.  My friend loved it.  Not much here to make me want to return.  The people watching on Fort Street Mall was good.

MEXICO RESTAURANTE AUTENTICA COSINA

MEXICO RESTAURANTE

HONOLULU, HAWAII

I was excited when two visiting contractors from San Diego told me about a place they found in Honolulu that had great Mexican food.  Both of these guys said it was authentic and delicious.  We ventured to Mexico today.  It is located on North School Street which is a little bit out of the way for us.  When we entered we said "wow" this is the real deal Mexican place.  The chips and salsa soon came and we were ready for some authentic Mexican.  I ordered up a shredded chicken, shredded beef and carne asada taco with rice and beans.  My guest ordered a shrimp quesadilla, chicken enchilada and a carne asada taco with beans and rice.  The food arrived on huge plates covered with large portions of Mexican rice and refried beans.  I started  with the carne asada.  The taco is served on two corn tortillas because they are greasy.  I think they actually deep fried the steak.  The flavor was good but not great.  The chicken and beef tacos were kind of bland and also greasy.  The rice and beans were fine.  The shrimp quesadilla had a good amount of shrimp in it but it to was very greasy.  Actually dripping grease.  The chicken enchilada was served with a green salsa that was good.  We all left very full but disappointed in the flavors.  Not bold enough for our taste.  The atmosphere and service were great.  The menu here is large and includes all the standard Mexican fare.  There are a lot of seafood items such as Crab Enchiladas, Diablo Shrimp, Crab Rellenos, Shrimp Tacos, Scallop Tacos and Fish Tacos.  Also several salads and Fajitas.  I would like to return to try some other dishes before I write off this place.  

IDETA JAPANESE RESTAURANT

IDETA JAPANESE RESTAURANT

HONOLULU, HAWAII

This little hole in the wall place located near my office is a great place for a nice Japanese lunch.  When a rep came in this week and asked for a sushi lunch, I took him to Ideta.  We didn't even look at the menu after the waitress told us about the daily specials.  Usually they have four specials that include some sort of sushi, tempura and fish served with miso soup, rice, pickled vegetables and sometimes a salad.  All three of us opted for the Ahi Tuna and Tempura Special ($16).  9 large pieces of raw tuna served on mounds of daikon radish.  The Tempura was two pieces of shrimp and some sweet potato.   All good and very filling.  The service was quick and efficient.  Tea and water refills came quickly and so did the food.  

GYOTAKU RESTAURANT

GYOTAKU RESTAURANT

HONOLULU, HAWAII

We ventured into Gyotaku last week for lunch.  The menu is well organized with pictures of all the dishes.  This makes it easy to choose from dozens of Japanese items.  They break the menu up with lunch specials, sushi and combinations.  We started with tortilla chips topped with raw tuna.  These were good but not great.  I tried the Ahi Poki-Don.  A huge bowl of raw tuna served over rice.  It comes with a nice salad and Miso soup for $9.95.

We also had the Gyotaku Combination Bento.  You can choose chicken, beef, salmon, sashimi, tempura, miso butter fish and more for $13.95.  This is also served with a nice salad an Miso soup.  The Teriyaki Chicken was good but they served it with the skin on.  I really like Gyotaku and will return many times to try the other menu items.  The service and attitude of the employees was great.

OKONOMIYAKI CHIBO

OKONOMIYAKI CHIBO

ROYAL HAWAIIAN SHOPPING CENTER

HONOLULU, HAWAII

Talk about getting lucky and finding a new great spot to eat.  I ended up at Okonomiyaki Chibo by accident.  We were going to eat at Restaurant Suntory to enjoy a Teppanyaki dinner.  When we arrived we were told the wait was 45 minutes to one hour.  Rather than wait, we walked down a few yards and found another Teppanyaki restaurant.  The hostess told us that the wait would be about 10-15 minutes so we grabbed four bar stools and enjoyed a cocktail.  The bartender had the worst attitude and personality in Hawaii.  How she could be in the service industry is beyond me.  Perhaps she was unfriendly because we were not all Japanese.  The entire restaurant is filled with Japanese  tourists and locals.  I don't think too many locals know this place exists.  In fact none of our party of four had ever heard of it.  I asked how long they have been in business and was told "17 Years".  I could not believe this but it was true.  Lucky for us the table was ready and we only had to stomach her for a few minutes.  We were seated at a comfortable Teppanyaki grille and quickly noticed that there were huge pancake type dishes being cooked on the grille.  Everyone was ordering these "pancakes" and other noodle dishes that looked great.  The pancakes are Japanese Okonomiyaki or Japanese pancakes.  The base batter is a mix of flour, egg, cabbage and grated mountain yam.  They are cooked table side on the Teppanyaki grille.   They are filled with different meats, vegetables or seafood and then topped with mayonnaise, Okonomiyaki sauce, seaweed and dried Bonito flakes.  We ordered ours with Kim Chee and Pork.  This thing was the bomb.  A fantastic dish that was devoured in minutes.  We also had a noodle dish that was awesome.  I cannot remember the name because it was Japanese.  We ordered two orders of the filet of beef and two orders of the grilled scallops for four people.  This was more than enough.  The beef and scallops are cooked table side and served with garlic flakes, mushrooms and onions.  Both were also delicious.  The meal includes Miso soup, salad and ice cream for desert.  The salad and Miso soup were both great.  I absolutely loved this place.  My friends said the same and all could not wait to return.  I am going back tomorrow to enjoy the pancakes again.  UPDATE: Went back again and the service and food were great again.  I highly recommend this place.  Note:  Check the daily special menu.  Last night they had Abalone and some Lettuce Cups with Pork and Vegetables that looked great.
Click link below to see an updated post on Okonomiyaki Chibo
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2013/01/chibo-teppanyaki-okonomiyaki-honolulu.html