GREAT EATS HAWAII: December 2014

Sunday, December 28, 2014

SEED RESTAURANT

SEED RESTAURANT

HONOLULU, HAWAII

SEED RESTAURANT

1137 11TH AVENUE, SUITE 104

HONOLULU, HI 96816

808-732-1137

HOURS: Daily 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM / 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

www.seedhawaii.com

I like Seed Restaurant and what it is doing and stands for. This is a "Justice" restaurant that is staffed with survivors of domestic violence, trafficking, homelessness and other challenges. While I do not know their personal stories, I can say that the staff made us feel welcome, at home and valued. Everyone was friendly and smiling thanking us for dining there before and after our meal. The freshness of the menu was explained by our waitress. She took time to tell us that the restaurant uses the freshest ingredients and makes every dish to order. If you have a food allergy or don't like something on the menu, she explained that they will do whatever is possible to accommodate you. She went onto tell us about the Daily Specials which included fresh fish, steak and a Juice of the Day that was a Watermelon Mint Frostie. Both me and my daughter went for the Watermelon Mint ($5.25). My daughter said it was "refreshing". I tasted the mint a bit more than the watermelon but thought it was good. We ordered the Chili & Chips ($7.95) for the table to share. The presentation was beautiful with the purple organic chips and chili topped with cheese, sour creme and red and green bell pepper. The chili was really tasty but a bit sweet. The waitress explained that it was meatless and filled with beans, lentils, tomatoes, corn and other ingredients plus a little brown sugar. We loved the Chili and Chips but added some of the hot sauce on the table to balance the sweetness. The Portabello Tofu Sandwich ($12.95) should be called the Tofu Portabello Sandwich because the majority of the sandwich is Tofu. The Tofu patty was huge while the Portabello mushrooms were almost nonexistent. The Tofu was dusted in Cajun spices and very dense. My wife who ordered the sandwich thought it would be more of a large Portabello along with a little Tofu. If you love Tofu you will love this sandwich I think. If you love Portabello then order something else. The Baked Fries served with the sandwich were pretty mushy and had no crunch at all. I prefer a crispy french fry so these were not my favorite. I ordered the Bacon Avo Turkey Burger ($12.95). The burger was delicious but there was absolutely no Avocado in the burger or on the plate. I did not miss the Avocado as the burger was full of flavor. Kinda tasted like Turkey Meatloaf with cheese and bacon. The salad was fresh but drenched in too much dressing. My daughter ordered the Ahi Wrap ($13.95) and almost finished it all. The Ahi was cooked to a perfect medium rare. This was a very good Ahi Wrap. While there were a few misses on the food this trip, I would eat here again and again. I like being able to help a good cause and people who are working hard for an opportunity to better their lives. The people working here on this day were awesome and I would have never thought any of them had any problems. All they seemed to care about was the restaurant and the customers which is better than most places we visit where employees only care about themselves.

SEED RESTAURANT

DOWN THIS LITTLE WALKWAY AND YOU WILL FIND SEED

ENTRANCE TO SEED RESTAURANT

SEED RESTAURANT IN KAIMUKI

SEED RESTAURANT IS OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

ENTRANCE WITH HATS AND T-SHIRTS FOR SALE

SEED RESTAURANT SEATING AREA

DRINKS OF THE DAY ARE POSTED ON THE WINDOW INSIDE THE RESTAURANT

A LITTLE FARMERS MARKET WITHIN SEED

FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AT SEED

SMALL KITCHEN PUMPS OUT THE FOOD PRETTY QUICKLY

FOOD ON A MISSION

WHAT IS A JUSTICE RESTAURANT?

SEED RESTAURANT MENU

ALL DAY DRINK MENU

STARTERS, SALADS AND SIDES

SEED LUNCH MENU

SEED DINNER MENU

FINISHERS AND KEIKI MENU

THREE TYPES OF TABASCO ON THE TABLE

WATERMELON MINT FROSTIE

CARROT AND APPLE JUICE

CHILI AND CHIPS

CHILI IS DELICIOUS BUT A BIT SWEET

PORTABELLO TOFU SANDWICH WITH BAKED FRIES

PORTABELLO TOFU SANDWICH

SHOULD BE CALLED A TOFU SANDWICH

BAKED FRIES

BACON AVO TURKEY BURGER WITH SALAD

BACON AVO TURKEY BURGER WAS DELICIOUS BUT HAD NO AVOCADO

AHI WRAP WITH SALAD

FRESH AHI TUNA WRAP

Saturday, December 27, 2014

TASTE TEA

TASTE TEA

HONOLULU, HAWAII

TASTE TEA

1391 KAPIOLANI BLVD

HONOLULU, HI 96814

808-951-8288

HOURS: Daily 10:00 AM - 11:30 PM

Email: tasteteainchawaii@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/TasteTeaInc

My Wife and Daughter love Taste Tea on Kapiolani Boulevard near the Ala Moana Shopping Center. If appears that many others love this place too because it is always packed with a young crowd of mostly females. Financially the place seems to be doing well as the owner was arrested for trying to smuggle $100,000 in cash back to Taiwan. Customs seized the cash and a Judge ordered probation for the owner and took the 100k for the government. Looks like he will make back the cash well within his probation period as this place is non stop hopping with the youth of our Island who seem to enjoy coffee and tea drinks with milk, cream, ice cream and tapioca pearls. My girls always order the Milk Tea with Mini Tapioca Pearls. They like the refreshing taste they say. I tried it and would not buy one. I do however enjoy waiting in line here.

TASTE TEA

TASTE TEA ON KAPIOLANI

TASTE TEA IS QUIET NOW BUT THIS PLACE GETS PACKED

EVEN THE LULULEMON CROWD ENJOYS TASTE TEA

YOUNG, SMILING STAFF KEEPS THE LINE MOVING

TASTE TEA MENU (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE)

A FEW DESSERTS AVAILABLE AT TASTE TEA

ORDER AT THE COUNTER

CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL OF SWEETNESS AND AMOUNT OF ICE

YOUR ORDER AND NAME IS HAND WRITTEN ON THE CUP

PICK UP YOUR DRINK ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF COUNTER WHEN THEY CALL YOUR NAME

PEOPLE WAIT IN LINE AND PACK THIS PLACE FOR THIS GLASS OF TEA

MILK TEA - SMALL TAPIOCA AND LESS SWEET

BUY 10 AND GET ONE FREE

CHRISTMAS PRIME RIB AND CRAB DINNER

CHRISTMAS PRIME RIB AND CRAB

DINNER AT HOME

Nothing better than Christmas Dinner at home with family and friends. We invited what little family we have in Hawaii plus a few very old friends to enjoy a Christmas feast. For some crazy reason that I cannot explain I bought a 17 pound Prime Rib for nine people. It is safe to say that there was plenty of leftovers for people to take home. It took about four hours to cook the Prime Rib. We started by making small cuts in the meat and then inserted cloves of garlic into them. Generously coated both sides of the beef with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Then coated with a mixture of Dijon Mustard and Horseradish followed by a mixture of garlic, rosemary and thyme. The Prime Rib cooked to perfection in about four hours. Only problem is that the outside herb mixture burnt. I think next time we will tent the Prime Rib with aluminum foil to avoid crisping the herbs. The overall flavor of the Prime Rib was fantastic. One of the best we have ever made if not the best!

We started the day with several hours of hanging out and enjoying pupu's. Then we convened in the formal dining room for a Christmas feast. Served Alaskan King Crab Legs along with the Prime Rib and some great side dishes. I liked the Twice Baked Potatoes best. My wife crisps the potato skins and then fills them with mashed potatoes, cheese and bacon. Oh..so good....top with a little Sour Cream, Bacon and Chives and you are in potato heaven. Also enjoyed Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce, Brussels Sprouts with Honey, Shallots and Bacon, Caesar Salad with Anchovies and Sauteed Mushrooms with Shallots, Garlic, Thyme, White Wine and Butter. This was an incredible meal enjoyed with the two loves of my life, family and friends. Very blessed for this day.