Ono Seafood (Hawaii) - A MUST when Visiting Oahu

I came back from a fabulous trip to Hawaii just three days ago and I am so excited to share with you all my delicious eats and food suggestions for when you're planning your next trip to sunny Oahu! This is the first post but there are tons more to come.

One of the non-negotiable food items Meta Knight and I both said we HAD to try while in Hawaii was poke. Poke (pronounced poke-eh) is a Hawiian dish consisting of cubed raw fish tossed in a marinade of usually salt, soy sauce, green onion, and other ingredients. It's often eaten as a side dish or as an entree served over a bed of hot white/brown rice.

While there are a few places you can get poke in downtown Honolulu or Waikiki, if you venture out a little further (into the real streets of Hawaii), you'll find a hidden gem that is guaranteed to blow your mind.

If you don't have GPS while in Oahu, it's really easy to miss this little family run joint. It operates out of the back of a motel and is frequented by foodie tourists and locals alike. There are no seats inside (just a few outside near the door) so be prepared to eat in your car or standing if the tables are full.

They have eight varieties to choose from but the fan favourites include: Shoyu Ahi (Tuna), Shoyu Tako (Octopus), and Spicy Ahi (Tuna). A small bowl with rice and poke is $7, while a large is $9.

A little take out action for those wanting some side dishes like soy raw crab or seaweed.

Ta-da!!!! You have no idea how long I've dreamt about eating real poke in Hawaii. This was finally my chance. Meta Knight opted for the Spicy Ahi (right) on brown rice while I chose the Shoyu Ahi (left). 

One bite of this and Meta Knight was in love. The raw cubes of incredibly fresh tuna were chilled and marinated in the best type of spicy mayo you can think of. The combination of cold tuna over hot rice also didn't taste awkward at all. In fact it made it perfect for the sunny 30 degree weather.

My favourite part of the Shoyu Ahi was the little bits of crunchy seaweed that was tossed in the mixture. It was unlike any other seaweed I've tasted and certainly added the 'ocean' to the authentic Hawaiian poke. In comparison, this was definitely the lighter of the two.

One thing I failed to realize when we were there was the fact that you can choose to have two flavours in one bowl! If I did, I would have gotten half Shoyu Ahi, half Shoyu Tako. Instead, we went all out and got 1/3lb of the Shoyu Tako to share. I'm a lover of Octopus and they did a really good job here. Not tough or overly chewy.

Overall, Ono Seafood met my ridiculously high expectations going in and I would highly recommend this place to anyone staying in Honolulu or Waikiki.

Service Rating: 3/5

Food Rating: 5/5

Price: $

Overall Rating: 5/5

Happy Eating!

           When you finally eat poke for the first time

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Blue Bottle Coffee and Bowl'd Acai (San Francisco) - Ah-sigh-EE Bowls and New Orleans Iced Coffee

It's hard to get your veggies in while on vacation, which was why Rae and I were so happy to stumble upon a vegan, gluten free smoothie food truck while in SOMA.

 They serve acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) bowls, smoothies, juices, and power up 'shots'.

By the way, I absolutely love how they serve gluten free granola. As a person with a recent wheat allergy, it's good knowing there are still healthy eat out options for me even though I can't eat flour/wheat.

Rae and I split a These Nuts Acai Bowl (reg $9.60 US) composed of a smoothie on the bottom that is blended with acai, strawberry, banana, and almond milk. The toppings include one planet gluten free granola, banana, hemp seed, bee pollen, honey, sliced almond, and peanut butter.

Oh my god it was sooooo good! It was totally a refreshing and healthy way to start our day. It was so delicious, we tried experimenting with our own version of acai bowls at home after our vacay.

Next to the Bowl'd Acai food truck was a Blue Bottle Coffee stand. The area was quite industrial and just a little side street but there was already a lineup forming in front of the stand. Most people got the New Orleans Iced Coffee ($4 US) which was what we got too. The coffee was drip so it took a little while, but it was definitely worth the wait. It was so smooth, so creamy. I want one now just thinking about it.

Blue Bottle Coffee also serves freshly made waffles. Rae and I got one to share and thought it was only okay. The batter was too cake-like and dense for the morning. Also it was a little greasy so it didn't stay well in our stomachs.

Blue Bottle Coffee: 
Food Rating: 4/5
Price: $
Overall Rating: 4/5

Bowl'd Acai:
Food Rating: 4.5/5
Price: $-$$
Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Happy Eating!

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Umami Burger (San Francisco) - Real Juicy Meat

During my trip to San Fran, Rae and I stopped by Umami Burger because it was close to our apartment. I always just knew of this restaurant as an LA hipster burger joint with a cool "U" stamp on their burger buns.

They seem to be quite popular with line ups spewing onto the streets on a random weekday afternoon.

It's quite casual inside with lots of booths and tables. It kind of reminds me of Romers Burger Bar from Vancouver.

Obviously, their most famous burger is called the Umami Burger but they surprisingly have quite a few options for those that don't feel like eating beef. They've covered all their bases with black bean patties, ahi tuna for fish lovers, and even some 'manlier' patties like the Manly Burger.

Rae and I both got some beer to wash down our burger with. I opted for the highly alcoholic Golden Monkey (9% alc.) and she got a brown pale ale of some kind that she really liked. They also gave us a plate with four different types of aiolis, sauces, and homemade ketchup. We didn't know what they were for, so we kind of just dipped our fries in it.

We both wanted to try the original so we got the classic Umami Burger ($11.50) which has parmesan frico, shiitake mushrooms, roasted tomato, caramelized onions, and Umami house ketchup.

Our server praised their chain for using only the most local, organic, and fresh ingredients which include the ground beef they use to make the patty with. That's why all patties are served medium rare unless specified. 

I got the burger as is so as you can see, it was quite rare. It's a little freaky to see your burger patty so pink because it looks you'll get salmonella. LOL. It was delicious though and the 'fresh' ingredients really did shine through. One thing Rae and I both noticed though, were the lack of toppings. We literally got two slivers of mushrooms on each burger and that's it.

Last but not least, I ordered a side of Truffle Fries ($5.50) to add some carbs to my diet. Also, if truffle fries are on the menu, I have to try it at least once. These ones were disappointing though. The truffle was only infused in the cheese and the cheese solidified quite quickly after it was brought out so the whole thing was one clumpy mess. Not recommended.

All in all, Umami Burger is solid if you want to just try their burgers and beers. Their burgers are unlike any burger I've tried before and is way beyond the quality of the ones at A&W or Earls. Skip the truffle fries though, they're just not worth it.

Service Rating: 4.5/5

Food Rating: 3.5/5

Price: $$-$$$

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Happy Eating!

this has nothing to do with Umami but I wish I could do this with my brows :D

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Evolve Condominiums & Roaming Dragon Food Truck Media Event

If you are at all into real estate, you would've heard of the high rise currently in pre-development in Surrey called "Evolve Condominiums". What's so special about this condo? It starts at just $93,900! 

Now, I'm no expert when it comes to real estate, but that's dirt cheap. Like ridiculously dirt cheap. Obviously the $93,900 ones are bachelor pads around 300 sq feet, but still. You'll still own property. :P In the Lower Mainland... and not everyone can say that.

So why was I invited to this Evolve VIP Media Event? Because it also features food of course! Specifically, they had the Roaming Dragon Food Truck serve all of us before heading into the sales presentation.

Dat Basil Lychee Lemonade doe... SO refreshing. So good on a sunny day. Surprisingly, (and only because this came from a food truck) the assorted macarons were delicious as well! Thin shell, light custard, not overly sweet. Mmm mm!!

The Beef Rendang Rice Bowl with butternut squash, brown rice, and kale was super filling and can honestly satisfy any appetite. I'd definitely order this again.

Kirma went with the Fish Tacos and a slide of Colourful Coleslaw. 

Now for the condo part. This 35-storey high rise is conveniently located right next to the Surrey Central station and SFU Surrey.

With sales centers popping up all over the place, all looking the same and using the generic marketing tactics, WestStone Group said they wanted to do something different. Enter... "In-Real Dimension".

They introduced to us a revolutionary technology that gives attendees the ability to see the building and layouts in real 3-D. You can move it around, see it from all angles, and get a really good look as if you were holding a 3D printed model.

One thing they really tried to highlight was the community surround this area which I really thought was refreshing. They even did a little beer and cheese tasting (for the bachelors and beer lovers) to spotlight some local businesses.

 One of the bedrooms.

Their den. It's a little small but they did some strategic placement with the mirror and couch/bed. Pretty cool spot to hang and chill in my opinion.

 The kitchen of one of the two bedroom apartments.

It's hard to tell from this picture but this is the bachelor pad that's around 300 sq feet. With this design, they wanted to embrace micro-living and maximize the small living space. For a single guy or girl who doesn't have a lot of physical 'stuff', I think this is okay. For most people however, it still might be a tad small.  

All in all, I think the people at Evolve Condominiums are doing something extremely courageous. They're courageous for lining rooms that are only 300 square feet in the Lower Mainland, but they're even more courageous for pricing them at $93,900 when the average price of a one bedroom apartment is $290,000!! It's definitely an interesting concept that might take over Vancouver as real estate prices continue to climb so I'm curious to see how the public responds to it.

Happy Eating!

                      My reaction when Meta Knight and I bought our 

                             very own apartment.. in VANCOUVER

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Smokehouse Sandwich Co.- Damn That's a Good Sandwich

Great sandwiches are hard to come by. Sure, I can always get a good sandwich at Subway or a good sandwich at Earls, but rarely do I find ones that are special enough to make me crave it again the second I leave.

Smokehouse Sandwich Co. created one of my exceptions and I honestly think it's the bomb diggity. It's quite interesting that this little mom and pop shop is located in a residential area of Richmond close to Westminster and No.2 Road. I remember this property switching owners and businesses every year but somehow I feel like Smokehouse is here to stay. 

Their menu is plain and simple. 6 different types of burgers. 3 types of drinks. 1 side to choose from.

Rae and I shared two sandwiches, a side of crisps, and a Honey Ginger Lemon Drink. All in all it came up to about $10 per person.

This Samson ($7.99) sandwich is made with freshly baked bread, coffee crusted strawberry glazed beef brisket, peppers, butter lettuce, and aioli. If you are only getting one sandwich this one is THE ONE to get. The brisket was incredibly tender and flavourful, the bread was fluffy yet slightly crusty on the outside, and the aioli just melded all the flavours together beautifully.

Their side of crisps ($2) are fried in-house. I recommend adding their smoked salt (available on the counter) to give it more depth.

You can get their drinks hot or cold. We chose the latter even though it was freezing outside. They pre-make the drinks and store them in these cute mason jars so you have to give them a good shake before drinking. This drink was the bomb. I was afraid the ginger would overpower my tastebuds but it was the perfect amount of spicy and sweet.

I don't know about you but I for one don't like pulled pork smothered in BBQ sauce. Because of that, the Wilbur ($7.99) was perfect because it was pulled pork at its finest. No heavy sauce to drown the juiciness of the meat,. It's just pulled pork, its own meat juices, your mouth, and sweet glory.

It's hard to tell from this picture but they gave us massive amounts of pulled pork in that sandwich. Great restaurants never skimp on the meat.

I was impressed from start to finish at Smokehouse Sandwich Co. It's got a hipster feel to it (can you say mason jars?) and the interior is rusty yet cozy. The chefs/owners were also really nice and asked us how we liked our food. I can just tell that this restaurant has a lot of heart and that every sandwich is crafted with care.

I'd absolutely recommend Smokehouse Sandwich Co. to anyone wanting sandwiches on par or better than Meat and Bread. But just to forewarn you, their hours are quite limited. It's 7:45am-4pm Monday-Friday and 10am-6pm on Saturdays.

Service Rating: 5/5
Food Rating: 5/5
Price: $

Overall Rating: 5/5

Happy Eating!

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