Posts Tagged ‘Travel Honolulu’

Holiday in Hawaii #5

{ January 10, 2010 @ 4:55 am } · { Travel, Travel Hawaii }
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New Year’s Eve is the best day of the year in Hawaii. Dinner, dessert, fireworks and as a topper, saimin and soba. It’s pure heaven……

New Year’s Eve is a huge day of celebrating the end of the current year while welcoming in the new year. This year was no exception. We ate a wonderful dinner, consisting of black beans (“kudo mame”) for a healthy life, burdock root (“gobo”), kanten and grapes, crab salad, edamame rice, stuffed konbu with chicken and pork, and teriyaki chicken and beef. And the layered jello — yes, that was the biggest hit of all — no restaurant or bakery can top it!! mmm mmm good. Our cousins, the chefs, did a wonderful job. Everything was awesome!!!

Later in the evening, the celebration began with a flood of police cars gathering in the front of our cousin’s house. Everyone was looking at a camaro that was abandoned in our driveway. Apparently, a drunk woman was side-swiping all of the cars in her path….even though her right front tire was flat, she used the momentum from her rear-wheel drive to keep going. The police caught her just in the nick of time…our car was next in her line of fire……Happy New Year to us!!!! She was later arrested, and her car towed. Good for her…..drunk drivers have no place in society. So many people could have been injured as a result of her negligence.

In any event, they got her car towed in time for our fireworks showdown. We had almost every ‘legal’ kind of fireworks available — spinners, whirly wheels, strings, twirlers, shooters, butterflies, stars….you name it. We had it!!! We managed to play for two+ hours straight, up until the finale at midnight, where we lit up a long string of fireworks, coupled with seven firework ‘bombs’. Most of the neighbors also set of their fireworks at that time, so it was loud. Really loud. This also produced a vast array of smoke, which clouded the valley for a few minutes. It’s too bad that it’s not easy to post videos through this site….we got some great ones of the fireworks going off. It was an awesome way to bring in the new year. At the stroke of midnight, everyone hugged one another and wished each other a ‘Happy New Year’. The light rains then came through and washed the smoke away.

Our neighbors were sending up aerials throughout the evening, which were amazing. However, we’re not sure how they managed to get them since they’re not legal in Hawaii. Every year, there’s always a fear that the aerials will burn down a few homes, as you never quite know where they’ll land. These are serious. When they go off, it’s like a bomb, shaking the grounds around you.

After our fireworks showdown, we ate our dessert (Macadamia Nut Cream Pie and Dream Cake) and a bowl of soba and saimin. It was delicious…..with authentic Japanese broth……We laughed at and with each other. At a point in time, Aunty almost choked because of a funny comment that was made……

It was so much fun…..we definitely look forward to sharing this time with family next year…..

Holiday in Hawaii #4

{ January 10, 2010 @ 4:38 am } · { Travel, Travel Hawaii }
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The weather here has been awesome…..it’s been sunny every day, unlike in the states, where it’s cold and rainy. Love it here!!!!

We drove up to the clubhouse at Hawaii Loa Ridge and captured the scenic beauty of the island. When you look at Diamond Head from the Waikiki area, you get a much different perspective than what is in these photos. Yes, there really is a crater at the top.

We then went to lunch at Koko Marina. Our friends have a house in the marina, so instead of driving and having to find parking at this time of year, we simply took the boat across to the restaurant. We ate among the ducks, who where scavenging for additional scrap.

The cat belongs to our friends. It’s not just an ordinary cat — it’s a bengal cat that is now banned for sale in Hawaii. When we first saw him, we noted that he had leopardlike characteristics, with defined spots. It also has a white line under his eyes, which are prominent in predator-like animals. Instead of a soft meow, he made a sound more like a wild animal. Unlike most cats that are aloof, this one was very friendly. But in his hay day, he used to terrorize the cats in the neighborhood, watching them from high up in the trees (just like a leopard) and getting into brutal fights with them. Look at his ears, portions of them have been chewed off.

Costco happens to be nearby and in preparation for our New Year’s celebration, we bought some wine and a prime rib. We also needed to get some ingredients for our delicious custard pie. Many customers were buying fireworks for the ‘Eve’, where it’s legal to play them. I love being here this time of year to share the events and festivities with family. It’s a lot of fun, especially for all of the ‘firebugs’!!! Furthermore, the food that we share with family is great (“ono”).

Holiday in Hawaii #3

{ January 10, 2010 @ 4:32 am } · { Travel, Travel Hawaii }
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We thought that we’d try to walk from Palolo Valley to the Koolau Range, which is probably a five hour hike, especially since we’re no longer spring chickens. We thought nothing of a five hour hike — we walk that in the Bay Area all the time. When we approached the entry down to the river, however, we questioned whether we were at the right place. We then asked ourselves whether we were doing the right thing. The entry was dark, with trees and brush shading the path. It was also narrow and steep, with a rope lining the path to prevent the hikers from slipping too far down the muddy path.

From the start, we knew that we underestimated the terrain. After we got down to the river, there was no path to speak of. The banks were muddy and steep, with overgrown brush. At times, you had to cross the river to be able to advance further. The river, on the otherhand, was full of large, mossy rocks that you had to climb through. Despite the difficult terrain, it was very beautiful and serene, with only the sound of trickling water. Surprisingly, there were no mosquitos. It’s a very unspoiled part of Hawaii and if you’re traveling in a group, it’s well worth the effort. After a half hour or so, we think that we made it to the first of two waterfalls. While the waterfall was a bit small, the setting was beautiful. We walked a little further, hoping that the terrain would improve. Naturally, it didn’t….

We then had the wherewithal to test the cell phone coverage in the area. Unbeknownst to us, there was no signal down under. At that point, we decided that we were not quite equipped to go any further. With there being only two of us in this seemingly deserted area, and without any cell phone coverage, we didn’t want to be a casualty that would require a rescue mission to find us. Further, we didn’t want to be the headliner for the Honolulu Advertiser, “Two Crazy Hikers Lifted From River”. Meanwhile, as we’re airlifted from the valley, we look like beaten down rats, having had a field day in the mud. With that, we turned back and made the climb back out of the river. After an hour of climbing up and over the slippery rocks and slogging through the banks of the river, our legs felt like rubber. We weren’t used to using the muscles in our thighs and calves. It hurt, even to walk down a slight incline (on paved road) to get from the river back to mom’s house.

On our way back, we stopped at Kawamoto’s Nursery, which had some beautifully colored orchids, in different shapes and sizes. Although we didn’t buy any, we took a lot of pictures for everyone to enjoy.

That evening, we met up with friends at Shokudo’s….great food and reasonable prices. Love the colorful interior as well! We played with the camera and got some cool pictures.

More to come…

Holiday in Hawaii #2

{ January 10, 2010 @ 1:41 am } · { Food, Recipes, Travel, Travel Hawaii }
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During the holidays, we like to spend time with family and friends here on the island. Every Sunday before New Year’s, we pound mochi with mom’s friends of 20+ years. It’s been a tradition from the ‘80s and sadly, it was announced that this would be our last year. The second generation is getting up in age and it’s now difficult for them to carry on this tradition. Pounding 100 pounds of mochi takes strength and endurance, even though there is a grinder that turns the steamed mochi rice into a rough, pasty consistency. We have a family tradition of eating mochi on New Year’s Day, and we generally decorate the house with a set of two stacked mochi and a tangerine for good luck. We found that the hand-made mochi is so much better than the store-purchased ones. The extra pounding, sweat and dirt that you get from home-made mochi make it so much more delicious. Often, there are 10 to 12 guys that would do the pounding, which would go from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with ‘Jimmy’, our wonderful guide, directing the efforts and making sure that the mochi is the right consistency. Mallets made of the hau tree are used to pound the mochi, one strike after the next. As the mochi is beaten, the mochi would sometimes fly out of the mochi receptacle (a stone) and on to the cement floor. It would be poho (a waste) to throw it away, so we pick off the dirt and put it back into the receptacle to be pounded again. We laugh about it and tell everyone, “Shhh, no say anyting”. Eventually, what goes in will make its way out. What’s a little bit of dirt?

Half way through the pounding, we got the scare of our life when Jimmy was injured. The accident happened so quickly that we weren’t quite sure what transpired. We didn’t know if the head of the mallet flew off and hit Jimmy or if the mallet was misfired while pounding the mochi. Jimmy was taken to the hospital, and a few stitches later, he was back pounding the mochi. He’s truly an amazing man and an inspiration to the younger generation. We always use the phrase, “Gambat’te”, which in Japanese means to ‘keep trying”.

While the men pound the mochi, the women and children cut the mochi to size, shape it and roll it in potato starch to prevent the mochi from sticking together. Although my parents have been helping for the past 20 years, we’ve only been doing it for the past three years. It has been something that we look forward to every year when we return to Hawaii. Since we won’t be having this any more, we’re hoping to buy the mochi stone and mallets so that we can continue a little piece of the tradition. We can’t have as big a production as we did in the past, but it’s sad to see the tradition die.

Later that day, we met new friends (Neenz (from McKinley High School – yay – go Tigers!), Ed, Zen, Noe, Jayden, Chelsea and Jill) from ‘Grilled Cornbread,’ the largest social media group in Hawaii. We love the food in Hawaii, so Joseph asked Neenz if she could bring some spam musubi for us to eat. She brought that, along with a Macadamia Nut Cream Pie from Ted’s and some Hawaiian Sun drinks. The food was delicious (‘ono’) and we had a wonderful time visiting with everyone. We know that the partnership with them will bring a lifelong friendship.

For our first gathering, we met at Ala Moana Beach and Park, which Neenz suggested and which conjured up many fond memories for me. Back in the good ‘ole days, we had kenjinkai picnics with families from the same prefecture as my dad’s. As children, we were so happy to be able to win prizes by running the ‘geta’ (double slipper) race and many different individual and relay races. Our parents used to love the vegetable picking grab, where they’d scatter vegetables and rice and have to retrieve as much of it as they could possibly hold. Our families would prepare a lot of food, including barbecue beef and chicken, musubi, manapua, watermelon, and macaroni salad, that we’d have for lunch and dinner. Shaved ice would be available all day and this was a special treat for us all. Later in the day, we’d all go to the beach and swim to the reef, where we’d pick pipipi (periwinkle) off the rocks. We’d go back to the picnic area and broil it on the grill and eat it for dinner. These were some very special times and we’d look forward to this gathering every year.

We took a few friends around the island and stopped at the Pali Lookout, Chinaman’s Hat, which from the photo, you’ll know why. We also stopped at Sunset Beach and saw the waves pounding the sands. It’s amazing how surfers are able to negotiate the 30-foot walls. Our last stop before heading back to the south shore was Matsumoto’s Shaved Ice. Because of its reputation, the lines were extremely long, with the overflow going to Aoki’s, the shaved ice stand next door. Although the shaved ice was good, there are a lot of great shaved ice places on the island.

Below is a mochi soup recipe that we love to eat for breakfast on New Year’s Day:

1 Can Hokkigai Clams — it’s very expensive so you can use a substitute; 5 Dried Shrimps (put in a tea strainer so that it can easily be removed); 2 Qts Water; 2T Soy Sauce; 2 Bunches of Arugala; Salt to taste; Mochi (as many as you want). Boil the clams, water, soy sauce and shrimps. Add the mochi. When the mochi is almost done, add the arugala and salt to taste.  It’s a light soup, but very delicious.

Holiday in Hawaii

{ January 10, 2010 @ 1:26 am } · { Travel, Travel Hawaii }
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Who would have thought that the airport would be crowded on Christmas Day? Everyone should already be with their families, opening gifts and planning the meal for the evening. Obviously, that wasn’t the case. We were surprised at the lines at the airport, especially if you were checking bags through the economy check-in line at United. Once we cleared through security, the crowds seemed to follow us. The seats in the waiting areas were full and there were passengers lying along the railings. Whereas we thought the plane would be half-full, the airlines had overbooked the flight. The flight attendants they were scouring the plane in search of all of the empty seats. After all said and done, they were able to accommodate only one passenger off their waitlist. With that, we were off to the beautiful sands of Oahu.

Again, who would have thought that most of the restaurants would not have any availability on Christmas Day. We called Hokus, and they were booked, even at $90/person for a set menu. The economy must definitely be on the mend. We called Orchids and they only had a 9:00 p.m. reservation available. Alan Wong’s was booked. Bali by the Sea didn’t have any availability. Most of the steakhouses that we tried were completely full, including Hy’s and Morton’s. It was crazy. Finally, we were able to get a reservation at the Hau Tree Lanai, which happened to have great lamb chops at reasonable prices. The seating was awesome, just a few feet from the ocean, with tiki torches keeping the night aglow. It was paradise….warm and cozy, with the gentle sea breezes and kamaaina hospitality. The hau tree was like a canopy, blanketing the lanai and creating a very romantic setting for the guests. What followed was the moment of the evening, as we asked, “What’s the name of this tree?” After our waiter quietly whispered the name, we had to laugh. “Duh!” How could we have asked that question? What were we thinking…or were we not?

The next morning, we woke up early to the sounds of chickens and roosters. We got adventurous and decided to figure out how to walk from Palolo Valley to the Koolau range. After many false starts, we thought that we knew how to do it. As we approached the end of the public road, there were a number of signs with the word “kapu”, or sacred on them. This was apparently private property that we were entering. After taking a step or so into the private drive, a huge muscular dog came running at us, barking and showing us some canine. We tried to calm him, but he was fearless and for our safety, we decided to retreat. Immediately outside of the private property was a small trail leading down to the riverbed. At first, we questioned if that was the way down. It was very steep and it didn’t look as though it was a path that was well traversed. We asked some of the local residents and they confirmed that was the way down. However, after having walked a lot to get to where we were, we decided to defer our plans and to make the attempt another day.

On our way back, we stopped at a beautiful Korean temple that is very well maintained. We took a few interesting pictures, very zen-like, with different patterns and textures.

That evening, we ate at Golden Duck, a local Cantonese eatery with family. Having eaten at a number of high-end Chinese restaurants, Golden Duck doesn’t take a back seat to any of them. It may not have the ambience that the others have, but the food is good and the service is fast.

More to come…