While shopping at Royal Hawaiian Center the other day, we learned the Five Star International Buffet which was under construction for some time now was finally open. We had already eaten, but the friendly hostess invited us inside to take a look around. Buffet restaurants don’t usually inspire expectations of elegance, but this restaurant pleasantly defied my expectations. The interior design and furnishings and dimly lit bar counter are modern and stylish. The galley style buffet space is not visible from the dining areas, adding to the sophistication of the space, and the food is elegantly presented. The food is set out in small portions, and chefs in the elevated kitchen space directly behind the food keep a sharp eye out so it stays fresh and replenished. One look at the food presentation and I knew this restaurant was under Japanese management. Unfortunately I didn’t get to taste the cuisine, but I hope it tastes as good as it looks. Here’s a portion of the dinner offerings:

Sashimi:

Ikura with Yamaimo, Pork Kakuni in the back:

Chawanmushi and Nimono in the back:

Assorted maki and nigiri sushi:

Assorted tempura:

Shrimp and Scallop stir fry:

Desserts: 

Some Western dishes including pasta and beef stew?:

In addition, there were also chilled selections including shrimp cocktail, oysters, cheeses and various salads.

Pricing for lunch and dinner:

They have a small private room, so it would be perfect for a special occasion or small company gathering. It’s a little pricey so I’ll have to wait for the next special occasion, but I can’t wait to try it. I have a feeling this is one buffet I’ll leave feeling satisfied, but not overstuffed and hating myself.

MENU: View a sample menu on their website. 

Five Star International Buffet
Royal Hawaiian Center, Bldg C, Level 3 (by Forever 21)
2201 Kalakaua Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
808.380.9300

Hours (see above photo)

Natto onigiri and miso soup with onions and zucchini.

Natto is one of my favorite musubi fillings. Natto musubis are hard to find nowadays, but for a brief period in the mid-90s Family Mart (a convenience store chain in Japan) used to carry it. After school, my friends and I, in our Japanese school uniforms, used to love going to the nearby ファミマ “Fami-Ma” to buy snacks. I was in love with their natto musubi.

There are various theories online about why natto musubis are rarely sold today, when natto maki sushi can be found anywhere. Apparently the mix of warm rice combined with the live cultures in the fermented natto doesn’t make for an ideal situation, food safety-wise and smell-wise. I guess it’s just easier to deal with served with cold sushi rice (thanks to the antibacterial effects of vinegar).

But, I say, they’re just not the same – one is not a substitution for the other! I love natto maki too, but I also love natto musubis in a different way. I make both at home, depending on which one I’m in the mood for: hikiwari (finely chopped) natto is the only way to go for natto maki and shiso leaves are a must. For the musubi I prefer the larger whole beans seasoned well with shoyu and a generous sprinkling of salt on the outside of the rice ball. It’s a little sticky and messy (watch out for that falling bean!) but SO worth it.

The holiday season was a blur. Christmas weekend was spent chilling with FIL from Maui. We started with a picnic with food from Gulick Deli, and basically continued our eat-a-thon for the rest of the weekend.

Also for the first time in my life I had my car stolen over Christmas, which made for a little post-Christmas excitement. Not to worry, it was recovered a few days later undamaged.

Over New Years we were thrilled to welcome BIL4 and SIL4 home from Los Angeles, with MIL joining from Maui. Dinner at our place this year was rather quiet without the fireworks but festive nonetheless. I only remembered to snap a few photos of the sushi rice “cake” and corn kakiage I made before everyone arrived and I got busy.

2011 was a whirlwind of a year – I continued to work on developing my business, spent lots of time with family, ate well, etc. It was the first year in a long time we didn’t travel anywhere, so I think we’re overdue for a trip this year. I feel island fever coming on, and seriously miss Japan. 2011 also brought about the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, which changed our family’s life forever, although we’re blessed to be alive and well.

I have a feeling 2012 will be a good year for us.

Wishing all of you a wonderful 2012 too!

Fresh picked Manoa lettuce and tomatoes will garnish a potato salad tonight.

The basil… has… won. No amount of caprese salad or pesto sauce can help me now. I… give… up.

On a recent outing to Ko Olina, we enjoyed lunch and a stroll through the impressive grounds of Disney’s newly built Aulani Resort. It’s no theme park, but with a waterpark-like pool area, cheery cast members and the occasional Mickey Mouse sighting, you can still feel a bit of Disney magic in the air.

‘Ama ‘Ama is a beachfront restaurant combining breathtaking views, a laid-back retro interior and standard but tastefully done menu offerings. As soon as you enter the restaurant, your eyes are guided straight through to the panoramic ocean blue:

For lunch we enjoyed a fun presentation of Kahuku Corn Chowder ($9.00): the potage is poured into a bowl over bacon powder, lomi salmon, and taro chips, to be stirred together.

Chargrilled Vegetable Sandwich ($12.00): portabello mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini on focaccia with basil aioli. Served with field greens.

Today’s Hawaiian Sustainable Catch (Fish) Tacos, $19.00, with slaw and salsa, served with sweet potato fries. This was refreshing and light, with fresh cilantro. The sweet potato fries were addictive.

Grilled Sirloin Steak ($24.00) with sauteed mushrooms and sweet potato fries.

Lilikoi Meringe Mousse with Caramelized Bananas ($10.00): this was delicious and just the right size!

Spacious Ko Olina Resort is a nice escape from the usual where you can experience a neighbor island feel without having to hop on  a plane. Whether you go for lunch or for the weekend, you’re sure to go home feeling refreshed and relaxed.

MENU: View the menus on their website
PARKING: Complimentary self-parking for up to 4 hours with dining validation (minimum $35.00 purchase)

‘Ama ‘Ama
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa
92-1185 Ali’inui Drive
Kapolei, HI 96707
808.674.6200

Breakfast 7:00a-11:00a
Lunch 11:30a-3:00p
Dinner 5:30p-10:00p

We eat a lot of bread. With a loaf of decent bread costing five, six dollars these days, it makes bread baking all the more gratifying. I have a go-to recipe that’s delicious as is, but also works as a great base to add mix-ins and toppings to like caramelized onions & mushrooms, cinnamon sugar & raisins, rosemary & parmesan, whatever. You can shape it as a loaf or cut into individual rolls.

What initially attracted me to this recipe was, well, its promising name: “Super Easy Bread for Beginners”. Well, I’m happy to report that it is indeed super easy and comes out great every time!

Click here for Super Easy Bread for Beginners Recipe from About.com

My notes:

• I always end up using about 3 and 1/2 cups flour total for a dough that’s not dry but doesn’t stick
• I don’t knead on the counter. I start with a large bowl and knead and punch right inside the bowl. It beats wiping up flour from all over the kitchen counter and floor.
• From start to finish when it goes in the baking pan, I only use the one bowl. When you don’t have a dishwasher, you learn to streamline.

My favorite kitchen gadget these days? My iPad. There’s no longer the need to go back and forth to the computer to double-check or print out recipes. The internet is a fantastic resource for inspirations and my iPad literally allows me to cook while consulting the internet. The bonus:  being able to Skype with my family while washing the dishes!

Hubby spent Thanksgiving morning peeling, coring, and cutting 5 pounds of apples for our joint project: Old Fashioned Apple Crisp (recipe from Ina Garten, Food Network – SO good). At night we headed to SIL2′s house in Mililani. With MIL in from Maui and SIL2′s In-Laws too, it was a big family gathering of about 18 people.

Dinner was of course a mashup of traditional & local flavors.  The star of the show was SIL2′s butter basted turkey served with rosemary gravy and cornbread pecan stuffing:

Mashed potatoes (by SIL2′s SIL) – I LOVE the bold garnish of straight up bacon strips! (Epic Meal Time, anyone?)

Corn casserole (by SIL2′s MIL), Potato Salad (BIL1), Watercress shiraae (by my MIL)

Tempura veggies and crispy gaugee (SIL2′s MIL)

Pasta with Shrimp and Vegetables (MIL)

Oriental Salad (SIL2′s SIL)

and a beautiful vegetable platter (SIL1)

For dessert we had pumpkin pie (SIL1), Rum Cake and Chocolate Cake (SIL’s cousin) and Apple Crisp.

Stuffed and satisfied, in the car ride home I started listing the things I was thankful for. Then Hubby laughed and said “I was wondering when you were going to do that today – you do the same thing every year.” I don’t remember doing it every year, but I guess I do. What can I say? I am truly blessed and have a lot to be thankful for.

P.S. If you’re new to this blog and are confused by the acronyms, here’s a quick legend of the main characters:

• SIL = Sister in Law (I have so many, I number mine to keep them organized)
• MIL = Mother in Law
• BIL = Brother in Law

… and so forth.

When my mom used to cook with lotus root when I was little, I liked to play with them because they reminded me of the dials on old-school telephones. Now they just look a little creepy, like little spore monsters. れんこんの挟み焼き(Renkon-no-hasamiyaki) is a popular and healthy Japanese dish, combining the crunchy texture of the lotus root with a meat filling.

Ground chicken, about 1lb
A dash of salt, sake, and ground ginger to season the chicken
Lotus root, 1 medium-sized section
Cornstarch
Oil

Season ground chicken with whatever you like (I used sake, salt, ground ginger) and mix well.

Peel lotus root and cut into 1/4 inch thin slices. Soak for a few minutes in water + a dash of vinegar, then drain.

Dust one side of the lotus root slices with cornstarch. This cornstarch acts to bind the chicken to the lotus root, so assemble the sandwich by using cornstarch dusted sides on the “insides” of the sandwich (think of it as the mayo of the sandwich). Spoon some chicken onto a lotus slice, then press another slice down gently on top, so that some of the chicken “oozes” a bit into the holes. (This picture below looks like the corn starch side is on the outside, but it’s not – it just got messy from the extra cornstarch).

Heat a pan with some oil and cook the sandwiches with the lid on until the meat is done, then lift the lid and finish frying until both sides are golden. I coated mine in teriyaki sauce at the end, but you can enjoy it as is, dipped in ponzu sauce, kochujang, or whatever. Variations: ground pork works well too, or you could coat the whole sandwich in cornstarch and deep-fry.

Oysters with Three Sauces ($12.00)

Bigeye Tuna Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing ($24.00)

Warm Mushroom Salad ($19.00)

Assortment of Sushi

Assortment of Tempura: Asparagus ($3.50), Kahuku Corn Kakiage ($11.00), White Fish ($7.00).

And Bubbies Mochi Ice Cream ($8.00/3pc)

One recurring theme in the dishes at Nobu is the lovely fragrance of yuzu, a citrus. Living in Hawaii provides easy access to most Japanese ingredients, but it’s the fleeting scents of rarely seen herbs like yuzu, mitsuba, and sansho leaves that fill my heart with nostalgia.

MENU: View the menu on their website.

Nobu Waikiki
Ground level of Waikiki Parc
2233 Helumoa Road
Honolulu, HI 96815
808.237.6999

Dinner:
Sun-Thu 5:30p-10:00p
Fri-Sat 5:30p-10:30p

Bar Lounge:
Daily 5:00p-12:00a

Avocado, arugula, tomato with pesto on baguette. Putting all that basil to good use!