Life’s Short, Eat Dessert First.

June 15, 2015June 15, 2015Leave a comment

A quick summary of all that was tasty and delicious over the past few weeks. Including that time we had Bubbie’s ice cream before dinner.

Chili moco from Downbeat Diner

Spicy tuna with uni from Maguro Bros.

Sweet chili chicken chicken from Kaka’ako Kitchen

The “What the Pho?” sandwich from Kaka’ako Kitchen: Wagyu beef brisket, swiss cheese, sriracha aioli, on a taro hoagie with pho dipping sauce: “an ode to the Philly cheesesteak, French dip and pho.

French toast with cinnamon apples from Cafe Kaila

Took a quick hike up Diamond Head – starting with the little hikes per my sprained ankle.

And got the ritual shave ice afterward.

Lemon lime and POG shave ice with condensed milk from Waiola Shave Ice

Stuffed salmon

Steak burrito from Oahu Mexican Grill

And because we had some friends in town, we took them to drinks at House Without a Key

Green spaghetti from Goofy Cafe & Dine

Dim Sum overload at Mei Sum Dim Sum

Beer flight and mac and cheese from Honolulu Beer Works

Crab cakes eggs benedict from Cinnamon’s

Shave ice from Island Snow

The view of Kailua on our way back home

Homemade fried rice stuffed chicken and Asian noodles

What a view from Outback Steakhouse (yes, one of my favorite chains) at Hawaii Kai

Cookie butter macaron from Bubbie’s

Mochi ice cream assortment and “Multiple Orgasm” ice cream cake from Bubbie’s

The crazy delicious dinner from Mud Hen Water: yaki o pa’i’ai, grilled he’e (octopus) in luau leaves, cold ginger rabbit and puffed rice, oxtail risotto, and egg white topped kitchen cocktail.

Mochiko chicken and mochi waffles from The Nook

And with that, I am finally caught up!

Big Island Adventures – Day 1 – Up North on the Kohala Coast, Waimea, & Eating All the Things

May 31, 2015May 31, 2015Leave a comment

This Memorial Day Weekend, Matt and I took a trip over to one of the neighbor islands (my first neighbor island trip ever!) With 3 days, a full tank of rental car gas, and a Google Doc planned itinerary we started out our first day up north on the island.

Oh! But first here are some pictures from Matt’s birthday dinner at Roy’s. He was a good sport and let me take the pictures of him in the birthday hat they provided (thanks Roy’s!)

Round 1 of Matt’s birthday dinner! Roy’s Beachwalk Canoe: Szechuan Baby Back Ribs, Shrimp Sticks, Crispy Mini Crab Cakes, Chicken Spring Rolls & Spicy Tuna Roll.

Our entrees for the night: Beach Walk Trio: Hibachi Salmon, Macadamia Nut Crusted Monchong, Misoyaki Butterfish & Rice Crusted Hapuu’puu with Tomato Raviolis.

Happy Birthday Matt!

Also had a sushi-ritto from Up Roll Cafe in Kaka’ako for lunch on the day of our flight.

Salmon roll from Up Roll Cafe

Okay! Now for Big Island adventures. 🙂

The first place we visited was Hapuna Beach – white sand, lots of space (and convenient parking!), but because it was the first stop of the day it was a bit too cold to enjoy the water. Afterwards we visited Pu’ukohala Heiau (Temple of the Hill of the Whale) where King Kamehameha I built one of these last major Ancient Hawaiian Temples.

We even saw that there were a few newer offerings left at the site.

Since we hadn’t eaten anything since dinner on Oahu, we appropriately decided that our first real meal on Big Island should be the best burgers up north in Waimea.

Kahua Ranch wagyu beef burger with avocado and an egg, goop parmesan fries, and part of Matt’s chipotle goat cheese veal burger.

We also stopped by Waimea Coffee Company to load on caffeine before we hit the road again. I had a really yummy iced dirty chai, and Matt had the special of the day – a hand crafted spicy espresso beverage spiced up with cayenne pepper! We also shared a macaroon cause they were basically calling our name through the glass case.

The drive up the Kohala coast was beautiful – very different than driving on Oahu (we were pretty much the only ones on the road for most of the drive). We stopped by the original King Kamehameha statue (the one that was lost at sea) and drove all the way to the end of the highway at Pololu lookout.

After exploring Hawi for a bit, we rushed back to try Da Poke Shack before they closed – the #1 place on Yelp!

Wet Hawaiian poke, sesame baby octopus, & teriyaki calamari over furikake rice.

And because Matt knows I love eating al fresco, we booked dinner at Cafe Keei to watch the sunset and enjoy a really tasty dinner (although, my appetite was cut short from all the burgers and poke in one day).

Baked brie

Eggplant rolls

Enjoying my seafood soup while Matt eats the fresh catch of the day.

Lilikoi cheesecake for dessert

We also had some drinks at On the Rocks later that night – overall a busy first day to our long weekend! Next up, my first trip to see a volcano!

#Jessicalohakitchen – Cooking for Two & Everything Else You Can Chew

March 3, 2015March 3, 2015Leave a comment

Let’s get it straight, I am not eating for two (and plan on not eating for two for A WHILE) but I am now cooking for two. Hawaii grocery prices ($5 for a pack of mushrooms, really?) has caused this Trader Joe’s loyalist (uggh, I miss you $1.99 mushrooms) to get creative with the meals I’ve come up with.

Slow cooker beer battered Jack Daniels BBQ wings and stir fried veggies with a fried egg.

Steak night with grilled onions and shrimp with a side of veggies

Loco moco cauliflower fried rice

Italian meatball, shrimp, chicken, veggies pesto zucchini pasta

Filipino adobo with veggies

I’ve also gotten to experience old and new places after living in Hawaii for a month. One of our favorite places to eat (especially when we celebrate liking each other’s company for two years ;)) is Town in Kaimuki. The ingredients are local and the menu changes everyday. I highly recommend this place in case you’re in town for a few days (haha, get it).

Bruschetta, coppa di testa, collard greens, pecorino

Mahi mahi, local veggies, lim, meyer lemon

Bowl o’ polenta

Chicken leg, tatsoi, grapes, pancetta, torn bread, macadamia nuts

We normally get one of their delicious fruit sorbets, but I had picked us up something a little special from Cake Envy. An assortment of creme brulee, salted caramel, lilikoi, blueberry, white chocolate raspberry, and #jackdaniels double chocolate.

Ahi & Vegetable has a really great poke bento combo for whenever I’m treating myself to lunch at work.

Fresh catch of the day and furikake tempura catfish from Kaka’ako Kitchen were really delicious. Huge portions, fresh fish. Maybe 50% of the reason why I moved to Hawaii.

We also live near one of these great cafe/brunch/lunch places called Kaimana Farm Cafe. It was our second time going there and their muffins were fresh out of the oven (the one below is their cinnamon muffin but if they ever have their chocolate ones, you have to eat at least 3 of those!). They also have really delicious iced mochas and they serve them in mason jars — an easy way to win me over.

I think we’re at a good balance of home cooked meals for the work week and treating ourselves on the weekends, but I am still trying to think of tasty, healthy meals to cook during the work week. Any suggestions? =)

Celebrating My First Birthday Away From Home

February 15, 2015February 15, 2015Leave a comment

Despite living away from home for the last six years, NJ was always an hour train ride away whenever I need to see my family for my birthday weekend. However, since I decided to move to Hawaii, this would be my first birthday away from the east coast.

But no avail! The boyfriend truly made my day special as we ate and did some of my favorite things in Hawaii.

Ono Seafood

Diamond Head Hike

Later that evening he took me to a fantastic dinner at 3660 on the Rise in Kaimuki (the first place he tried creme brulee as a kid so I’m going to count it as an extra special place because creme brulee is delicious).

Ahi katsu – sashimi-grade ahi wrapped in nori and deep fried medium rare,â wasabi-ginger sauce

Taro bread

Soy Sake Fillet Of Butterfish – ire roasted bok choy & shiitake mushrooms, hatcho miso dashi nage

Kurobuta Pork Two Ways – crispy garlic scallion pork loin chop and braised pork belly, spinach with garlic and butter, asian flavored pan juices

Pasta with Tillamook Cheddar, Cream & Applewood Smoked Bacon, Truffled Crumb Topping

Symphony of Desserts – warm chocolate souffle cake. creme brulee, & cheesecake

Special Birthday Treat!

Thus completes my first as a 25-year-old. I now round up to 30 and still not sure how I feel about that yet.

Eating My Way Through My Last 2 Weeks in NYC.

February 11, 2015February 11, 2015Leave a comment

I’ve learned a few things about deciding to pick up your life and moving halfway around the world, but this is probably the most prevalent one: everyone who wants to catch up with you wants to eat with you.

My last week on the east coast was booked with old friends that wanted to catch up. . . and EAT. Here’s a delicious play-by-play of some of the delicious eats that I had during my last week in New York.

Ramenrittos from Press Tea in the West Village with my team members from work

Chocolate chip pancakes and Nutella milkshake from Tops Diner in Newark, NJ with my favorite sister (joke, I only have one)

Parmesan tortellini from Terra in Tribeca with my first boss ever and forever mentor

Chicken and Rice from the Halal Guys – 53rd & 3rd location with some co-workers

Fried chicken and waffles, chicken biscuit, mac and cheese, grits, and bourbon pecan pie from Pies and Thighs in the Lower East Side with my “little” from back in college

Omakase form Sushi Nakazawa in the West Village with my very good friend Victor

BBQ brisket, broccoli salad, and sweet potato pecan side from Mighty Quinn’s – downtown location at Hudson Eats

guacamole with ruby grapefruit salsa and warm crunchy tortillas

charred octopus, smoked paprika creme fraiche and guajillo vinaigrette

baby calamari stuﬀed with chorizo, celery root, chickpeas and basil

peekytoe crab fritters, chipotle mayosmall plates

spiced ground beef and celery root empanadas with tomato salsa

roasted turkey cuban sandwich, ﬂying pigs ham, dairyere cheese and pickles

salted caramel ‘impossible’ ﬂan

arroz con pollo, crackling skin and lemon zest

A smorgasburg of tapas from ABC Cocina (the charred octopus, arroz con pollo, and empanadas were my favorite!)

We also went to Dough afterwards and I definitely couldn’t fit anymore inside my stomach (let alone a doughnut), but how delicious did this spread look?

I still have many a things to eat next time I’m back in NYC, but I highly recommend all of the above!

Food Runs Everything About Me, FREAM (Can We Make FREAM Happen?)

October 27, 2014October 27, 2014Leave a comment

Since being back to the tri-state area, I had some catching up to do with friends & family – which is always a great excuse to eat really delicious food.

The Juicy Lucy from Whitman’s

Sushi assortment from Sushi Palace

Tacos from Otto’s Tacos

Pumpkin Chai Cronuts from Dominique Ansel Bakery

The feast from my lola’s 72nd birthday dinner

Korean Fried Chicken and Beer Towers in Korea Town.

South by Southwest Benedict from Queens Comfort

Peruvian Food from Pio Pio

Everything But the Kitchen Sink from The Meatball Shop

Shave Ice from Snow Days NYC

Homemade pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

We also celebrated one of my friend’s birthdays yesterday and was OVERWHELMED by the incredible pre-fixe menu from Birds & Bubbles.

It was just an INCREDIBLE meal with great service and great food. I highly recommend it if you haven’t been yet!

I am currently procrastinating a work out after writing this super indulgent post, but hope your eyes are now full from reading 🙂

Cruising in the Caribbean Part 3 – Grand Turk + The Cruise Perks!

October 24, 2014October 24, 20143 Comments

After spending our first few ports on really great and exciting excursions, my friends and I decided to take it easy during our last port – Turks & Caicos.

The view as soon as you get off of the ship.

Just hanging around 🙂

This friendly gentelman selling fresh coconuts.

Coconut trees

Sippin’ fresh coconut juice.

Despite promising ourselves a chill day, we did manage to do something crazy (aka my first speed boat ride).

After the Grand Turk (and a crazy pool party with a swim up bar) we did have one more day at sea – which I will now dedicate to some of my favorite parts of the cruise!

1. The food – When we weren’t eating at the buffet (and believe me, we ate at the buffet A LOT #24hourpizza), the ship had a great sit down restaurant, where we eventually made friends with the waiters and had our favorite table by the end of the trip.

From left to right: tofu steak, tuna tartar, fried chicken (I was craving it), and their delicious chocolate melt cake (which we had almost every dinner)

L to R: Stuffed oysters, huevos rancheros with a side of corned beef hash, frog legs, and a special order of adobo!

2. The towel animals – I’m a sucker for cute things, and these towel animals were no exception. We had a new animal in our room everyday and it was a nice surprise to see which animal would be next.

3. The view – despite hurricane season, the cruise had perfect weather. You could watch the lightning storms every night, but we’d always miss the rain and every afternoon was spent looking like this:

So that’s it! My first cruise under my belt and 4 new countries crossed off of the bucket list. So, I’m a fan! Thoughts on where the next cruise should be?

Stay tuned! I ate A LOT when I got back – and even had my first “yolo” last-minute vacation!

California Knows How to Party.

July 14, 2014July 14, 2014Leave a comment

After a doughnut and some rainy weather in NYC, it was finally time for my first ever trip to California! Here’s how you can claim the bay area in 4 days!

First stop as soon as we got out of SFO? In-N-Out of course! Animal style double-double is one of the definitions of happiness.

Afterwards my mom’s friend treated us to a Giants game at AT&T park. Which also had some of the best garlic fries I’ve had.

And we also did a little sightseeing around the car, visiting sights like Lombard street and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Afterwards we got some of the best bubble tea from T Pumps (taro, almond, coconut FTW!) and Mexican food from La Taqueria.

The next day we took a trip over to the Facebook sign (a community manager’s mecca) and had dinner at Patxis where I had my first deep dish pizza. NOM.

We also had another city day where we were able to visit the sights of Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Ghiradelli Square.

After spending some time with my roommate who I’ll miss forever at her house in San Jose, the gang and I headed over to Boiling Crab.

Overall, a great trip with great company. Guess I did leave a part of my heart in San Francisco.

Short and Sweet Updates!

July 8, 2014July 8, 2014Leave a comment

About 3 weeks ago, the one and only Dominique Ansel visited our offices and brought milk and cookie shots! Truly inspiring and such a kind and down-to-earth guy. Of course I had to take a selfie with him!

My best friends and I are also on a mission to get through my NYC bucket list, and I had my first Wafels and Dinges and BBQ from Mighty Quinn’s.

My sister also recently graduated from Rutgers University and I helped her do a couple of Pinterest-y things.

That cake was delish!

Hawaii Part 5: Sandbars, Eat the Street, and My Favorite Beach

June 23, 2014June 23, 2014Leave a comment

Most of Friday as spent at Kaneohe Sandbar – the largest sandbar in the world! If you don’t have your own private boat at the He’eia Pier, then Captain Bob‘s is the best way to get there! It was my second time going to the sandbar as I had recently been there in October, but it has easily become one of my favorite activities in Hawaii. You get to visit the sandbar (think standing in the middle of the ocean), go snorkeling, play volleyball, eat good food, and get a tour of some of the sights around the island. The staff is super friendly and I’ve had a fabulous time both times! One of the crew members even brought his ukelele on board and sang some tunes while we ate!

Since it was the last Friday of the month, Eat the Street was open. Super crowded, but the food was delicious! Soul Patrol may be one of my favorite trucks there because I love fusion foods. I had the fried chicken jambalaya and my boyfriend was able to snag the last order of crab mac and cheese. HUGE servings, but oh so delicious!

Also managed to snag some great lilikoi and blackberry lavendar lemonade from Wow Wow Lemonade (probably the longest line there, but I was able to beat it!)

We even grabbed some macarons from Cake Works.

Our last full day we spent at some of my favorite places in Kailua. First we went chocolate tasting while we waited for our table at Cinnamon’s. We had the kalua pork eggs benedict, the crab eggs benedict, and guava chiffon pancakes (a MUST EAT).

And then visited my favorite beach.

And then for dinner had really awesome Japanese food at Mr. Ojisan. I had my first deep fried soft shell crab and it was AMAZING.

And then we ended the perfect vacation eating Ono Pops.

And that’s that! Hawaii Part 5 has come to a close. I plan to FINALLY be caught up with my blog by the end of the week and hopefully plan my next trip to Hawaii by the end of next quarter.