Manoa Falls

I’ve worked in Manoa for almost 8 years now but have never been on the Manoa Falls Trail.  As beautiful as it was – I’m not sure how fast I will be rushing back to this place.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s gorgeous and the waterfall you see at the end is amazing…but getting there is dangerous!  I must have gone on a very wet day because it was SO muddy.  I also had to hold the hand of a scared 4 year old which didn’t help my balance at all.  But it was definitely a good experience to try.  I give props to people who can make it through without slipping!  I had to chuckle to myself when I was walking back down and encountered women going up with jewel encrusted slippers, they certainly didn’t do their research.

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Bob’s Bar-B-Que

I have lived in Kalihi almost all my life and I’ve visited Bob’s maybe once before this visit.  I can’t believe it.  So I got to try this place twice in the past month to try out their dishes.  I see why they are so busy all the time, finger licking greasy plate lunches are always popular.

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I wasn’t sure what to try so I went for the BBQ Ribs.  Yeah, I really didn’t know their system.  This is their combo plate with the fried shrimp.  Look at the size of that rib.  It’s insane.  My experience was just all right.  The portion is crazy big but if the quality isn’t there, is it worth it?  The ribs I got were super dry, I expect rib meat to be luscious and falling off the bone.  It was hard to get the meat off the bone and the meat on the edges of these ribs were rock hard.

I figured I got the wrong dish so when I went back, I tried the BBQ short ribs and those were definitely better.  Oh!  And it was only in my second visit that I realized what their ordering system was.  “Snack” is considered to be their mini plate and Dinner is I guess their regular plate?  The thing is, their “snack” size is the size of a regular plate lunch in all other places (meaning you get two scoops of rice, mac salad/toss and your meat) so the dinner size…must be HUGE.  I don’t think I’ll be coming as a regular but will definitely give Bob’s a try once in a while.  Too many food choices in Kalihi, the hidden food mecca to stick to one place!

 

The Pig and the Lady

Here is my hotly anticipated post for The Pig and the Lady.  Ha!  Here is the huge tent they have.  Have you ever been to their tent?  They’ve got quite a system going on there!  There must have been about 10 people working the food line – all of them are so nice.  The cashier was wonderful even though they are so busy, she was not at all frazzled.  The person who gave out food was very friendly too and I think service makes such a big difference in the dining experience.  And I’m not talking anything over the top, they were just genuinely nice people so it made the experience all the better.

Okay customer service lecture done.  How cute is that piggy hanging on their tent?  Hehe….

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Succulents

I never had experience with succulents before.  In fact, it was this past December that I even knew of their existence!  I was able to take home two cute succulent plants from a Christmas party and have loved them ever since!  I’m assuming succulents are one of the easiest plants to take care of, but I can say with full confidence that I will find a way to kill them.  They are still alive though, lol!  Well here is a cute plant I found that I gifted my coworker recently for her birthday.  I thought it was put together so nicely and she seemed to enjoy it.  🙂  Just wanted to share pictures of it…

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Honolulu Farmers’ Market – Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall

Don’t you love how Farmers’ Markets are now like basically an excuse to eat so much ono food?  I do.  I appreciate the fresh fruits and veggies but I appreciate the food even more!  I’ve been wanting to try the Honolulu Farmers’ Market for a while now, the list of food vendors is killer!  The Pig and the Lady is the place I’ve wanted to try for the longest time!  I did get to try it this trip but will post the pictures and review of them in a separate post (they deserve it!).  Do you have any favorite farmers’ markets?

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So much food, not enough hunger!

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Goma Tei Ramen – Ward Center

I love me some Tan Tan Ramen.  Do you have a place that serves your favorite Tan Tan?  I’ve gotta give it up to Goma Tei Ramen because this is the first place I have ever tried Tan Tan Ramen.  Tan Tan Ramen’s broth looks thick with sesame murkiness but the broth doesn’t taste as thick as it looks.  I’ve been coming here ever since they opened but haven’t been back in over a year.  I was starting to get disappointed in my previous visits because I felt like they were making changes that affected the quality.  So how did this visit fare?   Let’s explore.

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Let my Wakame Tan Tan Ramen lure you in…

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Makapu’u

I’ve been a bit of a hiking fiend as of late.  I’ve done three hikes in about three weeks, not bad huh?  This was the one that started it all.  Makapu’u is definitely an easier hike – even for someone who’s horribly out of shape like me…lol.  It was a nice hike and you get such a beautiful view at the end.  It was also very windy up there – although it was very hot in the middle of the path.  We went at the perfect time, right before sunset so we got to watch the sky turn all kinds of colors as we returned down.  It was gorgeous, I plan to share my pictures very soon.  I’m sorry for the lack of updates – I’ve been a bit stressed at work so I’ve come home exhausted.  Let me share this one picture of the lighthouse I got from this hike.  It sounds weird but lighthouses remind me of the mainland from the movies…so when I saw it in person – I felt like I was in the mainland.  Do you get that?  Hehe…hope you all have a great week.

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Bambu Desserts and Drinks

I have been so bad at updating lately.  I think I need to go back to scheduling a few posts at a time.  When it comes to the work week, I get very tired and am not able to update at night.  Can I share with you my current favorite?  I tried out Bambu Desserts and Drinks about a month or so ago and absolutely loved it.  They specialize in Vietnamese desserts.  I get the number 10, I don’t even know what it’s called but all I can think about is #10 all the time.  It contains coconut milk, grass jelly, red tapioca and pandan jelly.  It’s amazing.  In my past visit, I learned that you can substitute the insides as well!  I haven’t always been a big fan of the grass jelly so I decided to try the basil seeds this time.  Not bad, it doesn’t really have a taste much like chia seeds.  I think the next time I will ask for half pandan and half red tapioca.  Yummy…

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Lucky Belly – Honolulu, Hawaii

Please let me start off this post with an apology.  I had taken a long break from taking pictures and posting on my blog so these pictures were part of my first “session.”  Needless to say, these pictures did not come out great.

I had the pleasure of enjoying a wonderful after-work dinner at Lucky Belly a few weeks back.  I had some great eats but even greater company.  I used to avoid dining in Chinatown at night because I wasn’t sure where I could park but they have so many municipal lots!  Affordable and close by, I will definitely try out more restaurants in Chinatown in the near future.

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Let the lamb lumpia lure you in…

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Peaceful Place

Are there rules about cemeteries and picture taking?  I certainly hope not.  Sometimes when I visit my mom’s grave, I like to take pictures of the pretty flowers we place for her.  She is buried in such a wonderful spot.  In one direction, you can see lush mountains.  Then you turn around and you have a breathtaking view of the ocean.  Doesn’t that sound nice?  Cemeteries always conjure such scary thoughts but my mom is buried in a very nice place with tons of open air and light.

A few years back, a peacock was around while I visited her.  I’m not sure where it came from but it was beautiful.  I got pictures of that too!  If I can find them, I will share them one day.  Hope everyone is doing well.  Have a great 4th of July everyone!

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