The Lunchbox

The Pig and The Lady

2011-07-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

The Pig and The Lady, Hawaii's newest "Pop-Up" Restaurant located in the space of Hanks Haute Dogs during dinner time. What's a "Pop-Up" Restaurant? Basically it's a temporary restaurant that uses the facilities of another restaurant. The purpose is to showcase the abilities of an up and coming chef. In this case it features the cooking style of Chef Andrew Le. Graduate of CIA, previous Sous Chef at Chef Mavro. Andrew Le has partnered up with Social Media Foodie, Martha Cheng and together they form The Pig and The Lady. Currently they are in their second menu (which rotates about every two weeks), and each menu stays close to Chef Le's roots showcasing traditional Vietnamese food.

Dinner service starts at about 7:30 PM so when i arrived at my table with my two friends we already had food in front of us to share with each other. One bowl was filled with Do Chua, Traditional Pickled Vegetables. I've only seen it with Carrots and Daikon but this also had Cucumbers and Green Beans. In the other bowl was something like a Shrimp Chip. I've had Shrimp Chips Chinese style and these Shrimp Chip like things from Vietnamese restaurants and the difference is that the Chinese Version melts in your mouth as you eat it and the Vietnamese version is crunchy. Chef Le's version is basically a combination of both. As you put the chip in your mouth, it starts to melt on your lips but is still crunchy as you eat it. Extremely fascinating and wonderful!

After a quick word from Martha Cheng and Chef Le, we began with our dinner! Now keep in mind this was my first "Multi-Course" Dinner. We started our five course journey with the first dish; Kajiki Sashimi with Picked Asian Pear, Toasted Rice Puff, Banana Blossom Salad and a Kaffir Lime Sauce. First off the dish looks amazing. Beautifully presented being very simple yet elegant. The first thing I tasted was the Kaffir Lime sauce. COMPLETELY OUT OF THIS WORLD. It was bad actually, bad that my mouth started to salivate and I drooled a little bit. My friend laughed that it happened but i was excited and happy! I dove in the dish getting the perfect bite of everything. Every item on the plate spoke for themselves and nothing overpowered anything. The dish even had some crispy bits of Galangal and that added a nice bite to the dish. From the first bite i had on this dish, I knew this dinner was going to be awesome.

Our second course came out soon after. It was a Slow Poached Egg, Stuffed Tomatoes, Shimeji Mushrooms, Toasted Baguette and a Maggi Jus. They went over that the Poached Egg was Poached for over an hour so it would have velvety whites and a creamy yolk. The Stuffed Tomato made me feel like i was eating a "Spring Roll Tomato" since the filling of it tasted like that of a Spring Roll. The Local Watercress from Kaimuki was great. I've never really had local watercress before and i really enjoyed this one. And of course the main star of the dish was the Slow Poached Egg. It added creaminess and body to the dish. It made it all rich and it was great to slobber up with the toasted baguette. I was glad that the waiter brought out more baguettes for us to eat it with cause if not i would've licked my plate!

The Third Course was the course my friends were extremely excited for. It was a Duo of Pork featuring Crispy Confit of Pork Belly, Grilled Pork Sausage, Pressed Vermicelli Noodles and a Lemongrass Pork Jus. My favorite part of this dish was the sausage, hands down. The Sausage exploded with flavor. And when you ate with the Vermicelli and some of the vegetables it was just a perfect bite. The Sauce was a great compliment to everything adding that nice touch of Lemongrass. Personally i would rather have more Sausage then have the Pork Belly but both were great. My only complaint if any was the the Crispy Skin of the Belly was too Crispy. Other then that this dish was great.

For the Fourth Course, Chef Le brought his mom out and explained that this dish was taken from her book and was as traditional Vietnamese as you can get. Before we even go the food, you could smell the aroma of the broth and it was lovely. Broth, Noodles, Chicken, Shrimp, Fish and Crispy Pork Fat was all that was in the bowl in front of me and it was incredible. Chef Le's Mom also walked around the room dropping spoonfulls of homemade Garlic Chili into our bowls if we desired and of course i said yes! It added another layer of flavor in this bowl of goodness and i wanted more. I slurped down the entire bowl and even all the broth because it was so good! I even made the comment that i wanted another bowl and i'd pay 10 dollars for it! AHH so good.

Now, the last course, the dessert, THE THING I WAS WAITING FOR THE MOST!! Now first off i'm definitely not a sweets guy, i don't order dessert a lot so for me to be extremely excited for this, its amazing. Coconut Pandan Toast, Lychee, Basil Seeds, Thai Basil, Vanilla Ice Cream, Coconut Powder all served with Vietnamese Coffee. Basically Chef Le's play on Coffee and Toast. Since i know most people don't know what Pandan is it's basically the South Eastern Asian Version of Vanilla (As Chef Le would put it). So let's see...this dish was the best dish of the meal. The Perfect Bite? Getting that bit of toast with Pandan, Ice Cream, Coconut powder and the Lilikoi Basil Seeed Sauce with the Thai Basil Leaf, instant freaking Narnia. That's all i'm going to say about it. If you want to know what it taste like, It's to late! Sadly they don't have anymore seatings for this menu. I honestly don't know how to explain this dish except that it's beautiful. Just simply Beautiful. You could taste every component in it and the Thai Basil just lingers in your mouth almost like a palate cleanser after you swallow was just incredible. It almost brought me to tears because it was so good.

This was the Best meal of my life, Hands Down. I plan on returning to them beginning of August to eat Menu Three. Trust me when i say this, Andrew Le will be Hawaii's Next Big Thing. The Creativity and Techniques he brings to the table are incredible. Watch for him. Traditional Vietnamese, Modern Twist. If that's what you want, Reserve your Table Now.

Did i mention it was only $55 : )

Chef Le and Us!

http://www.ThePigAndTheLady.com

-Chef B

Hiroshi Eurasian Tapas

2011-05-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Hiroshi Eurasian Tapas, a European take on Asian Cuisine. By utilizing different cooking techniques with some ingredients makes the fusion of two worlds harmonious. Tapas are obviously the most common items ordered here (hence the name) but they also have a wide variety of entrees and other delectables! Fish is definitely a specialty here because Hiroshi himself is an avid fisherman and sometimes catches his own seafood to be served at the restaurant!

After a long look at the menu, my party decided on what we wanted. We basically decided to embrace the tapas and order a bunch of those. I asked our server for recommendations and he gladly recommended what tapas to order. Just be prepared that this blog entry will definitely be a long one because we ordered about 10 items!

Before we even ordered we were given “house bread” or what symbolized house bread. We were given House Made Rice Crackers with a Wasabi Aioli. I've really never had Rice Crackers as a chip before and they were probably the best thing you could dip into this wonderful sauce! It had a nice strong feel of wasabi but wasn't an overpowering heat where I needed to drink my water after every bite.

Our first course that came out was the Sizzlin' Hamachi Carpacio. Now this was a great start to an awesome dinner! Thinly sliced Hamachi, Ginger, Tomato, Tofu and a Truffled Ponzu! With my first taste I thought that the Truffled Ponzu was a little overpowering but it became after a few more bites it started tasting a lot better. Definitely something everyone needs to try whenever they dine at Hiroshi.

The next course that came was Hiroshi's Tofu Salad. Now let me first say that I am not a big fan of cold Tofu and was a little bummed out that this wasn't your “ordinary” Tofu Salad. I was expecting different greens with cubes of Tofu, not a big block of Tofu with toppings on it. But my job is to try things and I did and I FREAKING LOVED IT. I think it's only when I get a bite of everything though. I tried the Tofu by itself and the dressing and didn't like it too much but when I tried it with all the different toppings especially the Salmon Skin it made this Tofu Block INSANE! Not only did this salad taste great but just look at the presentation. I was a huge fan of this plate because it just looked spectacular!

The Spicy Tuna was the next dish we had and that was just a little above average then your typical Spicy Tuna you find in most places. I wasn't extremely blown away by it but I did enjoy their homemade Taegu that's featured on top.

We had a couple of Sushi dishes next. The Pepper Seared Ahi Sushi and the Duo of Contemporary Sushi. Not only were these pieces of Sushi complex and looked extremely sexy but they tasted wonderful! The Ahi Sushi is probably the most complex thing I ate that entire dinner. There is like seven or eight different components to just one piece! I didn't fully understand how everything worked till the second one I ate. It has a good amount of spice but there are other components like the Yuzu Vinaigrette that help tone it down.

The Duo of Contemporary Sushi is comprised of Torched Cold Smoked Island Hamachi and Miso Glazed Salmon. Oh my goodness was that Hamachi delicious! Slightly smoky and extremely tender, this piece of Hamachi literally melts in your mouth. As far as the Miso Glazed Salmon though, I found that it had a bit to much Miso for my taste buds and I just wasn't to fond of it. But a small little bird told me that if you're lucky, you might be able to substitute the Salmon for Hamachi and that is a great deal!

Portuguese Sausage Potstickers was our next item to indulge in and quite honestly the only reason why I ordered it was for the Kim Chee Foam. Sometimes I just order a dish because they have a component that I really want to check out! The Foam was intense with an immense amount of Kim Chee flavor coming out of it. The Potstickers on the other hand I didn't really care for too much. I found them to be little dense and overcooked making them dry on the inside. Unfortunately unlike the Hamachi Carpacio, I don't think this dish needed the Truffled Ponzu. Maybe the Ponzu would've been okay but it didn't need the Truffle Oil.

Next up was my favorite of the whole meal, the Steamed Kurobuta Pork Belly. This dish basically consisted of Pork Belly, Tomato Poke, Torched Brie Cheese and Mini Musubis. Yes I know it probably wouldn't sound great in you head but think....Kalua Pig, Lomi Lomi Salmon and Rice. That's what my mind thought of when I was eating this. The Pork Belly was so tender, it just broke apart as soon as you bit into it. And the hidden treasure in that was the Torched Brie. After torching it, it really tasted like Mochi. At first I couldn't tell what it was so I had to look at the menu and was amazed to find out it was cheese! Lastly was the Tomato Poke. I'm not an avid fan of Tomato, especially when it's just a piece of Tomato like you would find in a burger or a salad. However, at first glance I thought this was actually Poke. My first bite of this was heaven. By removing the seeds and the juice of the tomato all you get is flesh and it loses most of that nasty Tomato Taste. They take it to the next level by mixing in different ingredients to make it taste like Poke! I was amazed and delighted because it tasted so good!

Our last Tapa was the one that I was waiting for the longest and was a little disappointed after eating it. It was LaBelle Farms Foie Gras and Crispy Hamakua Mushrooms. They used three different sauces which in my head went harmoniously. Raspberry Reduction, Kabayaki and White Truffle Oil. All three are great by themselves but when mixed together they are unbelievable! Anyways the reason why I was sadly disappointed by this dish was because my Foie Gras was just overcooked and I wasn't happy. It was dry and tasted like if I were to order Liver and Onions from a diner. The mushrooms for me were a little...too big as well. A little hard to eat but I managed.

After the disappointment from the Foie, it just lead to more disappointment going to dessert. We decided to get three different desserts; Haupia Lemongrass Crème Brulee, POG Cheesecake and Island Banana Mousse Cake. Aside from the Crème Brulee, I didn't really care for the desserts.

The Haupia Lemongrass had a nice mixture of both flavors that didn't overpower each other at all. For me the POG cheesecake needed more “POG” taste and the cheesecake was definitely way to dense. I found the Guava Foam a little disturbing also cause it reminded me of Fluoride : ( but it had good taste, it was just a texture thing for me.

The last dessert was the Banana Mousse Cake. I didn't care for this one either. At first I thought it needed more Banana Taste but the sauce helped bring that out. The Cake itself was good, it was like Banana Mousse on top of Banana Bread, super banana-ridiculous. They served a Chocolate Truffle on a Stick which was basically a ball of fudge. Knew I should have ordered the Pannacotta when the waiter suggested it!

Hiroshi Eurasian Tapas is a great restaurant and everyone should try it out. Even though I think most of their menu is safe to call Asian food, I like the twist on some European ingredients and styles. Another thing notable is that on Sunday and Monday they do like a “Eat Local” Menu which is basically a set menu showcasing local products. Something I definitely want to try.

Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas
500 Ala Moana Boulevard
Restaurant Row
(808)533-4476

Taste: 4
Appearance: 4.5
Location: 4.5
Value: 4
Overall: 4.25 (rounded up)
*Based on a 5 point scoring system with 1 being Not So Good and 5 being Great*]

-Chef B

MELT!

2011-04-21T04:37:00.000-07:00

After my first bite at MELT during the Eat The Street: Japan event at the end of March, I've been craving for more gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. Luckily earlier this morning I was graced by a Tweet from the wonderful crew at MELT that they were going to be on Ward Avenue in front of Sports Authority from 11am – 2pm. I knew I had to take advantage of this opportunity since I didn't have class today.

I got to the MELT truck about 12:30 and they were about six tickets deep as I waited to place my order. The menu was small and simple. It consisted of five different grilled cheese concoctions and tomato soup (for dipping). The five different grilled cheese sandwiches were; “Triple Melt” (Cave-Aged Gruyere, Vermont Cheddar, Dutch Gouda on Sourdough), “Pastrami Melt” (Cave-Aged Gruyere, Pastrami, Mustard on Rye), “Tapenade Melt” (I forgot what was on this..), “Chorizo and Greens” (Chorizo, Fresh Local Greens, Mustard, Vermont Cheddar), and the “Melt of Shame” (Quarter Pound Kuawihi Beef Patty, Sauteed Onions, Melt Special Sauce between TWO grilled Vermont Cheddar Sandwiches). For me and my girlfriend, I decided getting the “Triple Melt, “Chorizo and Greens” and the “Melt of Shame”. I also got a couple of Tomato Soups so we could dip.

Day 1 Spread!
They make ALL their sandwiches to order so don't expect your food to come out in a minute. The folks at MELT take pride in their work and want you to have the best sandwiches in the world so wait a few minutes and be patient for your sandwiches! Trust me, it's worth the wait. I waited about 15 minutes for my food to be finished and about 7 – 8 more people showed up while I was waiting. I got my bag with my sandwiches and soup and I was a happy little kid all over again.

On the drive to my girlfriend's workplace the smell of the sandwiches in my car was killing me because it smelled so good. That aroma of Cheese, Meat and Bread is a delicious smell and I just wanted to eat it in the car! That was probably the worst car ride I've had in a while since I couldn't indulge in what I wanted to eat.

As I finally arrived at my destination I opened the packages and I had the biggest smile on my face. 3 GIGANTIC grilled cheese sandwiches just waiting to be devoured. The first on my list was the “Chorizo and Greens” as I am a HUGE fan of Chorizo and it was delicious!!!! A little bit of heat from the sausage mixed with the bitter taste of Kale, oh my goodness! It was delicious. The Mustard added a nice tang and the Creaminess of the cheese was excellent! Probably not the best sandwich to dip in your tomato soup though (as my girlfriend pointed out). It really did take away from the flavor of the sandwich.

Mmm Nicely Grilled

OH MY CHORIZOOOO
However, dipping the “Triple Melt” in the Tomato Soup was a blast from the past! It was like when you were a kid and your mom made you Grilled Cheese with Cambell's Tomato Soup (Though..my mom never made me that!). But honestly the mix of the three different Cheeses with the tang of the Tomato Soup was EXCELLENT. Now let's talk about the Tomato Soup for a second. It's “Fresh Tomato Soup” and you can definitely tell. The Tomato Soup is a little tangy but not too much and it's sweet. It literally taste like if you were to take a nice tomato, squish it between your hands and eat it with a little sugar. Normally I'm really not a big fan of tomatoes but this will definitely be on my exception list.

Again a Nicely Grilled Sandwich

Just wait for the cheese!

CHEEEEEEEEEESEEEE HOOOOO

Tangy and Delicious!
Now, it's time for the King of Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, the “Melt of Shame”. Oh my goodness, when I first saw this thing on the menu, I knew I had to get it. It's basically a hamburger with grilled cheese sandwiches as the buns. I mean, HOW AWESOME IS THAT! I've seen it on TV and now it's reality for me! And honestly it's better then I thought it would be. It IS a big sandwich but it's delectable in every bite. The patty itself is very tasty and it just added that nice juiciness to the Burger/Sandwich that it needed. Though I think because we didn't start eating it till a while later the burger got a little dry and maybe not as good as it could have been but it was still definitely worth it in every bite.

BEEFY

Don't you want that?
AND WOW, the next day I woke up, looked at twitter and saw that they were near where me and my friend were so we zoomed over to be one of the few last customers of the day. They stop their operation at 2pm or if they run out of food. They had the same menu as the previous day except they ran out of the "Tapenade Melt" (which i found out has Olive Tapenade Spread, Local Tomatoes, Nalo Basil and Vermont Cheddar) and replaced it with a simple "Tomato Basil" grilled cheese sandwich. I decided on getting the two I didn't have yesterday which was the Pastrami and the "Tomato Basil".

My Spread from Day 2

Pastrami!

TOMATO AND BASIL!!!
I started off with the "Tomato Basil" grilled cheese and the first bite reminded me of a wonderful Caprese salad even though it didn't have Mozzarella. But the tomato mixed with the sweet basil and the cheese just made it into a wonderful mix of foods. As for the Pastrami grilled cheese sandwich, I loved every bite of this too! The Rye Bread made this sandwich out of this world. My only complaint would be maybe a little bit too much mustard but it's still okay for me.

Overall I think Melt is EXCELLENT. Their grilled cheese sandwiches are wonderful and imaginative and just down right delicious! A big reason why is the bread they use. The Sourdough and Rye bread make these sandwiches exponentially better. Me and a culinary classmate talked about how their bread and how we both loved it because it added to the greatness! Who knew bread could be so good!!! Take my word for it guys, Eat here and you will DEFINITELY not be disappointed. Check their Twitter for the current location or check out their Website for the locations of where they will be around. Remember they're open for only a 4 hour gap OR until the run out of food! So you better find them quick!

Oh And if you're wondering about the prices, they're pretty reasonable since one of these can fill you up! (But i'm a big boy!) The sandwiches range from $6 - $11 with the lowest being the "Triple Melt" and the "Melt of Shame" being $11. The Tomato soup is $2 and thats a great deal! Now go spend your money!!

Taste: 4.5
Appearance: 4
Location: 4
Value: 4
Overall: 4.25 (rounded up)
*Based on a 5 point scoring system with 1 being Not So Good and 5 being Great*]

-Chef B

Yogur Story

2011-03-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

I really don't know what's up with the name but this is a new "hot spot" for diners wanting brunch items all day long. It's located a few blocks away from Ala Moana Shopping Center, right next to Sorabol. There is a nice sized parking lot but be aware that they share the lot with Sorabol and Little Seoul (Karaoke Bar).

The inside of the restaurant is spectacular. The decor and furniture really compliment each other giving it a very "urban" vibe but the projector showing music videos is a huge disruption to me. They have two floors of tables that you can enjoy your meal at and we chose to eat downstairs. Based on the handful of pictures from yelp and facebook it seems that the first floor is a more "natural" feel having wooden tables and chairs and the base of the tree. As you go to the second floor, the tables and chairs are more "retro" having fluorescent colors and metal furniture.

I never had a chance to take a picture of the menu but it's really basic. According to my waiter the left side (minus the waffles) are for hungry people and the right side is for the not so hungry people. The left side features a variety of breakfast items such as Eggs Benedict (and other variations), Omelets and Waffles. The right side has more of your brunch fare featuring sandwiches and salads. The back of the menu is their drink menu where they feature espresso items, teas and Italian sodas.

After spending a good ten minutes me and my guest today (GreySkySaturday) we finally decided on what we wanted to order. She got the Caprese Omelet, I ordered the Fat Oink Special (ironic no?) which is their Fat Pig Fried Rice (Pork Adobo, Ham, Bacon, I think other meats), Two Over Easy Eggs and Portuguese Sausage. We also decided to share the Red Carpet (Red Velvet Waffles).

The Food Took about Fifteen Minutes to come out and our waiter was nice enough to make sure we were well taken care of. Bonus points to him! I felt a little bad for the servers since they have to hustle all the way up the stairs everytime, it must get tiring! Anyways on to the food!

My first impression based off what i was told, these eggs are definitely not over easy! In fact they were Sunny Side FAIL. Its as if they cracked two eggs into the pan and let it cook for about five minutes because the yolks were almost hard cooked! The bottom of it was crispy and it was just not good, and i love my eggs! Definite sad face to that. For the rest of the meal, it wasn't as great as i was hoping for. My fried rice was definitely sitting in a hot pan for a while before plating just because half of the rice grains were crispy and the other half was soft, it was just to over done for me. As for the taste of the fried rice, it was okay. It wasn't anything special. When i think of anything with Pork Adobo, I want more then just the meat all shredded up to bits, I want that wonderful vinegar taste too! The sausage which was semi-delicious had its casing on and it was annoying to eat with. At the end of my meal, I wasn't that pleased with it. But hey, maybe they're having a bad night. It happens.

This would be the Caprese Omelet. i really didn't get to have a big enough taste but i did get a piece of the Fresh Mozzarella that they used and it was tasty. I saw some of inside filling as my friend ate more and it was filled with Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella and Basil. I will definitely try this when I come back in the future.

The last thing that we had to eat was the Red Carpet aka Red Velvet Cupcakes. Unlike my last Red Velvet Breakfast Item (Cinnamon's Red Velvet Pancake) I really enjoyed eating these. First thing that i looked at was that i really liked the presentation. Instead of keeping the waffle whole and dumping toppings on top, they took each quarter and dressed it up nicely. The waffle itself had a very nice cocoa taste to it but the ingredient that made me enjoy these was the Taro Cream Cheese Frosting. Even the cheap Chocolate Sauce couldn't stop me from liking these because the Taro brought everything together. They have a few other Waffles that we saw including the Hollywood one which is with Oreo so gotta definitely try that later!

Yogur Story is place I probably need to eat again. The food turned out average this time but friendly staff and a nice atmosphere will bring back repeating customers like me!

815 Keeaumoku St
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 942-0505

Taste: 3.5
Appearance: 4
Location: 4
Value: 3.5
Overall: 3.75
*Based on a 5 point scoring system with 1 being Not So Good and 5 being Great*]

-Chef B

Lunch @ Town

2010-08-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

After hearing so much rave about a small upscale restaurant in Kaimuki, I finally decided to dine at Town. Located on the corner of 9th and Waialae, many people may overlook this being a restaurant. Town features seating indoors and outdoors with doors and windows wide open allowing the breeze to flow in. The outside of the restaurant features a small herb garden full of different herbs that they use for their cooking. The inside features a very urban look to the restaurant with odd shaped pieces and mirrors on the walls. It also features a full bar.

Herb Garden
Wall Decorations
Dining room
The concept of the restaurant is all based around sustainability. They pride themselves on using local, fresh ingredients and organic whenever possible. Something notable is that they even try to go "green" too by recycling their old menus into coasters for beverages. I have a huge amount of respect for chef/owner Ed Kenney to focus around sustainability. Not is it extremely hard to think of new menu items everyday, it takes a great amount of dedication.

Lunch Menu
The menu for lunch showcased salads, sandwiches and light entrees. The first thing that caught my eye was that the prices are incredibly reasonable. Sandwiches and salads were between seven to ten dollars and entrees around thirteen. My dining partner acknowledged that the menu was a bit hard to read. They list the major ingredients in each dish so it's a bit confusing to some. Even though it was only me and my diner, we ordered up a storm like usual.

To start off our meal we decided on a bowl of the soup of the day, Tomato. I also decided to order their TOWN Lemonade.

Tomato Soup($6) and Town Lemonade($4)
Notice the coaster
Notice the bright green color to them Lemonade, it made me feel like i was drinking a Limeade or even Green River. Notice the use of their previous menus as coasters. The Lemonade was extremely refreshing and tangy which I loved.

Tomato Soup ($6)
The Tomato Soup was extremely rich and tasted like eating a fresh Tomato. It was served with a dollop of Basil Pesto which made the soup more flavorful with each bite. The only problem i had with the Soup was that I wish it was served a bit hotter. The Soup was served a bit lukewarm.

Pesto in the soup
Before our next course came out, the chef gave us a little gift since I was a culinary student. We were given two pieces of homemade Kulolo. Kulolo is basically taro, coconut milk and sugar. This was my first time eating it and it was delectable. It felt like i was eating a slightly sweet Sponge Cake.

Kulolo!
Closeup!
Our next course came out shortly after we finished our little delectable bites. It was a Chicken Liver Bahn Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich) with French Fries. Recently I've been a huge fan of Bahn Mis, frequently eating them at Bale. The mix of Meat with Pickled Vegetables and Cilantro is bliss for me. This particular Bahn Mi is made with house made Chicken Liver Pate, Pickled Carrots and Daikon and Ciccioli. The only question i had about it was; What is Ciccioli? After doing some research (google), it's basically a process where they dry and age fatty pieces of pork. This added a fatty and salty component to the Sandwich that made the Pate more flavorful.

Chicken Liver and Ciccioli Bahn Mi($9)
Close up of the Ciccioli
The French Fries that were served with this Sandwich deserves it's own paragraph because these are the BEST fries i have ever eaten. Every piece was crispy yet soft on the inside and the flavor of the Fries was out of this world. They were fried with pieces of Parsley, Rosemary and Thyme and it gave it such a great depth of flavor that made me speechless as I indulged. I don't even know what to write about them anymore, just go eat them now. Why are you still reading? GO EAT.

Best French Fries EVER
For the next course we had a Pan Seared Opah with Local Vegetables and a Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette. I'm not a very big fish person but this was nice. It was a prime showcase on the direction that Chef Ed Kenney wanted. He used fresh local ingredients and created a wonderful dish out of it. My only criticism was that the Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette; Where was it? I didn't really taste anything of it so that was disappointing.

Opah with Local Veggies($15)
Opah with Local Veggies($15)
Perfectly Cooked!
Our last entree was a House Made Pasta with Pancetta, Hakurei Turnips, Poblano Peppers and Tomatoes. It was a very nice choice of ingredients tossed with Tomato Sauce and perfectly cooked Pasta. My first couple of bites were a little bland but when i ate the small thick pieces of Pancetta, it brought the salty element that was needed. Eating the Pasta as a whole felt like it was a nice mix of Italian and Mexican flavors.

House Made Pasta($14)
Rustic and Wonderful!
Tender!

To make our dining experience perfect we ordered a trio of desserts. Buttermilk Pannacotta, Liliko'i - Citrus Tart and Grapefruit - Campari Sorbet, doesn't that trio just sound great! The Buttermilk Pannacotta was served with a Honey drizzle and fresh grapes. Tart, creamy and sweet with the honey made this extremely delicious. Pannacottas and Custards are usually a little heavy for me but this was actually light and refreshing.

Buttermilk Pannacotta($7)
Delicate!

The Liliko'i - Citrus Tart was another refreshing dessert we ordered. The filling it self was light and fluffy and had this amazing tart taste to it. I really enjoyed eating this dessert because I'm a huge fan of eating tart desserts.

Liliko'i - Citrus Tart ($7)
Light and Fluffy!
Lastly we have the Grapefruit - Campari Sorbet. Again another ingredient that i'm not to knowledgeable of, Campari. It's actually an alcohol that's made from infusing different bitter herbs and aromatics. Just reading that gave me an understanding of why this Sorbet had such a bright Grapefruit flavor. This was my favorite dessert out of the three because it was the perfect ending to a wonderful meal.

Grapefruit - Campari Sorbet($4)
Overall i was extremely happy with the meal i had at Town. From the mixed reviews I heard from many colleagues I was more satisfied then I could be. Definitely recommend this to anyone. Reasonable prices, fresh delicious food and a great atmosphere.

3435 Waialae Avenue #103
Honolulu, Hawaii 96816
(808)735-5900

Taste: 4.5
Appearance: 4.5
Location: 4
Value: 4
Overall: 4.25
*Based on a 5 point scoring system with 1 being Not So Good and 5 being Great*]

-Chef B

Breakfast @ Cinnamon's

2010-07-19T23:23:00.000-07:00

First off I just want to apologize for the lack of updates in the past 2 months. I've been extremely busy with school finishing for the semester and work. So without anymore fuss here's a new blog!

Located a block away from Kailua Zippy's is Cinnamon's a well known breakfast eatery. The very casual restaurant features dining inside and outside. The inside of the restaurant provides a very cozy and homey ambiance.

Probably not the best picture to showcase their inside dining area but I don't think people like to be photographed. As you can see they have an nice indoor gazebo with a few tables inside.

I went with my friend and his dad and we ordered quite a feast. About 5 different items that we shared and we were full. To start I ordered a bowl of their Portuguese Bean Soup. Supposedly it's award winning.

Portuguese Bean Soup
Thick pieces of Ham Hock and Portuguese Sausage with a tangy, salty Tomato Broth. Unfortunately this was a miss for me. It came out lukewarm which made me incredible sad. For me it was also a little more tang then i'm used too. Compared to Zippy's Portuguese Bean Soup (Which is one of the best IMO), this doesn't shine.

As a group we decided to share all of our food. We ordered; Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict, Loco Moco with Sauteed Onion and Mushroom Gravy, Hawaiian Omelet and Red Velvet Pancakes. The food came out shortly after my soup and it was quite a feast.

Crab Cake Eggs Benedict ($13.25)
Hollandaise is a sauce that is basically Egg Yolks and Clarified Butter however, a lot of restaurants that serve this can't get it right. Cinnamon's does this amazing! The Sauce is Creamy, Buttery, Velvety and has a great tang that makes it incredible. As for the Crab Cake, it's made with Lump Crab Meat so you can break into it and get nice pieces of Crab. It's very delicate and well seasoned. The ONLY flaw that there was to this plate was that the poached egg was overcooked. The yolk was cooked through and couldn't provide that "Yolky Goodness" that you just want to slobber up.

Hawaiian Omelet ($11.25)
Picture yourself at a Luau; watching hula, drinking Mai Tai's and eating a plethora of Hawaiian Food. If you take the dancing and drinking away, that's basically what you get in this omelet. Kalua Pig, LauLau (Even the Butterfish) and Lomi Lomi Salmon are basically what you get in this omelet. It's three Eggs and served "Local Style" meaning they mix it with the eggs rather then folding in between.

This is what i mean by "Local Scramble"
I really enjoyed this omelet. Although my friend felt it was a bit bland which it was, I thought it still had that "Hawaiian Taste" and a lot of it!

Loco Moco with Sauteed Onions and Mushrooms ($9.25 + $2.25)
Every component in a Loco Moco determines how good it is. From the Patty all the way to the Gravy, everything matters. This Loco Moco would've scored great in my books but the problem was the Rice. The Rice was a bit hard and either a bit overcooked or to little water used. Everything else however was delicious. The Gravy mixed with the Sauteed Onions and Mushrooms was flavorful while it was smothered on top of the juicy Hamburger Patty.

Red Velvet Pancakes ($9.95)
Whoohooo this was the reason why I wanted to come to Cinnamon's. These are really good Pancakes but at the same time they are a workout. These are thick and heavy and oh so delicious. Red, Chocolate Hinted Pancakes with Syrup that tasted like the Frosting on a Red Velvet Cake! What more could you ask for. One of my favorite cakes turned into a breakfast item makes me turn into a little kid. However, I warn you, don't eat this alone. It's called a panCAKE for a reason. It's more cake then anything and it honestly felt like i was eating a whole cake the whole time (not that's a bad thing).

Dense....

I live in Ward and that journey to Kailua was well worth the trip (and gas) to eat a breakfast. Definitely going to come back here and try their other specialties such as; Guava Chiffon Pancakes, Kalua Pork Eggs Benedict and some of their lunch items. I want to wish the crew at Cinnamon's congratulations on their 25th Anniversary!!!

Cinnamon's
315 Uluniu Street
(808)-261-8724
Open Daily: 7am - 2pm

Taste: 4.25
Appearance: 4.25
Location: 3.5
Value: 4
Overall: 4
*Based on a 5 point scoring system with 1 being Not So Good and 5 being Great*]

-Chef B

Customizable!: The Counter

2010-05-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

Located in the Kahala Mall Shopping Center, The Counter is there for you when you're craving a burger. With diners being able to choose whatever goes in their burger, there are thousands of different end products. They offer three different patty options; Beef, Turkey and Veggie. I've tried them all and i enjoy them, especially the Veggie which most people would think would be too great. On this day though, my friend and I chose to go with beef.

Regular and Sweet Potato Fries
Personally, I'm not a huge "fry guy" but I am in love with these Sweet Potato Fries. They are served with Horseradish Mayo but if you ever go to The Counter, ask for BBQ Sauce because it tastes that much better with it. The best thing I like about these Fries are that they are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. They pack this savory and sweet flavor with each bite. Oh my goodness, I think I'm going to buy some before work.

Pointless Close Up Picture
I just Love these fries! Definitely something you want to try when you eat here.

Customizable Burger
This was my friend's creation. He chose 2/3 Pound Beef Patty on Whole Wheat Bun with Lettuce Blend, Tomatoes, Hard Boiled Eggs, Caramelized Onions and Feta Cheese. Yeah I know, he is a weird guy...Boiled eggs??? Anyways, obviously this was going to be a huge burger, 2/3 Pounds of Beef and all those toppings!

So tall
Yeah, it was tall. A nice thing to know about The Counter is that when you order a 1/3 or a 2/3 or even a whole Pound patty, they give you that weight AFTER cooking. Naturally meat looses it's weight after it's been cooked and you get warned with little writings that say "*Weight before cooking*". However at The Counter it says "*Weight after cooking".

Cross View, Medium Rare!
Something Unique about The Counter is that they use 100% Naturally Raised Angus Beef. Meaning they are fed on a vegetarian diet with no added hormones. Trust me, you can taste a difference. The best part about this having this quality of product is that you're welcome to order your burgers anyway you want it cooked. I recommend that you order your burger how you would want your steak. It feels like you're eating a steak and it's extremely juicy.

My Customizable Burger
I also went with the 2/3 Pound Beef Patty on Whole Wheat Bun with Pepperconcinis, Roasted Red Bell Peppers, Sprouts, Carmelized Onions and Bleu Cheese. Along with these toppings i chose a Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette. The burger was extremely delicious .

Top View of the Burger

Cross View

Close up!!

Look at that juice!
I firmly believe that this is one of the Best Burger places in Hawaii. Compared to the other Customizable burger places, this tops. If you ever come to The Counter, I suggest getting either the Beef or the Vegetarian Patty, both are my favorite. And of course you HAVE to try the Sweet Potato fries!

The Counter Kahala
4211 Waialae Avenue E-1
Honolulu HI 96816
808 739 5100

Sunday - Thursday: 11am - 9pm
Friday - Saturday: 11am - 10pm

Taste: 4.5
Appearance: 4
Location: 4.5
Value: 4
Overall: 4.25
*Based on a 5 point scoring system with 1 being Not So Good and 5 being Great*]

-Chef B
*PS* Credit given to tastyisland for first picture.

Munchie Mondays: Sugoi!

2010-05-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

SUGOI!!!! Meaning "Awesome" in the Japanese language, this is definitely what i say after every time i eat at Sugoi. Located in the shopping center with the Dillingham DMV, it's in a prime location with Honolulu Community College being right across the street. They offer a huge menu featuring Breakfast, Bentos, Plate Lunches and Catering. Huge portions, good prices and good company, lets start this blog!

Feast for two!

Now, I know what you're thinking, how the heck did two people eat all that food?!? Well we didn't, she had to take her food home. To be completely honest though, what you're looking at is two plates of food with a side order of toss greens. I ordered a 3 choice mixed plate including Spicy Garlic Chicken, Pork Cutlet and Hamburger Steak. And now that she doesn't mind me saying her actual name, Danielle had a two choice with Mochiko Chicken and Garlic Ahi. all of that food plus drinks and the side order was around twenty dollars, a reasonable price to pay for all that food.

Mochiko Chicken
Quite possibly the best "Non Nori Wrapped" Mochiko Chicken that I've had. The Chicken was delectable being very soft and moist with a crisp outside. The light dredging of the Mochiko Flour added a slight sweetness making it an enjoyable experience to eat. Unlike a lot of other restaurants that serve Mochiko Chicken that's heavy due to over marinating or battering, this Chicken was light.

Garlic Ahi
When you order the Garlic Ahi, you have a choice of either Regular Garlic Sauce or Spicy Garlic Sauce. The grilled piece of Ahi already comes with sauce on it but they also serve a small cup of it too. The Fish was tender, juicy and was lovely with the garlic sauce. We both agreed that we didn't need to put any extra sauce because it was flavorful as is.

Pork Cutlet
Thin cuts of Breaded Pork with a Mushroom Gravy, doesn't that just sound good? Well it was!! By far the best Pork Cutlet I've ever had, granted I've never really had much. The Pork itself was extremely tender while the Mushroom Gravy just added another depth of flavor with each bite.

Hamburger Steak
Personally, the best kind of Hamburger Steak you can serve are fresh, homemade, non frozen kind that you would normally find at fast food restaurants. This Hamburger Steak was homemade and tasted great. I wish i took a picture of the inside but i ate it to fast! The thick patty was juicy and well seasoned. It was served with Sautéed Onions and Brown Gravy.

Spicy Garlic Chicken
Sugoi's signature dish, the Garlic Chicken. Before Sugoi was opened, the place that was known for Garlic Chicken was Mitsuken, and i loved it there. I would wake up early before school just to order it. However, ever since i found out about Sugoi, i never looked back. Today i decided to eat it with their Spicy Garlic Sauce and it was just the right amount of heat. The Chicken itself was perfectly cooked and extremely juicy. The only thing i didn't like about this was that sometimes you would get this huge piece of fat and that didn't make me happy.

Macaroni Salad

Toss Salad
Basic plate lunch side dishes. The Toss Salad is served with a Papaya Seed Dressing. I found the Mac Salad good but it was a bit heavy for me.

Overall, Sugoi is a great restaurant to eat at with a great location. Along with their signature dish, Garlic Chicken, they also serve a lot of local favorites along with breakfast! I recommend everyone to try Sugoi when they have time on their hands.

Oh, as a little delight for readers, i provide a video of my friend on Cheap Eats while eating at Sugoi. I was actually there too and got them to tape my friend Aaron. Enjoy! Click here for video

Sugoi Bento and Catering
1286 Kalani St. #B-106
Phone: (808) 841-7984

Monday - Thursday: 8AM - 3PM
Friday - Saturday: 8AM - 5PM
Sunday: Catering Only!

Taste: 4.5
Appearance: 4
Location: 4.5
Value: 4
Overall: 4.25
*Based on a 5 point scoring system with 1 being Not So Good and 5 being Great*]

-Chef B
*PS* Credit given to tastyisland for first picture.

Food Hunt for Charity: Part One

2010-05-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

First off lets talk about what I'm doing exactly. Basically i read off another local food blog about a Food Scavenger Hunt that was going to take place (started May 1st) with donations being made to Lanakila Meals on Wheels. What adventurers are challenged to do is to eat at 50 different places in 90 days. You can find the whole list here. Currently I'm 16/50 places eaten so wish me luck!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Scone
Now these scones were breathtaking! This was the second time i had these and enjoyed every bite. A mix of Blueberries and Cream Cheese in a light fluffy dough mixed together is the reason why these scones are normally sold out! Thank goodness i went early enough.

Look at all the Blueberries!
Everyone should go pick one up from Diamond Head Grill! They are well worth the travel if you live far away!

Burger from Burgers on the Edge
Second place on my list today was Burgers on the Edge in the Kapahulu Safeway Shopping Center. I've been here a couple times in the past and wasn't too happy with what i ate but i had to eat here for the charity! I decided to order a 1/3 Pound Waygu (American version of Kobe) with Bleu Cheese, Basil Pesto, Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions, Fried egg and Bacon.

Nomnom : )
I really enjoyed my burger compared to the other times I've eaten here. It was cooked medium (pink center) and was extremely juicy. The toppings just added more layers of flavor with each bite. I normally never order my burger with Bleu Cheese but i wanted to try something new since i always get Havarti. I was happy with my decisions of toppings on my burger. Definitely going to come back for a full review one day.

Leonard's Mango and Haupia Filled Malasadas
Everyone knows Leonards! Definite classic if you're from Hawaii. I remember eating Malasadas when they had the wagon out by Hawaii Kai Costco and would always get one on the way home (Hence my size)! Never had the Mango filled Malasada so it was a must try when i bought them.

Mango Stylez!

Haupia filled!
Wow, the Mango Malasada was wonderful with that creamy Mango filling. Part of me just wanted to suck up a big bowl of that. As for the Haupia, it's an all time favorite of mine since i was a kid. Coconut is just magic in my mouth!

Cake Couture
I'll keep this short and sweet, literally. If you want a sweet dessert, go for Cake Couture. I personally never liked them because i always found them extremely sweet and heavy so wasn't really a fan. Though i found the Key Lime Coconut one quite good!

LnL Mini Loco Moco
Again, this will be short. I hate eating Loco Mocos from LnL because i just find them disgusting. Their gravy they use is like thick fat and bland. As you can see i had to put a good amount of Tabasco on it to make it taste good. UGH.

Hawaiian Poke Bowl
Woo, Poke Bowls are delicious! Although i was limited to eating the Hawaiian Poke Bowl which consisted of Rice, Lomi Lomi Salmon, Kalua Pig and Poke, i really enjoyed eating the Poke. The Poke tasted very fresh and full of flavors while the Lomi Lomi Salmon and Kalua Pig felt like it was just purchased from the store(Which i think it was). At the end of it, i was happy with what i ate. The bowl was a nice big size for the price i paid.

Menchies!
My favorite Frozen Yogurt shop by far! I think Menchies has a better choice of yogurt flavors and toppings! Today i decided to go for Lychee and Green Apple Tart with Rainbow Sprinkles, Coconut and Mango! Pure bliss!

Takoyaki from Shirokiya
Little balls of Octopus and other good treats topped with Ginger, Mayonaise, Tonkatsu Sauce, Furikake and Bonito Flakes, who would make something better! When I traveled to Japan as a kid, these were the things i ate the most. Full of flavor and just darn right delicious, Shirokiya does a pretty good version of it.

I ate at a couple other places today, Daves Ice Cream for Green Tea Ice Cream and Bubbies for Mochi Ice Cream so here are some more pics!

Chocolate Mint Mochi Ice Cream!

Green Tea Ice Cream!

That's all for my blogging today, I'll do another update later when i eat at more places! My goal is to eat at all 50 places before June 15th! Wish me luck to do my best in this challenge! If you're wondering where the Munchie Mondays blog is, it'll happen later this week, Tina has been sick :( It's coming though guys!

-Chef B

Munchie Mondays: Café Kaila

2010-04-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

First off let me explain what Munchie Mondays is. It's Basically a day (Monday) where we and my good friend Tina eat at different places. We try to keep it close to KCC due to school reasons but when theres a holiday or no class we venture to the far parts of the universe! Now let us begin the journey to Café Kaila!

Inside view of the restaurant

Influenced by many people who have mentioned i ate at Café Kaila, i decided to take my lunch partner there today. As we took a look around the small and cozy restaurant, we were happy with the ambiance. The way the restaurant was run mixed with all the other customers made it feel very "home-like". The first thing we noticed on the menu was that they serve breakfast ALL DAY!

Beautiful Words :)

Their menu is big for being such a small, cozy café. They pride themselves on using fresh produce and getting organic when available. They also offer "healthier" options like turkey bacon. Our waiter greeted us and told us about their daily soup, Chicken and Wild Rice. He made it clear that they made it from scratch so we ordered it while we looked over the menu. After a hard discussion on what we would order from, we decided on a Veggie and Avocado Sandwich, Roasted Vegetable Sandwich and a Turkey Bacon Frittata. Tina also decided to order a Lychee Iced Tea while i ordered a Plain Iced Tea.

Normal ($2.50), Lychee ($3.00)
I had a taste of her iced tea and was blown away at how it tasted. It had a very distinct sweet lychee taste and it stayed even when i gulped it down. Definitely worth ordering whenever you come.

Homemade Chicken and Wild Rice Soup ($5.50)
Just look at all of that goodness!
Now this was a huge burst of flavor in my mouth. The soup tasted like it's been simmering all morning soaking up each elements flavors and the end product was heaven. A tomato and chicken base mixed with the different vegetables and diced, grilled chicken breast. Every spoonful was delightful and part of me wished that it was a never ending bowl :(.

Veggie and Avocado Sandwich on Whole Wheat ($9.95)
This is a vegetarians DREAM sandwich. It features Avocado, Spinach, Tomato, Onions, Mushrooms, Shredded Carrots and Provolone Cheese with Pesto and Balsamic Vinaigrette between two slices of Hearty Wheat Bread. Many places serve pesto and usually it's overpowered with one of the components (Basil, Garlic, Olive Oil, Pine nuts, Parmesean) but Cafè Kaila's isn't. The Pesto is very harmonious in the sandwich and complements the other ingredients in the sandwich.

Roasted Vegetable Sandwich on Foccacia ($10.25)
Another delectable sandwich! Although we both agreed that California Pizza Kitchen's Grilled Vegetable Sandwich is much better, this one is a runner up! The sandwich is a mixture of Roasted Eggplant, Red Peppers, Zucchini, Mushrooms, Onions, Tomatoes, Fresh Spinach, Provolone Cheese and Pesto inside slices of Toasted Foccacia. Yet another great choice for Vegetarians or customers looking for a "Healthier" option. Personally a different choice of bread would've been better for this juicy sandwich. I kind of wished for a thicker bread to soak up the juices of the vegetables but dealt with it. Like any other Grilled/Roasted Vegetable Sandwich, it's a bit hard to eat. The running juices down your hands and the frequent vegetables falling out of your sandwich are normal for these kind of sandwiches. At the end of it, i was content. I would definitely order it again...just on a different bread :).

Turkey Bacon Frittata ($9.95)

Cut for you viewers!

Let me explain what this is first. Basically a Frittata is Eggs mixed with Fillings (Meat, Potatoes, Veggies) and then baked. Think of it as a baked omelet almost. Anyways, this was the best thing that i ate! Each element in the Frittata was perfect. The Potatoes to my surprise were tender and still held their firm shape and the Bacon was lovely with that slight smokey taste. The Frittata itself was very light, moist and flavorful.

Overall our time at Café Kaila was great! Great food, perfect ambiance and a very welcoming group of workers made this experience enjoyable. Probably why when i tried to go for breakfast last Friday at 7:30 in the morning, the place was packed with a line out the door!

Address: 2919 Kapiolani Blvd.
Hours: Monday through Sunday 7am - 3pm
Phone: (808)732-3330

Taste: 4
Appearance: 4
Location: 3.5
Value: 3.5
Overall: 3.75
*Based on a 5 point scoring system with 1 being Not So Good and 5 being Great*]

-Chef B

First Entry!: Hanks Haute Dogs

2010-04-22T03:07:00.000-07:00

Recently featured on Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives, Hanks Haute Dogs brings a gourmet twist on the hot dog. Their menu offers a variety of different sausage choices and toppings. Everyday they feature a unique, specialty hot dog that they make in house. Along with their different “Haute Dog” choices, they offer sides such as: Hanks Awesome Fries, Tuffle Mac n Cheese and Sweet Onion Rings. Going with the theme of being gourmet, Hanks also offers customers tropical cocktails such as Hibiscus Lemonade and Pineapple Ice. With a location in Kaka'ako, Hanks Haute Dogs is a restaurant you shouldn't pass up.

Hanks Saturday Dog: The Kobe Dog! ($8.50)
I've gone to Hanks 4 times in the past week and each day I tried their daily special dog hoping I could try them all. They weren't offering their Wednesday dog (Rabbit and Veal Sausage) today, but offered a Homemade Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza instead. I am a HUGE pizza fan so I had to order it. My full order consisted of: Chicago Dog Combo, Truffle Mac n Cheese and Pizza. Yes I was hungry = ).
As I waited 15 minutes for my pizza, I decided to start with my Chicago Dog Combo and the Mac n Cheese. The combo includes the Chicago Dog, Hanks Awesome Fries, Hanks Haute Dip (I decided to go with Chipotle Mayo) and a Medium Drink. The Chicago Dog was definitely the main star of this meal. The mix of condiments with the all-beef dog on a steamed poppyseed bun was a perfect marriage in my mouth. The sport peppers and the snapping of the hot dog casing is what makes me come back for this Haute Dog all the time.

Hanks Chicago Dog! ($4.95)
With this meal I decided to order the Truffle Mac n Cheese and all I can say is that I was extremely happy. They used penee pasta instead of macaroni elbows and poured this luscious white cheddar sauce on top followed by bread crumbs. I have never eaten any macaroni and cheese that has not given me a heavy, upsetting feeling. After each bite, I craved for more and was sad when I finished my bowl.

Truffle Mac n Cheese ($4.95)
The last side that was included in the combo was an order of Hanks Awesome Fries with a side of his Haute Dip. I've tried all four flavors (Garlic Aioli, Chipotle Mayo, Wasabi Tobiko Crème and Spicy Curry Ketchup) and Chipotley Mayo is by far my favorite. Accompanied with Hanks Awesome Fries, this duo of food was delectable. The only comparison I can think of for these fries would be the fries they sell at In-N-Out. They had a crispy out side with a soft and chewy inside which is the definition of the perfect French Fry for me.

Hanks Awesome Fries with Chipotle Mayo! (Combo with Chicago for $8.70)

After I finished my first meal I returned inside to pick up my pizza. I decided to eat it in my car because I couldn't wait and didn't want it to get cold. As I opened the box, the smell of pizza traveled through my car. I knew I was in for a good Pizza, but this was more then a good Pizza; It was PHENOMENAL.

Homemade Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza ($6.99)
The crust was crispy, flaky and the perfect amount; not too thin and not too thick. The tomato sauce was rustic and full of flavor. As for the cheese, it was gooey, stringy and just oozed out of the pizza as I cut into it.

Now that is Oozy!
Look at that CHEESE!!!
All of these elements formed quite possibly the best Deep Dish Pizza on this island. I really can't find words to express how good this was. You'll just have to find out for yourself. I personally would like to e-mail Hank and ask him to put this on his regular menu. I would definitely buy it whenever I go.

Even though they didn't sell their Wednesday Dog, I wasn't mad after my visit. I left with a full stomach and a huge smile on my face!

Taste: 4.5
Appearance: 4
Location: 4
Value: 3.5
Overall: 4
*Based on a 5 point scoring system with 1 being Not So Good and 5 being Great*

-Chef B