Customizable!: The Counter

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!

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

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

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

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