California roll topped with salmon and baked with tobiko on top. $11
Sushi Delight, San Francisco CA
The circle of life! The roll only vaguely resembles a “Lion King” but it tasted great. And no lions were harmed in its making.
Edamame. Complimentary
Spicy tuna, jalapenos and cucumber topped with spicy tuna and tobiko. $11
Sushi Delight, San Francisco CA
I get the feeling that people generally discount Sushi Delight as a legitimate sushi restaurant because it’s attached to The Mint, but I like the place. They serve great tasting sushi at great prices. Yes, their rolls aren’t the most authentic but they’re not purporting to be. Despite what others think of this place, I’m a fan!
Place setting.
Served with rice, miso soup, and salad. $10.95
Wasabi Bistro, San Francisco CA
This was plenty of food for a lunch set, and decently priced too. I wasn’t a fan of the miso chicken – it was just grilled chicken slices with a miso glaze on top. The saba shioyaki (salt-grilled mackerel) was interesting. It was super crispy on the outside which was nice, but it was also way too salty! The interior was still moist and juicy though.
Side salad.
Miso soup.
Japanese pot stickers with pork and vegetables inside. $5.95
Wasabi Bistro, San Francisco CA
I came here for a random weekday lunch after hitting the gym and it was pretty empty. The food was pretty good though and decently priced. These gyoza were delicious, but I rarely meet a gyoza I don’t like. Hehe.
Edamame. Complimentary
Place setting. Omg, I just noticed that the chopsticks are from a different restaurant. Perhaps the same owner? Tacky…
Ahi, salmon, yellowtail?, imitation crab, spicy tuna, avocado, shiso, pickled ginger, wasabi. $6.85
Island Gourmet Markets, Waikoloa HI
I’m amazed at how much better the grocery store sushi is in Hawaii than in California. And it’s cheaper! We’re getting robbed on the mainland!
Taking in some sun at Makalawena Beach, Kekaha Kai State Park.
California roll with spicy tuna on top, sweet and sour sauce, tempura flakes. $18
Tokkuri Tei, Honolulu HI
Kilauea is a volcano on the island of Hawaii so they stacked this sushi roll to resemble it – pretty creative. The reddish spicy tuna on top even mimics flowing lava. It tasted pretty good but I’m not sure it was worth eighteen bucks. The spicy tuna had a slimy, squishy texture that I didn’t particularly enjoy.
Light-covered palm trees, Kapahulu Avenue.
Scallop mixed with masago and spicy mayonnaise. Uramaki (inside-out) $9.50
Tokkuri Tei, Honolulu HI
Mmm! It’s a bit sad that one of the better rolls we had here was a simple spicy scallop roll. Some of the other items weren’t so fresh tasting, but maybe the spicy mayonnaise helped to cover up the old flavor. Who knows? I still enjoyed it.
Garbage container painted with Philodendron leaves, Waikiki Beach.
Grilled pork sausage. 4 pcs $4.50
Izakaya Takonoki, Honolulu HI
This was not the pork sausage I expected when I ordered this. I’ve had kurobuta sausage at other restaurants and they were always more substantial and meaty. The tiny sausages we received are the kind you find vacuum-packed at Asian markets looking pink and squishy. I didn’t enjoy this, and the mustard didn’t help very much.
Sausage tree (Kigelia africana, Bignoniaceae), Fort DeRussy Beach Park.
Yellowtail over rice. 2 pcs $7
Sea urchin over rice and wrapped in seaweed. 2 pcs $12
Tokkuri Tei, Honolulu HI
I have mixed feelings about this restaurant. I felt that the service was nice, a bit slow, but the sushi wasn’t that good. I expected fresher sushi in Hawaii. The hamachi was good, but the uni didn’t taste good to me. I’m not an uni expert, but I’ve had it here and there. This sea urchin didn’t taste right though! Ew!
Kirin light beer. $3.75
Island signs, Polynesian Cultural Center, Laie.
With cabbage salad, rice, miso soup, Japanese pickle, and choice of special sauce. $19
Kimukatsu, Honolulu HI
This kimukatsu flavor was pretty good, but a little greasy again. I really enjoyed the dipping sauce and the Japanese pickles were delicious and totally assuaged my salt cravings. The miso soup also had strips of fried tofu in it which was tasty!
Cabbage salad.
Steamed rice.
Miso soup.
Japanese pickles.
Salt and spring onion sauce.
Tea. Complimentary
Lollipop plant or golden shrimp plant (Pachystachys lutea, Acanthaceae), Ainahau Triangle Park.
Stir-fried shrimp in special sauce served with baby spinach. $12.95
Izakaya Takonoki, Honolulu HI
This tasted good, but was overpriced for what you got. It was flavorful but nothing special.
Beach along the West Shore, Oahu.
With cabbage salad, rice, miso soup, Japanese pickle, and choice of special sauce. $19
Kimukatsu, Honolulu HI
This was the first time I’d ever tried kimukatsu, and it was very tasty! It’s made with thinly sliced pork cutlet stacked into 25 layers, covered in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried for 8 minutes. It sounded intriguing so I had to try it. It thought it was really flavorful and tender, but it was a little on the greasy side probably because they fry it on a low temperature. The set is quite large so I was definitely full afterward.
Large bowl of cabbage salad for the table.
Steamed rice.
Miso soup.
Japanese pickles.
Ume shiso ponzu sauce.
Asahi draft. $5.50
Tahitian dancers, Canoe Pageant, Polynesian Cultural Center, Laie.
Vittle Monster 