Ahi tuna, ginger, garlic, nori, sticky rice, black sesame, wasabi sauce. Happy hour $11
Matchbox Palm Springs, Palm Springs CA
Hmm, this wasn’t very good. It was too salty and the tempura coating was rock hard! I was actually surprised by this because most tempura rolls have a tendency to get soggy. That was not the case here – that coating was tough to chew through. The roll had no finesse and just ended up being a salty gut bomb.
Chef’s choice 8 pieces – salmon, albacore, maguro, hamachi. Happy hour $9.50
Tsunami, San Francisco CA
I loved presentation of this dish and the fish quality was really good especially considering it was half price for happy hour! I would definitely order this again.
Flash fried, nori wrapped tuna, albacore and asparagus with sweet soy, tobiko and scallions. Happy hour $7
Tsunami, San Francisco CA
This tasted pretty good especially since it was half off during happy hour! Most fried sushi tends to quickly get soggy, but this one stayed crispy one the outside.
Place setting.
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.
Imitation crab and sushi rice wrapped in nori. $2.50
KOA Newsstand, Kona International Airport (KOA)
I liked how the rice and fillings were packaged seaprately from the nori so it wouldn’t get wet. For newsstand sushi, this was pretty good. I also grabbed a Royal Mills iced cappuccino for a yummy snack before my flight.
The Lei Makers, bronze statue, Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, 1997, KOA Airport.
Sauteed spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and crispy tempura fried maki roll in a sweet soy demi-glace. $26.95
Sansei Seafood Restaurant, Waikoloa HI
This tasted ok. Perhaps it was a little on the salty side. And the duck had a spongy texutre and I didn’t enjoy. The plate looked great, but I wish it had blown me away.
Sunset at Anaeho’omalu Bay, Waikoloa.
Lightly seared and served with caramelized sweet onions and ripe mango and rich unagi glaze drizzle. $18.95
Sansei Seafood Restaurant, Waikoloa HI
Omg, I may go to hell for eating this but since California has banned foie gras, I needed a quick foie fix! When I saw it on the Sansei menu, I had to order it – so sue me! Lol. And it was delicious!!! I’ve never had foie gras as nigiri before, but it worked. All the extra components were also tasty.
Chopsticks.
Pololu Valley.
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.
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.
Vittle Monster 