Ramen-Ya's second Oahu location...

There are two Ramen-Ya locations on Oahu, one in Pearl City and now one in Hawaii Kai near Ross.

The Towne Center offers ample free parking.

Here’s what it looks like inside:

Open kitchen, counter seating, and Christmas decorations...

There are a dozen or so tables with counter seating available as well.  A nice touch, diners who opt to sit at the counter are able to check out the open kitchen.

A steady flow of customers leading up to the holidays...

It’s a nice enough looking restaurant, very clean, and certainly better looking than Tokyo Noodle House in the next shopping center over (although Tokyo Noodle House does have the edge in overall menu variety thanks to the large number of Chinese dishes also offered there).

Table for six...

All of the tables feature the usual suspects as far as condiments go (Tabasco, chili oil, gyoza sauce)…

All neatly labeled...

I ended up ordering Combo A, which includes:

Mini Char Siu Ramen plus 4-Piece Gyoza...

…as well as…

Mini Fried Rice.

(I paid a dollar extra to add shrimp to the Fried Rice.  What can I say, the Shrimp Fried Rice looked good in the menu…)

The noodles were nothing too spectacular, and the default, shoyu-style broth could have used a bit more flavor. The char siu was also a tad dry (nothing compared to Rai Rai Ramen’s chashu).

Quality-wise, the ramen’s pretty much on par with Tokyo Noodle House in the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center (the one with McDonald’s and Safeway).

The gyoza were nice and fresh, a bit light on filling but with a satisfying crunch to them thanks to the cabbage inside.

The fried rice was decent, the portion size generous.  I ended up taking half of it with me, along with an extra 4 pieces of Gyoza that came with the meal as part of the restaurant’s Grand Opening celebration…

And done...

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There are 3 Ramen-Ya locations in Hawaii, two of them on Oahu and one on Maui.  Follow the links below for more info like hours of operation, a look at the full menu, and more:

Ramen-Ya Hawaii Kai

Ramen-Ya Kahului

Ramen-Ya Pearl City

Check out the pics one of our team members took of the new indoor/outdoor pool bar and lounge, Swim:

A steady stream of resort guests enjoy drinks and pupus at the open-air pool bar.

Located in the Ewa Tower where Ciao Mein used to be, the bar itself has been open for the past several weeks serving up standard pool bar fare – Mai Tais, ice cold draft beers, and a steady stream of fish tacos.

A new menu, featuring fusion-style, Pan-Latino dishes – think ceviche, empanadas, and the like – will roll out over the next several days.

The outdoor patio facing Waikiki Beach...

The indoor lounge area, with communal table, on a sunny afternoon.

Starting October 19th, the new pool bar will feature live, local entertainment with Happy Hour specials from 4 to 6 p.m. daily.

Swim is located where Ciao Mein's bar used to be.

The bar from another angle.

Fairly eye-catching, isn't it?

Looking for some late night grinds, the  Taste Crew decided to give the new Korean eatery a try…

Here’s a shot from outside the restaurant the night we decided to drop in:

Hard to make out the "Choon Chun" part at night...

The new location on Kalakaua Ave. is the second Choon Chun Chicken to open on Oahu (the first, Choon Chun Chicken B-B-Q on King St., is located across from Pae Thai).

In English and Korean, of course!

If you’re on Kalakaua heading towards Waikiki, turn right into the driveway immediately after Fabric Mart; parking’s located behind the restaurant.

Inside, Choon Chun Chicken’s new Kalakaua location sports a bright, clean, modern look:

L-shaped booths near the front of the restaurant.

Unlike the King St. location, the new Choon Chun Chicken has more of a welcoming atmosphere with large windows and a bright, well-lit interior.

Flowers from the restaurant's opening three days before we stopped in.

When we arrived it was almost eleven, and only a handful of the tables were occupied.

(Not unexpectedly, we were the only non-Korean speakers in the place.)

Poetry, in the form of wall decals, adorns the walls here.

We were seated by the host at a table near the entrance, opposite the nifty wall decal above.

Interestingly, the quote (hard to make out due to the glare from the camera) reads:

Heres [sic] an adventure! What awaits

Beyond those closed, mysterious gates?

Whom shall I meet, where shall I go?

and is taken from a longer poem entitled, “Adventure Awaits,” by Abbie Farwell Brown.

More poetry perhaps? Also, lots of interesting shapes...

Larger booths along the windows facing Kalakaua Ave.

Here’s the front cover of the menu:

The menu at Choon Chun Chicken with funny chicken mascot!

There are plenty of selections to choose from, all broken up into the usual categories: chicken, beef, seafood, etc.

There's a daily lunch buffet from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The menu – in Korean, English, and Japanese – had pictures of the dishes running along the top and bottom of the menu’s pages, but it was still hard to figure out which picture went with which dish.

We ended up asking our server for his recommendations.

(The service, like the menu, is in both English and Korean)

Jinro water bottles...

As is traditional, the servers brought out various side dishes, or banchan, including choy sum, bean sprouts, and lettuce topped with Thousand Island dressing (!):

Yes, Thousand Island dressing...

Also, local favorites kim chee and mac salad:

In the background, kim chee and mac salad! And in the foreground, front and center,...

Our first dish, the house specialty Dak Galbi, came out on a sizzling hot platter with a dark colored sauce:

Dak Galbi and assorted banchan...

The full portion can be shared by up to four; we got a half portion instead.

Here’s a closer look:

Closeup on Choon Chun Chicken's Dak Galbi!

Tender morsels of spicy stir-fried chicken with onions, cabbage, carrots, a starchy vegetable we couldn’t quite identify, and garae tteok, those delightfully chewy, tubular rice cakes.

Seafood Scallion Pancake, or haemul pajeon.

Not found in the menu (it was recommended to us by our server), the Seafood Pancake at Choon Chun Chicken came sliced into 9 pieces, topped with squid, shrimp, and scallions.

The edges were slightly crispy while the rest of the pancake was soft and chewy.

Here's a closer look...

And our final dish of the evening:

Half portion, Spicy Fried Chicken (also, missing a few pieces).

The pic above was taken after a couple of pieces of chicken had already made their way from the dish onto our plates.

Since there were only two of us, our server let us order the half portion shown above.

The Spicy Fried Chicken took awhile to arrive (long enough that we began to wonder if the order had been put in), but to be fair, we placed the order after we’d already received the first two dishes.

The chicken, topped with a sprinkling of crushed nuts, was deep-fried until nice and crispy and coated with a red sauce that was sweet and cinnamon-y and not nearly as spicy as we were expecting (the Dak Galbi was spicier than the Spicy Fried Chicken).

And yes, that’s a side of shredded cabbage with Thousand Island Dressing on the plate…

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Our total bill came out to $32 and some change for the three dishes we ordered, not including tip – very reasonable given the amount of food we received.  (We ended up taking some of the food home afterwards).

All in all, a good experience.  We’ll definitely be back to try a few more of the dishes at a later date…

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For more info, check out our entry for Choon Chun Chicken’s Kalakaua location here.

And for more about the flagship location on King and Birch St., click on the link below:

Choon Chun Chicken B-B-Q

Just outside the Bubble Puff & Tea store on Campbell.

Located across the street from the Kapahulu Zippy’s (near Domino’s Pizza), Bubble Puff & Tea specializes in desserts, coffee, and tea drinks, including gei dan jai, a kind of egg waffle sold by street vendors in Hong Kong, and Jalea, or flavored, iced Jelly Drinks.

Free Wi-Fi and curbside pick-up!

The Bubble Puffs, or egg waffles (also known as egg puffs, eggettes, or puffettes), are cooked in a six-sided, iron mold and come out light and crispy on the outside and soft and dough-like on the inside.

(Sort of like a KC Drive Inn Waffle Dog, sans Hot Dog…)

The honeycomb-shaped treats are dotted with rounded puffs that are hollow on the inside, hence the name:

A fun diagram explaining the "Bubble Puff" name.

Guests can choose between regular and macadamia nut varieties, with choice of free toppings – either chocolate, coconut, condensed milk, cinnamon, or powdered sugar – and for $1 more enjoy the popular Asian street food a la mode!

Inside the store...

Other menu items at the Kapahulu store include Honey Toast topped with fresh fruit and whipped cream, chocolate Lava Cakes, and smoothies.

It’s a small store, with two tables on the inside and a few on the outside.  Parking’s limited to what you can find on the street, making free curbside pick-up very handy indeed.

Since the desserts take some time to make, we decided to grab a Jalea, or Jelly Drink, to go:

A Matcha Green Tea Jalea, or Jelly Drink, from Bubble Puff & Tea!

The Matcha Jalea (we opted for soy instead of whole milk) comes with green tea-flavored jellies resembling thick, shiny rings (we mistook them for ice cubes at first) that are meant to be broken up and stirred around inside the cup with the wide-mouthed straws provided.

Similar to the Grass Jelly Drinks you find in Asian markets around town, the Green Tea-flavored Jalea was cold and refreshing – sort of like drinking green tea Jell-o through a straw…!

Although we didn’t get a chance to try their namesake specialty item, we’ll definitely be back soon to give the Bubble Puffs themselves a try.

Menu items on display.

For the time being, the Kapahulu store’s only open on the weekends; on weekdays, you can find the crew from Bubble Puff & Tea at these other locations around the island:

Windward Mall on the 2nd Floor, Wednesdays, from 3 to 8 p.m.;

The International Market Place Food Court in Waikiki, Thursday afternoons from 4 to 8; and

Momilani Community Center in Pearl City, Fridays, 3 to 6:30 p.m.

Click here to check out Bubble Puff & Tea’s page at Taste Of Aloha.com!

Outside Just Tacos' new Koko Marina location...

Drawn in by the vertical banners waving just outside the restaurant, we decided to check the place out.

Keiki playing beneath the banners outside after dinner.

Located where Therapy Sportsgrill used to be, a few doors down from Zippy’s, Just Tacos retains the same general layout as the previous establishment, with the major exception being the bar which is now located in the back of the restaurant…

The front dining area - sparkly!

The main dining room at Just Tacos the night we went.

After a short wait, we were seated towards the back of the restaurant (with a view of the marina that would probably be pretty nice in the daylight hours).

The bar, in the background, is located marina-side...

...with an impressive area of tequila bottles lining the shelves - blanco, reposado, anejo...

Ah, tequila… another night, perhaps.  For dinner we stuck with cervesas…

On to the food!

Just Tacos' Shrimp Fiesta Appetizer!

The Shrimp Fiesta, featuring a tasty trio of camarónes, was hands down our favorite starter of the evening.

The first of our Three Shrimp Amigos: a lightly battered, deep fried shrimp that went really well with the remoulade-like dipping sauce pictured above.

One of the Shrimp Fiesta's Battered Shrimps!

Simple, yes, but oh-so-good!

(We’re guessing these are the same, battered,  ensenada-style shrimp offered as one of the fillings for the tacos, which we’ll get to in a bit…)

Next, we tried the Chipotle Shrimp:

The spicy Chipotle Shrimp!

The shrimp have a bit of heat to them; those wary of the hot stuff might want to try taking the shrimp for a dip in the aforementioned remoulade-esque sauce to cool things down a bit.

And finally, a true crowd-pleaser (and artery-clogger, if we’re really being honest with ourselves here):

Shrimp, wrapped in bacon and smothered in cheese!

That’s right.  Bacon-wrapped shrimp covered in cheese.

Mmmmmm.  Bacon…  Need we say more?

Moving on, then:

The Ceviche appetizer at Just Tacos.

The fish Ceviche, cooked in lime juice with cilantro and tomatoes, was served with tortilla chips and guacamole.  The Ceviche was a bit bland by itself (the salty tortilla chips helped quite a bit), and the guacamole was, sadly, nothing to write home about.

The Flautas appetizer at Just Tacos.

The Flautas, four altogether, came on a bed of shredded lettuce topped with cheese, tomatoes, and cilantro and a choice of filling.  Of the eight different fillings available, we opted for the chicken.

Again, nothing truly exceptional – “Just Taquitos,” you might say…

The chicken Mole Plate with Beans and Spanish Rice.

The Mole Plate came with a nice-sized portion of shredded chicken in a poblano-style mole sauce with corn tortillas served on the side.

The sauce was a bit sweeter than we’re accustomed to, but still very good. Also, the Spanish rice and the beans were both especially tasty, the beans helped in part no doubt by the addition, as is traditional, of just enough pork lard to impart some extra flavor.

The Two Tacos plate at Just Tacos.

Naturally, we had to get some tacos.

Of the fillings provided in the menu, we picked the birria, a shredded, marinated beef, and the cochinita pibil, a citrus pork, also shredded, for a bit of variety.

The homemade corn tortillas were a bit thicker than we’re used to (no need to double up wraps) and held up well even though it took us awhile before we got to them.

Of the two tacos we tried, we preferred the beef.  The pork we found a bit too dry for our tastes.  Being total suckers for all things deep fried, we found ourselves wishing we’d gone with the battered fish filling instead…

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All in all, a welcome addition to the East Honolulu dining scene, no doubt destined to be a popular spot for the weekend “dinner and a movie” crowd.

Also worth noting, the bar area is open until 2 on the weekends, providing HK residents too lazy to drive into town with a late night alternative to The Shack.  Now if only the kitchen were open past ten…

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Besides the new Koko Marina location (check out the menu, hours of operation, and more here, at TasteOfAloha.com), there are three other Just Tacos locations on Oahu:

Just Tacos Mexican Grill & Cantina Ko Olina

Just Tacos Mexican Grill & Cantina Mililani

Just Tacos Mexican Grill & Cantina Pearl City

Two more locations will be opening later this year on the neighbor islands – on Maui, Just Tacos Mexican Grill & Cantina Lahaina, and on the Big Island’s Kohala Coast, Just Tacos Mexican Grill & Cantina Mauna Lani

Hokulani Bake Shop's new Waikiki store!

Located on the first floor of the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa, beneath the Ewa Tower (near Seafood Village), the Waikiki Hokulani Bake Shop is the popular cupcakery’s third location on Oahu.

Standing room only at the Waikiki store...

It’s a small store – bright and cheery – with lots of goodies strewn about…

Here’s a closer look at the main display case:

Lots of cupcakes on display...

There are cookies and Hokulani branded merchandise on display as well:

Colorfully decorated, Frosted Sugar Cookies!

Clockwise from Top Left - Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and Unfrosted Sugar Cookies; also, Brownies, with and without (!) nuts.

(Pretty sure the mixer isn't for sale...)

T-Shirts, Towels, and other Hokulani-branded cuteness!

But, of course, the star attractions here are the cupcakes: namely, the Red Velvet and Strawberry Guava Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting!

The Best Sellers List helps narrow our choices down a bit...

We went ahead and picked up a dozen: six of the Red Velvet Cupcakes, 5 of the Strawberry Guava, and one Red Velvet Cupcake stuffed with even more creamy, gooey, goodness inside!

The cupcakes are pricey at $2.75 a pop, but we did get a  complimentary tote bag to go along with our purchase of $20 or more:

Free swag!

Here’s the box:

Nice packaging...

But it’s what’s inside that counts, right?

Mmm... cupcakes...

Baked from scratch using real butter and sugar, the cupcakes from Hokulani Bake Shop are moist and flavorful.

The frosting is creamy and not too, too sugary, although, most times less is more when it comes to frosting, even the good stuff.

The Cream Cheese-Filled Red Velvet Cupcake (not pictured) is a neat idea; a little less frosting up top and a little tweaking of the cake-to-filling ratio would make it absolutely killer.

The Strawberry Guava with Cream Cheese Frosting was our all-around fave.

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Besides the new store in Waikiki (you can check out their store hours and more here), there are two other Hokulani Bake Shop locations on Oahu:

Hokulani Bake Shop Restaurant Row

Hokulani Bake Shop Downtown

Facing mauka on the Lanai at Shor.

The view from the open-air Lanai, facing Diamond Head.

Multi-million dollar views of Waikiki Beach from the outdoor patio.

Looks like another beautiful day in Hawaii!

And now back to your regularly scheduled blog post for more about Shor, along with pics of the snazzy, new interiors…

Here are a bunch of pics sent to us by fellow foodies invited to a sneak peek of Shor, a casual American seafood grill at the Hyatt Regency and the newest restaurant to open in Waikiki!

The entrance to Shor American Seafood Grill.

Located on the third floor of the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa, Shor American Seafood Grill is the first of three new dining outlets opening this year, part of a $13 million renovation that will culminate in the opening of Oahu’s very own Japengo and a new pool bar called simply, Swim.

Shor Decor

There are three other Shor restaurants on the mainland; all of them feature  sustainably caught seafood and steaks with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients.

Located where Terrace Grille used to be, the new restaurant looks great, as you can see:

A view from the main dining room at Shor.

A shot of Shor's interior.

Lights in the main dining room of Shor Waikiki.

The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner starting Tuesday, June 7th.

Aloha! The Shor Omelet Station in the morning.

The lanai area wasn’t finished just yet. Also, wet from last week’s rain…

Not yet finished, a shot of Shor's open air Lanai seating...

An overcast day, but still a terrific view from Shor's outdoor seating area.

Let us know what you think about the new restaurant below, and for more info, check out Shor on TasteOfAloha.com!

Star Noodle in Lahaina.

Located in an industrial area of Lahaina, Star Noodle is a bit tricky to find but well worth seeking out.

If you’re coming from the south, turn right on Keawe St. after the Panda Express (across from Lahaina Cannery Mall) and keep going straight until you have to make a right.  Take the first left (Ulupono) and drive until you see the sign above.  Star Noodle will be on your right.

Coming from Kaanapali, turn left on Keawe St. after passing the Lahaina Gateway Shopping Center on your left (the one with the Barnes & Noble).

Parking stalls are available in front of the restaurant.

The bar at Star Noodle.

It’s a small restaurant; if you arrive during peak business hours, expect to wait.  (Due to the restaurant’s location in the middle of nowhere, there’s not a whole lot to do but sit, have a drink at the bar, chat, and wait for a spot to open up.)

The view from the back of the restaurant.

There are several tables directly opposite the bar, a larger communal table in the center of the dining room, and a long booth running along the back wall.

A good place for larger get togethers as well.

The interior of the restaurant is well-lit with a lively, casual atmosphere.

The bar filled up quickly the night we went.

So what did we end up ordering?

The decor is very natural with lots of earth tones and wood.

The menu at Star Noodle.

For starters, one of Star Noodle’s signature Sake Cocktails:

Star Noodle's Asian Pear Sake Cocktail.

Tasty and refreshing, the cocktail features fresh Asian pear muddled with pear-flavored vodka, sake, and lime sour mix.

Of course, we had to try the Steamed Pork Buns we’ve heard so much about:

Steamed Pork Buns served with hoisin sauce and hot mustard...

The buns arrived in a Chinese bamboo steamer with two squeeze bottles containing hot mustard and extra hoisin sauce.

Under the lid, three delicious Steamed Pork Buns!

Three to an order, the Steamed Pork Buns are filled with a thick piece of slightly fatty pressed pork with sliced cucumber, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, and hoisin sauce.

Close-up shot of one of Star Noodle's famous Steamed Pork Buns.

First bite! Yum!

The Steamed Pork Buns did not disappoint.

Next up, we ordered the Vietnamese-style Crepe:

Star Noodle's Vietnamese-style Crepe is huge!

The crispy Crepe was filled to bursting with ground pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts and served with lettuce wraps, mint, cilantro, basil, sliced carrots, and of course, garlic fish sauce for dipping.

A closer look at Star Noodle's Crepe Share Plate.

For the main course, a shared plate of Singapore Noodles tossed in curry and egg, with chicken, shrimp, bean sprouts, and red peppers:

A hearty helping of Singapore Noodles!

The Singapore Noodles were a bit of a let down unfortunately.  The chicken pieces were bland, and the noodles one-dimensional, taste-wise (mostly curry and not much else).

A closer look at the Singapore Noodles From Star Noodle.

At this point, absolutely stuffed, we asked our server if we could try just one of the signature Malasadas:

The full order comes with three malasadas.

The Malasadas at Star Noodle are made-to-order.  Dusted with sugar and served on a stick (for ease of dipping), the Malasadas come with a trio of condiments: butterscotch caramel, chopped nuts, and chocolate sauce.

Mmm, butterscotch caramel...

Why only one Malasada?

Why to leave room for the nightly Chef’s selection of Star Made Ice Creams, of course: Lavender Honey, Caramel Popcorn, and Banana Split!

Lavender Honey, Caramel Popcorn, Banana Split

Made with Kula lavender, the Lavender Honey Ice Cream was unusual but good – sweet, floral, with a hint of spice.

The Caramel Popcorn flavor was salty and sweet.

The least adventurous of the three, the Banana Split, was still a delight; banana-flavored ice cream with swirls of chocolate and real nuts inside.

A trio of Chef-selected ice creams.

The food is good and the prices are very reasonable (most of the dishes are under $13); we’ll definitely be back the next time we’re in Maui!

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Stop by Star Noodle’s entry at TasteOfAloha.com for more info including a closer look at the menu.

Also, check out Leoda’s Kitchen And Pie Shop (same parent company as Star Noodle and Aloha Mixed Plate), a casual, family-style establishment which will be opening later this year in Olowalu:

Leoda’s Kitchen And Pie Shop on TasteOfAloha.com

The Tea Farm Cafe in Puck's Alley.

Have a look inside:

Amazingly, this used to be a tattoo parlor!

Located next door to what used to be Hanamaru (now Nabeya), the Tea Farm Cafe is a new specialty tea shop run by owner and tea enthusiast Ervin Gong.

Behind the counter at Tea Farm Cafe.

Free, one-hour validated parking is available at Puck’s Alley. Entrances are located on University just past Curry House and on South King (the same driveway that leads to Imanas and Kohnotori).

A nice spot for some light reading.

It’s a cozy space, with a half dozen or so tables, perfect for study sessions (free Wi-Fi), as evidenced by the large number of UH students who frequent the place.

Teas are displayed in labeled jars near the entrance to the cafe, and guests are invited to have a whiff of the various blends before selecting either a cup or a pot, served hot or cold.

A variety of teas on display.

Pastries and desserts are located next to the counter.

The owner, Ervin, is friendly and knowledgeable.  He’s been selling tea online now for some years (link below).

Pressed for time, we took our Tea Of The Day to go:

Peach Black Tea to-go from Tea Farm Cafe.

Served in an eco-friendly cup, the Peach Black Tea had a nice aroma and a slightly sweet flavor; just the thing for the long drive home.

The bag (no staples) hangs from the edge of the cup.

Looking forward to our next visit!

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Tea lovers, be sure to check out the Tea Farm Cafe website where you’ll find tons of great information about all things tea.

Click here to check out Tea Farm Cafe’s page on TasteOfAloha.com.

Goodbye, Ciao Mein! Hello, Japengo!

The all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at Terrace Grille, which closed shortly after the New Year, has been relocated to the opposite end of the hotel where it shares space with Ciao Mein.

A new restaurant, Shor, will be built in place of Terrace Grille and Musashi, the Japanese teppan and sushi restaurant which closed a few years back.

The whimsically named pool bar, Elegant Dive, will  emerge from the renovations with a brand new concept called, simply, Swim.

Guests can either “Swim” to “Shor” or dine at Japengo, which will take the place of Ciao Mein in the coming months.

Renovations are currently underway on the hotel's Diamond Head Tower.

The Hyatt Regency Waikiki’s flagship Chinese-Italian restaurant will close its doors after twenty-plus years, making way for Japengo, which will feature modern Asian fusion and Pacific Rim cuisine along with traditional and innovative sushi rolls.

The Japengo in Waikiki will be the second in Hawaii; the first, located in Ka’anapali at the Hyatt Regency Maui, opened just last month.

The menu at the Japengo in Lahaina features new and exciting dishes like Curry Dusted Calamari, Vietnamese “Style” Kurobuta Pork, China Town Chow Fun, and Jidori Cashew Chicken.

The concept of Japengo isn’t new.  San Diego’s award-winning Cafe Japengo celebrates its 21st anniversary at the Hyatt Regency LaJolla this year.

According to the menu at the Hyatt Regency Aruba website, Japengo is the name first given to the Orient by Marco Polo and means “Land Of Mystery.”

Although Marco Polo never set foot in Japan, his writings do mention the name “Cipangu” which refers to an island of great wealth and is believed to be the origin of the country’s modern name, Japan.

The effects of the third floor renovation will be felt elsewhere in the hotel.  The Colony steakhouse, located on the second floor of the Diamond Head Tower, is also expected to close later in the year.

Colony steakhouse to close later this year as well.