Here in Hawaii we can’t drive up into the misty valleys of Yubara for a relaxing soak in natural hot springs, but we can enjoy the food you’ll find there. The owner of the Hakkei hot spring inn expanded her business into Hawaii with a small restaurant located on Young Street.

Having had the pleasure of dining at the Hakkei inn in Yubara, I was fortunate to enjoy the culinary talents of Chef Seiya Masahara. Chef Masahara is best known for his appearance on the original Japanese version of Iron Chef in which he defeated the Iron Chef by unanimous vote. While Chef Masahara is still in charge of the Hakkei inn’s restaurant, he has sent to Hawaii his talented apprentice, Chef Kouji Kuwa.

I’ve dined at Hakkei many times since it’s opening here in Honolulu. This past week week my visit was sparked by my effort to work through the “Food Hunt for Charity” list, of which Hakkei’s oden is a listed item. Hakkei’s style has always been simple, traditional Japanese cooking. Our visit for lunch was no exception to this. Each day Hakkei features a special item along with a daily grilled fish. I ordered the grilled fish set which included the daily fish and a selection of three oden items.

Inside Hakkei – Limited seating so reservations are recommended!

Variety of oden items simmering in broth. You pick what you feel like having.

Small salad with fresh tofu

Grilled Fish lunch set

Daily grilled fish – Nice crispy skin!

Daily lunch special – Fried chicken with sesame sauce

Dashimaki – So simple but so delicious!

Hakkei has a more extensive dinner menu which changes often based on the local fresh ingredients Chef Kouji Kuwa is able to find. But, no matter what time of day you might decide to dine at Hakkei, you’ll be sure to enjoy great traditional Japanese cooking!

Hakkei Honolulu
1436 Young Street Honolulu, HI 96814
Phone: (808) 944-6688
www.hakkei-honolulu.com

One thing I must note for any first-time diners is the menu can be a bit… confusing at times. The English on the menu are sometimes a little off. For example for my order below, the “bamboo shoot” ramen, the menu spells it as “shute”. It isn’t so bad that you can’t figure out what to order, but first timers might have some challenges.

Raraya’s broth is a bit different from most, but in a delicious way. The broth at this ramen shop is quite good, packing a lot of flavor. I do also appreciate the option to top my ramen with the ground sesame seeds they provide at the table.

Assortment of condiments including chili oil, sesame seeds, shichmi, shoyu and vinegar

Gyoza

“Bamboo shoot” Ramen

Ramen served with broth on the side for dipping

Raraa Iekei Ramen
1145 S King St.
Honolulu, HI 96814

This past week we learned from our mistakes and made sure we had a reservation for 5:00! Not only were they running their normal happy hour specials, but right now at Gyu-Kaku there is a special “Sakura Festival” running until April 18th.

Gyu-kaku has always been a nice departure from your average yakiniku restaurant. Orders of meat are not as large compared to your typical yakiniku place, but the quality and flavor is always a cut above. I also enjoy the non-meat items such as the bibimbap and udon as much as anything else on the menu at Gyu-kaku. Service is always welcoming and top-notch.

If you’re looking to enjoy a quality yakiniku experience, then look no further than Gyu-kaku. But be warned, if you want to go during happy hour, make sure you’ve got a reservation!

Dipping sauces: Tare, Ponzu, & Spicy (left-to-right)

Happy Hour Item: Sunburst Cocktail

Happy Hour Item: Edamame

Happy Hour Item: Calamari

Happy Hour Items: Filet Mignon & Garlic Shrimp

Tofu Salad (half portion)

Udon with Spicy Kalbi Broth

Bibimbap

Kalbi with tare sauce

Gyu-Kaku Japanese Restaurant
2 locations on Oahu — Kapiolani and Waikiki
http://www.gyu-kaku.com

Here in Hawaii many locals associate musubi instantly with spam. It’s not surprising since spam musubis are arguably the most popular form of this food here at home. But while those of us in Hawaii might associate this Japanese culinary creation with a can of spam, there exists in the world a vast variety of different musubi.

Our journey in learning more about the history of musubi beings in Japan, where they are more commonly referred to as onigiri or omusubi. The English translation of these names is fairly straightforward: rice balls. Onigiri is traditionally shaped into ovals, and unlike sushi rice, is flavored simply with salt. The earliest forms of onigiri were not wrapped in nori, as nori was not widely available in Japan until the late 1600s. These rice balls were typically small in size, no bigger than a plum in most cases.

Of course today we have some exceptions when it comes to musubi size:

Giant musubi at the famous Sanzoku Restaurant in Japan. Pictured next to a piece of chicken for size comparison.

As it happens musubi as we know them today came about as an invention of convenience. The use of chopsticks in Japan was not widespread prior to 700 AD, so the early people of Japan would make rice easier to eat by rolling them into balls that could be easily picked up by hand. Even as chopsticks became popular in Japan, it was not uncommon for people to cook rice and then shape them into squares or balls for easy eating.

Onigiri was used more often than not as a quick meal. During battles and long periods of war, samurai would often carry these rice balls with them, wrapped in various kinds of leaves. The salt added to the rice acted as a natural preservative, allowing the food to keep for short periods of time while soldiers moved from place to place.

Today we are used to having some sort of accompanying ingredient with our musubi, whether it be pickled ume, salted salmon, or furikake. Musubi have further evolved in modern day cuisine to include heavier meats like spam, and some establishments are even making musubi using different types of rice.

Modern day technology has also evolved the look of musubi. While traditionally rolled by hand to create a ball or oval shape, today many musubis can be found in triangle form. This is a result of an invention created in the early 1980s which could automatically mold cooked rice into a triangular shape. This machine allowed for the mass production of musubi. However, even with the creation of such a device, the mass production of musubi for distribution in convenience stores (like 7-11) didn’t really begin until the invention of modern day musubi wrappers that keep the rice and nori separate. Prior to these new multi-layer wrappers, nori would often get soggy shortly after being applied to the musubi.

As you can see, onigiri has come a long way since its early days. Today we have such a variety of flavors and combinations that are created around the simple rice ball of old Japan. But, no matter how the future might change this beloved local food, I doubt that the overwhelming popularity of spam musubi will ever fade. Well, at least not here in Hawaii!

Spam musubi with furikake and tsukudani

Hifumi isn’t going to wow you with decor or atmosphere. It is a very simple and casual place. But the variety of foods and taste may surprise you! On our visit we ordered the tempura and beef teriyaki, items that have had some critical acclaim here in the past. Both items were quite good, especially the flavor in the teriyaki sauce! All in all I’d say the visit was worthwhile.

Inside Hifumi

Miso soup

Bento special (2 choice) with teriyaki beef and tempura

Teriyaki beef

Shrimp & Vegetable tempura

Hifumi Restaurant
100 North Beretania Street
Inside the Chinese Cultural Plaza

Miso soup at its core is basically miso dissolved into water. This recipe takes it a step further by incorporating the use of dashi broth and clams to enhance the richness and body of the soup. If you can find miso that has dashi-no-moto mixed into it, this will further increase the flavor of your soup!

This recipe is very simple and fast. Easy to whip up after a long day at work when you want something quick and delicious! The ingredients below make enough for about 4-6 nicely sized bowls of soup. The amount of miso you actually add will vary depending on your taste preference. I also prefer to use red miso, as I feel it gives the soup more body, but you can always use whatever miso you prefer.

Simple Miso Soup
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes

• 4 cups dashi stock (dissolve 1/2 tsp dashi-no-moto per cup water)
• 1/2 block of tofu, cubed
• 1/8 white onion, sliced thin
• 2 Tablespoons dried wakame (seaweed)
• 1/3 cup daikon, cut into sticks
• 3-5 Tablespoons Red miso (preferably one that has dashi-no-moto mixed in!)
• 2-3 Tablespoons green onion, sliced
• 3 clams (optional)

1. Heat dashi stock in a small pot, bring up to near boil.
2. Add onions, daikon, and clams.
3. Cover pot and cook until onions and daikon are soft.
4. Add wakame and tofu cubes into pot. Reduce heat to a high simmer (not boiling).
5. Just before serving add red miso. Stir until miso clumps are dissolved. Do not boil soup once miso is added.
6. Pour miso soup into bowls and garnish with green onion.

Ingredients for miso soup

Bowl of Miso soup ready to eat!

I also LOVE their katsu donburi. So many places cook the egg too much for my taste, but Jimbo makes the egg a perfect “medium” (not sure what else to call it…), firm but still a little runny. Perfect!

Service is always fast at Jimbo. I’d recommend going early or at an off hour though since they do get packed pretty fast. We managed to sneak in on the last big table right at 5:15PM and within minutes of ordering we noticed a growing crowd of people waiting outside!

Katsu Donburi Combo with Hot Udon

Nabeyaki Udon

Lychee Sorbet

Recently I’ve begun experimenting with making some of my favorite broths at home. I started out with nabe broths (I can put together a pretty good pirikara broth now) and slowly moved on up to Pho and ramen.

My experiments with trying to cook ramen broth started off with the classic “tonkotsu” broth. This clear, marrow rich broth is not common here in Hawaii but it is all the rage in Japan. Since my first attempts I’ve slowly graduated to modifying the tonkotsu recipe with some other elements to give it a stronger flavor. I’ve come to find that combining dark miso into the mix gives the rich marrow flavor a saltier bite, which I enjoy.

Ramen is so versatile that beyond the broth and noodles, you can pretty much throw in whatever you want. For tonight’s preparation I had some leftover tempura pieces, which I ended up reheating and tossing into the mix.

Pork Miso Ramen
Prep Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 6-7 hours

• 2 pounds pork bones with as much marrow as possible
• 2 pounds chicken bones (can substitute with 3 cups chicken stock)
• 1 medium white onion, cut into 8 sections
• 1 bulb garlic, cleaned but whole
• 2 inch section of ginger, cut into slices
• Addition 1 inch section of ginger, skinned and whole
• 1 stalk of leek (white bottom portion)
• 3 shiitake mushrooms
• 1/3 cup dark red miso (with dashi-no-moto in it if available)
• 2 Tbsp Seasame oil
• Oil for frying
• water

1. Place pork and chicken bones into a pot and cover with water. Bring pot to a boil and leave for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat a saucepan with 1/2 inch of oil. Over medium heat add onions, garlic, and leek. Cook until items are brown and caramelized (roughly 30 minutes).
3. When pork bones are done with initial 5 minute boil, drain into a colander. Rinse pot and place pork bones back inside along with chicken bones. Fill pot with water until bones are submerged by at least 1 inch of liquid. If using chicken stock in place of bones add that in now.
4. Bring pot back to a boil, siphoning off the “foam” or “scum” that rises to the top for the first 20-30 minutes.
5. When onions and garlic are well caramelized, use a spoon and move into pot with pork bones. Drain as much oil out as you transfer them to the pot.
6. Add shiitake mushrooms.
7. Cover the pot and leave on a high boil for 6 hours. Add water to keep ingredients covered as needed.
8. After 6 hours remove bones from pot. Line a strainer with paper towel or cheesecloth and strain broth through into a large bowl. Pour strained broth back into pot and put over medium heat.
9. Grate remaining 1 inch of ginger finely into pot. Add in sesame oil and miso. Do not bring the pot to a boil once miso has been added. Monitor heat to keep broth hot while not boiling.
10. Prepare bowls with ramen noodles and other ingredients. Pour broth over and enjoy!

Onions, garlic, ginger and leeks

Caramelizing the aromatics in oil

Pork bones in chicken broth/water after initial boiling

Pork Miso Ramen with Tempura and char sui

We made a stop in at Sushi King the other night for a late evening dinner at around 9PM. Despite the time of night there were still quite a few people in the restaurant and the parking lot was nearly full! While dining we saw the sushi chefs cranking out dozens of California roll orders, getting ready for the rush of hungry patrons coming in after 10:30PM for their late night specials.

Luckily we avoided the huge surge for late night and had an enjoyable meal. Here are some highlights:

Appetizers & Side Dishes w/ Combination meal

Garlic Ahi Tuna

Mini-Tempura Udon

Chicken Karaage

Located near the airport is a hidden gem known as Mitch’s Fish Market. From the outside you would never think that this location held anything like a restaurant, as it appears mostly as a small warehouse. But to our great fortune in this most unexpected of places you will find one of the best sushi restaurants in the state.

The inside of Mitch’s Fish Market looks like, well, a fish market. The moment you step through the front door you will be greeted by the strong smell of fresh fish. One of the best things about this establishment is the daily shipments of fresh fish that they use. If you dine here you’re more than likely will see the sushi chefs running in and out of the walk-in refrigerator at the back of the restaurant, hauling out fresh fish to fill the orders of hungry customers.

Inside Mitch’s Fish Market

Fresh Oysters

Freshly grated wasabi

Ume Nigiri Sushi Set

California Roll

Spicy Tuna Roll

Negitoro Roll

Lobster Miso Soup

Final thoughts: Mitch’s Fish Market offers arguably one of the best venues for sushi in the state (at times I dare say the best). The sushi chefs here offer a great selection of traditional and non-traditional sushi items. Backed by the expertise of the chefs and the superb quality and freshness of the fish, Mitch’s is sure to be favorite place for any sushi lover. I would highly recommend this establishment!

Mitch’s Fish Market
524 Ohohia St. Honolulu, HI
Phone: 808.837.7774
http://www.mitchsushi.com/