Goma Tei @ Ala Moana

Goma Tei is a restaurant that exemplifies the idea of a restaurant that does one thing, and does it right. A ramen specialty restaurant, Goma Tei’s local claim to fame has been its delicious and wildly popular tan tan ramen. Unlike traditional ramen broths made as a salt or shoyu base, this broth utilizes the subtle spiciness of roasted sesame seeds to enrich the flavor of the soup.

Whether you dine at the Goma Tei location in Ward Center or Ala Moana, you will find the atmosphere to be bright and lively. Both locations are bright and inviting, the perfect setting to enjoy a hot bowl of noodles. I have enjoyed good service at both locations from the courteous and attentive staff. You will find that both locations build up quite a few customers around peak lunch/dinner hours, so I would recommend going at an off hour or making sure you get there early.

In addition to the standard ramen offering, Goma Tei also provides its customers a variety of appetizer choices:

Ban Ban Ji Chicken

The cold Ban Ban Ji chicken is a rather unique starter offering. Thin slices of cold chicken breast rest atop a bed of “cucumber noodles”, topped with a sauce that is based on their tan tan ramen broth. This cold dish is very refreshing, with a savory and tangy flavor. The cucumber noodles are actually my favorite part of the dish!

Chicken Tatsutaage

My favorite dish at Goma Tei (aside from the ramen of course) is their chicken tatsutaage. These warm morsels of chicken are succulent and juicy with a slight, wonderful crunch. The sauce that accompanies the chicken adds a great tangy bite to the experience. These pieces of chicken always come to the table fresh from the fryer and are piping hot.

Enjoyable as the appetizer options are, the real star of Goma Tei’s menu is their featured tan tan ramen. A little spicy with a depth of earthy flavor from the roasted sesame seeds, this ramen broth experience is quite unique. I do not often make it a point to drink up all the broth in my bowl of ramen, but I make an exception with Goma Tei’s tan tan broth. You can order your ramen with a variety of toppings:

Tan Tan Ramen with Egg

The basic ramen order comes as pictured above, minus the egg. You get a nice helping of ramen noodles and a thick piece of charsui! Other variations include:

Charsui Tan Tan (3 pieces of charsui)

Vegetable Tan Tan

Final thoughts: A unique and delicious take on ramen, Goma Tei delivers consistently delicious food with fast and friendly service. Although not the only game in town for this type of ramen, I dare say that Goma Tei is my favorite. A bowl of ramen will run you a little extra here than in your traditional ramen shop, but the flavor is well worth it!

Frozen Natto

Strong smelling, sticky, fermented soybeans mixed with a form of soil dwelling bacterium. Usually this is not the way you’d want to describe any kind of food. Bad as these properties may sound, oddly enough the combination forms a rather unique and rather healthy food that hails from Japan. I’m of course referring to none other than the famous (or infamous) NATTO.

Natto certainly qualifies for the “Who was crazy enough to make and/or eat this first” category of the culinary world. The origins of this food, widely considered an “acquired taste”, are somewhat shrouded. Some accounts tell of the famous Japanese samurai Minamoto no Yoshiie and a battle where his force was attacked while they were boiling soybeans to eat. His men packed up all their supplies, soybeans and all, inside of straw bags. A few days later Minamoto’s men opened their bags to find that the soybeans had fermented. Despite the pungent smell and the stickiness of what they had found, they decided to eat it anyway and ended up liking the taste.

Other natto origin stories tell of it being created in China. Still others claim that natto has existed since 500 B.C.!

Regardless of the origins of this sticky food, natto as we know it today is a very distinctly Japanese food. Unlike the days of old where you might accidentally find yourself with a straw bag full of accidental natto, these fermented soybeans are commonly found in Asian supermarkets worldwide. In stores you’ll most commonly find it frozen into small blocks as pictured above.

In Japan natto serves as a very popular breakfast item. The small frozen blocks are normally thawed and then mixed together with a variety of ingredients. The most common ingredients mixed in with natto are green onions, shoyu, and hot mustard. Some will add things like tsuyu broth or eggs to their natto mixture. These natto mixes are usually eaten over hot white rice.

Thawed & Prepared Natto

Natto is also used as an ingredient inside of other foods such as omelets. Here in Hawaii you might find natto in sushi or mixed with your favorite poke.

No matter how you prefer your natto, you can rest assured that you are enjoying a healthy food with each fermented bean. Very high in protein compared to level of calories, natto has several healthy properties. The compound found in natto that gives it that strong smell has been found to help prevent blood clotting. Natto is also claimed to contain substances that help to fight cancer. Several studies have also shown natto to have both antibiotic and cholesteral lowering effects when eaten regularly.

Personally I find that very few people enjoy natto, and even fewer enjoy it as much as I do. Most are reluctant to try at all because they can’t get over the smell. If prepared right the ingredients used in natto mixes can help to cut down on the pungent ammonia-like smell of natto, making it more bearable for first time eaters. No matter your stance on the edible status of natto, there is no doubting that it is a unique and interesting food.

Natto mixture over hot rice

One of my favorite dishes, takoyaki has emerged as of late as a very popular “street food” in Japan. Takoyaki (literally “fried octopus”) takes the form of small balls of batter that are filled with chunks of octopus meat.

First made popular by a vendor in Osaka in the 1930s, takoyaki is prepared using a special “takoyaki pan”. These heavy cast iron pans come in different varieties, but all versions share the same characteristics. Made for stove top cooking or combined with an electric heater, these pans are made thick to evenly distribute heat. This distribution helps to cook the takoyaki evenly. Your average takoyaki pan will have roughly 16 deep rounded wells to be filled with batter and the remaining ingredients.

Takoyaki Pan

Making takoyaki at home is not all the difficult in concept, but the execution will take some time to master. While you can customize your takoyaki with the types of fillings you enjoy, the most basic form will include octopus chunks and green onions. Because of the wide combination of flavors that ultimately go into your takoyaki dish there is no real need to seek out “sashimi grade” octopus. Almost any cut you can find from your local grocery store will work.

Boiled Octopus (tako)

There are a few basic recipes out there for takoyaki. Using the base batter you can substitute the octopus for a great variety of items. On top of that you can garnish your takoyaki dishes with an assortment of items. The most popular being takoyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, and shaved bonito flakes (as pictured above). I’ll share with you a basic recipe for making takoyaki at home in a follow up post shortly.

Of course if you’d rather skip all the prep you can head down to Shirokiya and grab a box of freshly made takoyaki on the second level!

My second attempt at making the Pho broth at home. Cooked the broth ingredients for half a day and got really nice flavors from the beef bones I used. Will post the recipe for you all soon!

Bound to be one of the most popular Japanese appetizers on menus across the US, chicken karaage is not unfamiliar to us here in Hawaii. Although there are many variations on this particular dish (and sometimes different names like “chicken tatsutaage”), the true original dish is simply deep fried marinated chicken pieces.

Making chicken karaage is actually quite easy. If you’d like to give it a try at home here’s a quick and simple recipe:

Chicken Karaage
Prep Time: 1-2 hours Cook Time: 15 minutes

• 5-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp sake (rice wine)
• 1+ cup of cornstarch

1. Take chicken and remove any excess fat. Cut chicken into large bite sized cubes.
2. Combine ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine and mix well
3. Add cubed chicken pieces into the marinade mixture and allow chicken to marinade for 1-2 hours
4. Heat hot oil to roughly 350 degrees in a deep saucepan (or use a fryer)
5. Dredge chicken pieces lightly in cornstarch and shake off any excess. Add chicken into hot oil.
6. Cook chicken until golden brown and crispy on the outside, roughly 4-5 minutes depending on thickness of chicken pieces.
7. Remove to plate and garnish with lemon. Serve while hot.

I hope that through this recipe you find that enjoying delicious chicken karaage doesn’t require a visit to your nearest Japanese restaurant. This tasty dish can be prepared easily at home! Enjoy!

For residents here in Honolulu it seems like there are almost an unlimited number of Korean yakiniku restaurants available for us to choose from. This is especially true in the Ala Moana area. From Sorabol to Yakiniku Seoul, we have a variety of different places to get our yakiniku fix.

Among the myriad of yakiniku restaurants there are only a few that offer “all you can eat” menus. Normally what I see is an “all you can eat” yakiniku buffet that allows diners to walk through and grab their own meats and vegetables. While this seems to be a popular style, I find the whole experience of walking a buffet line full of raw meats a little unappetizing. Luckily for people like me there is one place that serves up great value right to your table: Shillawon Korean Restaurant.

Like its buffet counterparts, Shillawon offers an “all you can eat” menu for around $25 per person. But, rather than going to a buffet line and grabbing your own meats, Shillawon will bring to your table full plates of the different meats. When you first place your order for the “all you can eat” menu they bring to your table the standard mix of barbecue chicken/beef, brisket, and steak. At your request you can have them bring the less popular items like beef tongue as well. They also bring to your table an assortment of side dishes, rice, and a few bowls of hot soup.

Korean side dishes

No meal at a yakiniku restaurant would be complete without these side dishes which include kim chee, fishcake, choy sum, and whole leaf lettuce.

Yakiniku meats

When the plates of meat are brought to your table, Shillawon staff are nice enough to cut the large chunks into smaller bite-sized pieces to make for easy cooking.

Yakiniku Grill

As you can see the assortment of meat provided is well varied. We also like to throw the fresh garlic cloves that Shillawon provides to add a little more flavor.

Sauce for yakiniku meats

Shillawon provides two sauces to go along with your yakiniku meats. One is a standard shoyu based sauce and the second this oil and sea salt mixture.

Bi Bim Bap

We combined our “all you can eat” experience with a side order of Bi Bim Bap. This popular Korean rice dish features beef and mixed vegetables mixed together in a large stone pot. Over time the hot stone pot continues to cook the rice and ingredients. A spicy paste is added on top of the bi bim bap prior to mixing.

Final thoughts: While you won’t find the meat to be nearly as flavorful or tender as you might find at other yakiniku restaurants, Shillawon still delivers a great value for the dollar. The meats are a cut above some other “all you can eat” establishments that I have sampled. The manner in which the items are served coupled with the great staff makes Shillawon a more appealing venue for me when I feel like pigging out on yakiniku.

Shillawon
747 Amana Street Suite 1904 Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
Phone: 808.944.8700

I can hardly believe that Ichiriki has been opened now for almost three years. It seems like just yesterday that I was sitting down inside of the popular nabe restaurant for the first time. Well three years have passed since Ichiriki opened up on Pi’ikoi Street near Ala Moana and I have never stopped going at least every few weeks since that first experience.

For those who have not yet dined here, Ichiriki is a Japanese “nabe” (hot pot) restaurant. The primary focus of Ichiriki is to serve delicious “hot pot” dishes that you prepare at your own table. While the main ingredients are similar from nabe to nabe, it is the variety of different broths that keep me coming back. Ichiriki features a number of different broth styles from their popular “Ichiriki” nabe to their new healthy ginger nabe. I have sampled almost all of the different broths that Ichiriki has to offer and while I do have a favorite, I must say that all of them offer something unique and delicious.

I had returned to Ichiriki this past weekend to take advantage of a special coupon I had received celebrating their 3rd year anniversary. This coupon was good for half price on any nabe up to a party of four, so I decided to head down with my wife and two other family members. Being the “crafty” consumers that we are, we all ordered the Kobe Beef shabu shabu to get the most bang for our buck on the special coupon.

Divided shabu shabu pot

Unlike the other nabe options you have at Ichiriki, the broth for the shabu shabu is very plain. Actually the broth is only very lightly flavored and includes a single piece of dried kelp. In traditional shabu shabu the broth evolves over time as ingredients are cooked and ultimately enjoyed at the end of cooking with noodles or rice.

One thing that you’ll notice right away about Ichiriki is the unique divided pots. This allows diners to order different broths but share the same table burner, which is a real space saver. Even if you order the same thing it’s just nice to have your food separated from your fellow dinner.

Kobe Beef

Highly prized (and highly priced!) the kobe beef that came along with our order was perfectly marbled. Although the beef served in this picture isn’t the true top grade cuts you’d find from Japan (I believe these were “American kobe beef” cuts), you can still taste the difference from standard beef. The thinly sliced meat is so tender and delicate, with fat marbled so well that it feels almost like butter in your mouth.

Shabu Shabu vegetables

Of course along with our kobe beef came the standard shabu shabu fixings. The vegetables and tofu served with the beef really add a great amount of flavor to the broth in the shabu shabu pot. I prefer to cook these in smaller batches for a little longer period to let them release more flavor into the clear broth.

Shabu Shabu sauces

No shabu shabu would be complete without the traditional array of sauces. The brown sauce is based around sesame seeds, used normally for the meat. The other sauce used with shabu shabu is simply a citrus soy sauce (ponzu) that is garnished with green onions and grated radish. The red grated radish is a spicier options for those who enjoy a little kick to their ponzu.

Ramen and udon noodles

After cooking all of the beef and veggies our server brought this plate of noodles to our table. At Ichiriki you have a choice between ramen and udon noodles to end your meal. I opted to go with ramen this time around and let it cook in the now complex shabu shabu broth until it was soft.

Noodle sauce

For shabu shabu orders Ichiriki provides this small bowl of sauce for your noodles, to be added to the broth you enjoy with your udon or ramen. This sauce adds a little more saltiness to the shabu shabu broth.

Ramen in leftover shabu shabu broth

Being an experienced Ichiriki diner I always save a few of the vegetables and the enoki mushrooms to accompany my noodles at the end of the meal. The real star in this finish to the meal is the broth itself. When ordering shabu shabu the broth tends to not be quite as intense as with some other nabe options you have at Ichirki, but with all the ingredients that had released their flavors during the cooking process the broth is still flavorful.

Final thoughts: I am a true fan of “nabe” meals and Ichiriki has never disappointed. Over the past three years I have dined at Ichiriki dozens of times, and each time came away a satisfied customer. The variety of different broths gives you a different flavor each time you visit. In addition to great food the staff is fast and courteous and always attentive. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys “hot pot” cooking or is looking for a great first experience.

Ichiriki is undoubtedly a popular establishment, so if you plan on going for dinner I would highly recommend reservations!

Ichiriki
510 Pi’ikoi Street Honolulu, HI 96817
Phone: 808.589.2299

One of my favorite pastries to eat for breakfast on-the-go is the ever popular scone. Scones are a British bread/cake of Scottish origins. In this quick recipe you’ll find that not only are scones delicious, but they are also quick and easy to make as well!

Here is a simple quick recipe for a blueberry scone:

Blueberry Scones with orange zest
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes

• 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup of butter, chilled (but not frozen)
• 1 cup of fresh blueberries, frozen overnight
• 3/4 cup of heavy cream (2% or whole milk works too)
• 1 egg
• Zest from half an orange

For this recipe you’ll need to have either a flat cookie sheet or a special scone pan if you’d like to have that classic scone shape. I use a mini scone pan which divides my dough into 16 half sized scones. I find that this is better for sharing.

Here are the few steps you need to start making scones at home!

1. Freeze blueberries overnight. This helps to keep them from bursting during baking
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, placing rack in about the middle
3. Combine all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl
4. Grate fresh orange zest into the dry ingredients and mix
5. Take butter and add to dry ingredients. Mix in using a fork, slowly breaking apart the butter. Mix in this way until the dry ingredients have a more “crumby” texture.
6. Beat the egg with the heavy cream
7. Mix wet ingredients into dry. Do not overmix.
8. Take frozen blueberries and give them a quick toss/coat in about 1/2 cup of flour. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the scones.
9. Fold blueberries gently into batter
10. Coat your cookie sheet or scone pan with nonstick spray. If using a cookie sheet simply use a serving spoon to make “drop” scones by placing large scoops of the batter on the sheet, spacing evenly.
11. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until gold brown on the top
12. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Best served while still warm

I have made this recipe for my office and my coworkers enjoy them. You can take the base batter of this recipe and substitute all different types of fruit. You can even swap the fruit out for chocolate chips and walnuts to make yourself a more dessert-like scone. Whatever you decide to add into your scones, I hope you find this recipe to be quick and easy!

I was fortunate enough to attend the Made in Hawaii Festival this year to see the numerous local vendors showcasing their products. Naturally the theme of the entire event was to highlight companies that make their products right here in our beautiful state. While many of the art and craft vendors had wonderful products and designs, I of course was particularly interested in the food!

I had a chance to sample many of the local flavors that were represented at the festival. There were vendors ranging from sausage makers to tea blenders. The sheer collection of food companies present was astounding.

Here are the pictures I was able to snap during my time at the festival. I had not seen the sign that asked photographs not be taken until one of the vendors was nice enough to advise me of the restriction before I got into any trouble. I wanted to share with you the pictures I did take since I felt it was such a wonderful event. I would definitely try to make it next year if you didn’t get a chance to experience it this past weekend!

Can’t wait until next year!

Space is at a premium at the Little Oven, with only seating room for about 25 people at any one time. The shop opens from 7:00PM each night to serve walk in guests, as the staff of the Little Oven is busy during the day preparing special ordered cakes and other desserts. If you plan to stop by the Little Oven for an evening treat, I would recommend going as soon as they open.

After being seated and admiring the contemporary style of the dining area, I ordered a cup of hot coffee. The coffee at the Little Oven is quite good, which one might expect from a dessert shop. I dined at the Little Oven tonight with my family, so we had a variety of dishes brought to the table. The Little Oven’s nightly menu tends to change throughout the week, with a few fixtures. Each visit provides new tasting experiences!

Banana Split

Little Oven’s take on a classic dessert, the Banana Split features exceptionally fresh fruit and quality ice cream. This interpretation of the classic does not disappoint.

Peach Cobbler

The peach cobbler is an item I haven’t seen previously on the menu. The cobbler was brought to the table and was immediately appealing from its presentation. The cobbler was warm and rich with the perfect amount of sweetness accented by the tart fruit garnishes.

Clamansi Tart

A special item on tonight’s menu, the calamansi tart posed for us a few questions. Turns out that calamansi is a type of citrus fruit that looks very much like a lime, lemon, or orange depending on what stage of the ripening process you find it. The calamansi was a welcomed change from your typical lemon or lime tart. The tart dessert was creamy with a flaky crust and the perfect amount of sour bite.

Ume Kanten

The ume kanten, one of the most commonly available items on the menu, is my personal favorite. Really nothing more than a mixture of wonderfully fresh fruits and mochi balls, the ume kanten is a delightfully light and refreshing dessert. As you dig down deeper into the glass you begin to feel the combination of sweet and tart fruits along with the soft mochi.

Final thoughts: Although I have only been introduced to this wonderful little establishment just recently, I can easily say that it is fast becoming one of my favorite spots. The desserts offered at the Little Oven are reminiscent of my dining experiences in Japan. The level of expertise and care that goes into each dessert is readily apparent from the time you see them come to your table. The flavors are all well thought out in combination and delicately prepared. I would recommend the Little Oven to anyone who is a fan of dessert!

The Little Oven
1467 South King Street, Unit 1-A Honolulu, HI 96814
Phone: 808.947.6836