You are currently browsing the monthly archive for August, 2007.
Foodland’s Ala Moana Center store was closed for renovation for several months now, and just reopened their doors this past Thursday with a new Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a Beard Papa’s, and an overall fresh, updated look.
Beard Papa’s is a franchise from Japan that specializes in freshly made Cream Puffs. Their Hawaii locations, which have been in the islands for several years now, are operated by Foodland’s Sullivan family. Which explains why many of their shops are located within their stores; the first of which to arrive on our shores being in the Waikiki Food Pantry supermarket. The last of which I’ve visited before this one being at the Koko Marina Foodland.
Beard Papa’s motto is “to only serve the freshest cream puffs”. With that, every one served is made from a choux pastry shell that’s baked fresh on site. They’re very light and airy, with a slighty crisp, browned outter crust, and by nature of a choux pastry, a cavernous interior makes them ready for the filling of your choice. The original vanilla custard filling is prepared fresh, flavored with hand-picked whole vanilla pods from Madagascar. Wow! There’s several other filling flavors to choose such as chocolate, strawberry, Grean Tea, Coffee and Caramel.
In my order today, I went neopolitan with the original vanilla, chocolate and strawberry…
Front to back: Original Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry ‘fresh’n natural cream puffs
The fresh-baked choux pastry shells are kept in a bin awaiting service…
The fillings aren’t added until the customer makes the order. Upon making your choice(s), the custard is injected from a pump canister nozzle, as you can partially see in this photo…
So how are they? First of all, after looking at Ono Kine Grindz post about the place, I notice Reid’s order had an abundant dose of powdered sugar on it… hey, where’s mine!? That indeed would’ve added a nice extra kick of sweetness to it. And I didn’t have any powdered sugar in the pantry to add my own.. oh well. Next time I may have to remind them!
Although they claim it’s made with “two European Chocolates”, I didn’t care for the chocolate one too much, as it wasn’t quite sweet enough, and wasn’t as complimentary to the choux pastry as the other two were. Perhaps that powdered sugar on top would have helped here.
The strawberry flavor tasted genuine to the actual fruit, with pulverized bits visually seen in it. It even has a slight tang which makes it that much more convincing, and not so “candy-like”. Pretty good. I bet the Éclair version, with dark chocolate over the top would make this one dynamite.
By far, the original Vanilla is the one to get, and defines what Beard Papa’s is all about. Light and creamy, not too heavy or oversweet, and whatever this madagascar vanilla is, it’s doing a good job here. That cool, creamy custard, combined with the airy and crisp choux shell is a fantastic flavor and texture combination. Just overall yummy.. oishii!
Japanese have a great reputation for quality packaging, and Beard Papa’s is no exception, where they’re off to go in this nifty little carry box…
And each one has their own package wrapper to hold while you eat so the cream filling (which is kind of loose) doesn’t drip on your hands…
They cost $1.65 each for the vanilla and $1.85 for the other flavors, which can add up if you’re planning to buy a few dozen for the office gang. But if you’re just going for a one’z-two’z, not a problem.
Freshness is key here, and with that, they date stamp your order, with a reminder to keep them refrigerated and (preferably) consumed within the day you bought them…
Foodland Ala Moana’s renovated storefront, located street level on the mauka-ewa side of the center near Sears
For more information, visit their Hawaii website at:
www.BeardPapasHawaii.com
Tasty Island rating:
Supah’ Ono!
…although next time, don’t forget the powdered sugar!
Kurume Tonkotsu Ramen
The latest ramen import from Japan available at our local Marukai market arrives under the name Kurume of Ogawaya, exported by Kawa Corporation. There are 5 different flavors, packaged the same way as our locally-made Sun Noodle brand, with fresh ramen noodles and a liquid soup base. Because the noodles are fresh, they require refrigeration. You can also place them in the freezer for long-term storage.
What stood out was this 2-flavor twin pack…
Kurume Ramen Futatsuno Aji
Yes, this package includes two “futatsu no” different broth flavor packets…
The red packet on the left is Tonkotsu, and the white one the right is Tonkotsu Shoyu. How cool!
Here’s a package of Kurume Ichiban Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen…
Kurume Ichiban Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen
There were several other flavors I have yet to try such as Nagohamakko Ramen Tonkotsu Miso Aji and Pirikara Hakata Tonkotsu Miso Ramen, the latter being a spicy type. There’s a fanstastic review of those flavors, as well as the ones I’m reviewing at this ramen blog!
Here’s how the ramen noodles look unpacked and uncooked…
Begin by boiling about 7 cups (or a full pot) of water.
A good tip is to place the broth packet(s) in the boiling water for about 20 seconds to loosen the oils that are in there, making it easier to get it all out. Remember, with ramen it’s all about the BROTH. And you want ALL THAT GOODNESS in your bowl, not in the rubbish.
Empty the soup broth packet(s) in your serving bowl(s)…
Kurume Tonkotsu broth soup base
Kurume Tonkotsu Shoyu broth soup base
Pour about 1-1/2 cubs of boiling water for the ramen noodles and add it to your bowl with the broth soup base and stir to combine.
Here’s the Tonkotsu broth, after the water has been added…
Kurume Ramen Tonkotsu Soup Broth
And here’s the Tonkotsu Shoyu soup broth (white packet)…
Kurume Ramen Tonkotsu Shoyu soup broth
The Tonkotsu Shoyu soup broth is noticeably darker for an obvious reason.. there’s shoyu in it!
Add the ramen noodles to the rapidly boing water, separating them from sticking together using a chopstick. These type of fresh noodles cook quickly in about 2 to 3 minutes. As soon as they’re done al dente (test one out with your chopsticks), drain the noodles in a colander and vigorously shake the water out, and do NOT rinse them under water! The starchy coating is what gives great ramen that desirable silky texture.
Now gently add the ramen noodles to the broth in your ramen bowl…
Now comes the fun part.. add the toppings! Here, sky’s the limit, and every ramen shop has their own twist. Here’s mine…
Kurume Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen
And once again, flavor number two…
Kurume Tonkotsu Ramen
Notice in the bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen that I wrapped Nori around the Chashu pork. Pretty cool, huh?! Here’s how I did that…
Chashu pork for ramen, wrapped with Nori (dried seaweed)
Yes, Mr. Spam Musubi has every influence in this idea. And you know what? It tastes awesome! The Nori compliments the pork and the ramen beautifully. Just beautiful. Chashu pork is a key flavor component to great ramen, and I’ll get more to that later.
Another key topping in these two ramen bowls are Menma, which are sliced bamboo shoots that are marinated in water, shoyu, sugar, vinegar and sesame oil. It’s hard to describe the flavor, but trust me, you NEED menma in Ramen, or, well, it just isn’t ramen. You might as well add spaghetti sauce. lol
Here’s how a package of Menma, so you know what to look for in the store…
Agitsuke Menma. 10.56 oz. $3.59 at Marukai
I’ve tried better brands of Menma, but this one works.
Ramen is pretty much a meal in itself. Sure, you can add Gyoza or Yakitori (grilled chicken) skewers as a side dish, but at home that’s too much hassle. So I try to balance the ramen by itself. With that, I finish it with chopped green onions (Negi would be better, but I didn’t have some on this occasion), bean sprouts and, if in the mood, half a boiled egg.
So how does this Kurume brand taste? Pretty good. The ramen noodles taste like the Yamachan brand. Hawaii’s own Sun Noodle brand is still the best, IMO. The Kurume noodles taste more starchy, while the Sun Noodle brand has a more interesting egg-like character to it that I remember so fondly from the Ramen shops we used to frequent in Tokyo.
The Kurume Tonkotsu Shoyu and Tonkotsu broth both have a similar flavor, with the one without Shoyu just tasting lighter. Simple as that. I actually prefer the Tonkotsu over the Tonkotsu Shoyu, as it let the toppings stand out more and wasn’t as overpowering.
For semi-home made, Ramen shop-like quality Ramen, Kurume is certainly good stuff and worth buying and trying, especially if it’s on sale, as was the case here at $2.59 package. Not a bad deal for two bowls of ramen, huh? Still, Sun Noodle is the best.
An interesting thing about great ramen is how simple the dish is, yet arrives that way through several deeper components. First is the broth, which I won’t even get into right now. That’s the most complex and defining part of the dish. Then you have the ramen noodles, which are just as important. Then you have the toppings, which can also make or break the dish.
Along with Menma, I stand by Chashu pork as THE topping of all toppings. The term “Chashu” is obviously a Japanese spin on Chinese Char Siu, which is a sweet roasted pork.
I’ve posted a Chashu recipe here before, but this time I’ll walk you through with pictures!…
Ramen Chashu Pork Recipe
Chashu (for Chashumen)
1 pork butt or belly
1 cup shoyu
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup sake
1 finger fresh ginger, slivered
Here’s the players…
First, brown the whole piece of pork in cooking pot on medium-high heat with a little oil..
Doing this will give the Chashu a slightly crisp edge to each slice, which compliments the silky ramen noodles beautifully.
After the pork is browned, remove it and set aside. Drain any excess oil out of the pot then add the shoyu, mirin, sake and ginger in the same pot over medium-low heat and stir to combine. In this case, since I had so much green onions, I added that as well. You can play with this recipe, but make sure you at least have the Shoyu and Sake in there. I’ve done it without Mirin, substituting a small amount of sugar, which also tasted oishii!
After the shoyu, sake, mirin (or sugar) liquids and ginger are incorporated, add the pork back in, turn it around in the liquid and let it simmer for 1-1/2 hours, turning it over occasionally.
You want the pork to be tender enough that you can slice through it with a knife easily, but not where it falls apart. About 1.5 hours simmering in the pot will get you there. Make sure to turn it over occasionally, so the meat infuses all that liquid goodness.
After it’s done, pull the (now) chashu pork out and let it cool. You can add a little of that shoyu-sake broth to your ramen bowl if you want. Up to you.
Here’s how it looks when it’s done…
After the Chashu pork is cool, slice into thin serving-size pieces…
And that’s all she wrote (well that I wrote, anyway). Place a few pieces of Chashu in your ramen and you’re set for great semi-home made bowl of authentic Japanese Ramen.
Itadakimasu!
Kurume Ichiban Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen
Screenshot: ONOKINEGRINDS.com during the “good ole days”
“At a Loss… for words” is how Reid titles and begins the last post (dated 7/31/07) we may see for a while at ONOKINEGRINDZ.com, one of Hawaii’s pioneering and most respected food blog sites on the web. With that, Reid has decided to, at least for the time being, put away his virtual chopsticks and take a break. His explanation being “I feel like I may have lost my “appetite”.
We hear you brother. Wakarimasu. There are times when even I feel my food writing arteries are blocked.
Regarding food blog journalism, the “chore” of taking photos and going through the creative thought process, Gail of HawaiiDiner.com recently wrote in a forum where we discussed the subject, “At this point for me, I like nothing better then to sit down to meal and not have to do any of those things . The luxury of simply being in that moment and not having to wait to get the perfect shot before I take a bite is sheer bliss.” Another sentiment I too also sometimes feel. Yet the coals of my culinary mind are still burning, able and willing to share.
Thankfully Reid is keeping the site online, so OKG’s substantial archives vault will still be there.
He’s kindly provided a list of some of Hawaii’s food blogging “young bloods” who now carry the torch, including myself here at this site. With that I’ll do my best to seek out new places, new products and new ideas to share with everyone here at “Da Island”.
Arigato Reid. Take it easy and take care.
Washington Place - TheGovernor’s Mansion in Honolulu, Hawaii
Last night we attended a very special 75th birthday celebration for (aunty) Nalani Kele, my Godmother and very close friend to my mother. This was actually a surprise party, put together by her loving husband, Jesse. She had been lead to believe it would be a semi-private affair at Roy’s Restaurant in Hawaii Kai, only to be overwhelmed and practically speechless when walking into this gala event greeting her at Washington Place, the Governor’s Mansion for the State of Hawaii.
The Grand Lanai was the entryway to a night of celebration, where cocktails and pupus were served throughout the early part of the evening…
Washington Place - Grand Lanai (shown after everyone moved to the main dining area)
As with most events held at Washington Place, tonight’s was catered. In this case by celebrity Chef Alan Wong, who I had spotted on premises early in the evening. With that, the food began with three absolutely delicious pupu (appetizer) dishes offered primarily in the lanai area…
Ahi Tempura Skewers (pupu) by Chef Alan Wong
Sashimi-grade (raw) Ahi, wrapped in Nori then deep-fried in a Tempura batter, served with a creamy wasabi-sesame sauce.
The ahi was buttery-smooth, complimented by the robust flavor of the nori and a light crunch of the tempura crust, while the wasabi-sesame sauce wasn’t overpowering or too “wasabi-ish”. God could have created this dish. It’s that perfect.
Kalua Pig & Guacamole Wontons (pupu) by Chef Alan Wong
Don’t quote me on the names and ingredient descriptions of any of these appetizers, as we didn’t have a printed menu for this portion of the evening, nor did I ask our server what they were. Just going by my own observation, which I think I’m pretty spot on.
Anyhow, that Kalua Pig Wonton pupu was also absolutely ONO. The smoky and moist Kalua Pig (which had an Imu-like taste), combined with the dollup of light Guacamole over the crispy, lightly-salted wonton wedge was excellent. The cilantro garnish also really helped accentuate the guac’ on top. I might just make this dish for a future potluck. Seems easy enough to make, and certainly a crowd-pleaser.
Chicken Satay (pupu) by Chef Alan Wong
Grilled boneless chicken with eggplant, served with a Thai Peanut Sauce. This was perhaps the most “standard” of the three. I’m not a chicken or a Peanut sauce fan, so I won’t say I liked it, but others I was with did and went through several of them.
Speaking of which, the supply of these three pupu dishes seemed endless. Servers kept coming back to everyone with refilled plates of them offering 3rds, 4ths and 5ths rounds. Hey now, we gotta’ save some room dinner!
Along with great pupus and drinks, we were entertained with traditional Hawaiian music by this nice-sounding trio…
After cocktail hour, the dinner proceeded onto the main lawn…
Washington Place - Main Lawn
Before everyone ate, a pule (prayer, spoken in Hawaiian) was offered to give thanks.
Chef Alan Wong’s first course was an eye-pleasing precursor of a fantastic dinner ahead…
Whole Tomato Salad, Li Hing Mui Ume Dressing presented by Chef Alan Wong
The tomato tasted liked it could have been a Kamuela, which was blanched (still pretty much raw inside) and peeled, sliced in about 3/4″ thick cross sections and plated intact. At first glance, I thought there may have been some kind of “surprise” stuffed inside the tomato, but that’s all there was; a whole tomato. It’s plated over a thinly-sliced fan of fresh cucumbers and surrounded with that, yes, you read right, Li Hing Mui Ume Dressing and Thai Basil garnish. The sauce tastes like an aioli with the Li Hing Mui (powder) and Ume juice combined in it. Let me say, this dressing is absolutely tasty and quite exotic.. nothing like I’ve ever had before. The only complaint was that it was a bit too overpowering. Scale back on the Li Hing Mui powder and it’ll be perfect. Otherwise fantastic… I want the recipe!
Now the second course…
Ginger Crusted Onaga presented by Chef Alan Wong
The Onaga fillet was flavorful and moist, coated with a ginger and green onion mixture and finished on top with by a light, crisp and golden panko-based crust over a what looked like Enoki mushrooms and corn. The ginger cream aioli sauce was swirled with what may be a green-onion infused peanut oil and lemon grass garnish, which rounded out the dish perfectly. Just this and I would have been content.
Still to come is the third course…
Soy Braised “Kalbi” with White Rice presented by Chef Alan Wong
My oh my. These two large morsels of delight were like “buttah”. At the first bite, you immediately identify them as being Kalbi style, further reinforced by a nicely seared, grill-like exterior.
Soy Braised “Kalbi” - cutaway view
The cube-shaped boneless beef cut was very interesting, and a wonderful twist from the usual Korean style bone-in short ribs. My guess is that they take large cuts of choice grade tri-tip or sirloin and cube them first, then slow braise them in a soy-based liquid, then sear just the tops individually just before service and finish plating with their own “Kalbi” sauce, which itself was fantastic. They added the same ginger cream sauce from the fish dish to this dish mainly for color, although it did add an interesting complimentary flavor to the overall dish. It was served simply with with a formed stack of white rice and steamed vegetables. If I ever get to talk to Chef Wong, I’m asking him how to make this one!
Rounding out this wonderful dinner is the final fourth course…
Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream presented by Chef Alan Wong
This was almost as good as the Chocolate Souffle at Roy’s, which probably the only limitation being here was that they had to prepare this dish out of a temporary kitchen under a tent on the premises. Notice my ice cream had melted, as first of all, the temperature outside was rather warm, and secondly, my plate had been sitting for about 5 minutes before I took that shot. I was so full from the first three course, I barely finished this.
What a delicious dinner. Compliments to the servers and the talented kitchen of Chef Alan Wong.
Nalani had her own Polynesian Revue at the (former) Stardust Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas at the from 1965 to 1981 during a time when this style of cultural dance and music had little exposure. Her show covered the entire pacific from post-world war II American, to the Filipino Tinikiling bamboo dance, to Tahitian, and of course Hula. Since then she has befriended many famous Hawaii entertainers, including Mahi Beamer, got his start at her Vegas show. Her birthday this evening included many of her long time friends in the industry, including Jimmy Borges, who did double duty as MC and singer, Robert Cazimero and his halau, and also the original dancers from Nalani’s Las Vegas show. Just awesome.
Here she is just arriving for the party last night…
Nalani Kele at her 75th Birthday at Washington Place, August 1, 2007
She’s still as gorgeous as ever.
Here they are on stage at last night’s celebration…
Nalani joins her friends on stage, Jimmy Borges, MC of the evening, and Abigail “Kekau” Kawananakoa
Nalani’s Las Vegas Polynesian Revue Promotional Portrait. Beautiful!
A montage of photos from her vegas Stardust show, including one with her beloved friend and co-performer of the show, Mahi Beamer (bottom center)
Following are static displays of the various costumes she wore at her Las Vegas Polynesian Review…
Everyone had a wonderful time. Great food, great people, at probably one of the most distinguished venues in Hawaii one can attend. Most importantly, the birthday girl, Aunty Nalani enjoyed herself entirely, as was evident by her laughter and smile of joy throughout the evening. It was truly a magical evening.
For more information, please visit:
Recent Comments