Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jason Segel, Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell
Genre: Comedy

“Doo doo papers”. I knew some guys that actually called toilet paper just that. “Doo doo papers”. And Forgetting Sarah Marshall included this indigenous (yet I must say rarely used) term in a fight scene. Being slightly keen on Hawaiian vernacular and altruistic lifestyles, touching upon the Locals vs. Tourists tip, and the absurdity and evil necessity of the Hawaiian tourism industry, is just one of the reasons why I was actually impressed with Forgetting Sarah Marshall. …

With over 29 toppings to choose from, you are able to build your own meal to your own tastes… a customizable curry palette for your curry palate! Chris and I were lucky to catch the seasonal Squid Ink curries, available with cheese or spinach, the former being tops in our book.

In college, en route to work, I rode many times on The Bus past Chef Mavro, a cute little building with a continuous frosted wave of etched glass ebbing and flowing around its perimeter, hugging the “sandy” apricot-colored walls, a pleasant oasis amidst the low-rise tenements and eyesores of another era lining busy King Street in Honolulu. Back then, though, food was food, just an essential and not much else, thumbing my nose at “pinky’s up”. Now I am apparently making up for lost time, taking/dragging Chris to …

I don’t know how many times I’ve driven past this place and missed it (and of course by “driven” I mean “being driven”, haha). Well, never again because it is a “don’t miss”. In an expensive-looking building on the iffy strip of “thrift haven” Waialae Avenue, 3660 on the Rise sits “atop” a small hill I suppose. With a name like 3660 on the Rise, one might expect grandiose nosebleed views, but you’ll soon discover that the best view is right on your plate.
3660, the …

I could have sworn there was already a Karaoke Room 2 but by the McCully Times supermarket(?). Maybe that was Karaoke Room 1? I even asked the clerk about it and I’ve already forgotten the info. Erg, I have got to pay attention. It was awesome ‘cos you could get drinks and snacks by the bagful and just haul them across the street for a karaoke picnic party. Anyways, there’s a Karaoke Room 2 on Kapi’olani now, and across the street there is a neon …

Located conveniently (or maybe not so conveniently) on South King Street, in an unassuming narrow three-story office-type tenement, Alan Wong’s dining room overlooks lush Manoa Valley scenery that’s unfortunately blocked by a bunch of apartment buildings and condos, dammit (just kidding, I love the skyline… “Honolulu city liiiights”). This is a big tip: reserve lanai seats, enjoy the green mountain glimpse.
Another reason you might want to sit outside is the noise. Although I didn’t notice it (um, I’m in California now where diners’ decibel levels rival that of …

Can you say “ow”? You might not be able to after eating a Mountain View Stone Cookie. These thick golden brown oblong discs are forged for fantastic gum-busting fury!! You’ll wish you were stranded on a deserted island somewhere just so you could invent new uses for them; building tiles, adze blades, frisbees, wakeboards. Who would’ve thought something so potentially painful could be so yummy?
Baked fresh (although seemingly awesomely tough and “stale”) in a little yellow corrugated tin-swathed bakery in Mountain View on the Big …

I think I’ve only eaten here once before and clearly cannot recall the food, but when I wandered briefly with the older wealthier artsy crew, they always insisted I should go to The Contemporary Museum Café. But I often visited the museum, never the café. “Next time”, I thought, “next time”. Well, sorry to say, I don’t think there will ever be a next time. While their organic health food is packed with vitamins and minerals, it is bland and boring. I’ve actually had better …

I have three words to describe Indigo and that’s “oily as hell”. Not a greasy oil, but extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette to the max. The pair made technicolor Willy Wonka swirls on my emptied plate; I’m not kidding, I thought I was on drugs.

When the waiter suggested the lunch buffet, we poked around to peek at the platters they proffered and jumped on the buffet train. There stood a little lady who heaped greater than generous spoonfuls of whatever you were currently coveting onto …

Ah, Sunday Brunch at Hoku’s. Where else can you get melt-in-your-mouth sake (salmon) nigiri and fresh tender lobster tail (the kind that’s so sweet you devour it without any seasoning or butter) at 10:30 in the morning?
Sure Hoku’s is in one of the prettiest settings; decked in whitest white linens at the Kahala Resort (formerly the Kahala Mandarin, before that the Kahala Hilton) surrounded by a pristine white sand beach (away from dingy Waikiki) and their very own dolphin lagoon, but it’s the food that will blow …

Sam Choy is a big man so his restaurant portions are for big men. Super hefty entrées and heaping piles of country wedge fries await you at Sam Choy’s Breakfast, Lunch, Crab & Big Aloha Brewery, located right next to that infamous tourist trap Hilo Hatties. And oh man you can’t miss it; it’s a giant corrugated steel-sided warehouse with the bright neon sign.
Chris had the Island Catch of the Day sandwich, which was a generous slab of mahimahi (dorado) on a round bun with some tartar sauce …

La Mer is one of the most elegant restaurants I’ve been to, and I think that’s actually the best part about it. Don’t get me wrong, the food is nice and the waiters hover attentively to make sure they brush every single crumb before it even flitters to the 800-count tablecloth, but you’ll certainly remember the atmosphere. From the complimentary champagne and lobster amuse bouche to the free desserts, La Mer treats you like royalty. The wait staff is jovial and unobtrusive even though they are there …

If you like crispity kettle-cooked type potato chips, you’ll love Atebara Gourmet Taro Chips. And you’d have to at over $5 per bag before shipping (if you purchase them here online to the Mainland via airmail). Even though “kettle-cooked” to me usually means “hard as hell”, these are thin enough to be pleasantly crispy but sometimes burnt.
While I personally think taro root sucks up too much oil to taste good, I occasionally like to try different brands out. I think I have yet to find one that is …

I love coconut. Co-co-nut. But I never thought I’d like it formed into bite-sized balls rolled in sugar and dyed a bright crayola red. It’s dewy and chewy in the center with a crispy coating of gravelly granulated sugar. Because the candies are held together with corn syrup, and corn syrup and sugar come before coconut (unsweetened coconut mind you) on the ingredients list, I don’t have to tell you this is a sickeningly sweet treat. It makes me cringe just thinking about it. But not so much that …

What is this giant bowl of …stuff? It’s shave ice (”sno cone” in Mainland-speak, kakigori in Japanese), where a blade whips across the surface of an ice block creating a cup of scraped snow, covered with azuki (sweet red beans), “cream” (condensed milk) and surrounded by mini mochi (steamed and pounded chewy rice cakes). This thing is HUGE. And it’s cheap. Like $2. And it’s like having perfectly powder snow melt on your tongue. Personally, Waiola is my favorite because of the fine texture. …

Tucked away in the teeny tiny little town of Punalu’u in the Southeastern crook (Ka’u district) of the Big Island of Hawai’i, you will find the longest sweet bread loaf from the southernmost bakery in the entire US. To be honest, driving through Punalu’u is no picnic. There’s a long winding stretch of nothing road to get to this town that has a church every 10 yards. Believe me, noone drives to Punalu’u, just through it. Thank god they sell it at supermarkets like KTA in Hilo. But one good …

Here in the Bay Area we were recently “treated” to some unconventional hail and frost and ice and with it, slippery car accidents and many many cellphone photos. But what if I told you that just last week the same thing happened in an even more unconventional area: Hawai’i! Yes, it happened on the Big Island, home to the tallest mountain in the world (taking into account below sea level dimensions) where it is not uncommon to see snowcaps on the mountain. But that is ON THE …

We just got back from a two week trip to Hawai’i (Big Island and O’ahu) . We’ll be posting a trip account, reviews, and pictures hopefully later this weekend :)