Matsumoto Shave Ice
Along the northern shore of Oahu, we stopped at a beach to hang out and watch the high surf coming in. Definitely not the kind of beach for novice swimmers, but ideal for experienced surfers. (I think winter is a good time for surfing). We then continued on to Haleiwa, a surf town near the end of the road before it starts turning back south. There we had shave ice at the famous Matsumoto Grocery Store. It’s not really a grocer anymore, but it used to be, before their main attraction became their shave ice. The sign out front still says Grocery Store though, probably for nostalgic reasons.
We got three different flavors: lychee, honeydew and coconut cream. There was azuki beans at the bottom, though most of it didn’t get consumed because by the time we got to the bottom, it was a soupy mess. The flavors were amazing though, very natural tasting, despite the strange colors. I think lychee was the red and coconut cream the bright pink.
Definitely pay the extra few cents for the blue plastic holder thing – you’ll need it if you don’t wanna lose chunks of shave ice as you try to chip away at this delicious mound with the flat wooden almost-spoon type thing they give you. (^O^)v
beverage lunch restaurants: comfort food hawaii oahu seafood smoothies
by Lindsey
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Crouching Lion Inn
Continuing along with day 1…
We drove from Honolulu, heading east along the shores of Oahu, stopping at various lookout points to admire the view. Around lunch time, we took a lunch break at the Crouching Lion Inn Bar & Grill, so named after a rock formation located behind it. (I don’t think they’re actually an inn where you can stay…?) It’s located right by the water, which you can view from the restaurant’s patio seats. They also had an indoor seating area, and in retrospect, we probably should have sat there. The view was just as pretty from the inside if you got a window-side seat, and more importantly – there would’ve been no mosquitoes. It turned out that the day before I arrived, it had rained a lot on the island. It had cleared up in time for my round the island drive, but it also called out all the mosquitoes in the area, and they just had a holiday under the patio table. I took the brunt of it, as I was wearing a dress. I was probably bitten dozens of times. (;____o) (I also had an allergic reaction, which wasn’t very fun). The people at the restaurant were really nice and let us borrow some OFF spray, but it was too late by then.
Mosquito Hell put a damper on the meal, but the food was still pretty good. Nothing out of this world or anything, but I liked it! (^__^)
Pictured above are the drinks we got – a mango smoothie and the virgin “lava flow” with pineapple, coconut and strawberry. I thought the mango smoothie could’ve had more mango flavor. The lava flow was extremely sweet, which I suppose is good if you want dessert in a drink?
For the food, the three of us decided to get three pupus (appetizers) to share:
beverage breakfast cafes: coffee hawaii indian oahu quesadilla
by Lindsey
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Bogart’s Café
Aloha!! You’ll have to excuse my long absence, as I’ve been living it up on the beaches of Hawaii for the last week and a half! I reluctantly left the sunny shores behind a few days ago, and I’m back at my computer ready to report on my foodie adventures in Oahu and Kauai. I tried quite a range of things during my trip, from local fare and classic Hawaiian comfort food to sushi and high tea. There were a few unfortunate low lights, but for the most part the food was excellent, and a delicious time was had by all.
I begin with Bogart’s Café, a cute little coffee shop not far from my friend’s apartment. We stopped in here on the morning after my arrival to get a pick-me-up before hitting the road to tour around Oahu.
My friends got a breakfast quesadilla to share, pictured above. You could pick the ingredients for the quesadilla, and I think my friends chose wisely with the mushroom and spinach combo. I had a bite, and it was quite tasty! A side of toast came with it.
I just got a coffee:
Tea at Morrison Clark
My friend hosts a Christmas Tea every December, and this year she had it at the historic Morrison Clark Hotel. Our party of about 18 people had a room all to ourselves near the back of the restaurant, and we had a lovely buffet set out for us in the main room, filled with tiers of sandwiches and pastries. Pots of hot water were brought to us at the table, alongside baskets filled with nice teabags from Harney & Sons. I had several different kinds of teas, from Earl Gray to Dragon Pearl Jasmine. My favorite was the Pomegranate Oolong, which had a wonderfully floral flavor to it.
Now without much ado, the spread:
Holiday Cakes
What’s any holiday without a tasty cake to celebrate it? Every Christmas for the last few years, I’ve gotten a Bûche de Noël – Christmas log cake – and each year I try to get them from different bakeries.
This year I decided to try one from the aforementioned Les Delices bakery in Rockville. They had a choice of praline or chocolate, and I went with the former (pictured above). I thought it was okay…maybe a little subdued in flavor? At least the icing wasn’t too oily or thick, but it left me feeling like it could’ve been a little sweeter. Perhaps the chocolate was the way I should’ve gone.
More after the jump:
