Hawaii Mom Blog

Recipes

Hiking

RECENT POSTS

March 18, 2024

Visit Atlanta: Mushi Ni

We went to the The Chattahoochee Works Food Hall and I stumbled upon Mushi Ni.  I'm so glad I did, because my meal here was one of my favorites while in Atlanta!

Chili Garlic Pork Dumplings

Manila Adobo Chicken Bowl

I ordered the Manila Adobo Chicken Bowl, and the elements in the bowl were just bursting with flavor!  The shredded chicken had a nice tang and the pickled vegetables offered nice crunch and tartness.  The fried brown rice offered a nice base for the generous toppings.  

Mushi Ni specializes in baos and bowls, so you can get the toppings as a filling in baos buns if you prefer!

Mushi Ni
1235 Chattahoochee Ave NW Suite 135
Atlanta, GA 30318
Read More

March 15, 2024

Visit North Carolina: The Bearded Buffalo

After driving to a restaurant for dinner only to find out the wait was over an hour long, we stopped in at the nearest eatery - The Bearded Buffalo, and fortunately, they were able to seat us right away.

Carolina Burger
The Carolina Burger had chili, slaw, mustard, and onions.  

All American Burger

Grilled Cheese
The Grilled Cheese was a 3 cheese blend of American, cheddar, and Monterey Jack.

Build Your Own Sampler
I'm all about starters, so I shared the Build Your Own Sampler with one of my kids, and we got Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Tortilla Chips, Fried Pickled, and Chicken Tenders.  Everything was great!

The service was great too!

The Bearded Buffalo turned out to be a great find!

The Bearded Buffalo
6 N Main St
Belmont, NC 28012
Read More

March 14, 2024

Kaka'ako Farmers Market Haul

It's been a long time since we've visited the Kaka'ako Farmers Market. It has moved several times over the years due to the non-stop construction and development in the Ward area. It is currently located on two blocks on Ala Moana Blvd, where Ala Moana Blvd intersects with Ward Avenue/Ilalo Streets. Parking is located on the Diamond Head side of Ilalo Street, where the old Fisherman's Wharf restaurant once stood.  

I came here for one thing only (you'll see it at the very end of this post), but we picked up some other items along the way. Here's what our haul looked like:

Fresh Coconut Water - there are a couple of vendors at the Kaka'ako Farmers Market, showcasing their skills as they crack open the coconuts right before your eyes. 


My sons were intrigued by the process and enjoyed their fresh coconut water!




Vegan Tofu Mazemen from Ezogiku - Ezogiku is one of Oahu's OG ramen-yas. In addition to their restaurants in Waikiki and Pearl City, they also have a booth at the Kaka'ako Farmers Market. They sell three types of mazemen (broth-less mixed ramen noodles). The hubby tried the Vegan Tofu mazemen - it was good but spicy!




Garbonzoat Hawaii Protein bars -  I love trying homemade protein bars as they tend to taste better than the commercially packaged ones. These are from Garbonzoat Hawaii.  The top is strawberry dark chocolate protein bar and is their most popular flavor. The ones without strawberries is their coconut almond protein bar. 





Ulu and Kalo Bakery - Coconut Macadamia Granola and Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies. I picked up the granola for myself - it's made with gluten-free oats, naturally sweetened, and vegan! The cookies were a gift for my niece who is gluten-sensitive. I love that their products are made with local ingredients, gluten-free, plant-based, and onolicious!



And here's the real reason for coming to the Kaka'ako Farmers Market today - Izu's Mochi! She used to have very long lines and sell out quickly. There was a very short line when I came today, and I ordered a couple of boxes to gift to friends.  Her mochi is all homemade and topped with cute decorations! The mochi is really soft and melts in your mouth. She does a lot of custom orders and you can see her creations on Instagram (@izusmochi). 





 

The Kaka'ako Farmers Market is open every Saturday from 8 am - 12 pm.  Follow on Instagram (@alohafarmlovers) for updates.

______________________________________

KAKA'AKO FARMERS MARKET
919 ALA MOANA BLVD


Read More

New on the Big Island: Piʻilani Kitchen

Recently opened at Onomea Farm Hub, replacing the Onomea Country Market & Cafe, is Piʻilani Kitchen.

It's a fabulous new cafe that offers delicious sandwiches and sides, all at reasonable prices! 

Cubano
Caprese

My friend really liked the Cubano, and I loved the Caprese.  The Caprese was toasted nicely, and was filled with mozzarella, tomato, and basil pesto.  Sandwiches are served with house pickles and your choice of chips or ʻulu mac (get the ʻulu mac).  I enjoyed the house pickles, and the ʻulu mac was seasoned just right.  

You can still find a lot of great locally-made products at Onomea Farm Hub, and although I am bummed that I can no longer get my favorite Onomea Sunrise smoothie from the previous cafe, I really love this new addition to Pepeʻekeo, and I know I will be visiting often! 

Piʻilani Kitchen
28-1099 Old Mamalahoa Hwy
Pepeekeo, HI 96783
(808) 731-4077
Read More

March 13, 2024

Visit Los Angeles: Gram Cafe & Pancakes

Strawberry Souffle Pancakes


Souffle pancakes are always on my radar so I made it a point to check out Gram Cafe & Pancakes on a recent trip to Los Angeles. Gram Cafe originated in Osaka in 2014 and within 5 years, they have opened over 60 locations worldwide. Gem visited one of their locations in Sydney! The LA location just opened last year.

I wanted to get to the popular cafe right at opening, but my sleepyhead son had other ideas. When he finally did wake up, the drive was about an hour because of all the lovely LA traffic. Luckily, you can be added to their waitlist via the Yelp app if you are within 10 miles. When we checked into the restaurant, we were still 5th in line. We then waited (and had a yummy churro) for them to text us when our table was ready.  

During our wait we decided we were going to share the takoyaki, cheesy gyudon, and the strawberry souffle pancakes. We opted to have the pancakes after our meal, but if you don't like waiting, recommend they serve it to you when it's ready. The food was pretty good, but the souffle pancakes were outstanding! I loved every single bite. Cade and I agreed it was the best thing we ate the entire weekend!

Takoyaki

Cheesy Gyudon - can also opt for udon instead of rice.

Side seating area. More in the main portion of the cafe.

They also serve lattes and ice cream souffle sandwiches!

Gram Cafe and Pancakes
500 N Atlantic Blvd, Ste 179, Monterey Park, CA 91754
Read More

Visit Atlanta: Fernbank Museum of Natural History


Disclosure: Complimentary CityPASSes were received.  

The Fernbank Museum of Natural History is one of the attractions you can visit with the Atlanta CityPASS.

The Fernbank Museum of Natural History combines science, history, and nature, offering an enriched experience for all who visit.  

During our visit, Vikings: Warriors of the Sea was the special exhibit, and it was quite fascinating to see so many artifacts of the Viking Age.






They even had a replica of a Jelling runestone.
 


Other exhibits included Reflections on Culture, A Walk Through Time in Georgia, World of Shells, and Giants of the Mesozoic. 








My kids' favorite exhibit was Fantastic Forces, where there were numerous interactive exhibits through which the kids could experiment with the forces of nature and physics, and learn by building, pulling, spinning, and more.  





My favorite part of the museum was the WildWoods and Fernbank Forest.  It was so nice to explore the outdoors and learn more about the plants and animals that are native to the area. 



Fernbank Museum of Natural History offered all sorts of fun and interesting exhibits for visitors of all ages!  

For more information on the Atlanta CityPASS, click here.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History
767 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30307
Read More

March 12, 2024

Visit Los Angeles: Hike to View of Hollywood Sign


I've always wanted to hike to the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, but never found the time. This past weekend I got the chance, but since I was with my 13 year old son that doesn't really enjoy hiking, I knew the over 4 mile hike was out. Instead, I was able to find on the All Trails app a pretty easy trail to a great view of the sign which would make us both happy.

The trail is called Hollywood Sign via Innsdale Drive. The trail is 1.7 mile out and back and takes about 45 minutes. The trail is not shaded so be prepared with sunscreen and water. The path isn't difficult, but still recommend wearing proper footwear as you don't want to slip.

We found parking near the trailhead on Innsdale Drive. The trail is open year-round and is dog friendly. 

View of the lake

Cade was satisfied with this view. LOL

But keep going to get this view! Happy hiking!





 

  

Read More
The posts published on Hawaii Mom Blog are personal experiences and opinions only. Press releases and other information from business are shared if believed they may be of interest to Hawaii Mom Blog readers. Press releases/information from businesses do not reflect personal opinions. Unless otherwise specified, products are provided by the sponsor free of charge, and no monetary compensation is received. Hawaii Mom Blog assumes no liability for any malfunction, injury, or other loss or damage, whether direct, consequential, or incidental, arising out of services, companies, or products that have been featured, reviewed, given away, advertised, or written about on Hawaii Mom Blog. Click here for the Terms of Use.