Visit Tokyo: Wendy's First Kitchen

I never noticed Wendy's before while in Japan.  If we get fast food in Tokyo, it's usually from McDonald's, but some of us decided to give Wendy's First Kitchen a try.

Roast Beef Burger

Bacon and Eggs

Baconator

They didn't seem to have many interesting burgers not available in the US, but they did have pastas and different flavored "potatoes" (French fries), as well as cool floats and even puddings (none of which we ordered since the craving was only for burgers).  

Maybe next time we'll try the sweets!

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Visit Korea: My Microneedling Experience at Abijou Clinic

The Clinic in Gangnam

I've always shied away from needles when it comes to beauty treatments like botox or microneedling, but on a recent trip to Korea, I found myself lying down on one of many beauty beds with numbing cream all over my face questioning my life choices. Let's rewind to how we got here. As most people are aware, Korea is like the beauty capital of the world with many traveling to the country specifically for laser and cosmetic treatments as they are much more affordable than in the US. My friends and I wanted to have facials in Korea, but were undecided on any additional treatments.

When we arrived to the clinic, we first had a consultation with a doctor and a translator. For myself and one friend, the doctor recommended a microneedling treatment to target pore size, boost collagen, and improve elasticity. Being adverse to needles, I asked the translator twice to see if there was a similar laser treatment I could receive instead. Twice, they stuck with the microneedling as they said the treatment would be more effective. On the one hand, I was scared, but on the other I was curious and didn't want to regret not having a beauty treatment done in Korea. My tipping point was when my friend said she would do it, if I would do it. Just so you know, if she jumped off a bridge, I would stop her! 

Okay, so now we are back on the beauty bed with numbing cream and plastic wrap on the face feeling nervous and a little claustrophobic. There's a rush of movement and they sit me up and put the grounding pad on my back and as I lay back down, the doctor tells me, "this is going to be painful, but you can do it." The first pass was not bad, but the subsequent passes over my face were very painful and I almost told her to stop, but thankfully she was finished before I could tap out. My face felt as if it were on fire, but the translator assured me everything went fine and looked normal. They followed up the treatment with a light massage and cooling mask. 

My friends and I received varying levels of after-treatment information and were all in sort of a stunned state as the translator watched over us making sure we wrote a google review before we could leave. The google review was in exchange for an add-on to our treatments. In hindsight, make sure you know they are trying to upsell you during the consultation and to ask all your questions before you leave. If you're the type that needs handholding, I suggest you find another clinic. I don't regret having the treatment done, but now that I know how painful it was, I doubt I will have it done again - no matter the results.

We stuck around to have a complimentary drink.

   

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W&M Bar-B-Q Burger

The last time I went to W&M Bar-B-Q Burger, I ordered a "grilled cheese," which was basically just cheese, lettuce, onion, tomatoes, and BBQ sauce.  

Now, there is actually a "Veggie Sandwich" on the menu (which the employee didn't even realize was in the system until she asked someone - it's different from the Veggie Burger), so I ordered that with cheese and bacon.  It was kinda sorta like a BLT!

Veggie Sandwich with Cheese and Bacon

It was perfect!

Cheese Steak

Hal Special

The Hal Special consists of the Royal hamburger with BBQ steak, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion.

Can't forget the sides!  

Fries

Crab Flavored Salad

Parking is always a challenge at W&M unless you're lucky or get there just before opening.  We got there 10 minutes prior to opening and it was an empty parking lot, but soon after opening the lot was full.  

W&M Bar-B-Q Burger is nostalgic and delish!

W&M Bar-B-Q Burger

3104 Waialae Ave

Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 734-3350

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Visit Korea - Using Klook

Easy WiFi pick up at airport

I've used Klook before on trips to Japan, but this time I used Klook to book two services on my trip to Korea: wifi hot spot and airport pick up. The 4G pocket wifi was through KT corporation and I conveniently picked it up at the airport. I could connect up to 3 devices and the cost for 8 days was $15. It was a great deal and worked fine during my trip. I dropped it off at the airport before departing.

Unfortunately, the airport pick up didn't run as smoothly. When I booked the service, I chose a pick up time of 9pm as our flight was scheduled to arrive at 7:30pm and one friend was on another flight arriving the same time. However, the company that we were assigned sent a message stating that the driver will wait 90 minutes from the actual flight landing time. When I tried to dispute this, they said we could not cancel or modify since it was within 24 hours. Because our flight arrived early and our friend's flight arrived late, the driver waited an additional hour so we had to pay 40,000 Korean won in cash that luckily we had on hand. Aside from the mishap though, the ride was great and the vehicle was clean and comfortable. We even booked again for our ride to the airport at the end of the trip. 

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Visit Maui: Haven's Harborside Fish & Chophouse

I was so excited to visit the recently-opened Haven's Harborside Fish & Chophouse, helmed by the talented Chef Zach Sato.  

Hanapaʻa Daily Raw Bar

The Hanapaʻa Daily Raw Bar is a daily selection of fresh seafood offerings presented in a tackelbox - how clever is that!

On the night we went, there were prawn cocktails, oyster shooters, and poke (my co-worker said it was some of the best poke he ever had - so flavorful!).  

Chef Zach, although not present that night, generously had this dish, along with the Oysters Rockefeller, brought out to us.  

Oysters Rockefeller

Cast Iron Focaccia

The Cast Iron Focaccia was amazing.  It was like a hybrid focaccia / milk bread that had such an amazing texture - soft and fluffy with a crispy outer crust, and with a little bit of heat from chili pepper salt.  It was so good - I legit ate majority of the pan myself! 

Maui Ohana Wagyu Croquettes

The Croquettes were served with a tomato jam and castelvetrano olives.

Lapa`au Farm Grilled Broccolini

The Broccolini was served with a 25 year balsamic. 

Risotto

The Risotto had Hamakua mushrooms, parmesan reggiano, and a truffle emulsion. It was an umami-packed dish!

Diver Scallops

The Diver Scallops was another fave - topped with an XO sauce and sitting in a miso brown butter hollandaise.  It was perfectly cooked! 

Kokoleka Ice Cream Cake

I was beyond stuffed, but I had to try the Kokoleka Ice Cream Cake.  Ice cream was sandwiched between chocolate cake layers, and accompanied by caramel.  It was indulgent!

Being harborisde, the restaurant has access to the freshest fish, so if you love seafood, this is a must visit!

And if you don't love seafood, you'll find other foods like fried chicken, steak, salads, and more.  

Congrats to Chef Zach and the team!

Haven's Harborside Fish & Chophouse
300 Maalaea Rd

Wailuku, HI 96793

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Visit Korea: Scalp Analysis at Park Jun Beauty Lab

Another thing we wanted to do on our Korea girls trip was get the famous 15-step scalp treatment we had seen all over Instagram. After asking friends for advice, we settled on Park Jun Beauty Lab and made an appointment through their IG account. 

When we arrived, we were greeted and shown to a locker area and then were almost immediately seated to have our scalp analyzed. It does feel a little bit like a factory operation, but I think that is why the experience is so efficient. Be prepared to stand your ground if they try to upsell you, but I didn't mind getting the additional detox treatment that they offered.  

The 15 steps are: step 1 microscope consultation and diagnosis, step 2 head massage, step 3 cleaning and exfoliating, step 4 simple stretching massage with aroma oil, step 5 neck massage and hot towel, step 6 a sitting shampoo, step 7 light therapy or cleansing, step 8 relaxing shampoo, step 9 “YUME BAS” Spa Room, step 10 scalp treatment, step 11 MMS (Mirco Massage System) or JENIMORY TONIC – T, step 12 rinse hair after light acupressure, step 13 re-diagnosis of scalp with a microscope, step 14 tonic, and step 15 cold wind dry. The entire process took about 90 minutes. One of my friends also opted to get a digital perm and her results were great!

The cost of the 15-step scalp treatment was about $150, but you may find a better price if you shop around. We chose Park Jun because they speak English and have a ton of convenient locations. Juno Hair is another company we saw often while exploring Seoul. This was definitely a highlight on this girls' trip! 

Loving the end result!

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Visit Maui: Manoli's Pizza Company

While on Maui we ordered pick-up from Manoli's Pizza Company so we could eat in the comfort of our suite.

Homemade Garlic Bread

The Homemade Garlic Bread was unsliced (unlike the photo on the online menu), which I thought was odd and inconvenient, but it was very garlicky!

Raging Bull Meat

The Raging Bull Meat pizza came topped with Italian sausage, pepperoni, ham, bacon, mozzarella & pomodoro sauce. The crust was thin and crispy, and the toppings were plentiful.

Pizza is always a good idea!  

Manoli's Pizza Company

100 Wailea Ike Dr

Wailea, HI 96753
 

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