One of my fave spots in Mililani is The Clubhouse Mililani. I first visited the week it opened nearly 5 years ago, and I keep going back because the food is so good!
Everything I've ever ordered I would order again, but my go-tos are the Loaded Tater Tot Nachos & Dry Mein.
Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings
Loaded Tater Tot Nachos
Kalbi
Miso Butterfish
Ribeye Steak
Agedashi Tofu
Dry Mein
The food did not disappoint, and the service was excellent!
After a week of French food and champagne on a recent trip to Paris, I certainly wasn't complaining. But one of my friends knew we'd all be comforted by a big bowl of quality pho and so she made a reservation for her favorite pho place in Paris for our last meal in the City of Love.
The restaurant is small, but cozy and very popular so definitely recommend making a reservation. Mam features northern Vietnamese cuisine and the must haves on the menu are their family recipe's signature pork nem (fried spring rolls) and two styles of their pho - traditional and modern. I opted for the traditional pho made of beef broth, bone marrow, and pho spices simmered for 24 hours. The pho was fragrant and delicious. After finishing our pho and two orders of spring rolls, we left completely happy and stuffed.
Mahalo to Ramen Bonbori and Dragon Burger for the complimentary meal and the opportunity to try their offerings. As always, all opinions are my own!
We recently received an invitation to check out Ramen Bonbori, a new eatery with an interesting concept. The restaurant is supervised by Michelin chef Makoto Ishii, who brings his French culinary background into the world of Japanese ramen.
We tried the Yoichi Soy Sauce Ramen ($17). What makes this ramen different is the broth. They use French consommé techniques to create a clear, additive-free broth made with chicken, pork, and seafood that's simmered for eight hours.
Even the noodles are specially made! They're custom wheat bran noodles co-developed with Sun Noodles for the restaurant.
There's definitely a lot of thought and technique that goes into making this ramen, and the flavors were rich. The concept is interesting, and I'm glad we got to try it!
Moving on, we were also invited to try a burger from Dragon Burger which shares the same stall!
The burger we tried, the "Classic", features a 5-ounce Wagyu beef patty, a spring onion, onion miso, cheddar cheese, and two kinds of mustard (American and Karashi). Dragon Burger's concept, by British chef Adam Lawson, is to create an authentic Western-style burger using Japanese ingredients.
This burger had A LOT of umami! The flavors were rich, and it was definitely a heavy burger. But wow, it was amazing! You really can't go wrong with Wagyu beef. The combination of flavors made this one memorable, and the crisp fries were a great addition to the meal.
It was fun to try two different concepts in one visit. Come check out Ramen Bonbori and Dragon Burger and let me know what you think!
Looking for a new place to lunch, I found Lil T Cup Cafe on Yelp. Located in Aiea Town Square, Lil T Cup Cafe serves up coffees, cold brews, lattes, teas and matcha as well as sandwiches, musubis, and plates. The cafe also offers Lil Tea Time at a special launch rate of $27/seat. Tea Time is offered 8am-3pm on weekdays, and 10am-3pm on Saturdays.
On our visit, we spoke with cafe owner Marisa and she recommended the Turkey and Bacon Guava Jam Burger made with house made bacon guava jam. My friend got Da Betty - a cheeseburger with bacon guava jam served on toasted sourdough. We both enjoyed our sandwiches and the bacon guava jam was definitely the highlight.
Da Betty
Spacious dining area
What's also impressive is the size of the dining area where you are welcomed to hang out. According to their website, Lil T Cup Cafe exists for the community: to uplift local artisans, support underrepresented voices, and offer a space where kindness, creativity, and care lead the way. Check out their IG for community events.
Lil T Cup Cafe 99-080 Kauhale St # C4-C5 Aiea, Hawaii 96701-4116
It has been quite a busy hurricane season, so I was thankful to have been sent a complimentary HAVEN 3-in-1 Lantern 6000 to review.
This light source and power bank is similar to other solar lanterns I have, but with a few differences.
The most obvious is the shape. I like the cylindrical shape and the ease in which to expand and collapse the lantern. The lantern shines very bright, and has 9 light modes, including red light mode, flashlight mode, and SOS mode.
The HAVEN is equipped with a sturdy solar panel atop the lantern, allowing it to be recharged even if the power is out. In my initial test run, it took just 8 hours to charge from 25% to 75%, which was quite fast compared to the other solar lanterns I have. The lantern also comes with a USB-C cable, allowing you to charge via a power adapter.
Charging a phone was also pretty quick. In 1 hour, a phone went from 48% to 88%. The lantern battery went down from 100% to 75% after charging the phone.
One thing that I dislike is how the battery indicator button will activate the flashlight, but other than that, I think the HAVEN 3-in-1 Lantern is a great product to have during a power outage as a source of light or power for your phone. It's thoughtfully designed, and the price is very reasonable compared to similar products.
The last time we went to ‘Ōlena by Chef Ron Simon, they were in Kalihi. Although they since moved to Dole Cannery Food Court, the great food and super friendly service hasn't changed.
I don't eat a lot of beef, but the beef stew at ‘Ōlena by Chef Ron Simon is my favorite thing to eat there.
‘Ōlena Burger
Adobo Pork Belly Bowl
Loco Moco
Red Wine Beef Stew (with ‘Ōlena Rice)
The beef and the veggies were all so perfectly tender. Definitely would order it again and again!
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