Dillingham Saimin

This place may have a new name - Dillingham Saimin, but don't worry, not much else has changed. Same menu, same decor. Same owners? Well, sorta. Apparently the owners of what was formerly known as Boulevard Saimin had a falling out, and so one owner went down the road and opened up their own restaurant, while the other owner stayed put, and changed the name.

To me, the food is just as good as before the split.

Saimin

Cold saimin with dipping sauce

BBQ meat stick

Shrimp Tempura

French Fries

Apple Pie ala Mode

Dillingham Saimin

1425 Dillingham Boulevard

(808) 841-7233

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Spot's Inn

I come to Spot's Inn for one reason, and one reason only - the chicken katsu. I don't know what their secret is, but the katsu is always crispy, juicy, and ohhh so good!

The bento is another good option, but don't plan on having a productive afternoon if you eat the whole thing (kanak attack!). Look at all the goodies in here - hamburger steak, spam (with grill marks!), chicken katsu, and fish katsu. Oh my.

If you're into salads, their Chinese Chicken Salad is the great choice. They give a generous portion of bbq'ed chicken, and they make a good sesame salad dressing to go with the salad.

For the fish-lovers, try their furikake salmon. I think this was a daily special, so they don't make this everyday.

Spot's Inn

1035 University Avenue

(808) 941-4554

Open Mon-Sat (Sundays catering only)

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WW: Balloon Monsoon Masterpieces

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The Pig and the Lady

There's a new food trend in town, and it's called Pop-Up Eateries. To read more about what pop-up eateries are, read this article from the NY Times. The basic concept is this: a chef will find a kitchen that is under-used, say for example, a restaurant that only opens for breakfast and/or lunch. The chef will then transform this restaurant into a whole different concept once the sun goes down. The food will be nothing like the restaurant that operates in the same place during the day.

One of Hawaii's first pop-up restaurants is called The Pig & The Lady. The chef is Chef Andrew Le, formerly of Chef Mavro, which is undisputedly one of the best restaurants in the state. It just so happens that I happen to be good friends with the Chef's brother Alex, and Alex invited us to the soft opening of The Pig and the Lady. The instructions were simple - show up at Hank's Haute Dog at 7:30pm, ready to eat. Hank's Haute Dogs? Are we going to be eating hot dogs all night?

We arrive at Hank's Haute Dogs on Coral Street at 7:15. The place does not resemble what it looks like during normal business hours at all. They hung 4 large lanterns out front, and on the inside, where there is normally just open space, they squeezed in two rectangular tables with black table clothes, silverware, and cloth napkins.

Here are the courses for the evening:

Nairagi Sashimi: asian pear, water lily herb, kaffir lime

Maitake Mushroom: jicama, lotus root, rice croquettes

Roast Pork: betelnut leaves, watermelon, ginger nvoc mam

Pho: handcut noodles, brisket, tendon

Toast: lychee, coconut pandan curd, thai basil

Everything was delicious and we were all really stuffed by the end of the 5-course dinner. But wait, they also made Vietnamese style coffee for us.

Because of the limited space available, seating is by reservation only. Dinner is service on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. The menu will be changing every couple of weeks, so what you see here may not be what you'll end up getting down the road.

Follow them on Twitter @pigandthelady.

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Mexico Restaurant

If you like Mexican food, you need to check out Mexico Restaurant on School Street. My friends and I all agree that it's one of the best mexican restaurants on the island. Here's why:

Combo plate of a chili relleno and a Tamale

Combo plate of a chicken taco and a beef enchilada

Chicken enchilada

The food comes out hot, fresh and quick. They have a small parking lot next to the restaurant that fits about 12 cars, otherwise, you can park on the street. Open for lunch and dinner.

Mexico Restaurant

1247 School Street

(808) 845-9059

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Shiro's Saimin Haven

Before DS3 was born we decided to head out to Shiro's Saimin Haven in Aiea since I was craving saimin.

I had my usual - the wun tun min (not pictured), and it was good, as usual.


DH had the Fried Rice Omelette with Bacon.

He enjoyed it.

We made sure to leave room for dessert. 

They still didn't have the peanut butter pie, but I ended up trying the Chocolate Beyond Reason.

It was really delicious, especially for a pre-made dessert. 

I think just about any chocolate lover would agree that it was pretty good.

I can't wait to go back, and hopefully the next time they'll have the peanut butter pie!

Shiro's Saimin Haven: 98-020 Kamehameha Highway, Aiea - (808) 488-8824

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$25 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway at Savvy Gem

To celebrate the launch of Savvy Gem, I'm giving away a $25 Walmart Gift Card!

Visit Savvy Gem to enter to win, and you can also find a lot of great coupons and freebies!

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