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10/28/2016 2 Comments Arancino di Mare's new breakfast menu Located in the Waikiki Beach Marriott hotel, Arancino di Mare offers outdoor and indoor seating along Ohua Avenue. If you're seated facing Makai you have a nice view of the intersection of Kalakaua and the beach. Many years ago my good friend from Kauai, Avery, worked at a new restaurant in Waikiki called Arancino di Mare. I loved visiting him there. The pasta was on point, the lasagna amazing and other dishes very authentic and also had a delicate Japanese flair. Fast forward 12 years and the now flagship location on Oahu, they also have other outlets on Waikiki Beachwalk and at the Kahala Hotel, is poised to launch a new breakfast menu on November 1st. My friend Biancha and I had the chance to sample these new menu items. I thought I would only be able to order one, maybe 2 items, but they literally brought us the entire new menu, what a dream! Here's a look at the new menu items carefully crafted by Executive Chef Daisuke Hamamoto:  You have the option to start with small plates or "petite starters" which include a Coppa Acai bowl, Picolo Mista garden salad and Picolo Zuppa tomato and basil bisque $4-$5. Hover your mouse or cursor over the photo then click for information/caption/price. Overall, this was a wonderful experience. If you are seeking a venue with unique Italian breakfast items that appeal more to your savory side this is the spot for you. The ingredients are fresh, tasty, delicately prepared and perfectly cooked. You'll feel like you're in Italy but with the Waikiki backdrop to basque in! Launching Tuesday, November 1, 2016. Arancino di Mare is open for breakfast daily 7am-11am. Located at: 2552 Kalakaua Avenue Honolulu HI 96815 Parking is complimentary for 4 hours at the Marriott with validation. For more info - www.arancino.com/arancino-di-mare
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10/19/2016 6 Comments My dream home is in Hokkaido! My final day in Hokkaido was an adventurous and memorable one. The first stop was at Hokkaido Prefectural Natural Park also known as Nopporo Forest Park. There are stunning walking trails, an observation center and unique animals here. The park itself is huge (2053 ha which equals close to 8 square miles) and sits between Sapporo, Ebetsu and Kita-Hiroshima. We were in Ebetsu, which is western Hokkaido and a charming little town that originated as a farm village. Honestly, not much has changed as farms and agriculture still play a big part in the region. In particular, Hokkaido is 100% sustainable with fresh produce, dairy, farms and other highlights that will make you feel comfortable knowing if something were to happen in this world Hokkaido is the place to be.  On our stroll through the forest. We were just about one-two weeks ahead of the start of winter and the many feet of snow they expect.  This tree was very special as it is over 300 years old. We each took a moment to stand by it and take a photo, but first our group actually held hands in a circle around the tree to give thanks.  After a visit to the majestic forest and observation center (where unfortunately I did not see any wild animals) we stopped at Machimura Milk Garden.  Here we got to meet and pet the baby cows (Calves). This white and black cow is a boy so he was separated from the ladies. The wonderful thing about this dairy is there was literally no smell. As a kid driving past the dairy on Kauai it always smelled so bad, but here it was beautiful, so clean and quiet and no smell at all. If anything it had a nice fresh scent. These are happy pampered dairy cows for sure!
 Now here is the major highlight for me. We drove a short distance to another farm called Earth Dream and I literally lost it here. Lost it in a good way. This is where I wished I could live and work everyday, with the animals. This is a petting zoo unlike any other in the entire world. As you can see I was first greeted by mini-horses...  Then full-sized horses, puppies and beagles. This place is an unbelievable park for families and animal lovers to meet, greet, pet and play with animals. They want you to feel the energy and warmth coming from the animal. This truly was heaven on earth for me.  They have literally any animal you can think of... Pigs, Cats...  Sheep, goats, turtles, birds...  a llama! Yes, a LLAMA!  Alpacas even.  All sorts of bunnies!!!  And then they feature horse races and rides. Although it's not what you think. The horses are former race horses and they are dying to run around. They have them race each other in a friendly race or two and then you can ride in the wagon behind them as they run around the makeshift track.  And another dog... there were so many and this one was so cute and cuddly. As Melissa said "He's giving himself to you... You don't even know her!" she scolded him.  And last but not least this place was a dream because yes, they served fresh brick oven pizzas, made with local cheese, house made sausages and farm fresh eggs.  Add to that they also serve breakfast! An amazing petting zoo/farm with all the cuddly animals you can think of and they serve fresh pizza and breakfast food all day! I know it's a dream!!! Mahalo again to Doko Ga TV, HTB and Hawaiian Airlines for this amazing opportunity. I also want to say a big heartfelt thank you to Pali Kaaihue and Yumi Ozaki and my good friend Melissa Chang for inviting me to attend. Melissa is a true friend who has been there for me through thick and thin and always thinking of ways to allow me to grow, learn and experience new adventures. I am very grateful!
For more information click: www.dokoga.tv And for future tour info visit: www.dokoga.tv/tours 10/17/2016 4 Comments Aloha Hokkaido! After arriving at Chitose Airport we caught the train to Sapporo. (Michael Kini - photographer, Melissa Chang, Deb Aoki and Yumi Ozaki). The train system in Japan is super awesome, cheap, efficient and fast, it's very easy to navigate too! I love Japan. Over the past 12 years I've visited this amazing country just over half a dozen times. What's so great about it...? Well for the most part it's clean and safe, people are very polite, the food is cheap and the culture there is a broad range from extravagant to subtle and charming. I was very fortunate to be invited on a special trip to Hokkaido with Dokoga TV and my amazing friend Melissa Chang. Also in the group my former HTJ chaperone (from the Miss Hawaii days) Yumi Ozaki and Melissa's longtime friend Deb Aoki. The amazing jack of all trades and the man behind Doko Ga TV, Pali Kaaihue spends nearly 75% of his time in Japan and he along with Hawaiian Airlines, Doko Ga TV, Hokkaido Television Broadcasting and various governmental agencies in Japan hosted us on outstanding experiential tours, stops, food and more. I was only in Japan for 3 days as I had to return home to Hawaii for the launch of the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival on Maui, but here is a look at the phenomenal experience from Sapporo to Hokkaido in just 3 days.  Once we arrived and checked in to our apartment we were starving so we walked to a nearby famous ramen shop. Onimusha is famous for it's miso ramen. The noodles are chewy and fresh, the broth is rich, full of flavor and the toppings are amazing too. It's hard to believe that these gigantic bowls of slurpy goodness are all under $9. AMAZING!  The next morning we woke up early and drove to the Otaru Tanaka Sake Brewery. We got a behind the scenes look at the painstaking process of making fine sake. It was fascinating.  We also had a wonderful sake tasting of about 8 different sakes. Above is our host Pali and our guide playing with an empty gigantic bottle of sake. It was a great experience overall.  Following the sake tour and tasting we visited a cute shop that sold blown glass jewelry. I had the opportunity, with Deb, to make a one of a kind blown glass necklace.  I got to choose a base color (pink) and an added color (light blue). Then you create a marble while melting the glass onto a metal rod. Burning, twisting, twisting, burning till it's orange, this takes skill and thankfully my teacher helped me so my marble looked like a perfect round ball. (Photo Credit: Melissa Chang)  After you make the marble you let it sit in ash for 40 minutes, then you can wear it as a bracelet or necklace. I was thrilled it came out great! (Photo Credit: Melissa Chang)  Next we made our way to the Nikka Whiskey Distillery. It was beautiful and fascinating to hear the story behind this product and how they manufacture whiskey.  After the tour there is another tasting. You can sample 3 different types of whiskey and sit and relax.  Here's a look at Mount Yotei, which is considered the Mount Fuji of Hokkaido. Can you see the snow? So cool!  Just below Mt. Yotei is the magnificent Fukidashi Park, known for its mineral water. Residents come with water bottles and containers to scoop up the fresh water from the mountain. The park itself is exquisite and very photogenic. I would highly recommend coming here to relax and enjoy. You can also drink the water right from the waterfalls. (Photo Credit: Melissa Chang)  Now time for dinner with the HTB executives. I ordered a blood orange mimosa and Yumi ordered this kale beer. So interesting. We dined in Chuo-Ku Sapporo Minami 3 Jonishi.  Mention Sapporo and you'll likely hear oohs and ahhs about their fresh seafood. This is no joke. They have the best, fresh, tasty seafood I've ever had. This is the special Hairy Crab, it doesn't come with butter or any sauce. In fact it's so sweet and tender you don't even have to put lemon on it. The way they cut it and present it for you you just use a special fork to pull out the meat. So easy.  I am not a sashimi freak like some, I love poke but there's only so much sashimi I can eat, usually. But this plate of fresh, delicious sashimi was so good I couldn't stop eating it. I was addicted. They also serve a sweet type of shoyu sauce that is the perfect compliment to the succulent sashimi pieces.  We ate until our hearts content! Here is fried fish, the crab, sashimi platter, tempura fish and even shirako. I also ordered a shrimp pasta dish that came out in a black hot bowl boiling and bubbling with cheesy, creamy, tomato goodness - that was phenomenal. This was all in Day 1 of the trip. Stay tuned for Day 2 and 3 coming up.
For more information: www.dokoga.tv 10/10/2016 1 Comment Who are the Lilikoi Ladies? Lilikoi Ladies - We are sweet and sometimes tart, unique, beautiful, diverse, hardy, yet delicate and passionate! I know we've been busy, in fact we are all busy people leading busy lives. Add to that the responsibilities of work, family & extra curricular activities and you really don't have time for yourself or others... Right? We all get caught up in our lives and forget that it's the little things in life that make the biggest impression. I've recently been seeking an outlet to do more of what makes me happy and to find people to do those activities with. Because lets face you have some friends you haven't seen in ages, years, months or even weeks and you do want to get together, but for some reason you just don't. I did a little bit of research on hiking clubs and networking/social mixers but that wasn't the right fit. Then I had an idea -- I will just create something that would be the perfect outlet to let my inner adventurer soar! So, Ive decided to form my own adventure club for women!  In a nutshell Lilikoi Ladies is a free adventure group for ladies living in Hawaii. Our motto is: "We are sweet and sometimes tart, unique, beautiful, diverse, hardy, yet delicate and passionate." Our slogan is: An Adventure Club for Fun, Food & Friends! I've found that we, as women, have so many common interests: hiking, beaching, swimming, snorkeling, happy hour, cooking, going to the movies, afternoon tea, painting, shopping, cocktails and wine (just to name a few)... Why don't we enjoy these experiences TOGETHER, have fun, make friends and support one another in a positive and uplifting environment. The process is simple: follow Lilikoi Ladies on Facebook for updates join our monthly events/gatherings. It's open to anyone!  Lilikoi Lady BAES: Beautiful Adventurous Empowered Sisters  Lilikoi Ladies - an adventure club for women in the 808. You can find us on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LilikoiLadies/ Twitter: @lilikoiladies Instagram: @lilikoiladies for inspiring posts #lilikoiladies  Drive through Haleiwa town and you'll notice a brand new bright red farm stand on the left hand side. This adorable stop on your way... to the beach, hike, explore, work or if you're just driving through is a true gem. The concept is simple utilizing local produce to make and sell delicious food. They also offers fresh cut flowers, unique logo wear (shirts, hats, etc), fresh scones, grab n go box lunches and snacks. This partnership between Holoholo General Store and Twin Bridge Farms spawned a concept that supports local farmers and artisans. Their MISSION is to: "Connect visitors and locals with the fruits of our farmers' labor and bring farmers back to the fields and families back to the dinner table."
 The nearby HoloHolo Garden where some of the produce is grown and then served or sold at the stand. They also offer community education, monthly workshops, volunteer days and service projects for the keiki.  Grab n go fresh items perfect for your picnic or beach adventure. Everything I tasted was bright, full of flavor and delicious. The beet hummus and parfait are outstanding! The Red Barn Farmstand
located at 66-320 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa 96712 (makai/left side, before you reach the North Shore Marketplace) Open: Wednesday - Sunday 10am-5pm www.redbarnfarmstand.com |
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