Ono Hawaiian Combo, Burgers On The Edge-Kapahulu, Hawaii

I finally made it to Burgers On The Edge last night.  I gotta be honest, all the hype about it being an expensive place to eat is what kept me away.  They do have a $17 burger but that's not the starting price on the menu.  Wish I woulda known that earlier...Id'a gone long ago.


I had the Ono Hawaiian Combo which was a pretty simple burger.  The usual 1/4lb. patty on a bun with lettuce, tomato and secret sauce which if you ask me, was Thousand Island Dressing.  Why do all secret sauces become Thousand Island?  Anywho it was really good.  It was grilled perfectly and moist.  The best part was that I had a choice of Wheat Bun, White Bun or Lettuce Wrapped for you NO-CARB peeps.  I opted for Wheat...side choices were a salad with Thousand Island (secret sauce), potato salad or shoestring fries.  I got the potato salad.  It was alright, if you like olives.  I don't really care for olives except if they're black and on my finger tips...and this potato salad was either infused with them or they were chopped into it.  Either way, I coulda done without'em.  You get a large drink too with refills at no cost!


Service was quick and easy.  You go to the counter and order your grub.  They give you a number.  You find a seat.  They find you and TADAAAA, you get your food.  Simple.  If you're eating at night though you got two options...eat outside where the lighting is poor (which is why I dunno what the olive application in my potato salad was) or eat inside where the smoke from the grill is thick enough to leave your clothes smelling like a Texas Bar-B-Que Festival.  You have the same options during the day, but at least you have lighting if you sit out.  


The logistics...the place is fronting the newer Safeway on Kapahulu so there's tons of parking.  I don't think you'll have any issues.  If it's busy, circle around like a park shark for a little while..something is sure to pop up.  Eat up!  $5.95...$0.50 for cheese.


I give the burger a personal rating of SUPER but the potato salad is unarguably a MMM NOT SO MUCH!

Coconut Jin Dui, Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery-Chinatown, Hawaii

I might have the spelling wrong on this fabulous Chinese pastry but phonetically, it's correct.


If you like baked mochi and coconut you'll love this...it has a perfect chewy to crispy ratio for this little ball of deliciousness.  About the size of a baseball, its deep fried with a big hunk of shredded coconut on the inside.  The outside is rolled in sesame seeds for a toasty nutty flavor.


The bakery itself is well kept although the servers are a little grumpy.  They sell all sorts of pastries and pies like moon pie and wedding pie...and even crack seed. 


The logistics...it's Chinatown.   Street parking or Marks Garage.  Eat up!  $1.00.


I give this a personal rating of SUPER!

Dry Noodle Soup, 99 Coffee Cafe-Chinatown, Hawaii

I really loved this dish and will recommend it to anyone who loves noodles, soups or wanting to try something a little different in Noodledom.  The noodles are served in a separate dish from the broth hence "dry noodle" and you get all of the following in it:  ground pork, thin sliced beef, shrimp, shrimp cake and fish cake.  Nothing too exotic which for me is a great thing!  The broth is a light stock made from chicken and is garnished with green onions.  A plate of fresh veggies comes on the side as well...bean sprouts, lettuce, cilantro, jalapenos and fresh lemons.  The idea is to mix it up into your own distinct concoction of flavors and ingredients AND if that's not enough, your table is fully equipped with other spices and sauces sure to please any condiment king or queen's taste buds.  Now, about the noodles.  You can get either the "yellow noodle" which is made from eggs and my personal favorite due to its al dente nature, or the "white noodle" which is made from rice and is softer in texture...use the noodle color code if you go...this reduces the language barrier issues you're sure to encounter.  
Oh, and this dish is not on the menu.  It's a secret that only special foodies like you are privy to.  Well, not really but it's fun to think so.  I'm not sure why it's not on the menu.  


The service was great, and super fast...not much into chitchat but the owner did bring our food out promptly and with a smile. Oh, forgot to mention they have Chinese Pretzels there too which I'll need to remember to try the next time I'm in.


The logistics...there is some street parking available but you'll need to do some searching, OR you can park at Mark's Garage for an all day fee of $5 (do some shopping while you're down there...lotsa cute stores etc.) It's on the corner of Nuuanu and S. Beretania. The streets are busy (I went at 9am) with people checking out the street markets and there are interesting smells coming from some of the shops...fish, food related things, remember it is Chinatown.  So, if you're sensitive to smells like I am, hold your breath.  Eat up! $9.95.


I give this a personal rating of SUPERDUPER!  

Crab Cake Benedict , Pacific Soul- Honolulu, Hawaii

This was an amazing dish overall.  The flavor of the crab cake was rich and full of that fabulous crabby flavor.  The egg was poached to perfection in what could have been lemon water and it was all laid out on a bed of greens, a hamakua tomato and toasted french bread.  The hollandaise was nice and light although the menu emphasized a Mango Hollandaise...I didn't get much of the mango flavor which obviously I would have loved to experience...all in all it was a great meal.  I tried the cornbread too which was yummy but not as yummy as the maple butter sauce that is poured all over it...that stuff was the stuff of the gods!  


The service was great!  The people there are very friendly and you can even see Chef Sean cooking up your meal.  The place has a walk up window with outside seating if that's what you're into but you can also sit inside, which I did.  Be sure to close the door behind you as a courtesy to those that are already dining...otherwise you'll be dining with flies.  I'd like to recommend an automatic hinge on that door by the way.  


The logistics...if you go early enough, you'll for sure get cool kid parking located right outside the shop.  If not, you're shit outta luck...park at City Mill across the street.  Eat up! $11.95.


I give this a personal rating of SUPER!