Deja Vu In Oahu

By: Sarah

 

Aloha! Been to this wonderful Hawaiian Island, though that was so long ago, the island Oahu. 7 days is about the average stay in one island in Hawaii, so that was our recent trip that I booked several months early. This most populated part of Hawaii offers a tons of things to do and places to go. Super excited for the revisit, and I have to say it was a great flight/no turbulence…but with a layover at San Jose, California, that was a long flight. I made sure we prepaid Airport transfer to Hotel for 8 PM arrival, so that made it easy to get out from the airport with no hassle. Hungry, we decided to go with Red Lobster for some lobster and snow crabs indulging and get enough sleep for the next 2 days prepaid excursions. Let me share a condensed recap of this most recent trip to Hawaii.

We stayed at this boutique hotel, Equus, not plushy, but “has awesome shower” lol, near the famous $400/night Prince Hotel in the heart of Waikiki. We only bought 2 excursions: 1, The Pearl Harbor and Tour of Oahu, and 2, Oahu’s Sight and Bites, exploring more north side of Oahu, including Dole Plantation. The shuttle bus starts at one nearby ABC stores and because we arrived early, we explored a bit and found this gem of a place near Ilikai Hotel along ala Moana Blvd, Cafe Goofy. And we couldn’t picked the perfect Hawaiian breakfast. Not just your ordinary French toast. How bout a French toast topped with fresh fruits (papaya, pineapple, bananas) drizzled with honey…oh yes, whipped cream too. Glenn approved.

Meet our tour guide/ chauffeur en route to Pearl Harbor (and Honolulu cemetery park and Diamond Head. Beautiful day 80s weather. This trip she says…NO PROBLEM, NOT THIS TRIP, YOURE HERE TO MAKE MEMORABLE MEMORIES.

SIGHTS N BITES excursion was a bit pricey but it’s a food trip too, so why not, also with DOLE in mind…yeah!!! Got us Fresh buco… can’t say no! $13…cheap? We had chicken teriyaki at a lunch stop, nothing extraordinary. And finally, had a taste of the world famous Dole Whip… which is nothing but a smooth soft serve with pineapple-flavored dry mix…if you ask me, pistachio ice cream gets my thumbs-up.

Just another stress free day!!! And Glenn, a former scuba instructor, enjoyed the calm waves, sunny weather at Waikiki beach. A stroll among shops near the beach and we found Halohalo at 3rd floor International Market… Magnolia, mismo! It’s Lunar day special, Halohalo only $8 bucks, and really pays to be at the right place at the right time.

We found ourselves amongst the early shoppers at aloha stadium swap meet (only on Wednesdays, and weekends…6 shirts for $20, omg. Also 2 Pinoy food vendors with barbecue, banana-q, lumpiang gulay, dinuguan, pancit bihon…truly Pinoy!

Disappointed is an understatement! Interview with PESO restaurant owner/chef was on TV, got me interested right away when she described one of desserts served in resto…SANS RIVAL. sige, let’s head to the resto PESO. Seemed high-end with no Filipino servers. Got seated, and menu offering was basic — including sinigang and Palabok which we ordered. For 1st timers, it was encouraged to try small plates of about 10 Filipino dishes for $125 per person. Glenn loves sinigang…but was unhappy with the sweeter than sour flavors. As for Palabok, really, noodles used was spaghetti. Really, more like lomi guisado, pale and no orange coloring/ achuete. Topped with 2 grilled prawns. That’s it, no sliced boiled eggs, tinapa, chicharon and the Palabok sauce. Omg, mama siya would taste better. Come on, AVOID THIS PLACE, PESO RESTAURANT in Ward district, not far from Ala Moana.

Saving the best for last…tour guide recommended Prince Hotel’s super Sunday buffet brunch…. absolutely, going for it, no ifs, no buts, omg….and seeing Filipino flavors very represented. Pork belly lechon with elevated liver sauce, calamansi tart. $89 but so worth it. Prince Hotel @ 100 sails restaurant located along ala Moana Blvd. Happy tummy!!!!

HAWAIIAN TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD

It’s creamy, it’s loaded with juice fruit, it’s quick and simple to make, it’s a crowd-pleaser treat!

Wow your guests (feeding a crowd is never a problem, just double or triple the recipe) with this super impressive throw-together fruit platter. BBQ season is almost here and one of my favorite side-dish/dessert to bring to potlucks or backyard bbq parties is this tropical delight…Hawaiian Tropical Fruit Salad. Start with Canned fruits (Very important to drain them beforehand, specially the mandarin oranges that contain a lot of moisture): oh yes, gotta have pineapple chunks (if it’s Dole, that’s bringing the taste of aloha to your front door!), mandarin oranges, tropical fruit cocktail (with papaya chunks), lychees and coconut jellies with jackfruit. Add in fresh fruits of the season: grapes, mangoes, strawberries, kiwis, blueberries and bananas. This is one of those easy recipes that you can never go wrong and it does not need to be complicated at all. Like, is green grapes better than red grapes; go with the combination of the two and avoid the stress. Pineapple chunks or pineapple tidbits? Depends on what you prefer. I prefer a chunkier salad, so I drain a can of pineapple chunks. Shredded coconut or coconut flakes, sweetened or unsweetened for a little extra island flavor? Choice is yours but best to toast the coconuts first for better nutty flavor. Make it customable: omit certain fruits to suit your taste or add marshmallows, macadamia nuts, chocolate chips….oh delicioso. I love a simple tangy whipped cream for the salad dressing, a good combo of whipping cream, sour cream, mayonnaise and a small box of mango jello; be prepared to witness the bowl licked clean. Also serve with graham crackers for dipping. MAHALO!

Fruits:
2 (15 ounce) can fruit cocktail, drained thoroughly
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained thoroughly
1 (15 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained thoroughly
1 (20 ounce) can lychees
1 (15 ounce) can coconut jell with jackfruit
Add-ins: (Feel free to cut back on the amount of add-ins)
marshmallows, fresh fruits (strawberries, kiwi, banana, blueberries), shredded coconut or coconut flakes Salad dressing:
1- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1/4 cup sour cream, chilled (for stabilizer)
1 mango jello (for thickener and flavor)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise (optional)

Drain the canned fruits thoroughly. Combined the fruits and add-ons in a mixing bowl. Whip salad dressing ingredients until foamy and increase speed to medium high until thick. Add dressing to the fruits and mix it all together. To serve, put the mixed salad in a pretty bowl. Place few grapes, strawberries and maraschino cherries on top. Then sprinkle a dusting of toasted coconuts. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

LAST WORDS: Everyday is one day closer to summer, you must be feeling excited. But always remember, you’re special…Never dull your shine for somebody else.