Sherman's Food Adventures: Hawaiian

Showing posts with label Hawaiian. Show all posts

Hula Poke (Yaletown)

With all of the Poke options these days, it is hard to differentiate between them. Let's be honest here, most of them are not "authentic poke" anyways. However, I'm not poke snob and am always open to interesting takes on how it is prepared. One of the more creative spots is Hula Poke, with its many locations in town. They offer up not only international flavours and ingredients, there are also hot options that are not necessarily poke at all.

One of which is Grilled Salmon Bowl atop coconut rice base, edamame, carrot, green onion, red peppers, sesame seeds and microgreens. We got this in garlic sesame rather than the spicy miso option. Due to the glaze, the salmon itself already had a sweet caramelized flavour. It was fairly moist and flaky. The coconut rice paired well with the salmon to create a tropical taste. Add in all of the veggies on top, this felt like a complete meal that was healthy.

Even before we got to the fish, we had the Warm Chicken Bowl with grilled chicken, rice base, edamame, carrot, green onion, red peppers, sesame seeds and microgreens in spicy miso. The fact it was warm rather than piping hot was key as the cold ingredients didn't start wilting. The fresh crunch combined with the tender chicken provided a contrast in textures and temperature. Also, the spicy miso provided the kick of flavour to an otherwise collection of mild ingredients.

Onto the poke, but with sweet potato rather than a protein, we added it to the Bahamian with coconut rice. Believe it or not, I really enjoyed this despite the absence of fish or meat. Exhibiting robustness, the sweet potato paired well with the tropical flavours of the coconut and pineapple. Naturally, the coconut rice was aromatic and had a nice bite, so it also did well with the ingredients. Due to that mix, this bowl ate on the sweeter side.

Staying in the Americas, we went for the Peruvian with salmon, tuna and all kale. So this was more a poke salad with Peruvian marinade, ponzu dressing, edamame, green onion, red chili, avocado, sesame seeds, crispy onions, cilantro and kale. This ate very bright due to the citrus flavours. There was also a mild spice to it while the crunch from onions provided texture. Due to the cilantro, a certain herbaceousness was maintained in each bite.

Honestly, the Thai with chicken and kelp noodles was not really a "poke bowl", but it was delicious nonetheless. It had coconut Thai green curry, pineapple, carrot, red pepper, cilantro, green chilies, sesame seeds, pickled red onions, ponzu and kale. With the combination of ingredients, there was tropical taste to it with spice, creaminess, sweetness and acidity. I thought the chicken went well while the kelp noodles were chewy and firm.

We moved onto some Korean flavours next with the Koko featuring spicy gochujang, carrot, white onion, avocado, cucumber, kimchi, furikake, sesame seeds, cilantro, miso ginger vinaigrette and kale. We decided to get this with tofu and that paired well with the spiciness. We chose traditional sushi rice for this bowl and it was hearty and chewy, standing up to the strong flavours. Loved the ginger notes which helped give a bit of a sharpness to compliment the sweet spice.

Lastly, we had the trusty ol' Yuzu with ginger sesame dressing, avocado, cucumber, edamame, carrot, furikake, sesame seeds, crispy onion and kale with sushi rice. This was the most "usual"-tasting bowl and especially with salmon and tuna, it ate like one too. Sure, there were other things in the mix that added texture and flavour but this was your classic sweet and tangy concoction with raw fish and chewy rice. So this was another great visit to Hula Poke. I feel they have actually improved over time. Lots of flavours and ingredients to choose from that can satisfy a variety of tastes.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Many different flavours that are unique

- More than just typical poke

- A variety of proteins and vegetarian options

The Bad:

- Can upset the authentic poke crowd

- Parking can be tough to find

Aloha Hawaiian Grill

Oh how I miss Hawaii! Totally love the weather there, the beaches and of course, the food! Such an eclectic fusion of cuisines due to the many different cultures intermixing on the islands. Although we have Hawaiian eats available on the mainland, there isn't much of a selection locally unless you are looking for poke. Even with that, you get a mish mash of what is supposed to be poke, but sometimes you end up with fish salad. So when Nora tipped me off a Aloha Hawaiian Grill in Steveston, I just knew I had to meet up with her to try it out!

We were lucky to get there at opening since it was pretty busy by the time it hit Noon. So we had to get some classics including the Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp on rice with a side of mac salad and corn. This was not bad with plenty of garlickiness and butter. I would've liked to see a bit more salt, but it was enough to season the shrimp. About that shrimp, they were of a decent size and plump. Good buttery snap and natural briny aroma. Rice underneath was chewy and dry (in a good way).

We also got the Luau Pork Ribs with the same sides. These slow-cooked ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender but at the same time, they didn't exactly fall-off-the-bone upon contact. Hence, this was the perfect balance between being tender while not being mushy. These were sweet and a bit smoky from char off the grill. I found the mac salad to be decent with al dente noodles and not too much mayo. It could've used a bit more seasoning though.

Our last big plate was the Loco Moco featuring the usual beef patty with brown gravy and a fried egg on rice. I quite liked this as the beef patty was large and thick. It was moist with tender beef and benefited from the sweetness of the onions. It had been seared nicely and exhibited good caramelization. The gravy was flavourful but not salty. The mushrooms added some body and umaminess. Once again, the dry rice was perfect for accepting the gravy.

Of course couldn't forget about the ever popular Spam Musubi right? We got a couple of these and right off the bat, I liked how the spam-to-rice ratio was almost 50:50. Furthermore, the rice was mixed with furikake which meant extra umaminess. Like it should be, the spam was teriyaki-sauce glazed which helped also flavour the rice. I would've liked to see a more aggressive sear on the spam though. Otherwise, this was a solid version.

We ended off with a small bowl of Shaved Ice in Mango, Cherry and Passionfruit topped with some condensed milk. I found the shaved ice to be rather snowy and light. Hence it was easy to eat and not "icy" if that makes any sense. The flavours could've been anything because it all just tasted sweet to me. Just enough condensed milk so that the whole thing wasn't sickingly sweet. Overall, I thought the food at Aloha was pretty good for the mainland. I still miss the stuff in Hawaii though, but flying there will cost me, so not really fair to compare.

The Good:

- Generally good eats

- Nice people

- Wonderful location

The Bad:

- Garlic shrimp could be more flavourful

- Parking in the village sucks

Hanai Vancouver

So one of the newer restaurants on Commercial Drive isn't really all that new. Hanai, which takes over the spot Ugly Dumpling used to reside, started out as a food stand, then a takeout spot. So moving into a brick & mortar location is a huge step forward for owners Tess Bevernage and Thomas Robillard. Vancouver is blessed with a variety of cuisines, but Hawaiian isn't well-represented (unless you include the countless poke shops...). For me, I love Hawaiian food and I finally made it out to Hanai for their well-priced Ohana Menu for $60.00 per person.

As mentioned in my previous posts, the cost of eating out is through the roof these days. Hey, I don't blame the restaurants as they need to cover their expenses. So this family-style menu is a great deal in my books. We started things off with the some soft bread with a delicious Tall Shadows Ube Buns & Limu Butter. The buns were only lightly kissed with ube and were super-soft. However, the star of the show was the butter. It was so filled with umami and the taste of the sea, we wished there was more! We would've eaten with a spoon...

Our next course consisted of 4 dishes including Whole Pig Pork Terrine with pickles, Crispy Smelt, Curry Dashi Squash and Purple Yams. Starting with the terrine, it was made with various parts of a whole pig, hence the different textures and flavours were pronounced. Very meaty, a bit porky and definitely tender. It was served with pickles and some gochujang. Absolutely loved the crispy smelt as they were delicate and deliciously fishy. Kewpie mayo was served with it. The delicate sweetness of the squash was accented by a mild hint of curry while the naturally sweet purple yam benefited from the nuttiness of the sesame seeds.

In between the aforementioned course and the next, we were served the Cheesy Rice Cakes with gochujang and mozzarella. Personally, I would've liked it with a some more kick, but this still had most of what makes this dish good. Namely, the rice cakes were soft and tender while retaining a chew. Also, the flavours of the dish included spice, sweetness and tanginess. Lastly, can't hurt with all that ooey gooey cheese on top.

Onto yet another multi-dish course, we had the Potato Salad, Roasted Beet Salad and Manila Clams. Featuring sieglinde potatoes, smoked bonito and kewpie mayo, the potato salad was chunky with some firmness. It was creamy with a bit of smoky fishiness. It was topped with a ramen egg. I really enjoyed the beet salad where the beets were firm, yet tender. Nice sweet earthiness complimented by the nutty and sweet sesame dressing. The purple daikon and pickled wakame added even more texture to the salad as well as acidity from the wakame. The best of the three was the Manila clams in a ginger & lemongrass broth complimented by cured Chinese sausage (Lap Cheong) and chili. These little clams were buttery soft and briny. I thought the saltiness from the sausage and the chili added depth and impact to the otherwise mild fragrant broth.

Okay, onto the literally the meat of the meal, we had the Huli Huli Chicken, Cropthorne Farm Carrots, Furikake Rice, Perilla Leaves and Two Rivers Pork Chop. Now if the chicken looks suspiciously like Chinese soy chicken, you aren't far off since this was indeed cooked with sweet shoyu. It was perfectly prepared where the meat (including the beast) was super moist and juicy. On the side, there was a finadene sauce which added tang, sharpness and spice. Equally moist and juicy, the bone-in pork chop was topped with an umami-packed fermented black bean butter sauce. It was balanced where the butter tempered the saltiness of the black beans. Not to be outdone, the roasted carrots were cooked through, yet still had a firm crunch. They were naturally sweet and a bit earthy. On top, there was a extensively briny XO sauce. To compliment all the meats and full-bodied flavours, we had some furikake rice with a side of braised perilla leaves. The leaves were great to wrap things with and had a nice herbaceous hit.

Finally, we got to our last course which was dessert. We were served both the Banana Melt (consisting of banana cake, brown sugar coconut, Filipino cheese and fior di latte gelato) and Rouie's Guinatan (mochi, banana, ube and coconut milk). We found the banana cake a touch dry, but it was still aromatic and just semi-sweet. The cheese on top added an "it" factor to the dessert in terms of texture and savouriness. A scoop of gelato from next door (Dolce Amore) helped add moisture to the cake. Of the two, I loved Rouie's Guinatan the most as it was so creamy and aromatic from the coconut milk. Those hand-made mochi balls were so soft and appealing. This was just sweet enough and I could've had a few of them for myself. Overall, this was a really good meal at a reasonable price. There was more than enough food for all of us and we even had leftovers. Proteins were cooked perfectly and the sides were equally delicious. We will be back.

The Good:
- Well-prepared proteins
- Reasonable-pricing and generous portions
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Seating is a bit tight due to the size of the restaurant

Seattle Fish Guys

I love poke. My kids love poke. Heck, Viv loves poke. There is a dirty joke to had somewhere here, but I'll refrain... So if we all love poke, then there was no doubt we'd give the Seattle Fish Guys a visit while we were down there. Now this place isn't a restaurant per se. It is actually a fish market that also serves to-go items including poke. They do have a small outdoor dining space, which is generally packed. We were lucky to grab a table and also a bunch of goodies to eat.

This included a 6 piece order of Prawn Tempura accompanied strangely by unagi sauce. Who am I to judge as it worked well with the tempura. As for the tempura, the batter was a bit thick, but wasn't heavy. Since it was fried and was sitting in a warming display case, it was a little hard and not uniformly crunchy. Mind you, it wasn't soggy either. Inside, the ebi was still buttery and had a nice meaty snap.

So of course we got the Poke and for this one, we choose salmon and scallop. It also came with cucumbers, wakame and rice. We had a choice between raw baby scallops and cooked whole scallops. As you can see, we picked the latter and these were so appealingly delicious. There was the hit of sesame oil that complimented the natural sweetness and beautiful chewy texture of the whole thing.

For the other Poke, we had salmon and tuna. Much like the previous plate, the salmon was in large chunks. Texturally, it was buttery and soft without being mushy. However, it was not seasoned properly as it was pretty much bland except for the natural sweetness of the fish. On the other hand, the tuna was flavourful and slightly creamy. It was soft and delicate while having the freshness of the sea.

To continue with the raw stuff, we got the Sashimi Plate featuring salmon, hamachi and red tuna. It also came with rice and a boatload of wakame. We found the fish to be supremely fresh and appetizing. The hamachi was so buttery soft with a minor bite. It was sweet with plenty of that hamachi flavor goodness. Salmon was like in the poke and the tuna was soft with a more robust texture. Went well with the rice and wakame. Only wish is that they included wasabi.

One of the most interesting things we got was the Dungeness Crab Sandwich with mac salad and oyster crackers (supposed to be Hawaiian chips, but I guess they ran out?). I cannot stress how much fluffy crab there was in this sandwich. So much so, I got the full effect from the crab flavor and texture in each bite. I wished the bun was a bit softer and smaller, but really, this was a tasty sandwich. Side of mac salad was solid too.

As if we didn't have enough rice already, I picked up a Miso Black Cod on rice as well. This was pretty solid for something that was premade and sitting in a warming tray. The rice was a little on the dry side, but I didn't mind it. Presented in a generous large piece, the black cod was fatty, soft and flaky. It was flavorful from the marinade, but could've used a bit more since it was the sole thing flavoring the rice.

Lastly, we picked up some Spam Musubis for good measure. In terms of appearance, they were a bit flat-looking (curiously taking on the shape of the mubushi mould I bought on Amazon...). I found that the Spam was seared nicely, but a bit thin. However, with less rice, the ratio was still okay. Would've liked more of a glaze on one of the musubis though. Overall, I thought the food was solid given the price and portion size. I would say I've had much better poke elsewhere, but not again, this was good value and fresh.

The Good:

- Inexpensive

- Large portions

- Fresh

The Bad:

- Food is good but not great

- Usually a long lineup (moves fast though)

Super Six

One last meal before we left Seattle for our brief one-night stay. Hey, we had to dip our toes into uncharted territory - go out-of-town with fellow foodies. We didn't end up killing each other despite sharing one room amongst the 5 of us! So on our way out, we drove out to Super Six for some Hawaiian food. For those unfamiliar, Hawaiian food is a mish-mash of cuisines that include Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Portuguese and Puerto Rican mixed in with indigenous, European and American foods. Yes, if you wanted fusion, then this is the mother of all fusion foods. However, it doesn't mean complete fusion as Hawaii is also famous for their "Mixed Plate" which puts all the different cuisines onto one plate (like at a pot luck dinner).

So with that in mind, let's start with the one of the most famous food items from Hawaii - The musubi. We ended up with the classic Spam Musubi as well as the Pork Belly Musubi. Now this isn't a particularly complex concoction as it is merely sushi rice topped with something while sealed with nori. So this means only one thing - one must nail the individual ingredients. For these, the rice was pretty good being chewy yet not dry. I would've liked to see a more aggressive sear on the Spam as it was not as caramelized and smoky as it should've been. That wasn't a problem with the pork belly as it was seared beautifully (and it was tender too). Next, we tried their Fried Chicken Wings glazed with a Korean gochujang sauce. This was pretty tasty with crispy wings sporting rendered skin and super juicy meat on the inside. There was a good balance between spicy and sweet, but I would've liked it even spicier. Loved the grilled pineapple on the side too.

One dish that I was rather indifferent about was the Sichuan Pork Noodles. Although the mix of Portuguese sausage ragu, bak choy, shimeji mushrooms, serrano and daikon sounded great, the dish itself ultimately fell flat. Sure, there was some background spice, but I found that there wasn't enough seasoning in general. Worst of all, the noodles were way overdone. This didn't elicit good mouth-feel. I hope this was a one-off because it wasn't good. On the other hand, the Shoyu Ahi Poke was excellent. It was well-portioned with plenty of fresh and buttery ahi tuna, kimchi, wakame, slaw, tobiko, macadamia nuts, ogo and taro chips. Considering the amount of toppings, this ate very well with each scoop consisting of ingredients including the chewy sushi rice. I particularly liked the kimchi as it added a tangy spice to the dish.

Another dish that I enjoyed was the Aloha Fries with hand-cut fries, kalua pork, kimchi mayo, scallions and sunny-side eggs. Call this a "Hawaiian Poutine" or "Dirty Fries", but one thing is for sure, it was tasty! It started with the crispy fresh-cut fries that formed a good base to begin with. Add in the spicy mayo and the runny egg yolk and there was just enough moisture that didn't make things soggy. The pork was a touch dry, but tender enough. We couldn't forget about an iconic Hawaiian side in the Mac Salad, so we had to get an order. As you can see in the picture, it was a touch overdressed. That didn't affect the al dente macaroni itself though and that texture was necessary given the amount of dressing. It was well-seasoned and didn't eat as heavy as it appeared.

I thought the Palehu Spare Ribs were well-executed sporting a smoky caramelized bark. The glaze was sweet, but the char on the outside helped create layers of flavor. The meat itself was tender despite the dry-looking exterior. On the side, this was not ordinary mac n' cheese. Rather it was a kimchi mac n' cheese. As such, there was much more impact and kick from the tangy and spicy kimchi. Since this was cooked, the macaroni wasn't as al dente as the mac salad, but it wasn't mushy either. Taking a page from Filipino cuisine influences, we got the Lumpia stuffed with pork. These were crispy and none-too-greasy. I thought the filling was a bit on the mealy side and lacking in flavor, but hey, that is what the dipping sauce is for! Sweet and vinegary, it was the punch of impact that these rolls needed.

We couldn't forget about the other famous Hawaiian/Portuguese item that everyone strives to try when they are in Waikiki - Malasadas. We got one each with coconut cream and Nutella cream. Drizzled on top was a Liliko'i caramel sauce. I would say that Leonard's is better since they are fluffier and have more flavor options, yet that is like saying Thai food is better in Thailand. Duh. So back to these ones, they were decent with a firmer texture, but not overly sweet, even with the caramel. I liked the coconut cream more as it was aromatic and light. After we had finished, we pretty much agreed this was the most solid meal of the 3 we had on our mini-trip. Reasonably-priced and tasty.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Generally well-executed
- Nice people

The Bad:
- The noodles could've been better

Marination Ma Kai

Back in 2012, our family went on a cruise aboard Holland American's Oosterdam sailing from Seattle to Alaska. It was our second time doing that itinerary and according to Viv, "2 times too many!". Yah, she is more of the active traveler and seeing trees, ice and wildlife is akin to looking out our backyard in Winter. Despite her poor attitude towards the trip, we still had a good time and ended up meeting 2 new friends from Seattle, Scout and Lola (not their real names... LOL). We killed it onboard slaughtering the competition in every trivia session. Ah yes, Viv was having a jolly ol' time... So almost every visit to Seattle, we meet up with them. This time around, it was at their suggestion - Marination Ma Kai in West Seattle.

Other than the spectacular view and outdoor dining space, Marination also boasts an array of Hawaiian eats. Before we got to that, we ended up with something more typical of spot right near the water - Fish n' Chips with miso tartar sauce. Panko-crusted, the fresh fish was flaky and moist. Although the coating appeared to be thick, it was actually light and crunchy. On the side, the house cut fries were on point being crispy with plenty of tender potato goodness inside. Impressively gigantic, the Pork Katsu Sandwich sported slaw, red onion, mayo and house-made tonkatsu sauce on a ciabatta bun. Crunchy and meaty, the pork cutlet was thick and tender. The mix of tangy slaw, creamy mayo and sweet tonkatsu sauce provided layers of flavour. The robust bun kept everything together.

Of course we had to get the Spam Musubi because if we didn't the kids would have a hairy cow. Not that they wouldn't eat a hairy cow that is... So for good measure, we also got the Portuguese Sausage Musubi as well. I personally enjoyed the regular Spam Musubi since it was familiar and the texture was complimentary to the chewy sushi rice. Not that the sausage wasn't good, it was meaty and nicely spiced, but the robust nature of the meat made the musubi heavier than usual. Underneath the good amount of kalbi beef and sunny side egg was Kimchi Fried Rice. This was further finished off with green onion and furikake. Adding the meat component on top of the rice made this a hearty dish where the chewy and well-seasoned rice was spicy and tangy.

Trying to cover most of the menu, we also got both the Kalua Pork and Spam Sliders complimented by slaw and nunya sauce (mayo, gochujang, garlic and green onion) served on a soft Hawaiian-style roll. Once again, my preference was with the spam as it was one solid piece of meat that was familiar with its buttery soft texture. The saltiness really helped balance the slaw. Again, it wasn't as if the kalua didn't taste good. In fact, the tender pork was really yummy and it ate like a pulled pork sandwich, just without BBQ sauce. Lola also got the sliders, but added a Kalbi Beef Taco on the side as well. It was served on a corn tortilla and topped with slaw, pickled jalapenos, sesame seeds and nunya sauce. It sported the same well-seasoned beef from the rice we had as well as the same slaw and sauce from the sliders. Tasty little bite.

We ended things off with Hawaiian Shaved Ice in a mix of Mango and Lychee. This was not as sweet as it appeared, but flavourful enough that we could discern what it was. Nice and refreshing and while it ain't as fluffy as Korean bingsoo, it was good in its own right. Reminded us of grabbing shaved ice in Lahaina. That would probably be the best description of the place. A taste of Hawaii right by the water that emulates the island experience. With reasonable prices and a killer view, there is not much to dislike about the place.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Large portions
- Taste of Hawaii

The Bad:
- Limited parking
- Can get pretty busy and you will be without a seat

Sam Choy's Poke to the Max

We all know the poke craze that has hit Vancouver in the last few years, but other than a few outliers, most have been "salad-type" poke operations. No, we haven't been blessed with many places that serve up authentic poke (which is basically fish, onion and soy-based dressing) without all the random ingredients. However, in an about-face, we find the "Godfather" of poke, Sam Choy, amping up poke and other Hawaiian treats at Sam Choy's Poke to the Max in Seattle. Seeing that piqued our interest and made it our first stop for food.

About that poke, we went for the Mo' Betta Shoyu featuring salmon, shoyu, sesame oil, unagi sauce and wasabi aioli. This was accompanied by 2 scoops of rice, ginger, pickled veg and wakame salad. It was pretty much straight up poke except for the 2 sauces. Honestly, we could've done without them as they not only made the whole thing too heavy, it also muddled up the flavours. We didn't even know what we were eating due to the strong unagi sauce. Beyond that, the salmon was excellent as well as the condiments. Following the same theme, the Reconstructed Musubi was a complete mess in our opinion. Splatted obscenely by the same 2 sauces, it totally took away the enjoyment form the seared Spam, egg frittata and chewy sushi rice. It was unnecessarily messy and once again muddled.

On the flip side, the Big Kahuna Kulua Sandwich was a hit. The pork was plentiful and tender. Unlike some other versions I've had in the past, the meat was moist and not overly fatty either. In addition to the Hawaiian sweet bun, there was coleslaw, namasu, cilantro and aioli. These added a bright crunch as well as sweetness and tang. On the side, the furikake fries were pretty damn tasty. They were lightly crispy and somewhat greasy, but the taste of the nori added appealing umami. Lastly, we had the Garlic Moco (instead of the Loco Moco) featuring garlic fried chicken, garlic sauce, grilled onions and a sunny side egg. This was also tasty with impactfully flavoured crispy chicken. That alone was worth the price of admission. We were so-so with the mac salad as it the pasta was too soft. At the end, we were torn as to whether we enjoyed our meal or not. If I had to choose one or the other, it was more of a miss than hit for us.

The Good:
- Plenty creative
- Loved that fried chicken
- Kalua sammie and fries were on point

The Bad:
- Too many sauces on the poke and musubi
- Why can't they keep things more simple?

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