Following my sister’s Hawaiian-style wedding on the grounds of the Ko’olau Golf Club, we went to the Club’s main ballroom for the Hawaiian-style reception. I say “Hawaiian-style” because we include facets from the many different ethnicities that make up Hawaii, yet in a uniquely Hawaiian way. Case in point is the framed 1001 cranes artwork that was commissioned for her wedding:
The design is made up entirely of 1001 hand-folded, gold foil origami cranes. Ancient Japanese tradition was that a bride-to-be would fold 1000 cranes in order for a wish (such as long life or good fortune) to be granted. Japanese in Hawaii do it one better for extra luck!
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A neighborhood Chinese restaurant cooking up dishes influenced by the top chefs in Hawaii Regional Cuisine and serving world-class Western desserts. It’s enough to make your head spin!
Pah Ke’s Chinese Restaurant
One of the things I was craving for when thinking about our trip back to Hawaii was Minute Chicken Cake Noodle. This is a dish that was originated in Hawaii, at the On On Chinese Restaurant on McCully Ave in Honolulu. Wheat noodles are cooked, pressed down into a flat cake, about a half an inch thick, and then pan-fried until the outside is crispy. Top it with some fried boneless pieces of chicken and an oyster-based sauce, and you’ve got a delightful meal.
We hadn’t had a chance to get Minute Chicken Cake Noodle on our two previous trips back to Hawaii, so I was really looking forward to going to On On this time around. But then my friend Billy said that the Minute Chicken Cake Noodle at Pah Ke’s was better than On On. I hadn’t heard of Pah Ke’s before. Intrigued, we set up a time to meet there for dinner.
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One of the things I put on my list of “things to eat” when on our recent trip back to Hawaii was a good burger. Fortunately, there are a few establishments that contend for “best burgers in Honolulu”. After reading this piece on The Gathering Place called “Battle of the Burgers”, I decided to try Teddy’s Bigger Burgers at their new location on Beretania Ave in Mo’ili’ili near University. Annie’s friends took us there for dinner one evening.
Teddy’s Bigger Burgers – University Location
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The day before Ash Wednesday (when the Christian season of Lent begins) is known as Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday. It is celebrated as Mardi Gras in places influenced by French culture, like the bawdy celebrations down in New Orleans. But in Hawaii, it has another name: Malasada Day.
Happy Malasada Day in Hawaii
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