What We've Been Eating

I'm just going to post the pictures, because with everything else going on lately, I just won't probably have time to ever get the actual recipes and restaurant reviews posted :)

But here are some of the delicious things we've been eating lately between our house (both recipe staples and Pinterest favorites) and our recent trip to Hawaii!

Breakfast last Saturday, courtesy of the back of the package of Rhodes frozen bread.

Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich (one of our favorites!), courtesy of Pinterest.

Nephew Caleb's birthday cupcakes, courtesy of my sister.

Homemade banana pudding, courtesy of Pinterest.

Homemade cupcakes I made for a friend's baby shower, recipe courtesy of my sister.

HuHot Mongolian Grill - YUM!

Tex Drive In Malasada's - Hawaii

Bamboo Restaurant in Hawi, Hawaii


Farmer's Market Scores: Taro Chips, Fried Plaintain, Rombutan and Apple Bananas




Lunch at Hilo Bay Cafe in Hilo, Hawaii - YUM!


Hilo Farmer's Market Thai lunch from Thai Smile

The most delicious meal I may have ever eaten, at Kaleo's Bar & Grill in Pahoa, Hawaii


THE most bland, yet most expensive spaghetti I've ever eaten, made at our condo in Punalu'u, Hawaii, where a simple green pepper was $8!

Lunch at Hana Hou in Naalehu, Hawaii



Best BBQ I may have ever eaten at Big Jake's Island BBQ in Captain Cook, Hawaii (just outside of Kona)


Shrimp Scampi from Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. in Kona

Now that I've successfully made my mouth water, it's time for bed!

Tex Drive In (Honoka'a, Hawaii)

We had heard so much about Tex Drive In and their outstanding Malasadas and decided that we just had to try them. We went here twice while staying in Waimea (once before exploring Waipio Road, then again on our way to Akaka Falls the next day), and enjoyed the food both times.

We tried strawberry, bavarian cream, apple and plain: We liked the plain ones the best followed by the bavarian cream. They were just alright. It reminded me of a fresh doughnut many other places, but it wasn't anything to write home about. In fact, I think this picture does it more justice than it probably deserves. It doesn't do anything for me when I see it, by any means. They were good, but not "turn the car around!" good.

The rest of the menu looked pretty good as well, and the second morning we ate there, we ordered a full breakfast (Two Farm Fresh Egg and Meat Plate - the hubby with Ham, and I with the Portuguese Sausage). It was very good and filling, but nothing out of the ordinary for the neighborhood Perkins or similar. My 14-month-old son was not at all fond of the Malasadas, but ate a ton of their Portuguese Sausage.

We also tried the Passion-Orange juice in hopes that it would quench our passion fruit cravings, but it was about as good as passion orange juice from SW Minnesota, just the same price as a half gallon of it would be at home (per cup).

All in all, the place was good, the food was good, but it wasn't unbelievably out of this world or anything. We'd certainly go again given the option, but I haven't been craving it since.

They were doing some construction on the front of the building while we were there, so we had to drive around the back, but it still was very pleasant, and it was nice to enjoy the morning with breakfast on the patio (or inside at the booths if the patio isn't your cup of tea). It's like a fast food place as far as ordering (order, they give you a number, you go get your food from the counter when they call your number), and both times we went, we fortunately arrived just before these huge tour buses came by. It is a huge tourist spot for sure.

If you want to check out their menu or website, here it is!

Hana Hou (Naalehu, Hawaii)

While we were staying at Sea Mountain in Punalu'u, we found ourselves horribly ill-prepared on the food front. Even though we had heard numerous times to stock up on food because there was little to be found in the area, for some reason I thought there was a gas station close by that had a grocery store in it. BIG mistake. Colossal mistake. The grocery store I had in mind (which we had stopped at when we were on The Big Island in 2010) was actually about an hour from Sea Mountain, so we had to improvise.

Thankfully, Hana Hou was there, and they weren't too outrageously priced, because OH MY GOODNESS was the grocery store just ridiculous. I'm talking $8 for a SINGLE red pepper, and $3 for a box of of spaghetti noodles. Ridiculous.

But the exterior was inviting, and the sign touted that this was the "southernmost restaurant in the USA" (not to mention that a salad with supplies from the grocery store would have cost us approximately $20...), so we thought we'd give it a try.

To be honest, we walked in and weren't really expecting much, considering the place looks like an average little diner. We weren't really too impressed with that part of it, but I think part of the issue was that we had a cranky toddler to entertain for a bit too.

But not only was Hana Hou priced reasonably, the food was really delicious! Mark went with the meat loaf with coleslaw and mashed potatoes (which he said was really yummy), while I settled on a Kalua pork sandwich with coleslaw (also really tasty).

We really couldn't leave the place without trying one of their incredible pies, though. We settled on coconut cream, and we were VERY pleased with it (including Cashel - he was impressed!)

If we are ever in the area again, we would definitely be back, but we would also try to plan a little better and pick up supplies either in Kona or in Hilo before heading so far into the middle of nowhere. And we would definitely be picking up multiple pieces of pie to enjoy while lounging on our patio at Sea Mountain :)

Kaleo's Bar & Grill (Pahoa, Hawaii)

We decided to eat at Kaleo's at the recommendation of the owner of the vacation home we were renting, and boy were we ever glad that we did! The atmosphere was laid back, considering how fancy the menu was. The chefs here know what the heck they're doing - THAT'S for sure!

But beyond that, we were incredibly impressed with the service. I have never been to a place where they come out to escort you in the building with an umbrella when it's raining, but at Kaleo's, they do. With a SMILE, even! The staff there actually seem to really enjoy what they're doing, and it shows.

They also had live music the night we were there, and the girl playing guitar and singing has got some talent!

We were there with our 15 month old son, and they pulled out all the stops to make us feel right at home with him. That is a rare occurrence these days, and it did not go unnoticed.

So about the food. Oh man. The food!! It was DELICIOUS, and my husband's prime rib was THE best I've ever had. (Based on the one bite I was able to sneak away). I went with the coconut shrimp, and it was delicious as well! The sauce that came with it was so sweet and tangy with just a little bite to it to remind you not to drink it.

We would highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend this place! If we are ever back in the area, we will be returning!

website

Bamboo Restaurant & Art Gallery (Hawi, Hawaii)

We decided to try the Bamboo Restaurant in Hawi with full intentions of checking out the Pololu Lookout beforehand (which didn't happen). We thoroughly enjoyed our experience here - both the atmosphere, service and food!

Mark went with the bamboo burger, which he said was very good (as were the fries).

I went with the special, which I do recall being some sort of seasoned catch of the day (Ono), and I do recall being delicious, but I don't recall exactly what it was seasoned with, but it was paired with steamed spinach (VERY good) and mashed potatoes.

If we were back in town, we'd go back, but it wasn't one of those meals that just made our taste buds go nuts or anything.
website