Honolulu, HI

Yes. Hawaii loves spam. Some call it “Hawaiian steak” but to mostly everyone spam means breakfast, lunch, dinner or spam musubi… (more…)

So continuing where I left off yesterday… I was reminiscing about mango.

Anyway, here was my next thought as I heard my mom’s request to ask for mango. “What if I buy some mangoes from Foodland?” You know, the thought of buying mangoes brings the same kind of feelings I had back when bottled water was being introduced – “What?!?! Pay for water?!?! No way! I’ll just keep drinking water straight from the tap if you don’t mind!” (more…)

I’m getting excited because mango season is right around the corner! I was driving through Liliha the other day with my mom when we spotted a mango tree full of little green mangoes.

My mom asked me to pull over on the side of the road. “Go ask them if you can pick some of their mangoes and you can make pickled mango.” A quick image of me walking up onto their front porch flashes through my mind AND THEN, better judgment kicks in! I think to myself, “I’m not sure who owns the tree and I certainly don’t know anyone who lives near the tree’s owner.” (more…)

Happy Mother’s Day to all you fabulous Mom’s! May your day be blessed beyond measure and filled with the love that you have generously sown into the lives of those around you!

Now for the Dad’s and kids – if you haven’t bought a present or decided what to do, here’s a quick listing of a few of my favorite restaurants that I know your precious Mom would love to attend. (more…)

Make Mom’s gift extra personal this year. I know finding something she likes might be a little difficult since we no longer come home with those cute, school made mugs, photo frames or drawings that she always loved, but hey, we need to step up anyway. Here are some of unique things you can get for Mom and perhaps, you can even share in the experience with her. (more…)

With all the construction going on over by the WalMart in Pearl City, I was wondering what they were planning on building. Open for just a couple of weeks Kozo Sushi has come to Pearl City! In Hawaii, sushi is a big thing. I’m a big fan of Kozo’s. Now, I don’t really eat raw fish, but I’ll eat the cooked stuff. So for all you non-raw eating sushi lovers, this one’s for you!

I like of course, the California roll (hand roll and maki) as well as the tuna and spam hand rolls. The sushi is made fresh most of the time (sometimes they pre-stock during busy lunch periods). But the ebi tempura don and the shrimp tempura maki has been calling out to me, “Eat me! Eat me!” so I’m going to try that some time soon.

As you might already know, Kozo Sushi is reasonably priced for sushi. Making kind of sushi from hand rolls to party platters, Kozo Sushi has something for every one. The platters are great sellers during the holidays and for parties. One thing that caught my eye was the 92 piece set called the “Kama’aina Plate”. Wow! I’m sure I can find someplace to bring that to!

I got a chance to meet the owner. I didn’t catch her name, but during several of my visits there, I’ve seen her every time. She’s a very nice lady and very polite. She was always tidying her store and looking to see how to improve it – just keeping herself busy. The store is brand new so of course, it’s extremely clean. There’s a dining area that I don’t normally see with many Kozo Sushi locations so that’s a good deal too. If you’re ever in the area, stop by and see what I’m talking about – Kozo Sushi in Pearl City, next to WalMart.

Kozo Sushi, sushi, kozos, hawaii sushi

I just love Starbucks. I mean the environment is always great and the store is always clean. Come to think of it, I’ve never walked into a dirty Starbucks. In fact, I go to many Starbucks locations and in general, they’re all pretty much at the same level, but there’s one store that stands out above the rest. The Starbucks located in the Kamehemeha Shopping Center in Kalihi is definitely a place to check out if you’re an avid coffee enthusiast like myself.

What makes this store so great? The workers of course! Or “partners” as the business likes to call them. These partners give the best service I’ve ever seen! They make everyone who walks into their store seem like they are there to serve just them. Even with the quick interactions I’ve had with the store partners, their focus and attention was on me in full as I placed my order for my favorite drink – Iced venti caramel macchiato – layered; not stirred.

One of the partners even commented on my drink saying that I “inspired her” to make great coffee because of the way I ordered my coffee. That might seem like they were just words, but at the time I felt like the best coffee drinking customer that Starbucks ever had! Because of her I was actually quite proud of the way I ordered my drink. Just for that, the Kamehameha Starbucks location get 10,000 bonus points in my book!

Want to experience great coffee and great service, go ahead and visit this Starbucks location! And just thought I’d ask, but if you have any great coffee stories, share them here with me! I’d be glad to hear them!

starbucks coffee, coffee, coffee experiences