The Tea Farm

by Jessie Bristow

jessie bristow / KA LAMAKUA 

The remnants of the Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea. 

Half the fun is seeing what teas you like the most.

Step into the small elegance of a quaint, clean, and soothing atmosphere and learn to relax.

Not your typically rush filled café or coffee shop with clerks screaming out your order and lines filled with frustrated beings who are having withdrawals from caffeine and are looking to get their next fix. No hardcore drug dealers in these parts, but just a man who has got what you are looking for, and a place to embrace while you consume.

There has been recent news of the Tea Farm: yes it was opened by a UH alumni, yes it is just down the street, but why should we trade in our beloved addiction of lattes, frappuccinos, steamed, whipped, iced, heart racing, blood pumping coffee?

The answer is… you don't really have to. It is probably for the better that we put down the milk diluted sugar stuffed beverage for once and embrace the culture and tradition of drinking tea, just for health reasons alone. Don't count tea out, it's not over until the fat lady sings, and in this case the fat lady may be considering switching to tea over the quadruple shot syrup added creamy vente that is contributing to her future type two diabetes and obesity.

The Tea Farm Café's environment and style are what attracts people. For those who have grown up on Lipton and Snapple as being the furthest extent of your tea drinking experience, broaden your horizons by taking some time to gander at the selection of about 60 different teas to choose from. Each one has its own origin, scent, and appearance. Trying a few is the fun part of this little establishment, order a cup of Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea and watch the leaves slowly unfold as the flavor consumes the rest of the cup. The shop is small, comfortable, clean, and it is down to earth. The hardwood floors, modern furniture, and little sofa make it a place to just take a breath and slow down.

The idea of a calm place to drink tea where the drug-addicted folk that wake up early and try to run America don't bother you with their daily dosage is a double-edged sword. The size and tranquility of The Tea Farm Café is what draws in its poetic clientele. But as soon as you start expanding café size, become more popular, and adjust to the capitalistic market to fit in more consumers, you drive out the originality of your basis idea of having a great place to get away from the rush. 

Luckily, the Tea Farm is attracting the kind of customers who take the time out of their busy day to sit and enjoy their tea instead of the people who choose a more direct injection of caffeine.

Eat The Street For Japan

by Maria Kanai
photos by Rie Miyoshi

Last week my photographer Rie Miyoshi and I attended the third Eat The Street, a lunch wagon rally event organized by Poni Askew of Streetgrindz.com. This month, the event was for a cause. In light of the terrible earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, the lunch wagons donated either a portion or all of their proceeds to the American Red Cross to aid relief efforts. It was an awesome way for people to help out a recovering country while enjoying some delicious street food. Here's how it went!

There were some changes from the last ETS in February. First of all, it was even bigger! 32 lunch wagons instead of last month's 26. Trash cans were set up in the middle, tables were set up for easy eating, and the lines actually were fairly short…except for Gogi's Korean Tacos truck! As usual, this was a crowd favorite.

This was another thing that was different! Local artists Lightsleepers worked on a beautiful, Japan-themed painting on twelve canvases that were to be auctioned off, the money once again being donated to the American Red Cross.

The first truck we went to was Shogunai Tacos. Most of the lunch trucks had a Japan-themed dish, and I got Shogunai's Osaka Jo. It was delicious, with the perfect fusion of Mexican and Japanese. The ginger pork was flavored nicely with the shoyu and lemon, and I loved the furikake and bean sprouts. It was actually really filling at $6.50, and my friend and I split one between the two of us.

The biggest surprise of the night? The line at Melt was actually manageable, and I got to try out their famous sandwiches for the first time! I think the lines were short because of their limited menu; Japanese beef curry, their famous tomato soup, and just one Melt sandwich, which was a Kabocha and Bacon melt.

You can see the kabocha (pumpkin) covered with delicious Gouda cheese. The bread was perfectly toasted with a nice crunch, and the cheese, well, was melting in my mouth. It certainly lived up to its hype. However, I did think $9 was a little pricey...

Then I ran into Poni Askew herself! Although she was busy running around organizing everything, she was able to take some time to answer some question. She let me know that she plans on holding these events at the last Friday of every month. As for the changes, she is going to take them slow. "We want to ease into the momentum, and not change too much at once."

We wanted something sweet, and we had loved the icecream at Aloha Ice Cream Tricycle. We got the watermelon icecream this time, for $4. Once again, the cookie crust at the bottom did it for me. I'm usually not a big fruit-flavored-icecream fan, but there were "chocolate" seeds for my chocolate fix.

SOUL Patrol's very own Chef Sean Priester! They were cooking food right outside the truck. SOUL's Japan themed dish was togarashi-spiced catfish with Japanese cucumber relish.

We got the Mexican paella for $7 at Camille's on Wheels, just to take a break from the tacos. The rice was filled with plenty of shrimp, chicken, and shichimi! It was just the right amount of spicy, and the different meats and seafoods were perfectly flavored.

Me and Onopops' Mexican Chocolate. It had an interesting tangy flavor to it that I wasn't quite used to. The chocolate is grown in Hawaii, and I bought the popsicle for $3. I just wasn't used to the strong aftertaste, kind of bitter and very thick, so this wasn't my favorite, even though I look very happy.

Over $7200 was raised for Japan, from a combination of food sales from the lunch wagons and separate donations. Once again, this was the biggest Eat The Street yet. At least 3500 people showed up to eat and participate to help a nation in need, making it an unforgettable night. Keep a lookout for the next event, which is planned to be held on the last Friday of April!

Food Fests!

by Chris Mikesell

If you're looking to head out for some good grinds, this week might just be the week for you!

courtesy streetgrindz.com

First off, as reported earlier this week by our fabulous Maria Kanai, Eat The Street - that monthly mobile food fest that does for food what First Friday does for art - is back TONIGHT from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 555 South Street. This month, ETS is taking donations to help the victims of the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami through the Hawaii chapter of the American Red Cross, and some vendors like Hank's Haute Dogs will be donating their proceeds to the relief efforts as well!

So far the event has attracted 32 participating vendors, including:

•  Zarie's Mediterranean Cuisine 
•  Sweet Lealani Treats 
•  Elena's Home of Finest Filipino Foods 
•  T.A.S.T.E.  Tasty Asian Style Taco Eatery 
•  Xtreme Tacos 
•  Fairycakes 
•  Cholos Homestyle Mexican 
•  Ed Catering / Four Caterers 
•  Why'z  
•  Grindz Unlimited D.B.A. Local Stop 
•  Zsoli's Chimney Cake Hawaii 
•  JUS' RIGHT KETTLE CORN POPCORN 
•  Malia's Pasteles and Poke 
•  Summer's LavaDogs 
•  Gogi 
•  Onopops 
•  BAJA STYLE MEXICAN FOOD 
•  Simply Ono 
•  Hawaii Hotdogs 
•  Big Local Tita Services 
•  Melt 
•  Jawaiian Irie Jerk 
•  DIXIE GRILL 
•  Camille's on Wheels 
•  Tacos Vicente 
•  Aloha Ice Cream Tricycle 
•  Hula Shrimp Co 
•  Soul Patrol 
•  Lickety Split 
•  Stacy's LauLau
•  Shogunai Tacos

(That's the list from Streetgrindz.com as of this morning, but they're saying it could be updated with more!) 

If, however, you're looking for something a bit closer to campus, March's Taste of Manoa food fest is coming back on Friday, April 1 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Campus Center.  Taste of Manoa was originally scheduled for March 11th, but it was put on hold thanks to the tsunami warnings. 

As usual, there's a 5 script limit per person and scripts are on sale for $1 each, but be advised: if this one is anything like previous Taste of Manoa events you are going to want to get yourself in line EARLY and bring some kind of tray-like device for all the tasting plates you're going to want to get. 

Ono 101: INGREDIENT UNDERCOVER

by Chris Mikesell


If necessity is the mother of invention, then the dorm market has got to be its bastard father – the one you’re never particularly eager to mention in polite company but keep coming back to for guilt-filled pre-prepared food runs.

But ingredient shopping? No. No-no. You don’t think “ingredients” when walking down the aisles of mocha crunch, soda, and ice cream. Sure, there is a meager ingredient selection but more often than not the jars of sauce and stuff students see on store shelves on campus are far from the cost and quantity of what one would expect from a real supermarket.

But one day – as sort of a throwback to childhood – you come across something like today’s mystery undercover ingredient that you just have to get for the nostalgic effect. No, I won’t mention it by name, but I’m pretty sure if you’re a fan of both PB and J in the same sandwich you’re aware that sometimes they do, in fact, come in the same jar.

One loaf of bread later, however, and you still have less than half a jar left. You could always get more bread, sure, but you’ve been down that path before. But to boldly go where no peanut butter mix has gone before takes some creative thinking.

chris mikesell / KA LAMAKUA

Secret Agent Dressing

Ingredients

2 tbsp. fish sauce

2 tbsp. water 

1 1/2 tsp. sambal oelek

1 tsp sugar

5-8 fresh mint leaves

2 tbsp of our secret agent ingredient (or 1 tsbp. of peanut butter + 1 tbsp. grape jelly)

Add all ingredients to a small food processor and blend until smooth. Toss over a torn up head of red leaf lettuce and some long rice noodles, and garnish with chopped peanuts and additional mint leaves, if desired. 

Consider the components: Peanut butter – smooth, creamy, rich, and a bit salty; meeting up with jelly – a sweet and slightly acidic addition that pairs so well with its thick partner because together they provide balance.

One of the cuisines that comes to mind when thinking about balance is Vietnamese cuisine, which centers around keeping a balance of salty, sweet, sour, bitter and spicy elements. You taste this balance in sauces like the peanut sauce served with summer rolls, though traditionally you see our legume-based secret agent paired with ingredients like hoisin sauce to provide the sweetness and acid.

But in a pinch, grape jelly will do just fine. They'll never know.

Poni Askew: Visionary Behind "Eat The Street"

by Maria Kanai

Twenty-five lunch wagons and vendors. 3000+ people. A parking lot the size of a city block. The second "Eat The Street" was no doubt the biggest food event in Hawaii, offering hungry customers everything from French crepes to Gogi Korean tacos in a massive, all-out food truck rally that took place last week.

maria kanai / KA LAMAKUA

Poni Askew is the talented visionary behind "Eat The Street", a food truck rally that she hopes will become a monthly event.

So, who came up with this ingenious idea?

Meet Poni Askew, organizer extraordinaire and the inspired mind behind the feast events. Poni studied Hawaiian language and Hawaiian studies at UH Manoa for two and a half years and was on her way to becoming a Hawaiian immersion teacher, when she moved to Nashville for 13 years where she did bookings for the music and talent industries. 

Since then, she's shifted from the entertainment industry to food and beverages. Despite her deviation from college plans, she says she's now found her niche. (And no matter how you look at it, this is encouraging news for us college students.)

"I'm in my place, that's my element," she says happily, "It's fun. Meeting everybody, getting out there, meeting different people.  The people [lunch wagon owners] are entrepreneurs, motivated people starting a new business and making it work. I have a lot of respect for them."

It all innocently began with streetgrindz.com, a website Poni and her husband Brandon opened last September as a place to list the lunch trucks in Hawaii. As fate would have it (or more likely, very clever planning), the lunch wagon craze hit Hawaii around the same time and Street Grindz was in the middle of the momentum.

"Unless you're driving around between 11 to 2 pm, you don't get to eat at these food trucks."

"It's the specialty lunch wagons that are coming out. You've got Korean tacos, Melt, Xtreme tacos; something you can't eat every day. Also," Poni adds with a smile, "These trucks have this "the more the merrier" kind of thing. They like to travel in a tribe, and they believe if you build it [a lunch wagon], more people will come.

The more, the merrier is right. Poni hit the same idea with "Eat The Street."

"The next smart thing to do was to start pulling them together," Poni says, "Unless you're driving around between 11 to 2 pm, you don't get to eat at these food trucks. The hours are part of the beauty of the lunch wagon; short, fast hours. It's a catch 22. With "Eat The Street", we're bringing them together on a Friday night, and Kaka'ako is near downtown, so it'll be a great pau hana spot for the weekend."

Since then, it's been nonstop for Poni. Her driving force is her determination to get Hawaii recognized for its street food. "Everybody's getting wild about food trucks in LA, but we've been doing it for so long. We've put our claim on the map for our destination to eat street food too, and we can't let LA take our trophy away from us," she laughs, half-jokingly. "We have great food in Hawaii!"

---

To see more of Maria's Eat the Street coverage, check out her review here!

India Market: Flavor a 15 minute walk away

photos and story by Doyle Moeller

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA

Owner Shereen Khan takes pride in his market, and intends to expand.

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA

INDIA MARKET
2357 Beretania St.
Mon. - Sat. 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
(808) 946-2020

If you lament the lack of spice in your life, a taste of Mumbai is a mere fifteen minute walk from UH Manoa. 

From the moment you walk into India Market on the corner of Beretania and Isenberg, the aroma of curry and exotic spices will surround you. A quick walk around will reveal that the store, while small in footprint, is large in both stock and variety.

Owner Shereen Khan says he takes pride in offering a variety of exotic and hard-to-find goods.

“We have things from mostly India, but also Pakistan, Lebanon, the middle east, Fiji and New Zealand,” says Khan.

Khan had a good reason for choosing the University/Moiliili area as the location for his spice shop.

“There’s a demand here for an ethnic grocery store,” says Khan. He says that students are a big part of his customer base, and with everything being so compact in town, it’s easier to get the customers for a niche store like his.

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA

Arabic is a common sight at India Market: about a
third of their imported products are from foreign brands.

Pragmatism may well be Khan’s defining characteristic. Born in Fiji, Khan has been in Hawai’i for thirty-one years, and after opening his store in 2004, he immediately subscribed to the pragmatic theory of business: listen to your customers.

Khan says his customers have a lot to do with what ends up on the shelves. Customers can inform Khan or his wife, who tends to the store regularly, if they would like a product supplied in the store. Khan brings in a test case, and if it sells, he keeps it as a regular item. If not, he sells it to the person who requested it by the case.

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA

Indian candy is sold alongside Western
favorites like Snickers bars for a snack bar
that anyone can appreciate.

One would think that this would be enough, but Khan insists on having a variety of goods available, not just those traditionally sold in grocery stores, like exotic clothing, medicine and hygiene products.

India Market even rents out Bollywood DVDs for those who seek variety in all realms of life, not just in their food.

Khan, however, is not just content with what he has now – he has plans for the future. Though he just relocated his store to his Beretania Street location ten months ago, he’s already planning his next move.

“We’d like to open stores on the neighbor islands, and a snack shop here [on Oahu] somewhere,” Khan says.

---

India Market is located on the corner of Beretania Street and Isenberg Street (2357 Beretania St.), and is open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. They can be reached at (808) 946-2020.

Take a stand for your health (a food stand, that is)

 Story and Photo Essay by Doyle Moeller

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA

Dave Wikinson, UH alumni, ponders a purchase at Bale's baked goods tent
Friday. The tent is open from 7 A.M. to 1 P.M. Tuesdays and Fridays.

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA

Bale hosts a baked goods tent sale Tuesday and Friday
from 7 A.M. to 1 P.M. in front of Ka Leo's office in
Hemingway Hall. They offer a variety of
baked goods for a decent price.

Behold the College Student: a specimen often suffering from poor nutrition.

The food typically inflicted on students is either tasteless or slathered in cheese and grease, but fortunately for those of us who actually like our taste buds and our bodies, we have Ba-Le’s bread stand and the Farmer’s Market.

Ba-Le hosts a baked goods stand on Tuesdays and Fridays on the makai side of Hemenway Hall that offers a variety of baked goods and treats, including six different kinds of locally baked baguettes and bagels, to a dozen varieties of sweeter treats like cinnamon rolls and trail mix, and at least eight different kinds of loaves.

Most of their prices are below five dollars, with their baguettes going for two dollars – leaving you with plenty of dough in your wallet.

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA

In addition to bread, Bale’s tent sale offers a variety
of sweeter treats, such as granola and trail mix.

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA

The Farmer's Market tries to keep its food as local as
possible; only shipping in products that cannot be
grown in Hawaii. The farmers market is at the base
of the Campus Center stairs (by Jamba Juice)
Tuesdays and Fridays from 7:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.

The Farmer’s Market is just down the walkway near the makai entrance of Campus Center. Displaced from their former location next to the ATMs by the Campus Center renovations, they set up shop twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays between 7:30 and 2:30 pm.

The market, run by Souane Farms, is a family-owned and operated business that has several locations across the state in places like Kapiolani Community College and Manoa Marketplace.     

Walking around the Farmer’s Market, you are bound to notice an abundance of organic and locally grown produce. Keo Oulayrack, manager of the farmer’s market, wants to keep it that way.
 
“We try to grow (our products) as organic as possible,” says Oulayrack. That means bugs, fungus and rot are some of the things that can be obstacles to growing good produce, she says. “It’s hard. If there’s too much rain, or too little, our crops die.”

Oulayrack also says that their stand is a true Farmer’s Market, where the people who grow the food are also the ones selling it. The business is not only a traditional family business, she says, but it’s also as local as possible.

“We don’t hire outsiders, but we’re always looking for volunteers,” says Oulayrack.

Keo says that her father, Mr. Oulayrack, founded Souan Farms 25 or 30 years ago. She says the business has been in her family “since I was a little girl.”

Mr. Oulayrack is now retired, but still helps out around the farm when he can.

“It’s a family business, everyone helps each other out,” says the younger Oulayrack.

Souan Farms, their family farm, is located in the Kahuku Valley, behind Kahuku Hospital. The farm supplies fruit and vegetables for several family stands. When the family is unable to provide enough produce for the markets, or sell more product than they expected, they try to buy from neighboring farms instead of importing from the mainland.

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA

Manager Keo Oulayrack says that their stand is a real
Farmer's Market. "As much as we can, we try to grow
the food we sell ourselves, or buy from our neighbors."

Their 13-acre farm, located in the Kahuku valley,
provides fruit for several Farmer's Market stands
across the island.

Keo’s business plan is pretty simple.

“We try to keep it as local as we can,” she says. “People are more aware of what they eat now, so we try to provide the best food we can.”

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA

In addition to the standard fare, the Farmer’s Market offers alternative fruits
and vegetables including three varieties of mushrooms.

The stand offers fresh fruit and vegetables twice a week.

Food Truck Stop: Jawaiian Irie

by Jessie Bristow

jessie bristow / KA LAMAKUA

Chef Cassie (left) takes a break with his customers after a long afternoon.

Less than a mile from campus, partly shaded by a tree, at the intersecton of Kapiolani Blvd and Kalakaua Ave, in a parking lot filled with shuttle vans and party buses, you will find a silver and white "taco truck" highlighted by Jamaican decorations and bordered by Rasta colors.

Seeing that truck means one thing: It is time to get your grub on. Bring cash and an appetite.

jessie bristow / KA LAMAKUA

Jawaiian Irie Jerk

Kapiolani + Kalakaua

The successful diner on wheels belongs to Chef Cassie Simmons, 61, and he has been filling stomachs in Oahu, Hawaii for about four years. Originally from Jamaica, Simmons moved to Hawaii about four and a half years ago from Miami, Florida. An artist and musician, Simmons loves to cook and feels that making a good meal is a form of art in itself.

The menu consists of Jamaican Jerk Chicken or Pork ($8,$9), Escouitch Fish ($10), Caribbean Curry Chicken ($8), Mini Jerk Pork or Chicken ($5), and Ital Stew (chef's treat Vegetarian) ($7). 

All of these dishes come with rice and peas and a tasty Ital Fritter. Along with the basic but filling menu, there are "Eat'n Run" items: beef, chicken, or veggie patties ($3), and bread pudding with rum sauce ($4). Jamaican Specialty Drinks ($2.50) and soda or water is a dollar.

"It's that restaurant business," Cassie says. "Ups and downs."

Staying fairly busy Chef Cassie has a wide variety of customers. Mostly repeat and comeback clients, but most people come because of word of mouth. Located on route to Ala Moana Shopping Center, the truck is often visited by curious tourists. After trying the menu, most people make the truck stop a regular place to visit.

Simmons not only provides at this busy location, but he also cooks for private dinners, catering parties, weddings, birthdays, and barbeques. Without any major advertising, Chef Cassie keeps his business running with a laid back vibe. He feels that his food and attention to quality makes his truck separate from other businesses.

"You've tried the rest," says Cassie. "Now come over and try the best."

Kava - the communal drink

Michael J. Balick to talk at UH Manoa

by Hanna Martz

photo courtesy of michael balick

Kava being strained into a common bowl.

Of the many things that humans like to observe, our favorite seems to be the psychoactive properties of plant species. And for many that brings on a slew of drug related jokes about fungi and usually ends in a story about a trip in which no one actually fell. 

But for others, the plants and the cultural heritage of the knowledge becomes more than superficial. There is a ceremony associated with the plant. There are right and wrong things to do or say. A purpose, a sense of community, even enlightenment could come from these rituals.

In the case of Kava, or 'Awa, there is a long history and purpose in its use among the people of the South Pacific. Commonly viewed as a brown milky drink, Kava is processed from roots and rhizomes of the Kava plant (Piper methysticum; a type of pepper plant). The resulting concoction yields something that resembles mud and hot cocoa. Due to its relaxing qualities it's used to welcome guests, and help settle disputes. It links the drinkers to their ancestors and the drinking amassed a great deal of ceremony. On campus you can learn all about this communal plant and beverage. (Check out Kava-Fest if you're interested in more. There are plenty of knowledgeable people here in Hawaii.)

But one particularly knowledgeable person will be on Campus this Friday to talk about Kava's properties and history. Hosted by the Ethnobiology Society, Michael J. Balick PHD, a prominent botanist and with the New York Botanical gardens and author of a couple different ethnobotanical books, will be discussing Kava with UH students and staff Friday at 3:30 pm in the Biomedicinal Sciences Building (BIOMD), room B-103. He will also be doing a Q & A session along with a book signing.

photo courtesy of michael balick

Piper methysticum growing in a lowland forest.

In his book, Plants, People and Culture: the Science of Ethnobotany, co-written with Paul Alan Cox, Balick explains the importance of plants and the special relationships with them that pervade our human world. The interaction between plants and humans spans thousands of years. We use them for sustenance, healing, material, even spiritual guidance; sometimes more than one at the same time. 

They have become an integral part of our lives and have helped shape cultures and history around the world. It is this symbiotic relationship that many students and faculty study here at UH Manoa is known as Ethnobotany. It is a study that humans have unconsciously been dabbling in since prehistory – testing out their environment for what-did-what and making note of what helped someone or what killed them. They learned how to manipulate plants for crops and other uses – developing concepts of tinctures, teas, salves and earth-ovens; humans figured out how to find, mix and use the properties of plants they wanted.

Here in Hawaii, we have the opportunity to see the relationship between plants and people and the subsequent affect on culture just by looking around. It is for this reason that so many people come here to study the native plants and the various cultures of the Hawaiian Islands. Don't miss out on a part of Pacific culture: join the discussion Friday, B-103 BIOMD.

Food Finds: Zaratez Mexicatessen

By Maria Kanai

maria kanai / KA LAMAKUA

Zaratez Mexicatessen 

3121 Mokihana St.
(off Kapahulu Ave., next to Waiola Shave Ice)

Open Tues - Fri 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Closed Sunday/Monday

I am an avid Mexican food lover. There is something about the combination of meats, spices, and tortillas that I can't resist, and I can honestly eat tacos every day if I could! So, you can imagine my excitement when I heard about Zaratez Mexicatessen.

Tucked away behind Genki Sushi on Mokihana Street, Zaratez Mexicatessen is a lunch wagon serving authentic homestyle Mexican food by chef Paul Zarate. Since it is slightly difficult to find unless you know where it is, I was curious to find out how Zarate gets the word out.

The key to their popularity? "Twitter, facebook, and Living Social coupons," says Zarate. "Also word of mouth."

Sure enough, one happy customer said that she had heard about Zaratez Mexicatessen from Living Social and brought her coupon for dinner. (So, make sure to check up Living Social for some nice deals!)

"Our most popular dishes," says Zarate, "are the burritos and carne asadas."

maria kanai / KA LAMAKUA

My $7 Carne Asada Burrito, a whole meal of rice, beans, beef, 

and cilantro wrapped in a large flour tortilla.

I was starving, so I got a carne asada burrito. For a reasonable $7, it was very filling and incredibly tasty. The meat, beans, and rice were well seasoned within the large flour tortilla, and the salsa was spicy and had a unique flavor that went perfectly with the meal. Since the burrito was so huge, I was afraid I was going to make a mess, but it stayed together until the last bite. I loved the homestyle authentic taste, and I was stuffed and happy!

Although challenging working full-time running his own lunch wagon, Zarate says the most rewarding thing is being able to do what he loves and serving people food. He is currently working on future plans on opening up a small shop up the street this summer. I hope that works out, because I am definitely a fan. I can't wait to go back to try out all the other foods on the menu, which consists of tacos ($2.50), burritos ($7), quezadillas ($6), mulitas ($3), with different meats such as carne asada, carnitas, pollo asada, and chorizo.

You can follow them on facebook at www.facebook.com/zaratez or twitter @zaratez.

A Taste of Persia: Shole Zard

by Modgtaba Fallah

modgtaba fallah / KA LAMAKUA

Persian food is one of the healthiest, most tasteful and colorful foods in the world, fascinating everyone that tries it for the first time. What we call “Persian” food actually comprises a variety of cuisines from different parts of what is now Iran, but there are foods that are common across all parts of Persia.

Shole Zard is a good example of one of these common dishes.  It is one of our most popular desserts, with an eye catching saffron color and fabulous flavor. It’s also a significant part of cultural and religious ceremonies.

In some parts of Iran people add slivered Pistachios as well to give the pudding flavor and color, while in other parts of Iran people add ground cardamom along with the saffron.

It is up to you if you want to eat it warm, but in Iran, shole zard is traditionally served cold, garnished with ground cinnamon and almonds. Please note that if you add the sugar or rosewater before the saffron it may prevent the saffron from giving the pudding its full color. 

modgtaba fallah / KA LAMAKUA

Shole Zard – Saffron Rice Pudding

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup rice (any kind except Basmati)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup rosewater
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. ground saffron (Persian or Spanish)
4 cups water + 1 additional cup for the saffron

1) Soak the rice in 4 cups of water for 4-5 hours.

2) Steep the ground saffron in 1 cup of boiling water and set aside. Transfer the rice and its water in a deep pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours.

3) Add the slivered almonds and saffron solution to the rice and simmer for an additional 15 minutes, then add the rosewater and sugar and simmer for another 5 minutes before adding the butter. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving hot, or chill and serve cold.

The secret life of a bartender

by Konni Wilson

konni wilson / KA LAMAKUA

“Chug! Chug! Chug!”

A crowd gathers around two guys competing for the title and glory of who can chug a keg the fastest. Who will win? People are screaming and cheering them on, getting louder and louder until..the guy on the right is yelling in victory and the loser sourly walks away.

Immediately he is lifted into the air as the crowd picks him up and congratulates him, beer spraying everywhere... but that's what you see in college movies. That isn't how things roll down at Manoa Gardens after a hard day of classes.

If anything, going to Manoa Gardens in Ba-Le is a great way to destress your mind. You can relax and loosen up in their mellow college-town atmosphere while enjoying nine different brands of ice cold beer, not to mention great service with a smile.

The bartenders I interviewed were not only really nice and funny, they enjoy what they do and it definitely shows. Just last month, Manoa Gardens teamed up with the Blue Planet Foundation and Hawaiian Green Living Association to host Sustainapalooza, a concert promoting sustainability. It was there where I got to meet and talk to bar manager James Whitten and bartender Jason Egami, both 26 and students here at UH Manoa.

konni wilson / KA LAMAKUA

Egami is currently working on his second degree, in accounting and Whitten is between majors, currently majoring in Japanese. Egami says that “being a student and a bartender has been difficult sometimes to balance the two. But working at Manoa Gardens has been great because I can come in after school, and they aren't open super late.”

The pair were friends and colleagues long before they began working at Manoa Gardens. Previously, they had teamed up to help start a night club.

“James was one of the people I hired [at the nightclub]." says Egami. "Later, James hired me at Manoa Gardens to help cover some empty shifts.”

Their experience from working at the two places are pretty different; at Manoa Gardens the focus is more directed toward customer service while at the nightclub, the focus was to keep the drinks coming.

So where are the stories about the bar fights or the rowdy drunk people, you ask? Fortunately, that isn’t a problem at Manoa Gardens.

“For the most part the customers at Manoa Gardens are very well behaved, I think it has something to do with the sun being up,” says Egami.

Whitten says the craziest thing he has ever seen was when a woman grabbed the tip jar and threw it across the room.

But besides that, Manoa Gardens has a very mellow atmosphere; a perfect hang-out spot for college students. Contrary to Hollywood’s over active imagination, bartenders aren’t super spy agents just covering as bartenders while they fight crime on the side. (Darn!) They are people and students just like you and me. They go to school, they have homework, and oh yeah, they make awesome drinks.

So how exactly is the life of a bartender?

Jason Egami says it best: “The life of a bartender all in all, isn’t so glamorous. But its been a very fun and rewarding job."

A Taste of Persia: Fish for the New Year

by Modgtaba Fallah

These days the Christmas atmosphere is almost everywhere, and soon after people will be getting ready for the New Year with special ingredients like turkey.

But interestingly, not all countries have the same dishes to celebrate the New Year. In Iran, for example, most people have a special dinner called sabzi polo mahi, a dinner of vegetables, rice, and fish. It’s a dish that is so popular in Iran it can make anybody’s mouth water.

Also, fresh fish, vegetables, and rice are so healthy, you can eat as much of them as you want – fish are full of Vitamin E and herbs are great sources of calcium.

modgtaba fallah / KA LAMAKUA

There are many recipes for sabzi polo mahi in Iran, but here is one that is simple to make. Traditionally it is served with Persian rice, but that can be difficult to find in local markets. In Iran people eat it with mixed fresh vegetables like parsley, chives and mint but you can also serve it with yogurt. In some parts of Iran, people also add dill or fenugreek to their vegetables.

This dish is one of the most common foods in Persian culture and usually served on either New Year’s Eve or during chahar shanbe sori, a fireworks celebration that takes place on the last Wednesday of the year.

Please note that you can choose any kind of fish or fish fillet you like. There is also no restriction on how you cook the fish – you could even grill or roast the fish if you’d like to avoid frying it.

modgtaba fallah / KA LAMAKUA

SABZI POLO MAHI

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, smashed
4 ounces parsley
4 ounces green onion
4 ounces chives
1 pound basmati rice
1 tbsp. + 1 cup vegetable oil, divided
1 pound filleted fish of your choice
1 lime
1 tbsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Salt

1) Put basmati rice in a bowl with enough water to cover, add 2 tbsp. salt and soak for 1 hour.

2) Chop the parsley, green onions, and chives finely and set aside.

3) Boil 1 liter of water (about 34 ounces/6 cups) in a medium pot, then drain the rice and it to the boiling water and cook for 7-10 minutes or until softened. Add the chopped herbs and stir for 30 seconds, then strain again, adding 1 tbsp of oil to the pot after you put it back on the heat. Return the strained rice and herb mixture to the pot and steam over medium heat for 30 minutes.

4) Mix the turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, smashed garlic and 1 tsp. salt and apply the mixture to the fish. Pan fry the fish using the remaining oil over medium heat, garnish with lime wedges and serve with the cooked rice. 

The Happy Hunt: Rumfire's Sweet Sunset

photos and story by Noelani Anderson 

A strong and sweet Mai Tai at RumFire was the perfect fix after a wind-filled, salty surf at Diamond head on a Saturday afternoon. I dried off with my beach towel and threw on a summer dress and a baseball cap, cruised over the Ala Wai and pulled into valet parking (complimentary with validation) at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.


Then I walked through the hall and sat myself at the bar of the Beachside RumFire Resturaunt - sunset to my right and an array of liquor to my left. The picturesque Waikiki scene called for the classic Hawaiian drink – a mai tai, which, at five dollars, was the right price for my surfer's budget.

noelani anderson / KA LAMAKUA

Live music and the handfulls of lei-dressed tourists only added to the moment, providing lots of entertainment as I sipped on my drink to neutralize the salty taste of the ocean that lingered in my mouth. 


Being that it was a Saturday afternoon I was particularly appreciative of the fact that RumFire runs their four to six o'clock specials every day, not just weekdays! RumFire can either be a sunset delight or an evening pre-game spot as their happy hour menu includes a number of tropical cocktails, beer and wine as well as shots and bombs. The 'Rockmeister' bomb is perfect if you need a little energy boost with a buzz (Rockstar and Jagermeister), or the 'Bonfire' if you prefer vodka. The shots at RumFire also have a creative-Hawaiian inspired but not-too-tacky twist. The 'red headed hula girl', 'sex wax', and 'hot shot'(jalapeno infused taquila!), are all only $3, so if you are with a group of friends and want to buy 'em a round you can spread the love without emptying your pockets.

Of course, if you are just looking for a mellow happy hour cocktail before dinner RumFire offers a variety of drinks and appetizers for those who aren't looking to get too crazy on shots at six o'clock. The Happy hour cocktails include the 'gidgets crush'(watermelon infused vodka and melon liquor), the 'tradewinds', and the 'baja sun'(a spicy twist on a margarita). All the specialty cocktails, including the classic mai tai that I chose, are $5, with red and white house wines running the same. Draft beer, however, is only $3 a pint, and your choices are Stella, Bud and Bud light, Kona Longboard, Blue Moon, and Steinlager.

noelani anderson / KA LAMAKUA

Along with this array of drink specials RumFire also serves their tapas-inspired appetizers at a happy price between 4 and 6 everyday. The braised beef nachos ($8) are great to share, as is the kalua pork quesadilla ($6) and the jerk chicken wings ($6) and the BBQ Rum baby back ribs ($6). If you are having a date with yourself, or if your friends bailed on you (my predicament this particular Saturday afternoon), try the north shore ceasar salad ($7) and a fish taco with fresh catch from pier 38 ($10). Along with their daily sunset happy hour RumFire also has a late night discounted menu after 9:30 sunday thru thursday (excluding holidays). You'll find many of the same items as the happy hour menu, but look out for a late night addition: mini chicken burritos with guacamole and Kona coffee mole sauce.

After having my mai tai with sunset, chatting with the bartender, and grooving in my seat to the live music I felt a wave of contentment wash over me. The classic, beautiful Hawaiian day – what all the tourists rave about and what I rarely treat myself to. In the midst of finals we are stressed, sleep deprived and snappy. Whether you need a little break from studying, or you really need to let loose, Happy hour at RumFIre is a picturesque spot to relax and take a moment to enjoy the salty and sweet flavors of Hawaii without the bitter prices that Waikiki is infamous for.

'Ono 101: Mince cookies make for a savory sweet holiday

by Chris Mikesell

Traditionally, holiday cookies conjure images in the mind of sugar cookie cutouts, slathered with unnatural icing and spiked with colored sugar. But there was a time when holiday desserts were more complex creations.

Filled with a sweet and savory mix of dried fruits, spices, sugar and animal fat inspired by Turkish sweetmeats, English mince pies appear every Christmas across the pond and have a history as rich as their filling.

chris mikesell / KA LAMAKUA

You can use whatever spiced rum you like to make these mince
cookies, but making your own takes some planning - a pint of
rum, ten whole cloves and six cardamom pods left in a fridge for
a couple of months makes an outstanding and unique
spiced rum for baking. 

Englishman Sir Henry Ellis wrote, in his 1841 book “Observations of Popular Antiquities,” that the earliest recorded mention of mince pies in England dated back to the year 1651, describing their filling as “a most learned mixture of neat’s tongues, chicken, eggs, sugar, raisins, lemon and orange peel, (and) various kinds of spicery.”

While “neat’s tongue” is probably out of the comfort zones of most modern cooks, the theme of mixing sweet and savory is a delicious one to explore, and lard – pork fat – is the animal fat most compatible with sweet treatments. Just ask fans of chocolate-covered bacon.

You may have to warn your vegan and vegetarian friends about these cookies in advance, though, as their aroma and spicy flavor may entice even the most militant to dive right in.

English Mince Cookies

Ingredients:

12 ounces AND 3/4 cup sugar, divided
2 cups water
3/4 cup raisins
12 ounces lard (you can use butter, but it won’t be the same)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. brandy
1 1/2 tsp. spiced rum
2 eggs
14 ounces AP flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Add the water and the raisins to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, add 3/4  cup of sugar and reduce until syrupy. Puree in a small food processor and set aside.

2) Cream the remaining 12 ounces of sugar into the lard in either a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. Beat in the extract, brandy, rum and eggs until thoroughly combined. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, then at low speed integrate the flour mixture into the sugar mixture a few ounces at a time until thoroughly combined, making sure to scare down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

3) Once all of the flour mixture is integrated, add the raisin syrup puree and beat until thoroughly combined.

4) Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a foil lined sheet pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 12 minutes at 325°F, let cool for at least 2 minutes on the sheet pan before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Happy Hour Hunt: Doraku Sushi - Beyond Happy

by Noelani Anderson

The Happy Hour at Doraku, in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center on the Waikiki strip, boads a simple but delicious menu, cheap, quality drink specials, and an casually elegant atmosphere that is perfect for any occasion. The happy hour appetizer menu includes indulgent chicken karaage, the geisha roll (a delicious twist on the classic spicy tuna roll), miso glazed soybeans, california rolls, and a seared ahí tartar served on a bed of greens. All of these dishes are priced between three and five dollars, as are the beer and wine selection and the bartender's specialty drink of the night.

Two details of Doraku's Happy Hour make it especially happy, one: parking is free at the Royal Hawaiian Parking Structure (don't forget to ask your server to validate your ticket!), and two: hours are 5-7, meaning you don't have to rush to make the usual six o'clock happy hour cut off time. During the Winter this late happy hour means you can even catch sunset on the beach and have time to put in orders before seven o'clock.

I rolled into Royal Hawaiian's parking structure at about 6:30, having come from campus where I was in class until six. I threw a sarong around my waist and changed into a cute summer dress and threw on some heels, figuring I might as well dress up a bit. A friend was waiting for me outside of Doraku's entrance on the third floor, across from Suntory restauraunt. We were greeted by a lovely hostess who showed us to a large wooden table where we were seated, community style. The table could fit about twelve people and is usually reserved for large parties but during happy hour you simply dine next to neighbors, or you have the entire table to yourself, depending how busy it is.

We shared all of the appetizers mentioned above, my friend had a large Kirin ($5) and I chose the Bartender's special, which was a stiff margarita on the rocks made with Cazadores taquila, which happens to be a personal favorite ($3). Before we knew it the time was nearly 8:30, and we were wrapping things up, satisfied, full, and happy, when the manager approached us and offered to buy us a round of drinks if we wouldn't mind moving to a smaller table, as there was a large party that required the big wooden one. We saw absolutely no problem in a free round of drinks and happily moved, ordering one more roll at our new location and finishing out the evening with a proper buzz. The last roll we ordered, the red dragon, was not on happy hour but it was exquisite, and well worth the $13 cost. Doraku has great happy hour deals, across the board, but their regular menu is also affordable and offers a wide variety of Japanese-Latin fused sushi and entrees. Whether you are going out on a first date, for a birthday, or celebrating the completion of that last final or paper, Doraku has a pocket friendly happy hour that I would highly recommend, monday thru friday from 5-7. Happy Hunting!

Home Sweet Corn

by Noelani Anderson

For the first time in a few years I came home for thanksgiving. I took he first flight out of Honolulu on Wednesday morning, arriving in Hilo (Big Island) at 6:45 am.

noelani anderson / KA LAMAKUA

My mom picked me up and we went for a surf at Honoli'i, then did some last minute thanksgiving preparation shopping before making the one hour drive along the coast to Honoka'a, my hometown. And while we did do some shopping at Foodland, the star of our thanksgiving dinner was Big-Island grown sweet corn that we picked up on the side of the road on our way out of Hilo.

Feast and Celebration

noelani anderson / KA LAMAKUA

Makahiki hula in Waimea Valley mark the uniquely

Hawaiian celebrations of this Thanksgiving season.

by Noelani Anderson

Thanksgiving is, as we all know, a day of feasting. Every year when that last Thursday in November comes around we gravitate amongst our friends and family  to celebrate the company of loved ones by cooking our favorite dishes, carrying on kitchen traditions and eating all weekend long. The foods are rich, the flavors are familiar and the atmosphere is a comfortable, cozy one, warming us up to the holiday season.

Hawaii is unique when it comes to the holidays. Many mainlanders would argue that there is no sign in Hawaii that the holidays have begun because the weather remains sunny and the days only get shorter by about an hour. Islanders, however, celebrate in style, and by that I mean there is always pleny food, drink, laughter, games and holo holo. The truth is that Hawaii has long been home to a tradition of rest, play and feasting between the months of november and febuary, which is known as the time of the makahiki. The word 'makahiki' means "year", "new year", and also refers to the four month period during which thanksgiving, christmas and the new year coincidentially take place. Before missionary influence and the influx of Western culture this four month period was Makahiki - Christian holidays were still foreign.

During the Makahiki season war was kapu (forbidden), offerings were made to the god Lono, who is the deity of agriculture and fertility, games such as Hawaiian sledding and javelin throwing took place as well as competition in surfing,canoe paddling, swimming, wrestling and boxing. Feast, dance, and song along with spiritual ceremony and dedications to Lono were fundamental in the time of Makahiki and many types of work such as farming and fishing were kapu (outlawed) except for specific days designated by the ali'i (chiefs).

Makahiki is a complex and essential part of Hawaiian culture (kalamai (excuse me) for the breif explanation), but long story short, Hawaii knows how to eat, drink and be merry, living aloha all the while. The weekend before thankgiving many modern day makahiki festivals are held throughout the islands, offering hula, hawaiian music, laulau and poi as well as other cultural activites. Makahiki is a time of play as much as it is a time of gratitude and offering, a time to enjoy the beauty of the people around us and the place we live. Likewise, every time thanksgiving comes around we remember what we sometimes forget...our blessings. We give thanks and enjoy the life we're giving thanks for.

This thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season embrace fun, peace, family and love. Forget the commercial aspects of the season and get back to the roots, celbrate makahiki style, giving plenty mahalos to akua (the gods), surfing, swimming and enjoying the beauty of our island home and of course...support Hawaii farmers and kau kau (eat) local foods!