Aloha Spirit

Just got back to the mainland, and I am already dreaming about returning to Hawai'i to wake up to the energizing, sweet, and fresh smell of tropical flowers, the cool summer breeze, and breathtaking beauty that defines Hawai'i.

In true grubhunting fashion, my Hawaiian escape was filled with food and fun. But before I chronicle this week of gluttony... did you know that Aloha is more than a greeting, or farewell, or salution? Accordingly, Aloha means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. It is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for cellective existence. Simply put, Aloha means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable.

Neat yeah? Just thought I might throw in some trivia in there for you... Trivia aside, I am here to tell you about my grub hunting adventure in paradise! Though I did not receive a nickname (jjh's ocean wahine) during my travels; two t-shirts, several hundred pictures, and many thousands of calories later makes me more kama aina (local) than you could imagine.

I'll begin my chronicles by first telling you that I swear I thought I was in Asia!!

Byodo In Temple, Valley of the Temples

Shishimai, Young Okinawans of Hawii

Ewa Fukushima Bon Dance Club, Moiliili

Hawaii Plantation Village, Waipahu Garden Park

Kimchi Urns, HPV

Do you see what I mean? This is not the idyllic Hawai'i I had in mind! This was Asia! As they say, when in Asia have some Asian food, or to be more exact, Asia inspired food!

One of our first stops was for some Poke from Tanioka's.

Tanioka's, Waipahu

Poke selection

Spicy Mussel Poke

Sesame Tako Poke

Ahi with Limu Poke

Spicy Ahi on Sushi Rice

Tako on Sushi Rice

Clearly, no food stop would be complete without some fried stuff.... :D

Fish Patty, Fried Chicken, Fried Spicy Ahi Roll, and Fried Rice

I was floored by this fantastic meal. Fried stuff aside, this was one of the healthiest meals that I had on my entire trip! As a side note, don't be fooled by other Poke places... I am told that Tanioka's is often imitated but never EVER duplicated!

Tanioka's 4/5

Foodie Call

Foodie Call - [foo-dee | kawl] - noun

When a guy or girl calls you only for food, no strings attached. Not an invite to a movie and dinner, not a casual or formal get-together, just a plain old-fashioned "let's eat"

Jennifer: OMG Sharon, Ronny just texted me - I'm hungry, I wanna eat. You interested?
Sharon: Oh shit girl!!!! That be a foodie call
Jennifer: Shutup! It's only 5PM.

or

It's 2AM...
Jennifer: OMG Sharon, Ronny just texted me - I'm hungry, I wanna eat. You interested? Sharon: Oh shit girl!!!! That be a foodie call

Shh! Speak Easy!

Prohibition, or the Noble Experiment as it was once known, marked one of the saddest times in American history. Why the f*ck would you ever prohibit the consumption of alcohol? How dumb is it that out of the 27 amendments to the United States constitution, two have been devoted to the ban of alcohol (amendment XVIII) and its repeal (amendment XXI)? One positive result of the era was the creation of the Speakeasy.

San Francisco is home to Bourbon & Branch, a "Speakeasy" that has been open since 1867.
As is the case with other establishments of its kind there are several house rules...

1)Please speak-easy

2)No cell phone use

3)No standing at the bar

4)Don't even think of asking for a "cosmo"

5)Smokers, use back door

6)No photography

7)Please be patient, our drinks are labor intensive

and

8)Please exit Bourbon & Branch quietly

We clearly broke rule six. But you know what they say... RULES ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN! Just two small complaints from this happy patron. Why is it located at the corner, yes, I said CORNER, of Jones and O'farrel? If you aren't really paying attention, you might miss the door. But at night, there are tons of people who go and as a consequence, a queue, albeit a small one, forms. So it is obvious that it is there... So much for secrecy. AAAAANNNNNNND, what is the point of making reservations if you have to wait???? I am also sad that there is a menu at B&B. That my friends is what I am holding above. Accustomed to Sasha's Milk & Honey (okay, I have only been once), it would have been nice if the cocktail waitresses could actually recommend something NOT on the menu. I was like SERIOUSLY? I can read! I am not feeling any of it. So what else can you reccomend?

After several attempts, I gave up... and ordered one of my perennial favorites, a Pimm's Cup. It was good! With fresh blackberries and all! On the menu, notable drinks include the Chartreuse Swizzle, Drink Without a Name (hella strong), Democrat, Amuse Buche, and some kind of Apple Soda thing. Overall the drinks were good. With the exception of this one drink. It was brown and thick. So if you get it, don't drink it.

The one great thing about B&B is that you can just go if you ever find yourself in the area. If for whatever reason you don't have a reservation, just tell them "books" at the door and you can go to the library for some standing room only fun.

Bourbon & Branch 4/5

For Better or For Worse...

Graduate school can be many things to many people. A bit more on the subject in a later post... Maybe I should be focusing my energies on curing cancer as I wrote about in my personal statement for graduate school. Better yet, I should be reading that paper for journal club tomorrow. But who would want to read a blog about that or life in the lab?

The one great thing about graduate school is that it is what you make it of it. I could go to lab on the weekends, and often I do, but there are so many other things that demand my attention. For instance, last Friday, I could have either 1) started an experiment at 3PM, or 2) booked it and have dinner in the city with some friends? As most of you have probably guessed by now , I chose option 2.

Clearly, I often choose option 2! What is great about that is that as a graduate student recessions are things you read about in the news... if anything, it just means that the economy is going to be great by the time I graduate! So this blog a chronicle my life as a grub hunter, as I scour the world for the best food, drinks, and fun!