Waikiki & The Musubi Cafe - Hawai'i Travelogue Video

The reviews are in! In my last Hawai'i Travelogue it's a 2fer, not only does the cheapest restaurant reviewer put his 2 cents worth in, but the wife gives a review as well. You don't want to scroll past this video.

And along with cheap$kate eatery reviewing, I assemble a bunch of scenic shots of Waikiki Beach to close out our Hawai'i travels. It's a feast for the eyes and taste buds.

Click on any photo to see larger.

If you have been following us on this trip then you were exposed to Spam Musubi in an earlier video (a click away here.) Well, I kick it up a notch with a couple of Breakfast Musubi.

The addition of Spam to Japanese musubi is unique to Hawai'i. It came about during WWII when meat was scarce and canned Spam was abundant. Locals adapted and created recipes for this military tinned processed meat.

Spam Musubi is just Japanese-style sticky rice with a slab of fried marinated spam on top, wrapped with a band of dried seaweed; and about the size of a Twinkie. I know, not appetizing sounding. But don't knock it until you've tried it. This is what the locals get when they are on the run looking for a quick bite. Spam Musubi is carried in grocery stores with a heated deli case, liquor stores, and 7 Elevens.

I know Japanese musubi has many more topping than just Spam (I've visited Little Tokyo many times, here in Los Angeles.) Well, about 4 short blocks away from our Waikiki hotel was one of the most well known eateries serving musubi on the island, called Musubi Cafe Iyasume.

It's a bright and a well laid out petit restaurant. While they serve all types of toppings for musubi, they also have prepared bento box lunches to go for the locals, like: Curry Bowls, Pork Katsu and Shrimp Doria for $5.  

And the variety of musubi are almost endless: avocado, cucumber, plum, herb, pickled radish, teriyaki, cheese, bacon, and an egg omelet. You will get an eyeful of musubi in the video at the end of this blog post.

You never know what you'll run across on an oceanside stroll. One eventful late afternoon we (along with our friend Sandra) ran into a music and dance performance of classic Hawaiian songs and Hula dancing. Just a lei toss away from the crashing surf, we found a grassy spot and fell under the sway, rhythm and melody of this beautify island.

It gets crowded along the main drag of Kalakaua Avenue that follows the coastline. It's best to make reservations to eat on a night out, as we found out one evening. Being bumped from one eatery to the next, we finally lucked out and landed in Duke's Restaurant.

While it's a popular tourist type place, with tiki designed trappings, it turned out being a great find. Duke's is named after the surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku. You can read some highlights of his storied life by clicking here.

While it's a chain restaurant, it manages to hit a sweet spot with a large tropical drink selection and Hawaiian influenced cuisine. We were ushered to a small table with a sliver-view of the beach. We ordered drinks and settled on Fried Calamari and Ahi Poke appetizers for a light meal.

The Poke was bright dice-sized cubes of marinated raw fish, while the Fried Calamari was tender and crunchy at the same time. It was a good seafood combination. I had a drink called Hawaiian Time made with Absolut Mandarin, Kai Lemongrass, Ginger Shochu, basil strawberry, lemonade and club soda - whew, that was a refreshing mouthful.

Amy was on a ginger kick and ordered the Maui Mule, made with Pau Vodka, simple syrup, lime and ginger beer. 

As we sipped libations, right next to us a troubadour took a stool at the microphone and began strumming tunes. He had a high sweet voice and was a genial host, taking requests during his set. Amy fell under his spell when he played Van Morrison's song, Moondance, one of her favorites. Of course, he also plucked out a few Hawaiian melodies. I can never get enough of this style of music (I always try to find a local radio station that plays traditional Hawaiian music.) It creates the right mood for long drives between scenic stops.

We couldn't have asked for a better date night out: music, tasty treats and being in the company of someone you love. We had one last moonlight stroll before heading back to our hotel.

So thanks for hanging out these last two months on the island of O'ahu with Amy and I. I feel lucky to have such a fun and lively companion to share vacation time with. So do check out my last Hawai'i Travelogue Video below -- aloha and bon appetit to all.

Waikiki & The Musubi Cafe  - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 5 minutes, 36 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

99 thanks to:

Musubi Cafe Iyasume (There are several locations, this is the one I went to.)

2427 Kuhio Avenue,

Pacific Monarch Hotel Ground Floor

Honolulu, HI 96815

Email: www.tonsuke.com/eomusubiya

A great Hawaiian radio station that I dived into to select a few tropical tunes for my Travelogue videos called "Territorial Airwaves - Your Source for the History of Hawaiian Music."
Online at: www.territorialairwaves.com

And, last but not least, 99 Thanks to my lovely travel companion Amy -- we make great memories together ;-p

To see other Hawaii Travelogue blog posts with video, photos, text & GIFs, just click on any link below:
Visit to O'ahu, Hawai'i - intro 
Windward Shore & Keneke Grill

The Road to Waikiki & a Lau Lau Truck 
Waikiki Beach & The Rainbow Drive-In
Breakfast in Honolulu
7-Eleven Span Musubi

Hawaiian Recipes:
Macaroni Salad & Sticky Rice
Kalua Pig & Cabbage
Mainland Lau Lau with Pork
Loco Moco (eggs, hamburger, gravy & rice)
Teriyaki Spam Musubi

Windward Shore & Keneke Grill - Hawai'i Travelogue Video

I have a full plate of Island scenic shots, and scrumptious food footage featuring a Kalua Pig Plate from Keneke Grill. So pull up a chair and check out my first video that was shot on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu.

We arrived at Honolulu airport, and after loading up our luggage and some beach chairs, our hostess Sandra drove us to the Windward Shore area about 45 minutes away. We were fortunate to snag a great house to share, just a few blocks from the ocean.

A second floor balcony took up the length of the house. And since were were on Los Angeles time, we usually got up with the sunrise and had our coffee and fresh fruit overlooking the ocean.

In my video you can see our balcony view, along with a lush backyard of tropical flowers, and avocado, mango and breadfruit trees.

We made short sightseeing excursions driving along scenic Kamehameha Highway - which had views of the ocean on one side and foliage-covered volcanic mountains on the other.

Sandra, my wife's friend from university days, took us to uncrowded beaches to sightsee sea turtles, or just lounge around on our beach chairs.

Amy & the Cheap$kate

A nearby town called Haleiwa is a tourist destination. While a bit crowded, it was easy to walk the main street for window shopping and grabbing a quick bite. We had exoticly flavored Shaved Ice cones. A highlight for my wife was getting a Hawaiian Lomilomi Massage at North Shore Therapeutic Massage (click on any names for links.)

Sandra with Shaved Ice Cone.

I was on hunt for a Kalua Pig Lunch Plate. I found one in Haleiwa. While it was tasty, the Kalua Pig serving was a bit too fatty. A typical plate lunch has 2 scoops of Sticky White Rice and a scoop of Macaroni Salad. You can get it with steamed cabbage mixed in, or on the side. It's just basic comfort food.

Tradition Kalua Pig is prepared in an underground oven. Really, just hot rocks surround taro or banana leaf wrapped meat, that's buried under a layer of burlap and dirt. It's slow-cooked until tender. Hawaiians know how to throw a party called a Luau. And food is a centerpiece.

I guess Kalua Pig comes closest to Mainland Southern BBQ Pulled Pork (my recipe is here.) The main difference is the infused flavor that comes from banana, palm, or taro leaves. The pork (chicken and fish is prepared this way, too) picks up an aromatic green tea-like flavor.

I'm sure most roadside eateries go the easy route with liquid smoke, and just roast or steam the pork wrapped in banana leaves. It's still delicious. And I have my own Mainland Kalua Pig recipe coming soon, so do check back for that.

I found a nearby roadhouse that served a perfect Kalua Pig Lunch Plate. Located in Punalu'u, Keneke's Grill is a locals favorite dining destination. This is not the place for you if you're a neatnik and fussy. But if you just want delish, unpretentious food in a casual setting, then park your boogie board and come on in.

There are two dining rooms, one in the front, and the one in the back has a large screen television. It's super casual with bench seating. And the walls are covered in hand lettered bible scripture.

Click on any photo to see larger.

They have a large menu to choose from. I zeroed in on the Plate Lunch of  Pork, Hapa Rice and Mac Salad for $8.95. It's a large plate of food, and my kind of cheap$kate meal. I got it to go, so I could eat on our patio with an ocean view. On the way back we stopped for a six pack of local beer called Primo.

The Kalua Pig was cooked perfectly. The pork is shredded and very lean. The serving is large. You smell the smoky aroma when the container is opened, and the pork is moist and tender. If the pork is wrapped in banana leaves when cooked, then any green tea-like flavor is very mild. The meat is slightly sweet and smoky slow-cooked pork.

As for the sides, the steamed Sticky Hapa Rice is a mix of white and brown rice, and is mainly there to scoop up with the pork. "Hapa" is the Hawaiian Pidgin word for "half," referring to a person with 2 races.

You get 2 scoops of Sticky Hapa Rice and one scoop of Macaroni Salad, I would reverse that and next time get more macaroni (even if they charge extra.)

I like Hawaiian-style Macaroni Salad. There's nothing too it really, just a lot of mayo, tender macaroni, a little shredded carrot, and salt and pepper. Simply delicious.

And finally, buried under the Kalua Pork, is a little sauteed and chopped cabbage. It's a welcome veggie addition. Often cabbage is mixed into Kalua Pork, but I prefer it on the side, or in one buried clump, like it was done here.

Keneke's Grill does a great Kalua Pig Plate Lunch. So, on my Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best, I give this local plate lunch a perfect 9! I wish I had the time and appetite to go through more menu items, but that's for a return visit....one day.

Check out my Windward Shore & Keneke Grill Travelogue video below. And do come back for more food-centric and scenic videos. I also have many Hawaiian-style cheap$kate recipes sprinkled throughout, during the next two months of blog posts, including: Lau Lau (Mainland-style,) Spam Musubi, Kalua Pork, Macaroni Salad, Sticky Rice, Loco Moco, and Poke.

Windward Shore & Keneke Grill  - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 4 minutes, 36 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

99 thanks to:
Our hostess Sandra & the Keneke's Grill.

Keneke's Grill at Punalu'u
53-138 Kamehemeha Highway
Punalu'u, Hawai'i 96717
Open 9am - 8pm
Phone: 808) 237-1010
Email:  http://www.kenekes.net

And the musicians on the beach of Waikiki that I recorded live for this travelogue video. I wish I had got their names for a credit, but was enjoying the music too much in the moment, to get the band and bandleaders name.

To see other Hawaii Travelogue blog posts with video, photos, text & GIFs, just click on any link below:
Visit to O'ahu, Hawai'i - intro 
The Road to Waikiki & a Lau Lau Truck 
Waikiki Beach & The Rainbow Drive-In
Waikiki & The Musubi Cafe
Breakfast in Honolulu
7-Eleven Span Musubi

Hawaiian Recipes:
Macaroni Salad & Sticky Rice
Kalua Pig & Cabbage
Mainland Lau Lau with Pork
Loco Moco (eggs, hamburger, gravy & rice)
Teriyaki Spam Musubi

99 Cent Fish Taco from Tacos Baja - Cheap$kate Dining Video

Forever on lists of best taco joints in Los Angeles, Tacos Baja makes one of the most delicious Fish Tacos in town. These battered deep fried filets of perfection are also one of the best deals around, especially on Wednesdays, when they are sold for only 99 cents!

In The 99 Cent Chef's latest Cheap$kate Dining video review, you are taken inside and up close to one of Baja, Mexico's popular street cart favorites. (And be sure to come back here next week when I post my own cheap$kate recipe for a Fish Taco.)

Only 5 minutes east of downtown LA, this Whittier Boulevard seafood taqueria has half a dozen small seats inside, but has plenty of outdoor patio seating.

I showed up about 2 pm after the lunch rush and had 6 people ahead of me. The line moved fast and I placed my order in just a few minutes.

As expected, this is the busiest day of the week, but the cooks of Tacos Baja are efficient (they fry up a basket full of fish filets to stay ahead) and my taco was ready in no time.

The deep fried batter is well-seasoned and cooked to perfection. The fillet has a thick seasoned crust and the bass fish filet is flaky and moist.

I would have preferred one meatier fillet over two thin ones, so the fish flavor is more pronounced. But this is a very minor complaint. (I've been here a few times, and sometimes I do get one large filet per taco.)

 The Fish Taco is loaded down with a Mexican-style chopped tomato/cabbage slaw that is topped with cream and chile sauce. When you try to pick up the taco half of the slaw is left on the plate, so be sure to get a fork to finish it off with.

The chopped veggie topping has just the right amount of chile heat -- not too much. The combination of chopped red onion, tomato, cabbage and cilantro is a good contrast to deep fried battered fish.

This is a substantial Fish Taco for 99 cents. An order of two is plenty for most appetites, but if you are unsure, then order an extra one so you don't have to wait in line again. And you will definitely want more than one -- they are that tasty.

While you are waiting for your order make sure to visit the condiments cart. There is a tray of grilled light green "bell peppers" that are dusted in salty chile powder. They are brought out warm and are absolutely delicious. But be warned, the first bite is a spicy one, but stay with it as your taste buds settle in. The second one you taste will be even better. (And make sure to have a bit of water on hand to smooth the way.) The other condiments are sliced radishes and lime (to squeeze on your tacos.)

I haven't tried other seafood menu items, but I noticed a few of my neighbors enjoying large bowls of tomato and chile Caldos (broths or soups) loaded with pescado (fish,) camarone (shrimp,) and a mixo (seafood combination.) While the most expensive item on the menu ($8.99 - $12.99,) it's still a decent deal. There are also a large selection of chilled seafood cocteles or cocktails. And of course they carry typical grilled meat-filled tacos, tortas, burritos, plus rice and bean combo plates.

Make sure to visit Tacos Baja for their Wednesday 99 cent Fish Taco, or any day really, since they normally cost just $1.69. And watch my Cheap$kate Dining 99 Cent Fish Taco video for my 1 to 9 rating, 9 being best. I know it's a foregone conclusion, but you will enjoy the bustling scene and tasty food footage. Finally make sure to check back for The 99 Cent Chef's Fish Taco recipe.

  99 Cent Fish Taco from Tacos Baja - Cheap$kate Dining VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 3 minutes, 48 seconds.

Tacos Baja
16032 Whittier Blvd.
Whittier, CA 90603
ph: (323) 887-1980For Tacos Baja website, click here.

99 thanks to Bob McGuinness for shooting The Chef. (Click here to see him in action, in last shot of video.)
To view Cheap$kate Dining Video on YouTube, click here.

Restaurant Nocturnes XIII - Video

The Midnight Nosher is back with another nighttime roundup of Los Angeles eateries. Some old some new, some hip some old school. This is my thirteenth Restaurant Nocturne compilation video. And on the way to the video at the end of this post I'll point out, with photos and animated gifs, a few highlights to you.

It's been a banner year for new restaurants in Los Angeles. I feature a couple of notables where the young chefs who run them are still in their mid-twenties, and are lauded among the best chefs in America.

Alma in downtown Los Angeles just awarded Bon Appetit's "Best New Restaurant in America." Located between a Latino taxi dancing club and a marijuana dispensary, the look of Alma's facade is low key. (Just hanging out front shooting my photos I got an eyeful watching women in impossibly tight attire and high heels tap tap by cowboy hat wearing gents taking cigarette breaks outside the club next door.) The Chef co-owner, 27 year old Ari Taymor, earned his whites working in San Francisco restaurants then moving here becoming a pop-up chef -- taking over established restaurants during off hours or slow nights in Venice and Silverlake. Listen to the maitre d' give a delicious menu description that I recorded earlier this year.

East of downtown in the Echo Park neighborhood, at recently opened Allumette (French for "matchstick cut",) it's not too difficult to get a reservation... for now. Maybe it's because of the Echo Park location that they're not booked up months in advance, although they are hipster-adjacent to Silverlake. 25 year old Chef Miles Thompson (former sous-chef for dining hotspot Son of a Gun) gets creative sourcing local, organic and sustainable ingredients. For Allumette's video segment, cocktail creator Serena Herrick guides you through a menu of highlights with a voice as smooth as George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey.

Night + Market, at the West end of the Sunset Strip, is the best deal on that end of the Boulevard. While the Thai food by Chef Kris Yenbamroong is just "the kind of stuff he would eat after school with his buddies, when he was living in Bangkok," it's food reimagined with creativity and elevated ingredients, but not elevated in price -- appetizers start at $6 and most main entrees are from $10-$14 (with some "market priced" seafood.) Finally a cheap enough hipster eatery where even the Tightwad Cinematographer can set down his camera and tripod.

But for the cheapest deal in my Restaurant Nocturnes XIII video look no further than Top Round Roast Beef. The neo-fast food joint looks like it stepped out of a 1950's magazine advertisement. This middle American-style sparking new diner was hatched by a clutch of LA Chefs. The menu is just roast beef sandwiches and fries, plus desserts of frozen custard, shakes, floats and malts. The sandwiches are $4.95 to $6.45 a piece. For being a collaborative chef-centric menu, it's stripped down but well thought-out fast food fare. The roast beef is slow roasted for over 10 hours and some of the condiments are even made in-house. How about the Beef & Cheese sandwich with house made cheese "wizz" on an onion bun, and "Dirty" Fries with gravy, provel cheese, caramelized onions and round sauce? I'm one lucky photog because this joint is located on the corner of La Brea Avenue and Olympic Boulevard, just a couple of miles from my condo.

And I end with possibly the most unique restaurant in Los Angeles. Proud Bird is part museum and classic clubhouse restaurant, located just a few blocks from LAX on Aviation Boulevard. If you have a long layover at the airport (it's about a $5 taxi ride away) or are dropping off someone there, make it a point to drop by the Proud Bird sometime.

As you can see from the photo there are vintage airplanes on the grounds. I counted about a dozen. If you were an airplane model builder as a kid like I was, you could spend an hour walking around the grounds. They have everything from a WWI German Fokker to an American WWII Spitfire. And that's only the half of it. Once inside there are photo and memorabilia filled nooks and hallways dedicated to the barrier breaking WWII black Tuskegee Airmen, long distance flight aviatrix Amelia Earhart, and countless other air flight pioneers. Grab a happy hour drink special and a couple of signature tacos and roam the halls -- totally fascinating.

With 11 restaurants curated and photographed by The 99 Cent Chef, Restaurants Nocturnes XIII gives you a thumbnail inside and outside peek into the local bustling and varied food scene. Just hit the play button below and see for yourself, no reservation required.

Restaurant Nocturnes XIII - VIDEO

Play it here. Video runs 8 minutes, 9 seconds.

To view or embed from YouTube, click here.

Restaurants in order of appearance - click on name to see website or review:

1. Cooks County     2. Night+Market     3. Alegria
4. Top Round Roast Beef    5. Robata Jinya 
6. this is not a pop up @ Square One Dining
7. M&M Soul Food    8. Alma    9. Johnnies Pastrami
10. Allumette    11. Proud Bird

To see more Restaurant Nocturnes, just click on any name:

Restaurant Nocturnes I, Restaurant Nocturnes II, Restaurant Nocturnes III, Restaurant Nocturnes IV, Restaurant Nocturnes V, Restaurant Nocturnes VI, Restaurant Nocturnes VII, Restaurant Nocturnes VIII, Restaurant Nocturnes IX, Restaurant Nocturnes X, Restaurant Nocturnes XI, Restaurant Nocturnes XII.