So Friday morning started out strange at work. I got there and my computer couldn't turn on. There was a buzzing noise like a bunch of angry bees. So started hunting the sound and it was coming from the surge protector. I am accustomed to working at places where the IT folks don't want you messing with anything. So I went downstairs and got an IT guy and had him come look at things. After a while of turning things on and off he decided the surge protector was bad. Considering it is probably older than me, this is not a surprise. He unplugged everything and plugged it into a plain power strip. I asked if they had surge protectors downstairs and apparently they don't keep them in stock. Just weird. Susan had brought in a treat from her trip to Maui - monju and fresh strawberries.A monju is a cookie like pastry, stuffed with some sort of sweet filling. This one was okinawan sweet potato filling (those sweet potatoes are purple, hence the color). It doesn't taste like the sweet potatoes we have back home, it is sweet and a very mellow flavor. The pastry is buttery and flaky. Very tasty.
For lunch we went to Asahi Grill. Ann, Lisa and I all ordered different things and we shared everything. Hence why I got to try so many new things.
This is lup cheong fried rice. This is a sweet dried Chinese sausage variety that is diced and put in the fried rice. It is served here with a fried egg on top. It was tasty. The fried rice was absolutely delicious, probably the best I have ever had.
This is a loco moco. It is a local favorite. It is a bed of white sticky rice with a seasoned grilled hamburger patty on top. This is all smothered in an onion brown gravy then two fried eggs put on top. There is a scoop of macaroni salad on the side (of course). It is a heart attack waiting to happen but it is very good. The folks here eat it with everything all together per bite, which I tried and it was good. I preferred it with everything together except the mac salad. I can see why this is a favorite.
This is oxtail soup. I tried VERY hard not to thing about the oxtail part. This is served with a side of 2 scoops of rice. You take the small container of ginger (which is like a paste) and put about a half teaspoon in the small bowl, then add about 3 tablespoons of shoyu (soy sauce). Then you pick up the oxtail with chopsticks and dip it in this mixture and bite off the meat from the bone. There is a lot of fat but it is broken down by the cooking and is super soft and just sortof melts. Mind you, the thought of this makes me want to gag, but I did in fact try it this way. It tasted fine but I just have a mental issue with eating that much fat and the fat was kindof mushy. So I picked the meat off the bone and tried dipping that in the sauce mix and it was very tasty. Lisa said she knows many people who don't eat the fat like me, so I'm not such a weirdo! I guess it is like people who eat the skin versus not eating the skin on fried chicken or wings at home. So anyway, the meat was good. However, the broth was FANTASTIC. It was simply amazingly seasoned. I had every drop of the broth in this bowl, and it was a big bowl. By then I was stuffed after having tried some of everything and just couldn't eat any more.
Ann had to leave for a meeting immediately so Lisa and I rode back together. On the way she took me to Ala Moana Center (which for a long time was the biggest mall in the world) so I could see where the bus stop there was and be able to find it. We stopped in at a Foodland there so I could get my month bus pass. It is a pain in the rear to constantly have to keep $2.50 in exact change to catch the bus. They charge the same amount whether you get the month pass on the 1st or the 29th so I hadn't gotten one till now. The bus pass is unlimited rides. So, I have my bus pass and will be more mobile. While I got my pass Lisa went to Beard Papa's and got us cream puffs. OMG these are so freaking amazing. The pastry is light as air and not greasy at all, the cream filling is not too sweet, just very mildly sweet and unbelievably good. This chain started in Japan and spread to Hawaii. This is the best cream puff ever!
On the way back to work we drove around Magic Island, which is a popular beach. It has a reef which keeps the undertow under control and makes a big shallow swimming area. A lot of people take small children there because it is safer. Also, it is near the Ala Moana so people go there and get food and bring it to the beach to eat, swim, and just enjoy the day. Then they head back to the mall for some shopping, food or whatever then go home. I plan to go back there soon and enjoy the beach.
We went back to work and I spent a while talking to folks about the questions for my project. Then I finished entering the variables into SPSS for the HSDVFR. So the SPSS database is coded! I can start entering the data on Monday. This is great :) It was the end of the work day so I went to Lisa's office and we left to enjoy pau hana. Pau (after) hana (work). Pau hana is when people get together after work to go eat, drink, be social, whatever. Lisa offered to drive me there and back home. This is Lisa in front of Sam Choy's. I love the sign - breakfast, lunch and crab. I made sure to ask if crab was a new meal of the day.
We met up with some other ladies there. From left to right - Momi (this was sortof a retirement party for her, she just retired as the Maternal and Child Health Branch Division Chief) whose whole name is complicated so she goes by Momi. Next is Ann, my boss. Then Barbara Yamashita who used to be over the Community Health division when all these ladies worked there but is now the Deputy Director of the Hawaii State Department of Health. The far right is Lisa :)
We all had some drinks and food (as you can see from the table) and had a great time. I discovered a couple of new drinks. I had a BC's Cream Soda (whipped cream vodka and ginger ale) which tastes JUST like a cream soda. Ann also gave me a Midori (Midori melon liqueur and crushed ice) which was like an a melon smoothie. Both were very tasty. Top left is salt and pepper chicken wings (which are apparently not common over here) which I didn't have so I could save room for new stuff. Top middle is fried calamari, which is better than places I've had it before. By the hot sauce is lau lau which is a big chunk (or several small chunks) or pork wrapped in taro leaves and steamed in a big outer leaf wrapped bundle. The taro leaves taste a lot like spinach and they give the pork this yummy flavor while holding in the juices. Bottom right is kalua pork (the smoked pulled pork here) quesadillas.
There was live music as well. I tried to take pictures and video but I am not sure it turned out well. Yes, the man has an electric ukelele. He also played a harmonica at one point. All american songs, mostly soft rock. The ONE country song they do was when I was trying to record video just to get an example to share. (Ok the recording suck so I deleted them.)
After this we were getting tired so she brought me home. I showered and tried making the blog but the internet wasn't cooperating. So you get it now instead. All in all it was a super fun day filled with a TON of yummy food and great company.
Aloha,
~Melissa
Ok, I'll have to put some of those food items on my 'must make' list. Wow! I just had lunch but am hungry again. And to finish it all off with some Gummy Choco fruit treats, mmmmm (those might be harder to make...)
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