When I went to Kauai, I thought about Ono Burgers which is no longer in existence. The juicy burgers and huge onion rings. I wanted to find an equivalent to Ono Burgers, Kenji Burgers was one of the few hamburger restaurants open on Sunday. This was featured on the Food Network.

I think having a starting point from the past can make the present experience less than expected. Maybe I glorified the past experience at Ono Burgers. But the truth is this was my favorite burgers EVER in Hawai’i. Now that it is closed, I wanted to find a new favorite on Kauai. Kenji Burgers weren’t bad, but it doesn’t replace Ono Burgers. However, it actual had a variety of choices and the food was fresh.

There was a line outside and we waited under the umbrella of the park benches, which was good place to be because it was HOT outside. At the Kapaa location the seating was limited. The menu wasn’t. We ordered the Old Skool Burger, Chicken Katsu Burger, and a Poke Bowl. Although there were no onion rings, we ordered regular fries.

Sam ordered the Poke Bowl and he ate so fast that I didn’t even know he started. When asked if he liked the Poke Bowl, Sam shaked his head up and down. Alex had his own Old Skool Burger which he also inhaled. Lupe and I shared the Chicken Katsu Burger and an Old Skool Burger. The Chicken Katsu Burger sauce itself was tasty. The part of the burger I got didn’t have much in the way of chicken because I asked for the smallest cut. The deep fried portion of the chicken was crispy.

The fries were good, but needed salt. It is difficult for me to judge salt for others because I love salt. But all of us wanted more salt. The burger also needed salt. It was not dry, but it also was not juicy. I liked the fact that it was not greasy, oily, or filled with a premade patty. The ingredients were fresh; unlike picking up the burger from a drive thru that’s been sitting for 30 minutes. But I wanted flavor. I thought about what I hear when watching Chopped on the Food Network.

Does Kenji Burgers compare to my memories of Ono Burgers, no. But it was a new adventure that I don’t regret. I am wondering if the Koloa location is like. Maybe on the next trip to Kauai. http://kenjiburger.com/ #kenjiburgerskauai

My memories of Kauai are connected to food. Hamura Saimin. Ono Burgers. Bull Shed. It is one of those places that I feel most at ease in. Hawaiian Airlines helped spark the desire to go to the Garden Isle by selling $39 one-way tickets. It is one those places that I have wonderful memories with my mother. Dad was working on Uncommon Valor. We ate at Ono Burgers, Hamura’s, Bull Shed, and Waipoli Cafe. The idea of going back to Kauai made all those memories rush back. These are not owned by people, that I know of. We were headed to Unko’s for breakfast. I called Cheryl R. and told her my plans and she explained that in Kauai on a Sunday, it is best to call to make sure a place is open. After no one answered the phone, Cheryl suggested TIP TOP CAFE and explained that this was where locals go.

Tip Top Cafe is located in Lihue, not far from the airport. There is an attached motel and lots of parking. However…there is a line to get into the the cafe. When we stood in line, a person in the line told me that the line moves quickly. Cheryl told me that there used to be an hour limit of time in the restaurant. We were seated quickly. Cheryl recommended the fried rice loco moco, which she said I would love because I love salty food. Cheryl also recommended the oxtail soup, which I didn’t know places serve during breakfast. In fact, on Oahu it seems like oxtail soup is more a later in the day soup that is super expensive.

We didn’t wait too long. There was a big dining area and what appeared to be two servers, but the person that served us was perfect. The order was perfect and quick. We ordered two oxtail soups, pancakes, fried rice loco moco, and a side of goteborg sausage.

This was the first time Lupe ate oxtail soup and I have to say, she loved it. This is definitely one of the oxtail soups Mom would’ve loved. Unlike the restaurants on Oahu, this oxtail soup has long rice in it. The oxtail was tender and the broth was excellent. The ginger and cilantro was fresh. There are some restaurants that give you the minced ginger from a jar, but it doesn’t taste the same – these people need to taste the oxtail soup at Tip Top.

The fried rice loco moco was exactly like Cheryl mentioned, salty in the way I love it. The gravy was light but tasty. I should’ve asked for over easy eggs, but it was still ono. The pancakes were made from scratch. Goteborg is a sausage that I’ve only seen on Kauai. It was cut thin and crispy. It reminds me of salami. I heard that this sausage is used for musubi on Kauai.

The prices are reasonable and the food is worth the wait in line. If I get a chance to go to Kauai again, Tip Top is at the top of the list. https://www.tiptop-motel.com/ https://www.tiptop-motel.com/cafe.html #tiptopcafekauai

I have to admit, when I think of extraordinarily delicious food Ewa Beach does not come to mind. When I think of sports, more specifically football then I think of Ewa Beach. Recently my inner food snob got a shock but some of the most tasty Thai food is in Ewa Beach at a restaurant called Ono Thai. We were actually headed to Spoon, but the bingsu machine was broken, we were so hungry that we decided to go to Ono Thai. It is right next to the L & L.

This was a highly suggested by Keenen and Devin. We sat down next to a couple that told us that every time they play golf in Ewa, they eat at this restaurant. The couple confirmed what Devin said, that this is the best Thai food on Oahu. We started with an order of summer and spring rolls. I have to say that all of it tasted fresh. The summer rolls were the best I’ve ever tasted. Usually when I order summer rolls the wrapper is usually hard at other restaurants – not at Ono Thai. I couldn’t stop eating the spring rolls and it was gone within minutes.

We also ordered curry, pad thai, and sticky rice. We all ordered different types of curry, I got my usual red curry because I love bamboo shoots. There was a balance of curry and coconut milk, which made it tasty but not overwhelming. I eat less red meat than before, so I ordered my curry with vegetables and tofu.

I didn’t eat the fried chicken, but it looked good. Lupe and Alex ate it and loved it. When Lupe called the family and asked what they wanted for take out – it started with the chicken.

For dessert, I tried both the banana tapioca and the halo halo. I have to be honest, I was envisioning the Filipino halo halo. I liked the fruit in the halo halo and the coconut milk. The banana tapioca was better than the halo halo.

The best way to find out about Ono Thai is to go there. It is worth the trip to Ewa Beach and for me that takes time because I live in Waipio Gentry.

This is the FIRST OF OUR FOOD TRAVELS.

This past month we went to San Diego for three days to be at Keoni and Hazel’s wedding. It was a last minute notification kind of trip with no real planning. Before we left San Diego, we wanted to try a Mexican restaurant. I wasn’t sure what to think because Hazel is from Los Angeles and I wasn’t sure what would be good. We were staying in Encinitas at an Airbnb. The final decision after looking at reviews was to go to Pina, in Encinitas.

When you go to the website, Encinitas describes the food as “Authentic Mexican Cuisine.” Going to this restaurant was a first for all of us. When we arrived there, I noticed that most of the seating was outdoors. There seemed to be two different types of areas: drinking area and dinner area. We were seated in the dining area. The first thing that struck me was that we appeared to be the only people of color. The only other “brown” person I saw was a chef that seemed to be taking a smoke break. https://www.pina-sd.com/

As it is with the Makekaus and Alex the first thing ordered were the drinks. We also ordered appetizers, or as we call it in Hawai’i – pupus. Hazel ordered chips, salsa, guacamole, and Queso Fundido. The salsa was bland. But everyone seemed to be eating the Queso Fundido. I ordered the Elote on the Cob and Barbacoa Nachos. These two I felt were the highlights of the meal. I corn on the cob was not oily or gross, but had flavor from the chili powder, cilantro, and lime. It was a huge corn cob, but there was only one which made it almost impossible to share. Not that I wanted to share it. The nachos were also tasty and the portion was huge, served on a deep cookie sheet and definitely made to share. The Barbacoa shredded short ribs were tender and there was a balance with the cheese. The main issue I had was that there was no heat and it was too bland for what I am used to. I heard someone on the table saying that exact thing.

Alex started to say that the alcoholic drinks seemed to be watered down. I didn’t pay attention to it because I still didn’t know what I wanted to eat for dinner. I ended up getting the Carnitas Torta, which was based on the fact that I haven’t had a torta that I liked – since my times in Comitan, Chiapas. Unfortunately, I was not happy with what I got. The bread was not toasted and it seemed to be more like a sloppy joe than a torta. The torta came with chicharonnes. Neither the torta or the chicharonnes were hot/spicy, which would’ve made it taste better. Alex ended up eating it so I wouldn’t waste it.

The best thing about the experience for me was spending time with people I love. Although we were hoping for more spice and heat, we stayed to talk and be “merry.” The restaurant really looked different at night. In fact, I think if I was younger and ready for late night drinks in Encinitas this might’ve been great.

The last part of my meal was the dessert, I ordered the Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream. The menu describes it as “Mexican Chocolate made with Califino Anejo Tequila.” I realized that all the heat and liquor that we were looking for was in this one bowl of ice cream. I LOVE Mexican Chocolate. I thought the liquor was a little overpowering, but it still tasted good.

Would I recommend Pina? Is this an authentic restaurant? I realized that for me, the food didn’t match up to my experiences in Mexico or what I was used to. It definitely wasn’t what my family expected. BUT, it is good for what it is. The food was decent and there were three distinct dishes I liked: Elote on the Cob, Barbacoa Nachos, and the Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream. The environment of the restaurant at the table was still beautiful because I was with those I love.