Signature samosas and noodles galore
Friday - November 21, 2008
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A bite-sized look at food events in Honolulu.
Giant Samosas at Taj Mahal.
Most restaurants have a signature dish, something that ends up being the one you describe when recommending the food to friends and family.At Taj Mahal, the newly opened Indian Restaurant on Waialae Avenue, it has to be the samosas. They’re easily twice the size of any we’ve seen elsewhere, and the pastry dough is lighter than most.
If you’re new to the delights of an Indian samosa, it’s a pastry stuffed with potatoes, onions, peas and a variety of other vegetables, depending on the cook.
“We like to give people good value, and this is the way I have always made samosas,” says co-owner and Taj Mahal cook Hosneara Nitu.
The samosas are a promising appetizer from a restaurant that offers excellent Indian food. And don’t be afraid of the heat.
“We serve every dish on the mild side,” says owner Kabir Chowdhury, “but, of course, we can increase the heat if customers request.”
Dishes of note include excellent Lamb Biriyani ($16.99) and Chicken Korma ($11.25).
Café Taj Mahal
3036 Waialae Ave.
(Next to Sabrina’s, behind The Fat Greek).
732-6496
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Oodles of Noodles and More at Daiichi Noodle Café.
There’s a steady stream of regular customers at Daiichi Noodle Café from 10:30 a.m., many of them so familiar with the menu that they sit down and say “I know what I want.“If you love local-style noodles, chicken katsu, Japanese curries and ramen, then Daiichi won’t disappoint.
Owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Paul and Irene Ke, the restaurant is celebrating eight years in Aiea.
“Lots of our customers know exactly what they want,” says Paul. “They know that we have developed our own taste and style, and that our flavors and sauces are consistent.”
Paul makes all the sauces, marinades and dressings from scratch, and won’t part easily with his secrets.
“The secret is in the sauces,” he says with a smile. Best-selling items include Shrimp Fried Rice ($7.25), Miso Combo with Gyoza and Fried Rice ($8.50) and Chicken Katsu Curry Rice ($7.25).
Daiichi Noodle Café
Aiea Town Square
99-804 Kauhale St.
486-7432
Localize your Thanksgiving
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Menu at Off The Wall.
If you’re looking for a variation on the traditional Thanksgiving theme, there’s probably no better place to be than Hawaii. With our ethnic diversity, you’ll find everything from guava glazes and pickled mango to crispy gau gee and whole roasted pig on the holiday menu.
At Off the Wall Restaurant in Pearl Kai Shopping Center, the Thanksgiving menu has a decidedly local twist. The take-out Thanksgiving meal serves six people and features a stuffed boneless turkey roulade with lup cheong, mushroom and mochi rice stuffing and gravy. Mashed potatoes come “hapa style” - a mixture of regular mashed potatoes with purple sweet potatoes - and locally grown long beans are sautéed with candied walnuts. Dinner rolls and dessert are included, and the total cost for the dinner for six is $49.95.
Meals are served cold with instructions for reheating (so figure that into your pickup time), or you can request the meal hot when you order.
Orders must be placed by Monday, Nov. 24.
Pickup dates are Wednesday Nov. 26 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Thursday, Nov. 27 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Off the Wall Restaurant and Catering
Pearl Kai Shopping Center
98-199 Kamehameha Hwy.
Aiea 486-9255
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Talking Turkey at the Steak House.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House will open all five Hawaii locations for Thanksgiving this year with a special menu designed to appeal to those who want a taste of tradition - and who don’t want to break the bank. With a couple of Southern twists, the Ruth’s Chris Thanksgiving menu offers three courses for $39.95 per person.
“We’ll offer a terrific harvest menu for only $39.95 for those looking for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner,” says director of sales and marketing, Alex Kirley. “And we’ll offer our regular award-winning menu for those who prefer our classic steak house cuisine.”
The Thanksgiving menu, which will be served on Thursday, Nov. 27 from 4 to 10 p.m., features whole roasted turkey with giblet gravy, mashed potatoes with a hint of garlic, homemade Southern cornbread and andouille sausage stuffing, and cranberry sauce.
Dessert is either pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream or New Orleans-style pecan pie with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Restaurant Row 599-3860
Waikiki Beach Walk 440-7910
Turkey to Go at The Hyatt.
Those who’ve been ordering their Turkey to Go since the concept first caught on are likely to be lined up at The Hyatt Nov. 27 as the hotel serves up its annual boxed complete dinner for the 16th year.
Hyatt was the first hotel to serve a dinner to-go, and the hotel has customers who’ve been coming back year after year. Connoisseurs say that the Hyatt’s gravy is like no other.
This year the hotel will take orders for 1,250 dinners and have a satellite station dispensing meals throughout the morning, as well as from The Hyatt in Waikiki. The complete meal includes a 10- to 12-pound turkey, chestnut and sage stuffing, mashed potatoes, giblet gravy, corn chowder, cranberry relish, candied yams, buttered corn, rolls and pumpkin pie. Cost is $90, and the dinner feeds between four and six people.
Hyatt’s dinner is served cold with heating instructions, and the boxed meals include Hyatt restaurant coupons and recipes for leftovers.
And while you might spare a thought for kitchen staff laboring for days to cook more than 1,000 turkeys, Executive Chef Jeff Wind says the staff enjoys the labor of love.
“We’re thankful to the hundreds of loyal customers who continue to order Turkey to Go year after year,” says Wind.
Pickup locations are Hyatt Regency, Waikiki and at Kapalama School from 9 a.m. to noon on Thanksgiving Day.
Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa
Turkey to Go reservations: 528-6066
Healthier Holidays at Umeke Market.
Need to grab a side dish for a potluck next week, or just can’t face the thought of another night in the kitchen? Umeke Market has dozens of healthy options that make putting meals together easy.
“We’ll have our usual range of salads and side dishes and veggies that are great to add to an entrée,” says Umeke owner Michelle Yamaguchi,“and this year we’ll be doing a selection of side dishes throughout the holidays. We have fresh cranberry sauce, a wonderful sweet potato yam quinoa that I’ll be serving as a healthy alternative to stuffing, roasted root vegetables and dishes like sesame garlic organic green beans.”
Umeke Market is known for its “non-judgmental” healthy approach to food.
“We just want to help people take baby steps toward eating better,” says Michelle.
This holiday season you can also pick up an array of freshly baked goods, including organic rosemary cookies, organic Earl Grey cookies and homemade ginger/date and cashew granola.
Umeke Market Downtown
1001 Bishop St.
Suite 110
552-7377
Umeke Market Kahala
4400 Kalanianaole Hwy.
739-2990
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