HAWAIIAN OUTPOST BLOG

Today I visited a Hawaiian dress and shirt manufacturer's warehouse and saw a shirt. Not just a shirt, but one Giganto Hawaiian shirt. It looks too big for anyone to wear, even a sumo wrestler, although I think those guys are pretty massive. The guy at the factory said it was a 28X shirt and required 11 yards of fabric. Even the buttons are supersized like little sand dollars. Believe it or not, he said that some of their customers request these giant shirts to hang in their stores. And even more unbelievable is that people actually buy them! Since you are probably wondering, a 28X shirt like this probably retails for about $200-$250.

Posted by sushimonster at 08:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you like sushi like I do, Hawaii has a number of excellent sushi bars. There are the well-known establishments that everyone knows about. Then there are the holes in the wall that few people know about. Mitch's Sushi near Honolulu International Airport (last place you would expect to find a really good sushi bar) is one such place.

I went with a few friends to Mitch's the other night to try their Omakase Chef's Special. This is one of those deals where the sushi chef decides what he will make for you. Unlike some other sushi bars, you do not feel pressured by a "Sushi Nazi" (like the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld). They're really cool. If you prefer, you can order whatever you want. Our meal came in 3 phases. First came the sashimi. As you can see from the picture below we had lobster, abalone, scallops, salmon, yellowtail, and fatty tuna. The presentation was quite impressive as you would expect from a Japanese restaurant. Incidentally, both chefs are from Japan.

The second phase was the sushi. I was so excited that I forgot to take a picture. But it included salmon, yellowtail, fatty tuna, regular tuna, special egg, and another one that I forgot, plus some rolls. The final phase was miso soup made from the lobster head. Who would have thought that a lobster head would add so much flavor? I'd like to meet the guy who first saw a lobster and thought, "Dude, I am so going to eat that!"

The key to the quality of the food at Mitch's is the freshness of the fish. Mitch's is actually a fish importer and they supply many of the sushi bars around Honolulu with their fish. Here's an article from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin for more info about Mitch's.  

Another good thing about Mitch's is that you can bring your own alcohol. The savings can be quite significant depending on how much you drink. This night we had Orion Beer (Okinawan) and Kamotsuru Gold Sake (from Hiroshima).

So next time you are in Honolulu and if you are a fan of sushi, I highly recommend Mitch's. It is hard to beat the quality and value quotient if you bring your own beer or sake. Mitch, the owner, is friendly. I enjoy talking to the chefs in my broken Japanese, which adds to the experience. Don't worry, they all speak English. In fact, another thing I noticed is that Japanese tourists come all the way from Waikiki to check it out. That's gotta be a good sign. Anyways, give Mitch's a try next time you're in town.

Mitch's Fish Market
524 Ohohia St.
Honolulu, HI 96819
phone: (808)837-7774

Posted by sushimonster at 09:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the most famous beaches in the world is Waikiki Beach. The funny thing is that because it is in the heart of Waikiki's tourist area, most locals don't frequent the beach, opting to go to other beaches without the usual parking and traffic hassles of Waikiki. Still, I have to admit that Waikiki Beach has a certain charm to it, especially at night. I normally only go there if I am attending a wedding at one of the nearby hotels. If you're ever in Waikiki, I recommend taking a stroll up and down the beach under a moonlit night. A good place to start is Duke's Waikiki restaurant for dinner or cocktails since it is right on the beach. If you can't visit Hawaii, don't worry. You can always just watch the live Waikiki Beach Cam.

Posted by sushimonster at 04:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the more relaxing things to do is to sit on the beach in the morning when the air is still crisp. This morning was such a morning. After an eventful week at the office, it was time for a change of pace. So I hopped in my trusty car and headed north...past the pineapple fields, past Haleiwa Town, and on to the beaches of the famous North Shore of Oahu. After buying a gigantic cup of coffee from Ted's Bakery (a great place for breakfast), I headed over to a beach and planted my butt at the water's edge. As I dug my toes into the sand I could feel the stresses of life in the real world melting away.

The good thing was that there were only about 7 other people on the entire beach! Try that in Waikiki. I floated on my back for a few minutes and stared at the sky. It sounds boring but it was really quite fun. I would have taken a picture but I didn't want to get my camera wet. Anyways, if you want to experience the better beaches of Hawaii, you gotta get out of Waikiki and Ala Moana. Anywhere on the North Shore is good as well as Kailua Beach Park and Lanikai. I like Lanikai. I think I'll go there next.

Posted by sushimonster at 02:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Here in Hawaii it is easy to take Hawaiian things for granted. It is almost impossible to go through a day without seeing many Hawaiian dresses or shirts in the tourist areas, in the shopping malls, in the office, in the schools, and even at the beach. Even things like hula, Hawaiian foods, and Hawaiian music are so commonplace in Hawaii that most residents don't really spend much time thinking about it.

On a recent trip to Japan, I got to see first hand how popular these things are in that country. I had always heard that the Japanese love all things Hawaii. But until you see it, it is hard to appreciate it. It turns out that hula is hugely popular with Japanese women. There are over 300,000 hula clubs/schools in Japan, far more than in Hawaii, and probably the rest of the United States. One day at a mall in the city of Fukuoka, a delegation from Hawaii put on a hula and music show. I watched from the balcony and took a picture of a crowd that had gathered to learn hula from two instructors from Hawaii. What is not shown in the picture are the hundreds of people on the second and third floor balconies practicing hula as they follow the instructors on the ground floor.

I have to admit that I was impressed by the treatment we received everywhere we went in Japan. Another American sport that is very popular in Japan is baseball. The city of Hiroshima is home to the Hiroshima Carp baseball team, whose general manager is an American. The Carp have several American players, as do many of the teams in Japan's "Major League". Our hosts, the Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce and Industry, got us prime seats in the 2nd and 3rd rows right behind home plate. In the middle of the fourth inning they turned the stadium cameras on us and showed us on the jumbo scoreboard. In this picture you can see two members of our group wearing the red Hiroshima Carp baseball caps, which look a lot like the Cincinnati Reds.

It was kinda cool to see people wearing Hawaiian shirts or being so into things like hula and Hawaiian music. It seems like most people have either been to Hawaii or want to go to Hawaii someday. I had interesting conversations with cab drivers, tour guides, business people, and even Japanese cops about Hawaii. Most Hawaii residents probably don't realize that so many people in a country so far away love the clothing, food, music, and culture that we sometimes take for granted. At the same time, the Japanese seemed flattered that I was just as interested in their culture, education system, and foods, especially sushi. It sure was a fun eye-opening trip.  

Posted by sushimonster at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)