[oomph.] eats. dean & deluca.

the holidays always mean get togethers and good times.

and good food.

and new places.

when my friend comes to town, she always finds cool new spots for the gang to gather. this christmas it was brunch at dean & deluca at the ritz carlton residences in waikiki.

i didn't even know we had a dean & deluca here, let alone a restaurant! apparently they've been here since 2016, and according to our server, the dining loft was only six months new.

you enter through the store then head upstairs via elevator or stairs to the small and cozy 6-ish table loft. the brunch menu wasn't overwhelming with only five items from soufflé pancakes to ahi caviar to saffron bouillabaisse; all looked delicious!

we had fun chatting and catching up with each other, and to round out the great experience, service was excellent. oh, and did i mention mimosas?

bottomless mimosas.

head up to the loft via stairs or elevator.

cheese and crackers to start.

view from the loft overlooking the store below.

i chose the kunoa beef wagyu loco moco. the meat was tender the bamboo rice was tasty, the egg was perfectly jiggly...excellent!

a few seats at the bar + a handful of tables keep things intimate and cozy.

did i mention the bottomless mimosas?

the girls and i had a great time here. i definitely want to come back during their evening wine bar hours. they validate parking AND i hear another location is already in the works.

do you have dean & deluca in your city?

did you try a new place this holiday season? tell me about it!

[oomph.] eats. goen dining + bar.

there's a new restaurant, my sister says...want to try it?

sure, i say.

one condition, she says...you have to eat their impossible burger.

*insert ewww emoji*

while i'd been hearing the name, impossible, i didn't pay much attention to the commercials and assumed it was just a big burger that was impossible to finish. i recently discovered it was a brand of plant-based [meatless] meat. i also read and heard reviews, including my sister's, that it tasted just like meat!

ohhhkay, then...i'm goen for it!

i'm goen to need a cocktail to wash this down! 

we started with the mushroom fries. they were really good, but i was starting to wonder when the real food would show up!

we ended up sharing an impossible burger which truly was impossible for me to finish...even half of it. but, whew, real potato fries here!

first bite was great...just like a hamburger. as i continued to eat, my mind wanted to taste the plants, but the patty was seasoned well enough that i couldn't taste a difference while eating it altogether with the bun and tomato and lettuce and fries. however, there's a very slight difference in texture which might give it away if you ate the patty alone. it's moist and doesn't have the same toughness or chewiness as meat sometimes has.

overall, the impossible burger at goen dining + bar was tasty and enjoyable; i would order it again. i can't promise a fast food version will be as good.

goen lychee martini.

weekends are for brunch...these are their waffles.

have you tried the impossible burger yet?

tell me your thoughts on it!

[oomph.] eats. surfers coffee.

weekday mornings are pretty routine when it comes to breakfast, and i'm ok with that...oatmeal, toast with almond butter, fruit and yogurt. but every once in a while, i crave a good different breakfast.

on this day, we headed to surfers coffee, not far from home, for mochas + açaí bowls and decided to try their mochi waffle. it was so good. i tend to associate mochi with sweets and desserts, so i wasn't sure what to expect for a breakfast food, but it had the perfect amount of chewiness and sweetness served simply with honey and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. this time, we shared one. next time, i'm getting my own!

what's something different you tried lately...

a new dish? a new place?

nothing better than that first sip of coffee, amiright?

at first glance, i thought it was a small portion, but it ended up being just enough with a coffee or smoothie. 

this is their medium açaí bowl, perfectly portioned. it comes with honey, granola and bananas...i added strawberries.  

full and happy.

(aloha sweatshirt, bikinibird; Zara leather woven bag; Levi's denim shorts)

shop white sweatshirts:

[oomph] eats. harbor restaurant at pier 38.

while i love trying new places, i also have my favorites. a restaurant/bar makes my favorites list for either its amazing view, service, or food/drinks. secondary to that is its location, parking, and cleanliness. harbor restaurant at pier 38 hits the mark in almost all of the above. it's close to work, has a beautiful view of the harbor, the food is great, we always have great service, its location outside of downtown/waikiki means it's less crowded, and there's lots of parking.

dinner seating starts at 5pm, but you can arrive earlier to have drinks at the bar. they have a beautiful view of the sunset, although they tend to close the blinds during that time. however, they do reopen them in time to see a nice afterglow.  

post sunset view over the harbor...the afterglow.

appetizers: prime rib bites and potato crisps & dip.

brand new and clean interior. love the high ceilings and open feel.

favorite drink: the sunset

(house infused cherry vodka, malibu pineapple rum, chambord, sweet & sour)

salmon salad

you can even bring your own bottle of wine, no corkage fee.

dessert: tiramisu

harbor restaurant at pier 38

1129 n. nimitz highway

honolulu, hi 96817

[oomph] eats. Cafe Lani Hawaii.

during the holidays, i tried several new eateries in town. on this day, we went to Cafe Lani. i had no idea what to expect here, except that [my friend told me] they had all-you-can-eat bread for $4.99. we arrived around 5pm on a weekday and were seated immediately. 

walking into the restaurant is like walking into someone's home. the interior is white based with wooden accents, fun wall prints, couch-like pillows, and oversized lamps. the open floor plan allows you to see the chefs and bakers at work. we were greeted soon after and had excellent service throughout our dinner.

they are known for their unlimited bread for $4.99 with any entree. if you purchase a combo meal, like we did, the unlimited bread is included. this is a meal in itself! it's not just plain bread and butter...there are six different kinds on my plate, plus more that we didn't even get to try + 4 dipping sauces. they come around with a huge tray of breads. you can pick and choose what you want, but our waitress gave us one of everything to try. we were full before our meal arrived!

i ordered the chicken gratin set, $25; chicken gratin with gravy, french onion soup (or clam chowder), salad, and mini Lani pizza. the salad and french onion soup were really good. the gratin was decent, although i really couldn't eat much more at this point. i tasted a couple bites and packed the rest to take home. i took a bite of the cheese pizza, which was ok, but i also packed that to go. (mini-he appreciated that in the morning for breakfast.)

love the decor.

blueberry soda (with grey goose vodka).

my friend ordered the fedelini porcini cream sauce set, $25; porcini cream pasta + the same items as my combo. the pasta was really good. they also had a dessert menu with lots of yummy looking parfaits, but we were so full. next time!

after the fact, i read a lot of mixed reviews...probably more negative than good...complaining about the wait time, the slow service, the all you can eat bread scam, the prices, etc. we had a great experience, and i look forward to trying other things on their menu.

do you like to try new restaurants?

where have you been lately?

[oomph] eats. a first for the last.

i said goodbye to one of my favorite places last week...

brasserie du vin was my go-to place for drinks downtown. it was right across hawaii theater, and we'd always start or end our night there after a show. other times i'd meet up with friends there just because of the cool european vibe of their little outdoor patio.

i was bummed to hear that they were closing their doors for good, and i figured i wasn't going to make it down there with only a few days til closing. but then...

...uh, yes!

cabernet + crab cakes.

of course, it was super crowded as everyone was trying to have their final drinks and bid that little slice of europe goodbye. a bunch of us had to squeeze around a tiny table, but it was worth getting to sit in the cobbled alleyway outside.

they were known for their wide selection of wines and accompanying cheese platters among other yummy things. they sold out of their delicious baked brie, so we filled up on pommes frites, pan-seared scallops, and crab cakes. and while i never had a chance to try one of their cheese or charcuterie platters, i did experience something new that night...escargot.

with visuals of huge african snails in our garden and crawling all over our fence, the thought of eating snails never appealed to me. blech.
but i figured, what the heck.
and you know what?
it wasn't that bad.

it was a great first for the last night.

have you tried escargot?

what's something you hesitated trying?

[oomph] eats. grilled romaine.

as someone who loves and consumes a lot of salads, i know how i like them...cold and crisp. but i changed my mind after trying the signature salad (grilled romaine) at a fairly new restaurant, grylt. while the overall restaurant experience was just ok and the food a bit salty, i did like the idea of grilled romaine. romaine lettuce is hearty enough to withstand heat, and done right, it's still crispy and even sweet. you can find a bunch of recipes on the internet, each with its own twist,

but here's the basics:

romaine hearts, halved lengthwise

olive oil

coarse salt and pepper

shredded parmesan cheese

brush hearts with olive oil, salt and pepper,

grill until slightly charred, top with cheese and serve.

signature salad + steak add-on from grylt restaurant.

beef barley soup & acai bowl.

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week #3 of east vs. west [coast] style coming up tomorrow!

so far we've rocked denim shorts and nautical stripes.

can you guess what's next? stay tuned.

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last week to enter!

enter the coach bag giveaway here