[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!

the white jumpsuit.

not gonna lie. kind of having a love affair with white. 

i've always loved whites...the crisp white shirt, the structured white shorts, the summery white dress, the basic white v-neck (even white nail polish!)...all which usually end up in my wardrobe anyways. but now i find myself actually seeking out all things white. 

hence, the white jumpsuit.

a long-sleeved jumpsuit is a whole lotta white, not to mention a huge canvas for food or red wine stains! but i survived a night out with friends listening to a friend play music at o bar in the alohilani resort. food and red wine were involved, but i my jumpsuit made in home unscathed.

are you team white or black?

the o bar is located where the oceanarium restaurant used to be near the lobby of the former pacific beach hotel.

(prophecy jumpsuit, one teaspoon; gucci bag)

shop the look:

[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. moku kitchen.

there are so many restaurants popping up around town, it's hard to keep up. but during the holidays, there's always a reason to get together, so i've been making it a point to try somewhere new each time. last night, i went to moku kitchen, a new eatery in kaka'ako's SALT district which supports local, organic, sustainable farming, fishing, ranching, and all that good stuff.

we arrived around 5pm with reservations. paid parking is fairly abundant, but since i was early, i circled a few times around several blocks and found street parking. the restaurant was filling up when we got there and was bustling with people by the time we left a few hours later. i'm not sure how long the wait would be for a table, but i would recommend making reservations.

love the signage, although i didn't see this until we left as i arrived on the backside.

the restaurant was clean with rustic elements of wood paneling inside and brick outside. i appreciated the simplicity of the furniture and decor. there was a bar and an outside patio as well.

in the glass: montepulciano d'abrezzo pinot noir

i was told there were only two wines available that night...a pinot noir and a pinot grigio. i didn't quite understand why when i saw a number of wines on tap...maybe they were out or maybe they only offer a few from the list each night? so i went with the red, of course, which turned out to be excellent anyway.

they have happy hour from 3-5:30pm during which many of their handcrafted cocktails are $3 off. they also have an extensive microbrew list.

there was live music in one corner of the restaurant. it was enjoyable because it was "background" music rather than loud music that competed with our conversations.

roasted brussel sprouts and garlic truffle oil fries.

while i only took one photo of our small plates, we also ordered pizzas, szechuan stir-fry green beans with mac nuts, roasted squash ravioli, and wood roasted wings to name a few more. all were excellent, but i enjoyed the brussels and green beans the most.

their dessert menu was simple...a small variety of cream pies (strawberry, banana, haupia, chocolate mac nut) and sorbet. i ordered a couple of strawberry slices (for the birthday girls) which looked simply like whipped cream with strawberries on top; but whatever it was, it was nicely presented and tasted good.

service was excellent. our server was attentive and there were a lot of expediters running food and drinks to the tables. we didn't have to wait long for anything, which made for a pleasant experience. 

i look forward to coming back to try more of their menu offerings. highly recommend. 

you can walk around SALT with me here on periscope.

have you tried moku kitchen yet?

tell me about a new eatery in your neighborhood.