Stripsteak

This evening we celebrated a couple of birthdays-one is a real birth day (couple of days ago of our new grandniece).
Michael Mina's Stripsteak opened in the new International Market Place in Waikiki and what better place to have steak than at a steakhouse.

Opted for the cooler indoors, but the outdoor patio area looked comfortable too.

We waited at the bar for the dinner service to be opened at 5:30 which gave me a chance to try their famous Black Tai.
Didn't taste the sesame nor the charcoal but it's light citrus flavor was refreshing and not too strong.

Black Tai.  Refreshing.

Indoor table.

A card signed by the staff.
Wonderful attentive and friendly service by our server.

Flavored French Fries were gratis while we waited for our food.

The hamachi, salmon, ikura, watermelon, edamame poke was fresh and delicately flavored.

R had the Caeser's salad

and I had the Heirloom Tomato with Burrata and quinoa .
Mmm.

The Wagyu Filet was melt in your mouth tender.   With steak like this you don't need any of their sauces.
We had sides of baked potato, Tokyo Tots and mushrooms which was too much, although good.

R's angus Filet was delicious too.

Complimentary pineapple float.

The Shave Ice was so nice and cool .  Chunks of guava shaved ice, haupia, rambutan, and tapioca.  Fattening but refreshing.

Caramel popcorn given as a favor.

After such a satisfying but heavy meal, we had to walk a bit.  Next door the newly opened Kona Grill was full.

It's nice to walk around the SC in the evening with all the lights in the gardens and no crowds.

All I have to do is take clothes out of the dryer and Penelope will come running and take a flying leap onto the bed so I can dump the warm, fluffy clothes on her.  She makes such cute doggie sounds of contentment.

The other day, after an early dental checkup, we decided to try Cafe Lani at the Mall again.  We've been there about four times, usually for breakfast, and were  never satisfied, but it was open and...
Service was still not great.  The siphon coffee and pastries were good.  (It's about$8.00 for the bottomless coffee and pastries service).   I wanted the poached egg since it's not easy to find, aside from the Benedicts, but it came in a jar on top of mashed potatoes.
There were also roasted potatoes, limp, overly browned mushrooms and toast.
I guess we won't go back unless we really have to.

At naginata practice on saturday, we said goodbye to a student who will be going to the mainland for college.
Sensei was wondering if she should jump up to be a bit more level with her.

We like light dinners.
At Ruscello's, on the third floor in Nordstrom we shared the crispy Calamari and Mediterranean Hummus.

The Mediterranean Hummus is the same as the one we always order at The Habitant on the second floor. Usually with their Ahi Poke.

Resting during a walk in the Mall.
Her tail is always between her legs because it's very noisy on the street level.  She keeps wanting to turn and head back to the parked car.

new Dean and Deluca, Halloween, Bairin

Sunday.
Here is the new Dean and Deluca in the new Ritz Carlton Condominium in Waikiki on Saratoga and Kuhio.

The space is rather smaller than we expected (there are big ones in New York, for example) .

I was looking for some unusual jams but didn't find any.  Nothing very out of the ordinary on the shelves yet.

But the refrigerated deli section looked yummy.

And so did the pastries.  The pastry chef said there isn't a kitchen on premises yet, but the goodies are brought in every couple of days freshly baked.

We got the chocolate cake and fragrant iced tea and coffee and took them outside.  Unfortunately it was very windy so we hurriedly ate and left.
The cake was delicious!! Rich and light without being overwhelmingly sweet and sticky.

The $5.00 slice of cake was big enough to half and share.
The iced tea was $4.00 and iced coffee, $3.50.

Then to the Ala Moana Mall to walk a bit.
Venturing into the Halloween Store was so much fun.
Amazing how many items there are to make you up into anyone or anything you want to be for Halloween.
Very different from the homemade, simple costumes we had when we were little.
I remember trick or treating around the neighborhood and delighting in the familiar neighbors pretending to be astounded at seeing all of us little creatures.
Some really nice ones would invite us into their homes for cookies.
Thank you to all the grownups in those times for making warm and exciting memories for us.

The ghosts and monsters in the "elevators" in the back of the store were fun and creepy.

Cute hula show at Centerstage of youngsters playing ukuleles and dancing the hula.

For dinner we went to Bairin for tonkatsu.

They make us work grinding the sesame seeds for our sauce.  I guess if they're freshly roasted the aroma should whet your appetite.

Fillet katsu set.
(This always reminds us of the rest of the family in California who enjoy coming here whenever they visit)

And for dessert we were looking forward to McDonald's chocolate dipped cones---But, but, but the season for them is over!
So we settled for the hot fudge sundae.

The Music of Queen at the Blaisdell!

Friday night at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.
The music of Queen, with the Honolulu Symphony partnering with Windborne Music in a rollicking show of Queen's great music with the classical orchestra and rock band supporting each other.

Brody Dolyniuk sang the part of Freddy Mercury so well, and Brent Havens conducted the orchestra.  Four other band members completed the Windborne music's group.

Hearing Bohemian Rhapsody, Who Wants to Live Forever, We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions with the symphony orchestra behind the rock band was riveting.  The lead singer was energetic and entertaining throughout the 18 or so songs presented.  The audience loved it!   Not much space for dancing in the aisles, though.
Wish I could've seen Metallica partnering with the San Francisco Symphony in 1999!

Local style food and Hawaiian history at the Bishop Museum

Poor Penelope.  At home with her toys and R.
Plumbers are coming to do repairs, and our triple osmosis filters in the kitchen have to be changed, so Ry and I did some errands.
I went to the gym and my Zumba class.

Our instructor Kevin with his Instructor of the month award.
(Photo is from a couple of weeks ago)

It was raining when Ry picked me up after class, so some  Tanaka saimin for lunch was great!
You get teriyaki beef, shrimp tempura, and macaroni salad with the Wun Tun Min noodles.

It's monday, but the Bishop Museum was open (it's open every day) so Ry and I decided to visit.

The Hawaiian Hall

A "grass shack"

Top view of one of the beautiful koa posts around the house exhibit.

A lei kupe'e, or shell lei belonging to Queen Kapiolani made from shells presented to her during her travels around the islands.

One hands on exhibit lets you use some traditional instruments to accompany the chanter in the video.
There were  displays of implements, weapons, feather cloaks, beautiful woven mats, and an explanation of the many names of the moon as it goes through its phases-like "Mahealani" which is "the second of the nights in which the moon does not set until after the sunrise...it is the 16th night of the moon and it is much more full"

Such an eye opening display of the history of a people who lived in this isolated string of islands, surrounded by only sky and ocean.

The Planetarium was presenting a show of the Hokuleia's voyage and navigation using the stars and Hawaiian compass.
It was fun to review some of the constellations and see them from a Hawaiian seafarer's eyes.

Completing a Hawaiian sort of day, R and I had dinner at Highway Inn.

My Pulehu ribs were tender, not too salty, but with a slight crunch of the Hawaiian coarse salt used for flavor.

R's was the Plantation Plate with ribs, chicken adobo, and panko crusted fish.  Also Kim Chee and rice.