Kona Coffee Ice Cream Float - Kope lani

Place: Kope Lani
Location: Kona, Big Island, HI
Website: http://www.kopelani.com/
Recommended by: danae
Summary: I LOVE coffee, but I'm kind of a wussy coffee drinker. I pretty much only drink coffee in the form of lattes and mochas, because I like sweet, sweet, creamy coffees. Dessert, basically. Also, caffeine is just bad for me, for several reasons, so I'm just not supposed to drink coffee. Even decaf sometimes does me in. So I try not to drink coffee often, but sometimes I just can't resist, since I love the flavor of really good coffee so much! When we were at the Big Island, I really wanted to try some Kona coffee, to see if it was worth the hype. And, well, it totally was. We went to like, 3 different locations looking for Kona coffee, and dude, apparently, people only drink coffee here in the mornings or something? It was about 3 pm, and everywhere we went was closed. Finally we found Kope Lani which was open all day... and better yet, they served a coffee ice cream float, which is 2 shots of kona espresso plus a scoop of whatever flavor of Big Island Ice Cream you want. I forget the actual name of the ice cream we chose, but it was kona coffee ice cream with cinnamon brittle. And O. M. G. It was SO GOOD. The ice cream basically fulfilled the cream and sugar requirement of the coffee, but also just really emphasized the glorious flavor of the kona coffee. And, since it was a warm day, it was nice to have the hot espresso countered with the cold ice cream. The only thing I would say negatively is that the ice cream melts too quickly (which, i guess is to be expected). Maybe if I ever go back here, I'd ask for an extra scoop of ice cream. Oh yeah, and it's kind of expensive... though, I don't think it's unreasonable. I think it was about $5, and if you think about it, a latte would be about $3 anyway, and a scoop of ice cream about $2. Anyway, it was so good that we ordered another one, that was exactly the same... and I totally ODed on caffeine and felt sick the rest of the day. But I think it was worth it.

Nasi Campur

Place: Warung Wardani

Location: Bali
Website:
Recommended by: manda
Summary: Although Indonesia is hot and humid, I love to eat spicy food there. And when I go to Bali, I always need to visit Warung Wardani for lunch. I'm not even sure what else they sell there, as I always order the nasi campur. It's a mix of everything - beef satay, fish satay, fried prawns, chicken, jackfruit, veggies, and of course some rice. They give a dollop of chili on the side, so you can keep it milder, but I like to just spread it all over and mix it all together. It is pretty spicy, that chili, so be warned! But the sweat and runny nose is worth it, to me. I'll be heading there in a few months, and my mouth can't wait! So definitely make a stop here if you're there. Beware, it may be busy!

N.Y. Italian sub sandwich, Thundercloud Subs

Place: Thundercloud Subs
Location: Austin, TX
Website: http://www.thundercloud.com/
Recommended by: danae
Summary: To be clear - I pretty much usually hate sandwiches. I find them dry, boring, and I hate how stuff falls out of them. And they usually get your hands dirty. However, on the flip side, some of my all-time favorite individual dishes have been sandwiches - and the N.Y. Italian sub sandwich at Thundercloud is one of those. Thundercloud subs are my all time favorite sub sandwich. Yes, better than Potbellys, in my opinion (but not by much... Potbellys is really yummy too!). For me, I think the key to the Thundercloud sub is the thunder sauce. I don't know what's in that thing... but it adds a kick of something that just makes the sandwich oh-so-tasty. The NY Italian is definitely my favorite - ever since having Blimpies in NY (another favorite), I've had a soft spot for sweet peppers.... mmmmmm! I do wish they had more bread choices, but I'm not complaining. This is one of the few sandwiches in my life that I have inhaled.

Tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen - akamaru

Place: Ippudo
Location: New York City, NYC
Website: http://www.ippudo.com/ny/
Recommended by: Eugene
Summary: Saying that Shigemi Kawahara (known as the "Ramen King") owns this place should be enough. That said I feel like this ramen falls short of its potential. The floury noodles were tasty but didn't seem like a good match for the broth. But the star, as always in really good ramen, is the broth. Tonkotsu broths almost never bad, but most are rather plain. Ippudo's broth has a subtle complexity to it. The chashu, although a minor point for me, was the best chashu I've ever had.

I'm not a big tonkotsu ramen fan, but this was totally worth the 3.5 hour journey.

Shio (salt) ramen

Place: Santouka Ramen
Location: San Jose / Costa Mesa
Website: http://www.mitsuwa.com/tenant/santouka/eindex.php
Recommended by: Eugene
Summary: It's been a while since I had Santouka, and honestly I've been slightly disappointed the past two visits, but it's still my favorite in the States (although not by much. More to come later). You get a broth with great depth, kansui noodles, and tender chashu.

Be warned that it is pretty salty. Ramen is supposed to be.

Brioche French Toast - Five Points

Place: Five Points
Location: New York City, NYC
Website: http://www.fivepointsrestaurant.com
Recommended by: danae
Summary: I'm not really a french toast person. I usually find it too soggy and/or eggy. However, the brioche french toast at Five Points was by far an exception. At the time I had it, they baked the french toast in a ceramic dish in a wood oven, so the tops and sides were crispy and crunchy - and that made ALL the difference! Top it off with the fact that they also serve churros and hot chocolate during brunch, this is one of my favorite brunch spots!

Cincinnati chili

Place: Gregory Lopez
Location: Pasadena, CA
Website: (none)
Recommended by: Eugene
Summary: Shirley's chili is really good (she got the recipe from a celebrity chef), but my absolute favorite is Greg's chili. It's Cincinnati style, which includes some unusual ingredients like cinnamon and chocolate. I absolutely LOVE this chili. It's an obsession.

The first time I had it was at the Christmas potluck, and I got the boss upset because I had five full bowls of it. It's the star of the Christmas potluck every year, and everyone else doesn't know what to bring because their food won't get eaten anyway. We joke that we should just contribute to Greg's chili fund.

Unfortunately, the only way for you guys to eat Greg's chili is for me to get leftovers after the Christmas potluck. I keep asking him for the recipe; with all his obligations at work, he keeps forgetting.

Sorry to post something that you guys can't have. I'm just craving it right now!

Pulled pork sandwich

Place: Perdue's BBQ
Location: Pasadena, CA
Website: http://www.perduesbbq.com/
Recommended by: Eugene
Summary: I was asked what makes a good pulled pork sandwich. There's not much that goes into it. There's the bread, cole slaw, pork, and bbq sauce. It's just how those four things go together. Perdue's pulled pork has just the right amount of tenderness, smothered with sweet bbq sauce (I thought it was a little heavy but Annie adds more) topped off with cole slaw that can totally stand on its own. Now this makes a really good sandwich even on the kaiser roll, but texas toast turns this into an amazing sandwich.

Perdue's is also known for its BBQ brisket. I thought it was pretty incredible too. The fattiness of the meat combined with the sweet BBQ sauce goes together like Bella and Edward...or Jacob.

Cachapas - Zaguan Bakery and Cafe

Place: Zaguan Bakery and Cafe
Location: Dallas, TX
Website: http://www.zaguanbakery.com/
Recommended by: danae
Summary: I'd never heard of cachapas, a Venezuelan dish, before my trip to Zaguan. However, I haven't been able to stop thinking about them since. They're almost like quesadillas... but instead of a flour tortilla, the shell of the cachapa is made out of something totally different. It tastes like semi-sweet cream corn, and has a soft, spongy texture, almost like a pancake. Yes, the cachapa is a texture food for me, but the other winner here is also the cheese. Soft, and not too salty, just the way I like cheese. I believe my favorite thing here was the Renia Pepia Cachapa (a corn pancake stuffed with chicken, avocado and cheese). I have a huge sweet tooth and was really excited about all the bakery goodies this place had to offer as well, but I have to say that nothing stood out, and it was all a little too sweet. Sad.

(Note: Photo is from Yelp)

Salmon nigiri - Sushi on the Run

Place: Sushi on the Run
Location: Los Gatos, CA
Website: http://sushi-on-the-run.com/
Recommended by: danae
Summary: Everything is good here, but the salmon nigiri is outstanding. The cuts of salmon are HUGE! I've probably gotten cuts that are about 5-6" long (though, the rice ball is a normal size, so you get a few bites of just pure fish) and about 1 cm thick. I know sushi purists will probably say that this isn't authentic, but screw authenticity - it's tasty, and the thickness I think really emphasizes the perfect, firm texture and flavor. The temperature of the salmon is also really nice here - I'm not a fan of fish that's too close to room temperature, and therefore feels a little mushy. Everything about this salmon nigiri is perfect, and at $5 for two ginormous pieces, I'd say it's a steal too.

(Note: Photo is from Yelp. And those pieces of salmon are smaller than the pieces I got the last time I was there!)

Japanese bbq beef - Jojoen

Place: Jojoen

Location: Tokyo, Japan (I've eaten at both the Shinjuku and Ueno Park locations, and I preferred Shinjuku since they had one waiter who spoke a little bit of English, versus Ueno Park, which had none. For English-speaking tourists, Shinjuku seems to be a little bit easier to get to and communicate with, but the quality and execution seemed the same at both locations.)
Website: http://www.jojoen.co.jp/index.html
Recommended by: danae
Summary: I've told many people that if I could pick anything in the world to be the last thing I eat before I die, Jojoen's Tokusen Rousu usugiri (with salt and sauce) would be it. This is Premium Japanese Black Angus short rib meat, that you cook on your personal table grill. It's similar to Korean bbq, except with Japanese barbeque 1) the meat is usually not marinated, and served with only salt, or a light sauce 2) the Japanese grills are different. It doesn't really seem to make the meat taste any different, but I've never come out smelling like meat after being in Jojoen, versus any other Korean bbq place I've been to. 3) The cuts of meat are just different. 4) And at least at Jojoen, the meat I had here was the best quality meat I've EVER had. Perfectly marbled with fat, so tender, and the meat just melts in your mouth. At Jojoen, they will ask you if you want the meat served with salt or sauce, and I believe my favorite was to get both. Sometimes they get confused by this order, and I've only managed it successfully once.

So far the best Yakiniku place I've had in the US is at Hiroshi Yakiniku in Honolulu, HI. There seem to be several Yakiniku places in Honolulu, and I didn't get to try any but Hiroshi, but Hiroshi was pretty darn good, and much cheaper (not to mention, closer) than Jojoen. My favorite dish here was the Toro Kalbi. Someone on Yelp described this dish as "meat flavored butter" (in a good way), and I would have to agree! I've also tried Manpuku in LA, and it just didn't come close.

The Jojoen menu










On the grill.

Grilled Corn - Cafe Habana

Place: Cafe Habana
Location: New York City, NY
Website: http://www.cafehabana.com/
Recommended by: danae
Summary: The grilled corn here is AWESOME. AWESOME. It's grilled until slightly charred, then topped with crumbled cheese (I think it's Cotija) and sour cream? and then sprinkled with lime juice and chili pepper. Hands down the best vegetable I've ever eaten.

I've tried this recipe before to try to duplicate this dish. It's good, but the real deal is just so much better!

(Note: Photo is from Yelp)

Ice Cream - Kilauea Video Ice Cream and Candy

Place: Kilauea Video Ice Cream and Candy
Location: Kauai, Hawaii
Website: http://www.yelp.com/biz/kilauea-video-ice-cream-and-candy-kilauea
Recommended by: danae
Summary: This is my #1 ice cream place. EVER. And I've had a loooot of ice cream. So creamy, thick, and really interesting flavors! I think my favorite here is the Banana Cream Pie, but everything i'd had here has been great. The most interesting one I've had is definitely the peanut butter and guava jam flavor - which really tastes just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! The ice cream here is Tropical Dreams Ice Cream, and the only place to get it is here in Kauai, the Big Island, and randomly, Utah. However, we went to 3 places on the Big Island, and all of them had like, 8 flavors, whereas this Kauai location had about 25. Flavors rotate though, which is both a good and a bad thing, since there's tons of them, but your favorite might not always be available! We were told that the woman who makes this ice cream grows nearly all of her own ingredients on her farm on the Big Island, so she uses really fantastic ingredients, and she tries to make a lot of locally influenced flavors with ingredients such as macadamia nuts, coconut, and Kona coffee. Jason's favorite is the mint. It's unlike any other mint chip flavor we've ever had(and believe me, we've tried a LOT), since it uses real mint leaves... which you can sometimes see remnants of in the ice cream!

My best ice cream runner-up is Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco, CA. Similarly creamy, and with a fantastically thick texture. My only complaint is that I wish there were more fruit flavors to choose from. I almost always get honey lavender. From there, I will alternate my second flavor among roasted banana, coffee toffee, ricanelas, or salted caramel. Sometimes I long for the risky, interesting flavors of other Bay Area ice creameries such as Humphry Slocombe or Ici, but to me, their ice cream just doesn't have the same, luxurious texture as Bi-Rite. (Though Ici's cones are the best! That little nugget of chocolate at the bottom of the cone makes me happy every time.) Oh and Bi-Rite's ice cream cakes are awesome too... I highly recommend the meringue frosting! Not as sweet as regular frosting, and the lightly torched top is just so pretty.