September is Pineapple Month at Alan Wongs

The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality and while many people associate pineapples with Hawaii, the exotic fruit (like most residents of Hawaii and the United States), was once an immigrant. Historical records show that the pineapple was brought from the Caribbean to the New World by Christopher Columbus and eventually found its way to Hawaii in the 1770s.

The pineapple was the symbol of hospitality back in colonial America and still is today, especially to the millions of visitors who visit Hawaii.

To celebrate this wonderful fruit, Alan Wong has officially declared September to be Pineapple Month.  Join the Alan Wong's team at their Honolulu restaurant as they prolong the summer season with new pineapple specials added to their a la carte menu all September. Start with a refreshing new pineapple libation and end with a luscious pineapple dessert.

Libations
Pineapple "Margarita"
Experience a taste of 'ole Hawaii. Fresh pineapple, a heaping scoop of Okolehao, organic lime, and a pinch of sea salt on the rim of your glass.

Bully's Drink
The "Wong Way" Pineapple Martini - Infused Svedka Vodka with fresh island pineapples.

"Celebration of Pineapple"
Refreshing thirst quencher that captures the spirit of a "pineapple cooler." Fresh pineapple juice, pineapple wine and pineapple-infused Vodka.

Locavore Pineapple "Creamsicle"
A bee-licious blend of Naked Cow Dairy Yogurt, fresh Hawaiian Crown Pineapple from Kunia, and All Hawaiian Honey. A healthy non-alcoholic smoothie.

Entrees
Lobster, Kauai Shrimp and Octopus Ceviche on Frozen Pineapple "Tiger's Milk"
A Modern Day "Shrimp Canton"
Pineapple Glazed Smoke Pork Shoulder, Pineapple Honey Mustard Relish

Dessert
"Pineapple Upside-Down Cake"
Plantation Style Pineapple Ice Cream, Caramel-Dipped "Pineapple"

For reservations please call  (808) 949-2526 and for more information, visit http://www.alanwongs.com/. 

What is NonstopHonolulu.com?

A team of former Honolulu Advertiser employees who produced Metromix Honolulu for the newspaper’s website has created a website that covers food, events and nightlife on O'ahu.  This is a great resource for locals and visitors alike.

NonstopHonolulu.com launched today with photo galleries, restaurant reviews, party pictures, event listings and blogs, with a similar look and feel to Metromix Honolulu.

The new site will include many former Metromix Honolulu personalities, including Tracy Chan, Melissa Chang, Mari Taketa, Catherine Toth and Edward Morita. NonstopHonolulu.com will be cross-promoting with partners Hawaii News Now and InsideOut magazine.

You can follow the team on Twitter too: www.twitter.com/nonstophonolulu !

**Photo Courtesy of NonstopHonolulu.com**

Like Hawaiian Java? Head to the Ilikai Hotel in Honolulu!

Hawaii is home to some amazing coffee and this summer, A coffee-roasting company from the North Shore will open its first retail shop at the Ilikai Hotel.

Mt. Kaala Coffee is planning to open a shop on the lobby level of the Ilikai in a renovated unit that’s part of the Ilikai Shops. The new store will have a coffee counter, retail area and outdoor seating and will feature coffee drinks, baked goods from Signature Sweets in Wahiawa, retail products from the North Shore and Mt. Kaala’s roasted whole-bean coffee.  The roasting facility which is located in Waialua does roast beans from all over the world, including all the Hawaiian Islands where coffee is grown.

If you are heading to Hawaii this summer, be sure to stop by and check out the Hawaiian coffee - although you may want to have an iced coffee at that time of the year!

Teddy's Bigger Burgers - Store No. 4

Although I am not a meat eater, I do eat the occasional cheeseburger from time to time (and bacon if I'm desperate).  The main reason that I don't eat a lot of meat is because I became a little too interested in where my food came from, and many books and movies later, I have sworn off meat thanks to current farming practices in the United States (I'm sure its the same in many other countries as well).  Anyway, if you are in Hawaii and are looking for a good burger, you now have another option with Teddy's Bigger Burgers set to open their 4th store on Oahu, in Moiliili, on May 31.  The store will be located at 2424 S. Beretania St. in the Rainbow Vista apartments complex.

Teddy’s currently has stores in Kailua, Hawaii Kai and Kapahulu as well as in Washington state and Tokyo, Japan. In addition, a Teddy’s Bigger Burgers franchise is expected to open on Maui by the end of this year.

Moo! Milk Production is Up!

With the Hawaiian Islands being pretty small in size, I bet you didn't know that Hawaii has their own dairy farms!  One of the things that people always talk about is the cost of milk in Hawaii being so high, and although there are about 15 dairy farms in Hawaii, much of the milk is still imported.  The good news for Hawaii farmers however is that Hawaii milk production increased 15% in 2009 - which is the first time in 11 years the state has seen a year-over-year production increase, according to a report recently released by the USDA. In 2009, Hawaii’s total milk production was 21.3 million pounds, and milk sales increased 38% from the previous year to $7.5 million. That's a lot of milk!

When you visit Hawaii and you are in the ABC Store looking for milk, look out for Hawaii's Fresh Milk and milk from Meadow Gold Dairies of Honolulu - they are the two main labels you are likely to find.  I hadn't thought about it before but I'm sure the local milk tastes better than the imported milk - next time I visit I may have to do a taste test and find out!

Le Creuset - Time to Cook

In a former life I used to work at a seafood cooking school in Sydney - you may have heard of it (Sydney Seafood School @ Sydney Fish Market).  Before I started working at the cooking school I was also studying Hospitality Management at college, as I always dreamed of building my career in the hospitality industry.  While my career path has taken a slight turn, my love of food and cooking has never left my side, and when I received an email from Jason at CSN, I was so excited.  Thanks to the team at CSN I have the opportunity to select a product from one of their many different stores and write a review of the product.  I have decided to go with a Le Creuset stock pot, because not only do I love cooking soups, I love to cook in advance so that I have meals prepared during the week.  I can't wait to cook my first soup with the stockpot and will be sure to post photos of me cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

If you haven't heard of CSN Stores, they have over 200 online stores and sell anything you could ever want or need for your home, from kitchen appliances to recessed lighting!  I hope to get my lovely Le Creuset pot in the next week or so...stay tuned!

Blogging Inspiration

I am trying to read more blogs, websites and other travel related material, not only for blog inspiration, but to expand my knowledge in general.  There are good days and bad days; sometimes I find blogs and feel so depressed that I have such a long way to go, but other days I read things and I can put things into perspective, in terms of my writing quality and quantity. 

Today I came across this amazing blog, The Road Forks - 'where food and travel intersect'.  When I read this blog, it inspired me to want to take my writing to the next level.  Not only do I love Hawaii, I am a foodie and a world traveler at heart and I really want to be able to share more of those experiences as my life unfolds.  Seeing this blog made me realize that I just need to write about the things that are important to me, in a timely fashion, and variety is the spice of life.  While my blog will continue to be about Hawaii, I think its time for a little more in terms of travel news, travel tips, and travel inspiration.  Thanks Akila and Patrick for helping me see the light.  Happy Friday!

Orchids at Halekulani Unveils New Hawaii Centric Menus

For all you foodies out there, some welcome news from the Halekulani in Waikiki. Orchids Restaurant has just announced a new lunch and dinner menu by Executive Chef Vikram Garg and Chef de Cuisine Darryl Fujita.

The new menu features a wide selection of appetizers, entrees and desserts while preserving three of Orchids signature dishes:

Steamed Oriental Onaga 'Orchids Style'

Manoa Butter Lettuce Salad

Halekulani Coconut Cake

I had the chance to look at the new menu (thanks for sending the press release Erika!) and I would say my top three picks on the new menu would be:

Big Island Goat Cheese with Kalamata Olive Cake, Tomato and Macadamia Nut Chutney

Lobster and Crab Burger with Sambal Aioli, Pickled Cucumber and Dill Parmesan Fries

Kumamoto Oysters with Japanese Cucumber and Yuzu Dressing

The menu has been designed to celebrate contemporary seafood and there are some amazing items to choose from, with modern flavors and local produce.

For more information about the Halekulani or to make a reservation at Orchids, visit their website. I am looking forward to Sunday Brunch on my next trip!

What is Your Favorite Hawaiian Food?

Its 4pm and I am hungry. My mom is still saying with us so tonight so I am planning on preparing a special meal - Armando Percuoco's famous Truffled Egg Pasta from Buon Ricordo. I was dreaming about this dish earlier and it got me thinking about Hawaiian food and how much I love the regional cuisine there. My favorite Hawaiian food would have to be Poke, followed closely by Mac Salad - food from both ends of the spectrum!

Do you have a favorite Hawaiian food? Please share it so I can drool some more!

Another Great Night at Alan Wong’s

I recently went to Honolulu for a 3 night mini-vacation, and top of the to-do list was to dine at Alan Wong’s, on King St. I have frequented the restaurant many times before and it is definitely on my list of top 5 restaurants (maybe even top 3!). I wanted to share with you some of the food that I enjoyed over the course of the evening, as well as touch on a slight mishap that happened with my Ginger-Crusted Onaga. The end result was great, and my compliments to our waiter Shawn and Kerry the Restaurant Manager who handled the situation impeccably.

As I mentioned, I would consider myself a ‘regular’ at Alan Wong's when I visit the Islands. So, I have tried almost everything on the menu, as it doesn’t tend to change dramatically, with exception of the specials. I actually ordered ala carte and my mom had the 5-course tasting menu,– hence to say there are a lot of pictures! I plan to do a separate post about the 5 course menu shortly.

My first course was an asparagus dish that was on the specials list, and, I didn’t get a full copy of the menu (I realized this after I had left the restaurant) so I don’t know the name of it. However, the asparagus was lightly cooked, with an amazing dressing that was nutty and salty at the same time. Delicious.

Second course was the Hamakua Springs Tomato, Beet and Avocado Salad, with Hilo hearts of palm and Li Hing Mui Ume Vinaigrette. This has to be my favorite dish on the menu, however they have changed up the presentation of this dish which I don’t particularly like, and the delicate flavors of the ingredients don’t mix as well as they used to. Still delicious though.

Third course was the Ginger Crusted Onaga, (Long-Tail Red Snapper), with miso sesame vinaigrette and organically grown Hamakua mushroom and corn. This fish is always amazing, so when I tried to cut into it and it was like rubber (it was a little overcooked), I was shocked! I told our waiter Shawn about it and the look of alarm on his face was terrible! Kerry, the Restaurant Manager came over to apologize and within minutes the entire kitchen staff (its an open kitchen) was analyzing my piece of fish with horror and dismay. I don’t think things are sent back to the kitchen very often, hence the fuss. So, I got a new piece of fish, and would you believe, the middle was raw. I didn’t want someone to be fired or chefs to start crying so I asked Shawn not to tell anyone, as I didn’t want to create a scene. Minutes later, he showed up with some more wine for us as an apologetic gesture. So, I didn’t get to eat all my fish, but the restaurant staff (including the kitchen) were amazing and I really appreciate that they took the time to try and fix the problem. So, despite my little fish mishap I would go back in a flash, as both the food and the service are always outstanding.

We had a Groth Vineyards 2008 Sauvignon Blanc from the Napa Valley with our meal that was lovely. The whole evening was just great, and my sincere thanks to Shawn, Kerry and their team who made it a memorable night. I will be back for Thanksgiving, and look forward to another enjoyable meal.

To make reservations, visit their website or call (808) 949-2526.

Hawaiian Springs on the Mainland

It was a simple coincidence that I had Hawaiian Springs Water on my Polyvore last Friday (see below) - when today, I read that the water is now available for sale on the mainland!

The natural water company, which draws from the Keaau aquifer on the Big Island, is now selling its bottles at health food retailers throughout California, Arizona and Nevada including Whole Foods and Mother's Market.

Hawaiian Springs has been distributing bottled water mainly in the Hawaiian Islands since 1995, so the news of expansion is great for the company, given the current economic sitation. Recently the company has done some rebranding and the new packaging looks awesome. It reminds me a lot of Fiji Water, also one of my favorites. Great news and I hope to see Hawaiian Springs Water available for sale in Seattle soon!

Aloha Hawaiian Grill

I am always looking for tasty Hawaiian-style food in Seattle. On our way to the Mariner's baseball game a couple of weeks ago, we stopped at Aloha Hawaiian Grill in Kent for dinner. I had driven past many times before and never been in, and I am glad we finally decided to check it out. One of my pet hates is a lack of authenticity when referring to Hawaiian food, culture, etc. So I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in to hear soft Hawaiian music playing in the background, and the kid at the counter proudly displaying a tattoo of the Hawaiian Islands, nice!

Hawaiian food has its share of weird and interesting concoctions. So, I decided to get the garlic shrimp with rice and mac salad. The shrimp were so delicious - they actually gave Giovanni's Shrimp Truck a run for their money! And mac salad, well its hard to get that wrong - it was just as I remembered it. John had katsu chicken - and there was so much chicken that he was unable to finish it all, which is most unusual!

The food was great, at an affordable price. If you like Hawaiian food, why not visit Aloha Hawaiian Grill in Kent or Puyallup. Check out their menu on the website so you can pick your favorite item before you get there. They also do catering too. Thanks to thenyoudiscover.com for the photo of the storefront in Kent!

My Favorite Hawaii Blogs

The more I blog the more Hawaii bloggers I discover. This is such great news as it is nice to know that there are many of us out there with the same passion. Its aloha Friday so I thought I would end the week by spreading aloha, and sharing my favorite Hawaii blogs that I have read this week:

A Maui Blog - awesome pictures from Maui, not to mention the cute pictures of Liza's Italian Greyhound.

Hamakua Springs - Primarily a blog about food (most recently a story about Alan Wong caught my eye), but this week focuses on the Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP), a plan to preserve Mauna Kea for future generations.

East Coast Wahine - a fun and popular blog written by a Hawaiian girl living on the east coast of the USA.

Beat of Hawaii - Hawaiian travel site that this week shared some amazing travel deals, including a roundtrip ticket from Sydney to Honolulu with Jetstar for only US$378. Although its a major bargain, Jetstar will never get my cash ever again!

My Island Plate - A foodie blog at the Honolulu Advertiser by Wanda Adams who has been writing about food for over 30 years.

These are some of the many great Hawaii blogs out there. Reading these blogs is a great way for me to keep up with current stories and trends, and to work out who is influential in the digital space. Happy Friday and have a great weekend - Aloha.

Honolulu Cookie Company to Open a New Store in Pearlridge

When I was in Hawaii in February, I noticed that there were a few more Honolulu Cookie Company stores around Waikiki - it seemed like there was one on almost every street corner! Well that is good news - the cookie business is booming and the Honolulu Cookie Company is opening another store on Thursday at Pearlridge Center, the store being a free-standing 100-square foot kiosk located near the main entrance of the shopping center.

Honolulu Cookie Company started in 1998 and now has 11 stores on O'ahu and Maui. My favorite cookies: The Chocolate-Dipped Macadamia Cookies. For Valentine's Day, they also had the Lilikoi (passionfruit) Mango cookies, shaped in hearts - so cute!

Is Hawaii Really That Expensive? You Decide...

Whenever I talk about moving back to Hawaii, one of the first things people bring up is the cost of living. "How can you live there, everything is so expensive!" Well, personally, I disagree. I have picked a list of everyday things that I would buy in Hawaii - compare the price and let me know if you think its expensive. All items are in $US.

Grande Latte at Starbucks: $3.80
Gallon of Milk: $6.99 (ok, that is a little expensive)
Compact Rental Car for 1 day: $32.99
Dinner for 2 at Alan Wong's: $250
Breakfast for 2 at Eggs 'n' Things: $10.00
Entry to Hanauma Bay: $5
Bus Ticket: $2
1 Corona at the Barefoot Bar: $5.95
Gallon of Gas: $2.60
Pineapple: 79c per pound
750ml bottle of Tanqueray Gin: $17.99

I think the confusion around the cost of living in Hawaii is not about the price of items, rather that salaries in general are a lot lower than the average mainland wage, making things appear more expensive. But, if you are travelling to Hawaii for vacation, it may not be as expensive as you think. A tip for keeping costs down include buying snacks and drinks at the grocery store, vs. at the hotel convenience stores. ABC Stores have a big selection of items at reasonable prices too, you can get everything there from sunscreen to macadamia nuts, so try them first before heading to the store where you are staying. There is an ABC store on almost every street corner in Waikiki, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding what you need!

Who Doesn't Love Chocolate?

Chocolate is my weakness. If I have it anywhere near me I can't help but shovel it into my mouth, no matter what time of the day. In fact, with my coffee this morning I had to have a few Peanut Butter M&M's, just because they were on the kitchen counter. This may explain why I can never shed those 10+ pounds that just won't go away!

A few months ago John and I went on a Chocolate Box tour in Seattle, and it was most interesting (and delicious). We got the opportunity to visit a chocolate factory, and eat some superior quality chocolate. So you can imagine my happiness when I received an email this morning in my inbox from Lei Chic, with some gift ideas for Valentines Day, with the focus on Hawai‘i Chocolate. With the vacation only a few days away, I am really excited to get to O‘ahu and find this chocolate - yum! Some of the chocolates mentioned include:

Malie Kai chocolate bars are made on the North Shore using cocoa from cacao trees grown on former Dole Pineapple plantation land.

Waialua Extra Dark chocolates are made from the same O‘ahu-grown ingredients, but are sold only at the Dole Plantation store in Wahiawa.

The Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory in Keauhou makes chocolate in small batches using cocoa from trees grown on the same property where the chocolate is made.

Read all about Lei Chic's chocolate recommendations here.

What Hawaiian Food is That?

One of my favorite things in the whole world is food. After working at Sydney Fish Market for a number of years I developed my palate and my cooking cooking skills. Now, I am passionate about healthy, locally grown produce (although I do enjoy the bad things from time to time!). In Hawaii, a lot of produce is grown locally, and being surrounded by water is the perfect setting for fresh seafood. Many ingredients have to be shipped to the Islands as they do not grow there and Hawaii does not have land avilable to grow more crops. However sugar cane, pineapples, papaya and seafood are plentiful. Hawaii also has an amazing selection of 'local' foods, which I wanted to share so that if you are going to Hawaii, and you see these items on the menu you won't be shy to ask for them! All these foods are common in plate lunches and at luaus.

Bento: Japanese Lunch Box
Haupia: Creamy coconut pudding, usually served in squares (a popular luau dessert)
Kalua Pork: Pork slow-cooked in an underground oven. Often served as a pulled kalua pork sandwich
Lilikoi - Passionfruit
Lumpia: The Portuguese version of a spring roll, but spicier, doughier and deep fried
Poi: The root of the taro pounded into a starchy paste; this is a staple of the Hawaiian diet, however I have not tried it as I heard it is rather unpleasant
Poke: Cubed raw fish, seasoned with onions, soy and seaweed (I have a great poke recipe from Sam Choy on my blog)
Ponzu: A soy and citrus flavored dipping sauce popular with regional cuisine chefs
Shave Ice: The Hawaiian version of a Snow Cone

A Picture of Poi - it doesn't look overly inviting

Cheeseburger Beachwalk Opens at Waikiki Beach Walk

Great News! Another restaurant has opened at the Waikiki Beach Walk - appropriately titled, "Cheeseburger Beach Walk". The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails, and is located on the center's second level at the top of the escalators on the mauka end of the building. The restaurant is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Operated by Cheeseburger Restaurants, the chain is known for its gourmet burgers and fries, as well as its selection of sandwiches, salads and seafood. There are also a number of vegetarian options for patrons looking for alternative menu choices.

You can out more information about the growing list of great restaurants at Waikiki Beach Walk here. I love that Lewers St. has had a face lift and now offers a great selection of great dining and shopping choices for all visitors to the Islands.

Hawaiian Coffee

Its late on Friday afternoon, and all I can think about is coffee. Did you know that Hawaii is the only state in the US that produces coffee? Though coffee is not native to the Hawaiian Islands, the climate and topography of the Islands offers some of the most ideal growing conditions in the world – thus producing some of the best coffee in the world.

Although coffee is not native to the Hawaiian Islands, the climate and topography of the Islands offers some of the most ideal growing conditions in the world – thus producing some of the best coffee in the world. Coffee was first introduced to the Islands by Chief Boki, the Governor of Oahu, in 1825. He acquired coffee plants in Brazil while aboard a British warship, the H.M.S. Blonde. These first coffee plants were planted in Manoa Valley, on Oahu, where they flourished. From this original planting, coffee trees were introduced to locations around the Islands, including the now famous Kona Coast. The Kona coast on the Big Island of Hawaii has been described as the Napa Valley of the coffee world. The Kona coffee growing region is only about fifty square miles in all, and is farmed largely by small landowners. A lot of the coffee you see in Hawaii is marked 100% Kona coffee, or 10% Kona blend etc. If you can get your hands on the 100% variety, I strongly recommend it - although it is more expensive, its worth the investment. Be sure to check the labels to make sure its the real deal - there are a lot of Hawaiian coffee brands out there, with many being less than 100% Hawaiian coffee.

Some of the brands I would recommend you try during your stay in Hawaii are:

Hawaiian Coffee Company - produces Lion Coffee and Royal Kona Coffee

Maui Coffee Roasters - also roast Kona coffee beans

Hula Daddy - this coffee company has recently received a historic 97-point score out of a possible 100 for its Sweet Kona Light Roast coffee in the December edition of Coffee Review .

Hawaiian Holiday Shopping Guide

Can you believe it's almost Christmas? Time has flown this year, and I don't know about you but I have been tardy with purchasing my gifts for the holidays. In recent years, I would start buyings gifts around September, and spread them out so I didn't have a nasty credit card bill at the end of the year. But this year, for a number of reasons, I have not done my shopping and expect this bill to arrive under the Christmas tree (along with a bunch of presents I hope!)

Have you thought about buying Hawaiian gifts for your friends and family this Christmas? If you read this blog, its probably because you like Hawaii, so why not share the Hawaii with those you love? My good friend Catherine was kind enough to send me this blog post from Two Japanese Bruddahs , which is a great compilation of Hawaiian gifts that you can buy during the holiday season - thanks Catherine! My picks on this list: SPAM Cookbook and Royal Kona Coffee. Thanks to the Bruddahs for this great story.

Friday, November 21, 2008
Two Japanese Bruddahs’ Holiday Shopping Guide

"Budget" may be the theme of this year's holiday shopping season for many of us. But that just means we may need to be more creative in our gift giving.

Unfortunately, "creative" isn't often mentioned in the responses I get when I give presents, so I turned to the wonderful Bay Area members of GlobalPauHana.org for advice on Hawai'i-related gift ideas.

My college buddy Kim Shinjo recommended Kimochi's Silver Bells Arts & Crafts Faire on Dec. 13 as one place where you might be able to find island style items. "Mostly cute stuff for women," said Kim. The fair is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Event Center at St. Mary's Cathedral, 1111 Gough Street, San Francisco.

Kim and Curtis Otaguro both mentioned CyberSnacks.net, the website of Wholesale Unlimited, Inc., where you can order hundreds of items, ranging from kakimochi, arare and senbei to specialty cookies, dried seafood, jerky and candies.

My absolute favorite on CyberSnacks.net is the "hurricane popcorn" - popcorn, furikake, arare and butter. If you haven't tried it, get some. It's almost better than spam.

One of Hawaii's best known local snacks purveyors, Wholesale Unlimited got started by Betty Honma in the 1960s by selling beef jerky wholesale to local bars and markets out of the trunk of her car.

And at about the same time that Betty was driving her goods around Honolulu, Bryan Li's family was starting their own local snacks shop focusing on crack seed, also known as li hing mui or see mui. Visit CrackSeedCenter.com to see their gift baskets and other items.

Curtis also recommended Nikkei Traditions in San Jose (nikkeitraditions-sj.com) as a stop on your gift hunting trail and the website for Bess Press (besspress.com), publishers of books like Ann Kondo Corum's "Hawaii's 2nd SPAM Cookbook;" the classic "Pidgin to Da Max" by Douglas Simonson, Pat Sasaki and Ken Sakata; and the newly updated version of "Japanese in Hawaii: Okage Sama De" by Dorothy Ochiai Hazama and Jane Okamoto Kemeiji.Corum's SPAM cookbook has almost every imaginable recipe for SPAM, including Green Eggs and SPAM Musubi, Easy Cheesy SPAM Crisps, Local-Style SPAM Burritos and Japanese SPAM Loaf.

Satomi and Byron Goo's The Tea Chest (TeaChest.com) was on Davina Lam's list. "They carry the plantation iced tea blend that Alan Wong's Pineapple Room serves," she said, referring to the restaurant in Macy's Ala Moana. On their website, the Goo's mention that they're the exclusive distributor of Shin Cha from Onoen Farm, which began tending the Japanese Emperor's private tea plants a century ago.

Davina also likes RoyalKonaCoffee.com for their seasonal holiday coffee blends, Island-Collections.com for the beautiful koa pieces and TajClubhouse.com for all the kids in the family.

Alyce Lee recommended Taj Clubhouse as well. She also likes buying holiday gifts from MadeInHawaiiStore.com, especially their jams, honey, mochi and interesting Japanese snack items. She also likes Honolulu Cookie Company (HonoluluCookie.com).

Honolulu Cookie Company is a good alternative to the perennial chocolate-dipped shortbread cookie maker, Big Island Candies (BigIslandCandies.com), which recently introduced a line of truffles that includes Mocha, Hibiscus, Dark Chocolate, Yuzu and Coconut flavors.

A big mahalo to Alika Hollister, Terry Akiyama, Myron Ho, Kendall Lee, Kevin Sakuda and Katherine Eslao for their gift ideas. I couldn't fit all the great ideas into this column, but appreciate their suggestions.

Keith Kamisugi and Kyle Tatsumoto are the Two Japanee Bruddahs. Read past stories at TwoJapaneeBruddahs.com.