The Cat “found” two places recently that she wanted me to try. These two “finds” were born out of necessity. The first one is Lam’s Garden.
Menu Cover
It’s in the corner of a little strip mall outside of the Kahala Mall Complex. We’ve probably driven past the restaurant dozens, if not hundreds of times. The exterior doesn’t exactly scream at you to come and eat here (sorry, no photo, trust me).
One day a meeting took longer than expected and The Cat was starving. The food vendors at Kahala Mall didn’t appeal to The Cat. Out of desperation she tried Lam’s Garden. To her surprise, the food was decent and the portions were more than adequate. She ordered the choy sum with fish filet on rice, a lunch special (she forgot to take pictures). She especially liked that the lunch plate include a bowl of soup.
So The Cat sends me on an errand in the area. It’s lunch time and I decide to try Lam’s Garden.
Lunch Specials
As I am scanning the list, an item near the bottom of the menu catches my eye and starts calling to me like a siren song. Charsiu & Crispy Chicken on Rice!
Charsiu & Crispy Chicken on Rice
Ahh! Charsiu. The other red meat. Not Chashu. Mmmm! While I understand chashu and like it, charsiu is my first love.
The Cat was right, the serving was more than enough. In addition, there was a large amount of choi sum underneath the charsiu and chicken (a well-balanced meal). The chicken was fried and crispy, almost fall off the bone but still pretty moist and tender. The charsiu had a bit of fat on it (I prefer a little less fat), and it was tasty. A definite order again. While the socks stayed on, it was a very decent dish (the amount of food contributed to the  overall positive experience). I took a picture of the aftermath but as promised, I won’t post it. 😉
Oh yeah, the bowl of soup wasn’t bad either.
Egg Drop Soup
Nothing fancy, chicken stock, dried mushrooms, a few frozen peas, and egg. A welcome addition for the cold weather.
The second recommendation is in the Ala Moana mall, Donburiya Dondon (Makai Market).
Sign
Another Sign
Recently, this has become The Cat’s regular lunch spot. She used to go somewhere else (which will remain unnamed) but because of a change in management, it became less attractive to The Cat. Plus, Donburiya Dondon started offering this.
Description
The Cat is developing an obsession (in a good way), with Japanese slow cooked pork broth.
Tonkotsu Ramen
She’s still trying to decide between the Paitan Ramen at Yotteko-Ya or the Tonkotsu Ramen here. I don’t think she’s ever going to make a decision. She likes both.
So were Christmas shopping yesterday and it gets to be around dinner time. The Cat wants me to try Donburiya Dondon (I think she just wanted the ramen).
BiBimBap Donburi
I dunno what I was thinking but the BiBimBap caught my eye (after ordering I wondered why I would order a Korean dish at a Japanese restaurant, go figure).
BiBimBap
A very decent rendition of BiBimBap. Lots of vegetables, crispy rice on the bottom (a must), and a balanced spicy bean sauce on the side to add to taste.
BiBimBap, Mixed
Good portion at a good price. The Cat made a good choice.
Enjoy.
The Mouse
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