Sunday Dinner

Cleaning out the refrig and pantry. Had to use a couple potatoes, the remaining squash, an onion, a couple of eggplant, lots of eggs, and some pre-cooked ground pork.

The Cat deferred to The Mouse. Came up with three dishes.

Potato and Onion Curry

Picked up a package of coconut milk on the way home. It’s probably not authentic Indian, Thai, nor Japanese. It is authentic cat and mouse tho. Hee hee.

Eggplant and Ground Pork

Not spicy, more teriyaki flavored (ginger, soy sauce, sugar).

Simmered Squash and Eggs

Kind of like egg drop soup taken to the next level. 🙂

The Cat judged all three dishes four paws up. She happily packed the leftovers for Monday lunch. Guess The Mouse still has some touch.

Enjoy. Eat well.

The Mouse

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Easter Dinner

I know, a little late, but at least the post is in the same week. 🙂

And in the interest of full disclosure, the dinner was comped. 🙂 🙂

Decided to go to Ocean House Waikiki. One of our favorite places to take guests. Usually, we are busy taking care of the guests that we can’t fully enjoy the place on our terms. Of the many times we’ve been here, first time it was just the two of us.

Besides the food, this is why we take guests here. Sunset views.

Sunset

Sunset

Sunset

Sunset

No Photoshop, no retouching. Just Mother Nature doing her thing.

The other part of the equation.

Appetizer

Sizzling Ahi Carpaccio, sashimi style ahi over Maui onions, radish sprouts, and green onions sprinkled with togarashi and sea salt, topped with sizzling peanut oil.

Sometimes, the server will bring out an appetizer or two and tell us it’s compliments of the GM, this time no word. Hmm, something’s up. Let’s just wait and see.

The Mouse started with their salad.

Ocean House Salad

Organic greens tossed in minted guava vinaigrette.

The Cat had the seafood chowder. No picture, tell you why later.

There are at least two dishes at the Ocean House, one is the sizzling ahi carpaccio above, the other is this

Seared Peppered Sea Scallops

Picture from a previous visit. Jumbo scallops, pan seared with mushrooms, temari, sake, and garlic butter. Huge yum! We’re usually looking for any scrap of bread to soak up all of the sauce. Plate goes back, no need to dishwash … spotless 🙂

Been dreaming of a variation for a bit now. Didn’t want to ask any server, fear they might say no can  do. Tonight the planets and stars aligned. Our server was one of the GM’s old friends. Before asking, checked the restaurant’s breakfast menu to see if the “normal” dish is listed. Didn’t want to ask for something they had no clue about. The regular dish is listed. Phase one complete.

Asked the server, G, quietly if I could order something not on the menu. “Whatever you want, if chef can make it, we’ll make it.” Phase two.

The order, bed of rice, seared peppered sea scallops over rice (don’t forget the sauce), and two easy-over eggs on top.

Tah Dah!

Seared peppered sea scallops loco moco (working title). The Mouse, happy happy. A couple of servers came to the table to check it out, combo interested them two. And yes, the plate/bowl went back spotless. All socks off, four paws up. BIG 🙂

The Cat order the Easter special of the day.

Long-tailed Snapper, Brussel Sprouts

Forgot the official description. Sauce was a  Asian-y soy, miso, buttery combo? We both thought the Brussel sprouts and fish were not quite a match, but not bad.

For dessert, I didn’t want to overindulge so went with something light.

Sorbet

Passion-fruit and açaí. Perfect to end the night.

The Cat ordered a scoop of vanilla bean and a scoop of mac-nut ice cream. Again no picture. Why? Both appetizer and dessert, white food on white dinnerware? The polar bear in a snowstorm effect. Hee hee.

Asked G for the check, GM tore up our bill. No charge. The Cat (with some input from The Mouse) does some favors for the GM, his way of thanks. Much mahalos D.

Hope your Easter (if you observe it) was nice. Ours was.

Enjoy. Eat well.

The Mouse.

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The Cat’s Appetizer

From the After Tax Eats post. Finally got it out of The Cat’s phone.

Stage Hamachi Sashimi

Hamachi (Japanese Yellowtail) sashimi, shoyu gelée, orange and wasabi tobiko, wasabi “paint”, and radish salad. I think The Cat cut off the “paint”. I was impressed with the gelée, instead of shoyu liquid running all over the plate, the gelée stayed on the sashimi. Nice touch. And a different texture in the mouth as compared with shoyu “sauce”.

Almost as good as the sizzling ahi carpaccio at Ocean House, almost. 🙂

Enjoy. Eat well.

The Mouse

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Squash!

From the garden of one of The Cat’s clients.

Squash

Can’t tell from the picture, but it’s kind of big.

Used half last night. Even that was a little much for our pan. Cooked it in batches, made a “sauce” of pre-cooked ground pork, peanut butter (the chunky kind), confectioner’s sugar (for the cornstarch), salt, sugar, and a dash of black pepper.

Dinner

Not enough time to fully simmer the squash to fall apart tender, but it was okay. The leftovers, which The Cat took for lunch, will be better.

Enjoy. Eat well.

The  Mouse

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The Cat gets Localized

Impromptu dinner. A little too late to go home and prep, cook, and eat. Something on the way. Jane’s Fountain (1719 Liliha Street, Honolulu, Hawai’i). For a local video portrait, check this out: http://www.kitv.com/news/hawaii/where-you-live/where-you-live-janes-fountain/24230092.

For The Cat, pork with bitter melon.

Pork with Better Melon

Tofu, bean sprouts, and onions thrown in as an added bonus.

For The Mouse, liver and onions.

Liver and Onions

Of course had to order a small won ton min to share.

Small Won Ton Min

Everything served with the standard pickled cabbage and mac salad.

Pickled Cabbage and Mac Salad

First time for The Cat. She approved. 🙂

Localized food at its best. More pictures (by others) here and here.

Hoppy Easter all!

Enjoy. Eat well.

The Mouse

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