The Return of the Banana!

Came across this place while browsing Yelp (searching for pastele stew).

Menu Cover

Another “lunch house” (in a good way).

Exterior

A section in a warehouse.

Interior

Their take on the plate lunch? Sides include bacalao (salt cod fish) salad, lomi sardine, lomi opae (dried shrimp), as well as the ever popular macaroni salad or green salad.

I came for the pastele stew.

Pastele Stew

Since I was there, might as well try more. 🙂

Poi, Lomi Sardine, Roast Pork with Gravy

This time, the stew contained grated green bananas. The owner explained that the bananas itself has no flavor (being green), used as a thickener. Learned something new.

The lomi sardine had a soy sauce/vinegar dressing, I would have prefered a lighter touch (maybe just salt?). But that’s just me.

Poi two days in a row. Happy Mouse!

And to wash everything down?

POG

Only in Hawai’i. Hee hee.

Even brought home a pastele for The Cat to try.

Pastele

She wasn’t used to the annatto flavoring but it was interesting. I think she prefers joong.

Always an adventure.

Enjoy. Eat well.

The Mouse

 

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Mini Luau

Went back to the same lunch house as yesterday.

The Old Lunchwagon (Picture on their wall)

Interior

(Not of the lunchwagon, the lunch house). See, that’s why I don’t call the place a restaurant (in a good way).

Since today is Aloha Friday (every Friday is Aloha Friday), today’s special.

Hawaiian Plate

Poi included

Lau lau, chicken long rice (asian “glass” noodles or bean thread), lomi salmon, rice, green salad, and poi. A decent serving of poi, nice thickness (not watery). Lau lau had the right balance of taro leaves to pork, there was even a piece of salted butterfish too (kinda rare these days). Chicken long rice (which I think is either a Chinese or Filipino contribution) in a nice gingery chicken broth. Lomi salmon (contributed by westerners from the east coast maybe?) with a good amount of salted salmon. Slightly over the normal lunch budget ($10.75) but well worth it.

Only things missing were Kalua pork (which could be added as a side), raw onions with coarse salt, and haupia. A good thing too otherwise I would have to take a nap afterwards. 🙂

Added to my list of favorite eating spots.

Enjoy. Eat well.

The Mouse

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Yes! We Have No Bananas

“It’s not about the destination, but the journey.

Thursday specials.

“Chalkboard”

Green writing, second from the top (Pastele stew!) A pastele stew virgin (tried pastele once before, kinda like joong or tamale). Very excited.

Lunchwagon!

See the small lettering below the name? The middle word? My kind of “place”. 🙂

Ate at the lunch house/kitchen (“restaurant”).

Pastele Stew, Green Salad, Rice

Tasty, pungent, but … something missing … green bananas! Initial reaction, very satisfied on a taste level, slightly disappointed on a “trying new things” level. Still … would order again.

Owner asked “how was it?”. Good, but no bananas? She explained, traditionally supposed to have green bananas  (theory is to stretch and “heartify” (is that a word?) the dish), fill you up faster with less. She originally made with bananas,  customers would ask “have bananas or no” if have, they would order something else, lots of leftovers. She started to leave the bananas out … sells out. A pure economic move.

Makes sense, can’t hold that decision against her, but … the journey continues. 🙂

Enjoy. Eat well.

The Mouse

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Free Food Wednesday

Wasn’t planned, just happened.

Pizza Hut!

From one of the managers, lunchtime. Dunno why. Maybe she wanted pizza and didn’t want to eat alone? Pizza, breadstick, chicken wing. Since lunchtime for me is around 10:30 in the morning (don’t ask, I have a funny schedule, not my choice), this was more like a teatime snack (I was drinking black tea at the time).

Manapua!

From one of The Cat’s clients (I got the leftovers). The one with no dots is char siu bao :), the one with two dots is a mystery (some kinda ground pork mixture).

Two Dot Chomp View

Was ok.

I case you’re wondering, I did get some fiber today.

Breakfast

Multi-grain toast with butter and Vegemite (I was trying to channel Jackson Pollock and not doing a very good job at it).

Lunch

Tuna salad. I ate lunch before I knew pizza was coming.

Enjoy. Eat well.

The Mouse

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Just Add an Egg

My dad’s mantra in cooking/eating.

Still dealing with leftovers. So … for dinner … taking dad’s advice …

The Cat’s Bowl

Preserved cabbage with pork, whole wheat noodle soup with an egg.

The Mouse’s “Sandwich”

Open-faced. Multi-grain bread, baked beans with bacon, and a fried egg, with green onion garnish.

It works.

Enjoy. Eat well.

The Mouse

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