Straying from the norm

Check out Tango over by Ward Centre. Located next to P.F. Chang’s, it’s a fairly new bistro-like restaurant by chef Goran Streng. My friends and I went for dinner and thought the dinner menu was okay. Honestly, you should go there for lunch…I went with some co-workers and it was definitely worth it. In any case, here are some photos of what we ordered at dinner.

• Seared scallops spinach salad with balsamic vinagrette mushrooms and grape tomatoes…needless to say, this dish was the best of the evening. I forgot to take a photo…only one of the plate after we all ate it.

• Sweet caramelized onion soup….great flavor…not too salty like other french onion soups…a bit oily though…took away from refreshing flavor.

• Boulabaisse with mussels, prawns, fresh island fish saffron broth aioli and croutons…not as hearty as we would’ve liked it.

• Hamakua mushroom risotto with garlic shrimp (tail on) and asparagus…can’t taste the mushrooms but the shrimp was tasty.

• Sauteed moi with tomato fennel coulis on ratatouille of veggie…the ratatouille was a bit sour in taste but the moi was good. Actually, moi is always good.

If you get a chance to go, let me know how it is.

Check out the free publicity for Hawaii…Keyshia Cole rocks and so does her new single, “Heaven Sent”…shot in Hawaii (with a lot of beauty shots of Oahu)

If you’re looking for a few tips when you plan your next vacation, check out these items on my list:

1. InsideTrip.com – I read about this new site a while ago on L.A. Times Daily Travel Deal Blog. It’s a new meta-search engine that provides a more in-depth look at various flights it pulls up. You’ll see a list of deals by “TripQuality” rankings, which rates the flights by speed, comfort, and ease. It’s another site to try out the next time you’re looking for flights.

2. Put a little humor into your travel planning by watching the following clip. Living in Hawaii, ethnic jokes don’t really phase me. I find it humorous since I can actually relate to it.  Gotta love Anjelah Johnson!

3. If you’re bored and looking to do some good for the world, visit FreeRice.com, answer a few vocabulary questions and you’ll help out with the UN World Food Program by donating a couple hundred grains of rice to those who need it. I’m not quite sure how it all works out in the end, but it’s food for thought.

4. Check out TripIt…it’s a perfect place to throw all your travel planning documents into one place. It’s simple and really easy to use if you’re looking for an all-around itinerary. Just set up an account with an email address and send all your airline, hotel, or activity confirmations to a designated email address and the website does the rest.

5. After you take your trip and still couldn’t find any good souvenirs, check out UncommonGoods.com for some cool gifts and gadgets. I’ve known about this site for quite a while and it still amazes me with all the cool items that I want to buy for my place or desk.

By the way, what do you think of these shoes? I haven’t found them around Honolulu, so I guess I’ll have to order them online if I really like them that much.

After Bourdain’s Hawaii episode aired, it seems like a lot of people are wondering where new uptown fountain is. It is actually located in Liliha at 522 N. School Street. As you’re driving on School Street (heading west), it’ll be on your right after you pass the Liliha Street intersection. It’s easy to drive past, but look for the vintage sign by the street.

When the producers and I were at the restaurant in December, the owners had told us that they would be closing at the end of the year. It’s a sad truth to the ongoing saga of mom-and-pop stores and restaurants around Hawaii. As big box retailers and mainland restaurant chains open shop in Hawaii, the local institutions are slowly closing their doors. It’s the same story in a lot of historic destinations. I really wish that visitors could step out of their hotels more on whichever island you may be on. Really explore what Hawaii is all about…from the local culture to the local cuisine.

Okay, I digress. Back to New Uptown Fountain. Yes they did provide Bourdain and David Choo a big amount of food. Lunch started off with some fresh papaya…apparently the restaurant was known for it. The SPAM menu followed with SPAM musubi (made with fried rice and nori); SPAM omelette on top of rice with curry and kim chee; SPAM, eggs, and rice; loco moco with gravy, saimin with pieces of SPAM; extra slices of SPAM, mahi mahi; chicken tofu; homemade chili; and chop steak. All this was topped off with a nice cold can of Aloha Maid’s guava juice.

Boy, I feel really sick just writing about all these food. If you’re really craving some of these local dishes, be sure to pick up Watermark Publishing’s “The Puka Guide: Oahu’s Hole-in-the-Wall Restaurants”. Be sure to visit my blog again when I post about my favorite spots to eat in Hawaii and all the places I travel to.

People have been asking what Bourdain is like when I met him in Hawaii.  Honestly, I was a bit hesitant to meet him for the first time, not knowing what he would say or do.  After watching all his episodes, he does speak his mind and smokes and drinks a lot.  Imagine him saying, “who is this guy, Mike?  He thinks he knows Hawaii?  Maybe he’s just full of crock”…well I may be exaggerating.

Does he really smoke and drink that much?

Actually not anymore.  Yes, he’ll drink but he stopped smoking ever since his daughter, Ariane, was born.  I got a chance to meet his beautiful wife and newborn.  The family really seemed to be enjoying their time at The Kahala and in Hawaii.  The producers had warned me that he wanted to bring his wife and daughter on this production.  Apparently, he misses so much family time because he’s on the road so much throughout the year…shooting the No Reservations season, book signing, TV appearances, etc.  He had a horrible time in Jamaica…so horrible that the production was about to be halted so his family could return back to the States.   With all this said, it was a bit nerve-racking.  There was a lot on the line since I really wanted the Hawaii episode to be a success.

How is he in person?

Bourdain is the “what you see is what you get” type of guy.  He’s quite quiet at times and cracks a few jokes here and there.  He’s really intellectual and it shows in his books and his on-air commentary.  I’m not sure if it was the all around Aloha spirit, but the producers were saying that he was really open to a lot of things in Hawaii…more so than other destinations they’ve visited.  I had some opportunities to sit around and chat with him…he really seemed to appreciate everyone and everything.  I’ve really grown to appreciate him as a respected chef and celebrity.

If you have more questions about Bourdain, feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer in my own prespective.  All in all, Bourdain is the kind of guy that sit down, have a beer, and just shoot the breeze.

I came across this posting on USA Today and somehow I actually feel bad for all those people suckered into buying “Airborne”.  The funny part is I was one of them.

Here’s a snippet for the story:

Company to pay $23M to people who bought cure-all for common cold

If you purchased a herbal supplement known as “Airborne,” you may be eligible for a share of the $23.3 million settlement that the manufacturers agreed to pay in response to a class-action lawsuit accusing  them of false advertising.

“You can say your product prevents or cures the common cold if you have data to support that,” Ronald Turner, a researcher at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, tells ABC News. “What happened with Airborne is that they made the claim, but had no data.”

Consumers who purchased Airborne products between May 1, 2001, and Nov. 29, 2007, are covered by the agreement. Claimants must apply for reimbursement by Sept. 15.

If you have time, you can submit the claim form for reimbursement and you don’t even have to have proof of purchase to receive the wholesale rate back to you.

The Hawaii episode is all about Bourdain debunking the myths he has about Hawaii. One of the myths that Bourdain explores is that Hawaii is all about the tiki drinks…colorful, sweet, and fu fu alcoholic drinks. Honestly, it’s hard to find someone holding one unless you’re at a beach resort in Hawaii. He stops off at Halekulani’s House with a Key first. Wing is the well-known bartender there…recommended by master mixologist Dale DeGroff himself. Wing goes all the way back to Don the Beachcomber days and has been bartending for over 20 years. In the episode, you can tell that he knows his stuff. Damn that Mai Tai and Tropical Itch looks good!

Halekulani is where Bourdain first meets Lloyd Kandell, owner of Don Tiki, who will go drink for drink with Tony throughout the day. The weather was superb and since it was around Christmas time, I recalled that a helicopter flew by with Santa sitting on the side. I figured it was a Christmas stunt for the folks lounging on Waikiki Beach. We were glad that the helicopter left…if not, that would’ve been heard to shoot around.

Next stop, La Mariana Sailing Club located by the beautiful Sand Island Access Road. I’m being sarcastic. It’s a bit of a dive bar…but guests can truly experience the whole tiki-ness of Hawaii there. I’m in the background somewhere sitting with my back facing the camera (wearing blue plaid). The producers asked me to sit in so the place looked more “full”. Apparently they ask a lot of their people in the crew to sit in at times.

You’ll see most of the production crew in the last scene at Paradise Cove Luau. Fun times!

Look for my name in the credits when you tune into Travel Channel’s No Reservations tonight (8 p.m. for you Hawaii folks). I’m listed as a field coordinator. How cool is that? Do I know what a field coordinator means? Not really, but I’m happy to be one and it sounds special enough.

I was reading Max Landes’ blog on Travel Channel’s website and made me reminisce about the short week I spent with the producers and cameramen. Producing a show can be hectic at times and I can truly attest to that with TOP CHEF 2’s season finale. It takes a lot of planning and organizing and changing things around at the last minute. You really need to have a cool head to really succeed. Max definitely was a cool guy.

(Left to right: producer Max getting a massage during the shoot; Bourdain hanging out with Christian Yrizarry and Lanai; prepping for the shoot in Kalihi)

If you’re interested in reading more about some of the segments they shot in Hawaii, I’ll be posting my takes from a few segments. First off, the shoot in Kalihi for the backyard paina with local morning radio DJs Kaleo Pilanca from 102.7 Da Bomb and Lanai from Island 98.5.

When I first heard of Lanai and Kaleo being the “guides” for this segment, I was a bit hesitant. What are these comedians going to talk about? When we got there, I was at ease. Lanai and Kaleo really made Tony and the production team feel really welcomed. Listening in on what Lanai was talking to Tony about, it really felt like they were giving him a true slice of Hawaii…from Kalihi Valley (what a great view of the sunset too). For those of you who know Kalihi Valley, you won’t often find a 6 foot tall Caucasian guy walking around very often. In a way, it seemed like it was a concocted scene from a movie…in this case, a Travel Channel show.

They brought out the green bottles and served up some opihi, grilled SPAM, oyster sauce/mayonnaise basted red snapper, ahi poke, tako poke, beef luau, and palu sami (Samoan dish made with taro leaves, coconut milk, and corned beef) among other great local food items. One scene that they cut out was the kava scene that Uncle Derek made fresh for Bourdain. From the stories I heard, all the cameramen tried it and by the end of the night, they were feeling it.

(Left to right: Uncle Derek preparing a bowl of kava for Bourdain; Bourdain “talking story” with Lanai and Kaleo; prepping the red snapper for the grill)

This week is focused on the top shows that I’m watching and looking forward to on a weekly basis.

1. Travel Channel’s No Reservations. Can you believe the Hawaii episode airs tonight??? I’ll be posting more photos from the production soon. It came and went and now it’s finally edited for TV. You’ll see everything that Tony thought Hawaii was about from aloha shirts to luau to tiki drinks…and then goes deeper to teach viewers that Hawaii is so much more (from live volcanoes, backyard paina, SPAM, big wave surfing…)

2. America’s Best Dance Crew. I’m intrigued by this show for its dancing…a lot more that So Do You Think You Can Dance? Maybe it’s the fact that it’s all about dance crews or the fact that asians are representin’.

3. American Idol. I took a few years hiatus from this show and now I’m back. The last few years I was still living at home and no one in my family cares for the show. This year, I’m back and there are singers that I actually like…see number 5.

4. Project Runway. While Project Runway will be announcing this season’s winner soo, I’m inbetween with the final three…but I’m rooting for Christian since he’s got potential. Only two more days until the season finale. (TEASER ALERT: If you want to check out the finalists at Fashion Week, here are their lines: Christian Siriano, Jillian Lewis, Rami Kashou, Chris March, and Sweet P)

5. TOP CHEF: Chicago. TOP CHEF 4 sounds good. I’m excited to see what Quick Fire challenges will be given this time around. I’m a bit bias since I was involved with the second season. Plus, there’s another Asian contestant this season..check out Dale’s bio.

The stereotype goes that asians are usually good at math and science, study all the time, make a lot of money, we all know martial arts, we cook delicious cuisine, etc. Let it all be seen and heard that asians can do much more than that. We’re breaking stereotypes and proving that we’re more than just dim sum and fortune cookies.

Lately, it’s great to see so many asians on television and getting the nation hyped up about what they do. We can surely entertain as dancers and singers. Take Ramiele Malubay…she’s Filipino and one of the best singers in American Idol this season.

I’ve mentioned Kaba Modern before, but don’t over look Jabbawockeez…both groups got enough Asians (from Vietnamese to Korean to Chinese to Filipino) to show that we can move to the groove.

The list goes on. With the Beijing Summer Olympics, we’re sure to see a lot more talented Asians from around the world. I’m not one to be full of “asian pride”, but I’m actually proud to be Chinese right now.  If you’re ever bored, take All Look Same? exam…it’s pretty trippy and really tests how much you know your Asians.  My best score was 14.  The food exam is pretty good too.