This will be my first crack at writing about one of my passions in life…yes, you guessed it…food.  Blame my family for bringing out this “monster” in me especially with all the “food porn” pics I inundate my Twitter stream with love to share online.

A little background story.  My family grew up in various parts of Asia and our home cooking included influences from China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.  All the great dishes from my family’s recipe book also gave way to a lot of unusual ingredients.  I owe it to my dad for building my courage to try bizarre eats like jellyfish (makes a delicious salad with julienne cucumbers and a savory peanut butter sauce), pig’s feet (delicious when braised),  and preserved eggs (also known as thousand-year-old eggs; goes great with pickled ginger).  I’ve learned never say “no” to new experiences – one trait that every foodie must have.

Tune in for more personal stories and adventures revolving around the theme: FOOD.  By the way, I’ll explain what this picture is all about in my next post…

Since I love cooking and eating (add me on Twitter too), here’s a list of Hawaii’s restaurants and chefs to follow.  Feel free to view my full list of all Hawaii travel Twitter accounts as well.  If you’re looking for a place to grab a bite or want to know what’s going on in Hawaii’s culinary scene, this list provides great Twitpics and mentions of new menu offerings and deals to save on your meals.  Feel free to leave a comment with additional restaurants and chefs that I should include.  Mahalo!

Updated April 9, 2009/2:30 p.m. HST (13 links to date)

Where to eat and drink

• Big City Diner (Oahu) ~ five locations on Oahu with great selection for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner
• Chef Mavro (Oahu) ~ James Beard award-winning chef George Mavrothalassitis; restaurant is rated AAA five diamond
  
• J.J. Dolans (Downtown Honolulu, Oahu) ~ pau hana at this Irish pub that serves an interesting mix of pizzas
• Kincaid’s (Ward Warehouse, Oahu) ~ reasonable place to bring the family for seafood and steaks
• My Open Bar Honolulu (Oahu) ~ listing of places to go for free/cheap
• Ola at Turtle Bay Resort (north Oahu) ~ home to chef Fred DeAngelo and my favorite risotto
• Papa John’s Hawaii (Oahu) ~ need pizza delivery?
• Pearl Ultralounge (Ala Moana Center, Oahu) ~ grab some drinks and dance the night away at this nightclub
• Ryan’s Grill (Ward Center, Oahu) ~ local restaurant with great pau hana hour…li hing mui margarhitas
• Thirtyninehotel (downtown Honolulu, Oahu) ~ serves double duty as a gallery and night spot for food and drinks
• Tiki’s Grill & Bar (Waikiki, Oahu) ~ good food, great music, and nice place to catch the sunset in Waikiki
• Top of Waikiki (Oahu) ~ Hawaii’s only revolving restaurant
• Zippy’s Restaurants (Oahu and Maui) ~ great place for a plate lunch/local food; one of President Obama’s fave eateries

Other resources

• Honolulu Dining Guide by @cookingwithamy

I’m making things easier and thought I’d split up my list into separate posts.  Here’s the first one for Hawaii hotels to follow on Twitter.  A lot of these folks are sharing great deals to their followers as well as updates on events and news at their properties.  Feel free to leave a comment with additional hotels and resorts that I should include.  Mahalo!

Updated April 9, 2009/2:20 p.m. HST (8 links to date)

Where to stay

• Aqua Hotels and Resorts (Oahu) ~ twelve boutique hotels dispersed around Waikiki
• Doubletree Alana Hotel Waikiki (Oahu)
• Four Seasons Resort Maui
• Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa (Poipu, Kauai)
• Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa (Waikiki, Oahu)
• Hotel Renew (Waikiki, Oahu)
• Outrigger Enterprises Group (All Islands) ~ includes Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, Ohana Hotels & Resorts, The Wyland Waikiki, Ala Moana Hotel, Keauhou Beach Resort, Embassy Suites – Waikiki Beach Walk, and Outrigger Condominium Collection
• Sheraton Maui Resort (Kaanapali, Maui)
• Starwood Hawaii Hotels & Resorts (All Islands)

After seeing Nathan Kam’s recent post of Visitor Bureaus on Twitter, I thought I’d follow up with a listing of Hawaii’s travel-related Twitter accounts.  If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii or just want to be in the “know,” these folks can provide great links to deals for hotels, airfares, and restaurants as well as upcoming events and festivals to schedule in your list of things to do while in the islands.  It’ll be an ongoing list as we all know that more and more folks are joining Twitter each day.  Feel free to leave a comment with additional links that I should include.  Mahalo!

Updated April 9, 2009/4:20 p.m. HST (58 links to date)

Links for planning your Hawaii vacation (16 links)

• All About Hawaii ~ Hawaii-focused travel agency based in Oregon
• A Maui Blog ~ local blogger “talking story” about all things Maui
• Apple Vacations ~ deals and offers for those looking for Hawaii travel packages
• B on Hawaii ~ newsletter by Brian Berusch, one of the “go-to” guys for all things travel-trend related
• Beat of Hawaii ~ travel blog with Hawaii deals, tips, events, and culture
• Bruce and Yaling Fisher ~ owners of Hawaii Aloha Travel Agency
• Erika Engle ~ The Buzz columnist for Honolulu Advertiser…always has juicy details to share
  
• GoVisitHawaii ~ follow Sheila Beal’s blog for info and tips about visiting Hawaii
• Hawaii Magazine ~ love Hawaii but don’t live here? here’s a magazine worth subscribing to
• Honolulu Magazine ~ oldest magazine in the state…love their “Best of Honolulu” issue
• Honolulu Weekly ~ Honolulu’s alternative newsweekly covering the local scene
• Lahaina.com ~ one of many sites that offer travel information about Lahaina and the island of Maui
• MetroMix 808 ~ a site dedicated to Hawaii’s nightlife and party scene
• Pleasant Holidays ~ deals and offers for those looking for Hawaii travel packages
• So Necessary ~ need advice for nightlife? follow this Star-Bulletin columnist for tips

Where to stay (9 links)

• Aqua Hotels and Resorts (Oahu) ~ twelve boutique hotels dispersed around Waikiki
• Doubletree Alana Hotel Waikiki (Oahu)
• Four Seasons Resort Maui
• Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa (Poipu, Kauai)
• Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa (Waikiki, Oahu)
• Hotel Renew (Waikiki, Oahu)
• Outrigger Enterprises Group (All Islands) ~ includes Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, Ohana Hotels & Resorts, The Wyland Waikiki, Ala Moana Hotel, Keauhou Beach Resort, Embassy Suites – Waikiki Beach Walk, and Outrigger Condominium Collection
• Sheraton Maui Resort (Kaanapali, Maui)
• Starwood Hawaii Hotels & Resorts (All Islands)

Where to go and what to see and do (13 links)

• Ala Moana Center (Oahu) ~ one of the world’s largest open-air shopping centers
• Battleship Missouri Memorial (Pearl Harbor, Oahu)
• The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu (Oahu) ~ looking for contemporary art in Hawaii? here’s the place
• go! Airlines ~ thinking about island hopping? try this interisland carrier
  
• Hawaii International Film Festival (Honolulu, Oahu) ~ largest “East meets West” festival in the U.S.
• Hawaiian Fire Surf Company (Oahu) ~ surfing school run by firefighters
• Honolulu Festival (Waikiki, Oahu) ~ happens in the Spring each year
• Hula’s Bar & Lei Stand Waikiki (Oahu) ~ a fixture within Hawaii’s gay scene
• Kahala Mall Center (Oahu) ~ home of the only Whole Foods and The Counter in Hawaii right now
• Pearlridge Center (Oahu) ~ another shopping destination for locals
• Royal Hawaiian Center (Waikiki, Oahu) ~ shopping location in the heart of Waikiki
• Thirtyninehotel (downtown Honolulu, Oahu) ~ serves double duty as a gallery and night spot for food and drinks
• Waikiki Aquarium (Oahu) ~ the third oldest aquarium in the United States, located next to a living reef
  

Where to eat and drink (13 links)

• Big City Diner (Oahu) ~ five locations on Oahu with great selection for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner
• Chef Mavro (Oahu) ~ James Beard award-winning chef George Mavrothalassitis; restaurant is rated AAA five diamond
  
• J.J. Dolans (Downtown Honolulu, Oahu) ~ pau hana at this Irish pub that serves an interesting mix of pizzas
• Kincaid’s (Ward Warehouse, Oahu) ~ reasonable place to bring the family for seafood and steaks
• My Open Bar Honolulu (Oahu) ~ listing of places to go for free/cheap
• Ola at Turtle Bay Resort (north Oahu) ~ home to chef Fred DeAngelo and my favorite risotto
• Papa John’s Hawaii (Oahu) ~ need pizza delivery?
• Pearl Ultralounge (Ala Moana Center, Oahu) ~ grab some drinks and dance the night away at this nightclub
• Ryan’s Grill (Ward Center, Oahu) ~ local restaurant with great pau hana hour…li hing mui margarhitas
• Thirtyninehotel (downtown Honolulu, Oahu) ~ serves double duty as a gallery and night spot for food and drinks
• Tiki’s Grill & Bar (Waikiki, Oahu) ~ good food, great music, and nice place to catch the sunset in Waikiki
• Top of Waikiki (Oahu) ~ Hawaii’s only revolving restaurant
• Zippy’s Restaurants (Oahu and Maui) ~ great place for a plate lunch/local food; one of President Obama’s fave eateries

The folks working in Hawaii’s travel and tourism industry (8 links)

• David Uchiyama ~ VP of Tourism Marketing, Hawaii Tourism Authority
• Nathan Kam ~ VP, Travel & Tourism Division, McNeil Wilson Communications
• Michael Ni ~ Account Executive, Travel & Tourism Division, McNeil Wilson Communications (**me**)
• Nancy Daniels ~ Director of PR, Outrigger Enterprises Group
• AT Marketing ~ Hawaii-based international marketing agency
• Oahu Visitors Bureau
• Rebecca Pang ~ Senior Account Executive, Travel Marketing and Promotions, Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations, Inc.
• Iron Dog PR ~ representing the Big Island Visitors Bureau

Other resources

• Honolulu Dining Guide by @cookingwithamy

HVCB finally ends its Bay Area promotion this week with a final concert series at the three Gordon Biersch locations in San Francisco, San Jose, and Palo Alto.

San Francisco
5-7 p.m.  Steven Espaniola
8-11 p.m.  Raiatea Helm

San Jose
5-7 p.m.  Aloha Brewed
8-11 p.m.  Beach 5

Palo Alto
5-7 p.m.  Kawika Alfiche
8-11 p.m.  Cyril Pahinui

I’m organizing a tweet-up from 12-2 p.m. at Gordon Biersch San Francisco on Friday, March 27 for those interested in meeting Raiatea Helm and learning more about Hawaiian music and her background. 

There’ll be free Gordon Biersch garlic fries for all attendees and you’re more than welcome to stay for lunch.  Please DM me on Twitter (@michaelni) if you’re interested in attending.

It was one of the first things that President Barack Obama did during the inauguration parade today.

Local residents do it when they’re driving or hanging out with friends.  It’s the common gesture that’s known as the “shaka” sign.

Throughout the generations, various stories have been told to explain the origins of the shaka sign, with some dating back to the plantation days in Hawaii.  The meaning can differ from one local to another; however, it remains a gesture of thanks, understanding, and the aloha spirit of Hawaii.  I’m glad that the “shaka” traveled more than 3,000 miles and is now a presence at the White House.

How to “Shaka”

• Extend the thumb and pinky finger.
• Keep the three middle fingers (index, middle, and ring) curled.
• Face the back of the hand towards the person that is being greeted.
• Give a little shake with a smile.

Whenever my friends are craving dim sum, they usually bring me along for kicks.  Since I speak Cantonese (yes, I’m full Chinese), I just place our food order for them.  Beware though…because I might order those braised chicken feet.  Yum!

I found this rap by Jin a few years ago and always crack up when I listen to it.  I figured I put his music video on my blog to share with all my friends.  For those that speak Cantonese, you’ll know exactly what he’s saying.  If not, there’s a English translation on the YouTube link.  Yum dom cha…sic gor bao.  LOL.  I’m craving dim sum now.  Who wants to go?

Disclaimer: you won’t find any bikini-clad women at your local dim sum shop…Jin probably added them to be more hip hop. haha.

I took these photos last week.  Here’s a comparison of what Honolulu looks like with power and without power   I didn’t take them at the same time but you can tell how much a difference power makes.

Honolulu without power

Honolulu with power

Alright. My friend sent me this parody on YouTube.com and it’s frickin’ hilarious. I can actually associated with everything he says…uhh raps. Haha.  To all my fellow asians, what do you think???

I just thought I give props to a few YouTube artists that I’ve subscribed to…awesome voices and most of them are filipino.  Rock on pinoys and pinays!

Gabe Bondoc

JR Aquino

Erin and Roxanne aka HipHopRox

Wish I could have their talent.  It all works out because I’m always around filipinos.  Haha!