Catnip Hotel, I’m Intrigued
I must admit that the advertising for the Catnip hotel has me intrigued.
I don’t know what pheromone therapy is but more importantly, I really want to know what movies are shown on the big screen for the cats.
hawaii
Champion from Watermelon to Poke
It simply don’t matter. From watermelon to poke, the results are the same – winner.
Let’s set the stage. Ricefest 2017. Third annual poke bowl eating contest sponsored by Paina Cafe. Two bowls. One bottle POG. No palu allowed. Three minutes. Ten contestants. The most poke eaten determines the winner. Utensils optional. From what I understand, the first to sign up is the most intense…
Here’s coverage thanks to Channel808.TV.
Okay, okay, kinda funky editing of the video that jumps past the eating action. Let’s try this one instead. Are you hungry?
Thanks to Linda for the video and pics.
Still hungry? How about some watermelon from 2009 and 2014? Want more poke? Look no further than April at the Hawaiian Ocean Expo.
Comings and Goings at Ala Moana
While at Ala Moana today, I saw some changes happening. There’s a new coffee place, Island Brew, where Gloria Jeans was. Not so sure about this choice since um, Gloria Jeans went out of business seemingly not too long after opening.
While we wish Island Brew good luck, we also need to say farewell to ivivva. Specializing in activewear for girls, the brand is moving to the cloud, closing down its retail locations and focusing on online sales. ivivva Ala Moana closes its doors on August 20, 2017.
One thing that hasn’t changed and is comforting in an odd kind of way is this all-too-familiar scene. It’s for “preventative maintenance.”
Must Eat at Ramen Bario
$7 for parking in the Waikiki Shopping Plaza. I don’t care. Cash only. I don’t care. All the other eateries in Waikiki Yokocho. I don’t care (well not yet anyways). Our server mixed up one of our dishes. I don’t care. Kinda pricey. I don’t care.
All I care about is that ramen broth, specifically that of the tsukemen ramen from Ramen Bario. OH MY GOODNESS. I initially sampled the broth to check its spiciness, and a few spoonfuls later, I had almost forgotten about the noodles themselves. That broth is so rich and so different that I thought it was perfect. But then I added a spoonful of fresh garlic, and the flavor went up another level. Then I added a spoonful of the chili pepper, and the flavor of the broth just exploded. My, oh my.
Go check out the interesting decor and all the eateries at Waikiki Yokocho, but be sure to visit Ramen Bario first.
Ross Ala Moana Grand Opening
Short story. I missed the grand opening of the new Ross at Ala Moana.
Downstairs by Old Navy, I got to the store at 7:30 hoping it would be open according to the posted store hours. But grand openings being grand openings, this event’s timeline superceded regular store hours. So although patrons were waiting for the store to open at 7:30, the Ross management informed us that the store would open around 9am after the opening celebration.
Not wanting to wait 90 minutes to return items, I left the now-open-but-not-yet-opened Ross.
Vestiges of Kailua Past
Over the weekend, I saw vestiges of Kailua’s past. The last existence of Quiznos was being erased as the former sub sandwich shop’s sign was painted over.
As the renovation of Macy’s is still underway, part of the renovation uncovered its older past when Macy’s was Liberty House.
Pieology Kailua Now Open
Don’t exactly know when the new Pieology in Kailua opened for business but have no doubt that they are open. Here’s the photographic evidence.
You can find Pieology Kailua at 151 Hekili St. across the street from Target.
My Yelp Review Banned
There’s a first for everything, and today I got my first banned review on Yelp. The email I received said that my review “fell outside our Content Guidelines as it did not appear to describe a customer experience.” Yelp’s Content Guidelines are available here.
So I do admit that I was hangry when writing the mobile review, but after reviewing the guidelines, I don’t see specifically where my review crossed the line. Here’s my verbatim review:
Can’t accommodate people even with open tables and counters. We were there ready to go. There were at least 3 tables open and prepped along with 5 counter spots, but the wait list was 90 minutes. Take out at a 20-min wait was suggested. It’s a reasonable alternative, but the open seating was still baffling. It was 11:38 so possibly 11:45 reservations were coming? No explanation given so I don’t know, and overall I don’t get it. Went elsewhere. Sad start.
***Update: Wait, reservations not taken?!?! I really don’t get it.
Like I said, hangry but no inappropriate content, no conflict of interest, no promotional content, no publicizing private information, no stealing intellectual property, no payment demanded, and all relevant describing my consumer experience.
Yes, my review was my personal experience with a local business. Granted that business was cut very short since the establishment could not accommodate my family. And really, that’s the crux of my review – the handling of the situation and lack of communication. There was no reason given for the 90-minute wait time, especially when there were open seats and tables available. After the fact, I had learned that reservations were not taken so even more so, why couldn’t we dine at the open available seats? No reason was given.
That’s really disappointing. It signaled that the business didn’t want our business and doesn’t respect their customers. Why not give any explanation of any sort? Too busy, not enough wait staff? For me, some reason would be better than leaving customers to come to their own conclusions (and poor Yelp review). From other reviews, I learned that the restaurant has a pager/notification system available, but that too was not communicated as being available.
I did appeal to Yelp asking for clarification on my review and where the transgression was. But the page does openly admit that “Although we rarely end up reversing our original decision, it doesn’t hurt to have someone else take a second look,” so while I don’t expect my review to be reinstated, I do respect the openness Yelp is demonstrating.
Two Pics from the Iolani Fair
Two pictures I wanted to share from the 2017 Iolani Fair. While walking by the swing ride at night, I spontaneously took a picture of it illuminating the area. After looking at the picture more carefully, I noticed the dude standing cross armed aligned with the center of the ride. He almost looks purposefully posed for the pic.
Here’s a shot at the wiffle ball booth where one tossed ball in a colored ringed hole wins a prize. While not running the school, Mr. Cottrell is just another wiffle ball player who succumbed to the deceptive difficulty of this game of luck.
Party Bus Comin’ at Ya
Kinda odd seeing a party bus headed towards you on a narrow residential street.
The B. Stands for Bucks
I think I was wrong. The “B” in B. Patisserie may not stand for “box” but rather “bucks” as in we spend big bucks whenever we pay a visit.
“East Side” Girl Scout Smores Cookies
Alright, a Girl Scout troop in Hawaii needs to find a way to bring in the other Smores cookies. Sourced from two different bakeries, there are differences in Girl Scout cookies throughout America as described by the L.A. Times.
Personally, I think these chocolate-covered graham cracker cookies are way better than the sandwich version sold by Hawaii-based Girl Scouts. The sandwich version tastes like any other sandwich cookies available at grocers. If both types of Smores could be brought to Hawaii, they could to be sold regionally, like an “east side” and “west side” Smore. That’ll provide a distinguishing characteristic for the cookie and maybe stir up some preference tiffs (like the argument about who makes the best malasada). I’d definitely go for this “east side” Smore.