Dinner at Cafe Lani Hawaii

The other night my husband and I decided to try out the fairly new Cafe Lani at the Ala Moana shopping center. We've heard mixed reviews on it and it only received 3 stars on Yelp so we were a bit skeptical. To our surprise it was great and can't wait to go back again to try new dishes. For now, here's my thoughts on our experience:

Restaurant itself:
Came here on a Friday night around 7:00 and the wait was 30-40 min. Very limited seating in the waiting area hence that's why you see people standing outside the restaurant almost all the time. Inside the feel is very chic and a cute spot featuring patterned wallpaper and bright white leafless tree structures. Because the restaurant is also a bakery the smell is great! Super cute feel to it.

Service:
Our server was friendly and was very helpful with her suggestions. However, during the meal it was difficult to find her and when we did, she wasn't very available to us.

Food:
My husband got the Fedelini Porcini Cream Sauce set which included: Porcini cream pasta, green salad, clam chowder (or french onion soup), and a small Lani pizza. The porcini cream pasta was by far my most favorite dish. It wasn't too much cream for those who are lactose intollerant and the flavors blended together nicely. The green salad was your typical salad with an Asian style vinaigrette dressing. We opted for clam chowder which was just average and the pizza was nothing out of the ordinary. For $25.00 I feel the price was well worth it.

I opted for the Porcini Gratin with Italian sausage and roasted potato set which included: Porcini mushroom, potato, Italian sausage, roasted tomato, mini salad, mini strawberry parfait (chocolate is also an option), and all you can eat bread. This is featured in their Fall Seasonal menu. The main dish had penne pasta and was baked. The cream sauce was on the thicker side so if you're lactose intollerant you may want to approach this dish with caution. The salad was the same as my husband's, and the mini strawberry parfait was a nice topper. Now remember how my set came with all you can eat bread? Well, before we got our meal our server initially came out in the beginning with three different types of bread (see picture), but as the meal went on no one offered us any more bread. The table next to us kept getting asked if they wanted bread but for some reason everyone kept skipping over us. I had to flag down the bread servers a few times to try the different types they were offering. However, the bread was nice and warm and they were all very tasty. For $22.50 I feel my set was worth the price.

Mama Bear Input:
Bright lighting so it may be a little difficult for your little one to get some zzz's. It's a little noisey but what restaurant isn't. Stoller parking is up front next to the hostess stand. Kids menu available!

Overall:
My overall impression of this place exceeded my expectation. Don't you just love when that happens? I would rate this place a 4 out of 5. The wait time wasn't too bad considering it was prime dinner time on a Friday night and the food was up to par. However, the service could have been a little better. For a complete list of their menu and oferrings, visit their website at http://www.cafelanihawaii.com/#

Cute wall decor

Fedelini Porcini Cream Set

Porcini Gratin main dish

First round of free bread with dipping sauces in the background

Mini strawberry parfait

LUCKY I LIVE HAWAII (LILH) FRIDAY - North Shore drive

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is take a drive to the north shore of Oahu. It's such a different world out there from what I'm used to in town. I would have to say this is probably on the top of my list about living here. Not just Hawaii in general but Oahu specifically. I have my tall buildings, city life and when I want to get away it's just a short drive to someplace totally different. Life these past few months have been so crazy and hectic that I haven't had a chance to get to the north shore for a few months now. Here are some must do's and some old pictures of my north shore adventures. Enjoy and Happy Aloha Friday!

1.  Stop by the Shrimp trucks. It's a definite MUST DO

2.  Check out the surf spots. Many of the surfing films that are shot here in Hawaii are on the north shore. 

3.  Taste the grilled corn, it's AMAZING!

4.  East Shave Ice

5.  Visit with the turtles

6.  Support the stand up fruit stands on the side of the road

Ok, so a lot of it has to do with food but what mini road trip doesn't include food? These are just a few things that I get to experience on a weekly basis (when I have the time to) because I'm lucky I live Hawaii. What do you do when you visit the north shore? I'd love to hear about them! 

Lucky I live Hawaii (LILH) - Graduation in Hawaii

Across the nation students are gearing up for their final exams if they haven't had them already. The semester and year for that matter is coming to the end and for some, it's time to celebrate years of learning with GRADUATION! After all that blood, sweat, and tears it's finally time to have your three seconds of fame and be recognized in front of an entire community. For us living in Hawaii, graduation is a huge celebration. Aunties, uncles, grandparents, friends, and even your parents friend's come to congratulate you on a job well done.

One thing that makes Hawaii graduations different than other places are the mounds of flowers and leis you receive. Regardless if you're from the islands or not, this tradition latches on to you and stays with you. When our students go elsewhere for college and graduate, this tradition also follows them. You can tell who the "Hawaii Kids" are because they're the one's with all the leis. So CONGRATS to all the graduates this year both near and far.

These photos are from my Masters Degree graduation exactly two years ago! Wow, time sure flies!

Style - Summer Beach Essentials

The temperatures are rising and Memorial Day is just around the corner... You know what that means? Summer is almost here! One of the fabulous things about living in Hawaii is that it's summer almost all year long. We have perfect summer weather. It never gets too hot hear like it can get in other places and our beaches are always about a 10-20 minute drive from anywhere on the island. So, in honor of saying good-bye to spring and hello to summer, here are my summer essential finds. 

           

          

     

Items can be purchased at the corresponding links:

Beach Umbrella   :  Over-sized Hat  :  Sunglasses  :  Swimsuit  :  Beach Bag  :  Beach Towel   :  Slippers  :  Sunsblock

FOOD - Fried Rice

Anytime fried rice is on the menu I'll pay the little extra and order it. In some cases, I'll even eat just that as my meal. I LOVE FRIED RICE! There's many ways to make it and my thought is that it's just a combination of your favorite things. It also makes a good quick meal of combining whatever you have left in your fridge or using left over rice from last night's dinner. I usually make a breakfast style fried rice containing: white rice, scrambled eggs, and either spam or Portuguese sausage, and of course oyster sauce to blend it all together. I've seen a variety of ways for fried rice and if you live or get the chance to visit Oahu, here are my top fried rice spots that I've tried so far. Where are your favorite fried rice places?

ASAHI Grill - Lupchong Fried Rice

Boots & Kimos Fried Rice

Big City Diner's - Uncle Danny's Fried Rice

Elena's Restaurant - Pork Adobo Fried Rice Omelet

LUCKY I LIVE HAWAII FRIDAY - Views

Yay it's Friday! And you know what that means... LUCKY I LIVE HAWAII! Today one of the many things I'm grateful for here in Hawaii is our spectacular views. On one side you have the lush green mountains, then you turn 180 and you have the blue ocean. I know there are other places in the world like this but Hawaii is truly one of the few. Happy Aloha Friday!