Hawaii's Crab in a Bag trend

i've always seen ads on cable tv for Joe's Crab Shack. it sounds so cool to have a bucket of seafood brought to your table where you pour it out & go at it! bare hands & a plastic bib to protect your shirt are all you need. i'm happy to say that Hawaii finally got similar concept restaurants started here.

our first taste of this messy deliciousness was at Crab City for dinner. we did hear the wait can be long (over 1 hour) and parking sucks. it's affiliated with JJ's french bistro. we found street parking a couple blocks away & our wait time was about 35 minutes. since we were there within the grand opening period, it was BYOB. i think they've since obtained their liquor license. they offer seafood by the pound (snow crab, king crab, shrimp, clams, mussels, lobster etc) or you can order a combo. three of us were dining so we went for the combo bag which included crawfish, shrimp, clams, mussels, potato, corn cobettes, sausage with snow crab (they also offer it with dungeness or king crab). we were also able to choose our seasoning in different heat levels. we went with the garlic butter medium heat. it was tasty! we also tried a side of sausage, chowder, fried oysters. the best part was we could buy french bread (i'm assuming it's from JJ's) to sop up all the sauce. OMG!!! so yummy!!! we didn't know that the side of sausage could also be seasoned anyway you want. the server brought it with cajun medium seasoning on it just so we could try it. wow!! that was good stuff too. i think we ate two french rolls each just scooping up all the sauce. MMMM!!!

side sausage with cajun seasoning medium. definite re-order next time.

our combo bag with garlic butter medium seasoning. oh yeah, we also loved the simple seasoning of salt & fresh lime juice to dip the seafood in. who knew something so simple would be so tasty?!


my next try at crab in bag was at Ragin' Crab on Keeaumoku for Tammy's birthday. it was a mix of people so some had their own bag & another who doesn't eat seafood just went with chicken wings. sadly, they didn't offer bread as a starch option. one of my friends was fine with that because she dumped her bowl of rice into her bag & ate it from there. haha! the combo i shared with the birthday girl was with dungeness, clams, mussels, shrimp etc. the seasoning was on the mild side for me. it was good to experience & compare.

birthday girl ready to attack some crab.

the victim & the victor. we did have to wait a little for a table & it was packed & of course parking was not easy to find in that area.


we heard that Willows opened their own crab place so we went to check it out. it's Karai Crab next to Willows & you can park in the same lot. we went on a weeknight so it wasn't busy at all! yay! actually we were the only people in the restaurant. we went with another combo snow crab, mussels, shrimp, kukui sausage, potatoes, clams & crawfish with their Karai Special seasoning (combo of cajun & garlic butter) medium heat level. we had to try their garlic bread & bacon jalapeno cornbread. i think we also had fried catfish & fries. what's different was the seafood came in a bowl, not a bag. i didn't feel we had enough sauce.

 cute bib! they also had temporary tattoos.

mmmm! that was some yummy garlic bread! yes, that's butter melting off of it.

 fried catfish with a yummy remoulade & fries.

our combo with snow crab, but where's the sauce?? bacon jalapeno cornbread on the side. it was ok there. glad we didn't have to wait. best thing: garlic bread, everything else was meh.

the latest crab place opened in my hood! hooray! Cajun King is in Waimalu Shopping Center across from Best Buy on Kamehameha Highway. we had to try it! parking in that shopping center can be a pain. there's lots of restaurants so it gets very crowded. we went early & luckily found parking without hassles. it wasn't too busy yet, so we were seated immediately. we were set on a combo, but couldn't decide on the seasoning. my mom can't handle spicy but my sis & i wanted at least medium. the server suggested we get the combo with mild heat & a side of the medium heat sauce. yay! problem solved. we also ordered an extra side of sausage. what makes this crab place different from others is that they offer seafood chinese style. like salt & pepper shrimp or lobster and black bean clams or scallops. cool. we tried the black bean clams. very tasty!!! sadly, they only serve rice or fries, no bread. i wonder if we could bring our own??

 our tools of mass destruction.

combo with snow crab, shrimp, crawfish, clams, mussels, potatoes, corn & sausage with cajun/garlic butter seasoning mild heat.

black bean clams! 

a mussel from the combo bag dipped in the side of cajun/garlic butter seasoning medium heat. wow! so yummy!!! we dipped everything in that sauce! sausages, potatoes, clams were taken to the next level with this sauce. we even took home the leftover sauce. the next day i cooked up some gouveia portuguese sausage & poured the leftover sauce into the pan to coat the sausages. OMG!!! so so good!!! i wonder if i can just keep buying the sauce for myself?? ok the other weird thing was that they serve rice but no utensils. the man on the table next to us cavemanned it by scooping it out of the bowl with his hand and shoveling it into his mouth. ack! being a group of three ladies, we had to find a better way. my sis scooped out a bite size portion & shaped it into a rice ball that she popped into her mouth. haha! classy! they're also supposed to have lunch specials here, but we haven't checked that out yet.


we've not gone back to any of these crab places for a re-try. but i would like to go back to Crab City most of all. i want to try their cajun medium in a combo bag with lots of french bread for dipping. if Cajun King let us bring our own bread to dip, they'd be on the re-try list fo'sure.

Ahh, Kauai 2012...

when i was in college, i would always go visit my friends on Kauai. my former boss used to ask why i would always go there since it's for the "newlyweds or nearly deads". crazy! kauai is super fun, it's just that a lotta things close early, except Safeway in Kapaa. haha. in those days our favorite grinds on kauai were from Duane's Ono Char Burger or Brick Oven Pizza. KCL & Hanalei Pizza were not bad too.

15 years later, my mom wants to start visit kauai annually but i can't convince her to try Ono Char Burger! boo! i sadly peer out the passenger window as we drive thru Anahola at the red shack that i'm being deprived of for two years. finally, she gives in & we stop there for lunch.

yay! blue cheese burger on the left is my favorite!! still delicious. i'm sure the one on the right is some sort of teri burger. pretty good along with the fries & onion rings.

we tried quite a few new places last year. one of them was again from the Honolulu magazine. it's a small pie shop called The Right Slice. the selection changes seasonally but they always have their chicken pot pie & shepherds pie along with several sweet pies like mango lilikoi & caramel apple pecan. we just couldn't decide what to try & what to take home to Honolulu.

first pic is the menu for the day & explains our decision dilemma. we decided to take some slices to sample then we would place our order for pick up before our flight home. second pic is of our sample slices: blueberry pina colada, caramel apple pecan & island lime. who would think to do a double crust on a lime pie? but that was the best one in my eyes. the third pic is of the shepherds pie. the savory pies are available refrigerated at the shop & they can bake it for you while you wait for 35 minutes or so. we took it cold & baked it for breakfast. OMG! so good!!! it made our decision on what we were bringing home much more complicated. we brought home the chicken pot pie & kalua pig & cabbage pot pie. we froze them in the condo so we could transport them home. the shop can also freeze them for you if you let them know in advance. the owner also posts the menu of the day on their facebook page & takes phone orders. some pies, like the island lime were not so great to freeze, so just ask & they will be able to advise you well.

another new place we tried was Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee Company. it's right across the street from my beloved Brick Oven Pizza. we were heading out to Waimea early in the morning, so i looked on Yelp for a good breakfast place. My mom & I are not egg lovers, so i had to find somewhere that offered non-egg options & the reviews were good.

the top pic is an apple streusel muffin. yummy! the next pic is a coffee shake, i think it was mocha. looked yummy!!!

my choice was the berry cobbler from the showcase which they heated & added whipped cream. yay!!! my sister & our family friend, Lorna, shared the benedict. no eggs for me, but the potatoes were delish. both egg eaters said it was good. i'll take their word on it. we had a nice start to our day. some advice on this restaurant. it's counter service for breakfast & it's usually crowded! grab a table before placing your order! they have a few tables outside, but most are inside.

another new restaurant for us was Kauai Pasta. they have two locations & although we see it in Lihue or Kapaa, we've never eaten there. my kauai friends say that it's good, so this time we went to the Kapaa location since we were staying near Coconut Plantation. we were seated in the first dining section closest to the hostess stand & OMG it was so hot & stuffy. the AC unit which should've been blowing right on us must not have been working. it really put a damper on our whole meal.

for starters we had the crab cakes, spinach salad & calamari. all were delicious!! i really liked the spinach salad which came with fresh pears, blue cheese, candied pecans & raspberry vinaigrette. 

first pic is my sister's entree which i think was the special of the day. steak, asparagus on mac & cheese. she loved it. second pic is Lorna's house pasta. she ate it all. third pic is my mom's pesto pasta. very tasty! i like to try pesto because everyone makes their own version of it. my sis doesn't enjoy it usually, but really liked this one. fourth pic is my pesto grilled chicken. very yummy!!! i mixed the pesto into the alfredo sauce & it was a winner! we chose to have dessert at our new find, Tropical Dreams.

actually, my friend from Kilauea told me about Tropical Dreams when it was in Kilauea. i tried to go there in 2011, but they were closed in that location. last year i saw their shop opened in the mall where safeway & longs are in kapaa. yay!!! another new place to try! reviews on yelp were 50/50. hmmm, pics may not do it justice.

top picture is peanut butter oreo. i'm a sucker for peanut butter, but sometimes it can taste weird. this version was great!!! i can't remember what was in the cup of ice cream, but i know the top mini-scoop is a sample of his strawberry ice cream. it was SO good!!!! all four of us loved everything we had. of course we all had different flavors. it was our afternoon snack. AFTER DINNER at Kauai Pasta, we went back for more! and the owner remembered us! he loved that we came twice in one day. i think we all tried different flavors from the first visit. i must return there when we visit kauai in october.

another new place we tried since it was recommended by a few locals was the breakfast brunch at the St Regis in Princeville. very nice hotel!

two pics of the interior then two pics of the view into hanalei bay. you can sit out there on lounge chairs too. very pretty!!! the last pic is a water feature overlooking the buffet. i just love fountains, waterfalls etc.

i had high expectations of this buffet. sadly, there were only a few things i would return for & doesn't justify the price.

top two pics are two serving stations. first is an asian station with potstickers & other similar foods. the second is the dessert station. what's funny is that they had a lot of cool glasses their desserts were served in, but the spoons provided didn't fit in the glasses all the way to the bottom. third pic is my first plate. i love lox & bagels, so that was a winner. prime rib was meh. but the fourth pic was my most favorite part of the buffet: charcuterie!!! cured meats & cheeses! yay!!! my sis complains that i only like the inexpensive parts of the buffets so i never get my money's worth. oh well, i like what i like & i'm not going to get full on prime rib if it's not yummy. i'd rather be happy eating lox, bagels, cream cheese, capers or charcuterie goodies. our overall opinion was meh for the price.


our best meal on kauai for this trip was The Tavern at Princeville Clubhouse. it's by Roy Yamaguchi, but not at all like his Roy's restaurants. this is supposed to be his idea of comfort food. in 2011 we went for lunch & it was so good! we were told his dinners are even better. OMG! we had to try it last year & we were not disappointed! it was a beautiful sunset view to go along with the awesome food!

his menu changes seasonally, but he does keep the buttermilk fried chicken for sure. everyone talked about it on yelp.

we had the calamari & hibachi salmon salad for appetizers. wow! so good!!! there was a lot of calamari packed into the little bowl & the salmon was seasoned well with a delicious vinaigrette. yum!

Lorna had the special: meatloaf on mashed potatoes. unbelievably good! it's not any meatloaf i've made at home. must've had a trio of ground meats. mmmmm!

mom had the pork ribs. she loves her ribs & fries. she was very happy with her entree. it was very tasty!

i had the buttermilk fried chicken. many reviews about it. the chicken wasn't dried out, but there was no coating on it. boo! i think my entree choice was the loser that night.

sis had the shortribs with cheesy grits. OMG! we love grits!!! it was so good. i thought the portion was tiny but she was satisfied AND we could fit in dessert. haha!

yes, we had to buy the side of mac & cheese. i must try everyone's version. this must've been meh, cuz i don't remember my opinion.

but the crowning glory was the dessert!! ooooh my! i believe it's called the Tavern Sundae, but whatever it is called, it was delicious!!! at least 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream with homemade hot fudge & caramel sauces, coconut blondie chunks, butter browned pineapple pieces & a brulee banana. we shared it & were so happy with it!!! we could barely finish it.

here's a bonus story on that dessert. we like to watch other diners. see what they're eating, see if it looks good & if they enjoyed it. we saw a couple each have the same entree (fish) which we thought was odd because we always try to get different entrees so we can try as much as possible. THEN they each get the tavern sundae. ONE EACH. they both finished it. omg! i couldn't believe it. it took 4 of us to finish our sundae & they could eat it alone. still weird that they don't share tho. it still boggles my mind when i look at this pic. even if i didn't have dinner, i couldn't finish that sundae by myself. well, at least i don't think i could. 

we always go to Kauai Chocolate Company for treats to bring home. their chocolate "opihi" is a favorite. shortbread cookie, mac nut dipped in caramel then chocolate. i love their "crabs" which are pretzels dipped in caramel then chocolate. they also have wonderful fudge in many different flavors. my fave is the peanut butter one. my mom & sis like their truffles also. they always get a small selection to take home.

we also love Sweet Marie's. it used to be across from Waipolu Center, but she's since moved to Lihue near Kauai Pasta. we have not been to her new location. it seems a lot bigger & i hope the quality of her baked goods are the same. when we visited her the first time, we just thought she was a regular bakery, but she's gluten free. wow! she worked hard to develop her recipes & they're awesome!!! if i didn't know her story, i would never thought her goodies were gluten free. we've had her cheesecake, brownies & whatever else she has available. what's nice is that she remembered us. i love that kind of customer service.

we've visited the Hanalei Farmers Market on saturday. sometimes there's good stuff. and we've also dined at Red Salt & Josselin's Tapas Bar & Grill. both are fabulous! the difficult part about Josselin's is that his menu is always changing. if they're something that you liked on the menu, it may not be there when you go back a few months later. other locals recommended Merriman's in Poipu. i'm still hesitant since my experience at Merriman's Waikoloa was underwhelming. i guess i should remember my previous Merriman experience with his Monkeypod Kitchen restaurants. we tried the Wailea location first & was again underwhelmed. when he opened the Ko'olina location, i wasn't planning to go until our friend really really wanted to. we were pleasantly surprised, so maybe each location is not consistent with their foods. oh, one constant was their cream pie desserts aren't so great at either location.

last year's trip was a lot of new experiences. most will be repeated in october! we're staying in Princeville, so we're going to the Tavern twice, at least!!

Maui 2012 - found my heaven

when we were in maui last august, i found a restaurant that i can't say enough about! my sister saw an article about them in the Honolulu magazine so we put it on the list of "must do"s. my mom was reluctant since she thinks the drive out to lahaina is a hassle, but she sucked it up & we trekked out to Oluwalu for lunch to try out Leoda's Kitchen & Pie Shop. i had read many of the yelp reviews so i knew it was around a bend in the road & can be missed so we were driving at tourist speed around every corner. i was also prepared for it being on the pricey side.

it's very cute inside & clean. from the outside it looks like a convenience store because of the shop next door to it. 

upon entering i was in heaven. fresh baked bread & pastries along with yummy sandwiches & salads. i think we all just stood there taking it all in. we were a group of 3 & decided to share everything so we could sample as much as possible. alas, some items will have to wait for our next visit later this year. i know we're going to try the savory handheld pies. they bake them to order, so we'll be prepared to wait.

so this is a Leoda's Favorite called Pork, Pork... MMM Pork. the name does it justice! it's proscuitto, duroc ham, salami & applewood bacon on buttered white bread with swiss cheese & grain mustard & au jus on the side for dipping. wow! it was terrific!!!

the blue cheese burger was yummy! handmade patty & freshly baked bun. OMG! and they didn't skimp on the blue cheese which i LOVE. it's one of my weaknesses.

we wanted to try the fried salad, but the brussel sprouts were not in season, so we tried their salad special. mixed greens, strawberries, goat cheese, candied walnuts & rainbow beets with a vinaigrette. delish!!! if i remember correctly, the goat cheese was from surfing goat dairy, a maui goat farm. gotta love farm to table food!

 we had to have fries. very good. nice & crispy with a garlic aioli. 

now THIS was something we had to try but really was unsure about. Reuben LUMPIA. what what? corned beef, sauerkraut, provolone in a lumpia wrapper then fried with a side of house thousand island dressing. WHOA! just awesome! friggin genius!

of course we had to have dessert! good thing they have mini pies. that allowed us to have a sample of more treats! above left is the macadamia nut chocolate praline pie & right is coconut cream pie. below is the yuzu tart. needless to say... FABULOUS!!! the chocolate was a creamy pudding. i think we were all very sad we were limited to one bite each. i have to say it was my favorite of the three. i think my sister said she's ordering her own so she doesn't have to share it next time. haha! the coconut was good as was the yuzu. the yuzu was on a short crust with a sweet/tart filling. mmm! 

we wanted to try more dessert so we decided on a couple items to take back to the Maui Hill for a late night snack. we went with the pineapple snowball & the sweet berry handheld pie which came with fresh whipped cream. the snowball is a pineapple cake with pineapple marshmallow & toasted coconut. it was good, but super duper sweet. i have to say the handpie's appearance leads you to believe it's no big deal. i think that's why my mom said she would give up her portion so my sister & i could have half each. i slapped on the whipped cream & offered Mom a bite of my half so she took a small bite, chewed a bit then came in for a BIGGER bite! i swear she almost nipped my finger!! i knew it must be good & whatever i had left to try was sublime! so simple yet absolutely perfect. my sister protected her half & enjoyed it all to herself. i think we'd all get our OWN berry pie next time.

there are many things i'd like to try at Leoda's when we're there later this year. i'm a sucker for pot pies. they offer a chicken pot pie & a short rib one. how to decide?? of course we still want to try the banana cream & apple crumb pies. oh yes, i can't forget the fried mac & cheese. 

i tell everyone i know about Leoda's if they're going to maui! oops, i was so blown away by the food i forgot to mention that the staff is friendly & accomodating. for the two items we took home, they held it on the side for us while we ate to make sure it didn't sell out.

we had other good eats in maui besides Leoda's. we had dinner with our family friends at Pukalani Club House. very good prime rib for a good price!

we visited the Surfing Goat Dairy also. we sampled a few cheeses. YUM! we took home a box of their goat cheese truffles. very intense fruit flavors. my mom & sis love it!

other places we enjoy going to on maui is Tom's Mini Mart for shave ice & hot dogs, Maui Community College on saturday afternoon for the farmers market, the cheese shop in wailea gateway (blue cheese dip), Pita Paradise (baklava cake) in kihei & Tommy Bahama restaurant in wailea.

of course we have to bring home some guri guri.

we also love to bring home the chocolate truffle mochi & peanut butter mochi from Maui Specialties Chocolates. they also have good chocolates & chocolate dipped stuff. i've learned to call ahead because sometimes they're closed on random weekends.