Giovanni's Shrimp Truck - Haleiwa, HI

One of the "must" visit food joints in Hawaii. I was totally excited about garlic butter shrimp and hoped that I wasn't going to get disappointed since it was hyped up so much.

My fiancé and I came right past lunch time so the line had dwindled down. We ordered 2 plates but one was honestly enough to hold our stomachs. The shrimp plates didn't take too long to prepare, I would say a good 5-10 minutes, assuming it was made on the spot (since shrimps doesn't take that long to cook anyways).

One important thing to point out, there are a lot of flies there. If you're not afraid of them buzzing around, you can definitely sit at the benches and enjoy your shrimp plate. But let me tell you this, once you open up your plate of goodies, the flies would be hovering around you. Nonetheless, the garlic butter shrimp was ok, nothing fantastic about it. There were about 10 shrimps along with 2 scoops of rice, the rice was way too soft. They spooned a good amount of the garlic butter sauce on top of the rice which made it even more soggy, wasn't very enjoyable. The shrimp itself tasted a bit soft, like it was floured up and then cooked in butter for a long time.

Overall, it was a disappointment. Oh, and the head of the shrimp is not attached. That's like the best part when you just suck the brains out (tmi?). It's a place you want to visit to say you at least tried it, but I wouldn't return.

Lemon Butter Shrimp (front), Garlic Butter Shrimp (back)

Verdict:
Food ~ 2.5 out of 5
Price ~ 3.5 out of 5
Service ~ 4 out of 5

Giovanni's Shrimp Truck
66-472 Kamehameha Hwy
Haleiwa, HI 96712

Maison Premiere, Cocktail Bar - Brooklyn, NY

Oysters, cocktails, and absinthe. How can one say no?

J and I thought we were being smart by heading over to Maison at 4:15pm, happy hour time is from 4-7pm. But when we arrived, the place was already packed. The maitre d put our names down for a 5pm seating so we had to kill about an hour around the neighborhood.

We weren't able to get seats at the bar or a table. Instead, we sat at the corner, with the ledge as our table and stools as our seats. J made sure we can order oysters and be served it when sitting there since the counter space looked very limited.

The wait staff were very professional, and the cocktail connoisseurs were helpful in helping us choose the right absinthe to start the night with. Maison is one of the hot spots in Brooklyn that serves absinthe that is dripped with sugar and chilled water. Quite amazing, really.

Since it was happy hour, we ordered pretty much every oyster on the menu. They have a variety of oysters from Connecticut, Massachusetts and British Columbia Canada. Other than the oysters, they have an a la carte menu that specializes in seafood. But honestly, once you're on the oyster wagon you wouldn't want anything else.

The cocktails here are amazing, the atmosphere was so fitting. I can stay here for hours just drinking absinthe and slurping on oysters but that would probably end terribly. One thing that stood out from this amazing experience (yea, there's even better), was when J ordered the Old King Cole Martini which was stirred table-side. The set up for this cocktail was placed on this copper tray, although it might not be copper since the lighting was so dim, the waiter was literally the table that held up the tray and the connoisseur started his performance. He explained the liquor that was being placed into the mixer and how many parts of each. It was nice. What's even nicer? The olives was served separately and when you're ready you can place it on the martini or you can just munch on it without having it soak up the cocktail. I have to say, the olives were good and I hate olives. This definitely might be a turning point for me.

Verdict:
Food ~ 5 out of 5
Price ~ 4 out of 5
Service ~ 5 out of 5

Happy Hour Menu

Absinthe Selections

Vilya Absinthe Verte

The Great Bambino

Endless Oysters - so delicious

American Pharoah

Old King Cole Martini

The making of Old King Cole Martini

Maison Premiere
298 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Philadelphia: Wedge&Fig + Monk's Cafe

On our second day at Philly, we chose Wedge&Fig to brunch at because of the cute name and they had the normal brunch menu along with BYOB. The cafe was small but they have seatings in the garden which we were instantly interested in.

The garden looked really realistic and made me feel like I was in the rain forest, the floor was made of pebbles too.

We ordered our food and had our waitress opened our bottle of wine. They also provided an ice jacket for our bottle which was pretty neat since a lot of places just give you an ice bucket - boring.

The Strawberry Stuffed French Toast came in quite a big portion, our friend SS wasn't able to finish it and had to wrap up the rest. It was good and not too sweet which I liked but I can't imagine having it again later when it's all soggy.

Knowing how J is, he ordered the Bacon-Lattice Mac + Cheese Pie. Looks insanely unhealthy. Bacon was really good though and surprisingly it wasn't really a big dish. The pie part didn't seem to really work so bacon mac + cheese would've been a lot better by itself.

I had the Eggs NOLA; I like eggs benedict but you have to make it right. What's special about this was the cornbread instead of your average English muffin. The cornbread was a thick cut which makes it a bit soggy to eat. Didn't exactly enjoy it too much because even the sauce was a bit lacking in flavor, I needed salt.

Most likely I wouldn't be coming back because everything felt average and even below that, but one thing, the waitress was really nice.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning we went to Monk's Cafe. I initially wanted to come here for dinner but SS was like we haven't tried it out this visit to Philly yet so let's just go there before heading back to NYC.

The restaurant was completely empty when we went for lunch. It was quite dim inside with no lights, the only light that we saw was coming from the outside.

They have a huge variety of beer. So this would be a heavenly place for beer lovers.

Started off with some Frog Legs, they were lightly fried and then covered in a light buffalo sauce. Really good, very meaty. If you never had frog, they're very similar to chicken but a little chewier than usual. These would be great beer food.

SS got the Monk's Duck Salad, amazing. Duck was cooked extremely well, meat was tender and soft and the salad had a nice vinaigrette dressing that was really appetizing. Wish I had the whole plate to myself.

J was hungry so he ordered the Rib Cap Steak that came with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes. This is a hungry man's food! Steak was good but could've been better, the cut was a bit tough but nonetheless enjoyable.

I ordered the Provence Mussels because I've been craving. This was a bit disappointing. I specifically wanted this pot because of the amount of vegetables that's in it, from mushrooms to peppers to celery to leeks and garlic, but it was the parsley and cream that made me ultimately want it. The broth was weak and light which I did not like. I wish it was thicker and heavier in taste because my mussels were lacking flavor. The mussels were also small.

The Pomme Frites came with the mussels and they were ok, the bourbon mayo dipping sauce was a bit bland. We all got full in the end regardless. I can definitely be satisfied with just the frogs and duck salad.

Wedge + Fig
160 N 3rd St
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(267) 603-3090

Monk's Cafe
264 S 16th St
Philadelphia, PA 19146
(215) 545-7005

Philadelphia: Oyster House + Jamonera

I was on a month of hiatus because I went skydiving in the beginning of August, I needed time to recover -joking, it was fun and since then I gathered so many food pictures that I was thinking of how to blog them. Enough procrastination.

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It was J's birthday and he wanted something mellow, nothing big, relaxing yet new. I saw Oyster House on Yelp as I was doing my usual browsing. The happy hour instantly caught my eyes and I knew that J would appreciate it.

We went early, since HH is 5-7pm on weekdays and 9-11pm on weekends. We dressed up for the occasion and let me tell you, walking in Philly with heels was a bit challenging. Our friend SS was having a hard time also, since she was also worrying about her dress...

HH only happens at the bar. We wasted no time and ordered 3 dozens once we sat down. The oysters comes out a dozen at a time regardless of the amount you order, but they come out quick. You can see the shuckers shuck away behind the bar and they do a quick and clean job, don't forget to show some love to them.

Oysters of the night were Watch House and they were delicious. With oysters you need to try one by itself and then the rest (if you like) with some vinegar and cocktail sauce and a bit of lemon juice, it'll help those that don't like the briney oceanic taste and brings the oysters to a more refreshing level.

Oyster crackers were sitting there in front of us, tempted, I tried one and it was the hardest and driest piece of cracker ever. You definitely need to place those in soup, eating by itself is just wrong.

I personally really like clams, that night they had these huge Cherrystone ones. J can see it in my eyes that I wanted. They looked beautiful. J and SS agreed they never had clams that were this good. No briney or harsh icky seafood taste, but instead was really fresh and easy to eat. As for myself, I enjoyed it either way.

We basically pre-gamed here and headed to Jamonera afterwards but literally came back the following night. It was that good! They had the same oysters and clams. But this time, the waiters/waitresses told us they over ordered a bunch of lobsters and determined to get rid of them (since they close on Sundays) are offering the lobster roll and grilled lobster for less.

The Split Grilled Whole Maine Lobster was excellent. Buttery and tender, it was like a lobster galore.

The best of the night was definitely the Lobster Roll - New England Style. I never actually like the New England style much just because of how much mayo is put on but this rendition was just perfect. Chunks of lobster and the mayo did not taste overpowering, plus the roll was buttered and toasted! I can't believe I would have to go back to Philly just to get this...

Oyster House is a must visit if you love seafood, and you bet I'll be returning if I'm in Philly.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Right after, we walked (big mistake) to Jamonera to have some tapas and drinks. The inside was dim and had that really nice wine bar vibe but since we didn't have a reservation, they asked if we want to sit outside. We didn't mind since it was really nice out, the only bad thing was that birthday boy keeps getting bug bites.

Started out with drinks. They were on the weaker side and nothing much to rave about, I did expected more from Jamonera. Should've really stuck with wine...

We ordered 3 small plates to share since we already had 3 dozen oysters in our stomach.

The Crispy Cana de Cabra was actually really good. I never thought I would like goat cheese. The fried goat cheese was creamy and crunchy which was really appetizing, for you non-cheese lovers, this can be a start. The Thai basil dressing was excellent, the only best dish we had here.

I should've known that the Charcuteria wasn't up to my expectations when I saw the photos on Yelp but I totally forgot and ordered it. The meats were really "meh" and have no salty kick or spice to it, kind of boring.

Finally, the Grilled Spanish Octopus looks and sounds amazing but they overcooked it! I was shaking my head as I took the first bite, I love octopus but this was a bit on the forceful side to eat. Plus, I'm not sure if this dish was suppose to be served cold...oiy.

I saw good things about Jamonera but I definitely didn't have that experience.

Oyster House
1516 Samson St
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215)567-7683

Jamonera
105 S 13th St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215)922-6061

Spumoni - Chef's Table to cure my deep and uttermost hunger

J's cousins came to NY to visit, dinner was always on the cousin so we really didn't care where we ate. We also know that the cousin likes Spumoni. No reservation for 5 people, waited around an hour for a table. Crazy packed and busy on a Friday night but definitely worth the wait.

The cousin chose the Chef's Table, better for us since we all don't have to decide on any dishes. Just keep it coming...

I was insanely hungry, waiting that long really got me grumpy. Good thing the bread and butter came, but the butter was rock hard. So glad my boyfriend's hand is so warm, he warmed up the butter in no time. Love me some salted butter with bread. They took it away from me after 3 slices because they were afraid I would get too full...

I never thought I would enjoy Artichokes this much, the lemon-y sauce was so good. Too bad each person only gets one...

This dish was really different. The Mozzarella in Carrozza pan-fried with mozzarella cheese in the center, covered in sauce-y and tomato-y bed. Oily and unhealthy but extremely delicious.

Moving on to the Chef's Salad so we don't feel too guilty. It was a simple salad with greens, tomatoes, onions, cheese and olives in a vinaigrette dressing. Good palate cleansing dish.

So much for cleansing 'cause the next dish was Shrimp Two Ways. The shrimp cocktail was really good, big pieces of meaty shrimp. I think I actually prefer the fried shrimp with tartar sauce, so good...couldn't really speak at this moment cause everything was just amazing so far.

J's favorite Baked Clams. I love it also, with some lemon on top it was so perfectly summery. The breadcrumbs didn't over-power the delicate clam meat. J and I can probably eat endless dishes of this.

And if that clam dish wasn't enough, the Linguine in White Clam Sauce came. So effin' good. Pasta cooked al dente which is how it's suppose to be. Sauce was light yet flavorful and so many little clam meats. I would totally be a happy camper if I can have this all to myself, I wouldn't need anything else...just this dish and me.

So, that wasn't even the entree. The entree for the night was Grilled Steak, 2 plates of that sucker above. Could've been more on the rare side but it was good, like meaty carnivore goodness. All it need was a bit of salt and pepper, perfect.

Sides were mashed potatoes and broccoli rabe. I totally devoured the broccoli rabe, love it! Mashed potatoes lacked some flavor tho...

This moment, we were done. Hoping there wouldn't be more and just carry on to the finale.

Massive dessert. I don't even know if there's a name for this, Chef's Dessert will be the name. There was like 3 scoops of spumoni ice cream, those wedges of ice cream wrapped with chocolate, 2 slices of cheesecake (which I didn't care for - me no like cheesecake), and whip cream! We were all in the stage of comatose and had to struggle to lift ourselves off the seats to leave.

Excellent meal. It's even better when you don't need to pay for it...well we did pay for tip but that was probably nothing compared to the bill.

L&B Spumoni
2725 86th St
Brooklyn, NY 11223
(718) 449-1230

Connecticut: Lobster Landing alongside the water

A couple of months ago, J and I made a quick stop at Lobster Landing before hitting Maine. It was windy and cold that afternoon and the fact that it was by the water didn't really help.

The area was nice, big open space and I'm sure it would be beautiful in the summer when the sun comes out. But that day was eerily cloudy.

The menu was small but J knew what to order for us. His cousin was there also and gotten something else other than the lobster roll. Apparently to her, nothing beats Maine's lobster.

She had gotten the Hot Dog ($3). The wiener was pretty big and for that price, it was quite worth it.

The Lobster Roll ($15) was long. It was alright, nothing that really stood out. The butter was all on the bottom of the roll was made it messy to eat. Good pieces of meat but lacked flavor. It just felt like something was missing whenever I take a bite.

I'm glad I got to try it but still nothing beats Luke's Lobster.

Lobster Landing
152 Commerce St
Clinton, CT 06413
(860) 669-2005

Memorial Day @ Red Hook Ball Fields

This past weekend J and I spent it together and just tried to take it easy. We went to Red Hook where the soccer games took place and had delicious authentic food. Trucks were set up to serve the Hispanic community and now it became something more than that. If you want some real tacos and ceviche, this is where you want to get it.

There wasn't much trucks and stalls this weekend probably because of the holiday. But that didn't stop us from getting great food and enjoying the weather.

I heard about pupusas and knew we had to try it. It's basically a patty cake with meat/vegetable/cheese fillings. I've never tried pupusas and was extremely excited about it.

J and I got the pupusas along with a meal that included chicharrons (fried pork bits) for $9. Not a bad price. Pupusa are made from corn flour and shaped into a round patty filled with your choice of anything on their menu. The longer they have it laying on the grill, the crunchier the texture will be, but if they're in a rush the pupusa would be cooked just right and still have that soft corn bread texture, I prefer the former. The cabbage was really good and the chicharrons were nice and crunchy meaty goodness. I liked how they threw in some onions and cilantro, can't forget the lime - all together, it was delicious and a true hearty meal.

For munchies, I got some Fried Plantains ($3). I thought they were flavorless until I got further down, it was salty but quite addicting.

J ordered the Horchata ($2). Definitely not my thing, I tried it twice and it was still not my thing. The initial sip was fine until the aftertaste hits you and you get that awkward feeling in the mouth. Like, a beautiful looking female suddenly opening her mouth and sounded like a guy kind of awkwardness.

One of our last dishes was the Ceviche de Camerones ($7). Extremely refreshing on a hot sunny day. We were sitting on the bench and just watching and enjoying the people playing soccer in the field. The next thing I know, I see a lady pushing a cart of...churros! I have to get it since it's been so long and we needed to be in the spirit! I mean, since we're there already, might as well right?

It was a wonderful day.

Might be a little breezy but the sun was always trying to peak out. This little date in the park was really relaxing. I rather have this with J anytime than a hectic barbeque (unless we don't have to hook and clean up).

Red Hook Ball Fields/Vendors

Clinton St & Bay St
Brooklyn, NY 11231

Bait & Hook - how about a quick stop for the first of the night

J and I were heading somewhere, but we just didn't know where. Bait & Hook's happy hour stopped us in our track because they had $1 oysters and they opened up the glass walls so the outside breeze would just blow in - oh and wine was cheap too.

It was a seafood spot, but all J and I were interested in was their happy hour. It's from 4-7pm and we were planning our next stop already.

I had the Sangria ($6) and J had a glass of Chardonnay. Mine was totally watered down and it tasted like the Starbucks Refresher. Not impressed.

On the other hand, the Mahi Mahi Tacos ($3/ea) was pretty good. I just can't believe it's  $3 each and not for like 2...it's good but not $3 good, plus they're small.

Been a long while since we had, but the Oysters ($1/ea) here were a bit bland. I feel like they shucked it and let it lay in water until there's an order to serve them. If you ran food under water before and then eat it, that's exactly how these oysters taste like.

So, I'm not crazy about B&H's happy hour but everything else on their regular menu seems quite intriguing. Maybe we'll come back for that...

Bait & Hook
231 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003
(212) 260-8015