KAHUKU FARMS

All of my farm fresh lovers, this post is for you. This weekend I ventured to the beloved town of Kahuku. In Kahuku there is a farm called Kahuku farms. They grow anything and everything under the sun. The farm sells fresh produce, offers farm tours and sells local products such as jam from their store. But Kahuku farms also has a small cafe on the property, which is right off the main road in a wooden portable. 

The cafe sells all farm fresh food that is directly from the farm. All of the dishes are veggie based with no meat products. What I chose to get was the pesto pizza. As you can tell from the picture it was absolutely delicious. The pizza was on a fresh piece of bread with a  tomato and eggplant bruschetta topped with mac nut pesto and mozzarella cheese. It also came with a side salad. This was one of those meals that tasted good and made you feel good. It is true that the ingredients you eat makes a difference.

I highly highly recommend everyone make the beautiful drive out to Kahuku and try this delicious pizza. There are other things to eat like a veggie panini, mango plantation iced tea (I highly recommend this) and banana bread with homemade ice cream. I might have to make the drive again this week ... Can you say addicted?

xo. Laur

VEGAS WITH THE GRANDPARENTS

My grandparents have started a tradition where they take their grandchildren to Vegas when they turn 21. My cousin, Brock and I are only 8 weeks apart so we got to go on the trip together. Our trip was relatively fast but lots of fun.

The highlights of my trip included ...

A must is going to the atrium at Bellagio to see the exhibit. This was a summer exhibit with an ocean theme.

There was a mermaid.

And a turtle. The neat thing is that everything is made out of flowers.

We also went to the stratosphere. If you know me you'd know that I love adventure but not thriller adventure. I am low key afraid of heights and get motion sickness. Therefore, crazy roller coasters are not my thing. But it was nice to watch my cousin do them and get a spectacular view.

We also watched the Bellagio water show. 

The two buffets that were amazing were Bacchanal at Caesars Palace and Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan. My favorites at Bacchanal is the udon/ramen bar, prime rib, gelato bar, made to order crepes and shave ice and pizza. My favorites at Wicked Spoon was the gelato bar and made to order seafood station. Buffets in Vegas are always a good idea.

Another thing I always look forward to is getting a massage. There is a place we go to in Vegas that have great $22 massages for 1 hour. It is cheap but has great quality. 

But of course, this trip was all about the gambling. We all went home winners luckily. Our favorites on this trip was Treasure Chest, Wheel of Fortune, 777 and Video Poker. 

This was a great trip. Not only because I went home a winner but I got to spend time with my grandparents. This was rare that I went on a trip with only them and it was a great first. I've come to the realization that time is so short so it's always good to spend time with your loved ones.

Thanks to these two for an amazing trip. 

xo. Laur

DAY IN MYEONGDONG, KOREA

Day two in Korea is all about eating and shopping. Today we got up a little later since it's Sunday and everything opens later. We decided to go to a hip, popular city called Myeongdong.

There is a whole couple of blocks (5 blocks in width and 7 blocks in length) that is filled with shops, boutiques, eateries, street food, face shops, etc. Pretty much everything you can imagine. There is so much foot traffic during the day and more at night.

The first place we stopped at was a church. I mean it is Sunday after all.

Next, I ate a 32cm long green tea soft serve cone. I mean holy heaven. This absolutely made my day. I am a green tea lover so this was right up my alley. Can you believe that it was only $2? So cheap. My mom and I did have to share because it was so big. There were other flavors such as strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, etc. This is a very popular treat in Myeongdong. I will be dreaming about this cone until my return.

The next thing we tried was a Korean malasada. It looked like a malasada but was filled with cream cheese and the outside didn't have any sugar rather nuts. My mom loved it.

Myeongdong is known for their street food. So we also got a strawberry mochi, which was made to order.

There are so many fresh pressed juice stands in Korea as well. Right up my alley. Pineapple, pomegranate, orange, lemon, watermelon, korean pear are some fruits for example.

But the fried stuff is what they're known for .. Tempura, fried calamari, fried vegetables, etc. Anything that can be fried is on this street.

My other favorite part of the day was shopping .. of course! I am obsessed with Korean face shops after this trip. I had a love for it prior to going but I am coming back a believer. There is a face shop on every block. There are so many to choose from but my favorites are skin food, missha and innis free. I like the face masks, nose strips, face wash, some make up products, etc. Everything is quality and rather reasonably priced. I bought as much as possible since I wasn't sure when I would be back.

I also loved the little boutiques. I found so much cute and reasonably priced clothing while in Korea. Anything from pencil skirts for work to joggers for everyday living. I want some of the Korea brands to make it to Hawaii or at least jump on board with me for my new project :) hint hint.

After a long day in Myeongdong, it was off to the airport for our flight.

It's been real Korea! Until next time.

xo. Laur

SOUTH KOREA DAY 1

After a catching up on some sleep, I was energized and ready for the day. Korea is a day ahead of Hawaii. So when it is 10 am in Hawaii it is 5 am in Korea. So my sleep schedule was rather off to say the least. So I got up at 6am and got ready for the day. Seoul is a night city. What I mean by that is the city doesn't wake up until 10 am and is up until at least 1 am. Something that is interesting that you would never see in the US is that some Starbucks stores are closed until 10am. I mean wow.

So around 8 am my mom and I ventured around our hotel, which was located in Namdaemun. We stayed at Ramada Hotel, which was a great choice. The rooms were reasonably priced and a decent size. The shuttle from the airport is around an hour and cost about $16 and takes you right to the hotel. The hotel also offers a free shuttle to popular parts of the city. So this was super convenient.

My mom and I ate a light breakfast at Paris Baguette. Coffee and pastry shops are very popular in Seoul. There is a coffee shop on every corner. We tried the Paris Baguette and it was adorable. There was an array of warm pastries to choose from, coffee and cute milk cartons (random I know). I got the milk pastry, which was a warm roll filled with a milky glaze. My mom got a breakfast sandwich with egg whites, ham on a toasted english muffin. She got a latte and I got a chocolate milk.

Next, we caught a cab to Gyeonbokgung Palace. Taxi fares are rather cheap .. Our fares ranged from $3-$5max. The palace costs about $3 for admissions.

The palace was a very peaceful and educational.

We saw everything from places of worship to spiritual ponds. It was a nice peaceful time to walk and cleanse your mind actually.

The property also had a children's museum. But it isn't just for kids. The museum shared information such as the different types of kimchi, what houses were traditionally made, what traditional clothes were worn to a certain occasion, etc. It was a great learning experience about the Korean culture.

After the palace we took a short 10 minute walk to a city called Insadong. This is a long street filled with stores, eateries and traditional street food. My favorite thing to see was the different tea shops filled with green tea, ginseng tea, etc. I am obsessed with tea so this was very neat and educational.

We also stopped for some horn ice cream. I had a friend who did a study abroad in Korea so she was helpful in pointing out the must try places when we were in Korea (this being one of them). Horn ice cream is a normal cone (like the one you get at mcd) but it is about a foot long. It is shaped like a horn in the sense that it is a straight line then hooks at the bottom. I found that this makes it easier to eat because it doesn't drip. I got the vanilla and chocolate mix. There are other flavors such as mango, strawberry, etc. Yummy!

While in Insadong we went to Galbijim Restaurant, which came highly recommended. This meal was big enough for two people so my mom and I shared. It was a short rib that was braised in soy. It was soft and falling off the bone. This came with two bowls of rice, a warm seaweed soup and 4 different kinds of kimchi. I take after my Papa Jim and love love love kimchi. It wasn't to spicy, which was good. I am not traditional Korean so I can't handle the big boy stuff. But this meal was probably our best.

After our long day, my mom went to the Cheonggyecheon River. Believe it or not this river was located right in the middle of a hugely populated city. It is basically the central park of Korea. It was a nice, peaceful walk and a good outlet from city life.

After this walk, we went to the Lotte Department store. This is the place to be .. trust me. There is so many cute Korean shops, face stores, eateries, etc. It was my shopping heaven. My mom and I ate here after our long day. We got a pork cutlet curry, udon and green tea mochi. After out big lunch, we just wanted something small to share.

Bed time until tomorrows fun filled day.

xo. Laur

HNL to ICN 2015

Hello to my faithful followers. I am still alive and I apologize for not posting. On the bright side, there is a lot of great things to look forward to in the near future. I have a huge collaboration project coming up that I can't wait to share with you. I am also going on lots of trips throughout the summer and I have so many new places, ideas and adventures to share with you. So please stay posted xx

But on another note .. I finished finals so it is finally summer. I am extremely excited for the next three months. Right when finals finished, I jetted off to South Korea with my mom.

My mom and I went on a short girls trip to celebrate the ending of my junior year of college. The flight was 10 hours long. Yes, you read correct. 10 HOURS! Needless to say I got to catch up on my sleep, watch lots of movies and read all about South Korea.

What was amazing about flying Hawaiian was the amenity packs that we received on the flight. It was a Manuheali'i bag filled with goodies needed for a 10 hour flight. Things such as a toothbrush, earphones, toothpaste, eye mask, tissue, pen, etc. This was very unique and very Hawaiian. 

Surprisingly for airplane food .. It was yummy. I had a dip and rusk bread for an appetizer. Then for soup/salad course I had a good potato soup and a shrimp salad. 

For dinner there was three options but I chose the ahi of course. It was prepared with vegetables with a caper sauce and mash potatoes. I ate it all might I add. 

For dessert I had a sweet potato haupia tart, which was a nice ending to a filling dinner. 

Also there were snacks throughout the whole flight such as a bowl of warm ramen .. My fav!

Unfortunately we couldn't enjoy our second meal due to the turbulence on our flight. I do get motion sickness so this was not fun for me. But we arrived in Korea safely.

Stay tuned for my day 1 in South Korea.

xo. Laur

BANAN

Food trucks have been the new hype for some time now. It is a great way to drive up and grab your food. Food trucks are normally in high traffic areas, which is 10x more convenient. There is a new food truck that opened up in Diamond Head called Banan. They serve banana based treats that is the consistency of a acai or pitaya bowl but creamier. 

The first step in making a banan bowl is choosing your size. A small is a scoop of banan in a cup, a boat is a medium size in a papaya and large is a large portion with acai bowl fixings. 

There are many different flavors based on season. Banan uses local, fresh produce to make their products. The flavors right now are lilikoi, acai, pineapple coconut, ginger mint and banana of course.

After choosing your base flavor you choose what topping will go on your treat. There is anything from quinoa, pineapple, banana, honey, coconut, papaya, etc. Way to many to choose from. 

Then you are good to go ..

I got an small cup for acai banan with pineapples, puffed quinoa and honey. The puffed quinoa adds a nice crunch. This is a snack that you really have to like bananas to enjoy. I mean it is pure bananas after all. But this is a nice cold treat on a hot day. The prices are reasonable as well. The small was $5 and a rather big portion in my opinion. 

Head over to banan and support local!

xo. Laur

PANIOLOS

Have no fear, Chipote is finally here. Well not really but something kinda like it. Paniolo's, which was started by the same owners as the ever so popular salad joint, Aloha Salads. I heard about Paniolo's through a dear friend who just so happens to work there. Paniolo's is located in Lanikai right next to Aloha Salad's.

The concept of Paniolo's is quite similar to Chipotle. If you never heard of Chipotle, no worries because I will walk you through the process. First you pick if you want a burrito, taco or a bowl. These all range from $8-$10. I normally go for the bowls but that's just me. Then you pick your meat. I go with chicken but I have heard the Paniolo steak (local beef that is slow cooked to perfection) is good as well. The Paniolo steak is on my hit list next time I go. 

The next step of the process is picking your toppings. There are choices ranging from 2 types of rice, lettuce, cheese, grilled veggies, 2 types of beans, cilantro, onion, 4 types of salsa, sour cream, guacamole (extra charge), etc. I highly suggest just pilling these toppings on since there is no limit to how many toppings you get. It's vegetables so it's healthy right?

I always like to get fresh chips, salsa and guacamole with my order. It is perfect for dipping.

So here is my creation. It doesn't look all that attractive but boy is it delicious. I have to be honest, I was not quite a huge mexican fan before trying these types of bowls. If you are not familiar with Chipotle, be familiar with Paniolo's. This is heaven sent. What I love about Paniolo's is that their food is locally grown and raised. This is from the veggies to the tortillas to the meat. I am a huge advocate of supporting local so this makes me love the food even more. Please go try Paniolo's! It is for your own good. 

xo. Laur

CHADLOU'S KAILUA

As you all know, my best friend's name is Anela. Yes she is the one who used to live in Arizona and just recently got married. And yes I said USED to live in Arizona because she finally moved back home. You can imagine my excitement to have my best friend within driving distance from me. So when she got back we got together for a sunrise hike date. We went to Lanikai Pillboxes, which is a hike I enjoy because it is relatively easy and there is a nice view from the top. So after we were done with the hike (which had a lot of girl talk)  we wanted to try a new place rather than the same spots we normally go to. So we stumbled on Chadlou's in Kailua. 

This place is definitely a hidden gem. Anela is a coffee lover and I am a tea lover. Although, I am starting to give coffee a chance. I am not quite hooked but i'll sip on it. Anyways, Chadlou's has both coffee and tea so we were sold. Chadlou's has a breakfast menu with bagel sandwiches, waffles, etc. There are sandwiches offered for lunch. And a case of pastries like muffins, cookies, etc. Did I mention that the cookies can be made into ice cream cookie sandwiches. Best believe I will be back for one of those. Y'all know how much I love cookies and ice cream.

The vibe here was amazing. I felt like I was in a cafe somewhere in downtown Portland. Everyone was extremely laid back, doing their own thing whether it be homework, listening to music, reading. It was an amazing place to hang out especially with your best friend.  

  

I ordered a Warm Lavender Tea Latte and Anela ordered a iced mocha. I must say both were to die for. I love a joint in Costa Mesa, California called Milk and Honey, which has thee best Lavender iced latte I have ever had but this is definitely a close second. But what makes this better is I don't have to hop on a plane to get one. Score! Also, Anela's iced mocha was actually really good as well. I was contemplating ordering one to go.

This is a joint that I will definitely come back too. I am anxious to try more items on their menu. Plus Chadlou's gets two thumbs up for putting their drinks in mason jars. Everything tastes better in a mason jar. This place is a diamond in the rough.

xo. Laur

CHRISTMAS GELATO

It isn't Christmas without Christmas flavored gelato. I have been waiting anxiously for the holiday flavors to roll back into town. Via Gelato is one of my favorite gelato shops and I have been stalking their Instagram waiting to see when they would announce the arrival of their holiday gelato. Via Gelato has released three holiday flavors that are absolutely scrumptious. I have tried two out of the three. I tried the Gingerbread gelato that is cinnamon spice flavored with big chewy bits of gingerbread and the chocolate peppermint gelato that reminds me of the Peppermint Mocha drink at Starbucks. These are two flavors that I am definitely going to load up on during the holidays. 

The next holiday gelato that I am obsessed with is La Gelateria aka Nordstrom Gelato's Peppermint Candy Cane gelato. I have been eating this gelato for years and is without a doubt my favorite peppermint gelato in the world. I tried the gelato a couple years ago and have been in love ever since. It is sweet and tastes just like a candy cane. There is something about this gelato that screams Christmas. I must get a scoop of this gelato whenever I go to the mall. It is an automatic stop. Oh how I love the holidays. 

xo. Laur

WING ICE CREAM

So I need to apologize for being so MIA. I got an internship and it has been occupying a lot of my time. But a positive that has come from my internship is that I am in Downtown Honolulu twice a week. I hardly get to go downtown so I am excited to try all the eateries and shop at the cute shops. A new place I tried is Wing Ice Cream. This is located on Maunakea Street.

Wing Ice Cream makes fresh, homemade ice cream, which I love. The flavors are constantly changing so you never know what you are going to get. The flavors are very unique such as bacon or avocado for example. It is not your average ice cream shop. 

I decided to try a single scoop of the carrot cake ice cream. It was delicious. I could taste the cream cheese frosting and the warm spices from the carrot cake. It reminded me a little bit like pumpkin. Nonetheless, it was yummy and just what I needed after a 9 hour day. 

xo. Laur

PINEAPPLE ROOM

Finally, a day off! College is getting pretty stressful with projects, test, homework, midterms, etc. So you can imagine my excitement having a day off from school, work and my internship. Because of this rare occasion, my mom and I went out to a special lunch. We went to Alan Wong's Pineapple Room. I have gone here for breakfast and dinner but never lunch.

Luckily, there was no wait so we got seated right away. I started off my meal with Alan Wong's signature plantation iced tea. This is one of the better iced teas in my opinion. 

My mom and I were hungry but not super hungry so we shared an entree. We got the lunch special, which comes with a kalua pig sandwich, soup, salad and dessert. One of my favorite things to get from Pineapple room is the kalua pig french onion soup. There is a healthy serving of kalua pig and caramelized onions. My mouth is already starting to water just typing about it. It is a bit on the salty side so if you aren't a fan of salty this may not be for you. The sandwich was humongous! But very tasty. 

If our lunch wasn't filling enough, we were on to dessert. If you know me, you know I always save room for dessert because I have a sweet tooth. The strawberry tiramisu came with our meal but we ordered the Halo Halo tapioca as well. The strawberry tiramisu had white chocolate crunch bar as the crust with fresh strawberries and cream. I am a huge fan of Alan Wong's chocolate crunch so I was excited to try the white chocolate crunch. I am not much of a tiramisu fan but I must admit it was delicious. 

But the Halo Halo tapioca was to die for. This is a dessert I always come back for. The dessert comes with coconut tapioca, an array of fruit, azuki beans and coconut flavored shave ice on top. It is such a refreshing treat after a rather heavy, filling dessert. I have a Veteran's Day off .. Any lunch suggestions?

xo. Laur