TROPICAL FOOD CHRONICLES – DAY NINE
Today was another early rising day as we had decided to drive towards the northern end of Kauai to look for birds in the reserve in the Wailua River Valley. We also stopped to view the waterfall and to look over the Wailua River into the restored Hawaiian Village. It was a beautiful day and we had some good viewing. We also saw quite a lot of birds there as well.
Wailua Reserve - early morning
After our early morning sightseeing we stopped at Smith’s Tropical Paradise. Their lush tropical gardens cover 30 acres of land; it is right next to the river. In the evenings they host luaus that anyone can purchase a ticket to attend. They also offer boat rides on the river. We saw quite a few different birds here but the most entertaining were the peacocks which of course are introduced birds. It is breeding season, the mails in all the finery strut around and around as if they were in a fashion show. (Will put up a video of one on U-Tube).
- Peacock Finery
Peacock at Smth's
Back in Poipu we went to the Poipu Shopping Mall for lunch and tried out the dogs at Puka Dogs. The most outstanding thing about this eatery is all the different toppings that they provide for their dogs. Ev decided on the Polish Dog with Coconut Relish and I had the Polish Dog with Mango Relish. Their Polish Dogs taste more like regular hot dogs. I normally don’t like Polish Dogs, but their regular hot dogs were veggie dogs and that didn’t sit too well with me. I like my hot dogs to be made with beef. The best thing about this eatery was their fresh made-to order lemonade. It was very good. To see Puka Dog’s Menu go to http://www.pukadog.com/menu After lunch it was more beach time.
For dinner this evening we went back to Kalapaki Joe’s and tried out a couple of their menu items that featured fresh lobster. Ev had the lobster burrito which was quite large and contained more than an ample portion of lobster. I had the lobster salad and it too had an ample portion of grilled lobster with a variety of vegetables and was topped with grilled pineapple slices. This salad came with a wonderful sesame dressing which was absolutely perfect.
After dinner we walked back to the condo and spent some time outside on the grounds to soak up what was left of our time on the island. Kauai is a very peaceful place with beautiful scenery. With the gentle breeze, you feel like you are being bathed in silken strands. It is a wonderful feeling and one that you can carry with you in your memory for a long time afterwards.
Categories: Dinner Ideas, Lunch Ideas, Salads, Tropical Food Tags: birds, Fruit, Hotdogs, laua, lobster, Pineapple, poki, river valley, Salad, Tropical, Vegetables
TROPICAL FOOD CHRONICLES – DAY SEVEN
Day Seven was Saturday and again, I will skip breakfast as that wasn’t notable. For lunch we had a combination plate (items purchased from the market) of Tako (octopus) Poki Hawaiian Style Ahi Poki and Lomi, Lomi Salmon with seaweed snacks and sliced cucumbers. This was a very tasty and light lunch and it was completely satisfying. It met both flavor criteria and a minimum of calories if you are watching your weight, yet after eating this we felt completely satisfied and not the least bit hungry. Poki and Lomi Lomi is made with marinated raw fish. The marinating takes the place of cooking and the other ingredients such as onions and chilies add flavor. If making these dishes at home, only use the freshest of fish or fish that has been labeled Sushi quality. In the photo below, the dish in the upper right is Tako Poki, next to is the Lomi Lomi Salmon. Lomi Lomi is usually pretty mild in flavor. In the lower half of the picture is the Ahi Poki; the Ahi was Hawaiian Style and had lots of flavor but practically no heat. The Tako on the other hand was spicy.
Poki and Lomi Lomi Salmon
For dinner we purchased some Ono from the market and cooked it Island Style with Soy Sauce, freshly grated Ginger, Sesame Oil and the leftover Lomi Lomi Salmon. To make it, I heated up the pan and added the Lomi, Lomi, a little sesame oil and the ginger. Then I cooked the ono on each side (it doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through) and added the soy sauce. Along with the Ono we had [amazon Jasmine Rice purchased a bag of Jasmine Rice that contained sliced, dried carrots and other vegetables. Along with this I sautéed some Baby Bok Choi, Scallions and fresh Basil. This made a very tasty meal. Dessert again was Brownie Bites and Ice Cream Sandwiches.
Additional pictures of our food preparation can be viewed on Flicker. Click on the Flicker Link and look for Kauai Food Pictures.
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Ono on Bed of Stir Fry Vegetables
Cooked Jasmine Rice Mix
Categories: Dinner Ideas, Fruit, Lunch Ideas, Salads, Tropical Food Tags: jasmine rice, lomi lomi salmon, octopus, ono, poki, stir fry vegetables, tako, Vegetables
TROPICAL FOOD CHRONICLES – DAY EIGHT
Today was Sunday so we decided to have breakfast out again at Burgers in Paradise. As mentioned earlier, this restaurant offers a lot more than Burgers and provides quite a variety of breakfast items. Ev had Pancakes which were rather large but quite good tasting. My breakfast was a Papaya /Pineapple Boat that was served with toasted coconut and chopped macadamia nuts. The boat was a very healthy and tasty breakfast. We both enjoyed cups of Hawaiian Coffee with the meal. After breakfast we returned to the condo and then to the beach for more sun, sand and surf.
Papaya / Pineapple Boat
For lunch, we ate the leftover stir-fried vegetables with what was left of the Tako and Ahi Poki. So far, our meals have been quite healthy and tasty. Eating good fresh fish with perky seasonings is really a good way to go, whether you are looking to lose weight or to just have a healthy, tasty and satisfying meal.
For dinner this night we decided to try Brennecke’s Broiler. We have been to Kauai many times, but never actually ate at this restaurant as we usually stay at the North Shore and don’t like driving at night between the North and South Shores. The main restaurant is upstairs with a great view of the ocean and beach just across the street. The restaurant features both steaks and seafood and since by this time we had just about had our fill of seafood we decided to go with beef dinners. Ev ordered the Prime Rib and I ordered the Rib Eye Steak. Both these items are basically from the same cut of beef, but one is roasted whole and then sliced and the other is cut into steaks before cooking. Both dinners were served with rosemary mashed potatoes and the Rib Eye was served with a mushroom wine sauce. The Prime Rib was served with au jus and horseradish. Since Ev doesn’t like horseradish, I used that on my steak along with the mushroom wine sauce.
When we finished dinner there was an unexpected downpour (typical of tropical climate) so we waited it out in the downstairs portion of Brennecke’s where we purchased a few items for our breakfast ‘on the go on’ Monday morning. After about 5-10 minutes the rain let up enough for us to make to the car without getting wet. We shortly arrived back at the condo for another relaxing evening in Paradise.
Poipu Beach
Categories: Breakfast Ideas, Dinner Ideas, Lunch Ideas, Main, Salads, Tropical Food Tags: ahi, broiler, fresh fish, Mushrooms, Papaya, Pineapple, poipu beach, poki, prime rib, steak, Tropical
