Big Island Grinds

100% Ka’u Coffee and a warm gooey mac-nut brownie. Doesn’t get any better than this, seriously.

They don’t serve Ka’u coffee here everyday (they rotate their special coffees), but when they do it sure is worth a try. It’s one of my favorites… dare I say I favor it over Kona?

Posted on location. Free internet with $5 purchase.

Kope Kope Espresso Cafe
1261 Kilauea Avenue
Suite 220
Hilo Hawaii 96720
www.kopekopeespresso.com
(808) 933-1221

Sweet, a brand new restaurant right in the heart of Hilo!  Hi-Ho Mongolian Grill, a franchise with other locations in Illinois and Iowa, opened just a few days ago. It was pretty busy when we got in, like any new place opening in Hilo… anything new is super exciting for us!

It’s a pretty neat concept:  you choose a bowl size (little khan, mighty khan, barbarian khan), or all you can eat, then you fill it up with a nice variety of veggies and meats…

… they had seafood too… shrimp and scallops…

… some noodles too… don’t be shy to pile it up since it shrinks.

Then the fun part, putting on your sauces!  I wasn’t feeling too adventurous so I just followed the recommended recipe on the sign and added a bit more of the “mongolian fire oil” — spicy stuff! (click on the image to make big)….

Then you hand it over to one of the chefs and they cook your food on this HUGE flat wok which gets super hot.  It was a lot of fun watching — they totally put on a show, throwing the bowls and food in the air.

Finished bowl (mighty khan “medium” size).  Pretty huge.  Next time I’ll get the smaller bowl… or get the bigger bowl and take home the leftovers.

Served with a great tasting egg drop soup and bowl of rice.  It’s a lot of food!

They even have a little desert which comes with the meal… some fresh fruits and pudding.

It was all very yummy and fresh.  I would come back another time.  Next time I will change my sauce recipe… it was a bit too sweet and salty for me.  I’ll be more adventurous next time.

Prices are pretty reasonable (click to make big):

Service was very nice and friendly too.  It’s great that we have this new place in Hilo!

Yay! Found some great takoyaki at the farmer’s market today. First time seeing this vendor here. Really nice guy! After chatting a bit, we found out they are associated with Miyo’s (not sure how, though).

We went early, so they just got setup and it was still hot and fresh and so moist. Very tasty!

They also had some taiyaki (Japanese pancakes) filled with sweet red beans, cheese, or cinnamon apple. We got two red bean pancakes. They were so good too! Still warm and toasty.

Come early because they seemed very popular! I hope this vendor stays here for awhile.

P.S. Stay posted… Bev and I just celebrated our 2 year anniversary and went to Fujimamas. Man, that was one of the best meals ever! I’ll post again within a week.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Fresh from the Mehana Brewing Company in Hilo and just in time for Thanksgiving! $6.99 for refill, $5.99 on Mondays. I think $5.49 for the actual 1/2 gallon growler.

You can visit them for free samplings. Pictured above is one of my favorites, their Volcano Red Ale. I am also a big fan of their hefty Mauna Kea Pale Ale.

I might have to add another favorite to my list because on this visit I sampled a new beer they had called the Hawaiian Crow Porter… very dark, toasty and refreshing. It’s not too heavy either. I think I know what will be going into this growler next. More research is needed.

Mehana Brewing Company
275 East Kawili St.
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
(808) 934-8211
www.mehana.com

I can’t find any! KTA and Safeway all sold out. Hopefully tomorrow we will have more luck. :/

UPDATE: KTA got a new stock of fresh cranberries.

How are all of you doing?

I can’t wait to eat turkey!!! We’ve bought a fresh one and I am making the brine for it right now (thanks to coworker for the recipe).

Good tip for Hilo peeps: Get all your herbs and spices from the Hilo Natural Food Store — You can buy only what you need… I just bought a bunch or thyme, sage, and all spice berries for under $1.50.

Now all that is left on the shopping list is fresh local sweet corn from the corner near Kai store and fresh cranberries…. please help me out… anyone. I’m very desperate right now.

At a recent retirement party for a wonderfully sweet lady with an appetite for great food, her co-workers went out all over Hilo to get her favorite foods. It was all so ono, I had to learn where everything was from!

This kind of information is invaluable…

Hilo Lunch Shop: Veggie Tempura, Sweet Potato Tempura, Fishcake

Sputniks: Potato Salad, Teri Beef, Korean Chicken

Kalbi Express: Mundoo

Ryans: Maki Sushi

So, where are your favorite places for dis kind food?