Life on the Island

Bonjour amigos! I hope you enjoyed the September Music Sizzle. I'll try to keep posting some musical treats for you. In the meantime, let's pick up where we left off. HAWAII. 

We've been having an absolute blast down here. The picture above was taken at Lanikai beach in Kailua, which is absolutely beautiful. You may know it as "Obama's Beach" but we got to know it as , "Um heaven is that you?" 

Adventure #1. 

Fact: I have a little problem with heights. I never used to be afraid of heights, but one fateful day, I was high up and suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to lay flat and hold onto the ground for dear life. Basically, I get a mean case of vertigo. So now you know. 

MainSqueeze and I decided to hike up Koko Head. It's a very steep "mountain" where the "trail" is made up of a railroad track. Sounds easy enough, right? 

We decided to go at 1:30 pm (also known as the hottest part of the day) and I decided that I should wear a black top and black shorts, because obviously. 

Looks harmless. 

We started up the trail and it seemed easy enough. The steps are pretty huge, so my short legs were werrrrkin hard. Then there's a terrifying part. Where you literally have to get on all fours to climb up the railroad tracks because if you don't, you can fall through the middle and....die? break all appendages? Needless to say, I forgot to breathe during that part and had to stop a little ways up and take a breather. 

Once we made it to the top, the huffing and puffing was WORTH the view. You feel like you're on top of the island. Both of our phones were dead so we can't really prove we were there, but if you ever make it up, you'll see that we wrote our names on the concrete block at the top. So there IS proof. 

Now, I have to get to gettin', but tomorrow I promise to wow you with SWINE. Yes. I will be telling you about a hot restaurant here in Honolulu that was recently voted top 50 in the USA and was nominated for a James Bear award. EXCITING. 

Peace out for now amigos, 

A Tropical Storm called Life...

Aloha amigos. So here we are. Life is a series of twists and turns, ups and downs, forks and narrows; and it's a beautiful thing. There has been packing, unpacking, repacking, transitioning, staying put, and moving forward. And this is all good. So I hope you're all good too. 

But let's get back to what TheSizzle is really all about. Really good thangs. Food, tunes, treats, surprises, trips, adventures and the ever so random post. 

About a bajillion years ago, I brought you Hawaii Part 1. Well folks, it's time for Part 2. And so we begin:

Hawaii Part Deux:

My mind was already blown from the absolute perfection I experience at Ono Seafood. I still crave that Poke on.the.reg. But MS had more in store for moi. We lazed on the beach in Waikiki, had a few cold cocktails, and watched the world go by. But then it was time. For SASABUNE. 

I'm a sushi person. And I feel like a lot of people say that, but I think my appreciation goes a little deeper than the average bear. 

MS and I decided to walk to our dinner destination. We found a groovy little spot on the way, stopped and had a cocktail to rev up our appetites. Pint + Jigger was a great place, low key vibe with #nomz that looked quite tempting. But we pressed on and refused food to save room for sushi. 

MS had made a reservation at Sasabune and we decided to order "omakase" style. Where you sit, and they bring you food. Forever. And you want it to stop because you're so full, but you don't want it to stop because it's just UNreal. 

COURSE 1: Albacore Tuna Sashimi Style. Creamy rich albacore served in a delicate, light ponzu sauce. I'm hooked already. 

Course 2: California baby squid stuffed with blue crab. Tender, sweet, NOT chewy WHATsoever. The dream continues...

COURSE 3: Toro. What else can I say other than it's a fatty part of the Tuna that literally melts in your mouth. Divine. There were two sauces glazed on top, but my eyes were totally glazed themselves and I couldn't type it into my notes fast enough (cold sake wasn't helping my motor skills much either...)

COURSE 4: Halibut and Red Snapper (from left to right). Fresh, light, incredible. Again, I couldn't type the sauce quickly enough. So feast your eyes....

COURSE 5: Hamachi 2 ways. Whatever ways these were, these were one of the highlights of the meal. Perfectly creamy and buttery. I'm pretty sure the left piece had a ponzu ginger concoction but I was having a hard time keeping up with the amazingness. 

AND THEN MY PHONE DIED. I'm not kidding. And we needed to conserve MS's battery to get us home. SOOO......I didn't take any more pics and I decided I really just wanted to enjoy the experience and enjoy the company. Amazing. 

If you get to Honolulu, you've got to try this place. It's small, unassuming, and only takes reservations. The waiters know their stuff, and they take their sushi seriously.

FOR EXAMPLE:

At one point, I was getting so full, that I was about to pull the fish off the rice, and go riceless. The waiter SWOOPED over, and said "Maa'm, please do not upset the chef. Eat the whole piece, it's an insult." So I felt silly and wasteful, and put the whole thing in my mouth and thought I was going to burst. But it was worth it. Later on, we had South African Rock Lobster, sweet Japanese shrimp, hand rolls, and more incredible culinary delights.

MS and I left thoroughly impressed, full as ticks and already looking forward to doing it all over again. 

Next on TheSizzle.... Hawaiian Delights, sneaking into state parks, and being rrrrreally awkaward around a (notveryfamous) celebrity right before running 13.1 miles. Oh and some pretty #nomtastic San Diegan (is that a word?) meals....Until then, adios amigos. 

I'm sorry. Lo siento. Je suis tres désolé.

Sizzlers. I don't even know where to begin. I have been so MIA that it's not even funny. Trust me, my heart strings have been pining for some Sizzle, and things have finally (somewhat) settled down enough for me to post! 

Last time we talked I was in the airport headed to Honolulu. I have eaten delicious things, seen amazing sights, run 13.1 miles and taken PLENTY of pics for your viewing delight. 

And so it begins. But first I had a spa day at the Trellis spa at the Houstonian. I had a credit there that I had been hoarding so I decided what more could prepare me for a long flight than a massage, lunch on the terrace, mani/pedi and a little peace and quiet. 

Trellis spa. 

Ladies & Gentlemen... if you're looking to splurge on a spa day, this is worth the cash. Excellent customer service, immaculate facilities and fabulous services. Highly recommend. 

HAWAII PART ONE:

I was greeted by MainSqueeze with a beautiful orchid lei, big hugs, joyful tears (I know, I know, but I'm secretly a total softie) and a huge appetite. I have an odd habit of not eating too much while I travel, so after an almost 8 hour flight, I was FAMISHED. 

MainSqueeze had been in Hawaii for almost a month, so he had been exploring the sights and tastes and staking out spots worth trying. One of his favorites was Ono Seafood and Takeaway near Waikiki. 

Hole in the wall. Standing room only to order and literally, take out. There are two picnic tables out front and that's all folks. But that is NOT all in terms of flaaaaava. Wow. 

Poke for days. Spicy ahi and octopus. #nomcity

Holy tuna. There are several flavor combos to choose from, and all they offer is ahi (tuna) and octopus served on white or brown rice. I can't even explain how delightfully fresh and tender the tuna was. un.real folks. 

I inhaled it. I almost regretted being so hungry because I feel like I didn't get the full experience. So we obviously went back a few days later because, duh. 

So now, ahi is kind of ruined for me. I haven't had any since my trip, and I'm afraid I won't be able to find anything close to it here.... Does that mean I need to try it again? Certainly. 

So, chew on that. And get ready to feast your eyes on one of my top 3 favorite meals in my life (plus the company wasn't too bad) Next up is our "omakase" style dinner at Sasabune. Sushi.HEAVEN. 

So, for now, tell me where to find velvety fresh tuna in Houston and I will repay you with sushi pics. In the meantime I shall hold them hostage. But not really, because I can't wait to share. 

So long and so sorry for my hiatus!