Monday, May 26, 2014

Snack Box by Pili Group - CLOSED

The Snack Box is a pop-up located inside PAD Hawaii in Kakaako. It's by Pili Group, the same people who created Lunch Box (not open to public). Snack Box offers salads, sandwiches, toast boxes, bento boxes and baked good. They opened earlier this month and they've been added new items to their menu every week. The food here is prepared with local ingredients and it's on the healthier side. Their specialty item is the salad jar. They put a mix of vegetables into a mason jar and you can shake it up yourself. I haven't had a chance to try their salad jar yet but my favorites so far are the turkey cranberry sandwich and the sprinkle cookies.

They have a small area next to the entrance of the store where you can sit and eat. If you plan to do take out and you're buying more than 1 item, I recommend bringing a reusable bag to hold your food. If not, you can also buy a snack pack from them.  If you buy a drink, remember to bring the mason jar back for a refill on your next visit. You'll get a discount.

The parking lot that used to be next to this building is block off for construction so your only option is street parking. They are open from Tuesday to Saturday, 11:00AM - 2:00PM. You can also check their facebook, instagram, or twitter pages for updates.

691 Auahi St.
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 240-1096

Turkey Cranberry Sandwich

Sprinkle Cookie

Apple Caramel Scones

Mamaki Iced Tea

Olena Lemonade w/ Fruits

Lechon Bento Box

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Anytime Cafe

Anytime Cafe is located in the Market City Shopping Center. The menu is mostly Chinese food but there's some Italian; pasta and risotto. They have a happy hour that runs from 2pm to 4pm which offers HK style snacks for under $5. The items are very limited and the portions are small. If you order items from the regular menu, the portions are much better. For a restaurant in this part of town, I consider their appetizers prices to be affordable. As for the other items, the prices are a bit high.

I recommend coming in the afternoon when you've already had lunch but you need a place to hang out. You can order a few appetizers to nibble on while you talk story. The parking lot is usually empty on this side of the shopping center but the stalls are small.

For more information about Anytime Cafe, visit www.anytimecafehawaii.com.

2919 Kapiolani Blvd
Ste 218
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 735-3888

Look Funn Roll

Sweet Potato Fries

Fried Calamari

Baked Garlic Chili Wings

Garlic Bread

Fresh Clam Spaghetti w/ White Wine Sauce

Fish Ball Noodle Soup

Fried Dumpling

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Grondin French Latin Kitchen - CLOSED

Grondin is located in the heart of Chinatown near Lucky Belly. They offer a fusion of French and Latin flavors. I noticed a lot of the items on their menu are spicy but if you ask, they can put the spicy sauces on the side. The food tasted really good minus the extreme spice in the shrimp ceviche dish. The chicken and the fish were my favorites. The chicken was very moist and had good flavor. The snapper was cooked perfectly and the outside had a bit of a crunch to it. The portions for the chicken was good but I thought the fish was a little small. Their items are on the pricey side so save this for a special occasion.

The area that they are in makes it difficult to get to in the evenings. I recommend going there in a group. The parking can be tough since the street spaces are all taken by 6pm. The closest parking lot would be on Smith and N Pauahi.

For more information about Grondin French Latin Kitchen, visit http://www.grondinhi.com.

62 N Hotel St
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 566-6768

Crepes Mole Negro (duck)

Prawn Ceviche

Pan Roasted Jidori Chicken

Pan Roasted Snapper