Let's get one thing straight. I absolutely hate boats, and the ocean, and I can't swim.
Okay, that was three things, but the basic gist is that I don't do nature lol Sooooo, as I sat on the Royal Star motorbus at 8am heading to the Waianae Boat Harbor, I wondered why I signed up for this, and if it was too late to turn around and head home. But being the chang little college student that I am, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to experience an otherwise $88 dolphin watching and lunch package. I didn't know what to expect from this because my first ever experience on a boat was similar to this in the Big Island with the Kalani Falcons Soccer Team, but I got massively sick to my stomach after following the boys' dive into the water. I was utterly traumatized, but the second time I was on a boat in Korea for my Hyundai Cruise Ship field trip for school, I was completely fine and had a blast. Two very extremes and I wasn't sure which was gonna happen this time. Lucky for me (and everyone else on the boat), it turned out completely fine. My experience was amazing, because we not only got to see so many pods of dolphins, but also got to see a rare sighting of some whales along the way too! I got to take some dope pics of the dolphins that swam close to our boat, got to eat some delicious "build your own burgers" and got to re-conquer my fear of boats. Dolphin Star is amazing because it was modeled to be an eco-friendly vessel that emits as little emissions as possible, and they never disturb the animals in their natural habitat. All of the crew members were so knowledgable about the different types of dolphins, and I loved that they tie in education about these animals and their habitats to make it not only exciting to see them, but to learn about them and how to protect them too! Special special thanks to Becker Communications for letting me attend, and for Dolphin Star and the whole Star of Honolulu company for putting together the event!
0 Comments
Wow. Okay, so I've been planning this MAC Daddy Challenge with the Marketing Coordinator at the Hilton for a good two months now, and we were finally able to execute it!
I invited Rowena from RA Grinds and Ritsuko from Poohko Hawaii, two local influencers, to be part of the Challenge. Rowena and I faced off to see who could finish most of the three stack, 5lb pancake in under 90 minutes. We ended up eating pretty much the same amount, but Rowena definitely ate hers in a more strategic way than I did lol. We talked, ate pancakes, laughed, and had a great time, and it was super fun. But with everything in life, I think there was a life lesson, and this time, it was that some people are just born and raised differently, and if you let every small little thing get to you, you're just gonna tire yourself out. I feel like I put so much work into coordinating this event and reaching out to various people to give opportunities, and maybe it's just because one of my top values in life is appreciation and gratitude, but when I didn't see feelings being reciprocated, it took a toll on me. A big, fat, emotional toll. I started questioning why I'm still doing what I'm doing, and it really hurt because I know that I LOVE my (non-paying) job with Spoon Hawaii and being an influencer. But after finishing the event and knowing that all my hard work paid off, I realized that I can't be so close-minded, because the way I think and show appreciation is not necessarily the same way others do too. I re-realized that whatever you put into something is what you get out of it, and that what goes around comes around - maybe not in the near future, but eventually. And I just have to be my best self to get the best results. I have a confession. I've grown up eating spam my entire life, since it was cheap and duh we live in Hawaii. But I'm not the biggest fan of it. I'm sure I LOVED it as a kid, but now, I would never reach for a spam musubi or a bento with spam in it.
That being said, it was super ironic when I got invited to the VIP SPAM Mania event for the annual SPAM Jam in Waikiki. The VIP's got to sample about half the menu for free, win prizes, and a bunch of other cool things at a closed-off section in the International Market Place. 20 establishments concocted their best spam dishes for the public to try, and they definitely had a few wacky creations, like the Hula Pie with candied spam, spam pizza, and andagi with spam. After we left the VIP area, a few of us foodies met up with Harold, the GM for Waikiki Yokocho and Eggs n Things, and got a few samples from the Yokocho & Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin booth too. My favorites were the: Andagi with Spam (Eggs n Things) Mochi Waffles with Spam (Kokoro Cafe) Spam Katsu Sandwich (Hula Grill) Spam Kakiage (Hannosuke, in Waikiki Yokocho) I still don't think I'd ever purchase my own can of spam to eat on a normal day, but the SPAM Jam event opened my eyes to the possibilities of it, and showed me how much of a food culture we have in Hawaii, in which they dedicate a whole day to close off one of the busiest streets in Honolulu, just to enjoy some spam. Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Il Lupino, Machete’s Mean Sandwiches, Ripple of Smiles, Taste of Paradise, O’Kims, Stir. This weekend’s lineup was insane. There were so many times I just sat there and thought “is this what being famous is like?” This was my second tasting at Il Lupino, the first being with Ryan and Hawai Happy Hours, when we got them to be a partner for the Deals platform, and this place never disappoints. They were introducing their new and favorite menu items to influencers, buffet style, so I loaded up on my favorite Arancine Siciliani, and I could not get enough of the fried artichokes and Pesta Romano. I’m pretty sure I gained at least six pounds on Saturday, with Machete’s Mean Sandwiches feeding me, Steph, and Rowena a huge sandwich each in exchange for some photos, Ripple of Smiles providing Joy and me four different dishes as a thanks for collaborating with them for our 10k Spoon Giveaway, and of course, all the amazing food from Taste of Paradise (so many cake bombs LOL). Machete’s bakes their own bread in house and it is the SOFTEST bread I’ve ever seen on Oahu. Their sandwiches are a great deal because they pack as much as they can in between the supple pieces of bread. This is one of those hole-in-the-wall places you’d never think would be amazing, but is. My go-to order next time is The Machete (and hold the mayo, bleh). Ripple of Smiles is a new Vietnamese restaurant, where Frankie Fresh used to be, right across City Mill. Maybe it was because I was still full from Machete’s, but I didn’t really care too much for their food. It was definitely good, and it’s hard to find a decent Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant outside of Chinatown, so I give major props to them for opening one up so close to campus (plus, students get 10% off all the time, and 17% off during the month of April). Taste of Paradise. I already raved about it lol, next. O’Kims is a cute little restaurant located in Downtown, and because we went on a Sunday, we were lucky enough to score free parking at Walmart. We sat outside in their cute lil patio, and they brought out all of their brunch specials. Everything was amazing, and I LOVE that they don’t use any MSG, and that they literally make everything in house (even the kimchi!). Right after our huge brunch at O’Kims, we made our way down to Stir on Waialae Ave. They changed owners and wanted to showcase their newest “dessert smoothies” and acai bowls. They gave us three different flavors (Cookies n Cake > Pistachio Macaron > Strawberry Cake) and an acai bowl. I felt a surge of sugary explosion after, because everything was so sweet. The Cookies n Cake smoothie (can I just call it a milkshake cause that’s basically what it is) was honestly so good – it was like melted cookies & cream ice cream with oreo and cheesecake. Cavina and I just attended the first Hawaii Foodie Fest, Taste of Paradise, held at the Bishop Museum. At a whopping $70 per General Admission ticket, it's definitely not an event that I ever thought I would attend, but thanks to the generosity of Frolic Hawaii, we were able to go as representatives from our respective publications (Cavina with Frolic and me with Spoon Hawaii) to cover the event, free of charge.
There were a few things that were not-so-good, like the hour long wait, excessive use of plastic, and the confusion with the ticket stamping, but when you get to enjoy $70 worth of food from some of the top restaurants on the island, you really can't complain, ya know? Plus, it was the first time that Hawaii has had such a big event like this, so it's understandable why there were a few blunders. Everything that we had was absolutely amazing, and it was inspirational to see the different creations these chefs made for the event. My favorites were the Misoyaki Sous Vide Pono Pork from Roy's, Tortilla Espagnole from Scratch Kitchen & Meatery, Ahi Crudo from The Street Food Hall, and the desserts (of course) from UBAE and Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery. And special s/o to my sister for getting us the tickets. Love you sis. I swear it was just Monday yesterday, but somehow it's already Friday, which means spring break is pretty much over, which means it's back to school and exams and projects and socializing with people, and all the other not-so-good stuff that comes with being a student.
Lucky, this spring break treated me well, with three food events almost back-to-back to keep me well fed throughout the week. Tuesday was an event at the new Rocky Japanese Steak Teppan Restaurant at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Formerly the Benihana, they changed the name to become independent, and wanted to expand their new restaurant, dedicated to the owner, Rocky Aoki. This event featured their new menu items including the Rocky Loco Moco, Loco Moco Ramen, and Ninjatini, along with their show-stopping teppanyaki performances. Thursday, Spoon Hawaii was invited to the new EARL sandwich shop location in the Keawe Retail by Our Kaka'ako space. I was absolutely STOKED about this one because ever since Chris (aka Christopher, aka @isonochris, aka my best friend throughout middle and high school) introduced me to the shop in Kaimuki, I've been obsessed by their creations. This event featured their double-fried garlic fries, nachos, lemonades & teas, and whatever sandwiches our hearts desired. I of course got the Turkey Jam Sam per usual, but also tried the Kebob which was basically eating a gyro, sandwich form. I also met two super cool people - @islandbag, whom I've been following for two years now, and @okaa_san, an amazing local artist. Lastly, I was honored to be reached out to to try the new Plant-Based Proteins offered at Pieology, with a free pizza, salad, and drink for me and a guest. We got the gluten-free and cauliflower crusts, and everything was so so so good. The plant-based proteins, although not something I would usually order, wasn't too bad. Definitely a little unconventional in terms of taste, but they got the appearance just right, and for a veganized meat, it was again, not too bad. |