Top 10 Favorite Foods/Drinks From My Trips

Although every culture has its differences, one thing that can always connect them all is FOOD! If you think about it, almost every gathering has some type of food. We celebrate with food, converse over food, laugh over food — even turn to food during times of sorrow.

I have been on many adventures during my travels, but I always seem to reminisce on the amazing dishes I was able to experience along the way. These are dishes that I feel need some recognition and here’s my list to do so...

1. Duck Confit

If I’ve ever spoke to you about my trip to Europe last summer, it is likely that I mentioned my new found love for duck confit. While in Paris, we ate at Paris Nord Cafe which is located across the street from Gare Du Nord. It was at this restaurant that I experienced my first (and so far my only) plate of duck confit. This is a traditional French dish and is said to be one of France’s finest. The duck is first cured in salt, then fried in its own fat. Potatoes are then fried in the duck fat which is called pommes de terre à la sarladaise and served along with the duck. Although duck confit sounds like it would be very greasy, it surprisingly wasn’t. The crisp of the skin encapsulates the juicy, tender center with the natural flavors of the duck and hints of thyme. It is pure perfection! The pride that the French take in their cooking definitely translates through this dish. 

2. Escargot

French cooking takes simple flavors and combines them together to let the main ingredient shine. The many layers of flavors work together harmoniously to create music on a plate. This is why it isn’t surprising that my second choice is also from Paris, France. Escargot epitomizes the idea of music on a plate. Unlike most American versions of the dish, they use snails still in the shells and they don’t need to mask the flavors of the snails with a ton of cheese. The simplicity of the dish really allows the snails to shine. These aren’t snails that grow in your backyard. They are raised in a controlled setting and are completely edible. The sauce on top of the snails is similar to a thin pesto sauce. It’s delicious!

3. Meat Pies

If you haven’t read my blog post on New Zealand, check it out **here**. In my post, the first thing I write about is meat pies. They are divine. The pies are individual servings of heavenly goodness. The crust is buttery and flaky and the fillings are rich and savory. Some filling options include mince and cheese, butter chicken, and   chicken with brie and mushrooms. If I had access to these in Hawaii, it would probably be one of my go-to comfort foods. To give you an idea of the popularity of these in New Zealand compared to Hawaii, I would compare them to a spam musubi. They are a perfect grab and go meal that are sold at their gas stations and little shops just like musubis. There is a perfect meat pie match for anyone!

4. Gaufres de Liege aka Liege Waffles

While exploring the city of Amsterdam, we decided to try out the waffles that were enticing us around every corner. These waffles are beautiful to look at and even better to eat. The difference between a regular waffle and a liege waffle is that it is made using a dough, not a batter. It also uses a lot of butter and pearl sugar (large sugar crystals), which explains why they taste so amazing! Traditionally, they are eaten plain or with a dusting of powdered sugar. Over the years, the waffles have evolved into the one I ate that day in Amsterdam. Although they can still come plain, they now have the option for it to be dipped in different flavorings: chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, strawberry, etc. I decided on the strawberry dipped waffle. The dish was then completed with fresh fruit and whipped cream. The outside of the waffle was crunchy and the middle was dense, yet crumbly which is said to be caused by the pearl sugar. Accompanied by the fresh fruit and whipped cream, it makes for the perfect sweet treat!       

5. Bacon and Cabbage

On a trip to Ireland, I was on a mission to experience the 2 things that I associated with the country: booze & corned beef and cabbage. We checked the first one off the list easily by visiting the Guinness brewery and Jameson distillery. The second item on the list (corned beef and cabbage) was a bit harder to find. Growing up, I had always thought that this was a traditional Irish meal but there is a debate that it is actually supposed to be bacon (ham) and cabbage. The dish includes slices of boiled ham, butter cabbage, and topped with a parsley cream sauce. Off of looks, I thought I was going to immediately regret my menu selection but I was so wrong. It was incredible. The complexity of the flavors was amazing. Everything in one bite was all it took to get me hooked on the dish. 

6. Waz-Za Waffle

Photo Credit: Simplesplendidthings

New York is known for it’s diversity of food, probably even more than Hawaii. They really know how to elevate the simplest of dishes into an elegant meal. In Le Parker Meridien Hotel in Manhattan, there is a very upscale brunch restaurant called Norma’s. It’s the type of restaurant you’d imagine the Sex In The City girls to be enjoying a meal. Amidst the complimentary smoothie samples and awesome service came the Waz-Za waffle. My cousin Pili’s boyfriend (now fiancé), Jason, told me that it was a must-try. I’m so glad that I took his advice, because it was fantastic. It’s an enormous blueberry waffle that is topped with a raspberry hollandaise sauce, blueberries, and bananas with a brûlée topping. It’s such a well thought out dish. Every topping was carefully chosen to enhance this dishes overall taste and plating presentation. 

7. Fraisier Cake

Buckingham Palace is a must-do while visiting London. It’s doors are open to the public for several months every summer. After experiencing the tour through the extravagant palace, sit back, relax, and enjoy a few refreshments at the Garden Café. The café serves tea, coffee, pastries, and sandwiches which are perfect for a light lunch. We ordered almost one of everything, but my favorite would have to be the fraisier — a french dessert with layers of sponge cake, strawberries, and cream. The cake is topped with marzipan and a beautiful chocolate with a gold crown on top. The fraisier is beautiful to look at and its taste mirrors its elegance. The sponge cake is light and airy, the strawberries and cream are divine, and the marzipan subtly dulcifies the cake which ties everything together. While you’re enjoying your piece of fraisier cake, make sure to get a cappuccino with a chocolate sprinkled crown on top. It will definitely make you feel like your eating like a royal!

8. Blueberry Bourbon Basil Donut

Photo Credit: www.seriouseats.com

When I visited Portland, Oregon, an overwhelming amount of people said that I had to try Voodoo Donuts while I was in town. Sadly, I was more impressed with the looks and names rather than taste. Browsing through the web, I came across a bakery known as Blue Star Donuts. Wanting to see how this compared to Voodoo Donuts, I gave it a try. As I walked in the door, a dark magenta colored donut caught my eye. It was the blueberry bourbon basil donut. Not only did it look amazing, but it sounded amazing. Taking my first bite into the donut was magical. It was a light and airy donut, dipped in the blueberry bourbon basil glaze. The flavors had my taste buds going crazy! It was amazing. The blueberry is definitely the strongest flavor out of the 3, but the bourbon and basil compliment it very well. Blue Star has really perfected using fresh ingredients to capture authentic flavors.

9. Poffertjes with freshly churned butter

If you’re wanting to learn a bit about the history of the Netherlands, I would suggest visiting Openluchtmuseum. This is an open museum that provides a glance at the olden day living situations and practices. In one of the areas of the museum, they show how to churn butter. I had never knew that the freshly churned would be so different from the kind we purchase in stores. It has a natural sweetness to it that amazes me. The butter they churn is then used to make and serve with poffertjes. These are traditional miniature dutch pancakes. Poffertjes aren’t just normal pancakes though. They have a light, yet spongy texture. After being cooked, it is then dusted with powdered sugar and served with some of the freshly churned butter. The flavor of the butter with the poffertjes is sweet enough to forgo the use of syrup.  It’s a very scrumptious treat!

10. Butterbeer 

Based on the drink in the Harry Potter book series and movies, butterbeer is a must-have at any of the wizarding worlds. I’ve tried this drink at Universal Studios in Florida and at the Warner Bros Making of Harry Potter Studio in London. Surprisingly, I preferred the taste of the one in Florida over London’s. The only reason being that the flavor was stronger at Universal Studios. It’s hard to describe what this actually tastes like, but it does have strong hints of butterscotch and cream soda. There is no alcohol in this drink so it’s also great for the kids. Butterbeer is so good that it must be made of magic!    

All of these foods/drinks bring back memories of my trips. Although there are many other dishes that my mind nominated for this list (and the decision was very hard to make), they weren’t quite the winning Leonardo Dicaprio this time. I do, however, look forward to my future meals in distant states and countries!

Thanks again for reading!

P.s.— Comment below with your favorite food or drinks from your vacations! I’d love to hear about them and maybe i'll get to experience them one day too :)   

Malasada Day in Hawai'i nei

Worldwide, people from different cultures take part in Lent. This is a period of 40 days that you give up something of meaning or something that you enjoy. Although the tradition has evolved over the years, it originated with the abstinence of rich foods. Many people gave up meats, eggs, dairy, etc. As a day to purge your home from these rich ingredients came the holiday Shrove Tuesday (a.k.a. Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras). 

The tradition of Shrove Tuesday was adapted into many cultures. This was a day that they would cook with these ingredients and indulge in them before starting a clean period of Lent. Shrove Tuesday was created because they wanted to give these items up, but not let them go to waste. Some countries made pastries and others made pancakes, but the Portuguese made an irresistible treat known as Malasadas!!!  

Homemade Malasadas!

Malasadas are a Portuguese donut: fried dough, rolled in sugar. I’ve read many descriptions on what a malasada is, and let me correct you. Malasadas are not filled with dobash, haupia, or custard. And they’re not covered in cinnamon or lihing mui. They are covered in sugar and lots of it! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good haupia “malasada” from Leonard’s Bakery once in a while, but that’s not traditional.

During the plantation days, the Portuguese brought their tradition of making malasadas for Shrove Tuesday to Hawai’i. At this period in time, other races adapted different parts of each culture to make Hawai’i into what it is today - a cultural melting pot. Many cultures became accustomed to this tradition. And now, we in Hawai’i know it as MALASADA DAY!!!!!!!!!

Ono Malasadas! Pili and Kahanu pigging out with Grandma!

Grandma, Aaliyah, Aunty Rocki, Kehau, and Pili making malasadas!

                               

Malasada Day is a big tradition in my family. Every year we all get up early to make malasadas. This process takes a few hours, but it’s so worth it! The tradition was passed from generation to generation. It’s a really meaningful day to me because it reminds me of my Grandma Violet. Some of my best memories with my grandma were made in the kitchen. Every Malasada Day, we’d get a call early in the morning from my grandma telling me that she had a bag of malasadas waiting for me if I flew down to Hilo. It’s been almost 2 years since my grandma moved on to heaven, but I’m glad that I was able to learn how to make malasadas.

Cooking with Grandma <3

For the past few years, my mom and I have carried on the tradition by making malasadas for our friends and family to enjoy. This year, we made 3 batches (approximately 15 dozen malasadas). We got our hands covered in dough, our shirts a mess, and our house to smell like malasadas (which I’m not complaining about lol). 

Before letting the dough rise.

After the dough has risen.

Frying the malasadas.

Overall, I would say that Malasada Day was a success!!! Our malasadas were golden-brown and covered in sugar with an airy, delicious center.

The outcome of our malasadas!

Even if you didn’t have a malasada today, treat yourself to something. Celebrate the day by indulging and not feeling guilty about it! 

HAPPY MALASADA DAY!!!

If you don't have sugar on your lips, you're not eating it right! LOL

THANKS FOR READING!!!

P.s.- If you’re interested in reading some other cool blogs by my cousins, check out Kepaaloha to read about his study abroad in Italy and HappyNathaniel to read about her great life and health advice!

15 Things To-Do In New Zealand That Will Put It To The Top Of Your Travel Bucket List

If you asked me 2 years ago what would be my top 5 travel bucket list destinations, I would have told you: Australia, London, Korea, Greece, and Egypt. I’m not one to turn down a great vacation; so when the moment came that my friend, Ina, asked if I wanted to go to New Zealand with her, I WAS STOKED. At the time, I hadn’t heard much about New Zealand. I learned a bit about the Maori culture and the haka, but that was about it. No one told me how AMAZING it would be! Literally, I fell in love with everything there!

Before I start bragging about how great New Zealand is, I want to thank the people who made the trip amazing for me and my friends. Leah-Anne and Nate - thank you so much for everything that you guys did for us during our trip there!! I really appreciate your generosity!

With that being said, let me continue on about 15 things to do in New Zealand that will put it on your travel bucket list! 

1. MEAT PIES!!!

These aren’t the meat pies that you hear about in Sweeney Todd (Thank God lol). The pies I’m talking about can be found throughout New Zealand. They are miniature pies with a delicious, flaky crust and endless combinations of flavorful fillings. My favorite flavors are: steak & cheese, butter chicken, and chicken with brie & mushrooms. Right after getting picked up at the airport, we stopped at a gas station and there was an array of pie choices. Ever since the first bite, I was hooked! I’m pretty sure I had one almost every day of the trip and still crave them till this day! You won’t fully understand the hype until you try one. And in my opinion, the meat pies in New Zealand are WAY better than the ones in London.

2. Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Glowworms in Motion - A Time-lapse of NZ's Glowworm Caves in 4K
by +Stoked for Saturday

I've seen some crazy things in my life, but the glowworm cave is really high up there. It was AMAZING! The tour that we did allowed us to actually get into the water. And, with the use of tubes, we were able to float with the flow. The glowworms that are exclusive to New Zealand are known as Arachnocampa Luminosa. The glowworms are situated on the ceiling of the caves. When looking up at them, you don't notice that they're worms. It's actually a much more beautiful sight than it sounds. They look like bright blue hanging beads. An interesting fact that we learned is that the glow isn't actually the worms themselves, but rather their poop! As gross and weird as it sounds, it's a really cool and unique experience. 

3. Snowboarding on Mt.Hutt

For those of you that know me or based off my blog name, you know that I am from Hawai’i. Living on O’ahu means sunshine almost the entire year round. When I left the Hawai’i summer behind and found out that I was heading for New Zealand’s winter, I made it a point to touch snow for the first time. The snow on Mt.Hutt was perfectly powdery. We rented a few snowboards and hit the slopes. Although I didn’t completely fall on my ass, I really sucked at snowboarding lol. I ended up ditching the board to make snow angels and have a snowball fight (which I recorded on my go pro and it was hilarious). It was an amazing experience!

Hawaii girl meets SNOW! First timer!

4. Hobbiton

Ever watched Lord Of The Rings? Well if you have, I’m sure you know what hobbits are! Do you remember the homes in the movie? The round-like house structures. Well, Hobbiton is where those scenes were filmed. Although my friends and I were unable to take the tour, we still enjoyed going and checking out the town.

 

5. Lake Tekapo or any other lake in New Zealand!

The first thing that I remember when I think back about New Zealand would have to be the beautiful scenery. It’s one of the most breathtaking places that I have ever seen thus far. One of the main reasons for that is their lakes. The water is so blue that it almost looks teal. On our early drive to Queenstown from Christchurch, we stopped at Lake Tekapo and I was in awe of its abundance of beauty. We pulled up right by the Church of the Good Shepherd which you’ll see in many pictures of the lake. There is also a statue of a bronze collie sheepdog that seems to be looking out into the distance. Lake Tekapo isn’t the only beautiful lake though, these amazing lakes are all around New Zealand.

6. Minus 5º ICE BAR

This is exactly what it sounds like; A bar made completely out of ice: the bar, the chairs, tables, cups, walls, displays, etc. There’s music, lights, and drinks! It is freezing inside so they provide a warm jacket and gloves. Because it’s so cold, you are only allowed up to 20 minutes inside the bar. Because this bar is located in the middle of Queenstown, it’s a fun place to hangout and to interact with locals and tourists as well. After getting a couple drinks at the ice bar, head over to Winnies Pizza Bar for great pizza and more drinks!

 

7. Puzzling World

If you’re into illusions and mind tricks, you’ll love Puzzling World! This interactive museum takes ordinary things and makes them seem extraordinary. They have a lot of cool features, but my friends and I really enjoyed the size room. As a person stands on one side of the room and walks their way to the other side, they seem to the audience as if they grew from little people to giants. 

8. Bungee Jumping and Swing

Queenstown is known for places to bungee jump and for the worlds biggest swing, the Nevis. I’m really bummed that I was unable to do the Nevis swing while there; but more of an excuse to go back!! My friend, Stacey, bungee jumped over a river though. She really enjoyed it. I’m somewhat of a chicken when it comes to bungee jumping lol. I think of the worst scenarios in my head! For any adrenaline junky though, this would be a great experience.

9. Shotover Jet Boat Ride

Shotover Jet - 'The World's Most Exciting Jet Boat Ride' (90sec)
By +Shotover Jet 

This is a boat that takes you on high-speed rides while doing sharp turns and 360’s through the canyons. The boat goes really fast but it’s an amazing time going over the beautiful blue water in Queenstown. Warning though, it gets really cold so bring a scarf to cover your neck and face.

10. Zorbing

Zorbing seems to be one of the top bucket list must-do’s on Pinterest. You get strapped into a huge rubber ball and you roll down a hill. Although the hill doesn’t look that big, it really builds up a big momentum. I wouldn’t recommend doing this if you get nauseated easily. They also have different hills and a water zorb option that you sit in about 2ft of water in the ball while rolling down the hill. 

ZORB Rotorua, New Zealand - Living a Kiwi Life - Ep. 33
By +Stoked for Saturday 

11. Sheep Parks

Sheep are everywhere in New Zealand, but a lot of times they’re at farms or high up in the mountains. So when my friends and I came across a sheep park on our scenic drive pass Taylor’s Mistake Beach in Christchurch, we had to stop by. It was a hilarious experience (mainly because my friends and I looked like complete Americans idiots haha). The concept is really simple. It’s a grassy area with a bunch of sheep that you can TRY to pet lol. It was like a game of cat and mouse because they would always run away! But, they were really cool to see up close.

12. Skyline Rotorua Gondola, Swing Ride, and Luging

 

To start, you take a nice gondola ride up to the top of the mountain. Have your camera to take some awesome pictures of the view. When we got to the top, my friends and I got completely distracted by a huge three seater swing. We decided to give it a try and it was worth it! Not only do you get the rush of falling from such a high-point, but you also get to see the best views in Rotorua in my opinion! After getting back on track, we did what we came there for, LUGING! This was a real-life game of Mario Kart!!! You race down a hill going really fast! My friends and I had a blast!! Here’s a great video of the course:

High Speed Luge in 4k by +devinsupertramp 

13. Watch a Rugby Game

If you’re in New Zealand, catch an All Blacks game. The All Blacks are New Zealand’s national rugby team. Unfortunately, we went a week after the All Blacks played in the finals. I was really sad, but we caught another game in Auckland and I enjoyed it! It was a New Zealand team vs. the Australian Sharks. It was like watching a football game in America, but 10x more intense! The men don’t wear any pads or helmets; they take the hits straight to the body. It’s a really fun experience to do since rugby isn’t a very popular sport in America.

14. Natural Hot Mineral Springs

Champage Pool taken by Gopal Vijayaraghavan

If you decide to visit Rotorua during your vacation in New Zealand, you may notice a very peculiar smell in some parts of the city. The lingering of rotten eggs lol. Surprisingly, the smell actually has to do with the high levels of sulphur in Rotorua. The smell coming from the sulphur is terrible, but what is amazing is the what comes as a benefit of the sulphur Natural Hot Mineral Springs! Although I was unable to go to the main hot mineral springs, the hotel that we stayed at had a really mini one. The minerals from the sulphur are safe to bathe in and can provide great benefits for your skin.

15. Explore the Cities

Every city that I went to in New Zealand was unique in their own way. First, Christchurch is a very beautiful city. From the scenic views to the beaches, everything was nice. Unfortunately in 2011, the city fell victim to a massive earthquake which destroyed many parts. One part in particular was the Christchurch Cathedral. Also, many homes were wrecked. Despite the earthquake (from my point-of-view), Christchurch has done its best to rebuild and give their people and visitors some beautiful things to look at. While adventuring through the city, I was stunned by the beautiful 59ft sculpture that depicts leaf patterns of 42 native plants. As we ventured on, we came across a giant chess game and grass couches amongst other art in the city. They even built an entire shopping mall out of shipping containers which were surprisingly much nicer than they sound.

Another city worth checking out is Queenstown. This seems to be a very young city. There are a lot of clubs and bars, including the ice bar I mentioned above. Great pizza is served up at Winnies Pizza Bar. Queenstown also has a year-round haunted house that supposedly has a true story behind it. A lot of adventurous things to do, such as water activities, bungee jumping, or the Nevis arch. 

Taking in the beauty and excitement doesn’t have to be from one specific city. I would recommend getting a rental car (with a GPS) and adventuring. Take in the beautiful views of New Zealand. Also, make sure to go to both the north and south island. Each have interesting experiences to offer you. I wish I could have experienced more traditional Maori culture, but I’ll save that for the next trip. 

Thanks for reading!