Crissy K.'s Profile

Stopped on over here while I was at Simply Organized because, well, I'm a sucker for a cupcake.

One thing was real disappointing right off the bat: There was nowhere nearby to sit and enjoy your cupcake. I feel like they have enough room in the store for a counter and some bar stools, but there were none, nor were there any benches outside. In fact, there weren't even any benches at the nearby park (though, admittedly, this is not the bakery's fault).

Once my husband and I gave up and decided to eat in his car (booooo), I then became disappointed with the cupcake itself. The "buttercream" frosting was far too airy -- I prefer something rich and thick if I'm going to indulge -- especially when you consider that the cupcake filling was contrastingly too thick. As many others here have mentioned, the cake itself was dry and not entirely flavorful. The lemon filling in my lemon cupcake was too tart (and not in a good way) and looked like something from the top of one of those funky jelly donuts. It's not that anything was inherently BAD about the cupcake aside from the fact that it was dry and the frosting was airy, but it's just that I couldn't find anything GOOD to say about it, either.

As the name implies, Cupcake & Things sells a number of products aside from just cupcake(s), including parfaits, sheet cakes, brownie bites (I think -- what appeared to be brownie bites was not adequately labeled), cookies. I'd be OK with this concept if they could at least get the cupcake right first. Judging from my experience with the headlining product, I wouldn't even bother to sample the others.

A three . . . but a very "solid three," as Richy R describes it. If Yelp allowed half-stars, I'd give it a 3.5.

Good Eats serves up a whole variety of sandwiches (any of which can apparently made into salads) on any given day. In addition the ones on their regular menu, they have over a half-dozen special sandwiches, as well as some non-sandwich entrees like homemade mac and cheese.

The veggies, meats and sauce (including the avocado spread, yummmm), are fresh and sufficiently tasty, but I wouldn't say they're really worth nearly $9 a sandwich. Most of the ingredients I could buy myself and make at home, and the breads aren't particularly special. I can't even make an exception for the rotisserie chicken, as even that was served in cold cut form (I was expecting shredded or chunks -- my fault for not asking, I guess, but when I see rotisserie chicken, I think whole chicken, not slices). I'm not saying this is bad, I'm just saying it's not a $9 sandwich.

The people who work here are so nice, I feel bad giving them a relatively low score, but I just can't see paying what amounts to airport prices for this level of product. If the charge were lower, this would be a different review all together.

Delicious Mediterranean food -- you know it's legit when the guy who was there before you was wearing a yarmulke and highly recommends the stuff.

The falafels are perfect: They've got awesome crunch without any greasy flavor. You can order them on the side (accompanied by hummus) or in a sandwich -- delicious either way, though the thick, warm pita that encompasses the sandwich form does get to be bit filling. We also got the kebab (beef and lamb) sandwich just to try something other than falafel; it was good, but next time I'll stick with what they're named after, since they're that good at it!

You must, must, must also try the pita chips. We were only slightly tempted by the photo . . . but then they brought us piping hot samples. Wow. How could NOT order a plate then? Crispy, with just the right amount of seasoning (unlike the fries that came with our combos, which I found to be too salty for my taste).

The couple who runs the truck are SO cute and nice. They are accommodating in every way, from trying to make sure you have enough shade to loading you up with samples. Heck, I would want to support them even if the food weren't awesome (though, thank goodness, it is).

Speaking of making sure you have enough shade, though . . . That's the one thing that doesn't really work for Da Falafel King at this time. They have a small seating area between the truck and the sidewalk, but this is Honolulu, and it is super hot at high noon. Right now, they have a standing umbrella to provide some level of comfort, but it's really only capable of shading a couple of people at a time. The man assured us they're working on a more permanent solution. I hope so, 'cause we can't wait to go back!

I should have known better than to trust an establishment that would make something called "fruishi."

Do not be enticed by the extensive menu, which includes an attractive-sounding pancake flight: Yes, it sounds like a great idea in theory, but they rotate the types of pancake available for the sampler, and the day we went for breakfast, not a single one sounded appealing. Had this been the Bongo Room, I would be jumping for joy -- but alas, no such luck.

My blueberry pancakes were OK, but really just that. If you're going to advertise yourself as a breakfast place, you should have solidly good pancakes, though, and these just don't make that cut by a long shot in terms of flavor or fluff.

Do yourself a favor and do not be discouraged by the lines/waits at other area breakfast restaurants: There's a reason it's easy to get a table here, even on a holiday. I wouldn't bother going back.

Excellent church with solid teachings and very caring staff pastors, as well as a friendly congregation. Everyone makes you feel welcome as soon as you arrive, and dining/coffee options available after services provide ample opportunities for fellowship.

The sermons are well planned and grounded in scripture (you'd think that goes without saying, but if you've churched around, you know this isn't the case everywhere) but are not at all slow or boring. Likewise, the worship that starts and ends service is lively and heartfelt.

Because services are available at a variety of times, including Friday nights and three services on Sunday morning, you can pretty much always make it to hear a particular week's message, even if you couldn't make it to the service of your choice due to a conflict. Plus, even if you're home bound (i.e., by illness), you can watch all services live online! Super helpful.

Definitely worth the drive out to the windward side every week by this townie!

Everyone has had such wonderful things to say about the food service here, the sheer amount of information can be overwhelming . . . so here's the main point: Do NOT miss the garlic seared toro. Many other things at Gaku are good, but this is truly melt-in-your-mouth, smoky fabulousness. If you enjoy good fish, period, you will not be disappointed.

YAY for Morning Glass selling their goods in Kaka'ako! In addition to their caffeinated beverages, the coffee corner also serves up MG's signature cookies and scones. Deliciousness abounds. The coffee is tasty and strong as is, but every once in a while, I'm also tempted by the sweet frothiness of an iced latte flavored by Morning Glass' homemade vanilla syrup (the cinnamon isn't available at R/D).

Erica, the barista, is super sweet, and, as Ray L points out, very coffee-savvy. I love that she's come over to this location in addition to working the Manoa cafe.

The bookstore side of R/D offers a wide variety of foodie literature you'd have difficulty finding anywhere else on island, including everyone's favorite new food journal, Lucky Peach. A lot of the books are expensive (suggested retail price), but they're always worth taking a look at.

So what's not to love about an independent cafe that serves quality coffee at a decent price, with a smile? The fact that they don't open on Mondays, that's what. I mean, I get that Erica needs a day off once in a while, but Monday is the one day out of the week where most of us need the most caffeine.

A welcome addition to my work 'hood!

Umm, what HAPPENED to this location? On a recent visit, rice was super mushy and full of excess water. That could explain why there was absolutely no crowd at peak lunch hour. If you can't even master the rice, you have no business calling yourself a sushi place.

Let me just start by saying that I love that this place tries to support local agriculture -- even the milk is local, which isn't as easy to do these days as it used to be when we had more commercial dairies . . . but that's about where the love stops for me with Beach Bum Cafe.

I had heard so many esteemed foodies rave about this place that I went out of my way to grab some coffee there one day during lunch. First of all, it's not easy to get to if you don't work downtown: It's tucked inside the building that also contains Longs and Ross, just off Fort Street Mall.

Once you get there, it seems like a joke that the place is called "Beach Bum": The fluorescent lighting (and don't get me wrong, I love fluorescent lighting -- just not in a cafe) and small, oddly-cornered space make for a strange, totally non-beach-like ambiance. It didn't feel beachy or homey or comfortable in any way. Also, as Topher B. mentions, the prices are very un-bum-like: I paid about $6 for an iced latte!

Yes, you read that correctly: SIX DOLLARS. (This may explain why the place was pretty much empty when my co-worker and I got there, despite all the critical acclaim.)

I may have been OK with the price if the coffee been great. But my latte had a funky aftertaste to it, and I know it's not the milk because I drink that same milk at my house . . . unless the milk was spoiled. Either that or the espresso just didn't taste very good. There isn't much to an iced latte, so it's hard to figure out where it really went wrong.

In terms of service, while the two people working there seemed very nice, I felt a lot of pressure to just pick a brew and order.

Overall, I just didn't get a great vibe or a quality product from this place and wouldn't go out of my way to return. For independent (i.e., non-Starbucks) coffee places, I'd rather have Morning Glass.

LOVE them. They are absolutely the best in terms of customer service and quality of work. Our Pomeranian is old and blind and thus very nervous and skittish, but Amy and her colleagues are able to put Chloe so much at ease that she was napping when I picked her up from a recent appointment! All the staff are super nice, and I always look forward to their cheerful faces -- not to mention the adorable bows and bandanas on Chloe, in addition to her perfect haircut -- when I go back to pick her up after an appointment. Highly recommended!