Deck on Haili's Hawaiian Foods - Hawaii Restaurant Review

This is a review that I’ve been working on for a little awhile. I wanted to make sure that I truly captured what I wanted to say because it’s a place that will always be special to me. See, three weeks ago (April 23 to be exact), I got married. When we were discussing our plans, we knew that we wanted to get married in Hawaii. When we decided that we wanted to do traditional luau food for the reception, there was only one option: Haili’s Hawaiian Food.

Haili’s is a family owned restaurant, and my wife has known the family for many years. They recently moved their restaurant to Kaimuki, and they cater events such as ours. Prior to the wedding, I had eaten Hawaiian food before, but never from Haili’s. I was assured, however, that it would be the best that I’ve ever had. And the food for the event? Well, our menu consisted of Chicken Long Rice, Lomi Salmon, Squid Luau, Ahi Poke, Kalua Pork, Sweet Potatoes, Haupia, and of course, Pineapple and Poi.

On your wedding day, there is a lot going on. There is the ceremony and pictures and talking to people that have traveled in. It’s pretty easy for the food to get overlooked, or for you to not have time to eat it. But we were determined not to let that happen. After the ceremony and a quick round of pictures, we led the way to the serving line where I filled my plate with as much as I could, knowing I would probably not be able to make it back for seconds.

I decided to start with the chicken long rice, and it was fantastic. A little salty, but still with a great texture and a very nice chicken flavor. A solid way to start the meal. I followed that up with the Lomi Salmon. I had tried to make this once a long time ago, and I can tell you it wasn’t anywhere close. The salmon was finely diced, and mixed in with the tomatoes. The flavors played off each other, balancing the whole thing out. I don’t know how else to describe it other than delicious.

It was at this point that I turned to the two things that had me the most excited, the Poke and Kalua Pork. These were things that I’d had before, so if this was going to be the best Hawaiian food ever, then these two would have to shine. And shine they did. The poke was incredible. I learned that this version of the poke is only made by one of the owners, and only she has the recipe. The fish was absolutely perfect, with a blend of seasoning and seaweed that added a very nice crunch. The flavor just explodes in your mouth and you barely finish the first bite before the next one comes racing in. My mouth starts watering just thinking back to those flavors. And the pork? I don’t know if there are words. The pork was so tender and so succulent. It just melted in my mouth. I’ve had a fair amount of Kalua pork in my trips to Hawaii, but I can’t remember anything like this.

A lot of that night is a blur, but I absolutely remember the food, and so do many of our guests. The pork is still getting rave reviews every time we talk to anyone that went to the wedding. One of my friends was describing a filet mignon and lobster macaroni that he’s planning on for his wedding and finished with “it was almost as good as the pork at your wedding”. My family who is from the great state of Wyoming, and doesn’t have access to that type of food, was blown away, excited that they decided to remove their self-imposed boycott of eating raw fish (well, most of them).

While it is true that the nature of the event where I had Haili’s Hawaiian Food for the first time could skew my opinion a little, this is one area where you can trust me. Do yourself a favor next time you are in Hawaii and stop by Haili’s for lunch. Or if you are in Hawaii reading this, I hope that you’ve had the opportunity to enjoy the incredible food at Haili’s. This will forever be the measuring stick for all Hawaiian food that I eat.

Final Verdict – 5 Stars (you knew it was coming)

Deck's Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

Fellas, pay attention to this one because this one is for you.  If you want to earn some brownie points, pull this one out.  It's perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, or any other morning you want to be a little extra special.  This recipe is sure to please your wife, girlfriend, or girl you are interested in, and is incredibly easy to pull together.  It's not overly sweet, and surprisingly light.   This is the recipe I tried a week ago. I tweaked it a little bit and broke it out again this morning getting very favorable reviews.  And ladies, feel free to pass this on to your guy and tell him he can thank me later.

Deck's Strawberry Stuffed French Toast


Serves 2


Ingredients:

1 loaf Brioche bread (or some other soft, light bread such as French or even Challah)
1/3 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup strawberry jam or preserves
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup fresh strawberries, diced

Step 1:  Slice the break into about 1 inch wide slices (should be just wider than 2 slices of sandwich bread).  In the side of each slice, cut a slit that goes almost all the way through, and almost all the way end to end.  You basically want to create a pouch for the filling.

Step 2: Mix the cream cheese and jam together.  Then using a spoon or small, thin spatula, put half of the cream cheese mixture into each slice.  You want to try and get it as evenly distributed within the slice as possible.  Next add the fresh, diced strawberries to the slice, again using a spoon or spatula to distribute them throughout the pouch.

Step 3:  In a skillet or griddle, melt the butter slowly over medium heat.  While the butter is melting mix together the eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla in a bowl or shallow dish large enough for the entire slice to fit into.

Step 4:  Take the brown sugar and sprinkle on the outside of each slice.  Work the brown sugar into the bread with your fingers.  Flip each slice over and repeat.

Step 5:  Dip the slice of french toast into the egg mixture, coating it completely.  Flip it over and coat the other side.  Add to the skillet.  Repeat with the second slice.  Cook for about 5 minutes on each side until a nice golden brown.

Finishing: I like to serve this with some powdered sugar and additional sliced strawberries over the top.  You can add a flavored syrup or regular maple.  Cooking this in the butter will give it that nice butter flavor without having to add any later.

Vote for the new Deck On Food LOGO

Ok, now that this little blog is actually getting a little traction (yes, I consider 15-20 people a day traction...thank you to all my readers!!), I think it's time to step it up a notch.  So the first step is to decide on a logo to represent Deck On Food.  I've narrowed it down to 4 that I like, and now I'm reaching out to you, my readers, to help me choose the one that best represents me.  Hopefully your experience has helped you get an idea of what you expect from Deck On Food, and one of the options will jump out at you.  If nothing really stands out, please feel free to visit 99designs.com and propose a different option.

I'm going to leave the voting open until the end of May.  To vote, Simply click comment, post to my wall on Facebook, or send me a note on Twitter (@deckonfood) and say Option 1, 2, 3 or 4.  Once a winner has been selected, I will have the logo personalized.

After I get a new logo, the next step will be the revised website.  I hope you are as excited as I am about the potential!

Thank you again for reading and for your participation!!

Deck

Option #1

Option #2

Option #3

Option #4

Deck on Delancey - Seattle Restaurant Review

For the past few days, I've had a hankering for pizza.  Not the Papa John's or Pizza Hut variety, but a good wood-fired pizza.  Plus, I wanted to check out more places in my neighborhood.  So everything lined up for a trip to Delancey.

Delancey is located on a small, quiet side street in the Ballard area.  As I walked in, I was greeted by the pleasant aromas of pizza sauce and cheese.  I waited a couple minutes and was given a seat at the counter, where I could watch the pizzas being made, and enjoy the pleasantness of the wood-fire grill.  Prior to going to Delancey, I had read a lot about the lines out the door, but was fortunate not to have a long wait.  I also read some negative reviews that the lines are unexpected from a pizza joint. I should say here that Delancey isn't some pizza joint where you just go get a slice and head out.  It's a place where you sit down and enjoy a nice meal that happens to be pizza.

Anyway, inside Delancey, there is just a very fun vibe.  The decor is very simple; concrete floors, simple tables and chairs, a little art on the wall.  The Rat Pack was playing on the stereo in the background, loud enough to be heard, but soft enough to not interfere with the conversation.  The hostess was pleasant, the waitress had a smile on her face.  The only thing better would have been to be able to sit outside in the late afternoon sun, but unfortunately Delancey does not have outdoor seating...yet.  It's coming, as soon as they can set up a barrier to appease the City of Seattle.

Sitting down, I decided to order a Chuckanut Lager.  In hindsight, I should have gone with a glass of vino (not that the beer was bad, it was quite refreshing actually, but the food and atmosphere definitely said Cab).  I looked over the menu, debating between the Margherita, Sausage, and Proscuitto (everything looked so delicious).  It was at that time that I was informed of the evening special, a New York inspired white pizza, made with fresh and aged parmesan, grana (a hard cheese from Italy), Housemade Ricotta and green garlic.  It sounded delicious, and since I couldn't make up my mind anyway, I just went with it.

It couldn't have taken more than 10 minutes before my pizza was brought to me.  In that time, I was able to just watch the preparation of the pizza, one person making them, one cooking, and the two waitresses delivering.  It was surprisingly calm, but non-stop.  The cooking was non-stop, no more than 2 or 3 pizzas in the oven at any given time, each being watched and rotated.  When my pizza was placed in front of me, I was definitely excited.

The small pizza was cut into six slices.  I grabbed the first, and was surprised at just how thin the crust really was, and how light the pizza was for all the cheese.  Biting in, I was immediately pleased.  The crust was that perfect level of crispiness; not overcooked and burnt, not undercooked and chewy.  Just a nice crisp crunch like a cracker with the appropriate amount of blackness.  The cheese blend was nice and subtle too.  Not overpowering, not too greasy, just a nice blend of cheeses.  And the garlic also was a nice compliment without overpowering the piece of pizza.

I continued to work my way through the pizza, enjoying each bite.  It was totally hitting the spot, and exactly what I was looking for on the evening.  Then on my second to last piece, I got an added bonus.  On this slice was the largest amount of the housemade ricotta; and it was delicious.  Just an extra level of creaminess that I hadn't fully experienced on my other pieces.  It almost left me a little disappointed that there wasn't more of this delicious cheese all over the pizza.  I quickly finished this and my last piece of pizza, then nursed my beer for a little bit, just taking in the environment.


Delancey definitely offered a very good pizza in a very nice environment.  If I had one negative, it would be that I wasn't able to try more slices.  Watching the Proscuitto Pizza being made with it's tomato base and covered in very thinly sliced procuitto go out, or the sausage with the homemade sausage, I was left wanting to try more.  The New York inspired white pizza was very good, but watching the others go out, I wonder if one of them wasn't better.  I guess that is one way to get me to go back for more.  Overall, it was a good experience, and met my expectations (though didn't quite exceed them).  For that, I will say that Delancey is absolutely worth going to for a nice casual evening out.  It was a little on the pricey side ($22 for a beer, pizza, and tip), but if you set your expectation that you aren't going out for a slice, but for dinner, it's not that bad.  Tonight I went out by myself, but I will be back with friends or my wife at some point.  And as to whether or not it is worth waiting in line?  I'd say it is worth a 20 to 30 minute wait, mostly because you can easily kill that time in the neighborhood.

Final Verdict - 4 Stars

Deck on Blue Moon Burgers - Seattle Restaurant Review

It wasn't too long ago that I started writing and Twittering about food, and the one of the first Seattle area restaurants to start following me on Twitter was Blue Moon Burgers.  I followed back and decided that when I got a chance I would be sure to stop in and try a burger that I had been reading about.  Tonight, as I was deciding what I wanted to do for dinner, I got a tweet that said it was 1/2 price burger night at Blue Moon Burgers.  I figured that tonight was as good a night as any to check it out, so after my run, I headed down to Fremont for a burger, filled with high expectations.

Walking up, I liked the area.  It has a great location, with adequate outdoor seating.  I thought this could be a good place to spend a leisurely Friday happy hour.  Inside the restaurant was clean and wide open, with seating for about 50.  It was about 3/4 full with a couple of people in the line.  Looking at the menu, I decided to go with the Southwestern Burger.   The Southwestern Burger included jalepeno bottlecaps (breaded jalepenos), pepperjack cheese and a spicy sauce.  It was really the only one on the menu that really jumped out at me (I was actually planning on trying the Blue Moon Club Burger that I saw online, but it wasn't on the menu board).  I also ordered a side of the hand-cut fries.  The burger is half-price on Wednesdays if you order a side or soda.  So I was pretty excited when I got my whole meal for about $6.  I asked for the whole order to go, and stepped aside to wait for my order.

After about 15 minutes of standing around waiting for my order, I was getting a little restless.  I understand making things to order, but it seemed to be taking a little longer than it should.  In actuality, it was taking about as long as you would expect a burger to take at a place like Sport, and I had expectations that it would be more the speed of Red Mill.  Anyway, I decided to sit down at a table and wait.  This gave me time to read up on the quality beef used in the burgers from Thundering Hooves in Walla Walla, WA.  It's all 100% grass-fed beef, with no hormones or grain feed.  After about 10 more minutes, my food came out.  I thanked the gentleman and headed out the door.  

Upon arriving home, I was ready to eat.  I pulled everything out of the bag, cut the burger in half and settled in.  I picked up the burger and got ready to take a bite.  The first thing that I noticed was that the burger patty itself was a little smaller than I had expected for a 1/4 lb. burger.  It was also cooked medium to medium-well with just a hint of pink (a little more cooked than I like).  Taking my first bite I was hit by a good bit of spice, which was enjoyable.  But, I totally lost the taste of the burger.  It wasn't that the spice overpowered the burger, but more that the burger couldn't stand up to the flavors being used as the seasoning or as part of the sauce.  I took a couple more bites trying to coax flavor out of the burger, but just couldn't really find it.  I finished the first half, and turned to the fries.

Taking the first bite of fries, I was again let down.  A great french fry is crispy on the outside, but still soft and moist on the inside.  These fries were just cooked all the way through, almost like one of those natural potato chips, but without much salt.  Not to mention they were barely warm.  Now, I know I took them from the restaurant to my house, and ate half a burger first, but it couldn't have been more than 15 minutes, and they were wrapped from the time I left until I got home.  They really tasted like they had been cooked and left out where they just continued to cook under a heat lamp or above the fryer.  I ate a few more fries, trying to dig through the pile for ones that were still a little soft on the inside.  In the end, I just stopped eating them.

I really don't like writing reviews like this, especially because I was so excited for Blue Moon Burgers.  I really, really wanted it to be good.  But in the end, it just wasn't that good.  The burger was small, not juicy at all, and just unable to stand up to the flavors.  The lettuce was warm and just overwhelming (I had to pick off two chunks), and the onion was almost non-existent.  When I bite into a hamburger I want to taste the beef, complimented by whatever is added to it, with juice flowing.  You should be able to squeeze the burger and see the juice seep into the bun (like the burger from Lunchbox Laboratory).  The one highlight was the jalepeno bottlecaps, which I could have eaten an entire tray of on their own. 

If you are looking for a place to have an ok burger and a beer, and hang outside in Fremont with your buddies, then Blue Moon is a good spot.  But if you are looking for a great burger in Seattle, Blue Moon is not the place to go.  Sport, Red Mill, Lunchbox Laboratory.  All of these offer a much better burger experience.  

Final Verdict - 2 Stars

Deck on Scooter's Burgers - Seattle Restaurant Review

So, I was out running errands in Ballard the other day, when I decided that I wanted to stop and get a little something to eat.  I started by heading down Market, which anyone that has been in Ballard on a sunny Saturday knows is a mistake.  Finally, by the time I got to 24th, I was ready to head home.  I was tired of being in the car, and figured I could make myself a sandwich or something at home.  It was at that point that I noticed a little burger restaurant behind some trees out of the corner of my eye.  Being open to trying something new, I turned in. 

When I walked in, I felt like I had stepped back in time a little bit.  It wasn't that it was old and run down or anything.  Scooter's Burgers just had this retro vibe about it.  The menu board was very simple, black and white with red headers.  The restaurant didn't really have any tables, just chairs along counter rails.  There were awards on the walls, most from at least 5 years ago.  It was just the perfect little burger joint for what I was looking for.

So, when I got to the counter, what did I order?  Turkey and Swiss naturally.  I spent a lot of time trying to talk myself into a burger, but knowing that I was going to be doing fried chicken for dinner later, I decided I had to go with something lighter, and the turkey seemed like a good way to go. 

After a few minutes, I got my sandwich and headed home to dive in.  When I unwrapped it and pulled it apart, the cheese just kept stretching; so much delicious looking swiss cheese that I finally had to pull it apart with my fingers.  When I took the first bit, I was pleasantly surprised.  The turkey was very flavorful and moist, not heaping, but not skimping either.  The cheese was as expected, very gooey.  But added to that was a bit of onion and freshly sliced tomato.  This provided a little crunch and a little unexpected flavor boost.  The whole thing was served on a nicely toasted sourdough bread that just brought the whole thing together. 

It was not a huge meal, or even the thing that Scooter's is known for, but it was a great little sandwich that absolutely hit the spot.  The other thing is that it left me wanting more and wanting to go back to get what they are known for, burgers and shakes.  To me it really says something when you can deliver on something as simple as a turkey and cheese sandwich, and exceed expectations.

Final Verdict - 4 Stars

Adventures with the deep fryer

There are many great things about getting married, one of which is the opportunity to re-outfit your kitchen with all kinds of new dishes and utensils and cooking gadgets.  For the last couple of weeks, I've been using our new pots and pans, serving food that looks beautiful (one person's slightly biased opinion) on our new dishes, and experimenting with some new gadgets.  Today I was excited to try something new, that I've never used before; a mini-deep fryer.  And I wanted to kick-off my deep-fried cooking with an absolute classic, fried chicken.

To start, I got up this morning put the chicken in a dish, and covered it in buttermilk.  I then left it to soak for 8 hours.  Then I took it out, rolled it in some seasoned flour, dipped it in an egg wash, rolled it in some blue corn meal, and stuck it in the fryer.  I did thighs first for about 15 minutes, then followed up with the drumsticks for about 12.  I served the chicken with a potato salad out of a Bobby Flay grilling cookbook with a slice of cornbread.

At this point you might be wondering why there are no pictures.  Hadn't I started to provide pictures of my cooking?  Doesn't it make a better story?  The answer is yes and yes.  But the reason there are no pictures is because when I bit into this beautiful chicken I created, I was disappointed.  It wasn't that it wasn't cooked through, or had a bad taste.  The first problem was that it had no taste.  It was incredibly bland.  The second was that the coating was just too thick.  It was like there was a tortilla chip over the chicken.  And the salad was much the same way.  I hadn't made enough of the vinaigrette and it was just fried potatoes on spinach with a little bit of bleu cheese.  Here is what it ended up looking like:

I was fully intended on sharing the recipe for what turned out to be a great looking dish.  I had taken pictures of all the steps along the way.  But in the end, there is no point in providing a recipe for something that I didn't enjoy.  So, I'm going back to the drawing board on the fried chicken.  In the next iteration, I won't be using the blue corn meal, and will instead do a double coating of the seasoned flour, but will be a little more heavy-handed with some of the spices.  I think I also need to dilute the egg wash a little further, possibly with the buttermilk, so it doesn't go on so heavy.

But, I couldn't let the night end on that note.  So I did what any good home cook would do; I made dessert.  The dessert was quite simple, but one that I knew would please.  I made strawberry shortcake.

Strawberry shortcake is incredibly simple.  For starters, you take fresh strawberries, and cut them into bite-sized pieces.  Cover them with a couple tablespoons of sugar.

Next, make the whipped cream.  Put about half a cup of whipping cream in a mixing bowl.  Using an electric mixer, mix on low until it is just starting to get firm.  Add in a tablespoon of vanilla and a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar.  Continue to mix for about one more minute.

Take two store-bought angel food rounds (hey, I'm not a pastry chef).  Fill with the strawberry mixture, top with the whipped cream, and enjoy.

Yes, I just cheated a little on angel food cake.  And yes, I just gave you a recipe for whipped cream.  But it was one of those rough cooking days for an amateur chef, and I needed to finish on a strong note. 

There will be more deep frying in my future, complete with recipes for you.  Until then, enjoy your whipped cream.