"Ron vs. Food" Hawaiian-Style Furikake Chicken Recipe
Furikake is one of my favorite condiments which is a a dry Japanese
condiment that is usually sprinkled on top of rice. It typically
consists of a mixture of dried and ground fish, sesame seeds,
chopped seaweed, sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. Furikake
is like the salt and pepper of Japanese and Hawaiian cuisine
and can be found in many of their dishes. I like it so much
I even make my own Hurricane Popcorn (Hawaiian-Style Popcorn)
by mixing furikake and mixed rice crackers into my bag of microwave
popcorn. Furikake is typically sold at most asian markets and
I've also seen it sold at some supermarkets in their Asian Food
aisle. Here in Las Vegas (which is also considered the 9th island
of Hawaii), furikake can also be found at your local neighborhood
Walgreens where Hawaiian products are usually sold. After dining
at one of our local Hawaiian restaurants where I had ordered
the Furikake Chicken, I was inspired to try and cook this dish
myself and found an easy recipe. With a little twist to the
recipe, I changed it up a little to give it that "Ron vs. Food"
touch and the following is how you too can make this "Ono-licious"
dish.
Hawaiian-Style Furikake Chicken
Ingredients
2-3 Lbs. Chicken thighs deboned and cut into quarters
2 cups flour
4 eggs with 2 tablespoons milk, whisked
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 bottle furikake
Oil for deep frying
Once chicken is deboned and cut into pieces, put the chicken
into a bowl and add 2 teaspoons of salt and add pepper to
taste. Mix well. In another bowl add 2 cups of flour and 2
tablespoon of furikake. Then in another bowl beat the 4 eggs
and add 2 tablespoons of milk and whisk. And lastly in yet
another bowl, add 1 cup of soy sauce, 1/2 cup of white sugar
and 1/2 cup brown sugar and mix together.
Do this in batches: Dredge chicken pieces in the egg, then
dredge in the flour mix and deep fry pieces until golden brown
and crispy. Allow chicken pieces to cool for 5 minutes. Then
dip crispy pieces quickly into soy sauce mixture and remove
immediately. Sprinkle with furikake and serve with rice. (Click
photo to enlarge)
Not Your Typical Filipino Restaurant at Full House BBQ
I often wondered why do Filipinos go out to eat at Filipino
restaurants when they always eat the same kind of food at home.
Likewise Mexicans, Chinese, Italians and all other nationalities
for that matter? Then I realized, "Oh it's probably because
no one cooked at home or are too lazy to cook.", just like at
our house from time to time. Not sure if it's just me but whenever
we do go to one of these Filipino restaurants, especially to
the quick "Turo-turo" (kind of fast-food restaurant) style restaurants
or cafes, I always find myself saying, "It's not as good as
how Mom or my Wife makes it." But yet we still go and why? Because
we're hungry. So when my wife Carole mentioned there was a new
Filipino restaurant called "Full House BBQ - House of Manila
Cuisine" that just opened in our neighborhood in the Silverado
Ranch area of Las Vegas, I was reluctant to go check it out
thinking it was probably like all the other Filipino restaurants.
But we still ended up going anyway and why? Because she didn't
cook and I was hungry.
So we walked into the Full House BBQ restaurant and right
away I noticed, this was not your typical Filipino restaurant.
Sure it looked like any other restaurant but I noticed there
was no cafeteria style counter with all the food exposed on
the other side of the glass for you to select from. It was
actually quite classy where you were actually seated, choose
your food from the menu, had it cooked to order, and served.
No it's not a new concept but there really wasn't a lot of
Filipino restaurants that served Filipino food in this fashion.
Most Filipino restaurants typically cooked more for the masses
than spend the time to cook more of a cuisine where the food
is prepared and cooked with care and style. Not only in presentation
but in taste as well. The food at Full House BBQ was very
good and presentation-wise, most dishes were served lined
with banana leaves on top of the plate and garnished. Now
the portions may not be as large as what you may be use to
at other Filipino restaurants but remember, this restaurant
is known as the House of Manila Cuisine where the style of
cooking and the manner of preparing food is important. (If
you want to pig out then go to a buffet or eat at home.)
The menu at Full House BBQ offers a wide variety of Filipino dishes and appetizers whether you were hungry for a big meal or just for a snack. To start with they
offer appetizers such as Fried Street Food Fish Balls, Egg Rolls (Lumpiang Shanghai) and Vegetable Egg Rolls (Lumpia Frito). The Full House Meals are all served with
garlic Java rice or a choice of steamed rice, and with fresh delicacy of green papaya relishes (Atsara) with your choice of main dishes such as Roasted Chicken
Barbeque (Inasal), Pork, Chicken or Beef Barbecue on Skewers, Special Boneless Milkfish (Bangus), Roasted Pork Lechon Belly, Soy Chicken or Pair Dish (Beef Pares).
If you're not that hungry for a full meal and just want a snack (or merienda), Full House BBQ also serves Fresh Egg Roll (Lumpiang Sariwa), Rice Noodles
(Pancit Palabok), Rice Porridge Soup (Arroz Caldo), Fried Tofu and Pork Belly (Tokwa at Baboy) or create your own Mami (Noodle Soup) with your choice of Thin Wonton,
Rice Noodle, or Wide Egg Noodle and choice of up to three topping such as Shrimp and Pork Wonton, Soy Chicken, Beef Stew, Meatballs, or Fish Balls. Also aside from
their regular menu items, they also have A La Carte Specials of the Week. On the week we were there, their specials were Spicy Cajun Butter Shrimp, Kare-Kare,
Papaitan and the Surf and Turf which was a 1/2 lb of grilled Pork, Fried Bangus, and grilled Egg Plant.
While we were dining, we actually enjoyed watching the flat
screen TV on the wall that continously played food and travel
video clips of the Philippines that were quite interesting.
(Another big difference from other Filipino restaurants that
continously play The Filipino Channel on their TVs playing
soap operas and variety shows.) I really liked the food and
the dining experience we had at Full House BBQ - House of
Manila Cuisine. Check
out some of the photos from our first visit there. If
you would like to try something different that is not like
your typical Filipino restaurant, go check this place out
for yourself. Full House BBQ is located at 9890 South Maryland
Parkway, Suite 19 in the Silverado Ranch area of Las Vegas.
Mariscos "La Guerrerense" Seafood Cart in Ensenada, Mexico
On a recent family cruise to Mexico aboard the Carnival Cruise
Ship Imagination (See "All Aboard the Carnival Cruise Ship Imagination"
and "Turistas en Ensenada, Mexico" blog entries on our family
Blog page at www.poblete.com/blog),
we arrived at Puerto Ensenada (Port of Ensenada) for a day of
sightseeing and of course a "Ron vs. Comida (Food)" adventure.
While walking the streets of Ensenada with our tour guide Horacio,
we asked him out of all the street food carts we had passed,
which one did he recommend us trying. One of the food carts
he highly recommended was the La
Guerrerense mariscos or seafood cart. La Guerrerense was a pretty
famous street food cart that has been featured on many television
food shows including "No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain".
Well we figured if it was good enough for Anthony Bourdain then
it was good enough for us! So Horicio walked us down to this
famous seafood cart located at Av Adolfo López Mateos and Alvarado.
La Guerrerense has been in business since 1960 when it was founded
by the late Alberto Oviedo and his wife, Mrs. Celia Carranza.
But it was their son Eduardo Oviedo and his wife, Mrs. Sabina
Bandera who continued the family business selling these wonderful
dishes from this humble cart from the family secrets and recipes
that were handed down to them.
With fishing accounting for a large part of the economy and
more than 90 species of fish are commercially fished in Ensenada,
the seafood at this cart was the freshes seafood around. We
ordered the tostada with chopped fish ceviche and also the
crab salad also served on a tostada that were both very delicious.
Each tostada was a dollar each and the cart also had fresh
avacado and all different kinds of salsas and hot sauces for
you to add. We also tried the seafood cocktail which had raw
clams, oysters, and octopus which was also quite tasty. Click
here to see more photos from this "Ron vs. Food" adventure
in Ensenada, Mexico. With over 50 years of tradition, La Guerrerense
seafood cart has become a must-visit spot in Ensenada's culinary
scene.
I'm sure all you foodies have been to restaurants like "The
Boiling Crab", "Crab Hut" or "Hot & Juicy Crawfish" that serve
seafood that has been cooked in different Cajun spices and served
in plastic bags to your butcher paper covered table? If not,
stop reading this blog entry right now and go visit one of these
places so you'll know what I'm talking about.
Ok, so you've either been to one of these restaurants before
or just came back from one since you're continuing to read
this blog, right? So instead of driving out to one of these
fancy restaurants and pay full market price for the shrimp,
crabs, crab legs, crawfish, plus drinks and sides, etc...,
and then drive all the way back home, how about keeping that
whole eating experience at the comfort of your own home but
without the food served in plastic bags and butcher paper
on your table. (But of course if you want to have the whole
experience, by all means line your dining table with butcher
paper and serve the seafood in plastic bags if you like.)
If you're like my family, everyone usually orders a pound
of shrimp for themselves which if you could imagine can get
pretty expensive for a family of five. Recently I found the
recipe on how to cook the shrimp at home and since then we
haven't made it out to one of those restaurants in awhile.
So here's the recipe.
Cajun-Style Spicy Shrimp
Ingredients
Old Bay Seasoning
Cayenne Red Pepper
Cajun Seasoning
Paprika
Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Louisiana Hot Sauce
3.5 Sticks of Unsalted Butter
2 Heads of Garlic
1 Lemon
White Sugar
3.5 lbs of shrimp (your choice with head or headless)
Wash shrimp in strainer and let sit until most water has drained. Start sauce by setting temperature to medium heat and melt 3.5 sticks of unsalted butter in a pot
until it comes to a slight boil. Peal and mince the garlic and add to butter and mix slowly. In a separate mixing bowl mix together 2 tablespoons of each of the
following ingredients: Old Bay Seasoning, Lemon Pepper Seasoning, Paprika, Cajun Seasoning and Cayenne Red Pepper. After mixing the ingredients add to the boiling
butter and stir. Then add 2 tablespoons of Louisanna Hot Sauce. Lastly add 1 tablespoon of white sugar and then stir periodically for 30 mins until all ingrediants
have desolved. Then keep on simmer until you are ready to add the shrimp.
In a second pot, fill halfway with water and bring to a boil. Cut lemon into 1/4 slices and add to water. Then gently add the shrimp to the boiling water for 2 to
3 mins. (Do not over crowd pot with shrimp. Cook a little at a time.) Then remove shrimp and place into a strainer. Repeat this process until all the shrimp has been
cooked and most of the water is strained.
Take a couple of scoops of the cooked shrimp and add to the
pot of sauce and mix thoroughly so that all the shrimp is
coated evenly. Then place the shrimp into a separate mixing
bowl or serving dish and repeat this process until all the
shrimp has been coated with the sauce. Any access sauce can
be added to the mixing bowl or serving dish at the end. This
same recipe can been used to cook other seafood like dungeness
crab, crab legs or crawfish. (Click photos for more step by
step photos)
While on a recent vacation in Hawaii on the island of Oahu to
attend our friends Jeff and Jade's wedding, my wife Carole and
I also took some time since we were there to check out some
new "local kine grindz" (local food favorites). It had been
awhile since we last visited the island so we had asked our
local friends there where were the new favorite spots to eat.
We were primarily interested in some breakfast spots since we
wanted to start our day of sightseeing with a hearty breakfast.
Our friends told us there were two very popular restaurants
that we should go check out that were both on the windward side
of Oahu in the town of Kailua. So one morning during our vacation
we left our hotel on Waikiki and
took the H-1 Freeway to the Pali Highway which lead us right
into Kailua. Out of the two restaurants that were recommended,
we choose to visit "Boots & Kimo's Homestyle Kitchen" first.
When we arrived there was no doubt that this place was popular
because of the large crowd of people waiting outside. It was
suggested that we get there as early as possible to beat the
morning rush but even though we got there alittle after the
restaurant opened, we still had to wait about 30-40 mins for
a table for two.
So you might be wondering why this place is so popular? As we were seated and given menus, you can not help but notice the variety of omlelettes they offered.
Made with 3 1/2 eggs their omelettes had all the Hawaiian flavors such as their popular Onolicious Fried Rice Omelette, Sugar Cured Bacon Omelette, Portuguese
Sausage Omelette and their Spam and Cheese Omelette. But the biggest draw to this restaurant is their famous pancakes topped with Kimo's special Macadamia Nut Sauce.
They also offer a variety of different pancakes such as their banana pancakes, macadamia nut pancakes, or blueberry pancakes but the substitution of their
Macadamia Nut Sauce versus traditional pancakes with syrup is the key! It's a must to order them smothered in this silky, smooth, buttery sauce topped with a
sprinkling of crushed macadamia nuts, however if you are unsure about the sauce you can order it on the side. (But don't. Trust me, you'll love it!) Boots & Kimo
is only open from 7AM to 2PM daily and they also offer a lunch menu after 11AM. They do not have a website but you can find them at 151 Hekili Street Kailua, HI 96734.
Another highly recommended breakfast spot that we also ate at was "Cinnamon’s Restaurant", also found in the town of Kailua. (Note: Parking here at Cinnamon's are
metered parking spaces so do plan on bring some change.) This place was just as popular as Boots & Kimo's and you can also expect a long wait here as well.
But the wait will be worth it as this restaurant had recently won Honolulu Magazine's Hale Aina Award 2013 "Gold" - Best Breakfast Award. Cinnamon's also offered
alot of island flavors on their menu such as their Hawaiian Omelette which includes Kalua pork and lau-lau ingredients (lu'au leaves, pork and butterfish) served
local style (items mixed into eggs). They also offered their signature eggs benedicts made from scratch, other items from the grill such as their Baja Breakfast
that includes two scrambled eggs and green chiles served on a crispy corn torilla, Loco Moco and also French Toast made from Portuguese Sweet Bread. But here to
the big draw at this restaurant was also their pancakes. In fact they dubbed them as "The Island's Best Pancakes!". The most popular ones on their menu were the
Guava Chiffon pancakes and their Red Velvet pankcakes topped with white chocolate. Carole and I could not decide on which of the two to order so we ordered both.
And we were not let down because both were so truly 'Ono! (Delicious). Cinnamon's is also open from 7AM to 2PM and also serves lunch items after 11AM such as
sandwiches, hamburgers and more. But breakfast is served all day until closing. Cinnamon's Restaurants website can be found at www.cinnamons808.com. Also Cinnamon's
has just recently opened another restaurant in Japan.
Check out more photos
from our visit to these two restaurants in Hawaii and if you are ever on the island of Oahu, these two are definitely must-visit breakfast
spots to check out.
On the North Shore side of the island of Oahu, Hawaii in the small town of Kahuku, you will find plenty of shrimp trucks and stands all along the roadside of
Kamehameha Highway. For years there has been much debate on which truck or stand had the best tasting shrimp. And the competition always seems to compare themselves
to the most famous shrimp truck on the island, "Giovanni's Original White Shrimp Truck". So you might be asking, how did this shrimp truck phenomenon start in the first
place? Well through my research, it all started back in 1994 when determined restaurateurs Giovanni and Connie Aragona couldn't renew the lease on their Haleiwa deli
and decided to sell ther best-selling dish (an Italian-style scampi prepared with lemon, butter, and lots of garlic) from a truck alongside the road. About the same
time, aquaculture was growing in nearby Kahuku, with farmers raising sweet, white shrimp and huge, orange-whiskered prawns in shallow freshwater ponds. With many
imitators starting up their own shrimp trucks and stands and with the supply and demand the shrimp truck craze took off. And the rest is history.
Whenever I'm ever asked "Which shrimp truck should I try when
visiting the North Shore of Oahu?", my answer will always
be, go to the original shrimp truck Giovanni's first and make
your comparison from there. Not only is Giovanni's the original
but it's the one all the others compare themselves to. Located
next to the Kahuku post office (56-505 King Kamehameha Highway)
you will find a 1950's graffiti covered white bread truck
parked along the side of the road next to a covered patio.
(Giovanni's also has a second truck located in the North Shore
beach town of Haleiwa at 66-472 King Kamehameha Highway.)
The menu is pretty simple. They offers four plate lunches
served with a dozen shrimp and 2 scoops of rice with your
choice of 1) the standard (and most popular) shrimp plate,
marinated in olive oil, fresh chopped garlic and lemon butter,
2) hot and spicy, 3) lemon butter and 4) garlic hot dog also
served with rice or on a bun.
Now if there is another shrimp truck or stand I would recommend trying, I would suggest "Romy's Kahuku Prawns and Shrimp Shack". Also located in Kahuku at
56781 Kamehameha Hwy, this place won't be too hard to find. Just look for this big red shack with the words in white letters that says "The Original". You can debate
whether they are the originals or not but one thing for sure is Romy's is one of the longest-running aquaculture farms in the area and has been in business since
1978. One thing I found out was not all the shrimp that sells from some of these trucks and stands comes fresh from the ponds. Come to find out that much of it is
imported. At Romy's you can expect the freshes shrimp and prawns served because they are havested daily and cooked live. In fact when visiting Romy's, walk towards
the rear of the building and you'll see one of their ponds out back. On the day we visited Romy's we bumped into friends Liz, Emelda, and Kystal and we were all
satisfied with our lunch. Also served with 2 big scoops of rice with a side of Soyu sauce, we all agreed the shrimp and prawns were really good and you can really
tell how fresh it was from the texture and the taste.
I've been told Mackey's Shrimp Truck out in Haleiwa is another one to try and serves some of the juiciest plates on the island. That however will be a another
"Ron vs. Food" adventure for our next trip back to Oahu. But in the meantime, check out some of the photos from this past food adventure to Giovanni's and Romy's and
go visit them yourself when on Oahu. You'll be glad you did!
Vegas StrEATS Festival!
The next Vegas StrEATS Festival is scheduled every second
Saturday of the Month outside the El Cortez Hotel &
Casino. Food Trucks, Artist/Streetwear, and Live Music
from 6PM to 1AM. Free Admission. For more information
about Vegas StrEATS, click here
and scroll down to read the the blog entry on "Vegas
StrEATS Festival" and "The Food Truck Revolution
In Las Vegas."
I'm often asked, "What is it with you and food?" Everybody eats. I just seem to enjoy it more than
others. I'm not a professional food critic but I do love to dine out and share my food experiences
and the results of my findings.
I've been told I dine out more than the average person which is probably true. This may result from
my upbringing growing up in the Poblete household. To make sure the family spent good quality time
together, our parents always made the effort to take the family out to eat together at least once a week. This
was a lesson I learned and initiated with own family. In today's society where families
rarely have dinner together at the dinner table or only dine out on special occasions, it is
normal for us to get out of the house for a bite to eat. Although we love to eat, it's the interaction,
bonding, laughing, and the experience that happens when dining out that makes it more satisfying.
"Dining with one's friends and beloved family is certainly one of life's primal and most innocent
delights, one that is both soul-satisfying and eternal."
- Julia Child
American chef, author,
and television personality
If you have any suggestions for good places to eat, food events,
etc...or need information regarding any of the places I've
eaten at, feel free to contact me by clicking
here to leave a comment on this site or contact me via
Facebook and Twitter.
Ron vs. Food T-Shirts are now available. It's the perfect eating attire for pigging out! (Also comes in black and other assorted colors in case you would like to wipe your hands on it during your meal.) Email me at ron@poblete.com to order yours today!
Random Food Photos - For additional food photos follow me
on Facebook to see the latest Ron vs. Food photos or my collection
of Food Pornography and even More Food Porn.
Hungry for a midnight snack? Here are some of my favorite spots here in Vegas where we go for our late night cravings.
The FukuBurger
Truck is one of my favorite mobile gourmet food
trucks that are out on the Vegas streets late at night starting
at 8PM until 3 or 4AM.
What is FukuBurger?
(Click on videoclip again to enlarge.)
The Coronado Cafe at the South Point Hotel Casino has the best midnight specials in Vegas. Where else can you get a Steak and Eggs Breakfast which includes hashbrowns and toasts for only $3.95? If Steak and Eggs is not for you, click here to see the other midnight specials that range from $1.45 - $2.95.
Oxtail Soup Brah?
Oxtail Soup is served all over Hawaii but when in Vegas, Hawaiian's know that the
Market Street Cafe at the California Hotel is the place to go when in town. The
Oxtail Soup Special is served here nightly from 11PM to 6AM.
