asian fusion

Je Ne Sais Quoi

Disney Style, Food, Style, Travel

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There’s a certain je ne sais quoi about the French expression je ne sais quoi, don’t you think?

Found that gem on google.  Did it make me sound posh and fancy?💁🏻 Unlike the cut off denim shorts I lived in while visiting Honolulu.  And even though many tourists and locals alike can enjoy all the luxurious things the city has to offer, my sister and I usually like to pretend we’re kama’aina.  For us, that means lots of shopping and eating.

To fuel up for our shopping pilgrimage, we stopped by Koko Head Cafe.  Opened by Chef Lee Anne Wong, a finalist on Top Chef, Koko Head Cafe serves up hefty dumplings and brunch-style Asian comfort food.   The cafe also captures that hometown diner feel with surf town decor and Wong’s framed personal photos.  And don’t forget to pick up a copy of Wong’s book Dumplings All Day Wong!  If you ask nicely, you can even leaf through it while you wait for deliciousness to be served.

After stuffing out faces, we needed to walk it all off…before heading to dinner of course.😅 So we stopped by Ward Village South Shore Market.  It actually underwent a huge re-model and I was excited to finally see it.  South Shore Market is comprised of 18 local merchants to showcase and cultivate Hawaii’s creative scene.  Shopping small couldn’t be any easier.  Walking through the stores, I also realized that many of the shop owners are probably POC.  Since Hawaii’s population is almost 40% Asian, it’s also likely that many of these creatives were Asian American.  So not only are you supporting small businesses, but you’re also supporting businesses owned by POC.  So. Much. YES.👏

Do you see that suitcase?  It’s filled with watercolor cards of creatures from Fantastic Beasts.  Yeah, ah-ma-zing!

And speaking of amazing, I also picked up these sparkle heel Zara boots the day before.  They were the last pair left and in my size, so you know…had to get ’em.  Don’t worry, they were on sale.😉  And one of the many apples of my eye, my Disney x Coach red cross body.  The perfect size for your phone and credit cards and comes with the cutest little Mickey hand charm.  It just has a certain je ne sais quoi, non??😏

ABW

dsc05573Shirt: Sincerely Jules, Crossbody: Disney x Coach, Shoes: Zara, Sunglasses: Free People, Shorts: Vintage

Dinner & a Movie: Hidden Figures

Dinner & a Movie, Food, Musings, Travel
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When I’m hungry and you tell me we’re going out for dinner…(photo from Soul Culture)

Obviously you know what movie I saw, so we’ll circle back to that in a moment. I promise no spoilers!  First, let’s talk about food.

Last weekend I got to visit my sister for my birthday.  She’s about 2,400 miles away from San Francisco – and traveling that far can make a girl hungry. Yup, we flew to Honolulu, HI.  And whenever my mom and I visit my sister, we usually do a lot of eating and try a good handful of new places.  This time, we ate at Piggy Smalls.
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Opened by the same masterminds behind The Pig & the Lady, I knew Piggy Smalls was going to be fantastic.  Expect unexpected asian fusion combos galore here.  My personal favorite was the hurricane creamed corn.  For those that aren’t familiar with hurricane popcorn, it’s popcorn that has furikake seasoning and japanese rice crackers mixed in.  It’s another name for addictive deliciousness.  So hurricane creamed corn is creamed corn with furikake, rice crackers, and popcorn bits on top.  I’m sure there’s much more cooking involved than just throwing furikake on top, but I’m no chef, so I’m not even going to try to explain to you why this creamed corn was the best creamed corn I ever ate.  Other winners were the Laotian fried chicken and the fish of the day.  And bonus points because the whole place is sprinkled with pig memorabilia.  Please note the small Pua figurine to the far left in the photo below.  Piggy Smalls, it calls me!

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Now on to Hidden Figures.  It was incredible.  I’m sure like many people, I never knew about these amazing WOC.  On the way out, even my sister said, “That’s crazy we never learned about people like that in history classes!”  And she’s right.  We should already know about these incredible women.  But what I love about this movie is that it shows how race, class, gender, and family values play a role in how these women live their lives.  It influences how they approach relationships, navigate the workplace, and ultimately, how they feel about themselves.   In the end, it’s what makes them stronger and smarter.  I also appreciate that the movie wasn’t an outright drama movie.  I’m not a huge fan of watching dramas in theaters since they tend to feel a little tooo heavy.   But Hidden Figures excellently addressed the impact of identity, while still retaining an element of fun and humor.

And with a full pig belly, I still decided to eat some real hurricane popcorn at the theaters.  And reclining seats?!  Yes, please.  I had to celebrate my birthday in style.💁🏻

I think I’d like to make this into a mini-series.  Every month or so, go out for dinner and a movie, then write up my thoughts.  We’ll see how I hold up.  Ok fine, it’s probably an excuse for me to go out for dinner and see a movie once in a while.  Can you blame a girl?! 🙂

ABW

OOTN:dsc05793Dress: Free People, Shirt: Homecoming, Shoes: ZOU XOU, Angry Pig King Logo: Piggy Smalls