Honolulu, Hawaii

January 27 - February 2, 2013

My first business trip of 2013 took me to Oahu, Hawaii.  The trip was not a boondoggle - as most people assume - but provided an easier route for our customers coming from Asia.

Although I have been to Hawaii multiple times before - this was my first time flying over on Alaska Airlines.  I found a great deal from San Jose (SJC) to Honolulu (HNL) and back for only $327 US dollars.  The flight left San Jose at 9:30am and put me into Honolulu at noon.  The flight was nice - very spacious as there were not many people on the flight so we could sprawl out.

Once I arrived to the airport - I grabbed my bag from the baggage claim and headed out to the taxi stand.  The taxi from the airport to Waikiki was 50 dollars not including tip.  The taxi driver dropped me off at the Marriott Waikiki - my temporary home for the next week.  The great thing about the location of the Marriott is that it is on the main street of Waikiki - Kalakaua Street - right across from the beach.  On this main street there are shops, restaurants  hotels and the beautiful blue ocean.  The strip is a bit longer than a mile but the concentrated activity occurs in the center.  The Marriott is located 2 -3 small blocks from the center of the activity which makes the area a little bit calmer.  The hotel has two towers and an open air lobby.  The rooms are nice - updated and quite spacious.  The beds are very comfortable and the balcony provides a nice breeze of wind and slight view of the ocean.  The maid service was outstanding - they came 3 times a day to provide new towels, clean the bathroom of any sand, and remake your bed if needed.

View from my room. 

Waikiki Beach

Right outside of the hotel lobby is an ABC store which provides any food, medication, personal items, trinkets etc.  Although there are 1 - 2 ABC stores per block - it was nice having one so close.

After putting my stuff in my room I decided to walk around do some shopping and grab lunch.  Sadly the weather was cold and rainy but I walked along Kuhio street (just one street over from the main street) to find cute Japanese clothing boutiques.  After a little shopping I ended up at one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Waikiki - Doraku Sushi.  This restaurant is owned by Kevin Aoki - the son of the Benihana founder.  He provides an amazing take on the Sushi/Japanese fusion cuisine.

Doraku Sushi

After walking around some more and taking in the fresh air, I met up with some coworkers and we headed out to Mikawon Korean Restaurant located near the International Market.  This was my first experience at Korean BBQ and it was delish!  I highly recommend it.  We got beef brisket and pork belly to cook on our own and we got pre-cooked japchae.  This was the perfect amount of food for 4 people.

International Market Place

Korean BBQ

The next day started off with a little work in the morning, then for lunch we headed out to Ono Hawaiian Seafood.  It was glorious.  The restaurant was about a 10 minute walk from our hotel and worth it.  *Note there are two Ono Hawaiian Restaurants and both have different menus.  I ordered the Spicy Tuna bowl over white rice.  It was amazing and so fresh!  After putting in some more work in for the day.  I headed back over to Doraku Sushi for dinner - and got a 'Kagu-Tsuchi Roll - God of Fire' and a Geisha Roll.  So good!  I highly recommend it.

Workday view. 

Ono's Seafood. 

Spicy Tuna Bowl. 

Tuesday was another day of work but I took a break around 11:30am to go to Iysasume Musubi for lunch.  It is about a 5min walk from the hotel and the weather was finally nice and sunny for the first time being on the island.  Here I got a spicy chicken musubi and mochiko chicken nuggets.  I highly recommend this place for lunch - as it is cheap and the perfect amount of food.  The restaurant is small - maybe 3 tables to eat at total - so taking it to go is probably for the best.  The line moves fast and they accept credit cards.  This is a must go spot when in Waikiki.  Dinner was at a location called - Uncle Bo's Pupu Bar and Grill.  There was over 12 of us that went to dinner which was nice because we could try a variety of the menu.  We had everything from Kuala Pork fried rice to Dynamite Shrimp.  It was very good - however - for the price it was not the best meal I have ever had.  The food was very rich in taste and sat very heavy after the meal.  It was good to try once but I most likely wont be back.

Iysasume Musubi.

Inside the restaurant. 

Spicy Chicken Musubi.

Mochiko Chicken. 

On hump day we worked for a half day as that night we had an Industry wide event to discuss the technology at hand - where it had been and where it was going.  This was my first day getting out to the beach but as you can imagine trying to tan in the winter there was always the possibility of overcast weather - even in 'paradise.'  Sure enough - right as I got out to the beach the rain kicked in.  So when all else fails - I decided to go shopping.  Prices in Hawaii are more expensive than California although their sales tax is cheaper.  My suggestion is to look for items that are unique to Hawaii - for example: Japanese boutiques, Roxy, etc.  Or look for the merchandise they do not sell near you for example - what they have the Marc Jacob's store varies from Hawaii to California.

Marc Jacob sunglasses - cute but I didn't get them. 

On Thursday after a morning run I went to Island Vintage Coffee.  This was a recommendation from a family friend - and I was told the must have item was the Acai Bowl.  Boy was she right.  It is a blend of ice and fruits - such as Acai, berries, and bananas, then it is topped with homemade granola, fresh fruit and drizzled with honey.  The serving sizes are huge for the Acai bowl - it is definitely something you can share, however, once you start eating it you don't want to stop.

Morning view of Diamondhead. 

Island Vintage Coffee. 

Acai Bowl. 

For lunch I accompanied my coworker to Marukame Udon.  This is the freshest, best tasting udon I have ever had.  The udon is made onsite everyday right in front of you.  Marukame is similar to cafeteria style eating - you wait in line, order your food, pay and then sit down. The menu is simple you pick the style of udon you would like - hot or cold, with an egg or without, with tempura batter drops or without.  After determining the base that you would like they dry the noodles, add the soup and hand it over.  Next in line is a selection of add ons - shrimp or veggie tempura, chicken, etc.  There is generally a line out the door - so go early or be patient.  It is def worth it.  For dinner we headed back to Mikawon Korean Restaurant for the second time this trip.

Making noodles. 

Menu. 

Best ever Udon.

Shrimp Tempura, Chicken, Inari Sushi.

Friday was my final day of work at the workshop.  Similar to the day prior I went for a run and grabbed an Acai bowl.  After a half day of work it was time to pack up work stuff and hit the beach.  Some of my coworkers and I went out to the public beach across the street from the hotel.  After laying around for about an hour we decided to head over to the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel to get happy hour drinks at RumFire Bar.  To get to the RumFire and the Sheraton Waikiki - you can walk along the beach and it will take you directly to the bar or you can walk along Kalakaua Ave and enter the Sheraton Waikiki and head towards the pool. The drinks were good - but most people were their for the atmosphere.  It is right on the water - the windows are open and there is seating on the patio.  It is the best location for sunset pictures - diamond head is on one side and the sun is setting on the other.

Finally a day at the beach. 

View from RumFire.

Sunset at RumFire.

Sunset at RumFire.

On a side note - I have stayed at the Sheraton Waikiki previously - when it first opened - and I have to say this is by far the best hotel on the strip of Waikiki.  Their is an infinity pool which is 18yrs and older and their is a kid friendly pool as well.  The spa is excellent - and I had one of the best massages here.  The location is centrally place on the main street of Waikiki.

After drinking a large amount our group moved on over to Doraku Sushi for some appetizers and rolls.  Similar to what I mentioned before - this is by far some of the best sushi I have had and to this day I crave it!

Saturday morning I headed out for one last Acai bowl and bought all my souvenirs.  I got everyone cookies from the Honolulu Cookie Company - these stores are all over Oahu.  Sometimes they are even located across the street from each other.  They are butter shortbread based cookies that are to die for!  I can eat 20 of them in one sitting!  Each store has free samples by the entrance - you must go in and try them cause you will be hook.  When you spend $50 dollars and $100 dollars - you get a special gift of more cookies.  You would be surprised - it is easy to spend a lot in there.

Waikiki Beach.

Water and Sand. <3

Cooooookies. 

After loading up I headed to the airport around 11:30am for a 1:30pm flight.  I paid around $40 US dollars for my cab ride and I had lunch at the airport.  The airport does not offer many food options - there is a Burger King, Chinese fast food, CPK, sushi mart etc.  I opted for a CPK pizza.

Hawaii - is a wonderful place to visit if you have not been before.  However, after traveling their multiple times per year and participating in many of the excursions already I mostly only go for the food.

Waikiki. 

Waikiki.

If this is your first time to Waikiki I highly recommend the following activities which I participated in previous visits:
- Hike to Diamond Head.
- Shark dive with North Shore Shark Adventures.
- Snorkeling at Hamanua bay

If you have been to Hawaii previous and are open to other suggestions (near the USA) my top beach location is the Atlantis Paradise Island.

Highlight of my Trip:
- The food
- Honolulu Cookie Company