Must Eat: Shrimp Trucks in Oahu

We're back from Hawaii, but I still have so many great eats and things to do from our trip to share! For the rest of the week, I'm going to continue to post some of our Hawaii highlights, before switching the focus back to local LA :)

The North Shore of Oahu is famous for its shrimp trucks near the town of Kahuku, an area known for shrimp aquaculture.  Giovanni's Shrimp Truck is one of the most popular trucks with 773 reviews on yelp with an average of 4 stars.  We opted to try the less popular (67 reviews) but 4.5 star rated "Famous Kahuku Shrimp Truck" . As you can see from the photos, the shrimp was juicy and packed with flavor. They are shelled so the best way (in my opinion) to eat them is to suck the marinade off the shells, peel, then dip again in sauce and eat. It's messy, but worth it!

Listen: Beach Fossils - Youth

A new tune for music monday!

Must Eat: Shave Ice in Hawaii - feat. Matsumoto's in Oahu

Aloha!  Over the next week, I'll continue to share some of the highlights from our Hawaii vacation (Oahu and Kauai). When possible, I'll suggest some equivalent food or activity options in the LA area. :)  

"Shave Ice" is a must eat when you are in Hawaii.  This refreshing and thirst quenching treat can be found everywhere- in coffee shops, mom and pop stores, stands, etc.  Hawaiian shave ice is sort of like what we call "snow cones". However, unlike snow cones, shave ice is not ground ice, but is very finely shaved ice so that the flavors are completely and evenly absorbed.  In Hawaiian, you can find dozens of flavors, many of them unique and tropical - such as pineapple, lychee, passionfruit...with ice cream or other toppings such as red bean or condensed milk.

Listen: Hawaii by Meiko

Aloha!  A beautiful song by Meiko for music mondays.....

Must Eat: Roy's in Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii (branches also in LA!)

Yes, FJLA is in HAWAII!!! :) One of the (many) perks of living in Los Angeles, is how easy it is to vacation in Hawaii.  In less than 6 hours, we made it to Oahu on a non-stop flight. We are here to relax, and of course, to take in some good eats and sights while we're here! 

Cook: Gingersnap Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sandwiches

It's a sunny Friday in LA, and I just came home from work, ready for not just the weekend, but for our trip to Hawaii!  I decided to make myself a little treat.  Always up for an adventure,  I took two bit sized gingersnap cookies from Trader Joes, and put a dollop of the salted caramel ice cream from Sweet Rose Creamery. It is pretty cute, isn't it? Then, I took a bite.

Yum. One of the best flavor combinations ever.  If you don't have a Trader Joe's or access to salted caramel ice cream, use your favorite cookie and ice cream flavor and make your combo! I'd love to hear some of your creations (post comments below!)

Must Eat: Waterloo & City, A British Gastropub in Culver City

 Several friends highly recommended this place, so we decided to give it a try.  If you're looking for a fabulous beer selection, and hearty "gourmet" british fare, this is the place. The food was excellent, though I should warn you - it's all a bit rich, and you will leave very full!