A List Challenge!

I like to read other people's ranking lists but loathe to do my own, on anything. I just take too long and think too much about it. However, I've recently taken up a list challenge.

Since I've been living in Honolulu, I've gone to many eating places. Last week my boyfriend challenged me to create my own buffet using dishes from any restaurant that I'd been to (no home cooked food). There is no theme, the foods don't need to go together - the only rule is that there are a set number of each type of dish: 4 appetizer/soup/salad; 3 sides; 8 entrees; 3 desserts. I know, the ratios are weird but he set the rules. Questionable dishes should be stuck into the closest applicable category.

So I pose his question to everybody out there. If anything, it's a quick way to get suggestions for new places to eat. I'm curious to find out what other people would list. Care to share the fruits of your culinary adventures?

Here's my list:
a/s/s: boneless buffalo wings (Chili's); garlic bread (Ninnikuya); bi dan (preserved egg + pork) jook (Legend's Seafood Restaurant); spinach salad (Parc Cafe)

s: red roasted potatoes (Sbarro's, but they don't make this anymore); garlic ong choy (Jun Bo); kim chee fried rice (Taiyo Ramen? Noodles?)

e: garlic tenderloin (Bullshed, Kauai); beef spinach + cheese curry (Coco's Curry House); salt and pepper fish filet (Sun Tak); shredded beef chimichanga (Torito's); crackling chicken (New Campbell Chinese Restaurant); deep fried ahi (Yagura); kalua pig (Ono Hawaiian Foods); pancakes + bangers (Ken's Pancake House, Big Island)

d: haupia (Ono Hawaiian Foods); the really-good-chocolate mousse-thing-for-which-I've-forgotten-the-name (Hukilau Bar & Grill, Kauai); big custard tart (Legend's Seafood Restaurant)

Comments

Man, my head hurts!

I don't think I could complete this challenge. For appetizers, I'd start with the basic garlic fries (Gordon Biersch) and seared ahi sashimi (Chai's Island Bistro), for soup portuguese bean (not particular - Zippy's!), for salad, caesar (anywhere that knows how to do it right, and that includes anchovies).

Eight entrees? I don't even think I can think of a handful. Let's see... there was this calimari pasta dish at Pasta Italia in Waikele that was heavenly, but the restaurant is gone, now. I love ribs, be they from Tony Roma's or Chili's or someplace fancier. Alaskan king crab from Sam Choy's. Umm... Oh! Peking duck from Eastern Garden (also gone). Or chicken choi sum with oyster sauce on cake noodle from Ken Fong's downtown. Char siu rack of lamb? Shrimp scampi on garlic butter pasta? Is that eight?

Sides? Maybe the cold shredded radish salad from Angelo Pietro's. I love red roasted potatoes, too, but I'll make those at home. Buffalo wings? "Hurricane" kaki mochi popcorn? I'll take anything.

Dessert? Ted's chocolate haupia pie (various)! Or the deadly brick o' fudge from Stuart Anderson's. Or whatever. There's always room for dessert!

I don't get out enough to add much, but I'll offer the salad bar at Buzz's Pearl City (disclaimer: my sister is a manager there) and the pepper steak at Albero's in Aiea. My Mom thinks Albero's veal is the best she's ever had.

Yikes, I never eat that much at one meal. The only time I have an "appetizer", it's the whole meal. And dessert? Almost never.

I love the hot roast beef sandwich at LikeLike. Maybe it's a childhood thing, but that's my very favorite meal in this town.

The Saturn Pork Chop at Cuisine Tony, just about any of the many possibilities for spaghetti at Angelo Pietro, the roast pork at Lahaina Chicken (altho not their chicken), the burgers at Bubba Gump's.

(Mainland eating habits stay with a person, I guess.)

I'll just go for dessert, creme brule with a side scoop of vanilla ice cream from Kincad's. Mmmm...

Here's mine.

appetizers/soup/salad:
-- hummus and pita, Olive Tree
-- corn chowder, Cafe Laufer
-- raw potato salad, Angelo Pietro
-- shiitake nachos, Dave & Busters

sides:
-- potato salad, Liliha Bakery
-- french fries, McDonald's
-- fried rice, Mitsu-Ken

entrees:
-- chicken souvlaki, Olive Tree
-- chicken gorgonzola, Cafe Sistina
-- chicken marsala, Verbano
-- beef choi sum, McCully Chop Sui
-- goat-cheese pizza, California Pizza Kitchen
-- osso bucco, Mediterraneo
-- garlic chicken, Mitsu-Ken
-- beef back ribs, Dixie Grill

desserts:
-- bread pudding, Kaka`ako Kitchen
-- tiramisu, Ciao Mein
-- pudding/milk shave ice with mochi balls, Ice Garden

I've been thinking of this list for several days and finally sorted everything out. Please excuse the number of items from Zippy's.

Appeteizers, Soups:
Tortilla Soup (D&B)
Southwestern Egg Rolls (Chili's)
Clam Chowder or Seafood Chowder (Zippy's)
Chicken Fajita Nacho's (Torito's) with their homemade salsa.

Sides:
Garlic Bread (Zippy's)
Fried Man Doo (ME Bar-B-Que)
Mashed Potatos and Gravy (Popeyes)

Entrees:
Loco Moco (Zippy's)
Mango BBQ Ribs (Duke's)
Lobster Tail and Crab Legs (Red Lobster)
Rock Salt Prime Rib (Kincaid's)
Chicken Bacon Club (Charley's)
Kal Bi Short Ribs (ME Bar-B-Que)

Desserts:
Jello Parfait, Brownie Delight, Banana Royale (All from Zippy's)

And the cheesecake from Waiola Bakery in Kapahulu.
And warm Malasada's from Leanord's, also in Kapahulu.

What about drinks? Can't have all this food without drinks.

Pina Colada (Orange Julius)
Strawberry Smoothie (Thirst Aid)
Beer Sampler (Brew Moon)

So I went over the set number of desserts, fell short of the number of entrees and through in the drinks at the end.

Wow, guys! That's already lots of places that I haven't been to. I have to take some of these places down. Looks like I should hang around with Mitchell - I've never, ever been to half the places he listed.

I had some honorable mentions on the side, but the list was just getting way too long.

Having a drinks list was a good idea, James! Never occurred to me to do so. I'll have to go think up a drinks list now! As for the numbers for each category - they're more like guidelines anyway.

Ryan: I like that - "deadly brick of fudge"! I've never heard it referred to in quite that way, but it's an extremely accurate description.

Here's mines, the choices of sides maybe questionable since I am suggesting going to the Deli section of the local supermarkets.

appetizers/soup/salad:

Spring Roll - U Choice Drive In
BBQ chicken musibi - 7-11
Sushi from Robot Sushi
Breadsticks or Breadsticks with Cheese - Pizza Hut or Papa John

sides (can get from the Deli section at Foodland, Safeway or Times (or was that Star Market)):
Cole Slaw - also from KFC
Potato or Potato-Mac Salad - also from KFC
Pasta Salad

entrees:

Black Bean Chicken - U Choice Drive In
BBQ Chicken - L&L Drive In
Chicken Katsu - Graces or L&L Drive In
Garlic Fried Chicken - Hanamaulu Cafe
Fried Chicken - either Foodland, KFC or Popeyes
Chicken Bake - Costco
Chicken Mushroom - U Choice Drive In or Panda Express
Rib Eye Roast - Lahaina Chicken

desserts:
Chocolate X-Extreme Blizzard - Dairy Queen
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - no preference from where but if you are picking up the sides from the Deli section, pick up the ice cream as well.
Mrs Fields Cookies

Oh for drinks, either Diet Coke, Caffeine Free Diet Coke, Orange Gatorade or water, but I say bring your own to wash it down.

Hmm, this is harder than you'd think it would be. I have a sweet tooth so could definitely add a few desserts: Coco Puffs from Liliha Bakery, Lilikoi Chiffon Cake from DeeLite Bakery(I grew up eating guava but once I tried lilikoi I've never gone back), Mile High Pie from the Willows(if it's still on the 'New Willows' menu).

Well, I have the Willows menus here, but Mile High Pie isn't mentioned. Hmm.

The Coco Curry Challenge

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pantufla/sets/220847/

inthevip

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