9/28/08 - Greetings on this very fine day! I'm assuming everything is beyond well with everyone? I took a little jaunt out to the North Shore with mom, sis, sis' hubby Tom, and their little one - one of the few times you'll see me without wifey, who was hard at work. Think I'll manage ok? Not so sure...
And no trip to the North Shore would be complete without some Matsumoto's shave ice, right? Yeah, you can get one just as good or better in town, but it's all about the nostalgia factor, is all. Matsumoto's is still, without a doubt, a great shave ice, especially because of the fact that they never seem to be short on syrup - I guess with such a high volume, they can afford to be generous! Here's a shot of the almost-constant crowds there - and this ain't nearly as bad as it can get!
That's in stark contrast to Aoki's, located right across the dirt parking lot from Matsumoto's. Actually, there's only one thing this similiar shop doesn't do quite as well, but that one thing happens to be major, indeed. That is, not enough syrup! However - eee-zzy over there - the situation is actually not so dire at all. Just politely ask them to add more syrup! You can even assist your case by plowing a peek into the bottom of your ice cone, where you may find a lack of color (syrup) extremely disturbing. When the crowds are full and heavy next door, Aoki's is not a bad option at all. To see a more complete description of shave ice in general, along with several shave ice shops, check out the subject in our main pages.
Before shave ice we stopped at the top of the cliff overlooking gorgeous Waimea Bay. It was as beautiful as ever on a sunny Hawaiian day, tempting both Tom and myself to jump off the 20-foot-high rock formation on the left side of the bay, and into the clear, blue waters, as we normally do. However, with both baby and mom in the car, it was just a sight-seeing excursion, is all! No worries, brah - catch 'em next time!
There was a large, black rock in the middle of the bay that I never noticed before. Quite odd, I thought. Odder, still... when the rock started moving!!! What the...?
Turns out, it was actually not a rock at all! See the fisherman all along the banks? They were going to town on a giant mass of halalu, opelu, nehu, and oama, all mixed together in one bunch! Pretty amazing stuff! I was tempted to rent an underwater video camera so I could get on the next episode of National Geographic! Think the fishermen would mind?
Alas, it was time to move on and get some lunch in Haleiwa town. Yes, I would love to have visited Haleiwa Eats for Thai, or Cholo's or Rosie's Cantina for Mexican, or Pizza Bob's for pizza, but mom's flavor profile is, well, a bit limited. Tom and sis love their sandwiches, so we settled for a new sandwich shop I've never seen before called Kono's. It is a relatively new spot located at the North Shore Marketplace, and is clearly visible, facing the main road right nextdoor to Quicksilver surf shop. And remember - cash only!
As everything in this town, you're not gonna get too far without a surf scene. The small booths, which fit maybe one person and a baby on each side, have tables that are shaped like a surfboard, and surf memorabilia is everywhere, including a giant wave mural with a half-board sticking out to stand up and take pictures on. It's real casual out here, with workers sometimes hanging outside with friends when the orders stop, despite the fact that people may still be eating inside. No worries - like the sign says "no shirt, no shoes? No problem!" Just take a chill pill and go wit da flow!
With tiny tables not able to accomodate us, especially with my 6'4"-inch Norwegian brother-in-law, we settled in outside and fought off the wild chickens begging for scraps. The tables were all pretty much dirty - perfect when arriving with still-wet board shorts and no shirt, but not so well otherwise. Sis was a bit paranoid about jungle fever, bird flu, or some strange chicken disease, but she managed to brave it by disinfecting the whole place with soapy towelettes! You see what New Jersey city life and flight-attendant-style precautionary measures do to you?
It's actually pretty comfortable outside, with the main drive through Haleiwa town right in front of you.
Meals were brought out to us from the kitchen by our kind waitress/counter-person instead of having to listen in for a number. All sandwiches are served with pile of potato chips, which were heavier-cut and crispy almost to the point of being hard - perfect for such large sandwiches.
Tom munched on a turkey melt, which I haven't pictured because it was basically the same thing as mom's turkey/avocado. Nothing fancy, the oven-baked aspect of these sandwiches is highly apparent, with a crispy shell and a soft, white, inner section. When eaten fresh and hot, as they all were, the French-style baguettes definitely make a big difference for the better.
Here's a shot of mom's turkey avocado, one half of the sandwich partially exposed.
I had a Philly Cheesesteak, which, me thinks, should actually be named beef 'n cheddar, beef 'n cheese, or maybe just beef sandwich. One glance at this sub from someone actually from Philadelphia, where you'll find the real thing on every street corner, would invite, at best, a good laugh, and at worst, picket lines of Philly-nazi protesters!
Instead of the meat being thin-sliced into clean cuts and "folded" into an attractive "clump" on your roll, this meat was soft and brittle, almost like chopped beef. And not that a Philly cheesesteak sandwich has to have anything else but beef and cheese, but I just assume there will be generous portions of onions and/or bell peppers added on as well, both grilled in the fatty juices leftover from cooking the beef. I won't even get into the types of breads used, but lemme give you a small hint - it ain't a French baguette!
Hey, not that you won't enjoy this sandwich - I finished it all! It's just that when you put your name on something, you're always gonna get purists who want to see it done how it's supposed to be done, yes?
Despite all these differences, the sandwich really wasn't all that bad. I'm just giving you a hard time, is all. Take a look and judge for yourself:
And finally, sis went with a crabcake sandwich. Now this was an interesting sub. Pretty straight-forward, yes, with lettuce, tomato, and onion, but it's not often you'll find real-crab-crabcakes at an relatively inexpensive, casual shop like this. Granted, the crab didn't come in huge, tender, and flaky chunks like a fancy Pacific Rim restaurant, but it did the trick just fine. There was also a spicy mayo sauce that added a nice, peppery-vinegar kick. Not bad at all.
After chowing down, we all sat around and wondered why nobody ordered the kalua pig sandwich, something this shop seems to push quite a bit. Aaah, next time - if there ever is a next time. This is not my favorite sandwich stop in all the world, but I see no problem in stopping by again and trying a few other things.
Meanwhile, we had a blast out on the North Shore. It's always nice to get out and make the drive from town, past the entire Windward coast, and into Haleiwa. The sights don't get any better! Yes, I guess I did manage without wifey, but maybe just barely.
Y'all take care, and make sure to enjoy all the great things this beautiful island has to offer! Paradise, this is, you know?
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