Melt in Your Mouth Miami

Now that's fresh fish!

Written by Lacy P. Bailey

We try to travel (and these days with a one year old it aint happenin too often). Like many of you I'm sure, when we do it is all about what fun stuff we can put in our mouths!! The best part of sightseeing is the eating and the drinking for me. I love good food and great drinks so we set out with not a clue about what a tourist does but where the hell you go to eat. We just have to share our latest lust as we bounced around Miami getting wasted. Started in SoBe aroun 10 and made our way to Lincoln Road to check out this shopping thing. Armed with absolutly no money but lots of plastic we barely went in any stores but stopped at 7 places along the way for mojitos, margaritas, beer, and martinis. When the baby is away the mommy & daddy will play! Then we found Sushi Samba. I am a conneseur of the raw fish and fell in love with this nice piece of meat ... now that is fresh fish. 2 orders of a sashimi tiradito - yellowtail with jalapeño and lemongrass (was killer with just enough heat to compliment the buttery fish) and kanpachi with yuzu, black truffle oil, & sea salt (which was I think my favorite) as well as 2 orders of sashimi seviche - yellowtail with ginger, garlic, soy (delish but my least favorite concoction) and tuna with coconut (milk), tomato, serrano, grapefruit, & cilantro (I think this was our fourth but I was pretty drunk by now but it was yummy tangy). I topped it off with a Lemon Samurai cocktail made with Svedka Citron, apple liqueur, peach, & guava. It was a good martini but a little too sweet for my taste ... so of course just order a sidecar extra shot and its less sweet. We took a photo for MRG to share with all that if you are busy shopping in Miami Beach and need to stop somewhere for a quick sushi fix or even just a drink and an app after sunkissing your face on the sand - Sushi Samba is the place. Now we just have to hit up their other locations!!

Lacy is a avid traveler, lover of wine and is a devoted wife and mother. Visit her food profile "Mama Sutra" at http://www.myrestaurantguru.com/member.html?action=profile&id=158

Outside the Triangle: Eating in Hawaii

Hawaii: beautiful beaches and beautiful faces. I always thought folks in the southern US were some of the nicest people in the world, but there is something particularly special about Hawaiians...perhaps the secret is in their passion for food. Due to its location, these tropical islands are influenced by asian cuisine. There is even a good sized Chinatown in Honolulu were you can find all kinds of delicious fresh fruit and fish. 

Some of my favorite food finds are:

Peppa’s Korean BBQ, Honolulu, Oahu- For $8.99 you can get a combination platter that could feed you for days. Platters include your choice of meat (BBQ chicken and beef jun both excellent), 2 scoops of rice, fried dumplings and zucchini Plus FOUR sides. I was amazed at the variety of kimchee (spicy pickled vegetable) there must have been 12 or more sides to choose from.

Kaleo’s Bar and Grill, Pahoa, Hawaii- A surprising find in the sleepy saloon town of Pahoa. The setting of this town looks like something out of an old western. The atmosphere was quaint and romantic and the food was excellent. We dined on tempura fried ahi tuna roll, french onion soup, beef tenderloin, and a roasted vegetable salad with goat cheese croquette. Ooo Whee! I highly recommend every bit of it! 

SMOOTHIE TIME

Chinatown Fruit Smoothie- This ain’t your typical fruit smoothie. Choices include any combination of exotic tropical fruits like Jackfruit, Durian, Lychee and Rambutan. Everything is fresh and made to order. I had the Avocado + Mango smoothie and my DH had the pineapple + lychee. Both were amazing.

Lanikai Juice- A popular storefront in Kailua, Oahu. This family owned juice shop uses local ingredients and also has fruit/granola bowls available that looked especially hardy and delicious. They specialize in Acai juice which is reportedly packed with antioxidants and super nutrients which can aid in weight loss.

What’s Shakin- This popular stand is on the 4 mile scenic drive on the Big Island north of Hilo. Most ingredients come from the What’s Shakin farm. Everything is all natural. I had the Kona Coffee and Chocolate/Banana and my DH had the Papaya Paradise. After paying $6.50 a drink and waiting for over 40mins, the anticipation of this place got the better of me and unfortunately the smoothies didn’t live up to the hype.  I found this smoothie shack a little too thick and rich for my taste. 

MAUI 

In Maui, the locals love fried rice for Breakfast and you know what? I love it too! Here are photos of some of the best fried rice:

The Gazebo Restaurant: bacon, kaiula pork, veggies w/ a scrambled egg

The Sea House Restaurant @ Napili Bay: kailua pork, seaweed flakes, pineapple and an over-easy fried egg