Honolulu Weekend

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/4000 sec, ISO80
“OGG” Kahului, 2024

Today we hopped on a flight to the island of Oahu! We’ll be staying there for a couple of nights. Honolulu is a foodie’s paradise, even though it can be a bit pricey, especially in Waikiki.

For our first meal, we tried Kamakura Ramen. It was super-tasty! There was so much food that we had leftovers, which we took back to our hotel in these cool ramen take-out bowls. They had a special compartment that separated the broth from the noodles, like a double-decker bowl. How convenient is that?

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO250
“Ramen” Honolulu, 2024

So, in the evening, we decided to treat ourselves to some much-needed relaxation at Cocolomi. I opted for the 60-minute lomi-lomi and foot massage, and let me tell you, it was fantastic! But, it was also a bit of a rollercoaster of pain. The masseuse (Saori) asked if I wanted more or less pressure, so you can definitely customize the intensity to your liking. I went for it and ended up with a pretty intense massage, which left my back muscles feeling sore the next day. But hey, it was totally worth it! I would definitely do it again.

Riding with Kiki

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/7100 sec, ISO80
“Kiki” Austin, 2024

I went for a nice ride with Kiki (my motorbike) to meet a friend at the camera store. The store has a semi-annual event where they give out gift vouchers of varying value to the first 50 customers. I got lucky and received a $25 voucher, which I used to buy a couple of packs of Instax film. Woot!

After that, I rode to Ramen Del Barrio to try some of the Mexican-fusion ramen. I ordered the carnitas tonkotsu, which was excellent!

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO160
“Carnitas Ramen” Austin, 2024

I took my Insta360 camera along for the ride so I could make a little motovlog video. Hopefully I can edit it and upload this week.

What a fun day!

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/30 sec, ISO800
“Kiki” Cedar Park, 2024

Ramen Dinner

Photo info: SONY ZV-E10, 16mm, f/3.5, 1/160 sec, ISO1600
“Sunset Shoyu” Cedar Park, 2023

We dined at Ramen 512, a delicious ramen restaurant near our home. We ordered three different types of ramen, but the Black Tonkotsu with black garlic oil was the star of the show. It’s so good that we always order it whenever we visit. I can’t wait to get more ramen!

Photo info: SONY ZV-E10, 16mm, f/3.5, 1/160 sec, ISO1600
“Black Tonkotsu” Cedar Park, 2023
Photo info: SONY ZV-E10, 16mm, f/3.5, 1/160 sec, ISO2000
“Tonkotsu Tan Tan” Cedar Park, 2023

Ramen Lunch

Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/60 sec, ISO400
“Spicy Shio Ramen” Gardena, 2023

Today I enjoyed a big bowl of ramen at Jidaiya. It was delicious! I was going to meet a friend here, but at the last moment, he had to reschedule for Friday. Since I had already arrived at the parking lot, I figured I would just go ahead and eat. I love ramen so much, I won’t mind coming back in a couple days.

Ramen Lunch

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/3.6, 1/200 sec, ISO320
“Ramen” Austin, 2022

Today Mariko and I tried a new ramen restaurant for lunch. Sazan Ramen (at the time of this post) has three kinds of ramen, and plenty of appetizers and other goodies, as well as a large selection of cocktails and beer. Mariko and I shared the Black Garlic Ramen and the Spicy Paitan Ramen. They were both pretty good! The noodles, broth, and pork were delicious. 🍜

I’d say the ramen was on the fancy side (and looked beautiful!), which might not be what you are looking for. For instance, we didn’t think the raw purple cabbage in the black garlic ramen fit in well. My ramen had nuts and dried tomatoes, and although I enjoyed them, it wasn’t something I’d like to get again if I had the craving for ramen. So if you are looking for a regular miso or shoyu ramen, Sazan might not be for you. However, I thought it was a yummy meal and I wouldn’t hesitate to come again!