14 Ağustos 2012 Salı

KANEOHE KLIPPER GOLF COURSE

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KANEOHE KLIPPER GOLF COURSEKANEOHE MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII
Blessed to spend an afternoon playing golf at the Kaneohe Klipper Course onthe Kaneohe Marine Corps Base in Hawaii.  This is a nice course with several spectacular holesfronting the ocean.  With the sounds of screaming F22 Raptor Fighter Jets above and crashing waves along the coast this is one special golf experience that I will not soon forget.  This is a heavily fortified post that is home to the 3rd Marine Regiment, Marine Aircraft Group 24, Combat Logistics Battalion 3, 3rd Radio Battalion, and the Navy's Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 2.  Hard to believe that while we were hitting balls in the ocean (not on purpose), our Marines were training for combat just a few hundred yards away.  Great to see some our soldiers taking a break and hitting golf balls on the driving range while wearing their camouflaged fatigues.  I cannot imagine how it feels to be hitting golf balls in Paradise one day and then being airlifted to a war zone the next.  My thoughts and prayers are with all members of our military and the men and woman who proudly serve for the Marines.  Your dedication and sacrifice is greatly appreciated.  Please know that where ever you are in the world, there are millions of people like me thinking of you and thanking you for your service to our country.  








OFF THE HOOK - DISNEY AULANI RESORT, HAWAII

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OFF THE HOOKDISNEY AULANI RESORTKO'OLINA, HAWAII
After playing 36 holes of golf at Ko'Olina on a hot summer day with co-workers and a friend from California, I decided to take our California friend across the street so he could see the Disney Aulani Resort that sticks out like a sore thumb when you are playing golf at Ko'Olina.  You can research this blog for more photos and video of Aulani.  It is not my favorite resort in Hawaii.  In fact, I really do not like the place.  With our bodies aching from 10 hours of golf and our mouths watering for some cold beverages and food we walked past the lazy river filled with adults and kids riding in inner tubes in bumper to bumper gridlock on the water.  Disney Lifeguards are posted every 20 feet or so watching every movement to ensure safety and reduce liability.  Kids screaming while flowing down the watersides and the sounds of Moms and Dads yelling at their bathing suit clad and sunburn kids fill the summers air.  Little Johnny runs past us with brother in tow.  They slip on the water soaked path and again the yells and screaming fill the air.   Ahhh....Paradise?  Off the Hook is located near the main pool just steps from the lagoons and adjacent to the fine dining restaurant called Ama Ama.  Aulani's website describes Off the Hook as being decorated with cowry-shells lures, shark-tooth knives, fishhooks and fish-shaped ku'ulo stones once used as decoys, this relaxed beach side lounge resembles a Hawaiian fisherman's seaside dock.  Look for the extra special touches - a colorful school of fish swims above the bar!  I have been in Hawaii 20 years and never have seen a Hawaiian fisherman's dock that looks like this.  I found the atmosphere to be that of a pool bar that could be in any resort across America.  Anyway, on with the food.  We were greeted after holding up a menu to get some attention.  Waitress turned out to be very courteous and polite.  We started with some cold beverages.  Since I was driving, I went with a light Sangria.  At $8.25 for a glass of watered down wine, I wouldn't touch this drink ever again.  Tasted a bit like cough syrup.  My friend enjoyed a couple of Kona Long Board Beers ($7 each) and a glass of wine at ($10).  The wines per the glass here go upwards of $20 each.  A Sonoma Chardonnay set us back ($14) per glass.  The Cheese Platter ($12) was excellent and served with four different cheeses, fruit and nuts.  The Ahi and Hamachi Sashimi ($15) was fresh and delicious but sliced very thick.  Would be better to thinly slice the sashimi to add more slices to the plate and allow you to enjoy small bites rather than a huge block at one time.  The Korean Style Chicken Wings ($12) were basic wings coated in a Korean Sauce that was not spicy.  Would have liked more kick in the sauce.  We loved the Kobe Beef Sliders ($15).  Three small mini burgers topped with caramelized onions and tomato.  At $5 per mini burger, I could only think of In n' Out burgers for $2.30 each.  Our lovely waitress recommended we try some "fresh" oysters at $1.50 each.  We ordered half a dozen.  I felt a milky like substance going down on my first Oyster.  Tried a second and they just didn't seem that fresh.  Here is the entire menu:APPETIZER MENUServed daily from 5 - 10 pm.
Feast of the Sea
Build your own seafood platter.
Choice of Oysters, Prawns, Alaskan Crab Legs, and Sustainable Catch Ceviche

served with Chili Pepper Water and Cocktail Sauce
Priced per piece.
Goose Point Oysters
1.50 ea. / Prawns 3.50 ea. / Sustainable Catch Ceviche 7.00Center Cut Alaskan Crab Leg (2 oz) 11.00
Hamachi and Ahi Sashimi with Ume Ponzu Sauce 15.00Spicy Korean Fried Chicken Wings 12.00
Kobe Beef Sliders 15.00
Hoisin Barbecue Pork Riblets 14.00
Farmer’s Market Vegetable Crudité with Ranch Dip 9.00Domestic and Imported Cheese Platter 12.00
Miniature Dessert Sampler
Chocolate Mousse with Toasted Brownie, Coconut Panna Cotta with Braised Pineapple,and Macadamia Nut Cheesecake with Guava Pate de Fruit
each served artistically in a small glass
13.00 
DISNEY AULANI RESORT IN KO'OLINA.  A HAWAII THEMED
RESORT WITH LARGE POOL WITH LAZY RIVER AND
WATER SLIDES.  
LAGOON IN FRONT OF AULANI IS GREAT FOR SWIMMING
OFF THE HOOK RESTAURANT AND BAR IS NEAR THE MAIN
POOL AND LAGOON
VIEWS OF MAIN POOL AND HOTEL FROM RESTAURANT
OUR TABLE OVERLOOKING THE POOL
REFRESHING SANGRIA ON A HOT SUMMER DAY
CHEESE PLATTER
THICK SLICED AHI AND HAMACHI SASHIMI
KOREAN STYLE CHICKEN WINGS
KOBE BEEF SLIDERS
THESE MINI BURGERS WERE GOOD
OYSTERS 

ISLAND STYLE SUMMER BBQ - DINNER AT HOME

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ISLAND STYLE SUMMER BBQDINNER AT HOME
Hosted a good friend from California to a BBQ dinner at our home.  I used the BBQ grille and Electric Smoker to cook up some Chicken and meats.  Started the evening with a Pupu Platter consisting of grilled Habanero Sausage, Mozzarella Cheese wrapped in Italian Meats and Gouda Cheese with thin pretzels.  Next up was a huge plate of fresh Hawaiian Ahi Sashimi.  Raw Tuna that melted like butter in your mouth.  Simply delicious.  Grilled up some chicken thighs on the bbq and then placed them in the smoker to keep warm.  Grilled a Rib Eye Steak and cut it into thin strips so everyone could enjoy a few bites of beef.  I had limited time and cooked the pork ribs in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes.  Then placed them in the smoker for almost three hours.  The smoker added just the right amount of smoke flavor.  I placed brown sugar, honey and spices on some Wild Sockeye Salmon and placed that in the smoker too.  Finished the meal with Asparagus cooked on the grille and some home made Cole Slaw.  Great meal served up with some really nice bottles of vino.
 ITALIAN MEATS WITH MOZZARELLA,  HABANERO
SAUSAGE AND GOUDA CHEESE ON THIN PRETZELS
FRESH HAWAIIAN AHI SASHIMI
 AHI POKE AND KIM CHEE TAKO POKE (SPICY OCTOPUS)


 JAPANESE CUCUMBER, TOMATO, ONION AND MINT SALAD


 HOME MADE COLE SLAW WITH BUTTERMILK DRESSING


 BAKED BEANS WITH ONION, BACON AND JALAPENO


 BBQ CHICKEN


 GRILLED RIB EYE STEAK


 CORN ON THE COBB


 MACARONI AND CHEESE


CHEESEBURGERS
BBQ RIBS COOKED IN SMOKER
SMOKED WILD SOCKEYE SALMON 
GRILLED ASPARAGUS WITH OLIVE OIL AND GARLIC

ROUND TABLE PIZZA - WAIKIKI

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ROUND TABLE PIZZAWAIKIKI, HAWAII
Met and couple of old friends for Pizza and Beer at Round Table Pizza in Waikiki.  Round Table is located on Kaiulani Street between Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues.  Great location just a block from Waikiki Beach.  The restaurant has a large bar and seating area indoors and limited outdoor seating that fronts Kaiulani Avenue.  We like to sit outside and watch the tourists and locals walk to and from the beach.  Nice place to bikini watch.  If you sit indoors, there are wide screens everywhere showing multiple sporting events.  We enjoyed some Buffalo Chicken Wings that were pretty meaty and coated with a nice sauce that had a bit of heat.  Ordered the Supreme Pizza.  This is hands down the best pizza in Waikiki and maybe all of Honolulu.  I love the thin crisp crust, sauce and fresh toppings.  Added some jalapenos to our pizza to kick it up a notch.  This is really good pizza and a great place to enjoy a sporting event or people watch on the patio.  Our waitress was courteous and always came by to see if we needed a refill.  The beers were cold and the pizza was delicious.  Nothing to complain about here.
ROUND TABLE PIZZA IN WAIKIKI
GREAT OUTDOOR SEATING AREA WITH STREET VIEWS
GREAT PLACE TO PEOPLE WATCH BETWEEN
KALAKAUA AND KUHIO AVENUE
GREAT PLACE TO ENJOY A COLD BEER AND PIZZA
WHILE WATCHING THE TOURISTS IN WAIKIKI

HOT WINGS WERE SPICY AND DELICIOUS
SUPREME PIZZA IS BEST PIZZA IN WA
PEPPERONI, ITALIAN SAUSAGE, LINGUICA, MUSHROOMS, GREEN PEPPERS
ONIONS, BLACK OLIVES.  WE ADDED JALAPENOS FOR SOME KICK
MAD DOG ENJOYS A COLD ONE AT ROUND TABLE

KAPOLEI GOLF COURSE

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KAPOLEI GOLF COURSEKAPOLEI, HAWAII
So lucky to live in Hawaii and enjoy the great weather and multitude of great golf courses on Oahu.Kapolei Golf Course surprised me.  Never would have thought this course would be so beautiful and enjoyable to play.  The Clubhouse, Restaurant and Pro Shop are all modern and beautiful.  I stopped by the restaurant for a quick lunch before my tee time.  The restaurant offers a variety of local dishes, fresh fish, sandwiches, steaks, salads, pasta, seafood and a complete Japanese Menu.  I ordered the Clubhouse Sandwich ($12).  Served with French Fries or a Salad.  I went with the salad and was not disappointed.  Both the sandwich and salad were delicious.  This was actually one of the best Clubhouse Sandwiches I have ever had on Oahu.  All of the ingredients tasted fresh.  
TREE LINED ENTRANCE TO KAPOLEI
PRO SHOP AND RESTAURANT
BEAUTIFUL ENTRANCE AND FACILITIES
CASCADING WATER FALL INSIDE CLUBHOUSE 
LARGE AND BEAUTIFUL CLUBHOUSE
ENTRANCE TO RESTAURANT
RESTAURANT IS LARGE, CLEAN AND MODERN AND
HAS GREAT VIEWS OF THE GOLF COURSE
CLUBHOUSE SANDWICH WAS GREAT
SANDWICH SERVED WITH FRENCH FRIES OR SALAD
FRESH INGREDIENTS: AVOCADO, CHEESE, TOMATO, TURKEY AND BACON
VIEW FROM RESTAURANT TERRACE IS SPECTACULAR
GREAT WATER FEATURES
LUCKY TO LIVE HAWAII
VIEW OF RESTAURANT FROM GOLF COURSE
MADE A FEW BALL DONATIONS INTO THE WATER