(Photo courtesy of cyrus79.)

Each year, I blog about my favorite eateries that are close in proximity to the Kamehameha Schools campus.

Here are my favorites for 2009.

Here are my faves for 2010.

Here is my new list for 2011….
1. Helena’s. Can’t beat their short ribs pipikaula. We believe that the secret ingredient is the cook’s hair gel that rubs against the hanging meat….

2. Ethel’s Grill. Mom & pop’s. Hamburger steak has ground pork mixed w/ the ground beef. Ahh….

3. Lion’s Coffee Café. Great coffee, inexpensive sandwiches, & free wi-fi. Perfect.

4. Koi Catering. Bigger & better….

5. Kikuya Restaurant. Sushi, teishoku, udon. Mmm so good….

6. Natsunoya Tea House. Now serving bento & plate lunches to go.

7. Matsumoto’s Okazuya. (Not to be confused with the shaved ice stand in Hale’iwa.) Ono fried chicken & chow fun.

8. Alicia’s Market. Poke & crispy roast pork. Yummy in my tummy….

9. Mix Plate Café. The best pho in the area. (Where Spot’s Inn used to be.)

10. ‘Akahi. Kamehameha’s cafeteria. Still so awesome.

Click on the Yelp logo to check out some of my other reviews….

I’m updating last year’s list of my top 10 favorite places to eat near campus.

Koi is my new favorite lunch place near campus. The food is excellent, truly restaurant quality. I would compare it to a Kaka’ako Kitchen. The drawback is the parking, but all of the good eateries in Kalihi seem to have no parking. Here’s my new list….

1. Koi

2. Ethel’s Grill — a local mom & pop’s kinda place.

3. Helena’s — amazing pipikaula short ribs.

4. Kahai Street Kitchen — another place for great home cooked dishes.

5. Kikuya Restaurant — nice sushi bar.

6. Uncle’s — great seafood specials.

7. Pongo’s Kitchen — the best sesame chicken (or any kind of chicken dish) in town.

8. Golden City Restaurant — the best Chinese dinner plate that I’ve ever had.

9. Matsumoto’s Okazuya — across from Gulick Delicatessen. Ono chow fun & fried chicken.

10. ‘Akahi — gotta have our high school’s cafeteria on the list. Homestyle chicken & the Hawaiian plate! Mmm…. so good.

We usually eat out for lunch. Here are my top 10 favorite eateries in Kalihi….

1. Ethel’s Grill (ever since the closing of Kam Bowl….)

A “greasy spoon” at the very end of Kalihi Street. The food is absolutely amazing….

2. Helena’s Hawaiian Food. Pipikaula shortribs…. mmm so good!
3. Monarch Seafood. Crab cakes & deep fried poke’.
4. Han Yang. Kalbi & the sides….
5. Kikuya Restaurant. Teishoku baby….
6. Mexican Restaurant. Love the fish tacos….
7. Gulick Delicatessen.
8. Golden City Restaurant.
9. Meg’s. Opakapaka on Thursdays & Fridays w/ side order of miso soup!
10. ‘Akahi Dining Hall, Kamehameha Schools. Homestyle chicken makes me go “chee-hoo!”
Honorable Mention: Nico’s at Pier 38 & Jane’s Fountain.

I meant that the food was hot….

We celebrated Joann’s birthday at Seoul Garden Yakiniku. It’s the best Korean food that I’ve ever had. And the company was awesome too!

The only problem is the restaurant’s location. It is housed in the same building as one of the more infamous exotic nightclubs in Honolulu. You just know that as you exit the building, your pastor will be driving by…. (or perhaps your neighbor, students, mother-in-law, etc., etc., take your pick….)