Tried this last Saturday and it's one heckuva flavorful sandwich. I was expecting braised pork belly but appreciated the texture of thinly sliced grilled pork. I wasn't too fond of the bread. Thought it was a tad dense and the crust wasn't crusty enough. Banh mi shops in VA have better bread and so does SUNDeVICH.

I've only had dinner at Woodward Table but their brunch menu looks promising. Prices seem very reasonable too.

I just spent 3 days in Honolulu and I have to say that I am envious of your move. Honestly, I don't think you'll miss many things from DC. I've eaten out a ton in my 10 years in DC and the only thing I would miss is neopolitan pizza at places like Menomale in DC or Pupatella in VA. I've been loving the influx of ramen and Japanese places in DC but Honolulu has better. Perhaps crabcakes?

Awesome French Onion soup. The broth had great depth of flavor, crouton wasn't mush and still had texture, and the cheese was plentiful, stringy, and bubbling. The lamb sandwich was a little weak but their frites are great.

Kinda bummed that you stuck with SEI and Oyamel since they weren't highly recommended. Glad to hear you enjoyed your meal at Birch and Barley. I'm a fan of all their desserts. Come back soon.

Lively atmosphere and cheap booze but I don't know about great. Their offal and specialty items are good but for grilled meats you can do better elsewhere. I think Honey Pig licensed the name from the OG restaurant in LA which I found to offer far superior meat quality.

I really enjoy how they prepare food that's familiar in flavor but prepared in non-traditional ways. Couple of my favorite dishes include their pork and brussel sprouts skewer, cod roe spaghetti, and stuffed cabbage. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that they are serving some of the most unique and inventive food in DC right now.

Trummer's on Main has a great private room with a glass wall looking into their wine cellar.

I did not. I'm 1 for 3 in my attempts to eat there. Personally, 30-40 minutes is the most I'd wait for a table.

Has there been a thread dicussing people's threshold for how long you're willing to wait?

There's always a wait at Pearl so plan for it. I've been quoted anywhere from 3-4 hrs for two people before.

Out of Taan, Toki, Daikaya, and Sakuramen I think Taan's broth best fits your description. I don't particularly have a favorite but out of sheer convenience to where I live I've had the Daikaya Shoyu ramen the most over the last couple of months.

In Honolulu I'm set for dinner with reservations already confirmed for Yakiniku Hiroshi, Alan Wong's, and Sushi Izakaya Gaku. For lunch I only have Rainbow Drive-In as a definite. I have Helena's penciled but since I won't have a car I'm open to something closer to the Marriott. Ono Hawaiian is a possibility and I will be hitting up the Saturday Farmers Market. I still need to fill out two lunches.

For Maui, I have Star Noodle, Mama's, and Merriman's as definites. Still need to make a decision on two more dinners. Just looking for anything good. For breakfast/lunch we have Gazebo and Ono Tacos on the list. I didn't realize there was a food truck scene in Maui so we might have to give it a try one day. Could use one or two more lunch recs. Thanks!

Do you think Koiso is worth the 50 minute drive from Kapalua?

Also, we weren't planning on going to a luau but saw an old thread mentioning Feast and it made me wonder if its worth going to that over a meal at Lahaina Grill or Sansei. Thoughts?

Itinerary looks pretty good. I've been to Oyamel twice and both times I was underwhelmed by the food. Was there anything in particular that you wanted to try there?

Perhaps you will consider Graffiato's take on Italian or Daikaya's ramen and izakaya fare.

I still like Taylor Gourmet salads and rice balls but I'm noticing a decline in their quality. Is it just me? I frequent the one on 5th and K and I have not enjoyed my sandwich the last three times I've went. The whole sandwich was just dry and tasted stale. Also, not a fan of their whole wheat bread. I find the meat to bread ratio to be almost 50-50 making the sandwich dry and hard to chew.

I really enjoy the Istanbul from SUNdeVICH. The ground meat is always juicy and tender and the baguette SUNdeVICH uses is great.

You can walk over to Standard or the American Ice Company. They might not serve what some consider "serious" bbq but they have good food and offer a lively vibe.

I have yet to try the newly relaunched Osteria Elisir but it may we worth a try.

I've never been but Washingtonian's Kliman had some positive words for Monty's Steakhouse.
Woodmont Grill/Houston's in Bethesda is far for you but their steaks are better than Cheesecake Factory and Mike's American Grill.

So you like dark and loud? If you're visiting within the month you can try RJ Cooper's pop up at Hogo Rum Bar. Good and inventive food. Menu on link below.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/bl...

I'm not sure how much they would charge but try calling Three Little Pigs Charcuterie & Salumi, Canales' in Eastern Market or Organic Butcher in Mclean. I've done custom orders from each place for different things and they are all accomodating.

Anyone try it "Sapparo" style with the addition of corn and butter? I've been meaning to go again but there's a line there every single night of the week.

I knew your handle was familiar. My family and friends are in NY so I make it up there once every couple of months. As much love as I have for the Momofuku brand I may have to pass on Lucky Belly since there are clones in DC as well.

After your inputs I'm going to have to reconsider my dining strategy. My only must is Alan Wong's and Star Noodle so there's room for a lot of change. Is the only way to get a reservation to Gaku and Nanzan via phone?

Google maps is giving me an estimate of an hour drive from hotel to Mama's. Hence my attempt to kill two birds with one stone. Will have to rethink and do some more researching.

Thanks so much!

I actually like the cocktails at Fiola and usually just sit at the bar for drinks and a quick bite with the wife.

You could check out Jose Andres' new place Barmini where you can get a reservation online. The other place with creative cocktails is Jaleo. I like how they us an assortment of different tonics based on the drink.

There's also The Passenger but that's a good 15 minute walk north of Fiola.

You've got the DC outpost of Boqueria for tapas. Blue Duck Tavern and Rasika West End are open till 10:30. Problem with Mondays is that restaurants are either closed or have shorter hours.

Lucky Belly looks awesome. However, the menu looks similar to Star Noodle.

DC is getting better with their Izakaya-ish fare but it's still lacking so we may have to double dip.

Awesome....We'll be in Honolulu from Thursday thru Sunday. Thanks for the Gaku and Nanzan rec. That is right up our alley.

As for Maui, we'll be in Kapalua. The only reason I have Banyan Tree on the list is because they have 50% off wines on Wednesday and we'll be staying at the Ritz. Perhaps it's not worth it and worth swapping out. It seems that Merriman's and Gerard's gets a lot of love from other chowhounds so I'll probably pencil one of them in.

We weren't planning on the doing the entire Road to Hana that's why I scheduled Mama's. Would it still be too much for one day?

Hello fellow chowhounds - My wife and I will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary with 3 days in Honolulu and 4 days in Maui. We have a tentative plan which at this point is highly flexible. I appreciate your input and recommendations.

Honolulu
Day 1 Dinner rec needed
Day 2 Lunch - Helena's Dinner - Alan Wong's
Day 3 Lunch - Rainbow Dinner - Yakiniku Hiroshi
Day 4 Fresh Catch

Maui
Day 4 Dinner rec needed
Day 5 Lunch - Gazebo Dinner - Star Noodle

Day 6 Road to Hana Mama's Fish House - way back

Day 7 Lunch rec needed Dinner - Banyan Tree
Day 8 Lunch rec needed Dinner rec needed

For your non American cuisine I'd go Ethiopian since D.C. has some great options. I would also like recommend Jaleo, Boqueria or Estadio for tapas.

BLT and Bourbon offers you better apps and sides but Capital Grille's Porcini Rubbed Delmonico is an amazing steak.