Saturday, November 15, 2008

I’m hungry—let’s go shopping! Part 2

A few months ago, I blogged about some of my favorite places to find something good to eat after working up an appetite from shopping. Now I have a few more yummy finds for you!

If you’re in need of new cushions, window treatments or just something fabulous to re-cover a piece of furniture, IDS is the place to go. International Design Source is on the second floor of the Gentry Pacific Center. They have everything from sumptuous fabrics to fantastic wall coverings and draperies and even some furniture and accessories. But the main reason to go is for fabric, and lots of it. I could spend hours in there looking for just the right zebra print, faux fur, or amazing sheer for a window panel.

Just downstairs is Matters of Taste, a bistro-type café that has sandwiches, salads, specials like the fish of the day, and pastas. But my main reason for going there has to be their carrot cake. In my opinion it’s the best on the island—if you have a better suggestion, you let me know! To me, it’s not carrot cake if it doesn’t have a crunch. Theirs is moist and sweet, the carrot has great texture and the walnuts offer just the right amount of crunch, and the cream cheese frosting is to die for. It’s just over-the-top decadent!

My latest shopping-eating discovery is right opposite Kahala Mall on Waialae Avenue. I was at Honolulu Lights and came across this amazing fixture that I thought was so fun, especially after I found out the name: Confusion! It certainly does look confused, it’s fun and fanciful and definitely would make a statement in any room. This was a bit pricey, but Honolulu Lights has a wide array of affordable fixtures starting from $100—pendant lights, sconces, great accent lighting as well as task lighting.

Then a light bulb went off in my head: hey, how about some lunch! Right next door is Chin’s, where Tony Roma’s used to be. The plum tree beef was what the waiter recommended—lightly fried beef with a sweet plum sauce over it. The green tea shrimp on bamboo net looked absolutely amazing. It tasted great too, but I would have preferred it without the shells—too much effort for lunch! And finally, my favorite, the Chinese broccoli with dried baby fish. The broccoli was sautéed perfectly, with a delicate sauce, and the dried baby fish was fried and sprinkled on top to give it a nice salty crunch. Mmm-mm delicious!





OK, just looking at all these pictures is making me hungry. I guess it’s time to go shopping again! Let me know some of your favorite shopping-eating combos—I’d love to add them to my list!

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