Da Two Japanee Bruddahs'
Omiyage GuideNichi Bei Times - March 2004
From time to time, readers have suggested that we compile all of our reviews of Hawai'i restaurants into a Two Japanee Bruddahs Guide Book. Dey say too hahd fo' carry around all da old Nichi Bei articles wen dey stay go Hawai'i.
Okay, it's not the Two Japanee Bruddahs, but a Honolulu company, Watermark Publishing, has issued an outstanding series of guides - "The Okazu Guide," "50 Thrifty Maui Restaurants," and "The Puka Guide" - to the best inexpensive local eateries in Hawai'i. If you goin' Hawai'i, you gotta get these books. In fact, da Two Japanee Bruddahs might have to cockaroach some tips from da books.
(You may want to turn away at this point if you don't want to be subjected to yet another shameless plug for Nikkei Traditions.) These books are very reasonably priced, from $6.95 to $8.95, and can be purchased at Nikkei Traditions San Francisco. If you can't get to Japantown, and don't mind paying for shipping, you can also purchase the books on-line, directly from Watermark Publishing (www.watermarkpublishing.net).Another interesting and useful book from Watermark, "The Omiyage Guide," lists over 40 shops and restaurants, covering all of the islands, and describing the most popular specialties of each.
Dis book wen give us one idea. Nevah mind about wot kine gifts fo' buy in Hawai'i. We goin' give you da Two Japanee Bruddahs' Omiyage Guide; da kine Bay Area gifts fo' take wit you wen you visit friends and ohana in Hawai'i.
Small kid time, wen somebody stay go mainland, dat wen mean we goin' get See's candies, usually lollypops, or maybe one box of Chinese beef jerky, da soft, sweet kine, wen dey stay come home. Fo' da uncles, da most highly coveted mainland omiyage was a six-pack of Coors beer.
Over the years, however, the Pacific Ocean has gotten a lot smaller, and now, there's not much from the Bay Area that you can't find in Hawai'i. So, we wen ask Hawai'i expatriates living in da Bay Area what kine gifts dey take back wen dey go home fo' visit friends and relatives.
Good reliable standbys include San Francisco sourdough bread and salami. Easy to find, they travel well, and you can even pick them up at the airport at the last minute. Ey, but if you take salami, make sure you buy da real San Francisco kine like Molinari or Columbus. No be lolo an' buy Oscar Mayer.
Ghirardelli chocolates used to be a popular San Francisco omiyage, but they're now widely available throughout the Islands. A good alternative is San Francisco's Joseph Schmidt chocolates. Their Mosaics and Slicks, in particular, are unique and come in beautiful gift boxes. Yeah, can buy 'em at Neiman Marcus in Ala Moana Center, but local people, dey no shop at Neiman's, so dat's okay. One tip - if you stay taking chocolates fo' omiyage, make sure you give 'em away fast, befo' dey melt inside your rental car.
Susan Haramoto says that she takes World Market Biscotti from Cost Plus World Market back to Hawai'i. I wen check out da website fo' make sure no mo' one Cost Plus in Hawai'i. According to the website, Kaneohe is 2,233 miles from their closest store, definitely qualifying Cost Plus as an omiyage resource. Their biscotti, made in the Bay Area exclusively for Cost Plus, comes in several flavors including cioccolotti, hazelnut, and triple chocolate. Big mahalo to sistah fo' da tip.
In recent years, kama'aina have discovered and fallen in love with Trader Joe's. In fact, Islanders listed Trader Joe's and Nordstrom among the new stores they would most like to see opened in Hawai'i. Maybe it's cuz of da aloha shirts da employees wear at Trader Joe's. Almost anything from TJ's is a good bet, but some of the more popular omiyage items are the various nuts, dried fruits and trail mixes, especially with health-conscious Nisei. Their candies are quite good, as well, and all of their items pack and travel very well.
We recently discovered that liquid hand soaps from Bath & Body Works, apparently not available anywhere in Hawai'i, are also extremely popular and greatly appreciated. We've heard of visiting kama'aina who take cases of these fragrant soaps back home with them to Hawai'i. But if you pack 'em inside your luggage, put 'em inside one ziploc bag in case da buggahs leak, trust us.
Finally, there is the ultimate mainland omiyage. Most kama'aina are at least familiar with the legend of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, but few have ever tried one. The first and only Krispy Kreme franchise was recently opened in Maui, but these artery cloggers are still not available on any of the other islands, including in Honolulu. Garans, Krispy Kremes goin' be one big hit, but humbug fo' carry, and even mo' hard fo' sit next to one full box fo' one five-hour flight. "Ey Auntie, we wen bring you and Uncle one box of seven Krispy Kreme doughnuts from San Francisco."
Gotta run now. All dis talk about omiyage wen make us hungry. Time fo' get some salami and Krispy Kremes.
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Keith Kamisugi and Kyle Tatsumoto are da Two Japanee Bruddahs. Visit them on the Web at www.twojapaneebruddahs.com. Or e-mail them at wot@twojapaneebruddahs.com.
