Loving Hut | Honolulu, Hawaii

Yes, that really is the name of this place. And yes, I chuckled to myself when I first read it, thinking at the time, "They named their restaurant what?!" Being that Julie is vegetarian, though, we had to give this quaint little place a fair shot.

Overall, the food isn't bad, but it isn't spectacular either. In my opinion, they try a little too hard pushing the faux meat, instead of focusing on truly amazing vegetarian fare.

Loving Hut
1614 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 373-6465
Website

The first thing we noticed when we walked in was the "Mom and Pop" feel. The two ladies behind the counter were extremely warm and cordial.


We started with the Summer Roll ($3.50). They used yam root as a shrimp substitute, which has a strikingly similar texture to actual shrimp.


I went with their "Fabulous Phở" ($7.95). The broth was oily and light on flavor. It had just about every kind of meat substitute known to mankind. Maybe this is just me, but I'm perfectly happy with Tofu and veggies in my vegetarian phở.


Julie had the Lemon Grass Hawaiiana" ($7.95). She seemed to really enjoy it, saying that it was really tasty.


The lady who took our order talked us into trying the brownie ($5.95) for dessert. It looks pretty, but we'll probably pass on it next time.

Hale Vietnam | Honolulu, Hawaii

Last night's date night brought us back to one of our absolute favorite spots, Hale Vietnam in Kaimuki. We've eaten here so many times that we've become quite good friends with the general manager. The food is consistently delicious and keeps bringing us back. There's just something about phở and the way it nourishes both body and soul.

Hale Vietnam
1140 12th Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816-3712
(808) 735-7581

Again, apologies for the junk pictures (I forgot the camera), but here's a picture of the condiments you'll find on the table. Sriracha, the red sauce will kick any dish up several notches. In fact, it has got to be the best hot sauce ever made. EVER. The other is a sweeter hoisin sauce.


Because it's been so hot and humid here lately, wifey really wasn't in the mood for soup, so she opted for some bún instead. It's made with the same rice noodle you will find in phở, but sans broth. She ordered it topped with vegetarian rolls.


If you do end up ordering phở, served on the side is a plate full of bean sprouts, fresh basil, sliced jalapeño, and a lemon wedge.


I usually get phở gà, or chicken, but last night I was in the mood for something slightly different so I went with phở bò tái, rare steak. As you can see from this picture, the phở by itself is rather plain. That's the beauty of this dish: it's so simple, but can become very complex, depending on how you choose to garnish it.


This is how I like my phở: lots of bean sprouts covered with fresh basil. A ring of Sriracha and a drizzle of the brown hoisin sauce. You're right - I'm going need a bigger bowl...

A home cooked meal

I ended up cooking dinner at home this week in lieu of date night because wifey was sick :(
Dinner was a simple potato corn chowder, garnished here with some fresh thyme and Sriracha (what did I ever do without Sriracha?). I always crave some soup (usually a piping hot bowl of Phở) when I'm sick. Soups just seem to have this innate restorative property - the ability to heal the body and nourish the soul.