Forked Up

BREAKFAST CONGEE
KOKO HEAD CAFÉ
1145-C 12th Ave.
Phone number (808) 732-8920
website kokoheadcafe.com

This dish comes with a disclaimer from the waitress, who wants to make sure you know what you’re doing — too many people at Koko Head Café order blind, we suppose. A congee is a type of Asian rice porridge, so don’t expect some kind of fancy omelet (which seems reasonable based on the menu description, as it doesn’t overtly mention “porridge”). Once you get that straightened out, the congee is just about the perfect hangover/ cold-weather food — you mix the bacon, ham, sausage, egg and croutons (which somehow stay crunchy even soaked in gruel) in the congee to create a salty, soupy mess to inhale.

GREEN PAPAYA
PHO MY LAN
1160 Maunakea St. Chinatown
Phone number (808) 528-3663

Green papaya salad is a staple at many Vietnamese restaurants, and Pho My Lan serves up its version with beef, chicken, pork (pictured) or beef jerky. The dish can be shared among friends as a starter, or eaten as an entrée. Shrimp is placed around the plate, and mint is sprinkled throughout, so you’ll get some in each bite. A hearty helping of cilantro tops the salad and adds a burst of flavor. The dressing is a bit on the spicy side and provides a nice kick.

YAKISOBA “CHIBO”
CHIBO RESTAURANT
Royal Hawaiian Center 2201 Kalakaua Ave., waikiki
Phone number (808) 922-9722
website chibohawaii.com

Eating at Chibo Restaurant will be like indulging in Japanese comfort food. That doesn’t mean, however, that Chibo is cheap. (It is in Waikiki, after all.) But what Chibo takes out of your wallet, it more than makes up for with rich and flavorful dishes like Yakisoba “Chibo.” Tossed with beef, shrimp, squid and scallops, this dish is bursting with flavors enhanced by a sweet and smokey teriyaki sauce. P.S. The restaurant also specializes in teppanyaki cooking, so if you want to combine food with entertainment, request to sit at the counter. Otherwise, booths located in the back will cater to those looking for a more intimate ambiance.

OHAGI
GAZEN
2840 Kapiolani Blvd., Honolulu
Phone number (808) 737-0230

We’ll be the first to admit that Ohagi is an acquired taste. Two scoops of sweet rice, cooked into a glutinous, not exactly mochi-like consistency doesn’t exactly sound like a dessert, after all. And Gazen’s take on the dish isn’t quite like the traditional recipe, which normally sees that rice ball rolled in azuki paste. But when you have a scoop of green tea (or vanilla or azuki bean) ice cream to mix with every bite, there’s no dessert more comforting. It’s just filling enough that sharing might be better, even if you’ll want to hoard every single bite.