After writing about the Greek Corner not too long ago I got a few comments mentioning the Olive Tree Cafe from Alan of Maona, Nate of Hwn Pake In Okinawa and Nicolas of Aventures a Hawaii. Of course I had no choice but to check it out. There’s a lot a things I really like about this place and a few that I don’t. I’ll start with the things I didn’t like. First, the service wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t pleasant either. You order at the counter at this place. There was a small line, but when it came time for us to order the young lady that was just so friendly to everyone all of a sudden turned her switch and instantly became a bitch. Alright, maybe that’s a little harsh, but she gave off the impression that she wanted us to hurry up and order because she didn’t know us. I thought that maybe I was just over analyzing but then Ray goes, “is it just me or was she a total cunt?” Oh, how I love when my honey calls other chicks a cunt, it’s like sweet melodies to my ears. There was a tip jar at the counter and of course I wanted to take money out rather than put money in. They don’t have any to go menus and they charge you extra for petty things that should be free like, dressing or extra sauce, .96 cents, fucking greedy bastards.

We ordered the hummus for starters, $4.78. I tried making hummus once and came to the conclusion that some things just taste better when someone else makes it. I probably will never make hummus again, but I’ll eat the garbanzo beans out of it if someone else goes through the trouble of making it. I really enjoyed the hummus here. The little puddles of olive oil really added richness and flavor to every bite. The pita bread was soft and delicious, exactly the way it should be but it wasn’t homemade because Ray saw them taking it out of a bag and wondered what brand it was so we could purchase it next time we were at the grocery store. If your a huge hummus fan I also recommend the Greek Corner. They have amazing hummus along with everything else.

We also ordered Lamb Souvlaki, $10.51. My camera ran out of batteries and died before I could snap a photo but we really enjoyed it. I took a photo of their menu on the board so you guys could check it out.

Overall, I really like it here. The place is really cute and just makes you want to stay for hours and since you could bring your own wine, for a small fee, I wouldn’t mind doing so the next time I’m around. If I remember correctly they charge a very reasonable .50 cents for each glass that is needed for wine but you could bring your own wine glasses if you mind drinking out of water glasses. It didn’t look like they had any restrooms, so I would recommend doing your thing before you come here. Also, come early and guard a table because this place is known to get pretty busy. Happy dining to you!

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Olive Tree Cafe
4614 Kilauea Ave # 107
Honolulu, HI 96816

Get Directions(808) 737-0303

Oh mall food, where do I began. I’ve never been a fan of most mall food because most of the time it’s just seems as though it’s a clutter of fast food, poor in quality with really horrible service all within an overcrowded food court. Unless of course it’s a restaurant all on it’s own and, well, that’s a different story. We were turned on to Gourmet Express by a close friend of ours, who chooses to remain anonymous, Amber. She said it wasn’t really expensive, the portions were pretty big and it was surprisingly good. Also, they have vegetarian items, which is a good thing since she’s one of those people. While shopping at Kahala Mall one day Ray and I happen to stumble upon Gourmet Express and decided to give it a whirl.

It’s Christmas time at Kahala Mall so pick a seat around their festively large tree.

I didn’t mind the mall food court on this side of the mall because it didn’t give me that mall food court vibe. As you can see although all the tables are taken up there’s not a lot of hyperactive energy going on. Did I mention it was Christmas time?

Since we weren’t ridiculously hungry we decided to share something. I know I mentioned this before but I highly recommend sharing. Ray and I do it almost every time. It prevents us from overeating and allows us to try anything on the menu without worrying about how expensive it is since we save money on the extra meal we can splurge on anything we want so long as we agree on it. On this day we decided on a Quesadilla. Ray goes, “We’re gonna get a Chicken Quesadilla. Is there a difference on the Chicken or Checken.” And the lady behinds the counter goes, “Huh?” looks up at the sign and goes, “Oh, it’s just spelt wrong.” I have one word for you, Retards. They have to be. I mean if both of them were spelled, “checken,” well then that’s a different story. I spell words wrong all the time but the first one was correctly spelled so how is it that they couldn’t manage to correctly spell the second one. I mean, really it’s right there in front of them. It baffles me. This person had to be highly confused and in a moment of despair decided to play the odds game. At least this way one of them would be correct. Great, now I’m a little worried about the turnout of my food.

Here it is, Checken Pesto Quesadilla, $6.99. As you can see the presentation is pretty basic. Our quesadilla came in four cut pieces in a styrofoam container inside a plastic bag with a small side of salsa. You can see Rays arm to the side so hopefully you guys can have an idea of how nice the portions were.

The quesadillas were fully packed with chicken, cheese, pesto sauce, tomatoes and even corn. Wow, it was really good. The pesto sauce was mixed with olive oil so even though it seemed a little greasy it was the good grease. The chicken didn’t once taste fatty or too dry. I told Ray I wouldn’t question this dish the least bit if it were served at a gourmet restaurant on a fancy plate with lovely garnish and a lovely price to match. The salsa was nothing spectacular, tasted like the can stuff you get at the grocery stores.

This might not look very enticing but I opened up the last bit of my quesadilla so you guys have an idea of what’s on the inside. No surprises.

There you have it folks. I was happy, Ray was happy and we have Amber to thank for it and now you do too. Thanks Amber, now just go over there, show them which chicken is correct and everyone will be happy.

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Gourmet Express
4211 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 732-7700