Don’t let the name fool you. If your in the mood for European food this isn’t the place for you. I think the only thing that can be considered French here is the croissant and the French bread or baguette that the sandwiches are made with. At lot of Vietnamese dinning establishments will refer to themselves as “French” this is because in 1900 Vietnam became a colony of France with the French in control of all the levels of government. That all for the fun facts lets get on with the food. I got a steamed pork sandwich. If you have never had a Vietnamese style sandwich and your totally open to trying new things, then you should definitely have one. I’ve been eating steamed pork sandwiches ever since I was a little girl. My mom use to take me to the Vietnamese sandwich shop in San Jose, California. I love them. However, they aren’t for everyone. My fiance absolutely loves sandwiches, but refuses to even try these sandwiches. He won’t even take a bite because he says he already knows he’s not gonna like it.

A very friendly China-men greeted me at the window. I don’t know if he was nice to me because I was of the same ethnic background and spoke to him in Cantonese or maybe he was physic and knew I wrote a food blog and he wanted me to give him a good review. I guess we’ll just never know.

A typical “French” (Vietnamese) sandwich will consist of cilantro, steam pork meat, sweet and sour (pickled) radishes and carrots, meat paste spread, mayonnaise, raw hot peppers and sometimes cucumber.

The sandwich cost me under $5.00. I asked for extra pickled radishes and carrots and it was given with no additional charge. Pickled radishes and carrots are used a lot in Vietnamese food. I brought my sandwich home and ate every last bite.

Among sandwiches they also have milkshakes, fresh coconut, fruit, and shaved ice. Yum. The French cafe is located in the heart of Waikiki on Kalakaua St inside the International Market Place. There’s a large food court there so if you don’t fancy yourself a “French” sandwich that’s cool, eat something eles.

Directions to French Cafe

O.k this is for all you skinny cows, I found a place that is definitely worth mentioning. It’s healthy, scrumptious and they have cute little employees – females, to serve you. The first time Ray and went to the health bar was a few weeks back after hiking Diamond Head. We had originally intended on going to Bogarts, a cute little cafe right next door, but they were way too busy. We were famished and decided on going next door to the Health Bar.

The place had an artsy island atmosphere. The menu was written on chalk board above where young, inviting employees worked. Now I didn’t say the place was cheap. Actually, I thought, as most health places are, a little overpriced. Throw organic, or health on something only means more money. I was going to order a smoothie for 5.25 but Ray notice this bowl that two girls at a near by table was munching on. It looked like a smoothie in a bowl, with stuff in it. I went over and asked them what they were eating and if it was any good. The girl’s eyes popped out of her skull as she said, “it’s the acai bowl and it’s sooo good.” Alright, I’ll have one of those. If it had the power to do that to her round little eyes just think of what it could do to my slanty wide screen vision eyes. I had to know. Da Cove Bowl is like a fruit smoothie, with acai fruit, mixed berries, banana, strawberry and granola and topped with honey for $6.50. The Mana Bowl is two dollars more, $8.50 because it has more acai fruit and includes bee pollen. Now, if your like most people your probably thinking, “what the fuck is an acai fruit? And bee pollen? No thanks, I have allergies”

I’ll start with the acai fruit. Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) is from Brazil’s Amazon rain forests and is the fruit of a palm tree. Here are some benefits of acai berries.

• Greater Energy and Stamina
• Improved Digestion
• Better Quality Sleep
• High Protein Value
• High level of Fiber
• Rich Omega Content for Your Heart
• Boosts Your Immune System
• Essential Amino Acid Complex
• Helps Regulate Cholesterol Levels
• 33x the Antioxidant Power of Red Grapes and Red Wine

Acai is also loaded with Vitamins B1, B2, B3, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Phosphorus, Calcium, Potassium, Fiber, and Proteins, all essential to your daily well being and health.

As for bee pollen, the nutrients found in Bee Pollen include polyphenols, enzymes, beneficial fatty acids, free amino acids, vitamin complexes, chelated minerals and trace elements, as well as a large array of phytonutrients. Since the nutrients in Bee Pollen are extremely concentrated even a small amount will complement any diet. Perhaps it’s worth the extra two dollars for the extra acai fruit and bee pollen.

Uhh, not when you cheap. Ray got the Da Cove Bowl, and I splurged and got the Mana Bowl. We sat outside and waited and waited and waited. I went inside to see what was taking so long. Did they forget about us? I mean, the only other people in there were the bug eyed girls. I stood in front of the counter making sure my presence would go unnoticedd. The two girls behind the counter chatted away, taking their sweet time, even stopping every so often to make hand gestures or stop in awe of what the other had to say. Hello, Blondie, and Miss Asian Persuasion, are you dense?. You throw all the ingredients into the blender and press the button. After 30 minutes of waiting we finally got our order. One word, orgasmic. I forgot to add that you get an option of chewy or crunchy granola. We both chose crunchy. Not only do they put granola atop but also there is granola at the bottom so you don’t have to worry about trying to make it last. The bee pollen has a subtle sweet taste that you probably wouldn’t even notice if you didn’t see it. This is the ideal treat for a hot day. It’s light, refreshing and healthy. The Health Bar is close to Diamond Head so after your vigorous hike you can reward yourself to a healthy treat and still feel good about it. Now if smoothies aren’t your thing they also offer other items such as, fish wrap – $9.25, veggie omelet- $8.00, fish salad – sm $10.25, lg $13.50, hummus – $8.75 and fresh squeezed juice for $6.50. $6.50? I could buy at least two cartons of juice for that much. I never said this place was cheap and they definitely don’t have supersonic service. Here’s my advice, order one Mana Bowl over the phone ahead of time and share it. One is large enough for two if your not hungry. The number is 808 732-8744, Drink water, it’s free, healthy and, thank God, self serve. If you want more information, here’s a link to their web site

Diamond Head Cove Health Bar Directions