• scparks on July 07, 2025

  Easy Char Siu pg 286 Having lived in Hawaii for a decade and I miss island flavors. The easy Char siu is well flavored. I did not use red food dye. I used a pork tenderloin not pork butt mainly because I had one ibn the refrigerator and decided to do this insyead. 1. Top shelf made it hard to baste. The outside did not have that nice stickiness. 2. The tenderloing did not need to roast as long as the recipe calls for but it was still flavorful and tasty. In high school MANY moons ago, I was kitchen help for 4 yrs in a Chinese restaurant and their chair siu (called BBQ pork in those days on the mainland) was the best and became the standard for me and all the well-travelled people who drove for miles to load up on the creation. Next time I will use pork butt, drop the rack a notch to make basting easier. At home, I used to hang the porkwith metal drapery hooks on the oven rack. Might be worth buying a box. Still looking for great Char Siu Pork in my current town.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Kim chee dip

  • EmilyR on March 30, 2021

    I love how the book says to serve this with wontons, crackers, or any of the 'itos' (Cool Ranch Doritos, Tostitos, Fritos). I opted for the cool ranch doritos and while this is rich, it melds perfectly with the kimchi.

  • bernalgirl on June 06, 2022

    This may not look like much but the flavors are good together, and especially good with celery, radish, and cucumbers. I increased the Parmesan, which contributes to the overall umami. The toppings are a must, especially the fried garlic.

• Kamaboko dip

  • bernalgirl on July 05, 2022

    This is an easy, tasty, and very rich dip. We had it with tortilla chips but I think it would be great with celery and radishes

• Pipikaula

  • bernalgirl on December 30, 2022

    This is so easy and it’s a tasty addition to a pupu spread or a rice bowl, and can be enjoyed as a protein-packed snack.

• Kudeesh sauce

  • bernalgirl on December 30, 2022

    I made this as part of the Pipikaula (beef jerky) recipe and am glad I have leftovers — this is a great hot sauce. I opted to make it with Thai Birds Eye chiles along with the more mild Korean green peppers, which was about the right balance of heat for my family. Next time I’ll make with all one color chile to avoid that muddy color.

• Hurricane popcorn

  • EmilyR on April 13, 2021

    One of my favorite restaurants severed a similar hurricane popcorn back in the day. Be cautious that you don't burn the arare crackers as they also toast up... or just add them after the mixing.

• Crispy gau gee with shoyu mustard

  • IvyManning on May 15, 2022

    We love these, esp with the Chinese mustard-soy dipping sauce. The recipe works great with shrimp only (porkless).

• Spam musubi

  • EmilyR on April 13, 2021

    We have made these several times as they are so portable for picnics or lunches away. The salty, sweet, sushi-esque rice and seaweed are very good, but filling.

  • pattyatbryce on June 16, 2022

    Loved this on day 1. Didn't love day 2. I am ok on the spam (for the first time ever), but sometimes I feel seaweed is a bit much.

  • JTelcontar on August 23, 2022

    Recipe appears to be available online here: https://www.today.com/recipes/sheldon-simeon-s-spam-musubi-recipe-t220100

  • JTelcontar on August 28, 2022

    Used regular spam (not low sodium) and instead used low sodium Kikkoman for the shoyu. Worked perfectly and the flavor was amazing! Definitely recommend getting a musubi mold-- it was SO much easier than I imagine it would have been trying to use the spam can. Would 100% make these again and again.

  • Ishie1013 on July 12, 2024

    This was pleasant despite me being a person who is fairly skeptical of spam. The tips the author gives were excellent. I used the spam can, as suggested, as the mold, since I did not have musubi molds lying around my house. I also went with the recipe's suggestion of the 25% lower sodium spam. I highly recommend doing this as this dish, even with the low sodium spam is SALTY. You're soaking lunchmeat in soy sauce, wrapping it in seaweed, and generally using also salty sweet sushi rice. It does make for nice hearty snack.

  • dmdmdmmm on February 14, 2026

    Honestly one of the best snacks and ways to use up spam. The caramelizing technique is such a nice way to get more flavor to it!

  • eclairea on February 21, 2026

    Yum yum, finally busted out my musubi mold to make this! It was fun to make and fun to eat and I’m already excited to do it again!

  • JimCampbell on February 23, 2026

    A 3.5 out of 5. The spam musubi was tasty. As previous reviews have noted, it can seem salty, and consider using a low-sodium soy sauce. We did not have a low-sodium spam as called for, which may have contributed to the saltiness. Having said all that, spam musubi is generally salty. We would add a little more sugar only because we like a little sweeter sauce on our spam musubi. We used Cal Rose rice, which worked fine. We would add another 1/4 of water to the rice cooker to soften the rice a bit more. We will be making this recipe again.

• Pan sushi dynamite

  • EmilyR on April 13, 2021

    My sauce didn't thicken up quite like photographed in the book, but the flavors are all there. A half portion was plenty for 2 with left overs. I've since made this again and opted to make the sauce in the microwave, which may have thickened it slightly too much. Definitely halve the recipe unless you are feeding a crowd.

  • bernalgirl on June 06, 2022

    This is such a crowd-pleaser! There’s so much good flavor going on with the fish mixture, and while his sushi rice mixture seemed sweet, it was perfect in the finished dish. I used sriracha rather than sambal olek for the smooth texture — and next time I’d double the amount. I also held off a bit on the mayonnaise in the fish mixture and topped the finished dish with sriracha mayo. My last change was as to use both tobiko and ikura because my Little adores it, and we all enjoyed the pops of texture the combination provided.

  • JTelcontar on August 23, 2022

    Made the recipe as written, though we only sliced avocado for individual servings rather than topping the whole dish (2 people = leftovers!). I used canned salmon, which was delicious and a lot cheaper since it is a pantry staple. We ended up just eating with spoons in a bowl, rather than using nori sheets (this was more lazy factor than anything). Leftovers were delicious with some additional fresh avocado the next day. Would 100% make this again and we likely will soon, after we try some of the other recipes.

  • snoozermoose on September 05, 2022

    I was skeptical but this turned out delicious, even using canned salmon. Even my mayo-hating husband enjoyed it. I reduced the mayo to 2/3 cup, but I think next time I'll reduce it even more to 1/2 cup, as there was quite a bit of mayo. It's very rich and decadent--a little goes a long way.

  • Lsblackburn1 on September 25, 2022

    Loved this! Happy I took the suggestion to reduce the mayo- used Kewpie. I served the sauce, green onions and avocado on the side because I knew we’d have leftovers.

  • anya_sf on March 23, 2023

    My family thought this was awesome. 3/4 c mayo was plenty - could use slightly less. I used fresh salmon and whitefish roe (rather pricey, but what I could find without a special trip). The salmon cooked through under the broiler (fine with us). Sadly, the roe got lost in the mix, so I won't splurge on that again for this. Topped with avocado and maybe half the sweet sauce (seemed like enough), leftovers were still good the next day even though the avocado discolored slightly.

  • ezwriternc on August 12, 2023

    Made this last night and it was a hit. It makes a heck of a lot for a 9x9 pan. Mine was filled to the brim. I didn’t have any fish roe and it wasn’t missed. I made this for 6 people and we only ate half. I also served Vietnamese spring rolls with peanut sauce from half baked harvest so we had a little variety. All good.

  • IvyManning on September 11, 2023

    I’ve made this several times. IMHO it’s too much mayo and the soy sauce mixture is good, but it’s very sweet, so I end up using only half.

  • cheezacooks on August 19, 2024

    Have made this a few times, I usually just have the sushinoko powder for the sushi rice, since it saves time and makes it so that the rice isn't super wet. Versatile recipe that can edited to fit what you want and have on hand. Used a full onion once which is kind of a lot, so would say stick with half onion.

  • ozzzzzz22 on January 20, 2025

    Really great recipe. I accidentally grabbed nori that had a thin coating of wasabi powder, which gave everything a little kick, and which honestly I would do again if I could find it. One other note for when buying nori - the packages often contain fewer sheets than you'd guess so either confirm the amount or buy more than you think you need. I bought what looked like a decently full package and it ended up containing 9 little squares. I used half the mayonnaise (kewpie) as others suggested and I can't imagine that using more would've made it any better (it likely would've made it too mayonnaise-y). I also subbed canned smoked mackerel for the canned salmon and it was great. Didn't have Thai sweet chili sauce so I used a bit of hoisin instead for sweetness. The recipe for the sweet soy glaze you drizzle over the top makes a lot and if you use it all it kind of smothers everything (unless maybe you use a big pan with more surface area?). I'd probably make a bit less next time.

  • aimeekitty on March 26, 2025

    LOVE THIS.

• Sweet soy glaze

  • EmilyR on March 30, 2021

    My glaze didn't appear as thick as in the book, which may have just needed more time to cook. It's gentle salty sweetness on the avocados and sushi are nice.

• Hawaiian-style 'ahi poke

  • bernalgirl on November 18, 2022

    A great tuna poke that I also make regularly with shredded surimi for a cheap and quick option.

• Shoyu 'ahi poke

  • JoanN on May 28, 2022

    Absolutely delicious. Used chipotle chile powder instead of the kochugaru which I couldn't find locally and topped with his recipe for furikake with his addition of "dime bag" ingredients. The furikake was also a winner; so much better than the stuff in shaker bottles. Made the Wok-Fried Poke with some of the leftovers and liked that almost as much. In fact, made a note to be sure to make enough to have leftovers so I can have this in the next day or two.

  • SheilaS on May 06, 2023

    This was delicious. I served it over rice with pickled vegetables.

  • CurtisL on May 10, 2023

    4/4 Good with substitution of Cobanero flakes instead for Korean chili flakes.

  • selena__rhea on September 07, 2024

    Perfect recipe!

• Spicy mayo poke

  • eclairea on April 15, 2026

    Used salmon instead of tuna since that’s what I had on hand (and what I prefer!), and added what I had on hand, including some pickled radish, green onions, and cucumber. Delightful!

• Wasabi poke

  • SheilaS on May 06, 2023

    I made this is albacore instead of 'ahi tuna and served over sushi rice with pickled vegetables. Kind of like deconstructed sushi! I also used the leftovers to make the wok fried poke and it was great as well.

• Sardine pupu

  • Rinshin on April 11, 2021

    The ingredients esp soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, kochugaru, lemon oil and sweet onion slices really make simple canned sardines a surprise treat. The ingredients tame the taste of sardines and make for nice topping to simple cooked white rice. Used cooked white rice with some scattering of arugula (shiso leaves will be wonderful here but not available now) and this recipe.

  • mjes on May 23, 2021

    I turned to this recipe as part of my use up dozens of cans of fish effort - trying it as an evening snack. I halved the recipe, actually made and aged the Lemon olive oil but cheated and didn't make the Basic chili water a day ahead. But this is a recipe well worth sharing with company with either a rustic bread or with rice.

  • bernalgirl on July 14, 2022

    This is an easy lunch or light dinner, the flavors and textures lift the humble sardine to favorites status. While the book’s chile water is a perfect match, the Thai table condiment Nam pla prik would also work. I enjoyed this with steamed rice. Quick and easily halved. Excellent with Coconut collard salad from Food52 Simply Genius.

  • damongreen on February 05, 2023

    This recipe was an absolute flavor bomb. Took Sheldon's advice and served it with white rice. Loved it.

  • Acarroll on June 23, 2023

    Flavor bomb indeed. The sardines were much less intimidating than I thought they would be, and the Simeon-style chile broth was a revelation.

  • anya_sf on October 18, 2025

    As others have said, 1/2 recipe made a delicious, easy, dinner for one, served over rice. My sardines were canned with preserved lemon, so I skipped the lemon oil. Cucumbers were great on the side. I just made the chili pepper water a few hours ahead (using serrano), but it still added good flavor.

• Miso tako

  • bernalgirl on October 10, 2022

    I used pre-cooked octopus from Costco, which has a nice flavor and texture. Everyone at the table enjoyed this but agree that the peanut butter overwhelms the other ingredients. I’m unlikely to make it again

• Blistered shishitos with furikake ranch and crispy quinoa

  • bernalgirl on August 19, 2023

    The odd meh from this cookbook. We love blistered shishitos and the fried quinoa adds a welcome crunch, but the furikake ranch didn’t appeal, probably because bottled ranch has a nasty mouthfeel and tastes mostly of salt and powdered onion. I’d try this again with homemade ranch dressing or with the powdered mix and real dairy.

• Shoyu sugar steak

  • bernalgirl on June 12, 2022

    This is an easy and delicious steak preparation, although I halved the sugar and would modify the grilling approach next time to get the desired crust. I had 1-inch ribeyes, and by the time they’d spent 20 minutes on indirect heat, we could either give them a good sear and have them overdone, or give up on the crust, which we did. Next time I’d reduce the time on indirect heat and get that final sear.

  • Ishie1013 on April 29, 2025

    The flavor on the sauce is incredible, but the chuck steaks still came up pretty tough. I would do this with something like a ribeye or strip.

• Local-style kalbi

  • bernalgirl on August 19, 2023

    My family loved this! I cut the sugar by 1/3 and marinated for 36 hours, which made for an easy dinner on the grill. It definitely needs some acid to cut the sweet-salty-richness, kimchi would be perfect, for this dinner I made the lomi tomato salad from the Tin Roof Pork Belly recipe (same book) which was also nice.

  • cheezacooks on August 30, 2023

    Cooked just like recipe and marinated for 3 days. Sometimes kalbi can be a tough cut, but the meat was so nice and tender after this recipe. Paired it with the bottom of the plate lunch salad from the same book and some Hawaiian Zuke takuwan for an excellent dinner

• Chicken bar-b-que

  • bernalgirl on June 05, 2022

    This recipe actually calls for several hours of marinating but my prep was delayed and I couldn’t get skin-on boneless thighs and it was still delicious! The turmeric adds a beautiful color and more earthy flavor. I reduced the amount of sugar by half, next time I think I’d use 3/4 cup sugar to one cup soy. This is destined to be a favorite and I am looking forward to trying the braised variation.

  • KaraCooks on June 30, 2022

    I marinated for the day and made it exact recipe and this was so damn delish!

  • Rinshin on July 05, 2022

    I am not sure what the powder form of rub made much difference in taste except possibly giving deeper color. The overall taste of this teriyaki marinade was what I expect from Hawaii style which to me is sweeter. It should work well with beef and pork.

  • ezwriternc on July 24, 2023

    My first recipe from this book and it was a home run. One cup of sugar is a lot but the result was a great plate of chicken.

  • christinezac on August 25, 2024

    Delicious! Be careful with BBQ heat as the sugar causes flaming

• Huli huli chicken

  • bernalgirl on June 11, 2022

    I loved the rice koji marinade and the basting sauce added good flavor but the fully reduced sauce with cornstarch was a bit gluey and cloyingly sweet. A squeeze of lemon helped but not enough to bother saving the leftovers. A rare miss from this cookbook.

  • aimeekitty on March 26, 2025

    the chicken is very tender. I feel like the flavor could be more intense? Everyone liked it though.

  • dmdmdmmm on February 14, 2026

    This was alright. It reminds me of roast chicken dinners I grew up with. Salty, sweet but the chicken was nice and tender

• Pork belly dinakdakan

  • bernalgirl on September 28, 2022

    Absolutely outstanding! Very rich and multilayered, a perfect use for summer shishito peppers. I made a half recipe, marinated the pork belly for five hours, and halved the mayonnaise — I love the way it tempers the vinegary sauce.

• Garlic shrimp

  • dmdmdmmm on February 14, 2026

    It’s so easy and quick to put together, great for a weekday meal. Also it’s very tasty!

• Tin Roof pork belly

  • ezwriternc on September 05, 2023

    This was not for me. I could have over cooked it so I would love to hear if others enjoyed it. I think the deep frying just made my meet too tough and dry. it didn’t have much flavor. Even so, my son and his friend enjoyed the dish. Not me.

  • dmdmdmmm on February 14, 2026

    Nothing special abt this but I do like the flavors!

• Tomato-onion lomi (Pinoy de gallo)

  • bernalgirl on August 19, 2023

    Another great summer tomato sauce/salad, this one is excellent with rich grilled meats. I made it to go with the Local-style Kalbi and enjoyed the acidity it delivered to counter the fatty, flavorful short ribs.

• Chop steak

  • Kduncan on February 03, 2022

    Made this with the Garlic Fried Noodles. It was fine, but for the amount of prep time, wasn't worth the effort.

  • bernalgirl on December 06, 2022

    I picked up a 2-lb. end piece of sirloin at my local butcher and selected this recipe because this cookbook never fails me. Another winner here! In this recipe the whole piece is seared, then chilled, resulting in beautifully rare and very flavorful slices of steak. The only change I made was to remove the sliced steak from the pan after 2” per the recipe, allowing the onions to continue to cook on low while I prepared the rest of dinner: noodles lightly dressed with sesame oil, and the ginger scallion sauce and salt-pickled cabbage (koko) from this book. The recipe may read fiddly but it cames together easily and I could prepare the sauce and noodles while the meat chilled. I’ll be making this dinner again!

• Mochiko fried chicken

  • jenburkholder on January 01, 2024

    Oh MAN was this good. There's a family tradition of fried chicken on Christmas Eve, and since one of us had to go gluten-free years ago we no longer can do the easy KFC route. This was an outstanding fried chicken, well worth the (small) effort of boning thighs in order to have them skin-on. Used regular rice flour in place of wheat flour. We halved the sugar in the Su-Miso sauce and thought it plenty sweet for our palates. Pure Christmas laziness led us to skip any of the crunchy toppings and we just had it with Korean rice, the sauces, and a veg side. Would absolutely repeat.

  • aimeekitty on March 26, 2025

    This is SO GOOD. It's a bit of effort but it's WORTH IT.

  • dmdmdmmm on February 14, 2026

    Every NEEEEDS to make this. All the sauces are a MUST to make. I love it and it’s honestly one of the best chicken dishes I’ve ever had/made

  • amanda_nhydji on February 26, 2026

    Instant favorite. So worth the effort

  • john_prym0u on April 12, 2026

    This bowl is absolutely delicious! There are a lot of components, but it is definitely worth it. It has quickly become a family favorite.

• Kochujang aioli

  • dmdmdmmm on February 14, 2026

    Made it for the mochiko chicken. It’s VERY GOOD!

• Su-miso sauce

  • dmdmdmmm on February 14, 2026

    Made it for the mochiko chicken. It’s VERY GOOD!

• Crispy pata

  • dmdmdmmm on February 14, 2026

    My first ever attempt at making crispy pata and it did not disappoint! My fear is that it would be overly salty or tough but it wasnt. The fam loved it.

• Nori chicken

  • meggan on April 08, 2021

    Yuck. I ended up with grayish colored chicken with some gross breading. I followed the directions exactly.

  • Ishie1013 on August 18, 2024

    I'm kind of with meggan on this one. The coloring was weird, and the chicken pieces as described (2" x 1"? really?) were very time consuming to wrap in the nori and I wound up with kind of bland gray colored popcorn chicken. It was certainly edible, and even enjoyable when dipped in Carolina Gold BBQ sauce, but was also beaten out in taste by a McNugget, which is never good. Not sure why this recipe was a dud. The three others from this book (spam musubi, coconut shrimp, pork belly adobo) were all fantastic.

• Eggplant "Jun boy"

  • EmilyR on May 07, 2021

    This dish might not be the most attractive, but it is very good. Definitely make the dipping sauce to pair with it.

• Crispy black bean butterfish

  • JoanN on May 09, 2022

    Loved this. Used gai lan instead of baby bok choy. Would cut back on the sugar in the bean sauce next time. Would also halve the recipe for the sauce if making for only one. Served with the Fried Garlic Noodles. Also terrific.

  • rmardel on July 13, 2022

    This was fabulous. I cut back on sugar per JoanN's recommendation and this was just perfect.

  • bernalgirl on September 19, 2022

    I’ve been unable to get black cod so I finally made this with Pacific red snapper, and it’s delicious!! That sauce is wonderful and it all comes together so easily. The one change I’d make is to reduce the corn starch to 1 t as it became more gloppy in consistency, though still absolutely delicious 8/2025 Update: this recipe is spectacular with fresh black cod and half the corn starch.

  • SheilaS on May 25, 2023

    I made this with rockfish instead of black cod and it was delicious. The black bean sauce is different from others I've made that come together in the wok, but it's a variation that can easily be made ahead and reheated. The first time I made this, I pan-fried the fish per the recipe but the second time, I broiled it to minimize stove spatter. Worked fine.

  • ezwriternc on August 16, 2023

    I made this with mahi mahi. It makes a lot of sauce. Next time I’ll braise the fish in the sauce with the book Choi rather than mark everything separately. The sauce is outstanding and ver versatile. Served over rice.

  • gbaj on February 19, 2024

    Super delicious. Next time I'd just go with whatever cheap white fish I can find instead of paying for black cod. The sauce is really the start of the show and the fish is fried anyway.

  • IvyManning on October 10, 2024

    Suprised how much more delicious homemade black bean sauce is compared to the jarred stuff! The recipe makes enough to freeze some for later. Another great recipe by Chef Simeon!

  • jenburkholder on February 19, 2025

    Quite nice, used black cod and really enjoyed it but agree that you could use other fish with great success (son suggested salmon, his fave). Lots of extra sauce which may just get tossed into a stir-fry as it seems very versatile. I also reduced sugar and would do that again.

• Cauliflower katsu curry

  • meggan on December 04, 2021

    I am not sure why slabs of cauliflower are recommended. They didn’t cook through that well. Instead we ended up deep frying florets which my daughter loved.

• Coconut shrimp

  • Ishie1013 on July 12, 2024

    Delicious. Love the mochiko flour to coat the shrimp. In a positive way, it gives the faint vibe of a highly elevated walnut honey shrimp from Panda Express but with a considerably better flavor. I lazied out on creating the coconut candy and just sprinkled sweetened coconut on the top. But the combo of rice flour and club soda was perfect!

• Ginger-scallion relish

  • bernalgirl on December 06, 2022

    I love every recipe I’ve tried to make this sauce, and this is the best in terms of clear instruction and ease of preparation. Absolutely delicious! Great on a noodle bowl with the chop steak in this cookbook, or anything really.

• Portuguese bean soup

  • anya_sf on August 11, 2023

    Good, hearty soup. I used less meat and more vegetables (carrot and cabbage). We had some right away and also 2 hours later as recommended, and the flavor noticeably improved upon sitting, so definitely make this ahead if you can.

• Chicken papaya

  • bernalgirl on June 30, 2022

    This is great comfort food! It’s warming and gentle without being boring, perfect for someone under the weather, as he suggests, or for a chilly evening. I used marrow squash in place of chayote, and arugula in place of watercress (as suggested). This is a welcome addition to my chicken soup repertoire!

• Local-style beef stew

  • dmdmdmmm on February 14, 2026

    This book doesnt miss I swear. This was great! It’s very much like a local kaldereta recipe and it’s very meaty, and flavorful and so tender. Loved it!

• Sweet sour spareribs

  • jctomas on April 28, 2021

    Super sweet and for me, unpleasant. Worth adjusting the sugar right down and balancing out the vinegar ratio. I would normally do this anyway but thought to try it out exactly at first.

• Haupia with passion fruit curd

  • EmilyR on April 13, 2021

    My haupia was a bit sorry. Definitely not sliceable. I used aarowroot powder and that might have been too finicky. The passion fruit curd is a dream though. Passion fruit is one of my favorite flavors and surprisingly this was the first time I've ever made a curd with it, but it won't be the last!

• Roof lemons

  • EmilyR on April 13, 2021

    Can't sing enough praises for the magic of time and lemons. A little goes a long way, but I want to add them to everything.

• Tropics Oriental dressing

  • Kinhawaii on August 28, 2021

    We liked this dressing. I am not a bottled dressing fan so never used a lot of the original Tropics dressing. I am always looking for different dressings though. This reminded me of French salad dressing. We did add more sugar for our taste- will definitely make this again.

• Pork belly adobo

  • Kduncan on February 03, 2022

    We really enjoyed this dish, and it wasn't much harder then a stir fry to make. Will definitely be making this again.

  • bernalgirl on July 07, 2022

    This is a delicious adobo sauce! All pork belly seemed too rich so I added a pound of diced pork shoulder and it was perfect. I browned the pork belly first, then the pork shoulder, keeping them separate. I braised the pork shoulder for 20 minutes before adding the pork belly based on the texture he suggested for the pork belly, and there was plenty of sauce and it came out beautifully. There was a LOT of oil after browning all that meat, so I drained off all but a few tablespoonful. Great with white rice and those cherry tomatoes.

  • meginyeg on March 31, 2026

    This was good. We will make it again.

  • dmdmdmmm on February 14, 2026

    I have made this dish so many times it is legit my go-to adobo recipe. And i’m filipino!!! I love it! The best adobo

  • Ishie1013 on July 12, 2024

    I made this for my boyfriend, and we both scarfed it up, very much enjoying it. I brought home leftovers and my roommate liked it so much that she requested I make it again this week, which I did, and it was just as good. The cold tomatoes with the hot pork belly feel like it will make a strange combination, but the two really complement each other. I used standard cherry tomatoes the last time and mixed color snacking tomatoes this time, with equally great effect. Used leftover sushi rice as the base.

• Fried garlic noodles

  • Kduncan on February 03, 2022

    We weren't a huge fan of this, until we microwaved this for leftovers the day after. The texture was just off. Overall it is weird it was better the next day.

  • JoanN on May 09, 2022

    Liked this a great deal. Used fresh frozen ramen noodles and made my own dashi powder from kombu and bonito flakes. Made half a recipe. Would definitely make again with the addition of a stir-fried protein or vegetables as he recommends to make it a main dish.

  • bernalgirl on October 10, 2022

    Delicious in spite of using a dried Chinese noodle that didn’t hold up to tossing with the sauce. Next time I’d combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, dashi powder, and a bit of sesame oil to drizzle over before tossing.

• Condensed milk cheesecake with Ovaltine crust

  • Kinhawaii on May 14, 2022

    Ok. I made it in an 8 inch pan but I think I maybe should have packed down the crumbs for the crust, but even though I did add less butter, I think there was way too much butter. I also realized I don’t like Ovaltine all that much so ended up dusting it with cocoa powder to offset the sweetness. The cheesecake part was light but on the sweet side.

• Pancit

  • JoanN on May 28, 2022

    Another winner from this book. Don't understand why the book itself only gets three stars. I've made 7 recipes so far and have been very pleased, sometimes thrilled, with all of them. I used annatto paste instead of powder because it was what I had on hand and probably only about ? the amount of noodles (fresh ramen noodles instead of fresh chow mien noodles) which I thought was plenty and made for a more vegetable-centric dish rather than what is traditionally a noodle dish with some protein and vegetables. Suited me just fine and will make it that way again. The sauce was so good, I was spooning up the last drops.

  • bernalgirl on June 02, 2022

    This takes some time to prep but comes together easily and the flavors are outstanding. I did not add tomato, but did add a few Korean king peppers that needed using. I also staged the stir frying, in order to maintain heat in my wok. I started with the garlic and pork, let it get a little crispy and removed it to a casserole dish, retaining the oil. Then I stir fried the vegetables, removed them, and then the chicken, and finally the shrimp. I let everything get a little char. Then I combined everything with the sauce and noodles. The fried garlic and a wedge of lemon are a must, along with sriracha.

  • KathyCookinginSeattle on July 31, 2022

    This was absolutely delicious. It makes a lot of food! Would be great when you’re having a lot of people over or if you want leftovers. I follow the recipe exactly except for I couldn’t find ground annatto so I subbed in paprika and it worked great. I served it with garlic chips/fried garlic and chili pepper flakes instead of hot sauce. I will make this recipe again and again. It also lends itself to subbing in whatever protein or vegetables you like or happen to have on hand.

  • dmdmdmmm on February 14, 2026

    I would usually prefer a thinner noodle pansit but this recipe is great! If you wanna learn how to make pansit thats identical to what we have in the Philippines, this recipe is spot on

• Fried garlic

  • bernalgirl on June 02, 2022

    While this takes some time it is totally worth it, following the very clear directions yields a perfectly crunchy and pleasantly garlicky topping.

• Microwave fried garlic

  • bernalgirl on June 06, 2022

    Now having made both fried garlics, I’m convinced I must always have this on hand. This version is quicker, but requires more hands-on attention so choose your poison.

• Sweet-and-sour roasted beet mui

  • bernalgirl on June 11, 2022

    What I made was more inspired by this recipe, but my family and guests loved it and I’d make it again. I marinated the beets as directed in this delicious vinaigrette, and served them over baby arugula with a ball of burrata on top, then the furikake and crumbled chips. I didn’t have Funyuns, so I used Seaweed-flavor Orion Turtle chips from Korea. It was absolutely delicious. The furikake with the beets is inspired.

• Li hing mui vinaigrette

  • bernalgirl on June 11, 2022

    A zesty and complex vinaigrette, perfect with beets and probably also with avocado or citrus. It’s a gorgeous deep color as well.

• Hurricane elote

  • bernalgirl on June 12, 2022

    The sauce is delicious and evocative of elote, but lacking in acidity, so I increased the citrus. I didn’t have time to crumble nori and arare, so I used a furikake with puffed rice crunchies and overall these add-ons reminded me of a Korean corn dog, which is neither bad nor especially addictive. I think I’d make the sauce again, but not all the add-ons.

• Tropical friuit bread

  • Lsblackburn1 on June 15, 2022

    Could not find guava, so used banana and mango only - dominant flavor was banana. The crumble on top was the best part. Overflowed pan while baking so definitely put a sheetpan under it next time!

  • anya_sf on September 09, 2022

    The title of this recipe is misspelled - should be Tropical fruit bread

  • anya_sf on September 10, 2022

    Instead of guava, I used more mango. My mango was pureed, not mashed - not sure if that affected the texture. Baked 70 min (toothpick came out clean and top was firm to the touch), the top of the bread sank upon cooling and there was a slight gummy layer at the bottom. The overall texture was still very pleasant though: moist, not wet. The crumble was a nice touch and I would consider adding coconut to the batter as well. My bread didn't overflow but did come close.

  • aimeekitty on March 26, 2025

    Really enjoyed it. The coconut topping was great. Couldn't really taste the mango though, I think I'd just add more banana.

• Kim chee peanuts

  • pattyatbryce on June 16, 2022

    Very good, and that salad is a wow!

  • anya_sf on May 20, 2025

    Yummy. I had to use lightly roasted peanuts (couldn't find raw), which still worked with the shorter baking time.

  • jenburkholder on December 05, 2024

    Very good!

• Charred carrots with mac nut dukkah and limu verde

  • pattyatbryce on June 16, 2022

    In honesty, I skipped the limu verde for time. But that sukkah!!! Miso on charred veg is great.

• Easy char siu

  • pattyatbryce on June 16, 2022

    So easy and good!

  • bernalgirl on July 07, 2022

    Easy and absolutely delicious! Ive enjoyed in fried rice and on ramen as well as in stir-fries and with plain white rice and stir-fried greens -- so glad to have this recipe to come back to!

  • scparks on July 07, 2025

    pg 286 Having lived in Hawaii for a decade, I miss island flavors. The easy Char siu is well flavored. I did not use red food dye. I used a pork tenderloin not pork butt mainly because I had one ibn the refrigerator and decided to do this instead. 1. Top shelf made it hard to baste, so the outside did not have that nice stickiness. 2. The tenderloin did not need to roast as long as the recipe calls for but it was still flavorful and tasty. In high school MANY moons ago, I was kitchen help for 4 yrs in a Chinese restaurant and their chair siu (called BBQ pork in those days on the mainland) was the best and became the standard for me and all the well-travelled people who drove for miles to load up on the creation. Next time I will use pork butt, drop the rack a notch to make basting easier. At home, I used to hang the porkwith metal drapery hooks on the oven rack. Might be worth buying a box! Still looking for great Char Siu Pork in my current town.

• Saimin

  • pattyatbryce on June 16, 2022

    A little too strong a broth, but when watered back down it was terrific. And make the Char Siu!

• Lahaina fried soup (Fat chow fun)

  • pattyatbryce on June 17, 2022

    Really good! Making the noodles is very easy and the rest of the dish whips up quickly. I used Portuguese Sausage from the same book in place of the pork and char siu. A keeper!

• Lomi salmon

  • bernalgirl on June 22, 2022

    I’ve never liked this dish in Hawai’i the recipe received good reviews on the Food52 cookbook club so it was a good no-cook option on a hot night. I followed the recipe and I LOVED it. We ate it with tortilla chips along with shrimp ceviche (in case I hated it) and a salad. My daughter and dad balked at salt-cured salmon so I flash cooked half the salmon in a hot wok and divided the tomato mixture. They loved it cooked. A keeper.

  • rmardel on June 27, 2022

    I've never had Lomi Salmon, but faced with a beautiful piece of salmon on an overwhelmingly hot summer day, it seemed time. I loved this dish! The salt massage and rest in the fridge firmed the flesh of the salmon just enough that it was toothsome, bright and fresh, and the combination of sweet onions and tomatoes enhanced the brightness, and the sense of coolness. I served the salmon on a bed of sliced avocado with some plain rice (tamaki haiga) on the side. This proved to be a very satisfying combination of soft and comforting flavors and textures. Will repeat.

• Breakfast fried rice

  • bernalgirl on June 22, 2022

    This recipe combines a few techniques for fried rice in an extremely pleasing way. I love the chopped egg against the richness of the egg-coated rice and the various meats and oyster sauce provide an umami bomb. Yes, I’ll make this again.

  • aimeekitty on March 26, 2025

    We enjoyed it! I wouldn't say it's drastically different or amazing compared to what I normally make but it's definitely a good recipe!

  • dmdmdmmm on February 14, 2026

    It’s not different from fried rice i usually make but this is a great recipe!

• Salt-pickled cabbage (Koko)

  • bernalgirl on December 06, 2022

    A wonderfully crunchy element for a rice or noodle bowl or plate lunch. I used napa cabbage and served this with the chop steak and ginger scallion sauce from this book along with noodles.

  • dmdmdmmm on February 14, 2026

    This was a nice side to go with rice and some protein. Had this with some shrimp and crispy pata and it gave the meal a nice, fresh bite

• Miki noodles

  • bernalgirl on May 25, 2023

    A nice bowl of comfort. I didn’t have shrimp so I added shrimp eon ton which seemed in keeping with the other flavors. Between the ham stock, shiitake water, and fish sauce, the broth is lovely but rich.

• Simeon-style chili pepper water

  • Acarroll on June 23, 2023

    This is delicious. I think I'm going to keep a bottle of it in my fridge for the rest of my life. Love using it to add subtle spice. I was limited in my choice of fresh chiles so I used anaheims, which worked just fine.

  • anya_sf on October 29, 2025

    Made 1/2 recipe using 1 serrano so it would be less spicy. Recipe says to wait overnight before using, but it was good a few hours after preparation.

• Somen salad supreme

  • bernalgirl on March 16, 2026

    I adapted this to what I had on hand with a few “gimmes” for my teen and served it as a build-your-own salad. I made the dressing as written and served somen noodles as a base, then offered the following mix-ins: - Slivered romaine lettuce - Grated carrots - Persian cucumbers cut julienne - Slivered scallion greens - Slivered radishes - Sliced avocado - Slivered nori - Slivered egg (kinshi tamago) with white pepper in place of sugar - Browned maitake mushrooms with garlic and soy sauce in place of slivered rehydrated shiitakes - Slivered surimi in place of fish cakes - Chinese bacon (lap yuk) in place of char siu - Red cabbage in “Benihana dressing” - Soy and butter-braised corn - Furikake - Edamame The dressing balances the ingredients beautifully. I will absolutely make some variation of this again in our next burst of warm weather.

  • anya_sf on August 11, 2023

    Delicious noodle salad, great for a warm day. For the toppings, I used cooked egg (which I failed to flip neatly, but that didn't matter), iceberg lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumber, snow peas (blanched per my preference), char siu (store-bought), scallion greens, cilantro, and kamaboko. Leftovers were still good the next day even though they'd been tossed in the dressing. There was a lot of extra dressing.

• Filipino okra salad

  • Kerreydp on February 22, 2026

    Next time I will bake the okra. We got a lot of okra slime with this method. The flavor was delicious and it’s worth another try.

• Pinakbet

  • dmdmdmmm on February 14, 2026

    I love how hands off this is and it’s GENIUS to use canned tomatoes for this recipe!!

• Pork and peas

  • dmdmdmmm on January 25, 2026

    Super easy weekday lunch or dinner! It’s very tasty too. I would agree to cook the pork for a bit longer, just add a little bit more water and braise it more.

  • anya_sf on January 29, 2024

    Very tasty. I preferred to cook the pork longer, about an hour.

• Maui kale salad with sweet onion dressing

  • anya_sf on May 20, 2025

    My family loved this salad, and they don't always appreciate kale or cabbage, but they do appreciate salads with potato chips! I scaled the dressing down to 1/2 c (the amount called for) and the small volume didn't get completely smooth in the Vitamix, but still worked. Leftovers were still good the next day, except that the potato chips got soggy, but they weren't unpleasant to eat.

  • jenburkholder on December 05, 2024

    This was just great. For our taste, we halved both the sugar and the oil.

• "Bottom of the plate lunch" salad

  • cheezacooks on August 30, 2023

    Super delicious and tastes just like the bottom of a bbq plate lunch! The Mac salad puree was fun to make and eat, it was a new texture to a familiar favorite. Made with local-style kalbi drippings, would happily remake again.

• Chocolate birthday cake butter mochi

  • jason_sqp8jv on February 11, 2026

    Used chocolate and coffee sprinkles. Turned out amazingly.