I was in Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Officially, it's where the largest CE manufacturers showcase their latest and greatest gizmos. If you want to see 3,000 flavors of TVs, 4,000 variations on a cel phone, and more earbuds than there are people in Los Angeles, go to Vegas during the 2nd week in January. 

I'm convinced that a huge chunk of the Silicon Valley workforce goes there just to gnarl up their traffic, meet with people they could actually have met locally, and let's face it, where the grown-up "Big Bang Theory" types go to be seen.  Quite simply, it's nuts.

I was there for my client, but a girl has to eat (and drink). Like last year, I stayed at Paris Las Vegas. Great location and the room service continental breakfast and French press coffee is still excellent. For my client, it was also a good deal because it easily fed me for 2 meals and a snack in the afternoon. This was essential because I've had better food at the concession stand of the Honolulu Zoo than on the show floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Las Vegas, I know you can do better than this!

I ate at the The Sugar Factory twice. It not subtle or small and makes no apologies for itself. After all, it's the SUGAR Factory. However, you can easily get a table, no mean feat when Vegas is over-run with 150,000 frugal techies. 

Desserts and drinks definitely live up the the hype. Hot chocolates (Coconut or Raspberry) are pricey at $9, but fab-u-lous. Split it with a friend, or take the leftovers in a to-go cup. Mix it with a little coffee for that last midnight drink. 

I also LOVED the Red Velvet Sundae, so much so that I had it twice. But make sure you bring several or even a half-dozen of your friends to share it with you.

The Sugar Factory is great for dessert or snacks. The food is fine but not fantastic. Ahi sliders were OK, but a ratatouille crepe I had was pretty good. Be forewarned that they tend to add sugar to everything, including plain ole' cappuccinos or lattes. Best to ask them to hold the sugar on the coffee drinks.

If you want to Dine/Eat, 1) make advance reservations, easily a month ahead, especially during CES and 2) try Yellowtail at the Bellagio at the high end, 3) mid-range Mon Ami Gabi in Paris or 3) Noodle Asia at the Venetian for a more casual meal. And you can always take a quick bite at Nathan's Hot Dogs on the way to the Monorail.

After eating like this for four days straight, I felt a little like Morgan Spurlock. Las Vegas itself is Super-sized, and a person should not eat like this all the time. However, if you have to travel for work, it's great place to go.

Eat Well. Be Well.

A couple of weeks ago, I declared Shokudo's Honey Toast to be overrated. (Click here for post.)

Thankfully, my Oahu ohana decided not to disown me, but some of them are still a little bit salty. Therefore, it is only fair to show that it could be done at home and for less than $7.45. This is known as "Walking the Walk"

So here goes.

Homemade DIY Honey Toast 
Elapsed Time 7 minutes, 5 if you really focus.

Equipment Needed
1) Toaster, obviously, to make toast.
2) Serrated knife, to cut the toast
3) Ice cream scoop, self-explanatory
4) Spoon, to drizzle honey and then eat.

Ingredients
1 slice of thick sliced whole wheat bread.
I used Kee Wah bread I had in-house because I didn't feel like making a special trip to Nijiya for Cherry Blossom White Bread.

Honey. I used a Sacramento Valley Organic Honey, which was a gift from my cousin, but any honey will do.

Vanilla ice cream. We had Dreyer's French Vanilla in-house.

What to Do
1) Put bread in the toaster, using the middle-of-the-road setting. You don't want stale-bread light, or burnt-to-a-crisp black.
2) Once the toast pops, cut the crusts off, about 1/2" in from the edge, so you get little crust sticks.
3) Cut the now crustless bread into cubes. Work fast to make sure the toast is still warm.
4) Stack the crust pieces to make a box frame, Lincoln Logs style.
5) Drop some of the bread cubes around inside and outside.
6) Put two scoops of vanilla ice cream on top of toast pile.
7) Drizzle with honey.

Eat while still warm. It was ono, and we decided the wheat bread was even preferable because it was a little crunchier and did not get soggy as quickly as the Shokudo white bread version.

Cost $0.87, based on the following*
$0.38 for bread, using a $3.00 for a loaf of thick-sliced whole wheat bread from Kee Wah Bakery
$0.33 for 2 scoops of ice cream, using $4.00 for a quart of Dreyer's Vanilla Ice Cream from Safeway.
$0.16 for honey, using $6.00 for a jar of fancy honey (I'm guessing because this was a gift), but technically it didn't cost me anything.

*On the homemade side, I did not include charges for capital equipment (i.e., the toaster, the freezer that holds the ice cream, our kitchen counter, the table and chairs, dishes, utensils, etc.), labor (5 minutes) or electricity. However, on the Shokudo side of the equation, I did not include the tax, tip or gasoline used to get there.

So stay home and DIY honey toast. I have a feeling I'll be making this for my Oahu ohana next time...

Eat Well. Be Well.

In Honolulu, I've wanted to try Shokudo's Honey Toast since seeing it pop up on friend's FB check-ins. The Yelp reviews back up its popularity and inherent goodness. On the Oahu leg of our vacation, we tried it ourselves. 

Honey Toast is over-rated. There I said it. Ohana, please do not disown me! It's not that it tastes bad or looks funny. But literally, it's toasted white bread, honey and vanilla ice cream. You can make it at home in about 15 minutes with a loaf of white Cherry Blossom bread, Haagen Daaz and the cute little bear-shaped squeezy bottle of honey.

And for $7.45, it's a little pricey for its simplicity. If you add chocolate, stawberry, or azuki, it can quickly become a $10 dessert. Better to go there the bar menu and side dishes.

For a pure dessert craving near Ala Moana, try Mariposa. You will pay a whole nickel more for dessert at $7.50, but these were a much better value. Delicious, big enough to share, and I could NEVER make any of these at home, let alone in 15 minutes. Warm lilikoi pudding cake, in particular, is just so fabulously ono. Just know that this is much more of a "Ladies Who Lunch" environment than Shokudo's "Young Hip Asian" bustling vibe.

A Sampling from Mariposa--all $7.50

Liliha Bakery Coco Puffs
Looking for takeout dessert? Head out early to Kalihi and grab a box of Coco Puffs from Liliha Bakery. It's a puffy pastry filled with a light chocolate pudding and topped with a dollop Chantilly frosting, which is a not-too-sweet vanilla-butter and almost caramel flavored slightly hard frosting. It's definitely one of those things where the sum is much, much greater than the individual parts. If I could figure out a way to bring a box back, I would do it every time.

Keep them refrigerated. Less than $1.50 a piece. Plays very nicely with coffee.

I'd go to Shokudo for the food and hip and bustling vibe. But for a pure dessert experience, I'd return to Mariposa for proper sit-down, or wake up early to make it to Liliha Bakery before the Coco Puffs sell out.

Eat Well. Be Well.