I'm back with another culinary love letter to Hawaii. It may have taken me traveling to Arizona to discover this love, but it is going strong. I discovered Golden Hawaiian BBQ on a delivery app, and wasted no time placing an order.



I bought an entire smorgasbord: crab puffs, egg roll, manapua and a chicken katsu combo with steamed rice, macaroni salad, and cabbage.



The eggroll and crab puffs were standard – fried to a golden brown with a tasty filling. But the manapua was a soft bun filled with barbecued pork, and it was amazing. I love the toothsome, pillowy texture of the bun with that rich, meaty interior. The combo entrée was the real star. There's not a better way to cook chicken, and when there's a rich sauce to bring everything together, it is just *chef's kiss*. And the mac salad is key; the fattiness helps break through the fried flavors



Grade: A

If there's one cuisine sorely lacking in Appalachia, it may be Hawaiian. Prior to my visit to Aloha Kitchen in Arizona, the extent of my Hawaiian food experience consisted of "Hawaiian chicken" in a pineapple sauce at the local mall food court.



This fast-casual restaurant has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. And, it was fairly busy when I visited. The decor is minimal and well-worn. The menu has a bajillion options that all looked amazing: coconut shrimp, saimin, kalbi and more.



I went with Mixed Plate #4: Bulkogi Beef and Teriyaki Chicken with two scoops of rice and macaroni-potato salad. Plus spam musubi. Plus manapua.



The mixed plate teriyaki chicken was charbroiled then drizzled in a teriyaki sauce, which was a delicious bittersweet flavor. The bulgpgi could've done with a drizzle of the teriyaki as well. But so tasty, and I love the cool, creamy macaroni-potato salad on the side to add some balance. The spam musubi is just spam, rice and nori - and it's glorious. It's the freshness of a sushi roll with the salinity of SPAM. The manapua had the perfect barbecue pork filling inside that fluffy bun. so, so good.



Grade: A

SoJo's Donuts is my friend Kaitlynn's favorite donut shop ever. Part of it, I think, is due to the tasty donuts. But another part of it, I think, is because it has become like her "third" place in the city when she moved out west. It's not work, it's not home, it's that other comfy space that you enjoy. Either way, I was excited to visit this spot she enjoys dearly.



SoJo's Donuts makes handmade vegan donuts and breakfast sandwiches from local, responsibly sourced and organic ingredients.



Their standard options include: Vanilla, Vanilla Sprinkle, Maple, Maple Bacon, Chocolate sprinkle, Strawberry sprinkle, Chocolate bar, Maple bar, Salted Caramel Twist, Cinnamon Twist, Apple fritters, Lavender Lemon, Blueberry Lemon, Cookies and Cream, Strawberry Shortcake, Boston Cream, Raspberry Jam Filled, and other Seasonal flavors



Lavender lemon is her all-time favorite, which I did enjoy. I'm hit or miss with lavender flavor. Sometimes, it can be too floral for me.



But the cookie d'oh and pecan pie filling donuts were more up my alley. Very rich glaze with a delightful chewy dough.



Grade: A

La Estrella Panaderia is a Mexican bakery in Mesa, Arizona.



The store is flush with savory goods, pastries, bread, snacks, and every other thing you might need from a bakery.



There's a large window case, which has myriad goodies lining one side of the shop: conchas, pan dulce, tres leches, and so much more.



but more than that, they also are a butcher shop. They have a number of cuts of meat available. It may be an odd pairing, but it is convenient to be able to get your protein and your tortillas all in one spot.



I picked out some of the baked goods that looked interesting and delicious.



That included a sweet bread with tiny rainbow nonpareils (which are just the round sprinkles).



And also, a churro filled with caramel.



Plus, a few other goodies here and there.



For those who are Miller familiar with Mexican pastries, what should I get next time?



Are there any must-tries?



And, is there anywhere in West Virginia to get similar pastries?



Grade: B

Drunken Tiger is Arizona's first Korean pub serving up authentic and modern Korean street and bar food.



"Casual, dark and gritty, with just a touch of intoxication, Drunken Tiger deviates from traditional restaurants and bars as the first Korean pub in Arizona. Drunken Tiger—the ‘misfit of Korean restaurants’—celebrates the best of Korean and American cultures and presents a bodacious menu filled with quintessential Korean street and bar food along with creative Korean-American culinary concoctions," according to the website.



"Gentle palates will quickly accustom to bulgogi fries or ‘chimek’ (Korean double-fried chicken and beer) while more daring foodies can broaden their horizons with silkworm pupae soup or chicken gizzards. If you're somewhere in the middle, classic dishes like the tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) customized with cheese and ramen noodles are always a good idea. Prefer your food as hot as the summers in Arizona? The fire chicken or fire corn cheese is sure to singe the tastebuds of people who claim to be reincarnates of fire-breathing dragons."



I ordered a Makkoli (Korean Rice Wine) in peach, which was sweet but potent. And we tried two different snacks: Takoyaki - ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter with octopus (tako), tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger (beni shoga), and green onion (negi). The balls are brushed with takoyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce) and mayonnaise, and then sprinkled with green laver (aonori) and shavings of dried bonito (katsuobushi). The bonito was a bit much for me, but I loved this sweet and sour seafood meatball. The last was tteok kochi, which are these chewy rice cakes in a spicy red sauce. Loved the textures of both these dishes. Tasty and satisfying.



Grade: A

"At BoSa Donuts, we’ve never believed in reinventing the wheel – or the donut – when it comes to creating the perfect donut. There’s a reason that donuts have been a time-honored tradition for more than two centuries, and BoSa Donuts is proud to carry on a sweet legacy by making the best donuts in Arizona. Skip the fancy donut shops and their disappointing, too-trendy donuts and stick with the classic donuts you’ve loved for years, perfectly made by BoSa Donuts. With more than 50 locations across the Valley, there’s always a BoSa Donuts near you. Plus, most of our locations are open seven days a week and 24 hours a day. You never know when a donut craving will hit, but thanks to BoSa Donuts, you have access to all your favorite donuts 24/7. Whether you’re in search of old-fashioned classics like apple fritters, chocolate cake, and glazed donuts or are hoping to discover the best vegan donuts in Arizona, you can count on finding exactly what you want at BoSa Donuts. In addition to donuts, you can also find a wide variety of baked goods, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, fresh fruit smoothies, hot and iced coffee, and boba tea."



I took a quick trip through the drive-through to order some donuts for breakfast. Sidenote: I love that they have photos of the donuts to help you visualize what you're ordering.



I went for a traditional, raised, glazed donut, as well as a blueberry cake donut – which is my favorite. The glazed donut is the soft, airy donut that is common.And this was a good one, though, I do wish that I had it warmer, so the glaze was smooth and not crackled. The cake donut, meanwhile, is more dense and has more substance, which is why I like it. It's like a hybrid between a muffin and a donut and a cake. It's a nice sweet treat paired with a cofee.



Grade: B

Rolled ice cream continues to be a trend across the country.



I found Roll Avenue Ice Cream Rolls in Mesa. The concept is simple: The ice cream is spread onto a really cold surface and then scraped up into spiral shavings.



This location, though, has a Thai influence and some unique flavor offerings. I ordered the taro (actually ube) specialty ice cream, which also included a wafer roll and raspberries.



Ube is a sweet potato-like root veggie that is often amped up with sugar for desserts. I like it because it tends to mellow out some super sweet desserts and adds a different layer of flavor.



The same holds true here. The dessert was sweet, but not too sweet. It's a fairly mild flavor that may be slightly similar to vanilla. It made for a light and refreshing dessert.



Grade: A

Korean corn dogs are hot dogs or even mozzarella cheese coated in a batter (and sometimes panko, rice flour, french fry pieces, or ramen) and deep fried. They're finished with sugar and squirt or ketchup, mayo, mustard, or all three.



"Two Hands Corndogs approaches the people with a familiar vessel but a twist inside out. Corndog can be seen everywhere in America, but Two Hands is capturing America's taste buds with the Korean-style corndog that had not been tasted before. The twist in the familiar and friendly menu intrigues people of all genders and ages, with a very approachable cost range and top-notch branding/storytelling. Two Hands Corndogs finds you in your local area now from more than 40 locations and hundreds more coming next year," according to the website.



I ordered delivery from this restaurant because I really wanted to try a Korean corndog, and I was not disappointed. They are like a texture circus with a soft inside, chewy outside and fun toppings. I tried 3:

Classic Dog - Combination of sweet and savory taste. The classic korean style corn dog

Potato Dog - Potato cubes wrapped corn dog with Two Hands dirty sauce

Crispy Rice Dog - Crispy rice puffs wrapped corn dog, added extra crispness and flavor

These were all fun to eat and had crispy, crunchy, chewy textures. Plus, there is a little bit of sweetness that balances out the savoriness of these which really makes for a delicious bite.



Grade: A

Ya know how some folks just absolutely need coffee to start the day? That's not me. But, it is my friend Kaitee. Whenever I am around her, my coffee consumption increases 100%.



Black Rock Coffee Bar was one of our caffeine adventures while in Mesa. This West Coast-based coffee chain also features energy drinks.



"Black Rock Coffee Bar is among the coffee chains that serves Italian sodas, or at least an innovative, in-house derivative that tastes like the beverage but also offering the powerful kick of caffeine. Black Rock's marketing slogan is "Fuel your story," and Fuel is also the name for its store brand of energy drinks. According to Structure, Black Rock developed the recipe internally, as a way to save money on supplies for its cold beverages — energy drinks with the addition of flavored syrups and served on ice or blended with milk," according to Mashed.



Local baked goods are dependent on the location and vary from place to place. My go-to muffin is blueberry, and this version wasn't too bad. I like when it has that streusel topping that makes it a little bit more special. this one was a bit more plain and rustic but still decent flavor.



The first item on the menu I saw was the Caramel Blondie, which is a caramel white mocha, and I was already. It doesn't take much, really.



The drink, of course, was sweet and had a thick dairy flavor that cut through some of that bitterness of the espresso. Beyond that, it's a familiar flavor that you can get a similar version of at many coffee shops. Solid for what it is, which is comfortable and reliable.



Grade: B