Thursday: Drove to `Iolani Palace, the only royal palace in the United States. P- wasn’t so impressed with the outside, but then we entered from the side. However, the inside won her over. So many modern conveniences, such as electricity, telephones, and hot and cold running water, were put in by the reigning king, who was a Renaisannce man in his own right.
Walked to Chinatown and had dim sum at Legend Seafood. The best dish was the scallops wrapped in rice noodle sheets. Went to the Makauna Marketplace and saw various vendors. We bought lei at Cindy’s Lei; they are really beautiful. Walked back downtown past Hawaii Pacific University and into the Cathedral of Our Lady of Heavenly Peace.
Drove back to the hotel and tried to book a catamaran ride, but the boat had suffered some reef damage, and won’t be back in service until Saturday. Walked down Waikiki; P- had a little spill and bruised her knee and ankle. However, she was a trouper and made it to the Duke statue. Walked back and found the Japanese duty-free mall. Loads of Hello Kitty! Unfortunately we can’t buy the duty free items.
Picked up the car back at the hotel and drove to Sushi Sasabone. The head chef started out a bit cold (he has the reputation of being the sushi version of the “soup nazi”) but he warmed up to us as we were astounded by the quality of the dishes in his bar-side omakase. He searches the world to get the best fish, and knows exactly where it comes from – Maine, Boston, several places in Japan, local Hawaiian fish, and lobster from a French claimed area of Antarctica. Pricy, but worth every penny — better than anything we’ve had in New York. We were so stuffed. The wierd thing is that none of the Japanese visitors in Waikiki seemed to know anything about this place. Recommended.