Review by Cynthia McCoy.

Watery espresso makes your blood boil with rage. Anyone who’s had it at a gas station or airport vending machine knows the feeling. For coffee addicts, it’s more like medicine than gratification; for aficionados, it’s a pointless pursuit for satisfaction. Almost always, finding a good cup of joe in a city is trial and error. Enter Glazer’s Coffee, on King Street near University Avenue. If the rest of what you read sounds like an advertisement, it is. There’s no reason not to go to Glazer’s. Even if you live in ‘Ewa, drive to town and treat yourself. The blend (no pun intended) of assets this little coffee shop contains is a rare mix indeed. But there is good and bad news.

First, though, is the coffee. Or, I should say, the espresso, since Glazer’s doesn’t even make coffee. Those wanting coffee will have to order an Americano. Simple coffee-heads will be blown away, but the wonderful thing about espresso is that you can control the strength of your drink to amazing accuracy.

But how is the espresso, you ask? Their Web site would tell you “Seattle style,” but I describe it as rich, thick, and dark as the night on a new moon, with a crema as foamy as a whole-milk latté. You see, our esteemed baristas pack, tamp, wipe away any excess, and pull your espresso to perfection. For aficionados, this is all a huge plus. Who hasn’t ordered an espresso drink somewhere and noticed the barista simply jamming it in and hitting the start button? It’s the coffee equivalent of fucking versus making love.

The atmosphere, however, is one of Glazer’s many qualities. It’s most definitely cozy, but like a goldfish that has grown too big for its space. Yes, the secret is out and legions of students have moved on from the sub-par Café 2600 around the corner to the high-class but still low-priced Glazer’s. Here’s to hoping it stays the local, affordable and wonderful place it is.

Despite the plethora of great attributes at Glazer’s, there are a couple of glaring detractors. One is the constricting space (those with laptops might have to wait for a seat, especially during peak times); the other is the overhead music, which is most often cheesy and sometimes downright awful. The worst I’ve heard is a Carpenters or Ella Fitzgerald song redone pop style. Eek. Bring your headphones to avoid such travesties.

Enter again our esteemed baristas. At Glazer’s, you’ll find friendly, hardworking people who love making coffee. For those of us who frequent coffee shops — especially good ones — you’ll be happy to know they also remember repeat customers and always greet them and listen to your order, rather than bang out whatever you typically order so they can get to the next customer.

With a truly rare combination of attributes — great espresso, wonderful service and a fantastic atmosphere — you have no reason not to drop in to Glazer’s for a cup of joe. Just try not to stay too long … those of us with laptops are waiting for your seat.

[Editor's note: For more caffeine jitters, check out www.glazerscoffee.com!]

Article and photography by Loraine Ho.

Ravenous students are flocking to Campus Center nightly this week, to participate in the Veg Pledge and shovel down free vegetarian dinners. The UH Vegetarian Club has been concocting the gourmet delights in the squeaky-clean food lab at the Agricultural Science building.

Club members rushed about in chef jackets, hats and gloves preparing Tuesdays’ “Living Lasagna,” layered with zucchini, tomatoes, a pine nut spread, and a savory pesto made with basil, pistachios, and olive oil.

Nicole Gose, the president of the Vegetarian Club, handed out pledges earlier this month, asking people to try a vegetarian diet for at least a week. The club applied for ASUH funding to help run the event, explained Jason Tsujimura, the club’s vice president. “This is our first Veg Pledge event,” he said.

The menu for Thursday includes Spanish Paella and pie. Friday brings a garden pasta dinner to our palates. Each meal is accompanied by presentations on vegetarian diets, from a variety of speakers.

Tuesday’s speaker, Skya , appealed to students with the health benefits of a raw vegan diet. “People are dropping like flies. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes … people are getting their colons cut out and it’s really heinous!” he said. Skya demonstrated how to cook the night’s dessert, Bliss Balls, a high-energy snack made of cashews, raw cacao, seeds, coconut, and agave nectar. The serving platters were wiped clean by participants.

“I’m amazed that lasagna without cheese could taste so good. I feel incredibly healthy now,” said Sarah McClimon, a music graduate. “I think I’ve postponed my death for at least a couple hours.”

Skya blends the ingredients for his “Bliss Balls” dessert.

Review and photography by Phuong Do.

I have never tasted any dessert quite like the chocolate tiramisù at Satura Cakes. It took me by complete surprise. Anything that looks so chocolaty must be very sweet, I thought, recalling the blueberry cake I could not finish (even with coffee) at Starbucks – or should I say the giant blueberry sugar lump. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. A bite of the choco tiramisù was an explosion to my taste buds.

The unsweetened cacao powder on top of the tiramisù ($4.50) is the chief source of the powerful flavor. Magic is created when it is combined with the creamy middle layer and the coffee-soaked sponge cake at the bottom. A serving is quite enough for one.

Cakes originated in medieval Europe, and Japan picked it up from Portugal in the 1500s. During the Japanese economic boom several decades ago, a large number of chefs went to France and Italy to study baking techniques. Later on, they altered the formula to the Japanese taste. A new distinct type of cakes emerged. In 2002, Japan won the Coupe de Monde (baking world cup) in Paris.

Satura Cakes serves Japanese-style pastries less saccharine than your typical tooth-rotting snacks. They pledge to bake their cakes from scratch daily, using high-quality ingredients like real butter and milk fat, rather than artificially hydrogenated oil.

The coconut an-nin ($4.50) combines almond coconut gelatin and local fruits to create a refreshingly mild and sweet taste.

The “Salty Chocolate Cookies” ($3.95 for five) are hardly as salty or sweet like the name may suggest. Baked with Hawaiian salt, macadamia nuts, and chocolate, they are dry and crumbly, like British biscuits. These cookies have a pleasantly strong, nutty cacao smell.

The cream puffs ($2.75) come in the usual vanilla cream flavor and an innovative caramel crunch. It has a crispy texture, topped with Bavarian cream. You could ask the staff for a sample.

Corones ($2.75) are similar to cream puffs and come in green tea and chocolate-banana flavors. The pastries are thinner, and the cream is lighter. Be nice and you could ask for another sample.

Satura’s unsweetened pastries such as sandwiches, croissants, and briôche are not as spectacular in flavor and appearance, but they are quite palatable and organically healthy.

Their coffee doesn’t have a burnt taste like Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. My hands were still twitchy three hours after a small cup. Espresso is made on order. They use fair-trade organic coffee and real tea leaves.

So when you want to indulge your taste buds with fine desserts, head over to Satura Cakes. Free wireless is available at every store. Don’t forget to charge your laptop.

Satura Cake Locations:

Ward Centers (across Borders)
1200 Ala Moana Blvd. Bldg. 6, Suite 601, Honolulu, HI 96814
Tel: (808) 537-1206
Sun-Thu: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Fri-Sat: 9 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Parking: free Ward Centers customer parking

Harbor Court Business Tower Lobby
55 Merchant St., Suite #110, Honolulu, HI 96813
Tel: (808) 537-1206
Mon-Fri: 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sat: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Parking: Harbor Court garage, entrance on Bethel Street. Partial validation.

Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center
2233 Kalakaua Ave. B106A, Honolulu, HI 96815
Tel: (808) 537-1206 Fax: (808) 537-1208
Mon-Sun: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Parking: the Shopping Center’s garage. Partial validation.

www.saturacakes.com

Review and photography by Phuong Do.

“We could have high tea,” I suggested to a friend.

“It’s too girly,” he laughed, then curled his pinkie and mimicked sipping tea.

So my quest for a tea comrade continued.

I do not see why tea is considered such a feminine activity in this country. It is believed that Anna Russell, the seventh duchess of Bedford, invented afternoon tea in the 1700s. At the time in England, lunch was rather light and often left people hungry before dinner – hence the in-between meals enjoyed by the privileged. Low tea is an afternoon snack, while high tea (or meat tea) is a full evening meal. High tea sometimes refers to a formal gathering of women in the U.S. Some people believe that this usage results from a misconception of the term “high” as “formal.”

On December 12, a brave soul was discovered. Accompanied by Loraine Ho, then-Ka Lamakua editor in chief, I headed to Tea at 1024. Located in the bustling urban area of Chinatown on Nu‘uanu Avenue, it is a pleasantly unusual shop.

We arrived early and were seated at the front window, the most popular spot. This area includes two wicker chairs secluded from the other tables, but the glass window left us exposed to pedestrian gazes. We returned their stares with funny faces.

Pastel art and translucent cloth decorates the ceiling and wall. The combination of air-conditioning and bright sunlight created a very calming atmosphere that morning.

Full service ($15.95) includes your choice of tea, a house salad, two sandwiches, and pastries. My favorite dish was the salad, fresh baby spinach and sweet slices of strawberry topped with feta cheese. I had English Breakfast tea, which was very mild, and it could have been warmer. The crustless sandwiches were neatly quartered into mini triangles. They tasted light yet surprisingly delicious. We had chicken curry, crab and olive, cheddar cheese and tomato, and egg salad. The assortment of pastries came with an ample amount of clotted cream and jam.

The waitress was friendly and considerate, and did not overtly invade customers’ space. Meticulous care went into the preparation and the delicate setting, making me feel quite cultured. “I feel like Alice in Wonderland,” said Loraine. One can even borrow frilly hats and colorful boas from the shop’s extensive collection, to make the experience even more fabulous.

Tea at 1024
1024 Nu‘uanu Ave.
(808) 521-9596
Opening hours and menu items can be found at:
www.teaat1024.net

(It is always a good idea to place your reservation ahead of time, due to the shop’s popularity and small size.)