january birthdays

When we started to plan the celebration for our January birthday girls, the comments were, "I thought we just celebrated the last one," or "I thought we just celebrated the 40th!"  Time sure flies.  I've been so lucky to have these ladies in my life.

Bev and Jann have the January birthdays and have known each other since preschool.  I've known them both since kindergarten in Mrs. Tsuji's class at Lanakila Elementary.

When we get together, we always have so much to catch up on, but it doesn't seem like we've been apart at all.  Luckily we just did get together last month, but it's always fun when it's just the girls so we can really talk.







We chose Shokudo because Jann had never been before and wanted to try it.  We had planned to meet at 7 but we couldn't make a reservation so I went early to put our names in for a table.  When I got there around 6:15, they said they had a table right now, but if someone else came in and wanted it, they would get it and we would have to wait for the next opening.  I texted everyone to ask if they were nearby, because they would seat us if at least half the party was there.  And everyone except Sue came within 5-10 minutes of my text, coincidentally coming early to wait with me for the table.

Fortunately, we were seated immediately, and were there for over three hours!





I had been a few times but always ordered the same thing, the garlic shrimp rice in a hot stone bowl, spicy and yummy.

Since we were waiting for Sue to leave work and join us, we ordered some appetizers to share.

Shrimp tempura roll…













Homemade tofu, one of their specialties, made fresh every 45 minutes, served with green onions, sea salt, nori and a soy dashi.  Really smooth and tasty, and nothing like the kind you buy at the supermarket.















This Mochi Cheese Gratin was so good!  Debbie ordered it for us and I loved it so much I asked for another one.  This is the description from the menu:  "Mochi cubes blanketed with mozzarella and light soy dashi broth.  Baked and topped with green onion and nori."  (My stomach just growled while I was typing this!)












We each ordered an entree for ourselves.  Of course, I ordered the garlic shrimp rice.  Here it is after the server mixed it up in the hot stone bowl.  I gave everyone a taste but didn't share!

Deb got the tofu salad, Bev got the calamari salad, Sue got the spicy miso ramen and Teri got the oxtail ramen.  Jann ordered something from a special menu, a seafood dish.  We were halfway through our entrees and she still hadn't gotten her food.  When we inquired about it, they said they were having difficulty making it (huh? did they need to go catch the clams?).  But eventually it came with profuse apologies from the manager, and they comped it as well as the Honey Toast dessert, a house specialty, thick Japanese white toast, cut out and cubed, drizzled with honey and topped with vanilla ice cream, shown in the birthday girls' pic above.







We also ordered the Banana Flambe, baked banana drizzled with caramel and chocolate, topped with vanilla ice cream and flambé with dark rum.  The manager lit it on fire and looked like he singed his eyebrows!  Unfortunately I missed the flame and only got the smoke after!  Both desserts were yummy, nice to have some sweet after all the savory dishes.









But of course the best part of the evening was spending time together.  Already looking forward to the next time!