5 Things We Love is a shortlist of newly discovered stuff you have got to see, hear, wear, use or eat. What are you loving this week? Send a brief description of your latest favorite thing, where to find it and how much it costs, along with your name and contact info to features@staradvertiser.com.
1. Widened horizons yield a tasty treat
I’ve been going to Char Hung Sut on Pauahi Street for manapua for years, but never strayed beyond the standard manapua, pork hash, pepeiao and an occasional rice cake. One day, I glanced up at the menu and noticed something called yap chai, a steamed rice flour dim sum wrapped in a leaf and stuffed with char siu, coconut or black bean. It’s delicious. Think of it as a manapua mochi. It just goes to show that you can still find something new, even in old, familiar places.
—Craig Gima
2. Plush feel, fragrance update cleansers
When I was a kid, if you wanted to be germ-free it meant mom scrubbing you with Phisohex, a medicated cleanser used by surgeons. We never imagined there’d come a day when antibacterial soaps would come in every fragrance under the sun and in pretty gels and luxurious foams. My favorite is Melaleuca’s creamy, citrus-scented Antibacterial Liquid Soap, which uses real lemon oil. The other natural ingredients, such as coconut extracts, sunflower and jojoba seed oils and vitamin E, leave hands clean and dewy soft. Also included is tea tree oil, famous for its antibacterial properties and the foundation of the line. Shop at the Melaleuca store at 590 Paiea St. near the airport or online at www.melaleuca.com. An 8-ounce bottle is $7.50; members pay $4.99.
—Star-Advertiser Staff
3. Plants on sticks fun for children
I love growing edible plants, but I’m hardly a master gardener. Matchstick Herbs are so easy to cultivate even I can’t mess them up. With seeds stuck on the tip of the 10 cardboard sticks, they are great for kids just learning about plants. Tear off a couple of sticks, shove them in a pot filled with soil and before long, sprigs of fresh basil, oregano, dill or peppermint spring from the earth. Kids love to pluck their bounty, take it to the kitchen and cook with the herbs they’ve grown — a great summer project. Matchstick Herbs are sold at Super Citizen in Kahala Mall for $3. Call 599-4333.
—Donica Kaneshiro
4. Waialua coffee scents home, teases taste buds
There’s a side benefit to buying Waialua Dark Roast — it will make your kitchen smell so good!
These beans are grown on Oahu’s North Shore, and the dark roast has a nutty, sharp but not biting character. The coffee farm takes up 155 acres near Waialua and the old sugar mill; beans are grown using natural, pesticide-free methods. Order online at $35 for 2 1/2 pounds from waialuaestate.com. I scooped mine from the display at Whole Foods Kahala for $18.99 a pound.
—Elizabeth Kieszkowski
5. Cliburn piano competition now on webcast
The recent death of Van Cliburn, whose victory in the First International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958 made history, brings to mind the Cliburn International Piano Competition, which he founded. A number of medalists have visited Hawaii in recent years, including current gold medalist Zhang Haochen and 2005 silver medalist Joyce Yang (1997 gold medalist Jon Nakamatsu will be here for the Aloha Piano Festival in a couple of weeks). The competition brings together 30 young talents from around the world every four years to Fort Worth, Texas, but you don’t have to be there to enjoy it. The competition is now webcast on cliburn.org, which also broadcasts interviews and features on the competitors. The competition runs through Sunday, so there’s still plenty of music to enjoy.
—Steven Mark
