Edamame — young soybeans — are the stock in trade of Zunda Saryo, a cafe offering treats that originated in Sendai City, Japan.
The shop in Shirokiya’s Japan Village Walk at Ala Moana Center opened Saturday, the first Zunda Saryo in the United States. The chain has 10 locations in Japan and one in Bangkok.
Zunda is the name for traditional food made from edamame. Beans are boiled and mashed, sweetened, made into a paste and used in sweets such as shakes, mochi and — special to Hawaii — Zunda Kakigori, or edamame shave ice.
Zunda Saryo is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Visit us.zundasaryo.com.
Market at the tower
Hey, commuters: Before you face Friday afternoon traffic, take a breather and shop for food at Honolulu’s newest farmers market, the Aloha Tower Night Market.
Relax as you peruse bounty exclusively from local farms, and have dinner on-site (or take it home) with prepared food from local vendors, 4 to 7 p.m. Fridays at Aloha Tower Marketplace, starting this week.
The market is a joint effort of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and Hawaii Pacific University. The bureau also runs markets at Kapiolani Community College and Blaisdell Center, and in Kailua, Haleiwa and Mililani.
Silicone’s super suction makes lids handy in kitchen
My latest favorite thing is a combination kitchen doodad and magic trick.
Silicone lid covers are pretty, useful and entertaining. They suction onto bowls, plates, cups — anything with a smooth rim — to the point that you can hold them aloft from the center handle. To release, simply peel back the rim.
Use them as covers for all those dishes that don’t have lids — when you need to refrigerate food, warm it in the oven (safe to 425 degrees) or just keep flies away. They also make good splash guards on frying pans, or help keep dishes warm on a buffet.
There are many makers of these lids, but the prettiest come from Charles Viancin. Sizes run from just big enough to cover a coffee cup up to those that will accommodate large mixing bowls. Most are round, but some are oblong for platters and baking dishes. Prices run from $5 to $20-plus.
Find them at many stores that carry kitchen gadgets and from online sources. Compleat Kitchen in Kahala Mall has a wide variety of choices.
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Betty Shimabukuro, Star-Advertiser
