1. Roy’s Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle has met its matcha in chef Roy Yamaguchi’s latest dessert offering, Green Tea Souffle.
On the menu thanks to executive chef Lyndsey Simone and pastry chef Chris Sablan, it’s everything the classic version is in presentation and texture, except for the soft, white chocolate center encased in warm green-tea cake. Dive in and white chocolate oozes out green. It can be had only at Original Roy’s in Hawaii Kai for now.
We ordered one of each kind, and within a minute our spoons scooped the matcha version many more times than the dark-brown one. Like its chocolate cousin, it’s $12.50, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and takes about 15 minutes to prep, so order ahead. Call 396-7697.
— Ruby Mata-Viti, Star-Advertiser
2. Nothing is going to stop me from getting my grill on this summer, thanks to my brand-new GoBQ portable charcoal grill.
I’d been a loyal Weber guy for as long as I can remember. From growing up in Kailua to attending college in Los Angeles and renting a place in Honolulu, the ubiquitous black kettle-style grill always had a place in my household. That’s all changed, thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo that raised more than $120,000 for the entrepreneurs behind the GoBQ.
Made from the same type of heat-resistant fabric used to manufacture oven mitts, the GoBQ features a collapsible, lightweight frame that weighs just 8 pounds and features 196 square inches of cooking space. While users are still responsible for the safe disposal of hot embers, the grill itself cools down incredibly quickly once the charcoal is removed, allowing for easy cleanup and stowing atop a cooler or in the car. (Packed up, it’s about the size of a small gym bag.)
The GoBQ is priced at $149.95 and is available only online at gobqgrills.com.
— Jason Genegabus, Star-Advertiser
3. Two millennia of mass death and medical countermeasures are covered in engaging and informative style in Jennifer Wright’s new book, “Get Well Soon” (Henry Holt, $26). Wright assesses the social impact of certain diseases and epidemics in broad historical terms. For others she focuses on the individuals who battled them.
The author comments with wry amusement on the romanticizing of “consumption” (tuberculosis) in the 1800s and reveals how a deliberate government cover-up contributed to the deaths of more than 675,000 Americans during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918.
No prior knowledge of medicine or history is needed to enjoy Wright’s work. The lessons she extracts from the past are relevant today.
— John Berger, Star-Advertiser
4. I am completely obsessed with K-pop group Seventeen’s “Going Seventeen” album; it is full of exciting sounds. The 13-member boy group’s twist on jazzy tunes and electric jams will put a hop in your step, and I love their sweet, soothing ballads.
The CD album, available on Amazon.com, costs $20 to $25 for different versions that come with varying assortments of posters, photo cards and other collectibles.
— Janica Marie Pascua, Pearl City
5. Anne Whalen’s father taught her to sew when she was 11 years old, and once she mastered the skill, she began making clothes for herself.
Nowadays Whalen makes clutches and pillows using repurposed drapery fabrics from the 1940s and 1950s. A lumbar pillow, measuring 10 by 20 inches, is $54, and the clutch, measuring 10 by 7-1/4 inches, is $22 at Kai Ku Hale, 66-145 Kamehameha Highway in Haleiwa; 636-2244. Smaller sizes are available.
— Nancy Arcayna, Star-Advertiser
“5 Things We Love” is a shortlist of newly discovered stuff you have got to see, hear, wear, use or eat. Please keep in mind that featured products may be in short supply and may not be available at all store locations; prices may vary. Tell us what you are loving by emailing features@staradvertiser.com.
