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Saturday, August 18, 2012

I want to drive a Scion FR-S for a week from Scion Hawaii!

Rick Nakama
@RickNakama on Twitter & Instagram
SCCA Member #445638

I would like the opportunity to drive Scion Hawaii's FR-S for a week and these are some benefits that I could offer if selected:

Valid Hawaii Driver's License since 1990.
Automobile Insurance Policy covering 3 vehicles with comprehensive coverage.
Kalani High School's Automotive Shop Class Representative in AAA/Plymouth Trouble Shooting Contest.
1991 State Finalist in AAA/Plymouth Troubleshooting Contest.
1993 Graduate of Honolulu Community College with Associate in Science Degree in Automotive Mechanics Technology (GPA of 3.7).
A.S.E. (Automotive Service Excellence) Certified 1994-1999 in: Engine Repair, Suspension & Steering, Brakes, Electrical & Electronic Systems, and Engine Performance.
Worked as a technician at Speedtek Racing (1994-1996) specializing in import vehicle performance tuning and fabrication of custom engine swaps and turbocharger systems.
1998-2000 managed AJ's Performance Motorsports, an automotive performance retail and tuning shop in Wailuku, Maui. Buyer for inventory, sales (retail & wholesale), installation of performance automotive parts, custom engine conversions, turbocharger installations, DynoJet dynamometer tuning service, aftermarket electronic engine control systems sales/installations/tuning, etc.
Original dealer for Blitz USA products in Hawaii. Also specialized in importing of special "JDM" automotive products for JDM scene clientele.
Specialized in importing difficult to obtain JDM parts & accessories for Japanese automobiles sold in the USA.
Some JDM Scene clientele's vehicles have won the JDM Class in multiple car shows and have also been featured in Super Street Magazine with my name mentioned in the spread: http://www.superstreetonline.com/featuredvehicles/sstp_1107_1992_honda_civic_si/viewall.html.
AJ's Performance Motosports shop owner/car/driver qualifies & wins $500 prize in 2001 Toyota IDRC Aloha Nationals competing against Kazu Yamaguchi: http://www.turbomagazine.com/events/turp_0201_toyota_irdc_nationals_hawaii/.
Rick Nakama (car) mentions in: D Sport Magazine, Super Street Magazine, VWVortex, Star Bulletin, Star Bulletin, Star Bulletin.
Took 2nd in Toyota IDRC Aloha Nationals BF Goodrich Street Tires Class in my daily driven 1993 Nissan 240sx (says 1994, but it is a 1993 I owned it since 1994).
First to install imported Japanese S13 SR20DET motor in a 240sx in Hawaii (1998). Tuned to 382 RWHP on pump gas. I have used this car as a daily driver and won street car shoot out drag races at Hawaii Raceway Park, held records for fastest 240sx in the state for years, maintained rankings in SCCA autocross events, Hawaii Raceway Park lap sessions, Drift Sessions and most importantly set a trend in Hawaii revolving around the 240sx/Sylvia/S13 platform. (The 240sx is probably one of the most recognized rival cars of the classic Hachi Roku/AE86/Corolla GTS).
I am currently ranked 1st Place for this season at SCCA Solo in STF class in my stock 2005 Scion xA.
I race with the number 186 at SCCA events.
I am recognized in the top 15 Social Media Personalities by Technology News Bytes in the 2011 Social Media Summit: http://www.tnblive.com/article/oct/2011/social-media-award-winners-announced. Active on Twitter as @RickNakama, Instagram as @RickNakama, Facebook and many other places on social media. My 15 week old puppy, Lola Red Bourbon, has a Klout Score of 41.
I am a Realtor with East Oahu Realty and I have a Facebook Page for that. I also network with dozens of Realtors and industry professionals each month. My network is very diverse and does not only consist of car enthusiasts.
I have posted a few Scion FR-S photos in my Instagram Feed that have had tremendous engagement.

Long story short, I am a true fan of the vehicle! I will be able to spread the love of the 2013 Scion FR-S around the island if given a week with the beautiful car! I definitely understand the heritage and have advanced expertise in the culture that made it's predecessor such an iconic vehicle. I would love to be offered a chance to drive the Scion FR-S for a week.

Thank you!

This is what I came up with in one morning. If I had a week's worth of experience with the car, I am sure I could do a lot more!

Drive Scion FR-S Contest

PS- If you think you should have a chance at this week with the FR-S, enter today! The entries are cut off at 11pm HST tonight! Information here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/scion-hawaii/scion-social-media-superstar-search/10150965411921784.

Like Scion Hawaii on Facebook: http://facebook.com/ScionHi.
Follow Scion Hawaii on Twitter: @ScionHI.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

(fōnuts) 8104 W 3rd. St Los Angeles

So today is "Fat Tuesday". In Honolulu, most people associate Fat Tuesday with picking up/eating some malasada from Leonard's Bakery or some prefer Champion Bakery. I am one of those who probably prefer Champion Bakery.

Anyway, I'm not in Honolulu and I am still in Los Angeles so I won't be going to either of those places. Aside from just being away from Honolulu, I am also unable to eat because I'm having some medical things done today. If I was able to eat, I thought I would substitute the malasada binge with something local to this area of Los Angeles that I am at. Well, by local, I mean it's from a local bakery and not necessary a local type of food. The place I would chose to go to is called (fōnuts). I could walk there from where I am in about 15 minutes because it is right down the street from here.

(fōnuts) 8104 W 3rd. St Los Angeles

Well why is it called "(fōnuts)" and what is it? Click the link to see their website for the full explanation, but it's a donut that isn't fried. They are all baked using techniques that result in a delicious flavor and texture. Sure these could be just cakes baked in the ring shapes, but I'm sure if you use a regular cake mix and try to bake it in the shape of a donut, it just won't be the same.

Here is what I have been able to try so far... yes, I enjoyed them all and would like to try more flavors! :)

My first time I tried a savory Chorizo & Cheddar Cheese for "lunch"
followed by a Strawberry Milk (fōnuts) for dessert.

The 2nd visit I had a Rosemary & Olive Oil (fōnuts) for lunch.

Next I tried a Gluten Free & Vegan (I think) Lemon (fōnuts). I tastes good.
I can tell it is a GF because the consistency is slightly dense & moist.

The last one (so far) that I've tried is the Vanilla Cream filled (fōnuts).
Oh this was way better than any malasada and I don't care for
the filled type malasada either. This was like a delicate pastry in the
shape of a donut. Yum!

Well, that's what I'd eat if I could eat anything on this Fat Tuesday. If you're around Beverly Hills/West Hollywood, you may want to check out (fōnuts) if you're craving a snack.

(fōnuts)
8104 W 3rd. St
Los Angeles, CA 90048

323-592-3075

http://fonuts.com/

Monday, February 13, 2012

Back at the Coffee Commissary on N Fairfax, cofficing in LA.

Cofficing at Coffee Commissary

I'm in Los Angeles again to get some things done. While I'm here, I'm still keeping up with Honolulu Real Estate activity so I don't lose track of what is going on back at work/home.

I was surprised to see when I decided to post about this, my most recent blog post was about my first time at Coffee Commissary! Gee, what have I been doing all this time. I better post some stuff up, starting with this.

One of the great things about this place is that it has a lot of great seating inside and out on the patio. The patio seating is great during the current, cool weather conditions.

Some of the outdoor seating.

A lot of people walk here and enjoy coffee with their dogs. :)
I don't feel so odd walking in LA when arriving here thanks to that.
Everyone keeps saying, "Nobody walks in LA." ;)

Here is my last post about Coffee Commissary that happens to be my last post also.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

Coffee at the Coffee Commissary on Fairfax in Los Angeles

"The last coffee spot that I was able to check out during my few days in Los Angeles is called Coffee Commissary. I was surprised that this coffee shop was actually the closest place to the hotel I was staying at..."

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Coffee at the Coffee Commissary on Fairfax in Los Angeles

The last coffee spot that I was able to check out during my few days in Los Angeles is called Coffee Commissary. I was surprised that this coffee shop was actually the closest place to the hotel I was staying at and I didn't actually make it there until after checking out of the hotel on the last morning.

We parked on the street directly in front of Coffee Commissary and paid the meter then saw a sign that said there was free parking in the rear. Oh well, next time. :)

The ambiance here felt energetic even though there weren't that many people going through it, but I think it was mostly because the hip hop-ish beat music is played slightly on the louder side here. If you want to have a quiet conversation, you probably should grab a table on the outdoor patio. This seemed to be a popular spot for people to stop at while they are walking their dogs. It was probably in the most sub-urban type of neighborhood of all the coffee spots that I visited this trip.

We had a couple of pastries for breakfast along with our coffees. I started with the Sightglass Kenya Nyeri AA Washed Process. It is described as "heavily fruited and floral in its fragrance and aroma. Flavors of fresh strawberry and peach with a lemonade-like sweetness". I remember recognizing those flavors as I sipped this delicious coffee. I loved it and was tempted to purchase a bag of it, but since I only saw one bag left on the shelf, I didn't. I wish I did!

I also got a second cup to go, but I can't remember what it was. The second coffee also tasted good, but kind of regular. I didn't notice any flavors that really popped out. It also cost less so it made sense that I felt that way.

I'll probably be visiting this coffee shop again since it's so close to the hotel that I will probably be staying at when I am in Los Angeles. It's probably a reasonable walk since it was only a four minute drive.

Here is my foursquare list of coffee places that I <3: https://foursquare.com/ricknakama/list/coffee-i-3.

Coffee Commissary
801 North Fairfax #106
http://coffeecommissary.com/

http://twitter.com/RickNakama

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Picked up Handsome Coffee Roasters coffee at Spring for Coffee, Downtown Los Angeles

Driving into Downtown L.A.

Another favorite spot that I picked up coffee from while in Los Angeles is this LITTLE coffee bar called Spring for Coffee. They have two locations and I searched for their Los Angeles Street location as we drove through Downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles is a big city and Spring for Coffee is really tiny sliver among blocks and blocks of businesses. I had to drive around the block twice to figure out exactly where I should stop.

Can your spot them?
Spring for Coffee
in the Academy Awards Building.

I almost gave up thinking that nothing in the area was open (yet). It was about 845AM, but it was December 23rd, a Friday. As we drove around the area, all the shutters of the store fronts were closed. I thought Spring for Coffee must have been behind one of those rolled down shutters and wondered if we should move on with our journey to Torrance. It was a good thing that my co-pilot (not navigator because my Google Navigation was handling that), Kelli, spotted the little chalkboard sign just before we gave up. You might need to look at the full size of the store front photo to find Spring for Coffee. It is probably easier to spot that shoe shining chair which is just to the left of the entrance to the building.

When I first walked in, I was a bit surprised... Spring for Coffee serves amazingly delicious coffee out of a coffee bar tucked in the corner of an elevator/stairway lobby of this building. I did not take any photos of the entire operation (I could have by just stepping back a couple of feet). I will save it for you to see in person when you visit them for coffee! :) Oh and by the way, I asked the barista what time the shops on the street would open up and he said that they would all normally be open by that time so everyone probably decided to close for the holiday weekend.

I was pleased to see that they were serving the Handsome Coffee Roaster coffees here. They had the Don Medardo Honduras that I tried the day before at Paper or Plastik and the Ruthagati AA Kenya. I tried the Ruthagati AA Kenya and loved it. Their description of the coffee is "Passion Fruit, Nectarines, Juicy Goodness" and that it was! Juicy Goodness! Strangely, I am not much of a passion fruit or nectarine lover, but this coffee was delicious. I was practically finished with my cup before getting back to the car and was tempted to buy a second cup. Instead, I bought two 12 ounce bags of Handsome Coffee Roasters coffee.

I purchased a bag of the Don Medardo Honduras and a bag of the Ruthagati AA Kenya to bring back to Honolulu. I wish I remembered to take pictures of the bags of coffee! I brought the bags over to Beach Bum Cafe and left them there for some friends to try out when they stop in to enjoy Hawaiian Coffee. I also left the barista at Spring for Coffee a little bag of Aloha Farms Kona Maragogype beans that I brought to LA with me from Beach Bum Cafe. I hope he liked it. I wonder what he thought of it. Hmmmmm???

When I brought the bags of coffee over to Beach Bum Cafe, I did take one photo of the Don Medardo Honduras. You can see the variety of beans in the coffee. Looks like there are some peaberry coffee beans in there too. Doesn't the bag look "handsome"? I also thought it was cool that each of their coffees had a Twitter handle to follow. This bag says, "Follow @HCR_DonMedardo" and the Kenya coffee says, "Follow @HCR_Ruthagati". Being the tweeter that I am, I followed their suggestion and followed both of those and a whole bunch of others that I found. Now I just need to find the actual coffees!

This might be a good time to mention that I created a foursquare list of coffee places that I <3. Of course Spring for Coffee made it on that list! Here is the link: https://foursquare.com/ricknakama/list/coffee-i-3

Spring for Coffee @ 817 South Los Angeles Street | SpringForCoffee.com

http://www.handsomecoffee.com/

http://twitter.com/RickNakama

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Coffee at Paper or Plastik on Pico Boulevard.

Another coffee spot that we were able to experience while in Los Angeles was Paper or Plastik on West Pico Boulevard. This cafe is known for being an artistic place as well as serving delicious coffee. I really enjoyed the atmosphere here because it was in a sort of light industrial area, surrounded by automotive repair shops and those types of businesses. If you don't know, the automotive performance industry is a significant part of my past (and hopefully future... it's just not so much in my present).

Here is one of the custom
metal work tables. Also notice
The custom pipe barrier to designate
their outdoor seating area. :)

The cafe fit in nicely with a lot of industrial decor. They had custom tables that were crafted from metals and each table had a different design. It was very cool to just sit, enjoy coffee and look at the unique characteristics of each table. By the way, certain tables were designated "no laptops computers".

We sat window side, in one of those laptop free tables, but we did use our phones while we were seated there. I assume that was acceptable. I hope we weren't offending anyone.

While this cafe is known for serving Intelligentsia coffee, I opted to try the Handsome Coffee Roasters Don Medardo Honduras because this was one that I was hoping to try. I spotted this coffee while enjoying a cup of Intelligentsia at Tiago. Tiago wasn't brewing it yet so I couldn't try it there.

Handsome Coffee Roasters
Don Medardo Honduras

I was very happy drinking this Honduras coffee! I immediately tasted nuttiness and citrus when I had my first sip. A little later, I went up to take a photo of the coffee selections and saw that the coffee was described as having a "citrus pop with a nutty but sweet aftertaste". A perfect description for this delicious coffee! I enjoyed this coffee so much that I purchased a bag of it (at one of my next coffee spots that I will write about later).

If I lived in this area, I can imagine I'd be here everyday to enjoy a morning cup of coffee. I would probably be sitting at a table that is laptop friendly. I'm sure I'd find a lot of people around the neighborhood to chat with because of all the automotive shops in the area. I'll visit this cafe when I am in Los Angeles again.

Paper or Plastik
5722 W. Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90019

Follow Handsome Coffee Roasters Don Medardo @HCR_DonMedardo

http://twitter.com/RickNakama

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Tiago Coffee Bar & Kitchen on Hollywood Blvd.

I was in Los Angeles last week for an appointment that was just one morning of the week. I took advantage of the extra days by enjoying some delicious coffees in some of the finest cafés in or on the way to the areas that I happened to be headed.

The first morning we were there, I chose to stop at Tiago Coffee Bar and Kitchen located at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard. They are located on a corner just a few minutes drive away from Universal Studios Hollywood. There's some validated parking in the building, but I just parked across the street and paid the meter instead o trying to figure out where the parking entrance is.

I had the Ethiopia Yirgacheffe coffee by Intelligentsia. It was very good! It is described "sweet coriander, lemongrass, honey and floral". I should've taken notes as I was drinking so I could recall what I tasted, but I didn't. I'm sure it was as they describe. I know it was bright and delicious!

We also shared a breakfast platter of hotcakes, bacon and eggs. This is a great spot to visit if you want an actual meal because it has a full kitchen type menu and excellent coffee! They also serve Handsome Coffee Roasters coffee, but they weren't serving any of that morning so I did not try it there.

I'm sure I'll check this café out again for breakfast and coffee in Hollywood.

Tiago Coffee Bar and Kitchen
7080 Hollywood Boulevard
http://www.tiagocoffee.com/

HTTP://twitter.com/RickNakama

Posted by mobile phone.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Shangri La, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art... the tour.

I won a lottery to visit the Shangri-La / Doris Duke Museum for free. The excursion was for four and it was last week Wednesday. Kelli and I went along with a couple of friends/Realtors from my office.

I have always wondered how the Shangri-La was because it was Doris Duke's residence that she left to the museum to share Islamic and other pieces of art and design that she picked up from her world travels. Photography is not allowed indoors so here are a few photos that I took in the areas that were permitted.

You board the shuttle at the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

The Diamond Head View from the lawn.

Another view of the water feature & the view.

Path to the tennis courts.

The front door.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

3 Combo Lunch Special from Da Ala Cart

After errands in downtown, I went in search of lunch since I already had parking. As I was walking down Punchbowl Street, I stumbled across Da Ala Cart (HTTP://twitter.com/DaAlaCart/) just outside the Hawaii State Capitol. Since I've heard so many positive comments about the food served out of this truck, but have not been able to make my way to it to try it, I took advantage of the opportunity.

I had the $7 "grab n go" combo. It included a tsukune (ground chicken skewer, asparagus skewer and a musubi (Japanese rice ball). It was a perfect combination. The tsukune was soft, moist and seasoned with a sweet shoyu (soy) sauce. The asparagus had a thin bacon wrapping with a citrus and white pepper seasoning that I really enjoyed. (I love pepper.) The musubi balanced out the lunch with it's light crisp from the grill and it had a shoyu okaka like filling.

I will be searching for Da Ala Cart again! In fact, if I had more than $3 cash left on me, I would've went back and bought more to bring to my friends at Beach Bum Cafe! Too bad they don't accept credit card payments.

Sent by mobile.
Rick Nakama (R)

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Hawaiian Micro Brew Coffee Spot - Beach Bum Cafe

Andrew and Dennis
Beach Bum Cafe

I haven't blogged about Beach Bum Cafe in several months. I know I've tweeted and facebooked photos many times since my 1st blog about them back in February 2011, but those are a little difficult to search or compile so I thought I'd write another blog to help and do just that.

If you are a true coffee lover, you must have Hawaiian coffee at Beach Bum Cafe if you are in Oahu. I will admit that their location, in the middle of Hawaii's business district, is inconvenient even for most of us that live here, but that doesn't keep me away. If you need parking, I suggest parking at the Iolani Palace lot and paying the meter for a couple of hours of parking. I believe that parking there is the most affordable and it is only a couple of blocks (5-10 minutes walk) away. In fact, if you are a tourist, I suggest planning to go on the Iolani Palace tour and walking over for coffee after purchasing your ticket for the tour that begins later in the day. Don't forget to feed the meter if it's running out of time. The maximum you can pay at once is 4 hours.

Rusty's Red Caturra
Natural Process
Pour-over Sock Pot

You can also visit the Hawaii State Art Museum located in the middle of the walk from Iolani Palace to Beach Bum Cafe. The King Kamehameha statue is also located across the street from the Iolani Palace. Including Beach Bum Cafe in your plans to tour this area would be ideal for coffee lovers and people looking to purchase the best quality Hawaiian coffee beans as gifts. Believe me, this is not the stuff labeled, "100% Kona Coffee", that you can buy in department stores or is being served at your $500 a night hotel with your $35 breakfast buffet. I can barely drink that stuff when it's served free.

Anyway, on to the true topic of today's experience...

Affogato treat!

This morning's experience is not the normal experience that you should expect at Beach Bum Cafe, but I felt like sharing it on my blog. Beach Bum Cafe only serves the best quality Hawaiian coffees. In addition to having my cup of Rusty's Farm Yellow Caturra, we were able to experience Andrew's (@MAndrew808) personal roasts of a single harvest, El Salvador grown bean that was processed 3 ways; wet, pulp-natural and dry [Sweet Maria's Glossary]. It is always amazing how the cupped coffee flavors vary so much just by the different processing and roasting techniques. The consensus of the group that was there sampling this morning seemed to prefer the wet process then the dry followed by the pulp-natural. This coffee had a fruity or wine like flavor to it and that was most noticeable in the dry process. The wet processed batch probably had the best balance of flavors to most of us while the pulp-natural seemed to lack the kick of any significant flavors. Dennis, the owner of Beach Bum Cafe, sometimes does these special tastings for us as a Saturday treat and we love treats! =) Speaking of treats, Dennis finished up with a surprise affogato made with Tahitian Vanilla ice cream and his special Beach Bum Cafe espresso blend! 8) 8) 8)