No Mo' Lunch
By Braddah Lance
Grinding away at work on Tuesday (no, not eating... actual work), I hear a faint..... "lance..... laaance".
Who? Wat?
Peek up my head from my half-walled cubicle like a meerkat, scanning left to right looking for da source.
Opso.
Eh, lo-lo. Nobody calling you.
"Lance!"
Ho! Gotta be somebody.
Turn around dis time and who do I see? Uncle Rodney staring me down with his infamous grin like he....... uh...... dat's fo' a'nODDah blog. 
So I stand up and walk towards da front of da office and who do I see pop out his head?
opso!
Now they BOTH grinning........ 
UR: "You ate lunch already?" (It's 11:30am)
BL: "Uh, nope." (It's 11:30am.... who eats lunch 'dis early?) "Wassap opso!"
UR: "We going lunch... you like come?"
BL: "Shoots. Let me get my wallet." (Readjusting my body clock as I walk back to my cubicle) 
So we head out walkin' to a little dine-in Uncle Rodney picked out (sorry, pictahs kinda blurry cause wen I normally take pictahs I take long time but we had guest so had to rush)...................
Cafe Imperial Tonkatsu House
Lobby area of a commercial/condo building on the corner of 725 Kapiolani Blvd and Coral Street
It's a nice cozy little place with about a dozen tables and of course.........
A bar!....... One of da first things opso noticed. 
Mostly...... "katsu" stuff and da prices not fo' da faint of heart.... especially fo' lunch
Tonkatsu sauce, housemade salad dressing and "spices"
All the meals come with miso. And yes, there was tofu and green onions sitting on da bottom.
Uncle Rodney had da Oroshi Katsu with a ponzu dipping sauce
I thought opso ordered sake.... but it was Uncle Rodney's ponzu sauce.
opso opted fo' a classic Chicken Katsu Curry
(had to hurry and take pictah cause I nevah like his food get cold... plus dis was da SECOND shot.... ai-goo)
I had da Katsu Donburi
Da curry smelled good... well, like curry. They added brocolli to it which I've seen a couple times before but not too often.
Da katsu was ono! Very soft and da breading wasn't "overpowering" so you could taste both da chicken and da.... uh, katsu. It wasn't over cooked either but fo' da price we should of had two slabs each.
Uncle Rodney said his was ono too but have you heard him evah say anything bad? 
opso said his was ono too but da Braddah was sweating like da curry was too hot.... disappointing Braddah.... disappointing. How da heck you handle my kim chee?
So how does Cafe Imperial Tonkatsu House rate on da Shaka-nack meter?
Tree shakas and Bumbye
If you love katsu then you'd really like dis place but da portions and da price jus' nevah do it fo' me.
I know kinda weird.... back to back reviews but had to share! I don't venture out for lunch much during work cause I usually surf but dis was a welcome treat! Dat kinda made my day and da reason fo' dis Happy Feel Good Friday blog!
SHOUT OUT: A huge Mahalos to opso cause he sprang for lunch treating Uncle Rodney and I! (We did leave dat tip though - it was da least we could do). Next time we buy.... how's Mickey D's sound?
DA KOREAN WORD OF DA DAY! -
(as quoted from Braddah Lance)
OPSO
(ohp-so)
Haole Translation: No more
Use: Wen you no mo' nothing
Sentence: “Ai-goo, money opso.”
Sentence: “Comments opso.”
Wassup Wit Dat!
February 27th, 2009 at 9:47 am
MMMM, katsu curry. I broke down yesterday and had katsu curry at Yummy's at Kamehameha Center.
That was a nice treat. Does Opso work at the paper too? Maybe he's a high powered sales person at Jaguar down the street. Maybe he can get me a discount on an XK8 convertible. Blue on blue. Say....95% off retail?
February 27th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Good morning BL!
anada fuud review! I love tonkatsu and chicken katsu curry! Can't wait to go Japan already.
February 27th, 2009 at 9:54 am
Wow, Korean word of the day today! Cool! The chicken katsu curry looks so-o-o good!
February 27th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Da wife (mines one, not yours) said she liked this place. Probably because of the bottles on da wall that you guys couldn't touch since it was still work time.
If you thought the prices there were steep for Tonkatsu, try Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin. Aigoo been there once, had the experience, and unless I suddenly get rich. I may never be able to afford to go back.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:25 am
I LOVE THAT PLACE! besides the katsu, try the oyako donburi.. ono, ono, ono.. now i'm hungry.
leslie
February 27th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Domo Arigato BL-san. Eh dis make for one Feel Good Friday cause you was with some guud friends fo lunch. Neva mind blurry. Da main ting you guys enjoy. Opso was sweating not because da curry was hot, but was huud work eating dat beeg lunch
So wat, you coming to da next triad pahty right? Gotta show up at least cuz.
Happy Feel Guud Friday all you Kwonics, Lanceformers and Lurkahs. Chee Hoo
February 27th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Opso - you da man! Two fuud reviews in one day (da oddah one on O&E) - good ting I nevah see dis befo lunch - I would have to decide between tonkatsu and Mexican!
"Uncle Rodney's Evil Grin" - dat would be a good band name.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Hooo... no can handle 2 food reviews in one week. (can!) hard fo look at food pics while trying to watch da figah too. (actually- watching da figah grow)
da oddah half go hair salon in dat building. I tink I go eat katsu while she go get pretty. ha ha.
happy FGF everybodies.
February 27th, 2009 at 11:02 am
BL . . . i'm soo smart, i went back to yesterday's blog to get the link to see the katsu pictures!!
look good too!!
aaaand . . . i think i have the haole translation for opso - obsolete!
thanks for sharing BL
have a great weekend everyone . . . my friday is tomorrow (i get sun & mon off for working just 5hrs on sat!!)
February 27th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Get tree fuud reviews today, no fo get about Cat's blog too!
February 27th, 2009 at 11:15 am
hehe, I did the same thing as kako mochi - go check the picasa link to spock da fuud!
Great minds, eh kako?
*fist bump*
Katsu looks good! mmmm - katsu curry! *drool*
So what BL, you was so hungry, your hands was shaking, and that's why the pics blurry? haha! nah nah nah, just messin'.
Ho, seeing that fuud makes me feel good!
February 27th, 2009 at 11:17 am
@ kako mochi: how about "opsolete?"
February 27th, 2009 at 11:23 am
BL, no group pic? WWD?!
February 27th, 2009 at 11:26 am
kako mochi: hehe...I did the same thing to view the pics!
February 27th, 2009 at 11:55 am
mmm... i like cafee imperial! actually, i think the chicken katsu was more tasty than the pork, though. i love katsu curry but can't eat it too often (but i can handle HOT food... opso, i'm disappointed in you! aigoo... ).
KAN - "opsolete" - too funny!
happy feel good friday kwonics, lanceformers and lurkahs!
February 27th, 2009 at 11:56 am
that place is good...i like the way the katsu is cooked...plus it's walking distance from where i live so can walk it off afterwards! Have you tried the Korean place a few doors down? It's called Ah-Lang...pretty good...a bit pricey but I think she has lunch specials...
February 27th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Nope. Across da street..... but I not sayin' which street.
Uh.... I'll take two at dat price please.
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Ok, now you reeeeeaaaallly making me J! I would love to go back there and jus' grind ALL day! Oh yeah, and "swim" in da furo!
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It was good! And I figgah I try try in some oddah culture too.
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Yeah I love donburi too but I like da kine with sauce dat goes all ovah da rice. Dis one was kinda dry and a little chang on da vegetables.
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Yeah but da Kwonics can be a bit "antsy" at times.
Tuesday night is tough. I get one early softball game at 6:30pm and we get one bbq going aftah. Let me know offline wea going be... I come aftah work... or aftah da game... stink and all.
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Rogah!
She eats?
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At least something oddah than da economy is.
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You one shmaht buggah! See, how quickly I fo'get to put up da second link?
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I know I invaded "her turf". She has her reviews on Fri, I get mine's on Thurs, I tink Uncle does Mon and Kelli does Tues?. Got it? Good.
February 27th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Yoooo Howzit BL
Always wanted to try eat ova dea
now I know get bar I really goin make sua we go 
opso; eh you bagga why you neva call me I would have come....anything fo one free lunch
NKHEA...jus ate pork cutlet from Rainbow's fo lunch
February 27th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Eh
what happened to my earlier post 
Any who's....Howzit BL
I always wanted to try eat dea, now I know get one bar we really goin
opso;
wow, how come you neva call me I would have come....anything fo one free lunch and beea's 
NKHEA...goin back work
February 27th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
What's happening
NKHEA...goin crazy
February 27th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
dang! i knew my ears was itchy for some reason!
BL - ho....i neva know you was going blog bout dis. i thought you jus take pikchas for da hell of it.
and at least you neva take pikchas of Largo and me from da back.
huh? and whatchoo talkin bout sweating?
ahhh......you when mistake my sniffles and runny nose cause of da cold i trying to get ova. c'mon.....dat curry was just as hot as Grace's kim chee!
NKHEA - was spur of da moment kine. i went dea for pick up my ticket from Largo for tomorrow nite's stuff and thought.....eh.....we go eat lunch. and den we see BL looking all hungry sitting in front his computah. ho da pua ting.
February 27th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
You guys too good!
No, was too windy.
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Now DAT's a good one! One fo' da WWD! glossary (coming soon btw)!
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I know... brain fart.
Wow! We get some real smaht buggahs yeah?
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I wondah how long they took to perfect their batter cause it's real good.
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I don't venture out much from our building unless it's to surf or play basketball.... maybe I'll be brave and check it out one day wen I no have lunch.
February 27th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Ooh, I love chicken katsu and chicken katsu curry even more!! BEElieve me, I can sadly eat a lot.
That was the day (I had day off) I went to Jack in a Box for my two free tacos. 
I gotta order either of those dishes next time! Yeah, come to the get together all stink and sit by BananaFysh! 
Oh wait, he might not even be there! Drat! When are you going to swing through the newsroom again? Haven't seen you lately!
February 27th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
They serve pork katsu there
All I get here is chicken katsu....I'm growing feathers 
February 27th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
I've wanted fo try dat place fo long time. Looks like quality over quantity.
I stay hungry now!
February 27th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
I try to do my food reviews on Wednesday, but I forget or get too busy. Sorry, yeah. Midterms time! I love the katsu at Cafe Imperial, too. I went there last time with Mr. Mentor.
February 27th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Opso:
Watch out you going be one celebrity. I think you should carry around a camera and take pictures of everytime you go out to eat and post it on the internet. I would be your biggest fan. By the way thanks for the great food and beers at Side Street (I had to mention this to make people even more jealous)
February 28th, 2009 at 1:19 am
Shauna said -
You see how she treats me?!? WWD!?!
So rude!
I think BL should get Shauna's share of omiyage.
I know Da Wife not going complain.
February 28th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
BL - good choice on the Katsu Don. With the Japanese chili pepper flakes, oh-noh! Rodney's tonkatsu with the ponzu sounds good. Gotta have that the next time I go there.
March 1st, 2009 at 8:50 am
All these FUUD places to eat when I visit in April woooo hooooo
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:47 am
I'm always there...... you're too focused on your blog.
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I tink anything you can "katsu", they have.
I seen chicken, pork, beef and even a croquette on their menu.
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Yup... and da price reflects it. But since I'm kind of a heavy eater I prefer da later.
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Yup midterms.... your readers are getting antsy.
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Hey! Wat about WWD!? Dat's it! No soup fo' you!
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No lie..... you know you like it!
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Yup! I love da chili peppah too! And da ponzu one was... weird. Only cause I only do dat wit tempura.
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Is dat a hint?
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:19 am
The Oroshi Katsu was guuud. Choke daikon. Pour da ponzu sauce in the daikon bowl and put some of the dripping daikon on da katsu - broke da mout.
Only ting - Paula had to later put up wit my daikon futs.