If you follow me and spent any time on Twitter yesterday, you probably saw a live-tweet or two from my “Hole-in-the-Wall” Hawaii Food Tour. As tour operator and CFG (Chief Food Guy) Matthew Gray explained after my group of three boarded his mini-bus, along with seven other tourists, the tour focused on food that actual Hawaiians eat, rather than simply foods of Hawaii. There was plenty of that too (poke — marinated cubed ahi, bananas, and pineapple), but we also sampled rice noodles in Chinatown, exotic fruits, and pork buns that tasted identical to those I’d find down the street from my apartment in New York.

I first discovered Hawaii Food Tours a few days ago  while browsing TripAdvisor for activities, and after seeing overwhelmingly positive feedback (the tour is rated #5 of 238 attractions in Honolulu), I signed my family up immediately. I’ve being wanting to try one of the many food tours offered in New York City, and while this tour was a bit pricier ($99 per person), it seemed like the perfect way to spend half a day in Hawaii.

Since I already covered most of the tour in my posts on Twitter yesterday, I’m going to repost some of them here, with updated (higher-quality) photos.

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10:19 AM: First stop on the Hawaii Food Tour: Royal Kitchen in Chinatown for manapua (steamed meat buns).

10:46 AM: Stop #2: Coco Puffs at Liliha Bakery (pic). WOW.

11:09 AM: The tour has moved to Chinatown. CFG (Chief Food Guy) and newspaper food critic Matthew Gray talks to the group. *Continued: Locals approach, assuming that Gray is holding a tray of free samples.

11:24 AM: Rice noodles at Look Funn noodle shop… one of the last of its kind. Time to eat!

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11:37 AM: Live bull frogs in Honolulu Chinatown… $6.99 per pound. Guessing they’re not being sold as pets.

(Not from Twitter) – A Honolulu police officer writes a ticket after using a ruler to determine that this food stall’s produce extended too far out onto the sidewalk. Slow crime day, I suppose.

12:00 PM: Eating some exotic fruit in Chinatown… This is called a rambutan.

12:04 PM: Here come the Hawaiian foods… Spam “sushi” and poke (raw, seasoned ahi cubes)!

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12:09 PM: Now: “apple” bananas and coconut tarts.

12:17 PM: Pineapple two ways: natural (and the best you can get – anywhere), and marinated in preserved plum powder.

12:25 PM: Dessert: A “Keira special” smoothie … Topped with plum-infused vodka and pineapple juice.

12:55 PM: at Sun Chong Grocery.

1:02 PM: The most awful smelling fruit in the world: durian. The taste is described as “custardy rotten onion.”

1:18 PM: A fresh-flower lei at Lin’s Lei Shop.

1:56 PM: Last stop before it’s back to Waikiki: malasadas (like an overstuffed donut) at Leonard’s Bakery. So full!

There may not appear to be anything spectacular about the sushi plate I’ve just presented before you, but this platter of raw fish represents more than just a great meal. My SUteiShi dinner (disclaimer: that wasn’t all for me) was far better than I had expected, given that the restaurant both offered a significant coupon (50-percent off, via Groupon), and that it was located at 24 Peck Slip, which those familiar with Lower Manhattan will be quick to peg smack-dab in the middle of the South Street Seaport — perhaps the city’s biggest tourist trap after Times Square. The food was awesome, however. And the service was sufficient (one of my friends had his water glass refilled a dozen times during the meal, mostly because there was never any need to wait for a pitcher).

Top to bottom, the Under the Sea roll consisted of spicy scallop, scallions, tempura bits, and gold tobiko on top, for about $15. Then, just below that, the King of NY roll featured king crab (it’s not often that you find real crab in a sushi roll), avocado, mayo, and flying fish roe on top. The rest of the rolls included tuna and avocado, spicy tuna, California, and spicy salmon — each $5-7. There’s no shortage of great, relatively inexpensive sushi restaurants in the city, but I can’t say the same for the Financial District — the neighborhood I’ve called home for over a year now. I often trek 30 minutes to the Upper West Side to get my fix, but in the future, I might be willing to supplement those journeys with visits to SUteiShi.

Kimchi, kimbap, bulgogi, banchan, bindaeddeok, bibimbap — somehow I managed to make it through 24 years of life without trying any of these Korean staples, or really any Korean food at all. This changed just a couple hours after landing in Seoul, when my friend Tobye took me for a lunch of kimbap — essentially a Korean sushi roll, made with pickled radish, carrots, and other non-fish ingredients that tend to vary from restaurant to restaurant. It was actually quite filling, and cost about $1, if I remember correctly. Including a bowl of miso soup. My second meal (above), was at a Korean BBQ restaurant and featured bulgogi, or marinated beef. Like nearly every Korean meal that followed, there were plenty of all-you-can-eat side dishes, or banchan.

That first dinner was followed by bindaeddeok (the scallion pancake in the photo above), and makkoli, a milky rice wine. Alcohol seems to play a large role in South Korean culture, with many locals drinking until morning, so it’s no surprise that alcohol is typically consumed with more food.

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Another photo of my first Korean BBQ dinner.

The following night, Tobye and I accidentally ordered an incredibly spicy seafood stew, instead of the BBQ pork we thought we were ordering. The waiter brought out an English menu only after our dish arrived.

That meal was one of the spiciest I’ve ever had, and I nearly depleted the restaurant’s supply of “tissues” (napkins).

Even cheap noodle dishes include unlimited side dishes.

Like nearly ever city I’ve visited, there are plenty of Starbucks on hand as well. The store in the photo above is one of few in the world that replaced the iconic Starbucks text with the coffee chain’s name in the local language.

There’s nothing overwhelmingly unique about the Noryangjin Fish Market, but if you like fresh seafood, you can’t do much better than the restaurants on the second floor of the market — customers haggle for fish at the market below, then head upstairs to one of dozens of restaurants eager to fry up your catch for a fee.

Click the “read more” link for more photos from the market, including some aggressive crabs and one of the best fried fish meals I’ve ever had.

You’ll find countless species of mollusks on the market floor, including a variety of octopuses.

There are plenty of baby octopuses available as well.

Sushi (sashimi, to be more precise) is also a big hit, though you won’t find any spicy tuna rolls here.

Several vendors sell stingray sashimi, bizarrely enough.

Crabs — packed live in cardboard boxes with sawdust — are a big hit at the market.

The crabs appeared agitated when removed from their boxes — not surprising, considering that crabs tend to feel more at home swimming in water than packed tightly in sawdust.

Yup, that’s blood.

This vendor set up her lunch in the middle of the market floor, chowing down on kimchi, not seafood.

I assumed that this cat would be eating raw fish, but nope — that’s kibble in its bowl.

A vendor prepares our fish, which we negotiated down to about 20 bucks.

The finished product … I think the preparation came to about $15 or so, including beers and typical Korean side dishes of tofu and quail eggs. I didn’t love the sides, but the fish was incredible!

I was first introduced to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant when I saw a poster of the unique venue hanging on the wall of a Chinese restaurant in Columbia, Missouri of all places. When I arrived at our rented apartment in Hong Kong, I noticed the restaurant in a guide book, and made plans to visit.

My Hong Konger friend explained that the restaurant was mainly a tourist attraction (duh), but the meal was great (Peking duck, fried rice, and sauteed Chinese vegetables) and I doubt I’ll even forget the experience.

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Unfortunately I’m too exhausted to post any more today, but there’s plenty more to come tomorrow! For now, I need to rest up before my next dim sum breakfast, in a little over 8 hours.

The tasting featured a variety of appetizers and entrees, including Lobster Bisque and Caviar from The Russian Tea Room (definitely one of my favorites), Sunchoke Veloute Smoked Salmon from Gilt, Long Island Duck from Rouge Tomate, a Braised Pork Belly, Peanut Butter & Jalapeno Jelly Sandwich from Blue Smoke, and a Kanpachi Tiradito from Sushi Samba (its neutral flavors made for the perfect palette cleanser before moving on to dessert), just to name a few. Some of the desserts included a killer Peanut Butter & Jelly Bread Pudding from Dovetail, and Carrot Cake Macarons from Aureole (by far my favorite dessert), with many other petits fours available as well.

The mood at the event was generally upbeat, though some guests and former Gourmet editors appeared emotional during the “Golden Fork” presentation, as one of the food industry’s most recognized publications closed its doors. It was an honor to be able to attend tonight’s event honoring these colleagues; I wish the Gourmet staff the best of luck, and hope that they land on their feet, ready to take on a new challenge in our battered, yet still hopeful industry.

1. Don’t eat salad — I’ve mentioned the drinking water before, but eating anything raw washed in it could result in some pretty nasty stomach issues — I’ve seen it happen to several friends so far, and salad is definitely not worth the risk.

2. Reconsider vegetarianism — Since salads are out, it can be extremely difficult to find a variety of dishes cooked without meat — even tofu in Beijing is served in a meat sauce, and the green beans are cooked with beef.

3. Always carry toilet paper — I’ve found myself sick to my stomach a couple times, and most bathrooms don’t stock toilet paper. Napkins are also hard to come by so toilet paper can be used at the dinner table as well.

4. Decide what you want in advance — If you are a picky eater, have your concierge write down your favorite dishes in Chinese for you to show your waiter, as many restaurants don’t have English or picture menus.

5. McDonalds is always an option — I don’t eat fast food in the States, but I’ve already visited McDonalds twice and KFC once in the past week. It’s good, cheap, and familiar.

6. Try new things — China is a great place to rediscover your taste buds, and Lazy Susans make sharing dishes easy. Order a variety and sample everything on the table. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, head to the Donghuamen Night Market and sample some scorpions or seahorses. This is also a great place to shoot some exotic eats.

7. Carry Tums and Pepto-Bismol — If you can’t afford to be out of commission for a few days, these may be your only alternative. Be prepared to get sick once or twice, and pick up any medication you need before you leave home.

8. Order something else — You’ll probably come across a dish you just can’t stomach. Luckily, food is cheap here, so feel free to point to a neighbor’s dish if you’re not happy with your order.

9. Eat like a local — Hot pot (like fondue) and Peking duck are favorites in Beijing — available at hundreds of restaurants in the city. Try the Peking duck at Quan Ju De, it’s out of this world.

10. Don’t be turned off by low prices — Some of the best meals I’ve had here have cost less than 20 CNY (about $3). Just because a restaurant’s prices are low doesn’t mean the quality is as well.

Last night I could honestly say that was the best two bucks I’d ever spent… that, of course, changed with today’s lunch. A single U.S. dollar (about 7 CNY) bought my lunch, complete with tofu, rice, soup, fried chicken, and an enormous bottle of beer. My first two meals were both on a university campus, but great deals can also be found elsewhere in the city — as long as you’re willing to be fairly flexible with what you eat.