Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin Restaurant

A leisure stroll through Waikiki with my son and husband we ended up at Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin. A restaurant for tonkatsu lovers.  Tonkatsu a breaded deep fried pork cutlet often served with shredded cabbage.

We were quite impressed when we walked in.  The decor was cozy and welcoming, the restaurant was just at the end of their lunch rush when we sat down.  The menu was simple.  My husband was disappointed to find out that curry was not available.  Katsu Curry is served everyday until 4:30pm $15, but not on weekends or holidays.  We were there on a Sunday (figures).  Their Katsu Curry is also available on Tuesday and Wednesday nights for $17.  My husband ordered the hamburger plate. His order came with 2 small hamburger patties (it tastes very close to the ones from japan), salad and japanese soft cooked egg and of course rice and miso soup. It was delicious.  My son and I ordered the popular Ginza Tonkastu Set.  Ours came with Tonkatsu with a heap of shredded cabbage, rice and miso soup. The tonkatsu was absolutely amazing.  It was tender and juicy not dry, not over cooked. Wow! I was impressed.  The menu is quite pricey, but well worth it if your looking for authentic Japanese Tonkatsu in Waikiki.  Take out is available. You will find them in Waikiki at 255 Beachwalk. For more information on their hours or on parking, please call them at 808-926-8082  or check out their FaceBook for more information.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="281"] Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin's popular Tonkatsu Set
Photo Credit: ionasiatrend.com[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2027" align="alignleft" width="240"] Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin's Hamburger Set
Photo Credit: ionasiatrend.com[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2028" align="alignleft" width="225"] Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin's Tonkatsu Sauce
Photo Credit: ionasiatrend.com[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2033" align="alignleft" width="300"] Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin
Photo Credit: ionasiatrend.com[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2031" align="alignleft" width="300"] My Husband, youngest son and me.Photo Credit: ionasiatrend.com 

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[caption id="attachment_2032" align="alignleft" width="300"] I can never get them to take a serious picture
Photo Credit: ionasiatrend.com[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2035" align="alignleft" width="300"] Yup, thats me in the background
Photo Credit: ionasiatrend.com[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2034" align="alignleft" width="300"] Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin
Located in Waikiki at 255 Beachwalk[/caption]

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Does your face give away your age?

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="320"] Old lady (Photo credit: N.Calzas)[/caption]

Crepey skin and turkey neck can make you look older than you really are. Varying from person to person, signs of aging begins in our late 20's (eeks!).  Sagging skin, crows feet and marionette lines (smile lines when your not smiling) are signs of facial aging. Smoking, pollution, sun exposure, sleep positions and facial expressions are just a few factors that contribute to this facial aging.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="350"] English: 1BKV Collagen triple helix (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

I believe I speak for the majority of mature adults, in that we would all like to look and stay young looking.  The question is, how?  An important factor in keeping and staying young is collagen.  Collagen is a protein that is found in our bodies (for the scientific breakdown check out SmartSkincare.com) it is essential for younger looking skin. Im sure you have seen commercials and ads mentioning collagen enhancing moisturizers.  Collagen added in our skincare is nothing new, but many times these magical promises of skin plumping miracles fall short.  The collagen molecules are either too large or too small or bogus all together, so the product is not helping you achieve that younger look.  Some that do work, usually give us that temporary satisfaction.  Since Im no doctor or scientist checkout SmartSkincare.com they inform savvy shoppers like you and me about products and their ingredients.  This quote is taken from their site: "SmartSkinCare.com is an independent skin care information portal for savvy consumers. We don't sell skin care products or cosmetics. Nor do we endorse skin care manufacturers. Our goal is to help you make genuinely informed choices in skin care and rejuvenation."

Theres got to be another way to get this collagen. In Asia collagen liquid drinks have been very popular.  There are many brands out there and of course they all claim they have that "magic pill" in this case "magic drink".  New to America, Lac Taut Brand has some very impressive Data and Safety Profile this is quoted from their site:

• "FDA classifies ingestible collagen as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)"


• "Taut collagen peptide is comprised of 90% Type I Collagen (shown to support skin and joint health) and 10% Type III, providing the highest quality and effectiveness out of 28 types of collagen*"


• "Taut is manufactured in Japan according to stringent GMP (good manufacturing practices)"


• "Each ingredient is tested and certified safe by Japanese independent standards organizations"

"Packaged in sealed glass bottles for optimal sterility and integrity"  Made specificly for the American market, there is no fish taste or powders to mix, just drink! and let science do the rest.  I have not tried this product yet. I've been wanting to try a collagen drink, but wasn't sure which ones were worth trying.  I was so impressed with the scientific backing, I had to write about it.  For more information on this company and product please check out their site at www.renewalliance.com

There are many other ways to increase collagen.  I will continue on this subject in a series of different methods to help increase collagen to stay youthful looking.

I would like to hear from you if you've tried this product and what your thoughts and results were.

If you tried another brand of liquid collagen drinks please let me know which ones you liked or ones I should stay away from.

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Pro Makeup Brushes for the Everyday Gal

[caption id="attachment_1887" align="alignleft" width="225"] Some of my Makeup brushes[/caption]

I am often asked which makeup brushes are the best.  I can only speak for the ones I have personally tried and I have tried quite a few different ones.  My personal favorites are from 2 different brands.  Sephora Pro-Brushes and MUD Brushes. Sephora-Pro brushes were created with high quality natural hair and synthetic hair.  The synthetic brushes offer a tricolor blend of bristle and anti-bacteria treatment to keep your concealer and foundation hygienic. Each brush is hand cut, and dipped in black lacquer 9x giving it a beautiful shinny finish.  The feral is chrome-finished with the brush number and sephora flame etched in. This chrome will never fade or tarnish. There are 40 Pro-brushes in this collection. My ultimate favorite in this collection are the foundation brush #56 Pro Flawless Airbrush for the ultimate foundation finish (#58 would be my second foundation brush choice), Angled Blush Brush #49 for the perfect cheeks, Precision Concealer Brush #45 for the perfect concealer blend and the Pro Airbrush #55 for ultra smooth powder finish. MUD (Makeup Designory) is another great must have for every gal's makeup brush collection. This unique collection of high quality premium brushes is designed to ensure perfect performance. Only the finest natural and synthetic fibers are chosen for each brush. My personal favorites are the 210 Angle Liner Brush for perfect precise lines. 330 Shadow Fluff Brush for perfect shadow application and Crease Brush 800 for the perfect crease blending.

[caption id="attachment_1890" align="alignleft" width="300"] Apparently, my cat Maili loves my brushes too![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1891" align="alignleft" width="300"] Maili, just loves my brushes![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1889" align="alignleft" width="300"] Pro-Brushes for the everyday gal[/caption]

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Chinese Face Mapping

[caption id="attachment_1872" align="alignleft" width="300"] Chinese face map[/caption]

Mein Shiang, reading the face.  Chinese medicine says that our imbalances show up on  our faces. Each of our organs is an open window to our face.  Our eyes are windows to our liver, our nose to our lungs, our ears to our kidneys, our lips are windows to our spleen and our tongue is a window to the heart.  When our body's energy is in perfect flow our skin will be in perfect condition.  Acne on our face and where its located could indicate an underlying cause.  Western medicines say there is little truth to this Eastern way of thinking (please see the disclaimer below).

1 and 3 Forehead: Digestive System

The Chinese believe that our forehead is connected to our bladder and digestive system.  Acne on the forehead could mean your diet is rich in dairy, sugary foods and could indicate too much alcohol. Deep lines could indicate a blocked colon and/or gallbladder.  Too much stress and irregular sleeping habits also can cause this symptom.  Drinking green tea will help cleanse out your system.

2 Liver:  Area between your eyes

This area is believed to be connected to the liver and heart.  Acne in this area means too much alcohol, dairy and/or fatty foods in your diet and needs to be reduced.  Food allergies also show up in this area.  Exercising, getting more sleep avoiding alcohol, smoking and late night snacking will help reduce the acne in this area.

4 and 10 Ears: Kidneys and Heart

If this area is hot or red you need to cut back on caffeine and alcohol.  Deep creases in the ear lobe are signs of heart problems.  Too much cholesterol.

6 and 8 Under Eyes: Kidneys

Dark circles could mean something simple as inadequate rest and/or dehydration.  Sinus allergies and Kidney problems usually show up in this area.  Drink plenty of water and cut out all coffee, tea and soda.

5 and 9 Cheeks: Heart and Respiratory System

Break-outs here could be from your cell phone and even resting dirty hands on the face.  Cheeks are linked to the respiratory system and the heart.  Fatty foods could cause break outs here.  Smokers could get those red veins on the cheek area.  Drinking alcohol, coffee, tea and sodas causes dehydration and break-outs here.  Washing your pillow case weekly, clean your cell phone daily with an alcohol-based wipe, cutting back on sugar and eating more greens will help with future break-outs.

7 Nose and Upper Lip: Stomach and Intestines

Acne on the nose area could mean high blood pressure and constipation due to poor diet.  Decrease spicy and oily foods.  Increase good fats such as Omega 3, 6 and 9.  Deep lip lines could indicate digestion problems.  Break-outs in this area could be due to food allergies.

11 and 13 Sides of Chin: Hormones

Break-outs and pigmentation in this area are hormonal related and often occur during your menstrual cycle.

12 Chin: Stomach

May need to add more fiber to your diet and consider detoxing to help with digestion.

14 Neck and Decollete:

Acne in this area usually indicates your body fighting bacteria to avoid illness.  Drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest.  Lines on the neck sometimes mean thyroid problems.

I came across some very interesting articles.  You can find them below.

Whats your body telling you? Mishio Kushi Theory (face reading) 

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DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WITHIN THIS POST IS NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE OR SUBSTITUTE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE, COUNSELING, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT.  ALWAYS SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE FROM YOUR PHYSICIAN.