Category Archive

Yesterday for lunch our gang had the “ono’s” for some grilled grindz, so we headed on over to Bob’s Bar-B-Que at the corner of Waikamilo Road and Dillingham Boulevard in Kalihi.

Bob’s often packs a major working-class crowd during the 12 O’clock lunch hour, with most parking stalls taken, so lucky we arrived before the rush and got in and out quickly.

This may appear to be your typical old-school plate lunch stand, but what really sets Bob’s apart isn’t how it looks, but how it SMELLS! As in billows of barbecue smoke wafting out from the exhaust vent, which immediately hit you once you’re in the lot, tempting to draw you in.

So let’s see what they got!

I love when there’s numbered pictures to refer to on a menu board. Every take-out restaurant should get into this practice. Makes deciding and ordering so much easier!

And that’s just their featured items. Behind the window is the main menu board that includes much more, including breakfast. There’s everything from Saimin, to baked beans, to their famous Chocolate Malts. I’ll run through a little more on that later.

Diner “E”, our official Kalihi Eats tour conductor, decided on his usual: the combo plate, this time the (#21) Kalbi Shortribs Combo…

Diner “A” went for the (#6) Mix Plate…

I also was in full “T-Rex mode” and went for the New York Steak…

There’s an area on the right side to sit down and eat….

The area view and property itself isn’t gonna’ attain 5-star status anytime soon, but it serves a functional purpose and is quite good at it. We had to scoot back to the office, so we ordered take-out.

Well, as is usually (or more like always) the case, the menu pictures were much prettier than what was actually served. But hey, this is take-out, not Roy’s or John Dominis, so our only concern was da’ flavah!

Diner “A”’s order: Plate #6 - Mixed Plate: Kalbi, Teri Beef, Teri Chicken, $7.35 (click view full size image)

Here’s a macro shot of that stack of a barbecue dream…

Flame-grilled Teriyaki Beef, Kalbi Shortribs, and Teriyaki Chicken

Witness the moist teriyaki and kalbi glaze, accentuated by those “papa’a” sear markings for the maximum boost in flavor. You just KNOW this is somethin’ ono! And it was all very moist, tender and cooked to perfection.

And when I said flamin’ grill, it was really flamin’…

Here we have Diner “E”’s dish…

Diner “E”’s order: Plate #21 - Kalbi Shortribs Combo with Fried Shrimp/Scallop, $7.60

What impressed me as much as that most excellent Kalbi (which they shared a piece for me to try), was how well the golden crispy shrimp went along with it. You’d think these two heavy-hitters would clash, but they actually go really well together. The shrimp aren’t very big, but the batter makes up for it in volume and clean, crispness…

Looking for excellent barbecued surf ‘n turf on a budget, look no further than Bob’s combo plates. This is the one to order.

Diner “E” also ordered a side of their Giant Fries…

#26 - Giant Fries, $2.75

I LOVE thick-cut fries like this. These are similar to the seasoned wedges at KFC, very tender and moist inside, with a mildly-spiced, crispy thin batter sealing the deal. This and one of their burgers would be fantastic. It also complimented my order quite well.

Speaking of which, here’s my plate..

Diner “P”s order: New York Steak, $7.30

OK, this place is all about grillin’ and BBQ, so you’d think they’d ace a steak, right? Nope. Compared to the other two plates my partners in crime enjoyed, my New York Steak here was rather disappointing. Shucks.

Just looking at it, doesn’t it almost look like it came out of a frying pan, and not off a grill? Where’s the cross-hatched sear markings? Also, the finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper seasoning tasted a bit bitter, thanks to the garlic being burnt by the open flame on the grill.

For presentation, and to check on its doneness, I cut it into bite size pieces, here…

New York Steak

That looks better, but what I think made this order fall short was that this cut of New York Strip tasted and had the texture of a previously-frozen steak, which, if was the case, robbed it of flavor and moisture. Thankfully it was still tender and cooked medium-rare as ordered, but still. While I won’t say it was bad, it wasn’t as great as I had hoped it would be. While I’m not expecting prime beef for just $7.30, just the fact that it was called “New York Steak” at a “Bar-B-Que” joint had my expectations high. Blazin’ Steaks got them beat here.

The front counter had a bin of condiments, including a bottle labeled “steak sauce”. Hoping it was A-1 (my favorite!), it turned out to be just shoyu mixed with Worcestershire sauce. Bleh.

Of course all the orders came with 2 scoops rice and mac’ salad. The mac salad was really good. Creamy, with a just grated carrots and chopped parsley.

Diner “E” also liked his side order of house-made Kim Chee, which he said was flavorful and on the mild side, which he prefers over the really hot stuff. He said they used to include the Kim Chee with the Kalbi combo, but now it’s a side order.

Next time I’m getting the combo plate. That Kalbi is up there with the best I’ve ever had. That, along with those golden crispy panko-crusted shrimp is a winner.

I’ll go over a few items on the take-out menu that stand out…

How about The Big Kahuna, which is a breakfast plate that includes 3 eggs (any style), choice of ham, bacon, links, corned beef hash, Portuguese or Vienna sausage, with 2 scoops rice, 2 slices of toast and 2 pancakes. All that for $6.25. OMG!

Whatever you do, don’t tell the doctor about that one. Actually, don’t even tell doc you eat at Bob’s. It’s our “little” secret. lol

Then there’s the Giant Burger for $3.40, OR, how’s this? The FAT BOY BURGER, which is a Teri Burger with fried egg on it. Whoah!

Other feature barbecue plates included Baby Back Pork Ribs, Polish Sausage (with Bob’s Baked Beans), Hamburger Steak, Loco Moco, Grilled Saba and BBQ Pork Chops, and that’s still just half of it.

Bob’s Bar-B-Que also offers Picnic Packs which include equal portions of Kalbi Shortribs, Teriyaki Beef and Teriyaki or Hibachi Chicken in packs based on people count, which amounts to $5.50 per person.

Bob’s also does catering, including all their favorites and then some. It’s quite a list, and looks pretty much within the ballpark on prices.

Here you can see they’re on the opposite corner of those Golden Arch guys…

Bob’s Bar-B-Que is located at 1366 Dillingham Blvd., on the opposing corner of McDonald’s and Midas.

Bob’s Bar-B-Que
1366 Dillingham Blvd (at Waikamilo Rd.)
Tel. 808-842-3663
Fax. 808-842-3662
6am to 10pm Monday-Thursday, 6am to 11pm Friday & Saturday, 7am to 10pm Sunday.

The Tasty Island Rating:

(3) Very Good. Considerable of another visit or purchase. (Supah’ Ono!)

Note: This is a combined rating of Diner “A”’s mixed plate, which he gave 4 SPAM Musubi, Diner “E”’s plate, which was given 3 SPAM Musubi, and my plate, which was given 1 SPAM Musubi.

Related links:
• Bob’s Bar-B-Que - ‘Ono Kine Grindz review
• Bob’s Bar-B-Que features tasty grinds at low prices - Honolulu Advertiser review

When it comes to the back-to-basics, simple-is-best approach to Okazuya-style grindz, St. Louis Delicatessen is where it’s at.

This classic Okazuya shop, located at the corner of Waialae and 3rd avenue, across the St. Louis-Chaminade campus, has been here for decades and is still owned and operated by the same local Okinawan family.

Their signature Chowfun noodles are the foundation to their keep-it-simple approach, and above (or more often underneath) everything else, is THE item to order here.

Full serving Chowfun noodles, $2.00

The simplest execution of ever-so-slightly flavored Chowfun noodles (Hula brand we think), julienned carrots and string beans. That’s it. The flavoring is difficult to detect what exactly they’ve got in there. It doesn’t taste like oyster sauce, but perhaps a combination of chicken stock and/or dashi, and maybe perhaps just dash of shoyu. It’s just on the verge of tasting outright plain, yet there’s “something” in it that’s their secret. That verge-of-being-plain flavor is what makes them the perfect compliment with all the savory items that go with it.

Continuing this simple-is-best approach are all the “goodies” to complete the meal…

Pomai’s custom “oda”, $6.75

Here above on this custom order of mine we have: (top to bottom) vegetable tempura, shrimp tempura, potato tempura, nori musubi, nishime, fried chicken, potato hash and luncheon meat, over a bed of their signature chowfun noodles.

Diner “E”’s order…

Diner “E”’s custom “oda”, $6.70

Shown above on Diner “E”’s plate is: (top to bottom) vegetable tempura, nishime, long rice, cone sushi (aburage), potato hash and fried chicken, over a half serving of chowfun noodles.

Diner “A”’s order…

Diner “A”’s order: Plate B, $6.50

Diner “A”’s order shown above includes: (top to bottom) cone sushi (aburage), musubi (plain), potato tempura, fried chicken, luncheon meat, shrimp tempura, over a half serving of their signature chowfun noodles.

Just look at how much Okazuya grindz you get for under $7! Unless you’re really, really hungry, I swear any one of these plates could easily feed two, possibly even three adults. My eyes were certainly bigger than my stomach on my particular order, as it kept me busy nibbling away at that over a four hour period just to rebuild my appetite and finish it.

I already explained their signature chowfun noodles, so now let’s into detail on the rest of the items here.

First we must clarify on the tempura selections here. As you notice the, the batter isn’t your traditional Japanese style that’s delicate and flaky, but more “local style”, having a more glutenous and chewy texture to it. This applies to the vegetable and shrimp tempura.

Going back to simple again, the vegetable tempura is just carrots and string beans; the same thing used in the chowfun. But the combination works beautifully. I love this tempura! The shrimp size in that tempura is kinda’ small, but the flavor of it sure does permeate throughout the thick, glutenous batter its encapsulated in.

The potato “tempura” is the most interesting here, as it’s essentially a traditional Okinawan Andagi, with a thin sliver of sweet potato (not the purple Okinawan type) in the middle of it…

Potato “Andagi” Tempura

What’s interesting is how the flavor of this thin piece of sweet potato really punches through in that slightly sweet, chewy, nicely crusted Andagi “shell”.

The fried chicken is pretty much just your basic recipe, very crisp and crunchy on the outside, tender and moist inside. Simple. This goes great with that nori musubi.

Speaking of musubi, this is also another basic that St. Louis Okazuya excels at. The musubi has great integrity, and doesn’t fall apart like some other places’ musubi have a tendency of doing. The nori version (compared to the plain) has a piece of seedless Ume inside. That alone is worth the extra 10 cents.

The Nishime is another winner here. The broth has a deeply simmered dashi flavor, and the daikon, kombu and carrots are all tender and just soaking in the “onoliciousness” of that broth (hey, new word!).

The luncheon meat is the “institutional type” (not SPAM) found in that white square can, simply fried up. This also goes great with the nori musubi.

The potato hash is more potato than corned beef, and a bit loose (falls apart), so there’s better out there, but still, it works.

Diner “E” loves their long rice (a regular item for him), which is he says is also a simple recipe (he’s guessing) of shoyu, sugar, with the noodles cooked in chicken stock. Sounds good to me.

That pretty much covers our favorites at St. Louis Deli. I’d say the ultimate way to enjoy this type of food is to go buy your plates, then head on over to a beach park, either Ala Moana or up Diamond Head-Kahala side. Go for a swim to build up your hunger, then head back on the sand and dig into your St. Louis Okazuya lunch plate. The filling starch and salty, savory meats just hits da’ spot, along with the ambience of salty air and blue ocean just hits da’ spot. Das’ da’ best’est’est’est!

Here’s the menu*…

*Current as of this writing.

The front of the shop…

St. Louis Delicatessen shop front

Truly a hidden gem! The inside of the shop is very cramped, with only enough standing space for about 6 people max.. I arrived to pick up this order at around 10:30am, which when I walked in, there were only 2 people inside. Within minutes of me standing there, a line had already built leading out the door. Folks, as hidden as this place is, they are very popular, so don’t underestimate anything! And with most Okazuya shops, when food items run out, it’s out. That’s it. No more. Arimasen. So I’d recommend going early for best selection. At least before noon.

Located next door (to the left) of St. Louis Drive In on the corner of Waialae and 3rd avenue…

Remember, don’t get confused with St. Louis Drive In, or that sign. St. Louis Delicatessen is an unaffiliated business that’s NEXT DOOR!

So if you want Okazuya style grindz that’s fundamentally simple, yet absolutely delicious, at an unbeatable value, check out St. Louis Delicatessen.

St. Louis Delicatessen
3147 Waialae avenue
Tel. 732-0955
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 8am - 1:30pm (closed Sundays and Mondays)

The Tasty Island Rating:

(4) Excellent. Worth another visit or purchase. (Winnahz!)

Brandi’s Lunch Wagon - Hamburger Steak Plate (click on image to enlarge)

Here’s another filler post, digging deep into the archives of the past.

Actually, “filling” may be an understatement! Because of the outrageous size of the two burger patties on this Hamburger Steak plate lunch, we nicknamed this lunch wagon properly known as Brandi’s, “Hockey Pucks”.

Just look at the scale of those gravy-smothered ground beef delights in comparison to those standard-sized scoops of rice. Outrageous! And they were thick like hockey pucks as well. Both of ‘em. How about adding a fried egg or two on it? Then we’d have to name it the “Godzilloco Moco”. Or, “The Angioplasty Plate”.

You’re probably going to either say “That’s so wrong”, or “Bring it on!”

Going back in memory, I remember all their plates practically required two hands to carry, which easily had to have weighed in over a pound each. Choke, CHOKE grindz. IIRC, they were also good enough in flavor that we returned for an encore or two. So gladly they didn’t get smacked across the ice (or sand on the beach in this case) like a hockey puck.

Brandi’s Lunch Wagon used to be located on an access road behind Office Max in Kaka’ako. This was perhaps approximately 8 years ago. If you know of this lunch wagon, leave a comment on their whereabouts, either past or present.

Imagine the impending “Kanakattack” after “pounding” this poundage of a Hamburger Steak plate. ZZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZZ

Teri Chicken plate, $6.50

Two weeks ago we sampled the grinds at Concessions Surf & Snacks over at the Ewa end of Ala Moana Beach Park. The plate lunches there were so good, it only left us wondering in curiosity if there was something even better on the “other side”.

Enter, or more like walk up to Surf & Snack Diamond Head at the - yes - Diamond Head end of Ala Moana Beach Park.

What’s important to note about this particular concession stand is that it’s located on the busier end of the park, nearest Magic Island, where many folks are out on the grass having a picnic, or just cruisin’ the parking lot. Even on this visit on a lazy Thursday at noon, there were considerably more customers than “Concessions” on the Ewa end at the same time and day two weeks ago.

Here’s the place…

Surf and Snacks Diamond Head at Ala Moana Beach Park

The pond is located just behind on the right side, and Magic Island is right across the street…

Ala Moana Beach and Magic Island

What a view. Now let’s get to the grindz.

Diner “E” ordered a Chicken Katsu/Roast Pork mixed plate…

Chicken Katsu/Roast Pork mix, $7.25

The chicken katsu was very good. Moist and tender inside, with a golden brown n’ delicious, crispy panko crust. What was odd was the sauce, which tasted like a Chinese sweet and sour sauce, similar to what’s used for Sweet and Sour Shrimp. But you know what? I liked it! This must might be the new wonder sauce for Katsu.

The Roast Pork was a let down though. The pork itself was cooked nice and tender, but the gravy - the most important part - lacked depth and character.

Which was also the case with my Loco Moco…

Loco Moco, $6.50

Looks fantastic, but again the gravy was a deal-breaker. It just tasted watered down, which it was indeed a bit thin in texture. The burger patty, while having a nicely seared crust, still wasn’t anything special. Also, the rice was soggy, and the mac salad another so-so deal; it didn’t have that desirable creaminess. At least the two sunnyside-up eggs were done perfectly, with the yolks still runny, just the way I like it. So props to that.
The best of the bunch was the Teri Chicken plate that Diner “A” ordered…

Teri Chicken plate, $6.50

And still it wasn’t perfect, yet. The chicken arrived at the table raw on the inside, so Diner “A” had to take it back. Good thing we sat nearby on the surrounding tables to eat. That would have been a hassle had we gone somewhere farther on the beach to eat. So they cooked it all the way, and added another large piece to boot.

Now that it was done right, this boneless, skin-on barbecued teriyaki chicken rocked! The absolutely delicious teriyaki sauce packed a punch, and had enough moisture to coat the outside. The best part was the seared and slightly “papa’a” skin that gave it that hibachi-grilled, smoked flavor. Even though they went back on the grill, they were still very moist and tender. Winner.

There were two guys doing kitchen duty and a girl at the front counter, so staffing wasn’t an issue like it was over at the Ewa “Concessions”.

Got a birthday coming up? Give them “Beach Bucks” Gift Certificates!…

Interesting. Gotta’ say, that would be quite a unique gift. lol Actually, I think this may not be valid, or there may be stipulations, as, according to the girl working at Concessions Surf & Snack on the Ewa end, they’re no longer operated by the same owner and are separate entities now.

Here’s the front window…

The sign in the center promotes Shave Ice, running $3.00. Sounds reasonable enough for frozen water, transformed and covered in syrup.

Here’s the menu…

Click on it to expand the entire menu

Their hours of operation are 8:30am to 5:30pm daily.

We sat on the red table to the left…

Nice lookin’ logo…

Surf & Snack Diamond Head
Concession - Lunch Wagon - Catering
Located at the Diamond Head end of Ala Moana Beach Park, across Magic Island
Hours of operation: 8:30am to 5:30pm daily
The Tasty Island rating:

(1) Average. (She Go)

*With note: The Teri Chicken deserves 3 SPAM Musubi.

Related Links:
• Concessions Surf and Snacks at Ala Moana Beach Park

Concessions Surf and Snacks - Chili Rice Bowl, $3.25

The popular surf spot off Ala Moana beach known as “Concessions” is called that for the simply obvious reason that it’s lined up straight off the concession stand on the Ewa end of the park. So how about the concession stand itself? What get for grind?

Well, upon Diner “E”’s suggestion, we decided to check it out!

There are actually two concession stands at Ala Moana Beach. The one we visited today located on the Ewa end of the park is named Concessions Surf and Snacks…

Concessions Surf and Snacks @ Ala Moana Beach Park, Honolulu, Hawaii

The menu selection is actually quite impressive. One would expect an operation located at a beach park kept more simple, but this place has a quite a variety to offer. Take a look for yourself at a snapshot of the menu board here…

Click on image to view the entire menu

The plate lunch prices are right on par with those found anywhere else around town, which is pretty good considering the convenience for park and beach goers. The add-ons like side orders, snacks and drinks can run up the bill a bit, but isn’t that the case at most concession stands?

Diner “A” chose the Chicken Katsu regular plate…

Concessions Surf and Snacks - Chicken Katsu (Cutlet) plate, $6.50

Wow, that’s a Katsu-fest! Obviously portions are generous, as this plate could easily feed two light-eating adults. Which it did. Diner “A” could only eat about two-thirds of it before throwing in the towel. I happily obliged to help him finish the rest! And I ‘m happy to report this katsu was cooked perfectly. The panko crust was light, delicate, with just enough crisp to it, while the chicken was well cooked, yet still moist and tender, just the way it should be. The sauce was your typical local style adaptation of Ketchup, Worcestershire and sugar. While this ain’t no Bull Dog, the sauce provided here works. The lady working the place was also kind enough to give him a second container of sauce, as it surely needed it in order to accompany all that katsu for dippin’.

The mac salad was just so-so. The rice was also a bit soggy, but it worked. Taking all that into consideration, Diner “A” gives this Chicken Katsu plate a solid 3 Spam Musubi.

Diner “E” chose the Hamburger Steak and Teriyaki Beef mixed plate…

Concessions Surf and Snacks - Hamburger Steak & Teri’ Beef Mixed Plate, $7.50

The grade? Diner “E” gives this a solid 4 Spam Musubi. He notes the gravy was excellent in every way. Deep, rich and meaty. The single, house-made burger had a nice char grilled flavor, and so did the Teriyaki beef, which he also notes was tender. He only wished the Teri’ beef had been marinaded more, or at least had a bit more sauce on it. Otherwise very good. There were visible grill markings on the underside, which indicates they got some flame grillin’ goin’ on that kitchen. Nice! While he still thinks Meg’s is slightly better, this is a formidable contender.

I wanted something a bit smaller, so I went with the Chili Rice Bowl…

Concessions Surf and Snacks - Chili Rice Bowl, $3.25

I was hoping this would be some “sleeper” place for the stuff that would amaze and “Chilify” me, but it ended up a bit disappointing. It tasted like an underseasoned version of the packaged “McCormick’s just add ground beef, beans, tomato sauce and water” stuff. It definitely needed more salt, which was available at the front window. At least it filled me up and didn’t break the bank at just $3.25. Of course, anything would taste awesome after a day out surfing or swimming, even this.

Concessions Surf and Snacks - Service Window

What must be pointed out is that on this visit, the poor gal working there was the ONLY person working there. She took the orders and did the cooking, and confessed this was the first time she ever had to do cooking duty, as the regular cook was out due to what else? A surfing injury! How convenient! lol

Well, considering this was a solo operation here, she did a “SPAM-tastic” job preparing those two plate lunches. Of course I wouldn’t order the Chili again, but I’d certainly return to try other plate lunch items, or perhaps one of the burgers.

On the Diamond Head end of Ala Moana Beach park is Surf and Snack Diamond Head…

Surf and Snack Diamond Head concession stand at Ala Moana Beach Park (near Magic Island)

Here’s a snap shot of their menu…

Click on image to view the entire menu

As you see, they have even more to offer at similar prices. According the the gal working at Concessions Surf and Snacks on the Ewa end, the two used to have the same owner, but now they’re independently operated. Regarldess of that, their menus remain quite similar.

So surf, den’ go grind at Concessions at Ala Moana Beach Park!

Concessions Surf and Snacks
Ala Moana Beach Park - Ewa side (near the Tennis Courts)
Hours: 11am to 4pm Monday-Friday
10am to ? Saturday & Sunday

Related Links:
• Concesssions Surf and Snacks MySpace profile

The Tasty Island Rating:

(3) Very Good. Considerable of another visit or purchase. (Supah’ Ono!)

Or more specifically, the “brown gravy” at Rainbow Drive In.

About a year or so ago, The Food Network’s “Secret Life of…” show with Jim O’Connor featured a segment on Rainbow Drive In, putting a spotlight on their Loco Moco plate, which the owner said was one of their most popular items. So if this was broadcasted on national television, it’s gotta’ be great, right?

First, I’ll admit I don’t eat plate lunches too often (I need to keep my “girlish” figure ya’ know! lol), which is why I’m not a “regular” at places like this, but this past weekend I was looking for something filling for lunch, so we stopped by Rainbow Drive In where I decided to give this touted Loco Moco plate a try for the first time.

Rainbow Drive In Loco Moco, $5.75

Unfortunately, the brown gravy, which is the essence of this dish, was just such a deal-breaker. What is up with that chili flavoring in it? It tastes like they add chili powder or the chili gravy itself into the same pot as the brown gravy, giving it this odd combination that doesn’t match at all. If you look at its color, it even has a reddish hue to it, which sort of validates my assumption of what’s in it. Overall it was bland, lacking in depth and character and, simply put, just weird.

Under that were two over-easy eggs, which I would have prefered sunny side up (they didn’t ask), but that’s OK. At least these were done perfectly, with the yolk still runny, just how I like it.

Digging deeper, we get to the two hamburger patties, which were just OK. Nothing that would win any hamburger steak plate competition. It looked and tasted prefab. Not house-made. Also, it was cooked on a flat top griddle, not flame grilled, which the latter could have really helped improve the weirdness of that gravy on top.

Of course under all that was the standard two scoops of rice.

The second disappointment was the Mac Salad. The macaroni itself was way overcooked and soggy, making it taste and feel like I was eating a spoonful of straight mayonnaise. I took one bite and that was all I could stomach.

In fact, I could barely eat half the plate until I finally couldn’t take anymore of that weird gravy and tossed the rest.

The last really good Loco Moco I had was at Big City Diner at Ward. Now those guys know how to grill burgers and brew brown gravy! Still, I’ll never forget the Loco Moco at Country Kitchen (now closed) way out in Kaa’awa next to 7-11. Absolutely was da’ best’s’est!

While I won’t call it a pot of gold, I will say there was a really ono plate of Teriyaki Beef at the end of this Rainbow. So there is hope!

Rainbow Drive In Teriyaki Beef Plate, $5.75

My girlfriend ordered this plate, and fortunately had enough to share with me. The teri’ beef was flavorful, tender and moist, seared on the edges, and the teriyaki marinade was just right - not oversoaked, which is often the case with teriyaki beef. You could really taste the ginger, which I love in how that compliments the beef. It’s served over shredded Iceberg lettuce, which brings a nice balance to the dish. Unfortunately, this plate was also served with that horrid Mac salad, which would be more aptly named “Ball of Mayo”.

Getting back to that Loco Moco gravy, I don’t think that was a mistake either. It must be their standard brown gravy recipe, because my girlfriend ordered a veal cutlet plate with gravy from there before and it had that same weird chili flavor in it.

Perhaps the cook or owner thought so highly of their Chili, which is also a popular item at Rainbow’s, that they figured they’d include some of that flavor in the “brown” gravy. Dunno.

IMO, the brown gravy on a Loco Moco should be hearty, meaty and deep. Where you can taste the browned bits of beef used to flavor it. Ya’ know? Most of all, it certainly shouldn’t taste like chili or curry! Shoots, I’m happy with the packaged brown gravy mix in the supermarkets. That’s good stuff!

As far the Mac Salad, this could have just been a blunder for that day, which happens at almost ALL restaurants. This might just be that one time the cooks forgot about the macaroni boiling in the water and overcooked it. At least I HOPE that was the case.

As far as the establishment itself, it’s truly a Kapahulu avenue old timer landmark, with all the ambience of a local style plate lunch stand.

It’s also conveniently located within walking distance to Waikiki beach, making it a popular stop for hungry tourists, surfers and sunbathers.

They also have souvenirs that would make great gifts especially for Hawaii expats…

Rainbow’s is certainly doing something right, because the place is always packed. I know, as I drive past there almost daily. As mentioned earlier, I don’t eat plate lunches that often, and surely there are other items on Rainbow’s menu yet for me to try that I’d really like, such as I did with the Teriyaki Beef.

I normally don’t post about food I didn’t enjoy, but I had to get this off my chest. And of course I have to be honest; I’m not gonna’ say it’s good if it’s not. Yet, contrary to my experience, plenty of folks over YELP! rave about the Loco Moco.

If you’ve had a Loco Moco at Rainbow’s Drive In, tell us your thoughts on it. Or if you have a favorite dish you like from there, please leave a comment and let us know.

What others have said:

• Ono Kine Grindz - Rainbow Drive In
• Yelp! - Rainbow Drive In

Classic 70’s style signage

When in Kalihi, do as the “Kalihiians” do. And that we’ve done again with our trusty expert and former “hanabaddah days” resident of the area, Diner “E”.

This time we visited another of his old school favorites over at Megs Drive-In on Waikamilo Road. Megs is certainly old school, and local all the way, with all the ambiance of, if for lack of a better description, what a truck driver’s lunch stop should be.

Megs plate lunch menu has all the standards, and then some: Chicken Katsu, Teri’ Chicken, BBQ Hamburger Steak, Hamburger Steak, Loco Moco, Beef or Pork Cutlet, Teri Beef or Pork, Mahimahi plate, Pork Chops, Zing or Wing Dings, Spaghetti, Chili Spaghetti, Chili Frank Beef or Curry Stew and Bento.

There’s also burgers in every form, or hot dog, chili dog, chili with rice, and a stew, curry or burger bowl, Saimin, Won Ton Mein, Won Ton Soup and fries.

Sandwich selections include Mahimahi, fried egg, egg and ham, grilled cheese, BLT, Tuna, Tuna Melt, Teri Chicken, Teri Beef or Pork, Cold ham, turkey, club or hot turkey, beef or pork.

The breakfast menu includes everything from your standard eggs, meat (various selections) and rice, fried rice, pancakes, french toast to a breakfast beef or curry stew (which I’m guessing has an egg or two on it).

The daily specials on our particular visit featured shrimp curry, Kalua Pig and cabbage, roast turkey with stuffing, Hawaiian plate, steamed Opakapaka, grilled ahi or saba, NY steak, Steak & Shrimp and grilled Pork Chops.

Prices for all these items were on par in today’s market, with most plates in the mid-5 to 7 dollar range. The burgers were actually a bargain, with most running about $2, and burger with fries and drink combos about $4. Nice.

Well that’s quite a selection. So what to choose?

Diner “E” recommended I try their Beef Stew, which he says is what they’re known for, so I went with that…

Megs Drive-In Beef Stew plate, $6.15

Diner “E” ordered a hamburger steak & teriyaki beef mixed plate…

Megs Drive-In Hamburger Steak and Teri Beef plate, $7.00

Diner “A” went with the Bar-B-Q Hamburger Steak plate…

Megs Drive-In Bar-B-Q Hamburger Steak plate, $5.75

The first thing we all dug into was the macaroni “mac” salad. Winner! Simple, with just tender macaroni, grated carrots and fresh, cool and creamy (Best Foods?) mayo’.

The beef stew was ono. The beef flavorful, fatty and tender, while the carrots and potato were tender, yet not mushy. The tomato-based broth had a good thickness to it, and not too salty or bland. Seasoned just right. Thumbs up.

Diner “E” gave his hamburger steak and teri beef plate a thumbs up, noting the great taste of the house-made patty, gravy, and moist tenderness of the nicely seared Teri beef.

Diner “A” also enjoyed his Bar-B-Q burger, which is differentiated from the Hamburger Steak by using a simple teriyaki glaze instead of brown gravy. He also enjoyed the flavor of the house-made grilled burger patty. His only complaint was that they only gave him one regular-sized patty, where as most places give either TWO regular patties or one LARGE patty for standard plates. For $5.75, I agree, that’s being short-handed. Also, he doesn’t eat onions, which were grilled and generously topped the dish (I happily obliged and put them on my plate!), so that made his portion seem even less. Aside of that, he enjoyed the dish.

I’d really like to go back and try one of those daily specials, such as that steamed Opakapaka. I love steamed fish! I also want to go back and try those Zing or Wing Dings. Sounds interesting. Next time.

There’s a moderate amount of seating both inside and outside on the street-side of the establishment, and also a moderate amount of parking, which would depend when you go as to what’s available. I’m guessing most folks order their food to go.

If someone from the Food Network, Travel Channel or anywhere else ever calls me and says, “Take me where the locals go”, Megs Drive-In will be high on my list. The establishment and its surroundings, the menu, the work staff and patrons are as local as it gets. Most importantly, the food is really ono!

Megs Drive-In
743 Waikamilo Rd.
Honolulu, HI
845-3943

The Tasty Island Rating:

(3 out of 5) Very Good. Considerable of another visit or purchase. (Supah’ Ono!)

Once upon a time there was Kanda “Kewalo” lunch wagon. And then there was Tsukenjo’s. Wait, what? Tsukenjo’s Lunch Wagon is still there, right? No it’s not my friends. Tsukenjo Lunch Wagon is all pau.

We were going to make a trip to Kaka’ako yesterday for lunch, so I called Tsukenjo Lunch House to ask if the lunch wagon was open, but was sadly informed by Doris, the owner that the lunch wagon is no longer in operation. It was shut down this past November of 2007, and the wagon itself was sold.

The family business began as a saimin stand in 1959, with the lunch wagon coming into service in 1970.

Tsukenjo’s famous red lunch wagon, paint weathered from years of active duty in the hot Hawaiian sun, has been at that same location in Kaka’ako at the corner of Ward and Queen Street, in front of what is now Z-Interiors, for decades, serving up meat loaf, roast pork, shoyu chicken and many other plate lunch favorites to generations of locals and tourists alike.

Thankfully, Tsukenjo Lunch House continues business as usual on Cooke street, so you can still get your fix there.

I hope whoever bought that famous faded red lunch wagon preserves it “as is” as a possible future museum piece on “Hawaii’s Culinary History”. Seriously.

With that, I wish the entire Tsukenjo family a very happy new year and big, big, big mahalo for all the years of hard work and dedication in establishing what has become a household name in Hawaii with Tsukenjo Lunch Wagon. 37 years is a long run, yet surely an “onolicious” ride! Aloha Oe.

A rendition of what Hula Lunch Wagon would have looked like back in 1981

In the early 80’s, my sister Keanu owned and operated Hula Lunch Wagon, which was primarily situated on Elliot Street where Hawaiian Airlines cargo is located.

The menu sounds fantastic, but what’s most interesting about it were the market prices in that decade.

She recently found her original menu, and as you’ll see in the following, if this were the going rate today, what a bargain!
Circa 1981…

HULA LUNCH WAGON
Elliot street, next to Hawaiian Air Cargo
Honolulu International Airport

PLATE LUNCH
Beef Stew - $2.00
Chicken Long Rice - $1.75
Chili and Franks - $1.75
Mix Plate - $2.75
Hamburger Steak - $2.00
Shoyu Chicken - $2.00
Sweet-Sour Spare Ribs - $2.00
Hawaiian Plate (Includes Rice or Poi, Lomi Salmon, Kalua Pig, Laulau, choice of Tripe or Beef Stew or Chicken Long Rice) - $2.75
Portuguese Bean Soup - $2.00
Fried Chicken - $2.00
Kalbi - $2.50
Pork Adobo - $2.50
Beef Curry - $2.00
Mahimahi - $2.75
Beef Teriyaki - $2.50
Roast Pork - $2.25
Roast Beef - $2.50
****All plate lunches include 2 scoops rice, extra scoop (no charge) and mac salad****

EXTRA SCOOP MAC SALAD - .30
TOSSED GREEN SALAD .75
Dressing: Tropical, Blue Cheese or Italian

SANDWICHES
Hamburger - .65
**Deluxe - .80
Cheeseburger - .80
**Deluxe - .95
(Includes Lettuce, Tomatoes and Onions)
Devil Egg - .75
Tuna - .75
Hotdog - .75
Chili Dog - $1.00

DRINKS
Coca Cola, Rootbeer, Punch, Lemon-Lime or Orange
Small - .35
Medium - .45
Large - .60

JUICES - .50
Passion Orange
Guava Nectar

CANDIES - .35
CHIPS - .35
CIGARETTES .75

Are you kidding me? Only $2.75 for that fully-loaded Hawaiian plate?!!! That’s crazy! Well, by today’s standards anyway. And you cigarette smokers only WISH they were still just .75/pack!

While that entire menu has outrageously-cheap (by today’s standards) prices, it’s also the perfect model of what defines a true “local style” lunch wagon.

I’m very proud of my sister for trying out this business. It was really hard work and profits were slim, so she closed shop after about 2 years in business, but it gave her the tools and knowledge of the food and beverage business. Not to mention a whole lotta’ ono grinds to enjoy on the ride.

This was Hula Lunch Wagon’s logo…

The name was cool too. I like it. “Hula Lunch Wagon”. Very cool. Even cooler were those prices. $2.00 plate lunches. Ubelievable!

Tender slices of beef sirloin, flame-grilled to perfection

Most of us Oahu folks are already familiar with those “$6 steak plate” operations popping up all over the island. You’ll often find them at vendor carts or parking lot grill-outs fronting the neighborhood supermarkets.

Well, the “steaks” have now been raised up a notch in the form of what we have here as Blazin’ Steaks restaurant. Yes, a restaurant. Or should we call it a “Steakhouse”?

Blazin’ Steaks is located on the mauka side of N. King st., across the Kalihi post office, next to the new Honolulu Ford dealership. It’s in what was originally a Pizza Hut restaurant (obvious by the architecture), then superceded by several Filipino restaurants, among other tenants.

Blazin’ Steaks, located at 1314 N. King St., across the Kalihi post office

But don’t walk in expecting to compare them to the likes of Hy’s, Ruths Chris or Morton’s. You won’t find “high maka maka” white table cloths or tableside Caesar salad preparations here. At its core, this is really a take-out operation that just happens to have a nicely appointed dining room with cool air conditioning to sit down and enjoy your meal.

There’s also no wait staff. You simply walk in, order at the front counter, wait for your food, then grab a seat and enjoy, or take it to go.

Here’s the front counter…

The kitchen is in back and out of sight.

The decor is elegantly simple and contemporary, very clean, and even includes a large flat screen TV…

Blazin’ Steaks’ dining room

I’m guessin’ Richard put that TV in not only to entertain his guests, but also so he doesn’t have to call in sick on the day of the Sugarbowl and Superbowl. Ha ha! busted! I tell you, das’ one smart buggah! lol

The menu is simple and streamlined, with everything on it (excluding the 10 oz. steak) running an easy-to-breath (and still have mula for Christmas shopping) $6 bucks!…

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Blazin’ Steaks menu board

The steaks are simply seasoned with salt and pepper and flame-grilled to order, which you’re asked how you want it done: rare, medium-rare, medium, medium-well, or well done. There’s also grilled chicken with a variety of sauces to choose, and catch-of-the-day grilled fish. Everything grilled. Love that! It doesn’t mention a combo’ plate, but you can order that for just a bit more, as you’ll see.

My friend and coworker diner “E” took us here not only to try for the first time, but also as a Christmas present “treat”. Big mahalo braddah “E”!

Time to hit it. I ordered the standard $6 steak plate, which includes 2 scoops rice, green salad and medium drink. Medium-rare steak and ranch dessing on the salad…

8 oz. steak plate (medium-rare) with rice and green salad (Ranch dressing) with drink, $6.00.

Diner “A” ordered also ordered the $6 plate, his opting for medium-well doneness (you’re killing it!) and Thousand Island dressing…

8 oz. steak plate (medium-well) with rice and green salad (Thousand Islands dressing) with drink, $6.00.

Diner “E” ordered a steak and chicken combo plate, which costed just a $1 more…

Steak (medium-rare) and Chicken (Korean BBQ) combo plate with rice and green salad (Italian dressing) with drink, $7.00.

Regardless of chicken, swoon over and witness the steak.. the steak! Back to it, he ordered his chicken in the style of Korean BBQ, which involves the application of a sweetened shoyu and sesame-flavored sauce. He commented that the chicken was tender and moist with nice char-grill markings adding punch, and overall, “oishii desu”! Hoo ha! With the combo, you get half the quantity of each, meaning 4 oz. of steak and half the amount of a regular chicken plate.

All our plates were made to order, which took all about a leisurely 8 or so minutes for pick-up, so when they arrived at the front counter, they were piping hot. What’s helpful not only to the cooks in back, but also to the patron, is that they clearly mark the top of each clamshell plate what is what…

As you see, the top left says the item: (left to right) mr=medium-rare, kc=Korean chicken, mix; 8 oz. steak; 8 oz. steak. And the top right indicates the dressing: (left to right) Italian, Ranch & Thousand Islands. So surely our order can’t be messed up. And it wasn’t.

Also take note of the black color of the plate, providing that much more elegance and presentation value…

In fact, all three of us savored every tender slice of the steak (and diner “E” the chicken). The beef sirloin cut is simply seasoned with just salt and pepper. That’s all we could taste, and it’s perfect that way. Not like Teriyaki meat or Cajun this or that, but STEAK in all its beefy, meaty glory. And they slice it thin, which not only makes it look like more, but makes it easier to chew.

In the top photo macro shot of my plate, you can see how perfectly it was cooked to medium-rare, with a char on the outside, and slightly pink inside. And so, so tender. Just perfect.

And they got all our requested levels of steak doneness correct. High-five to the grill mastah’!

The only thing we noticed was that the rice had too much water, making it soggy. But no biggy. At least it was piping hot, like they just finished cooking it. Perhaps that’s why. It didn’t have time to steam out.

The salad is simply shreds of Iceberg lettuce, with your choice Ranch, Italian or Thousand Islands. While that alone isn’t going to win any awards, it does its job well: to compliment and complete the meal.

Keeping with the streamlined, cost-cutting approach, there’s only one condiment station at a table in front. That includes A-1 steak sauce (my favorite!), Korean BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Thai Sweet & Sour sauce, Worcestershire sauce, shoyu, tobasco, salt & pepper. Eh brah, where da’ chili pepper water? Nah, joke. Da’ A-1 nuff!

I met Richard, the owner and man at the helm. Nice guy. He said he’ll be opening another location in Windward City Shopping Center and also in Kapolei. Smart buggah. He said Blazin’ Steaks is a franchise, so if you see another “Blazin’ Steaks” other than the locations mentioned above, those have different owners.

When we arrived, there were only folks ordering plates to take out, but there were also TONS of orders coming in by phone, as was evident while we waited for our order. Within a few minutes at least 20 plates stacked in plastic bags were brought out atop the counter awaiting their hungry owners to pick them up. By the time we left around noon, the place began to fill up.

At a time when plate lunches are breaking the magic $5 price point, it’s refreshing to know for just a buck more you can have this carnivore’s dream plate. As you chow away at every tender morsel, the bargain-basement price, along with the rather nicely-appointed restaurant interior makes you wonder how you’d ever again want to fork-over easily 3 to 10 times the price at some “fancy-shmancy” joint for essentially the same thing.

$6 steak plates is great, further sweetening the deal with a nice, clean place to sit down with family and friends to enjoy it. By all means stop by Blazin’ Steaks in Kalihi, where it’s not just sizzlin’, but totally blazin’ and highly recommended!!!

Blazin’ Steaks
1314 N. King St.
(next to Honolulu Ford)
847-2529
Phone orders welcome

More on this: Staking out some great steaks (Honolulu Star Bulletin)

*Date and time of visit: 12.27.07 @ 11:30am.

The Tasty Island Rating:

(3) Very Good. Considerable of another visit or purchase. (Supah’ Ono!)

Dave Choo enjoys a SPAM lunch with Anthony Bourdain

Anthony “Bad Boy” Bourdain and crew were in the islands a week ago taping a Hawaii episode for his hit Travel Channel show, “No Reservations”. With that nickname inserted in quotes, I need not re-explain what’s already known about him. See the next link if you don’t.

According to a story publshed a few days ago by the Star Bulletin, his itinerary here included:
• Side Street Inn
• New Uptown Fountain (SPAM files)
• Paradise Cove Luau
• Lewer’s Lounge
• Bailey’s Antiques (where he bought a $2,500 Aloha shirt!)
• Jack Thompson’s B&B (Big Island)
• Lava-Side Inn (Royal Gardens on the Big Island)

Dave Choo, editor-at-large for Hawaii Business Magazine, was one of the lucky few chosen to host a segment, which he recommended they visit Uptown Fountain in Kalihi. According to Dave, the focus of this particular segment was on Hawaii’s love of SPAM. How ironic this happens on the day I had just posted (see previous entry) a ‘SPAM Musubi Showndown’. This is a perfect follow-up!

‘No Reservations’ arrives in Kalihi, a.k.a, “God’s Country”. 12.07.07.

The show begins… roll ‘em!

Dave explains the menu items to Tony

Items ordered at New Uptown Fountain included, yes, a SPAM Musubi, which Dave said Tony really enjoyed. They were also served the house special: SPAM Omelet over 2 scoops of rice, with curry poured over and topped with Kim Chee. Whoah!

Dave noted how professional and polite Tony was; actually almost “geekish” at first impression. But as soon as the camera was on, his bad boy persona came right out. He joked the entire time and even posed for pictures and signed autographs for folks. Very cool.

In Dave’s new blog, he mentions that Anthony also did the following while here:
• The north shore of Oahu for a barbecue with big wave surfers (cool!)
• Puka Dog (Kauai?)
• Ono Hawaiian Food (Oahu)

One thing they missed that really should have been covered was a segment on lunch wagons. Say from Tsukenjo’s and grind ‘em at Ala Moana Beach Park.

Dave and Tony share some Hot Monkey Love

I’m really looking forward to the finished product when it airs on the Travel Channel in 2008. Aside of that Paradise Cove Luau visit, hopefully as a whole it won’t be just another “touristy” travelogue, but a real-life look at hardcore “local style” Hawaii cuisine and lifestyle, as told through the eyes and stomach of a hardcore kinda’ guy. As a fan and regular ‘No Reservations’ viewer, I’m willing to bet it will be, how can I say?… bad *beeping* @ss!

For an absolutely brilliant, fully-detailed report of Anthony Bordain’s visit to New Uptown Fountain, check out Dave’s new blog, Choo On This!!!

Photos in this entry are courtesy of Dave Choo. Mahalo!

In our ongoing quest to find the ultimate lunch wagon plate lunch, this past Friday we decided to try out Ronnie’s Express, which is located at the park between Pfleuger Honda and the Chevrolet car dealership (formerly Honolulu Ford) on Ala Moana Blvd..

We arrived at 12:30 noon on we call in Hawaii, “Aloha Friday”. With that, like many local eateries around the islands, the featured cuisine is Hawaiian food. Here you can see the day’s menu as it ties in with this theme…

Well, as you can see, 12:30pm was a bit late for this wagon, as more than half of the items were already sold out. Bummers. I would’ve really liked to try that meat loaf or the fried chicken. In fact, none of us were particularly “ono” for Hawaiian food on this day, but that’s all there was so we gave it a shot.

Diner “E” ordered the (”Hawaiian Style”) Beef Stew…

He said it was just OK (as in average), flavor-wise, also noting that it tasted like it had been simmering too long in the pot, so everything was just a homogenous “mush”. You can kind of tell just by looking at it in the photo. And no wonder to that. His order was the last of what the last in the pot as the owner said, and after he ordered it, the gal asked him to kindly cross off that item on the menu board! So apparently we really did catch the tail-end of the lunch-hour rush here. He did like the Macaroni “Mac” Salad, which he complimented that it was creamy and perfectly seasoned.

Diner “A” ordered the Kalua Pig and Cabbage…

He also said it was just OK, with several encounters while chowing through the entree of pieces of Kalua Pig that tasted dried out and over-cooked. Again, likely attributed to having been in the pot or steam pan too long. He ate it all though, if that attests to anything good.

So without much else to choose, I ordered a Laulau and Chicken Long Rice “Combo” plate…

Since they both ordered Mac’ Salad, I opted for the steamed veggies, which I’m guessing were most likely the packages frozen stuff, and all the character of hospital grub.

The Laulau’s “Luau” leaves tasted like it was actually spinach leaves. I’m pretty sure that’s what it was. It also didn’t come with its own Ti Leaf wrapper, which has me thinking they probably have this in a bulk steam pan (not individually portioned) and dished out as shown. There were just a few chunks of pork in it, which certainly had a Laulau flavor to it, although this can’t even come close to the greatness of Young’s or Ono’s. Still, for a $6.50 “Hawaiian food” plate, I wasn’t expecting greatness.

The Chicken Long Rice was the best part and actually really, really ono. You could really taste the ginger and the chicken in the broth, and there were copious amounts of chicken chunks in it. Unlike some places you might go where it’s all long rice and no chicken. If I ever go back, I’d order that again.

As you can see, portions were generous on all our plates.

What’s often an “issue” with lunch wagons is that the food is never HOT (temperature-wise), as was the case here. Food was warm at best, eventually already cold by the time were halfway through the meal in our air conditioned office.

Well, at we tried the place. If they were located closer by our workplace, I’d certainly go back and try that meatloaf, fried chicken or whatever else they put on the menu for the day. I’d also go there earlier and beat the lunch hour rush before everything gets sold out!

According to the owner, they have THREE Ronnie’s Express Lunchwagons, and they also operate Byron’s Express Lunch Wagon near the airport, which has no affiliation with Byron’s Drive-In.

There’s another lunch wagon at the cruise ship pier down the street across Restaurant Row. Perhaps we’ll try there next.

Ronnie’s Express Lunch Wagon
Kaka’ako Park

Tasty Island Rating:

Average. (She Go)

Tani’s Roast Pork with Mushroom Gravy, $6.00

Surprisingly, although The Tasty Island has been online for just over a year now, the humble, yet oh-so-ono local style lunch wagon grinds hasn’t been covered here yet. Well, we’ll start it off in high gear with Tani’s Lunchwagon!

According to their menu, they were voted #2 in KHNL’s Cheap Eats Lunchwagon battle, so they gotta’ be good!

I ordered the highly recommended Roast Pork with Mushroom Gravy shown above. Excellent choice! Folks, if you remember how delicious the roast pork was at the former Kanda’s “Kewalo” Lunch Wagon, Tani’s does them proud! Fork-tender, very flavorful with that hearty and comforting brown mushroom gravy. The gravy itself has just the right thickness to adhere and coat the tender slices of pork, and salted just right - something that can often be a hit-or-miss. This they nailed.

Fork-tender roast pork… doesn’t get any better than this.

Luckily, my friend doesn’t eat onions, so he gave me the (very sweet!) sauteed onions from his Teriyaki Hamburger steak plate, which went quite nicely with my roast pork plate.

Teri Hamburger Steak, $6.00

My buddy ordered the Teri Hamburger Steak plate shown above, which was one of their Friday specials. The hand-made patties were generous in portion, though not flavored with anything that stood out. They did have a nice char on them. Otherwise, they were mostly dependent on the Teriyaki gravy that covered them, which had a sort of hybrid brown-meets-teri’ zip to it. Again, good viscosity, and not too sweet or salty.

What initially stood out as soon as we opened our plate was how honkin’ HUGE the two scoops of rice were. We’re talkin’ BASEBALL huge. They’re not using the average rice scooper here. They’re obviously out to please the hungry working man. lol I could barely finish just one scoop.

Their macaroni salad was very good. It had this crispness to it, versus the usual creamy type, but otherwise retained that neutrality that we like in mac’ salad. No “5th wheel stuff” like tuna or peas. Just the mac’ and a some grated carrots. Nuff.

Tani’s daily menu includes Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy, Teri Meatloaf, BBQ Chicken, Roast Pork with Mushroom Gravy and Teri Roast Pork.

It gets really interesting with their daily specials, which includes everything from Garlic Mahi with Ginger Soy Cream to Roasted Rosemary Chicken to Kim Chee Fried Rice with Seafood Croquettes. Or how about Baked Macaroni with Sausage & Peppers, Cajun Chicken with Guava BBQ Sauce or Furikake Salmon with Wasabi Aioli. Oh my…must try!

The gourmet influence comes from the son’s side of this mother and son team, where Tyler honed his craft working at Mariposa restaurant (Neiman Marcus Ala Moana) and other fine dining establishments.

According to my lead, Tani’s Lunch Wagon is a big hit with the lunch hour crowd in the industrial Kalihi area. They’re located right in front of Eki Cyclery on Dillingham blvd.. You can’t miss ‘em.

We’ll certainly return to try more daily specials as well as that excellent roast pork!

Tani’s Lunchwagon
1603 Dillingham Blvd. (front of Eki Cyclery)
Monday - Friday 11:00am to 1:00pm
Phone orders welcome: 285-5255
Catering available
Monthly menu available by email request to:
tanislunchwagon@hotmail.com

Tasty Island rating:

Supah’ Ono!

Over the years, we’ve catered casual office luncheons from numerous restaurants and caterers around Honolulu. The dish of choice has often been the “local style” bento, or “box lunch” due to its all-in-one simplicity, value and universal appeal. With that, we continually try new places in search of an excitingly new, budget-busting bento deal.

With much delight, our latest find has become one of the best we’ve tried yet. It’s the Lunch Bento from Kahai Street Kitchen…

Lunch Bento from Kahai Street Kitchen, $5.75 ($6.02 w/tax)

Kahai St. Kitchen’s bento includes (top to bottom): (1 pc.) Panko Shrimp, (2 pcs.) Spicey Fried Chicken Wings, (2 pcs.) Teriyaki Beef BBQ Short Ribs, (1 pc.) Herbed Mahimahi Dore style, (2 pcs.) Takuan, all served on a bed of shredded cabbage and white rice with a light sprinkle of Furikake. Wow!

Just looking at it, the BBQ beef looks nicely seared and moist, but how was the entire bento as a whole? Often when restaurants cater food, they need to prepare these bulk orders far in advanced of the time for actual service. The result being sometimes cold, overcooked and/or dried out food. Such was far from the case on this day’s order of over 50 bento lunches from Kahai Street Kitchen.

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Our spread of bento lunches here stand 2-deep. Pass me the chopsticks please!

EVERY item was perfectly moist, and actually retained some of the heat from their actual time being cook. Indeed the folks on the production line work fast; and more importantly, know how to COOK! Not only were the various entree items moist and still warm, but absolutely ono!

The two chicken wings had a slight hint of what seemed like geniune Buffalo wings sauce mixed into the batter, along with a slightly sweet, slightly tangy (from the sauce?) accent. Tender inside, crispy outside, with a thin, crunchy batter.

The nicely-sized shrimp tail had a thick, katsu-like Panko batter on it Again, moist and flavorful, along with a nice “GBD” finish. It tasted like they also slightly sweetened the batter on this, as it had lots of flavor on its own - no dipping sauce required.

The lightly fried SPAM was the regular sodium variety, which seemed excessively salty on its own, but add a little Furikake rice along with it, and it’s all good.. just a like a Spam Musubi!

The mahimahi’s “Dore style” reminded me of fish jun, except with herbs mixed in. Generous portion as well. Excellent.

Saving the best for last was indeed the BBQ Teriyaki Beef Shortribs. These were actually boneless and surprisingly tender. Each piece was cut about 2″x3″x1/2″ thick, char-grilled with nice “papa’a” (slightly burnt) sear marks and a medium-rare inside. It tasted sort half-Kal Bi, half Teri’ Beef. Broke da’ mout’!

Unlike a plate lunch’s standard Macaroni salad accompaniment, bento lunches come with Japanese style pickled Daikon radish called Takuan (that yellow slivered half-circle thing). This condiment helps buffer the palete for each different entree, nicely rounding out the meal.

Personally, I’d prefer there be less meat items on there, and more Tsukemono items (pickled vegetables), but this works fine to.

Next time you need to cater a casual office or family party, or even if it’s just a few of you looking for some ono local grinds, consider checking out the grinds at Kahai Street Kitchen. Their bento is up there with the best of the bunch!

Kahai Street Kitchen
237A Kalihi Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96819
Phone (80 845-0320
FAx (80 842-4273

Note: Delivery available on bulk orders.

**funny, they’re name is different than what actual street their address is. lol**

Tasty Island Rating:

Supah’ Ono!

Kiawe Grill in Kalihi (1311 N. King St.)

Today was my first ever visit to Kiawe Grill in Kalihi. This hole-in-the-wall has received rave reviews over their Kiawe-grilled burgers and interesting menu selection which includes exotic meats such as Buffalo and Ostrich. What separates them from everyone else the most is their live, Kiawe-burning grill. We’re not talking charcoal with little pieces of wood in the pit… we’re talking solid Kiawe flame-dancing LOGS. It’s a vintage grill made of solid steel with a thick iron cooking grate and wood-burning pit below. Next time I go, if the owner is there, I’ll ask to get a picture of it.

Last week my buddies went there and this is what they ordered…

Kiawe Grill Pulehu Teri Burger Steak (small) -$5.95

Small plates allow you to pick and choose any choice of vegetables up to 12 oz. in weight.

Korean BBQ Beef (regular) on rice with 4 choice vegetables - $7.25

Regular plates allow you to select and serve your own vegetables up to 1 lb. Wow!

Self-serve Korean vegetable station

The vegetable station is located in front, kept in an open-access refrigerator. There’s a scale above to weigh your selection. Up to 12 oz. for small plates and 16 oz. for regular. That’s ALOT of veggies! Their Kim Chee and Korean-style marinated shoyu potatoes are awesome!

The BBQ Beef shown above is one of the best I’ve ever tasted. My friend gave me a few samples. So tender and that smokey, grilled flavor.. broke da’ mout!

My other buddy also really enjoyed his Teri Burger plate. Also very smokey, Kiawe-grilled flavor.. a guaranteed trademark taste you’ll experience at this place. Love it.

It was so good, they wanted to return again today and I went with them. This is what I ordered..

Cheeseburger Deluxe 8 oz. - $4.95

The cheeseburger deluxe is made from a hand-made 8 oz. patty, grilled to medium and topped with cheese (on the bottom side), relish (instead of pickle), ketchup and mustard, onion, lettuce and tomato, with a spread of mayo’ inside the nicely crusted, soft bun. Next time I’ll have them omit the relish and ketchup and mustard. That was only thing I didn’t care for.

As a whole, the burger was flavorful, juicy and so big, I only could finish half of it along with the steak-cut fries I ordered with it (to follow). I tell you, when they say Kiawe Grill, that’s not just a name. Even the burger had a recognizable smokey flavor. The only thing that would have made more perfect were if I had been on a beach to enjoy eating it! Supah ono.

Steak-cut Fries - $2.15

Now THIS is what you call fries. Thick, GBD. They were a little “stiff” on the outside, but still really ono. The portion is very generous for just $2 bucks.

My buddies thoroughly enjoyed these items today…

Mini Bento (BBQ Chicken, Beef, Fish, Mandoo & Spam) - $4.95

BBQ Pork (small) - $6.25

The menu board looks like something that came off the wall at Duke’s in Waikiki..

Nicely engraved Koa-looking (or is real?) wood. This is just the burger section. It’s actually 3x’s wider than this.

Kiawe Grill’s Kalihi location is located at 1311 N. King st., next door to Diners, just before the post office near Farrington High School. Their a few doors down from several other restaurants in a small air conditioned space with a few tables for dining in.

I want to go back and try some of the exotic stuff like the pulehu Kobe Beef, Buffalo, Venison and Ostrich patties.

I’ve now added K.G. to my list of “preferred destination” lunch hour restaurants. Highly recommended!

Kiawe Grill
Kalihi
841-5577
1311 N. King St.

Moili’ili
955-5500
2334 S. King St.

Tasty Island Rating: