Hukilau Cafe, Laie, Oahu, HI

Hukilau Cafe
55-662 Wahinipe'e St
La'ie, O'ahu, HI 96762
808-293-8616
Located north of the Polynesian Cultural Center, to the west of Route 83 Kamehameha Hwy.
There is a small sign when going northbound that shows you where to turn.
Street parking.
Cash only. Breakfast and lunch only.

Visited: August 2010, Lunch, Dine-in

We were looking forward to a great plate lunch, and we were not disappointed! Be sure to go early to beat the lunch crowd, and to ensure finding parking in this residential neighborhood.

We ordered our favorites, starting with the Loco Moco - ground beef patties covered with very tasty scrambled eggs over lots of rice, then smothered in a rich brown gravy. This was a very good loco moco, which means that the gravy was good - the gravy is always the kicker.

Then we had the Hukilau Combo - teri beef, fried mahi mahi and tempura shrimp, of course served with two scoops of rice and usually a scoop of macaroni salad. But not being fan of mac, I ordered all rice. First note was that it wasn't tempura shrimp but rather panko coated fried shrimp. No matter - they were fresh (crisp and hot) and tasty. The mahi mahi was also panko crusted, and served hot and crisp. Side sauces included were cocktail and tartar, but they didn't really need them. I was a little concerned that there wasn't a side of teri sauce to go with the beef, but amazingly, it didn't need it. The many slices of thin teri beef were very flavorful - they must have a great marinade, that there was no need for any additional sauce. This is a good entree to try several things, and large enough to share.



Which is why we also ordered the Beef Stew Bowl instead of the plate lunch. The stew had that great Hawaiian stew look - a hint of red from the tomato, however it wasn't strong in the tomato flavor. But the stew didn't need it. The gravy was thick and rich, and the meat was plentiful and tender as were the carrots and potatoes. It comes served over rice.



We also ordered a side of fries (they just looked so good, and were tasty) and one soda. They have self service water near the counter. I don't have all of the individual prices, but our total (before tip) was $28 - a great great deal considering not only how much food we got, but how great it tasted. And everyone was super friendly and very welcoming.

Most folks visit and write about the giant Hukilau Burger which is a hamburger patty topped with teri beef, fried egg, grilled onions, cheese, and lettuce and tomato. We did see someone order it at the next table over, and it looked ridiculous. Perhaps another time.

Aloha Food Factory, Alhambra, CA

Aloha Food Factory
2990 W. Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91803
626-308-0215
Located 2 blocks east of the end of the 710 freeway.
Plenty of parking in their own lot.
Casual. And Hawaiian style, they're closed on Mondays and holidays.

Visited: May 2010, Lunch, Take-out


We wanted to get a good feel for this restaurant, so we ordered several items. The kitchen is rather small, and it took a while for our order to be completed. In the meantime, the lovely lady of the house gave us each a sample Macadamia Nut Pancake. The little pancake was tasty itself, but it was really the topping and little crunchy bits of mac nut on top that were amazing. I'm not sure what the topping is - it's not syrup, or sweetened condensed milk, but it was more like a creme anglaise. Very tasty.

We ordered the Loco Moco ($7.25) which was a very large portion of rice, hamburger patty, scrambled eggs, and gravy. While fine, it was overall rather plain. Which is what we found to be the case with all of the items we ordered. Good, but plain - not highly seasoned.

For the Aloha Plate ($10.99), we chose Kalua Pig and Cha Shu (which we had heard raves about). The Plate came with steamed rice, veggies, and Mac-Potato Salad. The Kalua was light on both smoke and flavor. And the Cha Shu was tasty roasted bbq pork, but definitely not cha shu. If we had been served it without a name, we would have assigned it the title of cha shu.

And lastly, we got the Kalbi Plate ($9.75) that came with rice, veggies, and Mac-Potato Salad. The ribs were tender and had a nice char, but also very plain. As if they needed to marinate longer, or have a sauce applied during or after cooking.

A friendly little hole in the wall that also serves shave ice, but not sure that we'd be back for the things we've already tried.

Bruddah's Hawaiian, Gardena, CA

Bruddah's Hawaiian
1033 W. Gardena Blvd, Gardena, CA 90247
310-323-9112
Located between Normandie and Vermont. Usually enough street parking; can be very crowded on weekend mornings.
Casual, Hawaiian-style.

Visited: Breakfast and Lunch, Dine-in
Most recently: October 2009


Bruddah's is a real Hawaiian hole in the wall. Everything is local style including the laid back clientele. Anything with a sauce or gravy is going to be outstanding. They have the best gravy maker anywhere. Some particular favorites include:

The Beef Shortribs Stew ($8.95) is part of the Daily Specials menu and only appears on Weds, Thurs, Sat, and Sun. The meat is super tender, as are the vegetables, and the rich tomatoey-beef gravy is heavenly with the rice. Also comes with Macaroni Salad.

Really, it's about the gravy. The Roast Pork with Gravy (Plate $7.95, Side $5.60) is a heavenly portion of tender roast pork smothered in their spectacular pork gravy served with rice and Mac.

The Loco Moco ($7.95) from the Breakfast Menu (which is served all day) is a mass of two hamburger patties served with two eggs over a mound of rice covered in an amazing brown gravy (with mushrooms). The best Loco Moco on the mainland. They also have a Spam Loco Moco ($6.95).

The Kalua Pork with Cabbage (Plate $7.95, Side $5.60) is also tasty.

While their food is always good, we're just as not as big a fan of their teriyaki dishes.