I saw this place on the channel 8 news this morning, so we dropped by for lunch today. Anticipating a crowd due to the coverage, we downloaded the menu and phoned in an order. I got the Hamburger Steak. The menu noted that it was handmade and ground from steak. We drove down to Kalihi to pick up the plates. Luckily we had a driver and someone to run out since there was no parking. There is limited street parking, but with all the industrial businesses in the area, most of it is taken. The restaurant itself is small and has only a pair of wooden tables and benches outside for seating. Their clientele is primary take out. Plates come with a choice of white or brown rice; a choice of tossed greens, macaroni salad, or a cooked vegetable; and a topping sauce. I chose brown rice and tossed greens. Since the hamburger steak included gravy, there was no need for sauce.
The food quality was generally very good. There was a large scoop of rice, mixed greens including upscale baby greens and iceberg lettuce as a filler, and the large hamburger steak on a bed of spinach. The brown rice was probably over-watered in the cooker – it was a little too soft and the grains fell apart, but there were some dried-out grains at the edge of the scoop. The rice gets a C+. The salad was fresh and dressed with a creamy ranch dressing, earning a B-. The hamburger was flavorful, but a little on the dry side. It wasn’t overcooked, so low fat content was probably at issue. The gravy and grilled onions were good, but were underrepresented considering the lack of juiciness of the patty. Maybe I needed to drizzle on some sauce… The entrée gets an A-
Their menu is quite varied, including a wide selection of grilled seafood and chicken. Check them out when you’re in Kalihi – they’re at the corner of Mokauea and Kalani streets (third block up from Nimitz Highway, on the ‘Ewa side of the street). Their menu is on their website. They’re open from nine to two.
$8.66 USD including tax
Recommended
Three-and-a-half grinning monkeys out of four
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