HAWAII’S FAVORITE KITCHENS
Rainbow Drive-In, an island institution, gave birth in 2014 to Hawaii’s Favorite Kitchens, taking over a neighboring building with a marketplace concept that merges local grinds with nostalgia.
HFK, as it’s known, brings together well-established vendors from other parts of the island. So at HFK you can get Mike’s Huli Chicken without going to Kahaluu, Shimazu Store shave ice without going to North School Street, Poke Stop poke bowls without driving west, or a KC Drive Inn Ono Ono Shake without going back in time.
Each outlet has its own menu, so you can pick up barbecued chicken, a poke bowl or even (for real nostalgia) a KC Drive Inn Waffle Dog ($3.95; $4.95 with chili). Poke bowls top out at $12.95; other plates run under $9.
If you’re eating lighter, go for the tofu salad, kicked up to include Sumida watercress, Mrs. Cheng’s tofu, smoked salmon, fried garlic chips and a tasty soy sauce dressing. It’s crisp, fresh, delicious and just $6.85 for a hearty mound.
Don’t forget the Ono Ono Shake ($4.75) in several flavors combined with peanut butter. And, of course, shave ice, in 80 flavors plus a range of toppings and fillings. — Betty Shimabukuro
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3111 Castle St., Kapahulu, next door to Rainbow Drive-In; 744-0465; hawaiisfavoritekitchens.com. Lunch, dinner. $
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KJ’S LOCAL GRINDZ
The savory, crisp fried chicken and slightly sweet furikake chicken have for years been the top sellers at KJ’s Local Grindz in Kaneohe. But KJ’s boneless garlic chicken, breaded, fried and slightly sweet with a punch of garlic, is catching up, said owner Lynell Itomura.
KJ’s is not just about chicken; the menu is varied and includes other proteins, not all of them fried.
Choices range from burgers starting at $2.75, including a popular barbecue cheeseburger for $3.25, to plates for $8.50 to $9. Large, full-size plates include a Hawaiian plate with kalua pork, laulau and rice; chicken or pork adobo; mahimahi or shrimp dishes (served with 10 “good-size” pieces of shrimp); and more.
The fried-chicken plate has five bone-in chicken thighs, rice and a side for $9. All that chicken doesn’t fit in the box, so two pieces are wrapped in foil and placed alongside. If that sounds like too much food, a miniature version is $5.40 and comes with two pieces of chicken. The boneless, breaded, fried, sauced and sprinkled furikake chicken plate is $8.50. Other mini plates cost $2 less than the full-size versions.
Regular-size bentos comprise rice with furikake, a hot dog, piece of fried chicken, two strips of furikake chicken and a Korean drumette, for $8; minis are $3 without the furikake and Korean chicken pieces. — Erika Engle
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Windward City Shopping Center, 45-480 Kaneohe Bay Drive; 235-5799. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. $
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WATER DROP VEGETARIAN HOUSE
Meat eaters who never will give up bacon, burgers or any sort of roast beast need not make any life-changing commitments in order to try the vegetarian and vegan fare at Water Drop Vegetarian House. The food is eye-openingly delicious.
“We use the Buddhist way of cooking,” said Venerable Abbess YiHung Shih, who is in charge of the restaurant and its adjacent temple. This of course includes a philosophy averse to killing. “No killing, more harmony.”
The kitchen staff cooks with ginger and the rest of the universe of herbs and spices to make the restaurant’s flavorful dishes, which change daily. Find each day’s menu posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page, facebook.com/WaterDropVegetarianHouse.
Entrees include lo han jai, also known as monk’s food; spicy ma po tofu; braised turnip; turnip cakes; Brussels sprouts cooked with ginger; spring rolls, pot stickers; and deep-fried potato croquettes. Some dishes include vegetarian ham, but many of Water Drop’s dishes are vegan.
Pricing is simple. A mini combo with two entree choices is $7; the larger combo plate with four choices is $10. With either plate you get a choice of two starches, say, one scoop of brown rice and one helping of noodles.
Best parking option: The 30 minutes allowed in the metered parking lot at Merchant and Richards streets near the U.S. Post Office. — Erika Engle
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801 Alakea St. (at Alakea and Queen); 545-3455; fgshawaii.org/home. Lunch. $
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SUGOI
Who knew that a simple name would draw international attention to a local plate lunch eatery?
“Japanese tourists come in and Japanese magazines cover us because of our name,” said Zachary Lee of his popular Sugoi restaurant. The moniker means “awesome” and “wow” in Japanese.
It turns out that diners of all origins think Lee’s offerings are sugoi, based on the crowds in his Waiakamilo venue. On a typical day, bustling workers can barely move fast enough to thin the crowd. As customers leave with orders, more come in the door.
Some of the draws: customizable bentos, variations of yakisoba and the restaurant’s beloved garlic chicken. Chicken plate lunches fill the menu, with garlic chicken, regular and spicy, being the house signature. There are also mochiko, sesame, katsu, Korean and grilled garlic chickens — crispy chicken rinds are even served as a side dish.
Bentos, filled with rice, teri beef and a choice of chicken, tonkatsu, salmon, mahimahi, saba or ahi, come in two sizes.
Other plates: hamburger steak, teri beef, pork cutlet and various fish and curry options. All come with two scoops white or brown rice with choice of macaroni or tossed salad. Substitutions of fried rice or yaki noodles cost extra. Speaking of yaki, it comes in soba and udon versions; there’s also chow fun. Most plates are $10-$12, with mini plates at $7.70-$8.25. — Joleen Oshiro
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City Square, 1286 Kalani St.; 841-7984; sugoihawaii.com. Breakfast, lunch. $
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JOE’S GRILL EXPRESS
It’s lunchtime, but your stomach wants haupia-macadamia nut pancakes, ube French toast or a local-style breakfast of fried rice, bacon and eggs. Where can you go to satisfy your craving?
Joe’s Grill Express in the Airport Commercial Center, a small strip mall between Alamo Rent a Car and Thrifty Car Rental on Nimitz Highway, offers breakfast all day.
“Some people want pancakes at night, too,” said owner Charla Prado.
Most breakfast items cost $6.75, although a mini breakfast is $4.75 and pancakes and waffles range from $3.75 to $5.75.
The most popular breakfast item is the Joe Moco Special ($6.75), which comes with corned beef hash, two pieces of bacon, two eggs, fried rice and gravy. The menu has a wide range of items including longanisa and pork adobo.
Once lunchtime hits (around 10:30-11 a.m.), choices expand to include furikake chicken, sesame-garlic fried chicken, teriyaki pork, burgers, sandwiches, nachos, enchiladas, salads and more.
All these items carry over to dinner, unless they sell out.
Most daily lunch and dinner plates also average $6.75, with the two most expensive being steak and shrimp ($8.50) and boneless beef short-rib soup ($8.75, only available on Thursdays). — Michelle Ramos
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3131 N. Nimitz Highway; 312-3057; facebook.com/joesgrillexpress. Breakfast, lunch. $
