Thanks to Dash of Sazón, you can experience the flavors of Latin America and the Caribbean without leaving Oahu.

“The best compliment someone can give us is that our food tasted like home,” says Ezzio Lavarello, who co-owns Dash of Sazón with his wife, Asia. “We’re cooking up our family recipes; we’re known for our Caribbean and Latino comfort foods.”

Dash of Sazón started at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic; the Lavarellos did pop-ups and worked out of shared commercial kitchens.

“Thanks to our friends at Next-Door and The Other Side Diner in Chinatown, we were able to move our pop-up and gain experience as a full-service restaurant,” Lavarello says. “There, we honed our skills and built our brand. Our fans have followed our progress and supported us every step of the way. We’re so excited to now have a food truck parked at Pearlridge Center.”

Popular dishes include lomo saltado ($25) — seared filet mignon flambeed with pisco and sauteed with red onions, Peruvian aji Amarillo and lomo sauce — jerk chicken ($20) served over coconut rice and peas with sauteed kale and topped with housemade jerk aioli, and Chancho fries ($17).

“Lomo saltado is served with Peruvian garlic rice and steak frites,” Lavarello says. “Meanwhile, our smoky flame-roasted chicken is in a Jerk marinade that has been passed down through the generations. The seasoned steak frites and Puerto Rican pernil are smothered with three of our secret Sazón sauces and topped with Peruvian salsa criolla.”

Don’t forget to check out the empanadas (two for $10) — crispy hot pastries filled with beef, chicken, garbanzos guisados or guava and cheese.

“We also curate events,” Lavarello says. “We have a drag brunch, burlesque brunch and Latin Night events throughout the month. Follow our Instagram (@dashofsazon) for more information and for tickets.”

Dash of Sazón

Pearlridge Center
(in the former Sears parking lot)
Call: 808-490-5723
Web: dashofsazon.com
Instagram: @dashofsazon
How to order: In person, via phone or website, UberEats, DoorDash, GrubHub, OpenTable
How to pay: Cash, credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo and Cash App accepted