Rutt's Cafe

Finally! A place that has good lau lau. After searching much of Southern California and three Hawaiian Islands, Rutt's Cafe has the best that I've had in a very long time. This second location of Rutt's Cafe is located in the Marukai in West Covina.



Encased in a thick casing of taro leaves (imagine a much heartier version of spinach), a generous amount of lean pork and a fairly big piece of "butterfish" is steamed to perfection. Unlike many other versions I've had in recent times, the fish in the lau lau is actually discernible at Rutt's Cafe. The oiliness of the butterfish helps to bathe the pork shoulder in fatty goodness and gives it an added depth of flavor. The only thing that could improve the lau lau is a little seasoning. It was lacking in the salt department, otherwise a definite winner.


The lau lau plate comes with the standard "plate lunch" accompaniments of two scoops rice, one scoop mac salad. The mac salad is a little different in that it contains relish.



Rutt's Cafe
1420 S. Azusa Avenue
West Covina, CA 91791
(626) 917-3200

Roy's - LA

Set in a cozy little space, Roy’s LA seems amiss among the sprawling skyscrapers and bustling busy streets. But step inside and you are suddenly whisked away to a different world, a modern tropical paradise that I immediately associate with Hawaii. Vibrant colors adorn the wall, with both modern and some traditional decorations sprinkled throughout the restaurant. Stalks of bamboo line the outer edge of the dining room, while three huge Plumeria art pieces line the wall above the open kitchen, like playful warriors standing guard over the cooks.

The open kitchen is a form of entertainment in itself. While each line cook and sous chef has their own responsibility they also work with precise choreography, producing each dish to come together with perfect timing. Curtis Mar, Executive Chef, is the conductor of the kitchen, making sure each dish goes out on time and more importantly, meeting his discerning standards.

After being seated and getting settled in, a bowl of edamame was placed upon the table. The edamame were seasoned with Alaea red salt and just a whispery hint of something sweet. While not overly sweet, it did give the soybeans an added dimension.

The Grilled Hawaiian Satay Skewers are a mix of chicken, beef, eggplant and shrimp each with a different seasoning. The Curried Chicken Satay is tender and moist with a nice curry spice; it reminded me of a cross between an Indonesian and Indian dish. The peanut sauce helps to cut through the pungency of the curry. The Mongolian Beef skewer is very tender and flavorful. The concentrated soy glaze enhances the beef flavor. The Miso Eggplant satay is a nicely grilled slice of eggplant with a miso glaze that is both sweet and salty. The eggplant is slightly wilted but still retains a nice meaty texture. The Shrimp skewer contains two meaty shrimp that is paired with a wasabi dipping sauce provides a spicy kick to the sweet shrimp.

The Roasted Baby Beet Salad is of the deconstructed type. Baby Bibb lettuce with a acidic balsamic vinegarette sits on one side of the plate, while roasted red and yellow baby beets provide contrast on the other side. Balsamic vinegar cuts through the richness of the blue cheese ranch dressing. An oozing block of blue cheese finishes the salad off.

A Lychee Sorbet is served as an intermezzo. The sorbet is light but is rather sweet. Although there is a hint of lemon in the sorbet it tastes like a light dessert instead of a palate cleanser.

The “Pulehu” Style Hawaiian Barbecued Sirloin is a very generous serving of sliced sirloin cooked to a perfect medium rare. The steak is glazed in a sake reduction and a green peppercorn sauce. The sweetness of the sake provides a nice contrast to the spiciness of the green peppercorns. The dish is served with a small stack of perfectly fried crunchy onion rings and potatoes au gratin. The onion rings are so crunchy that each bite reverberates inside of your skull like you were at a heavy metal concert. The potatoes au gratin are so rich, creamy and cheesy that a crash cart should be close at hand.

The signature Roy’s Hot Melting Chocolate Souffle is a rich dark chocolate flourless chocolate cake with a molten hot center. Breaking into the soufflé releases the sweet thick magma of dark chocolate within. The luscious soufflé is served a la mode with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that provides a nice temperature contrast as well as a raspberry coulis which helps to cut through the richness of the chocolate.

Although Roy describes his food as being Asian Fusion to make it more appealing to the masses, this is really Hawaii Regional Cuisine at its finest.

Roy's
800 S. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 488-4994

The Loft

You call this butterfish?

I had my eye on the lau lau since it advertised that it had butterfish in it, just like small kid time. It's hard to find butterfish in lau lau anymore, most restaurants will tell you its too expensive to make it that way. The places that do have butterfish use a very small piece that is mostly fat and very little meat. I know that the butterfish is really only there to help flavor the pork, which usually has little to no flavor on its own. But, the amount of butterfish that the Loft uses in their lau lau is a joke. It's about the size of a small Band-Aid, and is all fat. Ho, da stingy buggah's can't even put a decent amount of fish in da lau lau. I almost wen give em da stink eye. As a whole, the butterfish was under seasoned and was sorely lacking some salt. It was a pretty decent sized lau lau, but the mysterious butterfish was still missing.



The bacon fried rice was not all that special. There were big pieces of bacon, but it was under cooked and not crispy. It also had a strange taste to it, like old oil had been used in the dish. This version of bacon fried rice was just tired and uninspiring. With all of the framed pieces around the restaurant endorsing "ohana", this isn't the kind of food you would feed your family.

All in all, I don't think I'd make a special trip here. I have heard that the Cypress location is better, but I've only eaten at the Torrance location, which was better.


The Loft
20157 Pioneer Blvd.
Cerritos, CA 90715
(562) 402-3538

Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop

I was so looking forward to eating here. People I know eat here and swear the food is good. Even the Culinary Detective went here on an episode, and being the local he is, should be in the know.

I should have known how things were going to be right from the get go. That's called "FORESHADOWING" people. A nice elderly woman was the host, and directed us to a table near the corner. Only problem was that she didn't give us any menus. After waiting for about 10 minutes, with still no server in sight, I had to get up and get some menus. Perusing the menu for a couple minutes, our server finally came over and asked us if we were ready to order. We weren't and another long period, about 25 minutes, of waiting was in order. We tried flagging down a busser, waved at the waitress and almost set off some signal flares to grab somebody's attention. After all that, we were finally able to get our order in.

Yes, more waiting was in order. Funny, but I didn't see this item anywhere on the menu. Glad it was gratis, otherwise the amount of waiting we endured would have cost us a small fortune. Our food finally arrived, well, at least one dish did. The other, saimin, didn't arrive for another 10 minutes. You would think something simple like saimin would be ready in a flash.


The tonkatsu was actually pretty good. Nice and crunchy on the outside, and moist and tender on the inside, this dish was very good. The tempura on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. Yes, it was a nice golden brown and crunchy, but it tasted like it was cooked in oil that had been used a few too many times. The accompanying salad was one of the most pathetic I've ever seen. Filled with almost all iceberg lettuce, each and every single piece of lettuce was red around the border from being old and withered.


Getting back to the saimin, it did look promising. At first glance it looked like the noodles were made by Maebo, but sadly they weren't. They were still good noodles, nice and chewy with some elasticity still in them. The broth was rather bland and had a slightly salty taste, like shio ramen. The wonton were horribly overcooked, just very soggy and doughy.

I'm not sure I would try this place again given the amount of places that have Hawaiian food in the surrounding area.


Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop
15707 S. Vermont Ave.
Gardena, CA 90247
(310) 532-0820

Kuhio Grill

Home of the infamous 1 lb. lau lau. I was so looking forward to Kuhio Grill because it seems like I have been on a quest the last few years trying to find a place that puts butterfish in their lau lau like back in small kid time. Unfortunately Kuhio Grill also did not have any butterfish in their lau lau, but was tasty nonetheless. It's not like a huge piece of butterfish would be in the lau lau, but it helps to add another layer of flavor to the pork and taro leaves, bringing some brinyness and some richness to the dish.

They do have several types of lau lau available such as salmon or chicken, but I was here for the traiditonal one.

The staff is very friendly here although somewhat on local time.


Kuhio Grill

111 East Puainako Street, #A106
Hilo, HI 96720-5295

(808) 959-2336

Chef Mavro

Gourmet magazine writes "Where we would dine if we had only one night in Honolulu," so I took them up on their challenge. I actually flew to Honolulu for a 12 hour juant just to eat here so my expectations were very high. Chef Mavro's has always been on my to do list along with every other founding member of Hawaii Regional Cuisine.

With James Beard award in tow for Best Chef in Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest, George Mavrothalassitis has gained world wide fame for his cuisine. After having his own restaurants in France, while in Hawaii Mavro woke up one morning in Waikiki with Diamond Head looming and the background and proclaimed, "That's it! I'm home!" and has been here ever since.

Chef Mavro's is designed as a tasting course restaurant only with the options of 3, 4 or 6 courses, or the entire table can opt for the Chef's Table's Tasting Menu with a staggering 11 courses.

The Spiced Bigeye Tuna with a salad of Sumida watercress, hearts of palm, red radish, garlic-watercress essence is a great way to start off the meal. Nice seared on the outside, the tuna is rare as can be on the inside to show off its freshness and flavor. The spiciness of the watercress helps to cut through some of the richness of the tuna.

The Hudson Valley Foie Gras Au Torchon wrapped in nori, yuzu kanten, ruby grapefruit, Korean pear, shiso pickles, and brioche crust. The foie gras was rich and buttery and played well with the accompanying elements. The citrus elements help to downplay the heavy mouth feel of the foie gras.

The Poached filet of Hapu'upu'u (Hawaiian Sea Bass) in a sago-coconut nage, thai herbs, lime froth is just a simply wonderful dish. The light and delicate flavor of the sea bass is enhanced with the coconut and lime essence. A Thai inspired type of dish, it shows the versatility of Mavro's cooking style.



The Keahole Lobster a la Coque with Kahuku corn cake with lobster coral is a simply prepared dish that allows the lobster to shine through. The corn accents the sweetness of the lobster.

The Snake River Farm Kobe-style beef roasted bavette and braised short rib, pancetta brussels sprouts, truffle accented celery root pure, pinot noir sauce is one of the best pieces of beef that I have ever had in my life. It had such a rich and bold beef flavor that can only rival the kind of beef raised in Argentina.

The Roasted "Mountain Meadow" Lamb Chateau was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The lamb was not at all gamey but was full of flavor. May have been the best lamb that I have ever eaten.

The Big Island Goat Cheese "Tatin" was a perfect little tart. The goat cheese was rich, creamy and full of flavor. It was very subtle in flavor, just another wonderful dish.




Dessert was a sampler platter of cheesecake, coconut ice cream and a cappuccino bombe. The cheesecake was as smooth as silk, rich and creamy. The flavor was very subtle and just sublime. The coconut ice cream burst with fresh coconut. Although the ice cream was not very sweet, it was well balanced and almost as good as Lappert's. The cappuccino bombe was very light and delicate. Although the coffee flavor could be discerned, this dessert was not at all over powering. The balance of all three dessert worked well together. An extra special dessert, a chocolate torte, was also presented. Like the rest of the desserts, this was subtle in flavor and just fantastic. Home made candy was also presented as well as petit four.

One of the best meals that I have ever had, and will certainly return when in Honolulu again.



Chef Mavro
1969 S King St
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 944-4714

Big Island Grill

As with many restaurants in Hawaii, Big Island Grill is located in a strip mall. Many locals eat here, so you know the food is good and affordable. Many people complain about the slow service, but that's just people running on "Hawaiian time". Fortunately, I did not experience this on my visit. SHAKAS!

The mac nut pancakes are imbedded with macadamia nuts and then topped with crushed mac nut. They are huge, bigger than the plate, and come three to an order. The pancakes are light and flluffy with just a hint of sweetness in the batter. Just add some butter and perhaps some coconut syrup and you have the perfect breakfast.

I have heard that Big Island Grill has seemed to either undergo new ownership or management and some things have changed since I visited. Service is still and issue for some people, but more importantly prices seemed to have risen fairly dramatically, $1-$2 per dish.


Big Island Grill
75-5702 Kuakini Hwy
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
(808) 326-1153

Nori's Saimin & Snacks

Nori’s is definitely a hole in the wall. With address and GPS in hand, I still couldn’t locate this place. I called the restaurant only to find I was next door. Nori’s is in the middle of a little strip mall, and trying to find this place at night only made matters worse. It was definitely worth the treasure hunt though.

The restaurant is small. As you enter, there is a long hallway with a few booths on one side. Pictures and accolades adorn the wall. I noticed a picture of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto along with a few other Hawaiian celebrities.

Noted for their saimin, this was a must especially after going up to Mauna Kea to see the sunset and the incredible view of the stars. Situated at 9,000 feet the observation center gets mighty cold and windy. If you head to the summit at 14,000 feet you will see snow during the winter time. One of the cool things about the Big Island is that you can ski or snowboard in the morning, and drive down the mountain and go surfing in the afternoon.

The Hilo-style wonton saimin is what I ordered. The Hilo-style noodeles are curlier then normal is what I was informed. All noodles are made in house, and they make 16 differenet varieties of saimin. They don’t skimp on the noodles here, as there is little room for broth with the amount of noodles that are given. The saimin is served with the usual char sui pork, komoboko and green onions. The wonton are fairly big and have a good amount of pork filling inside. The wonton skins are thick enough not to fall apart while swimming in the saimin, but delicate enough not to become gummy or overly chewy. The noodles themselves are cooked al dente and have a nice chew to them. As a bonus two chicken skewers are served with the saimin. They are grilled with a nice char on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside.

They also make a chocolate mochi cake and mochi cookies. The mochi cake is sort of like a cross between chocolate cake and a brownie. It is very dense and moist, but has a fairly delicate mouthfeel. It sort of has a dobash (chocolate pudding) texture and taste, but a little chewier due to the mochi.

For the best saimin on the island, go to Nori’s. It’s definitely worth the "hunt".

Nori’s Saimin & Snacks
688 Kinoole Street
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 935-9133

Chiko's Tavern

Somewhat of a throwback, Chiko's Tavern is an out of the way hole in the wall that locals have been going to for over 40 years. It's a small bar that serves pupus (appetizers) and a place to come and sing karaoke.

The Spam musubi is grilled to caramelize the outside then topped with shoyu (soy sauce). The Spam tops a bed of rice and then wrapped in nori. This is a classic Hawaiian dish and one that is prepated well.

The kalbi ribs are marinated in shoyu, sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and then grilled. The kalbi ribs are cut thin and the marinade and char of the grill bring out a wonderful combination of sweet, salty and a little bit of spice from the ginger and some added chili.

The food is not gourmet by any means, but for the people of Hawaii, it's comfort food at its finest.


Chiko's Tavern
930 McCully St
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 949-5440

Merriman's Restaurant

Located about an hour inland from Kona and up in the mountains, Merriman’s Restaurant is a dining destination for just about any foodie. One of the original founders of Hawaiian Regional Cuisine, Peter Merriman, changed the face of food on Hawaii as we know it back in 1991. Along with Roy Yamaguchi, Alan Wong, Sam Choy, George Mavrothalassitis and a host of others, this group of young, relatively unknown chefs made a commitment to improve the food of Hawaii into something more recognizable than the veritable Spam. They dedicated themselves to the use of locally grown produce and island raised protein as much as they could. This group has developed strong bonds with local farmers and ranchers to use the freshest ingredients possible.

Merriman’s is oddly located in a small strip mall unlike many of the “destination” dining options which are either freestanding or, more likely, in one of the many resorts on the Kona coast. The location does, however, position the restaurant more strategically closer to Kahua Ranch, Hufford Farm and Honopua Family Farm.

The Kalua Pig & Sweet Onion Quesadilla is a take on the classic Mexican dish. The smoky and salty pork is paired perfectly with the sweetness from the caramelized onions. It is served with a Kimchee and Mango Sweet Chili dipping sauce. The sweetness of the mango in the dipping sauce helps to cut the saltiness of the kalua pork, while the kimchee and chili give it a spicy little kick.

The Organic Waimea Greens Salad is a mixture of locally grown baby greens with Kula onions from Maui and Chevre from Mauna Kea in a balsamic vinaigrette. The greens are vibrant in their color and are lightly dressed to retain the texture and subtle flavors of the greens. With these types of top quality ingredients, drowning them in dressing would be a shame. The chevre is soft, creamy and slightly salty, the perfect accompaniment to the salad.

The Kahua Ranch Lamb are several lamb chops cooked to perfection. Charred on the outside to form a nice crust, the inside is a perfect rare-medium rare. The lamb chops are not at all gamey and have a wonderful rich lamb flavor.

The Merriman’s Mixed Plate is a combination of the Ponzu Mahi Mahi, Filet Medallion and the signature Wok Charred Ahi. The Mahi Mahi is marinated in ponzu giving it a nice citrus undertone while allowing the flavor of the fish to come out. Paired with grilled shiitaki mushrooms, hearts of palm and an onion relish this dish is a winner. Several medallions of filet were presented with sautéed mushrooms and an onion jam. The filet was seared on the outside and cooked to a nice medium rare on the inside. The filet was full of flavor and the earthiness of the mushrooms only enhanced the rich beef flavor. The Wok Charred Ahi is simply prepared. It is lightly seared on the outside and rare as only top grade sashimi could be on the inside. The searing brought out a slight nuttiness in the fish as well as bringing out some of the inherent oil in the fish to give it a deep, intense flavor. This is the ultimate surf and turf combination.

The Coconut Crème Brulee is a Hawaiian take on the classic French dessert. The sweetness of the coconut certainly is brought out in this dish, but is not overly sweet. The crème brulee was a looser custard, unlike some places where the crème brulee is really firm. The crème brulee was top with a glassy burnt sugar topping crust.

This is a great restaurant for special occasions and is a great representation of what Hawaii Regional Cuisine is all about.

Merriman’s Restaurant
65-1227 Opelo Road
Kamuela, HI 96743
(808) 885-6822

The Hualalai Grille by Alan Wong

Pack your survival kit, grab some flares and if you go at night hire a tour guide or a knowledgeable local especially if you haven't been to the Big Island or the Four Seasons Hualalai before. When calling for directions the hostess said to look for the big tree. Not exactly the easiest thing to do as the sun is setting. And after all this searching, the "big tree" was a little bit bigger than a Charley Brown Christmas tree.

Once you finally do find the property, the road to Oz strangely passes another resort and winds through a residential neighborhood. At the end of the road, like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, appears the majesty of the Four Seasons resort.

The restaurant is set in a lovely open air space, like a lanai, that overlooks the golf course. It feels like you are on a deserted island that you can call your own.

The tasting menu is a must. It starts with the signature dish of "Soup & Sandwich" but this is no ordinary soup and sandwich. The soup is a chilled red and yellow tomato soup, with each color in its own half of the bowl. The sandwich is a foie gras, kalua pork and grilled cheese sandwich. The combination may sound strange but works wonderfully. The tomato soup helps to cut through the richness of the foie gras while still allowing the flavors of the sandwich to shine through. It also comes with a wonderful seafood cake composed of lobster, shrimp and crab. It is lightly held together with mayo and the sweet, delicate flavors of the seafood to be the star.

The next course is pan seared diver scallops with a pork hash risotto. Huge diver scallops are perfectly seared with a nice golden brown crust and the delicate interior allows the natural flavor of the scallop to rise to the top.

The fish course is ginger crusted onaga (ruby snapper) with a miso sesame vinagrette. This delicate fish is perfectly cooked and the ginger crusting gives it a sharp bite that is perfectly paired with the fish. The saltiness of the miso also helps to bring out the flavor of the onaga.

The meat course of short ribs is nothing short of spectacular. Braised to perfection the meat falls off the bone to give the taster a mouthful of pure beef flavor. The accompanying soy glaze adds a hint of saltiness and sweetness.

The signature Chocolate Crunch Bar is unlike anything Hershey's or Nestle ever made. The chocolate is not overly sweet and the infused macadamia nuts add texture and saltiness, as well as helping to cut down the sweetness of the chocolate.

This is one of the best meals I've had in my life and worth every penny. It's actually pretty affordable compared to some other restaurants.



The Hualalai Grille by Alan Wong
72-100 Kaupulehu Drive
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
(808) 325-8525

Ohana Hawaiian Island BBQ

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