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Tittl review: More Hawaiian fare worth checking out
Restaurant offers two distinct food types, but Chinese buffet falls short
| Wednesday, Dec 6 2006 8:20 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Dec 6 2006 8:28 PM
Hawaiian barbecue is still one of the hotter restaurant concepts going today, and we have a second eatery specializing in island food (the first is on Stockdale Highway near the intersection with California Avenue). And, interestingly enough, it also offers Chinese food.
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1201 24th St.
323-6888
Hours open: 7 a.m to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Prices: Appetizers $1.89 to $4.89, plate lunches $5.69 to $7.89, a la carte Chinese $1.39 to $12.89, cafeteria Chinese food combination plates $3.99 to $5.99.
Payment options: MasterCard, Visa accepted. Does not accept American Express, Discover, personal checks or The Californian’s Press Pass.
Dress: Casual
Amenities: Wheelchair accessible; no alcohol served; many vegetarian options.
Food: 2 stars
Atmosphere: 2 1⁄2 stars
Service: 3 stars
Next week’s restaurant: Sunday brunch at the Garden Spot
If you visit, you're better off with the Hawaiian than the Chinese, which is available either a la carte or via a cafeteria line a la The China Bistro. That's what we tried on our first visit and we were so disappointed, I couldn't get my regular companion to accompany me on a second visit.
"I think it's the oil," she exclaimed as we sampled the garlic shrimp, the orange chicken, the kung pao chicken and the beef with green beans. We both got two-ingredient combos and found the freshness of the vegetables and the meat to be quite a few steps below China Bistro. The oil used, my companion was convinced, had something to do with the unappetizing sameness of everything we tried that night. The debate raged into the night, never being settled, as I wasn't certain that the spice combinations used weren't responsible for much of the offputting flavor. We stopped just short of sending it out to a lab to be analyzed, but didn't because she just couldn't bring herself to take any of her leftovers home. I think she was afraid of any of those oil molecules taking up permanent residence in the vehicle.
I'm not sure the oil was the whole thing anyway. There was a big fatty lump of something in the orange chicken, and the beef mixed with the green beans was poorly trimmed, with too much fat and gristle. I did like the mix of vegetables with the shrimp (zucchini, onions) but the kung pao was hardly spicy.
Now, when I have such a distasteful experience, I usually have to go back to ensure that it wasn't just an off night for the restaurant and that you, the reader, are likely to find similar conditions. So I went back with my invisible friend and this time ignored the buffet (which didn't look any better) and stuck to the plate lunches. Folks, the difference is overwhelming. You can get SPAM, which for reasons unknown to me is revered as fine cuisine on the islands. They have grilled SPAM Moco (with gravy and eggs), but I had to try one of the combo meals (Honolulu BBQ Mix, $6.99) with barbecued short ribs, barbecued chicken and barbecued beef, with two scoops of white rice and one scoop of macaroni salad. Perfect breakfast for surfers trying to carb up for a day of cutting waves. The food here was much better than the Chinese offerings, and on par with the other Hawaiian restaurant in town. The sauce had that sweet smokiness you hope for, and short ribs, while tough like the skirt steak used in fajitas, are appealing and satisfying. The barbecued beef was on the tough side, as it was in my companion's buffet beef with green beans, and it was not as flavorful as the short ribs.
The restaurant's interior is brightly painted and very inviting, with plasma TV tuned to the local news at both ends of the dining room. There is no alcohol served, but a lot of fruit juices in cans, tea drinks and slushes, as well as milk shakes. And the menu has other interesting items such as kalua pork with cabbage (smoked pork cooked with banana and tea leaves), Hawaiian hamburgers, fried fish, chicken katsu and satay chicken. One of the appetizers is crab rangoon (crab meat with cream cheese stuffed into a wonton and fried). Not many restaurants serve that.
I'm sure there were sound business reasons to offer the Chinese buffet, such as the absence of a similar restaurant in the neighborhood and lots of time-crunched downtown employees nearby who'd rather get their food quickly than order and wait. The challenge, then, would be to refine the recipes so they don't lose customers who aren't forced to return. Either that or just change the oil; whatever works best.