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Sandwiched Between Slices of Local Comfort

Columns What's for Lunch?

September 15, 2013

Story By: Rachel Breit | Photos by: Rachel Breit

In addition to pleasing the palate, Kenny’s Restaurant offers friendly service and a touch of comfort. It’s no wonder the eatery has been satisfying locals for years.

If you need some comforting on your lunch break, head in for a warm welcome and some hearty sandwiches and sides. Take a seat at a comfy booth by a window, listen to the oldies-but-goodies playing overhead and pursue the classics on the menu.

The zesty Reuben ($11.49) is a balancing act of the comforting flavors we know and love about Reubens. “It tastes traditional,” says chef Les Omuro. House-made corned beef sets this sandwich apart. The brisket is boiled for hours to tenderize it before it is sliced into thin pieces. Omuro combines the corned beef with Swiss cheese, Thousand Island dressing, tangy sauerkraut and rye bread. Caraway seeds that dot the rye punctuate it with anise-like flavor, adding another layer to the robust Reuben. Pair your sandwich with sides like Cesar salad or macaroni salad.

Turkey Bacon Avocado ($11.49) sandwich tastes as if your mother had made it and packed it in a brown paper bag with a sweet little note. Soft honey-nut bread is filled with thick slices of fresh-made oven-roasted turkey, crispy bacon, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, lettuce and a smear of mayonnaise. “When we do sandwiches, we use the real turkey, the fresh turkey. It’s better quality,”

says Omuro. The sandwich is served cold, but warm up with a cup of soup or hot fries on the side. Soup options rotate daily: look for Kalua Pig and Long Rice Wednesdays and Portuguese Bean Soup Saturdays, just to name a couple.

Oyster Burger ($13.50) is “crunchy and everything,” says Omuro. Creamy tartar sauce and cabbage slaw accompany the fried oysters on a fluffy bun. In fact, the oysters are back after a hiatus in supply. “I use tempura batter and then panko to give (the oysters) more of a crunch,” Omura says.

Kenny’s is an iconic haven for locals and visitors alike. Pay the restaurant a visit and see how after years and years, the hostess who warmly welcomes you in also beckons you back to a golden, bygone era.

Kenny’s Restaurant

Kamehameha Shopping Center
1620 N. School St., Honolulu
841-0931
Sunday-Thursday, 6 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, 6 a.m.-11 p.m.

Honolulu, HI 96817

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