Savoring Kahai’s Upscale Plate Lunches

On a quest for the finer things in life, but still yearning for the comforts of home? You’ll find all of this and more at Kahai Street Kitchen in Kalihi, where owners Bruce Watanabe and Nao Iwata specialize in upscale plate lunches and assist patrons in all their catering needs.

David Yamamoto serves as executive chef of this local establishment, which is ever-bustling with customers on any given day of the week.

“Every morning, we post different specials of the day on our website, www.kahaistreetkitchen.com,” says Yamamoto, urging customers to come early and order before the best selections of plate lunches are sold out. More recently, however, Kahai Street Kitchen has added a permanent menu to the mix — one that Yamamoto describes as comfort food at its best. Island-favorite plate lunches include Teriyaki Boneless Short Ribs ($8.95), Loco Moco ($7.75), Pork Chops ($8.50) and Kahai’s famous Hamburger Steak ($8.75), to name a few. All plate lunches include rice and choice of potato-mac or tossed salad.

“What’s special about our Hamburger Steak is the fact that we make our own ground beef every day,” says Yamamoto of the two 6-ounce patties topped with sauteed mushrooms, onions and a rich brown gravy. “It’s quite popular.”

Yamamoto also takes pride in his Seafood Casserole Baked Alaska ($8.95), which occasionally makes the list of specials of the day. This exotic entree features sauteed shrimp, scallops and fish served with a smooth Chardonnay cream sauce, and topped with torched garlic mashed potatoes. Diners again have their choice of white or brown rice and potato-mac or tossed salad.

Top cuisine at affordable prices is what Kahai Street Kitchen is all about.

Kahai Street Kitchen