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Buffet welcomes patrons to eat what they want, when they want it

What's Cooking?

August 2, 2015

Story By: Lindsey Appleton | Photos by: TONY GRILLO PHOTOS

Parallel to Pearlridge Mall in the West-ridge Shopping Center rests a buffet-style restaurant bustling with satisfied customers enjoying five-star food, without a five-star price tag. For 11 years, Makino Chaya has been serving quality Japaneseand local-style food, ranging from made-to-order grilled steaks to freshly rolled sushi.

Indulge in a grilled-to-order boneless short rib steak at the Teppan Yaki station. Munch endlessly on shrimp tempura and treat yourself to succulent steamed snow crab. Pair your meal with flavorful Parmesan garlic potatoes, crisp bok choy and juicy balsamic tomato salad. Makino Chaya’s all-you-can-eat buffet specializes in offering an abundance of food at a great value.


“You could hurt your wallet by ordering a portion of crab or a small steak in Waikiki, or you could treat yourself and your family to a bottomless meal of crab, steak, sushi, ramen and everything in-between,” says manager John Arciaga, who has been with Makino Chaya for more than a decade. “Cooking is creative, and we enjoy providing our customers with the ability to create their own dish and enjoy good food, without breaking the bank.”

Benefit from Makino Chaya’s weekday happy hour, when from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., the buffet is discounted to $19.98. Not including the a la carte menu, happy hour patrons can spoil themselves at the ramen bar and Teppan Yaki station, as well as with Manila clams and the rest of the buffet.

Surrounded by a vast hand-painted mural of life in the ocean, diners of all ages experience the fun and authenticity of Makino Chaya’s dynamic and interactive restaurant. Watch your steak sizzle before your eyes, your sushi rolled, your ramen garnished, and indulge in the dessert station, complete with a chocolate fountain and frozen yogurt.

“Makino Chaya has become a go-to kamaaina restaurant for daily meals, private parties and family-style dinners,” says Arciaga. “Our open seating, food stations and buffet lines allow customers to choose what they want to eat, how much of it, and to enjoy it instantly. (There’s) no waiting to order, no guessing based on menu descriptions — anything you want to try, you can. That’s the joy of buffet-style dining.”

MAKINO CHAYA
WHERE Westridge Shopping Center 98-150 Kaonohi St., Aiea
CALL 486-5100
HOURS Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.; Dinner: Sunday-Thursday, 5:30–8:30 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 5:30–9 p.m.

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