Plate Lunch Palooza

Garlic Ahi ($12)

Kau Kau Grill, located on Mapunapuna Street, draws in crowds of hungry kamaaina looking for local-style grinds.

Attracting visitors coming from both near and far, the eatery constantly rolls out onolicious plate lunches.

Miles Oyasato and Ty Takishita founded Kau Kau Grill with a mission to provide top-notch plate lunches featuring fresh ingredients and unique flavors. “We wanted to be different from the local (foods) like beef stew and everything like that,” says Takishita. “We’re kind of on the higher end.”

On the menu, diners can discover items that might not be easily found at an everyday eatery as well as a few classic offerings.

Whichever direction customers take, they can expect every dish to be packed with in-house flavors delivered by head chef Ryan Souza and sous chef Matt Fujiwara.

BBQ Baby Back Ribs ($12)

Since the hot spot often gets packed with customers, Takishita encourages phone-in orders and suggests dine-in guests to come in early.

“A lot of people come late,” he notes. “We cook everything almost to order until we run out.”

So make haste, take a trip to Kau Kau Grill and enjoy a tasty plate lunch.

AT THE TOP OF THE CLASS

There are many customer favorites on Kau Kau Grill’s menu, however, BBQ Baby Back Ribs ($12 regular, $9 mini) and Garlic Ahi ($12 regular, $9 mini) prove to be the stars of the show.

BBQ Baby Back Ribs is Kau Kau Grill’s No. 1 seller, as the dish features thick and meaty ribs that present a nice char from the grill. Customers also can expect the glistening pieces of meat, flavored with a house-made special sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, to be soft and tender.

If you’re in the mood for fish, the eatery’s mouthwatering Garlic Ahi surely will put a smile on your face.

The ahi is bought daily and is of such high quality that Kau Kau Grill also uses it in its poke bowls. Seared lightly in olive oil, not butter, the ahi is finished off with chips of garlic and spices.

The plate lunches are served every day, but get it while you can.