Fresh ingredients make for fantastic meals

Fried Saimin Combo with Smoked Meat with Krazy Rice ($13)

Miles Oyasato and Ty Takishita launched Kau Kau Grill as a food truck in 2013. They soon developed a devoted following, leading them to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Mapunapuna specializing in delicious takes on local favorites. The restaurant only seats about a dozen individuals, so Takishita encourages phone-in orders and suggests dine-in guests to come in early.

A signature item at Kau Kau Grill is the Krazy Rice ($3 a la carte, or $1 for a single scoop or substitute as part of a plate). The special blend of barbecue sauce and spices packs a punch that quickly won over fried rice aficionados.

Surf and Turf with Krazy Rice ($18)

Everything on the Kau Kau Grill menu is made in-house, and the freshest ingredients are used whenever possible. That includes seafood, with fresh ahi purchased every day. It’s part of what makes the Fresh Garlic Ahi ($12) so delicious. Three ahi steaks are sauteed in garlic and served with white rice (add a scoop of Krazy Rice for small charge) and your choice of green or spaghetti mac salad.

Another way to savor Kau Kau Grill’s seafood is in a combination plate. There’s no going wrong with the Surf and Turf ($17, $18 with Krazy Rice), featuring pulehu short ribs and garlic shrimp. The meaty ribs are dusted with an in-house seasoned salt mix and expertly charred on the grill. The shrimp are prepared with a rich, flavorful house-made garlic puree and topped with parsley.

Fresh Garlic Ahi ($12)

Another option combining the best of the land with the best of the sea is the K Special ($19, $20 with Krazy Rice). Fall-off-the-bone tender barbecue baby back ribs are paired with spicy ahi. The ribs are slow-cooked for six hours and get a nice char on the grill. They are then slathered with a house-made barbecue sauce. The spicy ahi combines fresh cubes of fish with aioli, green and white onions and tobiko eggs.

Not in the mood for seafood? The Fried Saimin Combo with Smoked Meat ($12, $13 with Krazy Rice) is made of savory little morsels of meat and plenty of smoky fried onions.

Kau Kau Grill also offers weekly specials such as roast pork with gravy, crispy baked panko chicken, hamburger steak with onion and gravy, chicken with mushrooms and gravy and lechon kawali.

“Follow us @kaukaugrill on Instagram and Twitter,” says owner Miles Oyasato. “Different items are always in the works!”