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Healthful food drives eatery’s success

A La Carte

September 29, 2019

Story By: Brandon Bosworth | Photos by: ALOHA SALADS

Grilled Cheese Combo ($10.95)

Since opening its first location in Kailua in 2006, Aloha Salads has specialized in a “Healthy, fresh, local” approach to cuisine. The eatery has since expanded to six convenient Oahu locations — downtown Honolulu, Kahala Mall, Pearlridge Center, Kailua Shopping Center, Kapolei Commons and Mililani and has even opened a restaurant in the hip Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo. Despite the growth and expansion, the Aloha Salads mission remains the same: to serve healthy, fresh, locally grown food of the highest quality at affordable prices.

Aloha Salads was founded by the husband-and-wife duo of Chris and Sara Lufrano. “We wanted to give people with a busy lifestyle an alternative to the plate lunch — meat, rice, mac salad,” Sara says. “We also saw the local farms with beautiful produce that no one was using at the time, and we wanted to use the freshest ingredients.” This commitment to quality earned Aloha Salads the honor of being named home of “Hawaii’s Best Salad” in the 2018 Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s People’s Choice Awards.

Chicken Curry Salad in papaya ($12.50)

Sara Lufrano came to love salads as a lawyer in Chicago. “The only thing that got me through the long days at my desk without falling asleep were the salads I ate,” she says.

One customer favorite is The Aloha Mediterranean with Grilled Shrimp ($12 small, $15 large), which combines locally sourced romaine hearts with grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, bell peppers, red onion, cucumbers, garbanzo beans, dill and a house-made Mediterranean-style vinaigrette. Additional options include hummus or sun-dried tomatoes.

The Aloha Mediterranean with Grilled Shrimp ($12 small, $15 large)

For fish lovers, Ono Island Ahi Salad ($10.50 small, $14.50 large) combines fresh seared ahi with mixed greens, mango, strawberries, coconut, avocado, bean sprouts, green onions and Aloha Salads’ own mango vinaigrette dressing.

Not in the mood for seafood? Chicken Curry Salad ($10.50) features curried chicken breast, mango chutney, carrots, cranberries, grapes, coconut and romaine lettuce. It’s usually served on pita bread, but for an additional $2 you can have it served in a papaya for a healthful, tropical treat.

Ono Island Ahi Salad ($10.50 small, $14.50 large)

Of course, maybe the recent rainy weather has you craving simple, warming comfort food. The Grilled Cheese Combo ($10.95) is the perfect choice. A grilled cheese sandwich made with fresh mozzarella, Havarti and cheddar cheeses on sourdough is paired with Aloha Salads’ famous homemade tomato bisque soup for a modern take on a classic combination.

Ilima Awards
Hawaii's Best