Local food galore on the East side

Garlic Umami Shrimp ($20)

Featuring a homey atmosphere, great food and live music, Beastside Kitchen is a restaurant where locals and visitors can truly enjoy the aloha spirit.

“The best part is definitely the food and the ambiance,” says founder and president James Kiko. “A lot of people say that our dining room is very inviting, and they really feel the ohana-style influence.”

Guava Barbecue Fried Chicken ($16)

The East side eatery is best known for its Hawaii Pacific fusion cuisine, such as the Garlic Umami Shrimp plate ($20) featuring 10 pieces of crispy fried shrimp sautéed in garlic butter and served with white rice with a customer’s choice of mac salad or pickled onion; the Guava Barbecue Fried Chicken plate ($16) with fried, boneless, citrus-marinated chicken leg pieces tossed in Hawaiian barbecue sauce; and the Pastele Lumpia ($15) stuffed with stew filling.

Started a year and a half ago as a pop-up tent in Waimanalo, the restaurant has been in business for six months and is a place where customers are meant to feel like they’re at a family paina, with homemade cuisine, live music and great energy, according to Kiko.

Pastele Lumpia ($15)

“My favorite part of being at Beastside is remembering how we got here, who helped get us here, and seeing everyone who is here now, working and enjoying our offerings,” Kiko says.

As the restaurant continues to grow he hopes “to continue to put smiles on people’s faces” and open new locations on each of the major Hawaiian Islands.

For more information, visit beastsidekitchen.com.