Chicken Katsu Don ($10.75). Light and crispy slightly sweet batter. Juicy chicken. Not too oily. Nice curried rice underneath. Beautiful fresh salad with a rich yogurt dressing.

Also highly recommended is their Ahi Don!

Located right in downtown Hilo. Perfect place for a quick lunch while cruising downtown.

From top left, clockwise:  eggplants, okra, avocados (so buttery), apple bananas (sweetest), white sugar loaf pineapple (like pure sugar), cilantro (super fragrant), long beans, bittermelon, jalapenos, and the most juicy ripe local tomatoes.

We go to the farmer’s market here in Hilo at least once a week to stock up on our produce with the tastiest organic fruits and vegetables ever, grown locally.  So much cheaper and better than the stuff shipped in… why buy anywhere else?

I find it crazy when I go to a restaurant here and find a tastless rock hard tomato on my burger or salad.  We live in such a fertile place with cheap produce.  Buy local!

By the time I got in line, everything was sold out except lasagna and chicken.  The guy in front of me ordered the last two servings of hamburger steak.  Their menu was even taken down.  Bummers.

“What kine chicken you get?” , I asked.  ”Katsu, Spicy Korean, Spicy BBQ, Cutlet w/gravy”, this big but friendly man replied.   I took a cutlet with gravy.  $5 bucks.

What a happy surprise when I opened my plate!  They put in a hamburger steak too!  Awesome.  The cutlet was the highlight.  Soft and juicy and very fresh and crispy outside.  Gravy was good.  Not too salty.  Hamburger steak was average… a little tough, but I wasn’t complaining.  Mac salad was really good.  It may seem like a simple thing, but it takes skill and passion to make a well balanced mac salad.

Definitely will be back.  Just a little earlier next time!

Koji’s Bento! So easy to miss… just a small hole in the wall near the Hilo Farmer’s Market. This place has been here forever… they are famous for their homestyle loco mocos, but offer all kine local comfort foods. Took a few snaps of their menus…

Here it is… Koji’s Deluxe Loco ($6.50)!

My good friend introduced this to me back in college days and it’s exactly how I remember it. 2 hamburger patties, 2 eggs, portugese sausage, kim chee, and mac salad. (btw, this was ready in less than 3 minutes… they are so fast here). Isn’t it a thing of beauty? Sure, it may not be the most gourmet loco, but judging it as a whole with the great homemade kim chee and mac salad, it truly is amazing.

Another must try… the best hangover cure ever… Koji’s Breakfast Burger:

Homestyle teri burger, egg, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions on a fresh sweet bread bun.  Super good.

Koji’s Bento Korner Inc.
52 Ponahawai St
Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 935-1417

This place is located right behind Hilo Lunch Shop and seems very popular for their $5 bentos. While eating in, there was a steady stream of bentos going out. We were happy to have found a great Korean place in Hilo!

Service was nice. We got some great tasting vegetables to start with.

BBQ Chicken ($9)

Tender, juicy, nicely charred and well seasoned/marinated. Bev really liked it and ate it all!

Meat Jun ($9)

Super good! Soft and juicy. The meat was really tender which is always important with meat jun. Portion size was generous too.

Great place with great flavor and service.

CHAM CHAM Korean BBQ
421 Kalanikoa St, Ste 102, Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 961-4741

Kim’s, I <3 you!

Readers have been telling me that Maona has some mean grinds. Finally made it here! A little 2-man operated lunch counter right next to the Farmer’s Market.

Their menu is simple but looks so good! Unfortunately, they were already out of rice. They are known to have some good plate lunches so we were bummed.

We just went for some sandwiches. Blackjack burger ($6.50).

Mahi burger ($6.50).

The covers on these plates could barely stay closed. Huge burgers and huge amount of crispy homemade fries. My burger was thick and juicy with a nice spice rub. Nice grill marks. Best $6.50 I’ve spent on a burger! Bev’s mahi was super fresh and perfectly seasoned. Only thing is that it could’ve used a little more mahi.

Definitely will be back for their plate lunches!

Love Island Natural’s ahi bento and poke! These guys make eating healthy taste good. Lightly breaded tender pieces of ahi over brown rice with a tasty teri sauce. The beauty is all of the little sides… juicy shitake mushroom, curry tofu salad, and even little pretty edible flowers!

The poke is from their amazing salad bar, which definitely requires a post on its own. Their produce section is also fantastic. We come here at least twice a week for lunch and their produce.

Island Naturals Hilo Market & Deli
http://www.islandnaturals.com
1221 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 935-5533

This is one of my favs: small saimin and burger combo. Nori’s burgers are always awesome… freshly made thick juicy patties. Once in awhile the saimin broth is just right and drinkable, but lately, like on this visit, it was so salty I could only eat the noodles.

Nori’s please taste your broth before sending it out. I love everything else about you!

Last time I’ve been to the Kaikodo building was about 5 years ago when Restaurant Kaikodo was still open. The food was great and the ambiance super nice. Sadly, they ended up closing and it’s been empty for awhile, until Uncle Don’s Ohana Grill opened up just a few months ago.

Don’s Ohana Grill is taking a different approach: local, casual, affordable. So the important part… How’s the food?

First up we were given some fresh baked bread with lilikoi butter. It was dense, with an almost biscuit-like flavor… not yeasty but more like a soda bread. Not a big fan of the bread and the lilikoi butter didn’t really help either.

Humongous portion of deep fried butterfish with a sweet miso sauce (~$16). The fish itself didn’t have much flavor and the sauce was not anything special. Rice was overcooked. Veggies were cooked well, though.

This was their special: 8oz rib eye with shrimp tempura (~$24). Figured how can you mess up a ribeye steak? Easy! Serve it lukewarm, thin, and with an overly sweet bbq sauce over it. Shrimp tempura was very doughy and oily.

I was really trying to like this place since it caters more for the locals with reasonable prices but they really need to step up the quality of their food. To be fair, I’ve heard good things about this place from others, so maybe we went on a bad day. They also serve breakfast and lunch.

Would love to hear any other reviews of this new place. I wish them the best!

Uncle Don’s Ohana Grill
60 Keawe St., Hilo HI
(808) 961-5551