The Shrimp and White Fish Combo with a side dish of the Hawaiian BBQ Mix
There's a lot of coming and going at Aloha Hawaiian BBQ & Ramen, so the greeting is the same whether you enter or exit this small eatery, which is more popular for carryout than dining in, as we discovered.
Plenty of people picked up orders to go, and given the lack of ambiance, it's easy to see why we were the only ones inside eating from the Styrofoam containers. Everyone else took their food with them.
Still, it's plain to see why this is popular, even if no one sticks around. The food is prepared to order and is a worthy representation of Hawaiian food. Whether you like it, when Spam is on the menu at a restaurant serving Pacific island fare it's a sign the place is legit.
For example, Aloha serves Musubis (two pieces $5.79). This is a thick slice of Spam on what can best be described as a rectangular block of rice wrapped in seaweed and topped with teriyaki sauce. Tempting though it was, we skipped the processed pork product.
Instead, we opted for the more pedestrian fried cheese wontons ($4.95. Four pieces filled with faux crab and cream cheese were just as they should be: crunchy on the outside and creamy inside with soy sauce for dipping.
The appetizer order was ready at the same time as our entrees from the "Aloha Specials" section of the large menus above the counter. These include nine combination plates, all of which offer a selection of proteins, sauces and preparations.
The Hawaiian BBQ Mix ($15.99) featured chicken, beef and Kalbi short ribs. Each of the grilled meats was marinated in the house-made barbecue sauce. This was slightly sugary and tangy. Beef was sliced into thin pieces and the chicken was cut in thick chunks. Kalbi ribs are short ribs cut across the bone so they are thin and long. They're also difficult to eat, but worth the effort thanks to the marinade.
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A small container of house-made teriyaki sauce, which should be bottled for sale, was included with the meat platter. The addition of fresh steamed broccoli added color to the entree.
Entrees come with two scoops of white rice and a single scoop of macaroni salad. I'd rather have two of the latter, just because it's different from typical church picnic versions. Yes, it's creamy, but it is also a bit sweet.
The shrimp and white fish combo ($14.59) was an impressive plating (such as the "plate" was) of plump fried shrimp and breaded, fried white fish. Neither was oily. There were plenty of crispy crustaceans, and the fish was flaky and tender beneath its crusty coating.
What the interior lacks in atmosphere is more than compensated for in the food. Orders are placed at the counter and the working chefs are visible, and busy, in the back at the grill/cooktop. Next time we'll take our orders with us. And it will be aloha when we go in, then out.