Fried Rice Special - Sunny Side (Wahiawa)

My hometown of Wahiawa. "God's Country." Home of the Mules. Home to the avenue with the most churches on one road. Home to the Green Lady. Home to Sunny Side, the classic Wahiawa grind spot. If you're from Wahiawa, odds are you've eaten at Sunny Side more than twenty times. Moreso, the odds of you eating a fried rice special for breakfast is pretty much a guarantee.

It's been debated in the local newspaper and magazines many of times. "What food spot serves up the best fried rice on Oahu?" Sunny Side's Fried Rice Special has made all those lists. I can admit that it was never number one, but it always made top ten, which makes it a must-try for anyone who hasn't tasted it.

My claim may be a biased. I mean, Wahiawa is my hometown, and I'd vouch for anything in this town, but trust me. Hear me out. This is one of the best fried rice plates I've ever tasted. The best I've tasted, if I can recall, was at Jackie Chan's restaurant in Ala Moana (which is no longer there). But the cooks at Jackie Chan's are trained by executive chefs to execute perfection. Sunny Side has cooks that have been there since the place first opened, and their fried rice has tasted the same ever since. The price has increased a bit due to the recession and what not, but it's still affordable (6$). It's ready in less than five minutes, and the flavor is unmistakable. It is synonymous with the restuarant name. Ask anyone, "Have you been to Sunny Side in Wahiawa?" They'll reply, "Oh, the place with the fried rice?" Yeah, it's that good. And as long as Sunny Side is still open, it'll find a position in every "best fried rice on the island" list.

Location:
1017 Kilani Ave
Wahiawa, HI 96786-2201
(808) 621-7188

Furikake Chicken - KJ's Local Grindz (Kaneohe)

I've eaten at KJ's once before. I ordered their garlic ahi, which was on special, but the portion they gave was so small, and didn't really fill me up at all. Still, it was tasty, so I had to come back and try something else. This past Sunday I ordered their furikake chicken plate, and let me tell you, it is THE thing to try if you are visiting KJ's for the first time. Although the breaded crust was a bit too hard and rough for my liking, the flavor was spot on, and the portion was huge. The kanack attack is inevitable after this plate. If you're ever in Kaneohe, check out KJ's: definitely "blog worthy."

Location:
45-480 Kaneohe Bay Dr. #D-02
Kaneohe, HI, 96744
808-235-5799

Garlic Mahi - L&L Drive-In (Mililani)

Nestled in the quiet Mililani Market Place between Longs Drugs and Safeway is Mililani Town's only L&L Drive-In. I go there quite frequently with my son to grab a burger, but when I'm really hungry and in the mood for fish, I order their Garlic Mahi lunch plate. It's not on the menu, but if you ask, they'll cook it. What comes on the plate is a garlic lovers dream. The fish is battered, grilled, and topped with diced sauteed garlic, all over cabbage shavings and two large scoops of rice. Also served on the plate is, of course, a scoop of mac salad and a side condiment of tartar sauce. I rarely ever use the tartar sauce. There's enough flavor as it is. I recommend dousing the fish in Sriracha sauce for a tad more garlic flavor and a spicy kick. At a little over $7, you're definitely going to keep the vampires at bay.

Location:
94-780 Meheula Parkway
Mililani, HI 96789
(808) 623-8886

Ray's Kiawe Broiled Chicken (Haleiwa)

Whenever I'm on the North Shore to hang out at the beach on the weekend, I always stop by to pick up some kiawe broiled chicken from Ray's lunch truck. What's cooked here is arguably one of the best huli huli chicken stands on the island. Ray's own farm-raised chickens are mind boggling juicy and seasoned perfectly. It's the perfect go-along for a day at the beach. They also offer side orders of rice and soft drinks. They even have a spicy dipping sauce for the chicken. I recommend pouring some on rice. So good. They close up shop on the weekdays but are open every weekend and on some holidays.

Location:
Haleiwa Town, Oahu, Hawaii
Next to Malama Market.

Spicy Ginger Mahimahi - Ba-Le Sandwich Shop (Mililani)

Ba-Le Sandwich Shop is known for, as the name implies, their sandwiches. But they also have a huge selection of plate lunches. I've tried a bunch, but the Spicy Ginger Mahi is one plate lunch worth blogging. For a little over $8, you get a full bed of rice topped with stir-fried mahi, ginger, and onions, cooked and flavored with a secret mild spicy sauce. It also comes with a small salad portion with a side container of what I think is a spiced fish sauce/dressing. And for a bonus you get a free egg roll. Try pouring the fish sauce onto the salad and the mahi. Also, I recommend ordering it spicy; if not, get a side container of chili paste to spice it to your liking. If you dig spicy food, and you like fish, this is the meal to get. Bugga is ono!

Location:
95-221 Kipapa Drive
Mililani Town, Hawaii 96789
(808) 623-4447

Yook Gae Jang - Jang Su Bar-B-Q (Waimalu)

Hi. This is my food blog, and the first post of many more to come. I'm not a food critic, and I'm not chef, but I do try anything, and I do mean ANYTHING. I tend to order things on the menu that most people would not.  I'm no Andrew Zimmern (Food Network's "Bizarre Foods" host), but, I mean, why try a regular chicken entree when you can try beef intestine soup?

Anyway, this first post is about a little Korean restaurant in the Waimalu Plaza Shopping Center called Jang Su Bar-B-Q. The prices are great to satisfy the Korean craving, and my good friend, who is a tried-and-true Korean, said the food is definitely authentic. I've tried a number of dishes at Jang Su before, but this time I was looking for something spicy. I ordered a soup dish called Yook Gae Jang. It's a sweat-inducing beef and vegetable soup with long rice for around $10. I love their appetizers, too. Plus, you can get appetizer refills for free, and the kim chee is really good. The restaurant also features a yakiniku section where you can cook your own meat. They also serve alcohol. Below are some pictures.

Location:
98-1277 Kaahumanu St.
Aiea, HI 96701
Phone: (808) 487-2646