Us was cruising thru Avondale, AZ a subburb of Phoenix; its the area wea get Luke Air Force Base. Us went to dis plate lunch place called OnoHawaiianBBQ.
I’ve forgotten how BIG da portions are and I shoulda gotten a mini but my eye moe big den my stomach. I got da mix plate. Wen in doubt, decisions decisions, get da mix plate. Had teri beef, kalbi & teri chicken; da two scoop rice and mac salad. I had neva been dea but daughta did and she told me “I no like da mac salad.” I said must not be Best Foods mayonaise. So I ate da mac salad and I was like not Best Foods mayonaise.
Da food was good but I dorono something was missing. I tink maybe da Aloha. LOL Maybe cause I saw/heard people speaking spanish in da back cooking and da kids working deya wasn’t local or nobody said ‘mahalo’ or I dunno ~ da atmosphere? Its a really nice place but sitll yet kinda, what is it…. franchise? I don’t know how to explain it.
Dey get L&L in Phoenix too. And same ting, missing dat Aloha edge I tink. Da kids at da counter no moe dat good fun talk story kinda feel.
Den get ALOHA KITCHEN in Phoenix/Mesa area; the crossroads are Guadalupe & Alma School Rd. Its on Alma School Rd behind the Safeway, you gotta look real good cause its hard to find the first time. Its in a small strip mall next to a poplular Pizza place, I no rememba da name. But once you findem’ you neva fo’get.
Aloha Kitchen is one small mom & pop place. Da kine place, where da owna go table to table talkstory. Da food is ono, big portions and dey get manapua. Only char sui bao kine. Dey have da atmosphere. One time da owna asked dese people waiting in line, “Wea you guys from?” Da big tita said in her best haole voice “We’re from West Phoenix.” Everybody who heard, stopped eating and was staring at her. She finally snapped and said “oh, NANAKULI!” Everybody in da place just cracked up including her and her ohana.
Maybe da ada places was missing da laughta. Because laughta not included yeah, you gotta bring your own. Maybe was me, I neva laugh in da ada place.
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July 1st, 2005 at 2:48 pm
Tita Lika, It’s great that places upthere try sell our style local kine foods nut as you said, “No moa the Aloha!” It’s a common thing. They get the receipes but they can not capture the Aloha spirit like us locals can. They can imitate us to the max but what is ours is ours…I also had a resturant in Valeejo, Ca twenty-years ago called Crispy Lechon (Roast Pig). We served Lechon, Lechon Chicken, Plate Lunches with real mac or potato slad with Best Foods Mayonaise. My customers came from all ova and the ones that were’nt from Hawai’i thought I was coocoos for being so nice and Ms. Personality. Mind you, this was way before I became nuts. LOL
Lynn