Grinds at Don Quijote? Who would've thought?
By Mari Taketa
Metromix
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We thought we knew Don Quijote. After all, we're townies, we're local, we're not put off by headless chicken carcasses hanging in a window. At room temperature even.
But our latest assignment — to scout the place for the best eats— made us look at DQ with fresh eyes, and we realized a few things:
All this came to us at the Don Quijote on Kaheka, where we braved holiday traffic, the decrepit parking garage across the street and pau-hana crowds for a prime shot at the pickings. Here's some of what we found (go to www.honolulu.metromix.com to find out about the rest):
CHAR SIU
This is what people come in for a pound of. Why? What do you do with a pound of char siu? We bought just enough for a snack, popped the first freshly hacked piece into our mouth and went "Yum!" The fact that it was piled in gnarly red mounds under the hanging chickens just added to the cachet.
Where: U-Choice In
Cost: $6.55 a pound
GARLIC SHRIMP
Now we're talking! All that roasty, melty garlic! Shell-on, too — which means you get maximum goodness by sticking the whole thing in your mouth, cracking the shell with your teeth and sucking off the tasty bits.
Where: Hot foods counter inside
Cost: $4.32 for a small tray
SALMON 'AHI POKE
Our first conversation at the poke counter:
Us: What's good here?
Fish guy: I don't know. I don't eat seafood.
O-K. Somehow, that made it all the more credible when he recommended this as very fresh. Gave us our choice of shoyu flavors, and we chose wasabi.
The salmon way outshines the 'ahi. It's clean, buttery —and the fish guy was right.
Where: Poke counter inside
Cost: $3.20 for just over a quarter pound
Tip: If, like us, you love your salmon belly, you gotta try the smoked salmon belly. So buttery, the oil is pooling at the bottom of the bin. Like a nice, aged Gouda — and you'll want that beer or glass of dry white in your hand for the occasion.
MOCHIKO CHICKEN
This, according to the baby-faced owner of Sushi Robot, is the best-seller (along with the butterfish bento). Confession No. 1: We're not supposed to eat deep-fried stuff. Especially deep-fried stuff with skin. Confession No. 2: We couldn't stop popping this in our mouth. We especially couldn't stop popping the tiny bits, the deep-fried skin-only bits, which tasted at times like fried sweet potato chips and other times like Southwestern Doritos.
We're convinced we've done something bad. But we'd do it again.
Where: Sushi Robot
Cost: $4.50 a pack
SALMON IKURA BOWL
We're discovering something about ourselves and salmon. It took three runs on DQ, loading up on eats to taste and judge, before we detected this pattern. Unlike the salmon belly bento, you're not going overboard on the (good) fats with this combo of flaked cooked salmon and roe — which, by the way, are very good brain foods.
Where: Sushi bin inside
Cost: $4.39 for a small bowl
