Callie D.
Yelp
I have been wanting to try this place for forever and am so thrilled I finally got to! I am sometimes in Waimanalo for work, but often that's on a Monday or Tuesday- the days they are closed. (they ARE now open on Wednesdays so someone should update their hours on here!). I was also nervous because of reviews saying how long they had to wait for their food so I didn't want to risk going on a lunch break and not having enough time to eat. Figured out that I could put in my order online as I was getting ready to leave work and then would only have a little wait after I got there, which was a totally reasonable compromise! As to the wait though - it is worth it for food this good. If you want fast food there's a McDonald's next door but then you are eating that and not this! And this is not the kind of stuff I can make myself at home, so extra worth it.
I will say - I am not a vegan, but I am lactose intolerant, so I really appreciate being able to grab food where I do not have to question what is in it! And this food is DELICIOUS. The first time I went I got a Scrambler Wrap (with no rice) and a side order of the regular Tofu Poke. The regular Tofu poke tasted good, but it was a little more oily than I would prefer, and it definitely tastes like tofu, not fish. The Scrambler Wrap though... you guys I have not stopped thinking about that wrap since I ate it. The tofu perfectly took the place of scrambled eggs, and there were so many amazing veggies and flavors mixed in that I have actually craved it ever since. The wrap was nicely thin and stretchy, holding everything together without overpowering the stars of the show with a mouthful of flavorless carb. When (not if) I order it again I might try it as the plate and compare, but honestly as someone who, again, is not a vegan, this was amazing and I recommend it to anyone who just wants to try vegan food and see what they think.
The second time I went was today (and realized I hadn't left a review before- oops!) and I was thrilled that they weren't sold out of their Laulau yet (they had been the first time) so as much as I was ono for the Scrambler I decided to get the Laulau as I had also seen good reviews for it. I loved that it came with a side of tofu poke (I opted for the spicy this time), and a side salad with choice of dressing (the scrambler came with a side salad too). The Laulau was delicious and I can see why people love it, but to be perfectly honest for me the scrambler is where it's at in terms of flavor explosion. If you prefer your food to be less flavor explosion you will enjoy this quite nicely! The Spicy Tofu Poke I definitely preferred to the regular. It was not too spicy, but had a ton more flavor. Since there was nothing on the scoop of brown rice that also came with I mixed it in with the poke which helped with the oiliness. It's really tasty! But still tastes like tofu not fish. Since I'm not a vegan I will still be preferring my ahi, but if you don't do fish you will probably enjoy this quite a bit! The side salad was the perfect portion, and I did enjoy their creamy sesame avocado dressing (lightly dressed, you can order extra dressing if you like).
They do have 2 2-tops and 2 4-top tables for inside seating, or lots of seating outside in the back. Food comes in takeout containers so easy to take it with you or keep your leftovers without creating extra work of washing dishes or extra waste of disposable plates. The whole vibe is fresh and light. I am very excited to have this kind of restaurant available on the windward side - maybe if you guys expand the next one could be Ai Love Kaneohe?