Manda C.
Yelp
I think people who go into this without any expectations or comparisons are going to get a lot more out of their experiences than if you try to fit this place into a cookie cutter mold.
I was ridiculously excited when I heard a Hawaiian place was opening up this summer and I could consistently get my musubi fix without having to drive multiple towns away. In truth, I was expecting and looking forward to a place like L&L. So while I may be a little disappointed that they are not what I was hoping for, I completely respect a place for being true to what they are.
So their menu does not have a lot of katsu and bbq options, it's pretty much their take on chicken teriyaki with different flavor profiles and spice levels with a couple of other items added on.
I've ordered delivery from them 3 times and I completely understand that consistency can be difficult when a place is this new and I always keep that in mind. I also mention that so you know this review doesn't comment on the staff or the atmosphere at all, only the food and wait times.
The first time I ordered I got the combo plate with Huli Huli chicken and Luau Pig, which comes with rice and macaroni salad, and added on a couple of musubi. Honestly I was disappointed in all the things I am familiar with and had expectations for, they didn't taste like what I'm used to. However, the thing I didn't have an expectation for, the Huli Huli chicken, was a very pleasant surprise and very good! A nice savory dish with the slightest hint of sweetness and the chicken was nicely cooked.
The portion for the price was a great value! You can absolutely share the combo plate. I also found the food to be hot and fresh and it was ready very quickly.
The Luau Pig was tender, but it was very bland. I have seen other reviews claiming it's the best thing on their menu, so I am going to assume I got this on an off shift or maybe an atypical batch. I will most likely try again after they've been open a few more months.
I did NOT like the macaroni salad, their recipe includes some relish or something that gives you random unpleasant crunchy bits and it was chock full of mayo and pepper. It also has a soggy consistency. It may seem weird to you that I spend so much time on a description of a side item, but it's one of my favorite parts of Hawaiian comfort food and I've never had macaroni salad that even somewhat resembles this.
The second time I just got a classic plate with the Huli Huli chicken and still felt this was a good portion for the price, the food was still hot and the chicken was still pretty good. The third time I went with a small and the food was very cold and the chicken was stringy.
In looking at pictures of the classic and large being fairly close to each other in size, I had felt pretty confident in giving the small a try. The small is extremely, even surprisingly, small for the price. This doesn't add up compared to the price of the classic. The only reason to order a small is if you don't have anyone to share a classic with and won't be able to store leftovers. Honestly from pictures I've seen of the large, that price point difference doesn't add up for the portion either, so I would recommend your orders be for classic or mixed plates to get the most bang for your buck.
The musubi has been made 3 different ways each of the 3 times I got it and the first time I got 2 and even those were made completely different from each other. One time the rice was mushy and the spam was bland, another the spam was 3 times as thick but the rice was crunchy, another time it had no offending characteristics but was just so-so. Basically the size and seasoning has varied every time and none of the times did I find it tasty. I'm not expecting you to rival my grandmother's musubi, I just want to know what to expect so I can decide whether or not I will order from here. Again, I'll give this another shot once they've been opened a little longer and worked out their kinks. In the meantime I'll just have to wait for one of the random times Po-K Loco has it or travel outside of Denton.
At this point the only thing that has been consistent is that the macaroni salad is not for me.
Now I've mentioned the consistency a few times and while that's important to me, I'm not docking a star for it. I mention it because it's useful to know what to expect. But they've only been open a couple of months, it's not realistic to expect it will always be the same- yet.
Overall, I think this place is okay which is why I gave it an okay rating. The menu is small, I find there to be a weird disparity in sizes and I just didn't care for some of the stuff I had, while other things were good. I also look forward to getting some Dole Whip soon.
I still think you can find something to fit your taste, it's just going to take an open mind and patience. They are okay for now, hopefully in a few months they will be great.