Louise B.
Yelp
With few sunny warms days to date, first chance to drop the top and bask in the warming rays on a scenic Wine Country drive landed us in Forest Grove. Cute college and ag town to shop local, though Sunday is a bit sleepy with several spots closed. Lucky for us Kama'aina was grooving with some veritable Aloha grinds, excellent value and quality food.
Channeling a recently watched DDD Island episode featuring Lau Lau, a new must-try, the Hawaiian food gods were on my side as this rare offering even in foodtown PDX, remarkably appeared on the menu. At $20.70, a bit steep for lunch, I was not going to pass this up. Turns out this means a heaping 1.5 lbs of beautifully steamed Taro leaf parcels, 2 of them about 4x3" each, packing mounds of moist and tender pork with a little gooey fattyness--flavor, seasoned with Hawaiian salt, liquid smoke. Puzzled by the missing flakes of fish, I asked the waiter if it was missing the Butterfish, and he clarified that it's just a small piece used to season the pork, and sort of melts into it...ok, was sorta disappointed thinking I was getting a surf & turf dish. Couldn't say if there was a distinguishing Butterfish flavor having never tried either alone or in Lau Lau, is that good or bad? I need an Islander to best inform me, but I did really enjoy this dish and would order it again. The taro leaves remind me of dried cole/bok choy used in traditional soups. Was too strong tasting for the hubby but great to get those extra greens in! Just wish 1) Lau Lau was sold by a single parcel, as I ate another 3 meals from this plate, and of course it would be more affordable to the masses to try, especially at lunch; and 2) they offered brown rice for health/diabetics/whole grain diets, I know asking for whole grain mac would really be going too far haha. Mac side could use a little flavor boost, but typical from Hawaiian plates I've tried before. Soy sauce worked to lend salt and some celery for crunch would also help, but added a dot of sriracha for another note beside mayo.
Hubby's 2-entree $13.46, Kahlua pork & shoyu ahi poke (+1.55) was excellent. Can't really tell from the picture as the poke was a bit buried under the salad but it was also a large serving...more than entree size at carts and poke places in town., without the pork. Ahi poke had just enough shoyu saltiness, fresh and clean tasting. Add in the Kahlua pork and hubby was super stuffed--we managed to finish both between us, and opted for all salad since my plate came with 2 scoops of rice and single mac which we shared. Ginger miso dressing was not too sweet which we prefer, and again a massive serving of seaweed salad which would cost $5-7 alone in sushi houses.
Fort George IPA just $5/pint thank you college town, add another $2-4 in Portland for a pint these days. With full bar to round out a fantastic meal and the outdoor patio beckoning passers-by, it was slated to be open by the following week, Kama'aina is now firmly etched on my dining destination tablet. Plus, too full to dip into dessert, the shaved ice is a must-do next time out for a wine country drive to soak in a lil' Aloha spirit.