Kau Kau PDX

chicken katsu curry was wonderful! great curry flavor & perfect crispiness.. definitely a good full portion for the price. garlic shrimp flavor is amazing! ‘ez peel’ shell that they say you can eat but definitely has shell if you’re adverse. I picked off most since I didn’t realize that until later, whoops! maybe best mac salad I’ve had?! has potato mixed in too & just a great fresh flavor. guava lemonade also delish!

Our first time at this place all the way from Florida, and it was a knock out. Great location, great selections, great creations, great combinations, and great flavors. The owners and the staff are truly amazing, making sure you have the best experience with the Hawaiian cuisine. This place is definitely a keeper. Check them out and try everything on their menu; you won't be disappointed.

KauKau has reimagined Hawaiian food and in doing so has reimagined customer experience. Our experience was unique from the moment we entered the restaurant. We felt a sense of family and as the food was delivered to our table we could feel the love. KauKau staff greeted us and helped us understand the menu and featured items. They took genuine time and care explaining to us the various items and ingredients and even provided samples. I sincerely appreciate understanding what I’m about to order (and sampling if possible) especially since several menu items are not the traditional Hawaiian experience a tourist in Hawaii would encounter. KauKau staff seemed very open minded, patient, and understanding and provided us with great service. We could hear the pride for their food in the descriptions. Even better, we could taste the love. My daughter says the food is “life changing” and highly recommends eating here. We both agree that we left KauKau feeling as if we had dined at a friends home. We highly recommend KauKau for an awesome Hawaiian experience.

The food was good and the folks working were really nice. They didn't have much for gluten-free. We got the combo and my wife took the macaroni. My favorite was the glass noodle once I added the orange vinegar sauce. We sat outside which was nice. They had plenty of indoor seating when we were there.

High end Hawaiian food that is more than what you’ll see in a food truck around Portland. Good serving size, but not really my cup of tea. It’s spendy and not so hearty. If you’re a basic meat and rice Hawaiian food person, this isn’t for you.

both vegan options were incredible (mamas tofu and tofu katsu curry)- the texture, the flavors, the portion sizes were excellent. service was great and answered any questions we had and supplied recommendations. 10/10 coming back, new favorite spot :)

It's super cool to see that they found a permanent home out in the Alberta area. They have some of the best Hawaiian food in town! During this trip, we ordered the Loco moco, Mom's garlic chicken, and the omelet wrapped chicken adobo fried rice. The mushroom gravy for the Loco moco is one of the best I've ever had. The garlic chicken had a great crispy exterior texture and was full of flavor on the inside. The omelet was both creative and in execution and full of great flavors. I haven't had anything bad from these guys. It's definitely a place to check out.

Skip the limo salmon. Its 3 oz of winter lackluster tomato and old green onion with a whiff of ocean smell. The salmon was miniscule in size, texture, and taste. The onion flavor was wildy overwhelming. Garlic chicken was fried very well and good flavor tho extremely sweet. Why are there potatos in the MAC salad?! Why! Lumpia were delicious. Sauce to dip em in was not. Service was great and I did take the food to go. Space is cute and well manicured tho small. So not good for larger groups. Overall Id go back and try other menu items but only on someone elses dime.

I love the trader Joe styled chalkboard art menu. Very fun names and colors. The cashier was patient, answering all our questions and offering suggestions. She gave us a sample of the chili water from our curiosity. I was sad the ox tail dish was sold out. We got mom's garlic chicken and garlic poke instead. The chicken was super moist and sweet almost like honey garlic flavor. There was Hawaiian mac on the side and rice. I would come here again!

After leaving Kau Kau, I mentally gave them a 3 star rating. Then I asked the other 4 people I was with how they would rate their food and experience. Two gave it 3 and the other 2 gave it 4. Kau Kau and was new for all of us. The lack of customers on a Saturday night (about 7ish) was telling. We and one other table were the only diners. While the space is inviting and the person at the walk up to order counter was friendly, the food just wasn't 5 star worthy, unfortunately. I and one other in our group chose the Chili Oil Poached Halibut from the specials board. While the fish was cooked nicely and was moist, the seasoning relied too heavily on cilantro and sesame oil. It sat in a broth that needed salt or soy sauce (we had to ask for some to add) and more flavor. The chili oil was quite mild. The baby bok choy was adorable (so tiny) and cooked well. It came with 2 scoops of the obligatory white rice and macaroni salad. The Mac salad was pretty good. It had potato in it too--so much starch! My husband tried the Chicken Katsu Curry. It was probably the best dish at our table. He said it was a 4/5. The Garlic Shrimp was fine, according to my daughter-in-law. She wouldn't order it again. My son rated his Meat Jun a 3. Just OK. The prices were reasonable, and the portions were good sized. Will I go back though? Meh.

Tbh I was skeptical because everywhere I've been so far has been NOT SO HAWAII tasting. Buuuuuut.... While I nearly got chicken katsu I wanted to really get meat jun especially since everywhere I've ordered it was a miss... so I asked the haole cashier and she smiled cuz I asked her "wait you're from Hawaii?" lol and she laughed. Safe to say... it's not home. But the meat jun was great! And seeing the cooks in the back you can tell they're from Hawaii. It really felt nice. I will be back for sure ! Little expensive but that's why we work right? I guess it'll be my payday treat lol. The location is adorable also. They play local music.

Recommended to try this place if in Oregon. Always supporting local businesses when we get a chance. A small family owned business, a few tables to dine in and outside as well. I ordered the chicken, my husband ordered the loco moco, we also got squid luau I believe it's called luau tako on the menu and we got egg rolls. It was a full restaurant and staff were nice. The chicken is a must try if coming here. The loco moco was a bit mushy and red and the egg rolls is good. I can't forget the best part, the chili pepper water is my fave and wish if I was checking a luggage in I would buy a bottle.

Always like supporting local food so stopped in on a Friday at lunch time. Great time to check it out as there was no line and no wait. Laulau wasn't quite ready and could have used more steam time but the flavor was on point. Went so well with the side long rice and Kalua pig. Chicken was crisp on the outside and juicy inside. Mac salad has onions (fyi). Chili pepa wata was the star of the meal - went well with everything!!

Been several times now and have enjoyed everything I've tried. - Moms Garlic chicken: juicy chicken thighs, great breading tossed in a tangy Mae ploy style sweet chili sauce and served w/ some Mac salad & rice. - Katsu Curry: nice crunchy crisp panko breading and juicy chicken inside, the curry was pretty good too just wish it came w/ rice instead of the Mac salad. - Meat Jun: classic Korean-reminiscent dish of pan fried pork inside egg batter served w/ a soy dipping sauce & rice. Simple but tasty. - Oxtail Saimin: only available Mondays, this is a hearty oxtail bone broth w/ noodles, similar to Korean galbitang if you've tried that. Very filling & comforting. It's a casual cafe vibe, w/ a few smaller tables inside not good for large groups. Order at the counter & they bring your food and bus your table. Great spot w/ very fair (if not monstrous) portions at a fair price, & they always has some new rotating specials, I will probly be back to try the Hoisin ribs.

i really wanted to like this place but i was disappointed the space is very cute. it's bright and open. you seat yourself and order at the front. i shared the combo plate but was expecting a lot more quality wise and portion wise. the poke was cut so small and did not taste super fresh. it was hard to grab with chopsticks and they didn't give us a spoon or check in with us during our meal. the octopus was fine but again, the octopus was chopped so small and such a tiny ratio. it must've been only one spoonful worth of octopus. the pork was not outstanding, and there was not a lot of chicken with the noodles. i did not think this was worth the price quality, taste, or portion-wise. save your money and go elsewhere.

Take my money! Definitely worth the drive from Vancouver!! We're guilty of coming here at least once a week everything from the Loco Moco, garlic shrimp, MEAT JUN, AND THE GARLIC FRIED CHICKEN (must have!) insanely delicious

Grand Opening! So excited to see these guys finally open! Welcome to the neighborhood. The food is bomb, whether you're looking for a hearty fried plate of magic, soul fulfilling loco moco or some spicy salmon poke.

This is a cute spot to try when in the Alberta Arts District. It's small but feels warm and welcoming and I especially liked the beautiful mural they're creating. The service was fast and our server was very knowledgeable. The kalua pork was flavorful and moist. The chili water was unique and packed a nice burst of spice.

Dirty spoons! Chipped old plastic cup that looks gross. Inattentive cashier. But the food is great! Whomever is in the back cooking wearing a hat is amazing. The food tastes delicious. The garlic chicken was bomb. Just the utensils need to be replaced. The woman cashier at night needs to be more attentive than talking stories with the coworker.

It's super cool to see that they found a permanent home out in the Alberta area. They have some of the best Hawaiian food in town! During this trip, we ordered the Loco moco, Mom's garlic chicken, and the omelet wrapped chicken adobo fried rice. The mushroom gravy for the Loco moco is one of the best I've ever had. The garlic chicken had a great crispy exterior texture and was full of flavor on the inside. The omelet was both creative and in execution and full of great flavors. I haven't had anything bad from these guys. It's definitely a place to check out.

Best butter mochi in town! Great flavor and density. I regret only getting 1 order! Mom's chicken was bomb! The mac was tasty, I've never had it with potatoes & eggs before. Not opposed! Would eat again and would bring my friends with me

Start with the food. Made to order so it is hot and fresh. everything we ordered was so ono (tasty). Best Hawaiian/japanese style plate lunch in Portland, hands down. Service was awesome. Ambiance- the setting is simple yet comfy. The artwork was impressive. The artist hand drew the menu signage? The mural was awesome too. All in all! The best Hawaiian food restaurant in Pdx.

Their Lau Lau is perfect!!! It's what dreams are made of:) My life is busy...But one day I'll have the chance to make it there!

Another local boy adding to the praise for this Hawaiian spot in Portland. While I'm not going to say the flavors are super authentic to what I had growing up, I would say a lot of what they offer come pretty close. And having tried a few other places trying to serve up Hawaiian food in the Pacific Northwest, this is my favorite so far for the quality. The high point for me is anything they make using the taro leaves from Hawaii, such as the tako luau that's part of their Hawaiian plate, and whenever they make lau lau as a special. The tako luau, which is cooked down leaves with coconut milk, is so creamy because of the coconut milk, served with bits of cooked octopus. The lau lua, which is a favorite of mine from Hawaii, has that nice herbal flavor of the meat cooking in the leaves. It's like comfort food to me. Their kalua pig is nice and tender, although it could use a bit more salt. And I wished they had haupia with their Hawaiian plate. Everything is served with their signature chili water, which is a nice way to cut into the richness of all the starch you're eating. I like how the menu keeps coming up with additional dishes, stretching the imagination a bit about Hawaiian food. People might not think it feels authentic because maybe they don't pile on the food like how they do in Hawaii, but it brings back a lot of good memories for me.

Varied menu. Some Japanese influence and Philipino lumpia. !!! Everything looks amazing. So good. Fast.

Loco moco in pic was delicious. Mushroom gravy packed with flavor and meat patty not packed too tightly - only complaint is I wished there was more. Chicken long rice was tasty. Mama's garlic chicken was also delicious. Mac salad has more yellow mustard than I like. Looking forward go going back and bringing my kids.

4.5 stars. Born and raised in the islands, so know the food/culture well. We had the tofu katsu curry, meat jun, and chicken katsu curry. We all enjoyed our meals, and would return. I thought pricing was high for the portions, honestly, but maybe on par? The scoop of mac salad seemed like half a normal scoop--we all noted this right away, but it was tasty, and do I really need a full scoop? My jeans would say "no!". The place was hopping, and it is small. Music from Kapena was on in the background--classic! There was one person in the front taking orders at the counter, phone orders, delivering orders to dine-in patrons, and bussing tables. I think that is a bit much, and I hope they have extra staff to jump in when things get busy. For frame of reference, this place is far, far superior to the nearby competition on NE Cully/Skidmore (a one and done for me), but Kau Kau has smaller portions, better quality food, and better tasting food. Hands down. I wish this new business well.

Came across this place and had to try it. I grew up in Hawaii so I'm always looking for good Hawaiian/plate lunch spots. The atmosphere was great and welcoming, it smelled so good inside and the person working at the front counter was very friendly. I ordered the spicy salmon poke bowl, it was delicious and the fish was very fresh! I will definitely be back to try each plate and the long list of sides !

Restaurant was quaint. The staff was nice. The Mac salad was trash. Meat Jun sauce didn't have that spicy and sweet umami taste. Music I was resaving grace and even that was mid at best, the rice was too drenched in the sweet soy sauce they used. On a musubi that I'm used to the flavor is cooked onto the Spam with fresh rice wrapped in Nori.

We drove all the way from Beaverton to try this place after seeing it on social media for months. We love Hawaii and were excited to try some elevated Hawaiian food. It did not disappoint! We tried the garlic chicken and the Katsu curry chicken. Both were absolutely delicious! Highly recommend!

Amazing! We visited tonight and were delighted by the tasty food and drinks. Our kids loved it too. Service was wonderful and so friendly! So happy to have them on Alberta.

loved the entire vibe of this place! the food was amazing, flavorful and the service was on point. I would recommend this place and WILL continue to recommend this place. The pastele stew was so damn good and it reminded me of my abuelitas cooking in Puerto Rico. loved the fusion of different cultures from different islands combined together in their dishes.

With all the new rave about the grand opening and island goodness of the food, we decided to try this place. Big disappointment. We got the combo and extra Mac and lumpia. Portion was small and not flavorful. Growing up in Honolulu, i don't remember the last time tasting Mac salad with chunks of onions. Also, the lomi salmon basically had more than 8 pieces of salmon drained with tomatoes. The taco pieces were a joke. 5 small bits. Paying $25 for a combo I expected a bigger portions with the variety. I was very disappointed and took off work to try this place. One and done and we will not be back nor recommend this place to anyone looking for delicious Hawaiian food.