Tucked away in the Safeway Shopping Center between the USPS Store and YES Skate Shop, the Pau Hana Bar and Grill may be one of the most satisfying dining experiences around. Tony Torres, a third-generation Kauai resident, born and raised,
Tucked away in the Safeway Shopping Center between the USPS Store and YES Skate Shop, the Pau Hana Bar and Grill may be one of the most satisfying dining experiences around.
Tony Torres, a third-generation Kauai resident, born and raised, and his chef, Leland Lam-Yuen, have taken a standard menu and given it exceptional quality at an affordable price. But, as with any great restaurant, the open and welcoming atmosphere is a large part of what brings people back again and again.
“My number one seller is fish and chips,” Torres said. “We catch our own and we use local.”
“Tony’s Famous Fish & Chips” is worthy of the title. He said the three cans of beer batter give the light-breaded coating a golden brown and doesn’t overpower the mahi mahi underneath. It is served with tarter sauce and malt vinegar.
“Most people say the batter is not too thick,” Lam-Yuen said. “It’s also a more meaty fish than you might find at some places that have a thick batter and all you taste is just the dough sometimes.”
At $11.95 the three generous size pieces and waffle fries were more than enough for lunch even after skipping breakfast. Add more for just $3.95 a piece if you have the appetite.
If you don’t want your fish fried, try the charbroiled Fresh Catch Sandwich that comes with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle on a sesame seed bun.
The Fresh Fish Tacos are served in a corn tortilla with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and a tropical fruit salsa with fries on the side. Ask for the Cajun seasoning if you want them served spicy hot.
Bars are known for deep-fried cooking but Pau Hana is a restaurant complete with a Super Caesar or Tossed Greens salads with several toppings and a chicken, fresh catch or steak option. The lightly grilled garlic fish or chicken wraps come with salad, cheese.
The Super Caesar with Steak is the most recent addition. It comes with a choice of 8 oz steak or fresh Ahi.
Other entrees include the Island Style Stir Fry with chicken, fish or steak. The Beefeater’s Choice is an 11 oz striploin steak.
The menu ranges from $11.95 for most items on up to $32.95 for a full rack of barbecue ribs. Most items are on the lower end of the scale and the servings are generous. The charbroiled ribs are cooked with a secret sauce. The Fresh Island Fish is also charbroiled and prepared in a wine sauce.
At $6.95 the Apple Lumpia dessert is itself worth the trip to Pau Hana. The real apple filling served inside of a Lumpia wrap is served in eight deep fried pieces, with powdered sugar, cinnamon, whip cream and a cherry on top.
Try a little of everything with pu pu platters that include Fresh Fish Samplers, Steak Pu Pu and Sashimi.
Torres said the restaurant has a lot of “Ono” ratings in the travel guides and visitor comments online have only helped his reputation. Lam-Yuen started working at Pau Hana when he was just a freshman at Kauai Community College and in May he graduated from the KCC School of Culinary Arts.
“He went to school and came here for some on-the-job training,” Torres said.
This little plaza restaurant is as cozy and friendly as any place on the island.
