My quest continues for the best loco moco on Kaua‘i. Whenever I check out a new place on-island, if they’re serving up a bed or rice with a couple beef patties topped with eggs and smothered in gravy, you better
My quest continues for the best loco moco on Kaua‘i.
Whenever I check out a new place on-island, if they’re serving up a bed or rice with a couple beef patties topped with eggs and smothered in gravy, you better believe that’s what I’m ordering.
I haven’t found one yet I didn’t like. They’re just varying degrees of deliciousness.
Tip Top Café probably leads the pack and Market Street Diner in Harbor Mall is a close second.
But the best experience I’ve had to date is the lolo moco at Tony and Harry’s in Lihu‘e. Picture a regular loco moco, then add another burger patty, another egg, more rice and extra gravy. If you finish it all in one sitting you get your picture on the wall. I came close, but not quite.
Perhaps the most surprisingly tasty loco moco I’ve had was this week at the No. 1 Chinese restaurant. I happened to catch them during a menu-only time so I figured why not give theirs a try. Good stuff.
You’d probably have to try hard to make a bad loco moco. The good ones distinguish themselves with thicker, richer gravy, locally raised beef that wasn’t previously frozen, and getting fresh eggs over easy so the yolks mix nicely with everything else.
I haven’t managed to make one at home yet but plan to give that a try soon. In the meantime, I’ll be searching for restaurants I haven’t checked out that serve up this tasty dish.
The sad thing is whenever I find the perfect loco moco — unless it happens to be the last place on island that makes them — I likely won’t know it at the time and will subsequently enjoy the experience less than I wish I could.
If you know a great place for loco mocos, shoot me an e-mail. I’m eager to try ‘em all.
And so it goes.
While I don’t think Trees has loco mocos on their menu — although I bet one with a Cajun flair would be quite tasty — they are offering a great open-mic night these days.
Jim and Jules host a diverse evening of sounds and entertainment starting at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Rosie Cutter and crew set the bar this week. To wonderfully compliment her soulful singing while tickling the six-string, she had friends on stage playing the sax, didgeridoo and miming. Yes, a mime.
