Mixed Plate Friday

Alii Fish Market Weekend Special | Crispy Mochi Mahi Mahi w/Smoked Tsuyu Cold Soba & Spicy Ahi “Lava” Poke | $21.00
cold soba, smoked tsuyu, mari’s garden green salad w/yuzu vinaigrette, “spicy lava sauce,” sumida farms watercress namul

Alii was having this as a special the other weekend and my brother generously treated me to lunch. We placed the order and headed in after doing an errand, they quoted a 30 minute cook time. It took an hour. The parking lot is also horrendous especially during the weekend. If you are pre-ordering easy stuff like musubis/onigiris and just poke – I’m sure your order will be ready quick. If you order a special, I would set aside extra time before heading in to grab it. I don’t think I want to return on a weekend anytime soon.

Oh! And the food! It was good, not great. The mochi mahi mahi was already soggy when I ate it. The tsuyu wasn’t super smoky, nothing I noticed extra. It’s a good plate though, glad I tried it.

Chili Cheese Fries

Mini Cold Ginger Chicken (all rice)

Mini Chicken Katsu Curry

Mini Loco Moco

Everyone keeps raving about the L&L Hawaiian Barbecue at the Manoa Marketplace (when did they stop calling themselves L&L Drive Inn??) so I decided to give it a try. I’ve tried it a few times because thankfully UH has restarted their shuttle service to the Astronomy lot which is behind the marketplace. I can do some farmers market shopping and grab my lunch here. It’s funny because we have L&L Drive Inn on-campus which offers in-app ordering which I like, this location does not allow for app ordering. The one on campus does not serve the full menu so it’s nice to have one near by that does. The yelp reviews are right, the woman up front is very friendly. All the dishes I got were good! I can’t taste the difference between the two locations but I’ll continue coming here anyway.

6 thoughts on “Mixed Plate Friday

  1. hmmm, L&L right by my house! I never tried that one. Long ago, a coworker said their ginger chicken was the best. I think I went to the one that is(was?) across stadium park and it was kinda junk so actually never went to any L&L since until I started eating the chicken katsu from the Liliha one. so, that’s the only thing I buy and and only one I go to. Was it you who raved about it?

    • Ya! Your coworker is right! Though I think lucky box in dillingham is currently the cold ginger chicken winner.

      I do want to try the OG liliha one again. It’s been like decades and I live so close to it but isn’t the parking a nightmare? I have raved about liliha drive inn before haha

  2. L&L. Hmmm. I haven’t gone in years. What I remember is that their rice was junk. Gotta have good rice!
    I love Alii Fish Market because the fish is always fresh, and ono! I get the poke bowl with sushi rice with the creamy spicy garlic ahi poke, sometimes the butter garlic ahi poke. I bought a side order of fish katsu with cilantro sauce and was told to reheat in an air fryer. It was really good! Too bad your fish was soggy.

  3. I think L&L are all franchise so even if most of the menu is similar their ordering systems might be different. I’ve only tried their mini chicken katsu which was a huge portion

    • Chicken katsu is always winners no matter what location you go to. I hardly eat chicken katsu cause you’re right, they give so much!

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