As unhealthy as it is, we all know that fried foods are the ones that taste better. There’s a certain kind of food that quenches my thirst for tasty food but that it’s so fried and with such a high caloric intake that I only consume it once every three months: that would be Hawaiian food. There are a few Hawaiian food chains out there, but “L&L Hawaiian BBQ” seems to be on top of both locations and popularity. The Hawaiian food is delicious, but it’s a bit too much… after chowing down a full serving of food you feel as if you might explode and your Hawaiian food craving stop for months. In an effort to avoid feeling like Homer Simpson after a donut binge, I began a search for healthier and not so heavy Hawaiian food. I was about to give up when I accidentally came across “Bruddah’s Hawaiian Foods”.
Sin querer queriendo
My search for such a place had been going for quite some time that I had reached a point where I was thisclose to heading over to “L&L”, after all their food was all the Hawaiian I needed.
I was running some errands around the Gardena area when I came across “Bruddah’s Hawaiian Foods”. At first I was a bit skeptical about even getting off my car. Truth of the matter is that part of Gardena is rather iffy- pretty run down with age and neglect.
Por si fuera poco, the place blends in a bit too much, making it harder to find or even realize that there’s a restaurant amidst all the shops.
Looks lie
Not only is “Bruddah’s Hawaiian Foods” a hard find, but once you’re outside, the façade deja mucho que desear. Again, don’t judge a book by its cover- it’s extremely important you keep this in mind when you go. Ignore the neighborhood, the rating, the façade, and even the inside décor. Go there exclusively for the food.
Full service
The place is packed, which is a good indication that the food is good. Upon arrival I was greeted by a friendly server and by the sweet smell of Hawaiian food.
I was ready to order the dish I usually order from the “L&L” menu; however, when I looked at the menu, those items where nowhere to be found. I asked the server about it and he said that they only serve authentic Hawaiian food.
After browsing through the menu for a while, I decided to try the “Kalbi Chicken”. If there is one thing that I hate while eating out it is waiting forever for my food- that was not the case at this place… service is good AND fast.
For starters, the servings are huge- enough leftovers for lunch the following day. The “Kalbi Chicken” couldn’t have been better- it is beyond delicious, tender and juicy thanks to the fact that it’s marinated for days before being grilled open fire; it comes with two scoops of white rice and one of macaroni. Now, if there’s one thing I love about Hawaiian food it’s their macaroni. The rice was ok, good but nothing memorable, the macaroni on the other hand I dare to say the best macaroni ever, another trip to Gardena just for some macaroni is not out of the question. It’s just different from the one they serve in other places- it’s made with spaghetti noodles, they’re more creamy than tangy and the little bit of ground pepper makes it irresistibly delicious.
Coming back for more
Unlike other Hawaiian food joints that fill you up so bad you don’t want Hawaiian food for months, the one at “Bruddah’s Hawaiian Foods” is the total opposite. Just after a couple of days after my first visit I was craving yet once again their macaroni salad. So after a few days of denying my palate and my estómago some of that food, I dragged a friend along with me to “Bruddah’s Hawaiian Foods”.
Second time around, and I still managed to miss the place- it’s that hidden, so make sure that when you go, you Mapquest the place to the max, jot down the exact miles and keep your eyes wide open.
Culinary dilemma
For some odd reason, I’m not too crazy about red meat. I’m all about chicken. So without even thinking I just ordered the “Kalbi Chicken”, no rice- all macaroni. Our server wrote down the first order then he looked at me, looked back at what he just wrote down and looked at me once again… Turns out he was my server on my first visit. Thanks to my horrible memory and to the fact that I’m blind yet I refuse to wear glasses outside of the office world I couldn’t recognize him.
We were talking for a bit and he recommended us the “Kahlua Pork” and insisted that I try the “Beef Shortrib Stew”. I told him about my dilemma with pork and red meat but he said that they rarely cooked that dish, so I went for it. We ended up ordering the “Kahlua Pork” and the “Beef Shortrib Stew”, no rice- extra macaroni.
Converting semi-vegetarians
First to arrive was my friend’s “Kahlua Pork”. Not only did it smell good, the taste was simply amazing- it had a very intense smoked flavor that had some kick to it. There were no hints of unnecessary fat, and contrary to most pork dishes, the meat was not greasy at all.
Once the “Beef Shortrib Stew” arrived we had to immediately put away the pork to make way for this dish. It honestly didn’t look too appetizing; however, it’s one of those dishes that smell so good you don’t care what the thing looks like. The flavor didn’t disappoint either- the tomatoes give it a special homemade flavor without losing that Hawaiian flare. You can wash it all down with some homemade Hawaiian Iced Tea… forget Lipton’s, this is the real deal!
“Bruddah’s Hawaiian Foods” not only delivers authentic Hawaiian food, but it also keeps it relatively healthy… so even though you eat loads of food you don’t end up feeling overstuffed.
Bruddah’s Hawaiian Foods
1033 W. Gardena Blvd.
Gardena, CA 90247
310.323.9112
