Cheap Eats: Lani's Luau

The Pancho paniolo plate ($8.99) (Credit: Andi Berlin/Special to Metromix)

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What was ordered: One Pancho paniolo plate ($8.99) and one da kine plate ($10.99) with mahi mahi and kalua-style pig for a total of $19.98. Just within our Cheap Eats goal of a meal for two for $20.

Comments: Why do you have to climb a volcano to get some freakin’ musubi in this town? Unlike in Phoenix—where you can order fast food kalua pork or pristine plate lunches in a cornucopia of locations—Hawaiian cuisine has just never seemed to really take off here.

It’s a shame, because the food of Hawaii is decidedly delicious, boasting an entire array of interesting riffs on more popular Japanese, Chinese and Korean dishes—like Spam sushi, for example (known as Spam musubi to islanders), or the luscious lomilomi salmon, a salad of sashimi and tomatoes that more resembles a tropical salsa.

With so many diverse combinations, it’s difficult for a single restaurant to represent the entire breadth of Hawaiian cuisine, especially if it’s over-hyped by such an out-of-the-way location.

But Lani’s Luau on the Southwest Side does a pretty good job, and manages to make the trip out there worth it. The restaurant may not serve every Hawaiian delicacy (and is honestly lacking on the noodles side), but what it does, it does well.

Food: On a recent visit, we ordered two plate lunches: the Pancho paniolo with beef teriyaki and Korean chicken wings and the da kine, which consists of two entrees of your choice. We chose the buttered mahi mahi and the kalua-style pig, which isn’t cooked in an underground oven like it is during luaus, but is delicious nonetheless.

The da kine plate came with two scoops of semi-sticky jasmine rice and a side of creamy potato macaroni salad. The peas accentuated the mesh of mayonnaise, noodles and soft potato chunks, making the salad a great accompaniment to the meats. The mahi was excellent, but slightly more boring than the sensuously spiced pork. The smoked pork resembled an American barbecue dish, but slightly tangier and absent of sauce. No need for it: The moist texture and delicate salty flavor the meat itself was enough.

The Pancho paniolo plate, which takes its name from the Hawaiian cowboys who learned how to herd cattle from Mexican vaqueros, was one of the many multi-cultural nods on Lani’s menu. In addition to Hawaiian foods, Lani’s also serves a Portuguese plate, a Filipino plate and Korean dishes like kim chee. The Korean chicken wings on the Paniolo plate, which are apparently a big deal in Korea, were crispy and sweet. The beef teriyaki, with its rich sugary soy flavor, was an excellent specimen of Hawaiian barbeque.

Atmosphere: The restaurant, which more resembles a shop, is decidedly laid-back and strikingly authentic. Hawaiian postcards and trinkets line the walls, and a special is always written on a surfboard. But beware: Unlike their food, this restaurant is hot! Both times I visited there was no air conditioning, and the table fans weren’t really enough to counter the summer heat.

Service: You order at the counter and the food is brought to your table.

Bar: no

Bottom line: Lani’s Luau shouldn’t be the end-all of Hawaiian cuisine, but it’s a great start for Asian enthusiasts who are sick of sushi. It’s also the most traditional place in town, which gives it two hang 10s in my book.

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