Maria Miyashiro

Professor Waddell
Journalism 260
October 5, 2015
Highway Inn Kakaako Review
When dining in Hawaii, I allow my family, the locals, to do the choosing. I, being
a mainlander, have little suggestions to offer other than what I am craving, so on
Wednesday, September 30th I asked that we eat dinner at a casual restaurant dishing
delectable Hawaiian fare. What I asked for, I received when we ate at Highway Inn
Kakaako, located at 680 Ala Moana Blvd #105, Honolulu, HI.
The group of us met in the parking lot of a small shopping center with apartments
on top. At the corner was a clean, window-lined diner neatly marked Highway Inn. When
I walked inside I was greeted by the welcomed air-conditioning and vibrant chatter of a
full restaurant. A muumuu-wearing woman with a warm smile ushered us the 10 of us to
a long table lined with benches once our complete party was in attendance. The dining
room looked like it couldve been in one of my aunties houses with the sea-glass green
wood-paneled walls, and framed classic Hawaiian prints hanging up. Adding to the
homey environment was the laughter and obvious enjoyment of locals enjoying their
food.
The Highway Inn offered a 4-page menu complete with pupus (appetizers),
combo plates, classic Hawaiian dishes, burgers, and dessert. The menu was
compartmentalized so as not to overwhelm with the numerous pages. Pupus ranged from
$6-$14, while main dishes were between $7-$15, which were reasonable prices for dishes
that included sushi-grade fish.

Our server was vivacious and attentive as she made her way to each of us around
the rectangular table. As she took our orders she was careful to point out parts of the
dishes not mentioned in the menu descriptions. When a family member ordered Kim
Chee Fried Rice, she wanted to make sure he knew it contained meat. When I ordered the
Furikake Ahi Nalo Greens Salad, she let me know the Ahi tuna was flash fried, and when
I asked if it could be grilled instead, she accommodated me. To our amazement, our
server took our entire order, substitutions and modifications included, without writing
anything down.
Even more surprisingly, all the dishes came out just as ordered and hoped for. The
Furikake Ahi Nalo Greens Salad I ordered contained crisp baby spinach in the center,
topped with strawberries and red onion, and drizzled with Citrus Sriracha Dressing.
Surrounding the bed of greens were the cubes of grilled Ahi tuna with Furikake (flaked
seaweed and sesame seed seasoning) sprinkled on top. Each of the plates came out
equally beautifully and was devoured quickly.
Our family left with our stomachs and wallets full. We all committed to visiting
again soon, either at the Kakaako location again, or at their original location in Waipahu.
Little did we know that night, that we would return the very next morning for Poi
Pancakes and Portuguese Sausage.

Address: 680 Ala Moana Blvd #105

Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone #: (808)954-4955
High Point: Friendly staff delivering enjoyable food
Low point: Overwhelming number of options
Hours: Monday- Thursday 8:30 a.m.- 8:30 p.m.
Friday- Saturday 8:30 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Sunday 9:00 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.
Parking lot and street parking available
Wheelchair accessible
All major cards and cash accepted