King's Hawaiian Restaurant and Bakery - restaurant review

I've known about King's Hawaiian for some time because of their yummy rolls, and when I found out they had a restaurant, a good one at that, I'd meant to try it, but for various reasons, it had never worked out until Sunday night, when I joined a large group of friends for dinner there to celebrate a friend's birthday.

The restaurant has a fairly large parking lot in the back, so that was very convenient. We got there a bit early, and while some people had already arrived, we waited for the rest of our group. Eventually, we were seated at a long table in one of their private rooms - no closed door or anything, just offset from the rest of the restaurant.

I had perused the online menu weeks before but hadn't decided what I would actually be having for dinner. In looking through all the choices, I finally decided on the kalbi ribs - popular Korean style beef ribs marinated in garlic, ginger and onion seasoning, served with kim chee. The dish also came with steamed rice and potato macaroni salad. I also added a side salad. The husband ordered the kahlua pork, also with a side salad. The mix plate seemed to be very popular, as a number of people at the table ordered that.

The side salad was a good mix of ingredients, but I think I ended up ordering the wrong dressing. I've started asking for non-creamy Italian, since I like Italian dressing, just not so much the creamy kind, which some restaurants offer. The server seemed a bit confused and said they only had regular Italian. She said they had a raspberry vinaigrette and a simple oil and vinegar, so I went with the raspberry vinaigrette. When it arrived, it was a fairly bright pink, and it was actually rather sweet and not vinaigrette-tasting at all. It would have actually tasted quite good on a pastry or ice cream but didn't really go well on a salad. I should probably have stuck with just the regular Italian or the oil and vinegar - good to know for next time. I just ended up having most of my salad dry.

The kalbi ribs were delicious, just the right flavoring on them that I like, with a fairly generous portion of meat as well as rice and macaroni salad. I also happen to love kim chee, so it was nice having a little side of that - very tasty. The husband really enjoyed his kahlua pork, and everyone seemed to enjoy their meals.

For dessert, we ended up with a Hawaiian Paradise birthday cake - three layers (guava, passion, lime) chiffon cake with whipped cream filling and the three fruit nectar glaze on top. I loved the cake. I'm not a fan of the usually heavier cake that most restaurants serve, but I tend to like the lighter, fluffier ones more, the kind you'd normally get from a Chinese bakery, and that's the kind this cake was. I'm also not a fan of buttercream frosting - I prefer whipped cream because it's not as sweet, and that's what this cake had as well. The multiple flavors made for a nice colorful and yummy cake.


Our server was very nice, and service was generally ok, though we sometimes had to wait a bit for drink refills. The restaurant was quite busy that night, including another large party in a different room, and it actually took some time before our server came back so we could pay our check, but none of that would deter me from returning or recommending the restaurant. I'm not likely to go to the restaurant much because I'm not generally in the area, but if I am, I'd definitely go back.

And it might be a good thing that it's not readily accessible to me because the bakery portion of the restaurant is amazing, with a wide array of cakes and breads and cookies and tarts and other baked goods. I had time to peruse the choices while we were waiting for everyone else to arrive and also after dinner, as people were making purchases. I managed to be good and walk away without buying anything, having at least had two yummy rolls with dinner and the cake for dessert.


Oh, and that thing at the very entrance to the dining room? That orange thing stuck into the ground? That is *so* not a pineapple. Pineapples aren't that shade of orange. Actually, pineapples shouldn't be *any* shade of orange. Why a Hawaiian restaurant would have a giant carrot on premises is beyond me. :)




King's Hawaiian Restaurant and Bakery
2808 W. Sepulveda Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90505
(310) 530-0050