We all know where to get a bowl of poké when we need one. It isn't hard to find a place nearby. However, if you wanted actual Hawaiian cuisine, it becomes more difficult. So what is Hawaiian food anyways? For those who haven't been, it is combination of different ethnic cuisines. In particular, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese and of course, Polyneisan. I was super excited to try out Moku Famous Hawaiian BBQ out in Langley since they had plate lunches as well as other Hawaiian goodies.
So let's get right to it with a classic in the Spam Musubi. As you can see clearly in the picture, the Spam-to-rice ration was 1:1. Hence, this ate really hearty and was not longing for the salty butteriness of the evenly-seared Spam. A balancing sweet and caramelized teriyaki glaze helped complete the familiar flavour-profile. The sushi rice base was the right texture being soft while still chewy. It bonded properly and did not fall apart even when picked up.
Going for the first plate lunch, we found the Garlic Shrimp with rice and mac salad. These large and plump shrimp were lightly fried and tossed in a garlic brown butter. The result was some nutty aromatics with some saltiness and a touch of spice. It reminded me slightly of Chinese salt & pepper garlic shrimp to a degree due to it being fried. However, with the butter, it was was richer in flavour. Texturally, the shrimp had a moist snap and really benefited from the light crispy coating.
If you are looking at this picture and have your mouth open, it can mean that you are hungry and/or in awe at the size of the Kona Beef Ribs. For $22.95, this was a huge amount of meat! These massive ribs were coffee-rubbed, slow-cooked and slathered in mango BBQ sauce. The result was some tender meat that still had plenty of natural texture left. The coffee taste was there but not enough to make it bitter while the BBQ sauce was tangy and sweet.
Another popular Hawaiian dish that I personally love is the Loco Moco featuring rice topped with 2 beef burger patties and smothered with rich mushroom gravy. A fried egg put the finishing touch on the dish. I really appreciated the home-made beef patties which were meaty with a natural texture. Not sure if you can tell by the picture, but the patties were large and thick. With an appealing viscosity, the gravy was silky with the right amount of saltiness and umaminess.
By virtue of using either fresh rice or rice with too much moisture, the Spam Fried Rice was a bit wet. Despite this, it still ate well due to the generous amount of cubed Spam. The saltiness from the meat helped flavour the dish and also provide a buttery texture. Also, the fat from the Spam added umaminess and aromatics to the rice. The addition of veggies was both a blessing and a curse as it gave colour and texture, but it also added even more moisture.
We ended up sampling the rest of the meats with the Combo Plate that has a choice of 2 meats, 2 scoops of rice and mac salad. The first plate consisted of Chicken BBQ and Beef BBQ. As you can see, the chicken was beautifully charred with smokiness and sweetness. The meat itself was still moist and juicy. As for the beef, it was fairly thin and meaty in texture. It was less caramelized than the chicken. I like how they add some sauteed cabbage and carrots underneath.
The next Combo Plate featured the Kalbi Beef and Garlic Furikake Chicken. This mound of food would be a challenge for one person to finish by themselves. A regular Combo Plate sets you back $25.95, but with Kalbi, it is an extra $2.00. Worth every penny in my books as you get 2 meals for that price! The short ribs were tender with a chew while being flavourfully sweet and savoury. Crispy but tender inside, the chicken was sweet and garlicky with hits of seaweed.
Our last Combo Plate consisted of Spicy Mochiko Chicken and Kalua Pork. Similar in texture to the garlic chicken, this version had a bit less sauce and indeed had a mild kick. The Kalua Pork was moist and tender despite not looking so in the picture. Flavours were subtle and mild with only a bit of saltiness. Of course we had to try their Hawaiian Pog to wash everything down with right? It was appealingly fruity and sweet being refreshing. Overall, the food at Moku is fantastic and served in enormous portions. Pricing is completely fair and they even have party/family meals if you order ahead. I think I've found my Hawaiian food fix in the Lower Mainland! Normally, I would say something like "I will be back with the fam!" but I have already returned! Had most of the same dishes and they were exactly the same except I got even more ribs that the first time, but it was bit drier. Otherwise, it was an excellent visit and Moku will be in my regular rotation of restaurants!
*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*
The Good:
- Delicious
- Large portions
- Well-priced
The Bad:
- Parking lot fills up fast
- Maybe the rice in the fried rice can be drier
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