Lomi Salmon With Raw Fish & Limu

3/4/2021

We got the Luau Squid, Kalua Pig & Cabbage, small Short Ribs Pipikaula Style, Lomi Salmon With Raw Fish & Limu! The Haupia was complimentary, which was a pleasant surprise. Everything was so delicious! 8.5/10. If the ribs were saucier, it would be a 10/10.

Fast and friendly customer service! No wait at 10:50 AM on a Thursday.

8/29/2014

The wait is long.  And after you sit down, you'll have to wait potentially longer for your food.  If you're able to get over that, you will really really like the food.  I may like Helena's more than Ono's.

WHAT WE GOT?

-Lau lau: So flavorful and tender.  The leaves just break apart so smoothly but aren't overly mushy.

-Short ribs: I don't know what their secret is in making this but I see a bunch of ribs hanging from the kitchen ceiling with a light shining on it.  Aging perhaps?  The meat isn't the most tender but I really think the outcome is intentional on their part.  It has a similar flavor to Korean short ribs but a little less sweet.

-Lomi salmon with raw fish: This dish is what made eating poi finally more bearable.  The poi tones down the saltiness but the saltiness makes you forget about that slight tartness that poi has.

-Fried butterfish collar: You get 4 small pieces; the skin is crispy and the meat is flakey.  You don't get a terrible amount of meat because of the bones and natural shape of the collar but I think it's worth it.

They're very friendly here and they were constantly apologizing for the wait.  I don't know if this is standard but they gave us a small order of haupia which I thought was a nice gesture.

7/10/2013

I'd been craving Hawaiian food for weeks and to fulfill my desire, i wasn't about to just go to any ol' non-James Beard awarded Hawaiian spot. Oh no.

So one week I tried calling for takeout and the phone just rang and rang. Last week we tried showing up and arrived to an empty parking lot; the restaurant was closed for July vacation! And finally...today...we arrived at 6:40p - the parking lot was filled and a little discouraging. There's room to pull to the side and wait for someone to leave and I was lucky to be blocking a customer who was happily leaving with his many takeout containers. Yes!

I already knew what I'd be ordering since I had studied the menu for weeks: large poi, 3 scoops rice, squid luau, pipikaula short ribs small, boiled butterfish with watercress, fried ahi, and one orange & one strawberry soda. When the waitress asked, "is that all for now?" I freaked out and ordered laulau, chicken long rice, and lomi salmon with raw fish and limu. It might've been a bit too much for two, but it was so necessary!

Service was friendly and the food came out quick. It was a heavenly experience.

3/27/2013

Damn!  I'm still hungry.  I'm REALLY HUNGRY.

That after a (takeout) lunch of laulau ($4), small poi ($2.95), and "lomi salmon with raw fish & limu" ($4.95).

Why Helena's doesn't offer a laulau combo plate Idk.

Laulau was okay with fair proportion of pork to luau leaves.  But so doggone small.  Small poi = maybe 5 oz. in a little styrofoam finger bowl.  Lomi salmon with raw fish served in same-size bowl.  "Raw fish" was a few small cubes of ahi, and "limu" was just a pinch of finely minced limu.  Taste as you expect.  Is there variation to laulau and lomi salmon taste?

But you know...Had I ordered a large poi ($3.50) instead of a small, and another laulau, I'd 'a' spent about the same amount I did for a "laulau plate" at Brand "O" (see my review of 9/14/12).  I wouldn't have gotten pipikaula and haupia.  But my waistline doesn't need pipikaula and haupia.  But service at Brand "O" always friendly and welcoming.  But Helena's much closer to work than Brand "O".  But parking just as bad.  But I could walk to Helena's.

Hmmm.

Maybe Helena's ain't that bad after all.

7/31/2012

This was my first experience eating authentic Hawaiian food and it was tasty! (I'm not going to count the forgettable food at a luau I went to a few years back). We got a large order of the short ribs, and small orders of the kahlua pork, long rice chicken, lomi salmon with raw fish, fried butterfish, and haupia. I thought it'd be too much food but the small sizes are just right for sharing family style. The fish was a little too deep-fried for me and the lomi salmon was a little too fishy. My faves were the short ribs and the haupia. Haupia is a coconut gelatin dessert that reminds me of a similar Chinese dessert that they serve at dim sum restaurants, minus the purple beans. I like the Chinese version a little more just because the beans add flavor to the dessert.

The owner lady is SO sweet - really cute older lady who took the time to chat with us, ask where we were from and how we liked the food. They've been featured on Man vs. Food!  I'm so glad I came here instead of some luau serving cafeteria-style Hawaiian food en masse. We saw a sign on the door saying they'd be on vacation from June 30th to July 9th so I'm glad we caught them just before they went on break!