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Alonzo's at the Mililani Golf Course, a closer look
10/4/09 - There's quite the movement slowly making its way into the mainstream of island culinary activity these days. Whether it's Sakura at Olomana, Sushi-ten in Waikele, the Clubhouse at Kapolei, Bird of Paradise at the Hawaii Prince, Lei lei's at Turtle Bay, or any of the others, Golf Course restaurants are sure making their presence felt in a big way. Today, we got a sample of just how big this movement has become when we stopped by Alonzo's, inside the beautiful facilities of the Mililani Golf Course.
But before our great meal there, and the real reason we were Mililani-bound in the first place, was that we were just up the street watching my little nephew, Evan-buddy, tearing it up on the soccer field. It's his second year with the Firebrands team, so as one of only two returner's, he is really counted upon to lead the first-year kids on the field. It's so hilarious and cute watching these them play, especially the beginner's, as their first and foremost objective is to make sure they are going the right way! Watching them progress from game to game, season to season, from barely knowing what to do (and sometimes not caring), to a spirit of competition and teamwork, I tell you, it's just precious!
Here he is now, with a look of intensity I never saw last year, that's for sure! Go Evan-buddy, go!
At this point of the game, it's mostly all about having fun and developing team skills (or learning how to work with other kids, people, etc.), and not really quite as much about winning. I've been to several games so far, but for the first time, there was a coach on the opposing side who was taking a harsher tone with his kids, even telling them "you're losing the game yourselves, you're losing the game yourselves!"
Goodness, gracious, coach! I mean, it wasn't like he was swearing with them, or getting too obvious and drill-sargeant-like, but any more harsher, and we, ourselves, would have had a good talk. It's just that it's the first time I've seen a coach not do anything else but laugh and encourage the kids, no matter how good or bad they played, and the tone was enough to leave me shaking my head in disappointment. I know one thing for sure - if my kid was on that team, I'd have pulled him to my brothers' team in a flash! He and Head Coach Carlos do an amazing job, and are great role models and influences on the kids, always supporting and encouraging them with a smile and pat on the back. I do believe winning is important in a kids life, but that's not the most important thing right now, not at this age. These kids barely know the rules nor even the spirit of the game at this point, so they don't need some adult putting them down like that. In a couple of years, yeah, you gotta start getting tougher, but at six and seven? Just take a look at these precious little souls...
I especially like the gangsta-rapper pose by the cutie to the left of Evan-buddy...
But anywayz, after some Juicy-Juice, popsicles, hotdogs, and the breaking down of tents, we were all headed down the road, to the beautiful grounds of the Mililani Golf Course:
Though I have no idea how we got here since I just followed my brother and I don't have much of a clue regarding the roads of Mililani, I do have a Google map link on the main pages, where Alonzo's at the Mililani Golf Course is listed under the Family Restaurants section of Local Grinds.
The parking lot was large, roomy, and barely a quarter full, which is always a good thing - at least from a customers point of view. Once there, you can't miss the entrance:
From there, once through the main entrance, it's only a quick right to the restaurant itself:
There's both indoor and outdoor seating, all in a very much casual and laid-back environment. I shoulda took a pic of the senior golf club group, all tucked into a back portion of the restaurant, and all dressed in bright pink t-shirts, 20-30 strong! Though it wasn't particularly packed on this Saturday afternoon, I'm guessing this place has the capacity to take care of some very large groups at times. This next shot is only about a third of the inside area, not to mention the over-flow outside. Looks like a fun place for drinks and the next game or fight on flat-screen!
Talk about a super-local hang-out - there's even an obligatory poke/sashimi case, only there wasn't much poke inside, at least not when compared to supermarkets or places like Highway Inn or Fresh Catch.
On the far-end there, you'll see dark-brown bags. Those contain perhaps the one type of dish, if you had to name just one, that made Alonzo's famous and helped build his reputation out here in Central Oahu. But we'll see this specialty item in just a bit...
Naming just one favorite here may get more complicated and disputable than it seems, however, as there are so many great items on the menu! For breakfast, beginning daily from 6am, there's pancakes, waffles, French toast, and other typical fare, along with such local-sounding dishes like lup cheong w/eggs, kim chee fried rice omelet, and adobo fried rice omelet. But lunch and dinner is where the menu gets really interesting, and is chock-full of variety. I mean, there's local/Hawaiian specials like saimin, locomoco, chopsteak, kalua pork w/cabbage, oxtail soup, and char siu chicken; American-style items like sandwiches, burgers, beef stew, garlic roast pork w/gravy, grilled salmon, and baby-back ribs; even a few Japanese dishes like ramen and oyako-don. But perhaps the most intriguing part of the menu is their set of authentic Filipino dishes, as there are only a handful of restaurants around the island that serve them - outside of adobo, lumpia, and sometimes pork gisantes, that is. Check out the FIlipino section of the main pages to find out a little more about this type of cuisine and the corresponding restaurants. And, check out the full menu at the Mililani Golf Course website, too, if you wanna see everything.
One of the very fine Filipino dishes served here is a beef lauya (lau-eee-uh):
Talk about the perfect cold-buster, or a perfect meal after a wind-blown day out on the course! It came highly recommended by Bruddah Nels', the fittest 40-something I know, a lady-killah with the devastatingly good looks and chiseled body, who was with us today. And it definitely lived up to the hype! The hype about the beef lauya, that is, not about the lady-killah with the chiseled body!
One of the bestest, deepest, beefiest broths around anywhere, this home-style bowl of pure love comes filled with super-generous strips of soft, lean beef, the spicy touch of mustard cabbage, bamboo shoots, and lots of fresh, wide-cut ginger. It was almost like an oxtail soup, only with less fat and no bones! This was actually the first time I've had lauya, but judging by how good the Filipino dishes here were today, I'd say this place has gotta rank right up there with the best of 'em.
Several of the items, inlcuding pancit, pinakbet, sari-sari, and chicken papaya, pariya, and squash, take 30-45 minutes to prepare. And that's a good thing, too, since you know then that it's made to order and they really take the time and care to do something right! Bruddah Nels says lots of folks call-in from the course and drop-by after their final hole, or call earlier from home.
The other Filipino dishes (and I'll list them all since it's such a short list) are presented within a reasonable time frame, including adobo, dinuguan (yup, the pork in blood stew!), pork gisantes, lechon kawali, pinapaitan, crispy tripe, tripe stew, beef lauya, and Bruddah Nels' order, a crispy pata:
Actually, here at Alonzo's, it usually comes whole and in one large shank, not cut into pieces as you see here - misunderstanding on the waitress' part, that's all - no big thing! Was still plenty ono, and not to discredit the tender bits of meat, but it was the extra-crispy pieces of skin that were especially delicious! On the side, a shoyu/vinegar/onion dip was given as a tart freshener.
While all six of us adults present were busy raiding the crispy pata, the two kids were plenty happy and satisfied with their two identical meals. Even after dogs at the park, they (dogs) just never get old, and in combination with crinkle-cut fries? Aaah, the kids can't resist! Little Kyle is beside himself waiting for Uncle Aku to take the shot!
Moving-on-over to the more local side of the menu, it was my sis-in-law, Kathy, once an almost complete vegetarian (she was ok with some dairy, and even fish once in a while), who surprised us all with a plate of lup cheong sausage and eggs! Fried noodles, maybe; a mahi sandwich, perhaps; or even an oyako-don bowl, but Chinese-style, super-fatty, sweet pork? With eggs?
She's finally seen the light, I tell you.
Compared to the rest of the orders, this plate was actually quite small, but one taste of lup cheong, and you'll know why, as the richness is such that you can't really eat a whole lot of it. Think of any regular sausage, double the fat, triple the sugar, add a bit of Oriental spice, and voila! You have lup cheong! This one was a little different from the steamed or stewed varieties we usually see, and was instead fried, so I guess it's a little better, the fat having rendered out a lot more than normal - usually, there's giant globs of transluscent, sticky fat everywhere!
On the opposite end of the health spectrum, Aunty Yumi was keepin' it real with an Oriental chicken salad. She may be Evan-buddy's grandma, but she's as young, vibrant, and beautiful as a Kokiku TV fashion model, so I guess she has to watch what she eats. I tried grabbing a piece to try, but only came back with a slap to the back of my hand and a finger in my face. Just kidding. But next time I'll wait till she goes to the bathroom...
My brother went with the local specialty noodle - a fried saimin. So far, I know of three different ways to eat saimin - first, the regular way, in broth; second, boiled and then fried in a pan with other ingredients like pancit or chow mein (like todays' order); and third - completely in the raw and straight from the package! Yup, I remember the days when we first discovered that you could pull the flavor package out, sprinkle about half of it right back into the noodle package, crush and shake the bag up, and have crunchy, dry saimin! Try it sometime - just like potato chips!
As for the #2 version, Alonzo sure knows what he's doing back there. Simple, basic ingredients, a real home-made taste, and a nice, rounded flavor that can only come from the quick blackening of a super-hot wok or griddle, the kind that leaves a smoky, slightly charred flavor that's just as important, if not more so, than any seasoning or other ingredient used except for the noodles, themselves! Ever since an old Chinese Chef told me how important a super-hot wok is (especially, you know, the kind that's generations-old and has yet to see one drop of soap or cleaner!), I've never forgotten his statement, and always look for this particular attribute in a fried noodle, fried rice, or other stir-fry. There's no liquid smoke, powder, or sauce substitute for a good wok, pan, or griddle on high heat!
As for the signature item here, the one displayed so conspicuously in the chill case earlier, the one that'll put a warm oooh in your taste-buds and a deep aaah in your tummy, the Alonzo's Hawaiian beefsteak alone is enough to put any restaurant or eatery on the map! Bruddah Nels', who seems to know everything about this place, says that it is consistently good, whether eaten right here, at home on your hibachi, or for breakfast the next day!
The very first thing you notice is how soft and tender the beef is. It's not a very fatty cut at all, and at $14 for this plate, I don't think they can afford serving New York or tenderloin. I think the softness comes from some kind of tenderizing process, probably from liberal doses of wine, sake, or maybe pineapple, because in all but the most expensive cuts, you just ain't gonna get a steak this soft!
The second thing you notice is the teriyaki marinade, which is, as most beloved local dishes, a bit on the sweet side. The flavor of the marinade permeates and soaks well into the meat, even in the very centers, and for ease of quick devouring, is cut pupu-style, into thin strips or pieces. Those 4 lb. bags are looking more and more tempting for a hibachi night, which, by the way, we've been long over-due in having!
Hey, hope you've all enjoyed a closer look from Alonzo's at the Mililani Golf Course. It's a great place to eat, anyway you look at it. And for all you visitors - if you wanna check out a local place and some real, local-style, ono-kine grinds, without any tourists around, this is a great place to check-in on the real heartbeat of Hawaii!
Also wanted to give a quick shout to Tony Kawaguchi, a big-time Real Estate guy who happens to be one of the top producers in the State. He also has a Real Estate site and blog, where you can search listings, learn about Real Estate, and get the most current news regarding the Hawaii RE situation. He's a solid Christian guy and family man, with a beautiful wife and three beautiful children, and he'd love to hear from you folks out there at his site, www.alohatony.com. The reason I'm introducing Tony is because he's done a guest blog page on the Aku Eats site, which you'll see either tomorrow or the next day. He and his family just returned from a trip to Japan, and is doing a page on a very famous kushiyaki restaurant in Kyoto. The place looks fabulous, and I'm more than happy to have Tony on-board! Remember to check out his site, especially if you have any RE questions!
Take care and Aloha till next time!
Aku
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