For an authentic, no-frills Hawaiian meal true to local style, stopping in Kaaloa’s Super J’s is a must. While its simple yellow building is unassuming, even Sunny Anderson from the Food Network raved about the laulau, featuring it on the show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.”
Menu
Laulau is a native Hawaiian dish consisting of pork or chicken wrapped in a taro leaf, which resembles spinach after being cooked. When cooked traditionally, it is placed in an imu (underground oven), covered with hot rocks and banana leaves, and buried. It would then be ready to eat a few hours later. Today most people steam laulau on the stove, and it is commonly eaten as a dinner item and for family gatherings. While you could spend a fair amount of money heading to a local luau for authentic Hawaiian food, you could spend as little as $5 at Kaaloa’s, where you will not be disappointed with their savory and fall-apart tender dish. The other meat option on the menu is Kalua pig, shredded pork also traditionally cooked in an imu.
In addition to laulau and kalua pork, side options are rice, poi, macaroni salad, potato salad, and lomi salmon. For a small meal you can choose the $5 mini, with one entrée and one side. Or if you’ve really worked up an appetite or would like to try more of Kaaloa’s Super J’s menu, the $12 combo plate will give you one entrée and three sides. Love it and want to take some back home? They also offer the option to purchase some items frozen, perfect for preserving your taste of Hawaii until your airplane lands. Have a large family or hosting a gathering with friends? Laulau can be purchased in large quantities by the bag, and the other items can be purchased by the pound. Owned by Janice and John Kaaloa, this is a family owned and operated restaurant open since 1991.There is limited seating available, and most customers take their food to go.
Location
Kaaloa’s Super J’s is located 30 minutes south of Kailua-Kona in the west coast town of Captain Cook at 83-5409 Mamalahoa Hwy on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Kaaloa’s Super J’s
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