Wednesday, August 3, 2016

First Bite: Johnny Kahuku's Hawaiian Shrimp House

I first spotted Johnny Kahuku's Hawaiian Shrimp House in the South but never had the chance to visit as I had dinner plans elsewhere. But food gods want me to drop by this place and soon, I found myself in front of this colourful establishment’s North branch one Saturday afternoon. 
Hello, Johnny Kahuku's Hawaiian Shrimp House
It was like being transported to Hawaii as soon as you step foot inside the restaurant designed as a shrimp shack. The colorful wall decor, warm lights and wooden furniture are so inviting and cozy making it a nice place for family lunches or dinners or a nice catch up meal with friends. 
Johnny Kahuku is known for its seafood fare so we went with Tuna Ahi Poke (PHP365), Island Pride (PHP595, 6 pcs of shrimp | PHP645, 9 pcs of shrimp), Fiesta Paella (PHP899) and Tropical Chill (PHP285). 
First served was the tuna ahi poke bowl which was chilled ahi tuna drizzled with ginger shoyu sauce on top of rice. You may opt for brown rice for no additional cost. 
The tuna cubes were undeniably fresh. I loved the subtle sweet taste from the dressing which went so well with the Japanese rice. 
Drizzling it with a bit of lemon juice added contrast of flavors and delighted my tastebuds. 
The Island Pride was served next and I was impressed with the size of the of the garlic shrimps. It was huge and that alone was such a feast. Make sure you put some crab fat sauce with every bite for a party-in-your-mouth experience. 
The pork belly was your usual tender grilled meat but pair it with some lato salad and you have an islander's staple dish. 
The Fiesta Paella was so photogenic that every bit of it screams Instagram-worthy. One serving was packed with paella rice topped with mussels, chorizo, prawns, bell pepper, peas, chicken fillet, pork loin and one hefty crab. (If you're lazy removing the crab shell, the staff could do it for you and serve just the crab meat.)
The paella rice seemed to be wetter than the usual paella but it was still firm and not mushy at all. The seafoods were fresh and the meats were tender. The faint sweet taste of the seafood and salty taste of chicken, pork and chorizo paired wih the crunchy bell peppers and paella rice made this dish a winner!

After a while, we signaled for our dessert to be served. 
The chilled pineapples were plated nicely and had salt on the side to contrast the pineapple’s sweetness. The pineapples served to us though were not very sweet making me regret choosing this one over the chocolate brownies and turon.

Overall though, it was still a pleasant lunch and this place is definitely a great option for family gatherings and reunions given its generous serving sizes. (Just skip the pineapples.)

Johnny Kahuku’s Hawaiian Shrimp House is located at Ground Floor, Eastwood Mall, Eastwood, Libis, Quezon City.

Johnny Kahuku's Hawaiian Shrimp House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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