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| Kua 'Aina 40 Goodge Street, W1T 2QP |
So for the next 3 weeks, it’s burgers only on the menu in
aid of #Nationalburgermonth and what better way to get things started than to
head to one of the worlds most picturesque paradises, Hawaii.
Located on a quiet side road of a busy junction, the restaurant
had tables outside with diners already getting their after work cocktails in.
We were warmly welcomed as the gentleman ushered us to a booth at
the back.
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| Coconut milkshake |
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| Pina Colada |
Kui Aina, a small Hawaiian restaurant decorated with vibrant
paintings and tropical looking prints. It offers an open kitchen with a
‘rattley’ board in front of it; you know
those boards that people bang on at carnival? Yeah it was like that. Not the
largest restaurant but does have a downstairs for big groups or private
bookings. Our waiter approached us after being seated and took our drinks
order. Now I know you’re probably thinking, why does Candace keep talking in 3rd
person, I came with a great WOM friend Rebekah, Interior Architect and founder
of @BlissfulTales (instagram).
For drinks, I had a Pina Colada and Rebekah, a coconut
milkshake which was served in a milk bottle. We both chose drinks that had an exotic element but unfortunately
the taste didn’t follow suit. I find that the drinks menus in smaller
restaurants match up in terms of options but fall short on flavour. Both our
drinks were disappointing and especially based on the type of drink we ordered,
we were expecting something that took us straight to the tropics; they were
bearable but not stand out.
As an ode to Jamelia, I ordered a Mahi Mahi sandwich with
lettuce, added portobello mushrooms, grilled peppers and a side of sweet potato
fries as my main. Rebekah went with the ‘Huli Huli’ Chicken sandwich with additional
avocado and grilled halloumi, also with a side of sweet potato fries.
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| Mahi Mahi Sanwhich |
By this stage, we had been assigned a new waitress, Sarah
who was new and very passionate about her job (bless). We’d customised our
sandwiches and Sarah did a great job of explaining what ingredients would go
best with our sandwiches based on common threads and personal favourites. After
the decision making process, she said “you’ve gone for great options and why
not, it’s nearly the weekend”. It was Monday! LOL! That, absolutely finished us!
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| Huli Huli Chicken Sandwich |
Served in small baskets on warm wholemeal bread, both
sandwiches were packed and as I lifted mine, some peppers fell out. Mahi Mahi
is a fish find isn’t often on menus in the UK so was a refreshing change.
It’s texture is a lot like tuna steak which I absolutely love however it was a little under seasoned for
me. Fish is such a delicacy that it’s
key that’s it’s not over seasoned but I little more paprika, thyme and even
some garlic wouldn’t have gone a miss.
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| Sweet potato fries |
Course I had a bite of Rebekah’s! Which I must say, I
preferred. Not the biggest fan of avocado but the combo was delicious, not to
mention that halloumi and I are best friends. I would definitely have this
sandwich if I came back. The sweet potato fries were salted as well which cut through
that potentially overbearing taste and were extremely moreish.
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| Chocolate chip waffle |
A chocolate chip waffle with maple syrup for dessert please.
The waffle was soft but missed that sweet crunch on the outside. The milk
chocolate chip and maple syrup were a nice combination and enabled me to leave
feeling satisfied.
For somewhere based on Hawaiian flavours and dining,
it does lack in authenticity however makes up for in customer service. All the
staff were extremely accommodating and such assets to the restaurant. It is
somewhere I would come back to but not in a rush (especially as I’ve got
another 2 weeks of burgers only). I’d recommend it to tourists who are interested in tasting London's cultured food scene or groups of teenagers who want to expand their pallets. A decent find!
Verdict? SPITS/CHEWS :-|
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