Oh my goodness! I keep stumbling into places where the food, and the vibe, and service are exceptional. And then, as I leave, I think to myself, "Oh man, I need to tell my friends and family about this place!"
At the time I discovered 10 Empanadas (10 a.m.) , I had almost no interest in eating anything. I had just visited an art studio that sits four doors down, and was heading back to my car to catch the 2nd half of a televised football game. As I strolled by, I noticed an employee unlocking the front door. This perked a casual interest to see what the establishment was about... then, my interest grew to taking a peek at their menu, and then, ultimately my curiosity resulted in my getting to sample some gosh-darn-good empanadas. (Sorry for swearing, but by-golly Bejesus! They were, so Bueno!" )
(This next "tid-bit of info" has very little to do with my experience at 10 Empanadas, but since what I am about to share, could one-day, save a life, I am going to include it here: If you are not a Hawaii resident, you may not be aware that you often have to set an alarm-clock to catch live sporting events. This phenomenon has something to do with the space-time continuum. It's far too complex to describe any further here, but be prepared to occasionally watch football before the sun rises if you find yourself in Hawaii.)
So anyways, I think it would be a safe-bet to say that the proprietor of 10 Empanadas loves him his Futbol (no, that is not a misspelling of the sport I was watching)... Based on the team colors of Argentina's national team (white and baby-blue) being flown in a good-percentage of the store's decor, he is a almost certainly a passionate Argentinian Soccer (aka: Futbol) fan. The place also has a very cool mural depicting famous locations around Kailua. It also has modern and sleek bench-style seating...with comfortable seats. And, it has an over-all aura that exudes a, "clean and cared-for" energy.
Cool and simple decor aside, the food is the star of this establishment.
As I often am prone to do, I asked the person who was stationed at the cash register to share their personal favorites. Suggestions were shared, and finally, it was decided that I should go for a trio of Empanadas that included the Chicken, the Caprese, and the Fatai.
All of them were great. They are served piping hot, and in addition to being only 1 or 2 Fahrenheit degrees away from blistering one's mouth, the balance between dough and flavored fillings is what I would describe as, "a splendid perfection."
I found myself having to restrain from making faces and noises that probably should be reserved for more intimate moments with my wife...but I was really enjoying the food... but mostly because it was hot... super hot...like, "Hey! Let that cool down for a second, you might burn yourself" hot. If my mom was there, she would have whisked the tray away from the table, cracked me semi-lovingly, but enough to kinda hurt on the top of the head with the back of her hand, and then shake her head in disappointment at my lack of restraint. But, she was not physically present, and to cool the food, I had to resort to using the, "open your mouth in a slack jaw fashion and huff puffs of air over the molten food from your throat, before swallowing" technique.
We own a home that is located approximately a 1/2 mile from here. It is rented out to people who stay on Oahu for extended stays for part of the year. We also save it for ourselves during part of the year, allowing family and friends to use it as a base camp when they come to Oahu. Guess which restaurant is now going into the note-book we leave for our guests under the heading: "Good Food Places to Try in Kailua"? Yep...
Two final "full-disclosures" about this place... First, it's called, "10 Empanadas" but they really have more like 16 to choose from.
Secondly, be warned that the Argentinian player, Meradona, is prominently featured on the walls. So, If you happen to be from England... and you peek in while passing by... and then you find yourself repulsed and dissuaded from entering (because Mr. "Hand of God" is up on the wall) you would be making a big mistake. I'm telling you, Hand to God (*imagine me raising my hand up to show you may palm), based on the evidence of how good those puffy golden-brown half-moon-shaped gastronomical delights were, this chef obviously has the same passion for his empanadas that he does for his Argentine Futbol. So, if you refuse to dine here because of that Merodona poster, you will be cheated again! And "Come-on!" Seriously, it happened in 1986, it's time to let it go. read more