It used to be Ono Seafood that reigned supreme on Yelp, then Marukame Udon, and currently, Aloha Cones sits at the #1 spot with a FIVE STAR RATING AVERAGE! It is well-earned and well-deserved.
Aloha Cones is located on Kinau Street, but don't worry, it's before the constant congestion of cars. Look for the pink building. No, not the Royal Hawaiian, but a tad smaller. It will say "Shigalicious" at the top of the building, and that might confuse some folks since you're looking for a sign that says "Aloha Cones," but no worries, they are together. Look for the "parking" signs and drive down. Parking was one of the things I was concerned about since I drive a larger vehicle. However, on both occasions there was parking, or to be more specific, I maneuvered myself into a space where I felt I wasn't blocking anyone. :) It's a grab-and-go, take-out place, so even if it is filled, you'll probably just need to wait a few minutes. This place is very small, but it has half a picnic table on one side with a 3-seat bench if you want to eat right away.
The weather lately has been ridiculously hot and humid, and then some, thankfully Aloha Cones hits the spot for these dreadful days. Aloha Cones serves Poke Bowls, Sushi Bowls, Salad Bowls, Musubis, plus other little snacks. There's also Shave Ice, but that's on the counter over with a different name, Shigalicious.
I am ashamed at myself for not coming here earlier! Yes, sadly, it was my first time, which immediately led to my second time the following day. Two check-ins means I'm a "regular at" Aloha Cones now, right? :) I had the Wasabi Masago Ahi Poke Bowl ($9.25) on my first visit, and I was amazed at how beautifully constructed everything looked. There were sliced cucumbers, diced tomatoes, shredded daikon, imitation crab salad, thin nori strips, and the poke with green onion on top, and of course, the sushi rice. It was immediate of how fresh each and every ingredient was. The poke was very fresh and great quality, and it was seasoned and prepared very well with great precision and the perfect amount of tobikko. You are able to taste the freshness and the quality of the fish because it wasn't overpowered by the sauce and seasoning.
Whoever thought of putting unagi sauce in the imitation crab (surimi) salad is a genius! That salad was incredibly tasty and delicious. It wasn't muddled with mayonnaise or overpowered with unagi sauce. It had the perfect blend of flavors with the sweetness of the surimi crab, creaminess of the mayonnaise sauce, and the savoriness of the unagi sauce, and the perfect amount, so you can really taste the surimi crab.
The rice is the most important part, and Aloha Cones makes it perfect: fluffy and light with the right amount of salt and vinegar, prepared with the right amount of water, and served at the right temperature. Perfect!
One of the things that really stood out to me is how awesome its wasabi is! I've had too many bad experiences where wasabi doesn't even taste like anything, but the wasabi here will hit you so fast and so hard that it felt like someone jammed his or her knee right in your face. :) Plus, you can grab all the wasabi you want because there's a self-serve area where you can filled up those little plastic containers with wasabi, soy sauce, pickled ginger, and sushi vinegar, or you can just put it on your bowl. I wish it had a bottle of sesame oil too!
The second day, I had the Chirashi Sushi Bowl. It came with 3 pieces of Salmon, Ahi Tuna, and Hamachi sashimi, plus the usual crab salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, and daikon. Each type of fish were so fresh and high quality. The slices were big and thick as well. For this sushi bowl, it came with a green onion in oil sauce that is very, very similar to the sauce served with Cold Ginger Chicken in Chinese restaurants. However, here, the sauce is super clean and flavorful. The green onion really stands out in taste and fragrance, and it goes very well with the sashimi. Everything else in the bowl was just as good if not better than the day before, so I don't need to describe it again. :)
The service here is friendly and accommodating, and the food comes out pretty quick. There's this one particular girl who goes above and beyond, and she is very considerate of every customer in making sure they are informed of what is and isn't available and sure they are happy and satisfied. On my first visit, I had a small problem with my poke bowl, but she immediately apologized and quickly remedied the problem that left me surprised at how much concern she showed me. I rarely get this kind of treatment when I point out a problem.
Overall, I absolutely enjoyed the freshness and great quality of each individual food item and how well it is prepared, cooked, and served. Just that alone will make me come back for more and more and more. Plus, the service is top-notch and quick.
That's why Aloha Cones is #1! read more