Hubs and I looking for lunch. Spur of the moment decision so didn't have time to call it in. Place is dark even during the day. Worker polite but completely lacks customer service skills. She did offer us water, so I guess not completely lacking. Hubs got the Jamaican Oxtail - he said good. Kinda small, but we know the price of oxtail right now. Luckily even if my dish was also small, I had leftovers for him to finish. I got the PUerto Rican Fried Chicken - not breaded (even if menu said it was) which was better since I don't like tons of breading. Think just lightly dusted with flour. Cooked perfectly. Crispy and juicy. But the taste was very light. I had to add my garlic chili sauce to flavor it up. Yucca fries are super dry - is that how it is supposed to be? Maybe if thinner could just just crispy sticks? Good, but not a dish I would think of as Puerto Rican. I'll go back b/c I want to try other things... but kinda pricey for what we got. read more

Dash of Sazon - Jamaican Oxtail - Caribbean Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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Came here for a yelp elite event, had 5 samplings of food and one superb cocktail. Beef empanada: very nice crispy shell, good amount of stuffing inside, but I wasn't a big fan of the cloves. If you like cloves, you'll love this dish. Chicken empanada: good garlic aïoli sauce, really good empanada with the same crispy shell and the same good amount of stuffing inside. No cloves. Vegan curry dhal: The chickpeas were just the right consistency, not too mushy and still well-cooked. there was a really fragrant rice bed underneath and to give variety to the texture, a crispy fried kale leaf on top. It was not spicy, so you can add your own spice. Puerto Rican fried chicken: The star of the show! Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and great bite-size pieces. It came with a yucca fries, very unique and the great starch to accompany this chicken. Chancho fries: comes with a heaping mound of really good pork, a bit on the salty side but goes well with the thick steak fries. I wished it had a few more pieces of onions on it, but I can see how non-onion lovers wouldn't appreciate that. My cocktail was magical, it was the Old Hatten, an Old-Fashioned and a Manhattan mixed together. Mixed very expertly by the bartender, and the glass was fresh-smoked right before she poured my drink into it. Overall, I loved the experience and can't wait to come back to try the rest of their menu and more of their unique cocktails. read more

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I'm really hoping the owners see this review and make slight adjustments to help the quality of their food match their passion to bring it to Hawaii. I first went to a Yelp event in Chinatown and they ran out of food so I didn't get to try all of the dishes. But that happens, so I get it. Their passion for their fusion of Jamaican, Puerto Rican and Peruvian food was so refreshing since moving home from Florida that I wanted to see them succeed! Fast forward to a drag brunch I attended and ordered 3 entrees to help support a local business as well as try more dishes that sounded very good. I ordered the biscuit with chorizo gravy (very salty but flavorful), shrimp and grits (pretty good), and oxtail mac and cheese. First of all, when I ordered the oxtail I was not told that a) they had run out of oxtail and b) they would be substituting with fried chicken. For the price, that is definitely not an equal trade off and I am not a fan of meat on the bone so would have elected for just mac with no meat. That was not the worst part, though. I overheard some other customers report that their chicken was raw while I was waiting for my food so I was cautious as I cut into mine (they got chicken and waffles so I didn't know if mine was the same). Turns out mine was so bloody that the blood was all over the mac and cheese. I asked for a refund and the owner complied, but I tipped on the original total so that didn't get changed obvi...the portions were very small for the price and were very underwhelming. Fast forward to today. I found them on the what a deal wednesdays coupon site and wanted to support them (this was before the raw chicken) so I bought some coupons. I really really want them to do well so I tried other things that I hadn't yet like the jerk chicken, picadillo bowl, and empanadas (chicken, beef, and guava). I am sad to report that nothing I tried makes me want to return. The jerk chicken was spicy yet all I tasted was char, not the usual "jerk" marinade that I am used to from Florida with all spice and scotch bonnets. The coconut rice might have just been regular rice since there was no coconut flavor, and then there was some raw kale and cabbage in the box. The beef and chicken empanadas were decent, but small. I was really looking forward to the guava empanada since I miss all of the guava pastries from the Caribbean, but this just had a chunk of guava paste in the middle of some dough with a bit of cream spread. It was literally a rectangle. Very disappointing...but that was not the worst one! While the picadillo bowl was good once I tasted it, the sheer look of it was entirely unappetizing. Minus the fact that there were whole cloves, some leaves (maybe a kind of bay), and an entire cinnamon stick in my box (just picking them out before serving would help the presentation), the entire box was saturated with oil by the time I got it. It had soaked through the bottom of the box and through the paper bag. When I took it out of the bag to take my picture, my hand was immediately covered in grease and it left a big patch on the table that I had to clean up. Not to mention that I didn't want it to mess up my car so I had to find a plastic bag (thank you Panda) and place it in there for the drive. By the time I arrived, the Panda bag had a pool of grease on the bottom (thankfully not my passenger seat!) While I value the environment too, there are many disposable paper to go bowl options that have some sort of coating to hold soups and things like that to avoid this happening and ruining a customer's car. And since it is a picadillo BOWL, that would work better anyway. Increasing the coconut flavor in the rice, making the guava paste look like more than just a rectangle from the package, and changing the vessel for the picadillo bowl would assist this food truck in retaining the customer base it wants. I really want them to stick around so I hope they take this critique seriously as I really only want to make them better! But warning if they don't change the container...do not put it on your seat!! The paper bag does nothing!! read more

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We were craving good Peruvian food and was so excited to try Dash of Sazon. We came around lunch time and there was no wait. I ordered the curry chicken and my husband got the lomo saltado plate. The curry was good but I wish it was a little more flavorful, the raw kale with oil had no flavor and I was not a big fan. My husband's lomo saltado had a total of 5 pieces of beef. The flavors were really good. Overall we had a good lunch experience. The food was a little pricey for the portion size and we left a little hungry. The most interesting thing was when we paid in cash we got a fake $20 bill as change. My husband spotted it right away and had to ask the server to give him another $20. Being so obviously fake we were surprised nobody noticed. read more

Dash of Sazon - Curry Chicken Plate - Caribbean Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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Great spot that just opened up next to anytime diner. At first I thought since I only go to anytime diner intoxicated that I was blind and never noticed dash of sazon, but it's actually pretty new. The fried chicken was the one!!! The chicken was so jerk spiced and moist within the fried coating. I love how flavorful it was and the empanadas too! They were thin and just the right amount of literal heat that I didn't burn my tongue. The only thing is the lack of AC or well strong ac gets to you pretty quick if it's busy. At least you have the drinks to cook you off. I am a mezcal and tequila girl so this definitely made me happy with a pisco sour and mezcal paloma. read more

HOOOOMAIGAWD!!!!!!!! Y'all don't understand. This was SO DAMN GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!! Just get here and try anything on the menu. Thank me later Puerto Rican Pernil - delish af Empanadas - flavorful af Tres Leches Cake - made me wanna punch someone in the face it was so good Parcha Lilikoi Spritzer - ONOLICIOUS read more

Dash of Sazon - Puerto Rican Pernil Plate - Caribbean Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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The owners of this new spot in Chinatown bring the flavors of the Latin America to life with an eclectic menu offering everything from jerk to Peruvian chicken and yucca fries. The owners of the restaurant are warm and friendly - offering cooking lessons in addition to great food. The cooking lessons should resume soon. The space has two sides and offer seating in both with a full bar and Latin inspired cocktail specials. The jerk is unique with a heavy hand of cloves, adding to the more forward garlic, thyme, and onion. The yucca was crisp and the Peruvian chicken had a crispier exterior to what I am used to, but it was delicious with the crisp, quick pickled onion. I was here for an event, but would definitely return in the future. The daal below may be on the menu, but I am not sure. If it is, and you prefer vegetarian, I highly recommend. read more

Dash of Sazon - Daal spiced with rice - Caribbean Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

This is my second time ordering from this place and it won't be my last. I'm so glad I found this place on Uber eats. My fav is the jerk chicken. I usually order the chicken and beef empanadas and the jerk chicken. When they ran out of the chicken for my empanadas, they wrote me a letter apologizing and gifted me an empanada dessert. Very kind of them. I wish they were open every day, but I guess it's for the best because it leaves me craving for every weekend. Thank you! read more

Dash of Sazon - Jerk Chicken - Caribbean Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

My husband and I went to the pearl ridge location and were so happy to see a mix of Puerto Rican, Peruvian and Cuban plates. Very nostalgic for us. We're gonna have to go down the whole menu in the next couple of months! And now I know where to get my plantains fix! With Latin food, it's very easy to just add all of the typical Hispanics seasonings, however at this business I was extremely surprised to find that the flavor combination in the Lomo Saltado took us straight back to Peru! No idea how they got that so right. It makes me trust that the rest of the menu is authentic to its country. Most importantly, we feel so healthy afterwards and not like we consumed an insane amount of oil. Like a true home cooked meal. Thank you! read more

Dash of Sazon - Lomo Saltado - Caribbean Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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I'll quote my friend after we both stuffed our faces. "I've tried empanadas before but not like that!" The best of the best! We started off with their Parcha LIlikoi Spritzer and it was a mix of 1)It gave me life/refreshing/delicious! I'd drink it all day! Moving on to sides of Sweet plantains& tostones and both my friend and I are shaking our heads at each other. Hands down the best latin/caribbean food I've had ever since I moved to Hawai'i! We loved it! read more

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New place in Chinatown that serves peurto rican / Jamaican food for decent prices. In the islands , this type of good hard to come by and haven't had this since Limon closed down. Definitely will be back to try the chicken and oxtails ! There's tons of cheap municipal parking nearby ! Funny because most say parking is junk in ctown and it's a dangerous area . Tbh , Waikiki parking is super expensive and even more dangerous ! Support these small businesses read more

Dash of Sazon - Filet skewers - Caribbean Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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Whoa! I am absolutely blown away by the flavors provided. We had the Jerk Fried Chicken & Waffles as well as the delicious Oxtail Mac & Cheese! The owners' passion really shows, offering tastes from their cultural roots -- plus they're friendly, personable, and welcoming. Do not sleep on the Jerk Fried Chicken & Waffles. I said some very non-family friendly things when I first took a bite. read more

I finally had a chance to eat at Dash of Sazon yesterday, after ordering delivery a few times. The food has been consistently amazing, here are the items I've tried and loved: -Lomo Saltado -Miami Picadillo Bowl -Boricua Pollo Guisado Bowl -Puerto Rican Pernil -Empanadas (Beef, Chicken and the dessert Guava) The empanadas are some of the best I've had but everything has been very tasty. If I still worked downtown, I'd be here a few times a week. The staff is very friendly as well, they were sure to check that we were happy with everything. Would love to see mofongo on the menu! read more

Saw this place on Yelp and got super excited. I haven't had good Caribbean food since I left the Philly area 8 years ago. The place looks great and the waitress/bar tender was super nice. I ordered the Jerk chicken, Anticucho Steak Skewer and a side order of plantains. Before I give my thoughts on each dish I want to say I think every restaurant has an off day and everyone likes different flavors and spice levels. I say all that to say I was fairly disappointed today. Starting with the jerk chicken which was bland. It looked great but literally I got no jerk flavor, no heat, no salt or pepper for that matter. The coconut rice was good and I'd eat that instead of plain rice any day. The veggies were ok but nothing to write home about. The steak skewer had great flavor but the steak was super tough. The giant corn that comes with this plate looks interesting but was also bland and a bit dry and starchy (I've never had this type of corn before so it may be exactly the way it's supposed to be) which was a bit of a turn off. The fries were tasty and probably my favorite part of this dish. The plantains were ok. I've had better and I've had worse. I really want to try this place again as I really hope this was a one off experience. I will do an updated review after I try them one more time. read more

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shout out to the chef - Señora Asia! I couldn't wait to patronize her establishment, I love the fact that the owners personally bring out the dishes and ensure the food is to our liking. Loved the feel of the restaurant open but intimate and of course the music - I'll definitely be back! read more

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I was so excited to try this place because we are Puerto Rican and don't have a ton of restaurant options for our food. I have to say the minute we walked in, I knew we were in for a treat. The music, ambiance, and welcoming staff were the start of an amazing meal. Everything we tried was full of flavor and sealed the deal for us to come back with more friends. read more

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What a wonderful new business with a variety of awesome eclectic food. It was my first time here and will definitely be back. I had the Anticucho Steak Skewer, which was out of the world. read more

Dash of Sazon - Awesome place - Caribbean Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

I got the oxtail and beef empanadas, both were over salted. The rice that came with the oxtail was salty as well. I think the food would've been okay if it didn't taste like salt was dumped on everything. Portions are on the smaller side for the price especially the empanadas which were 1/4 beef, 1/4 cheese and 1/2 air. Oxtail had one regular size and one tiny one that was mainly all bone. I don't think I'd try this place again between all the salt and small portions. read more

Dash of Sazon - Jamaican Oxtail Plate - Caribbean Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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If I could give this half a star I would. All I needed to try was the PISCO SOUR & LOMO SALTADO. Fries were those that come out of a frozen bag that you pick up at any super market. The meat was outrageously big for Lomo. A bit bitter and you'd have seen it at a Black Angus Menu. Moreover, most of the meat was nothing but straight up GREASE. You bite into it and the blubber is the first thing you taste. There's no way in hell any Peruvian would eat this abomination or recommend this dish. This plate NEEDS MORE than a Dash of Sazón!!! It needs a miracle. read more

Dash of Sazon - WORST LOMO SALTADO EVER!! - Caribbean Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

The best Peruvian restaurant on Oahu, open only for lunch, I wish they were open for dinner. I love their steak skewer with fries, so tender and delicious. The Tres Leche is like an angel cake soaked in milk topped with delicious homemade Carmel sauce. read more

Dash of Sazon - Tres Leches - Caribbean Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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I wanted to support a local business so I tried Dash of Sazon. Their hours are Thursdays and Fridays from 12 - 4 pm only. I got the chicken and beef empanadas (one of each for $10) and the guava cheese empanadas (2 for $10). The taste was ok. I was expecting a flaky crust but these ones were hard to bite into. Maybe I will try something else next time. It took 25 minutes from the time I ordered it until it was handed to me. For four empanadas, I thought this was a long time especially since I was the only customer at that time. I'm willing to try this again but will probably order something else. read more

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We went to the food truck by pearl ridge mall today and decided to randomly try this place and thoroughly enjoyed it. After living in Orlando for a few years it's been hard finding Caribbean food here in Hawaii. We don't like driving more than 10 min to anywhere but found this spot in aiea. The Jamaican oxtail and Lomo soltado with the Jamaican kola (I can't find anywhere) was so good ! And the Inca kola too. We ate there at the table and the couple were so kind to us. Definitely recommend this truck ! We had the area to ourselves today which was nice. read more

Great new place for lunch downtown. Service was friendly, owners were nice and checked in after our meal. Food was delicious! Only suggestion would be to bring meals out at the same time, mine took considerably longer to arrive which was a bit awkward for a business lunch. But will definitely be back! read more

Dash of Sazon - Lomo Saltado Plate - Caribbean Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

We wanted oxtails and the place we were supposed to go was closed for the week. So we landed here. I got oxtails, my husband got jerk chicken. We also got the beef empanadas. The empanadas were everything yelp said they were. Crisp and delicious. The oxtails were pretty good, a little heavy on the salt, but well seasoned. There was a hint of something burnt, so it probably stuck to the bottom of the pot while cooking, but it wasn't overwhelming the flavor of the dish itself. My husband LOVED his jerk chicken, no complaints of any sort. He said the people were nice and friendly. The food is a little salt heavy but I would visit again. read more

Amazing food and service! I went with a small group for a business lunch. We had the beef empanadas for the table and they were extremely tasty. I continue to crave them! The menu is unique and creative so it was hard to make a selection. Everyone was getting the Puerto Rican fried chicken plate so I went with the Chancho Fries. I was not disappointed- the meat with their 'secret' sauce was delicious! Can't wait to go back and try something else. read more

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Burnt chicken and rude service . Burnt chicken. Rude service. Burnt chicken and rude service .

I know that there is a lot of mixed reviews on this place, but here is mine: The food had a lot of flavor, however, it was uncomfortably salty (and I love my food on the more saltier side which is saying a lot) I was also a little disappointed in the guava and cream cheese empanadas. Also they were salty as well which was so weird. Tasted like they were fried in old oil. I would give this place of 4 1/2 star rating if they fix the saltiness. read more

Overall a 10/10, cannot wait to go back! Customer service was excellent and efficient. The Chicha Morada was a 10/10 and the Parcha Lilikoi Spritzer was a 7.4/10. My oxtail plate was absolutely delicious and fell off the bone, 9.7/10. The Curry Chicken had the perfect kick to it and the chicken was juicy and seasoned to perfection, 9.5/10. The beef and chicken empanadas are the definition of handcrafted perfection 9.8/10. For the desserts, the Tres Leches was hands down a 10/10, Jamaican Rum Cake 8.7/10, and the Guava and Cheese Empanadas 200/10 that flavor combination is unmatched. Parking is available about a block away at a lot, or you can park at the bigger parking garage a block and a half up the street near J Dolans. If your reading this, stop what your doing and get here, i promise you will thank me!!!! read more

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For reference: we ordered through a food delivery app. pro tip: maybe go in person cuz the quality might fluctuate. at least that way u can maybe get refund for food u won't finish or the workers can see for themselves if get problem The rice was overly soft and mushy to the point that it felt like eating a thick congee.... is that how Peruvian people do it lol? Hopefully was just a bad day and they have someone who cares in the kitchen now... The food. My family and I really wanted to like it but the oxtail was unbelievably salty. Not like eating adobo and gotta have the rice. Wayyy past that. Thank god the rice was overly wet so was almost like drinking water to cleanse da mouth. but fr. You know when something is so salty it hurts your tongue small kine? we had to throw it away couldn't even rinse em and give to the dogs. We had some kind of chicken dish that by comparison to everything else was definitely the most edible by far. Not that I would crave it or think about it or recommend it. We had a dessert too... we talking times/safeway level amounts of sugar... if ur Asian, u probably gonna say "aisus how come so sweet" after 1 bite, close the container and offer it to someone else. I would love if this place does a quality check/adjustment. I love when businesses are able to grow and do better and I'm always open to supporting smaller local businesses. Give me something to support! read more

This family owed business is amazing. The lomo saltado along with the beef empanadas are just what you need in your life!

I can't say enough about this restaurant. I could really taste the love in each dish I ordered. The owners were passionate about their work and it shows. I can't wait to bring my family and friends here. Muchas gracias! read more

first time ordering from here and I was not disappointed! I got the chickpeas on rice and it was full of flavor. I did order the tostones also but it was not in my order not sure what happened with that. However I will be ordering again to try something different next time. read more

Literally the best puerto rican food on the island. One hundred percent worth the drive. the owners are so friendly and always go out of their way to make sure i'm taken care of. read more

Dash of Sazon - literally the BEST puerto rican food on the island. customer service is amazing. - Caribbean Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

I had a great experience. I enjoyed the oxtails good potion, very flavorful, juicy, and tender. I'll definitely be going back to try out some of the other dishes that my friends had read more

Finally got to try out Dash of Sazon last week. I must say, I am not impressed. Let me explain, but before doing so, here are some of the basics: Located on Hotel street, across from Bar 35 and next to The Other Side (formerly The Downbeat), Dash of Sazon is a small spot that is seeking to bring the taste of the Caribbean to Hawaii. According to them directly (I called), their hours of operation are: M-F : 1030 - 1430 I am unsure of weekend hours, though, here is their instagram link incase you're curious : https://www.instagram.com/dashofsazon/ It should be noted that much of their IG 'story' is unrelated -- as they post a lot of other content that isnt related to food. So be sure to check their actual posts too. Parking is very limited. Living and working in the area, I can tell you that finding parking in the Chinatown/Downtown area is difficult and always comes at a price. Closest parking structure is Mark's Garage. There is street parking, though, probably difficult to get since they are open at peak lunch hours. You may get lucky at another Chinatown parking lot as well. Safety -- well, its the business district. It is also a higher than normal crime area, so make sure that you lock your car doors and dont leave anything visible. Chinatown is loaded with vendors, elderly shopping for their veggies, tourists, houseless and yes, people who are under the influence of 'something'. Onto Dash of Sazon -- my secretary and I were super excited to try this place. I have taken many trips to the gulf and have experienced some very authentic Puerto Rican, Jamaican, and Caribbean food. Dash of Sazon just didnt make the cut for me. I really wanted to like the food, but I was very unsatisfied. I ordered the Oxtail. "Fall off the bone" was an understatement. There was mainly JUST bone -- and all of the meat was shredded off and mixed into the rice. I thought that the entire plate in itself was extremely salty. There is alot of flavor -- just not what I was expecting. The empanadas are small but tasty. We got the chicken (only Chicken and Vegan were available at time of ordering, 11ish). My secretary got the Jerk Chicken. She also agreed that it did not taste as she knows Jerk Chicken to taste. I tried it and there was very little "jerk" to it. It looked great, but in terms of flavor, it was definitely lacking the spice and the heat. It was also very salty. As with all of my reviews, I never give specific pricing, as those are always subject to change, but I will say that for the portion sizes (or what you actually get), I do believe that the food is overpriced. When I ordered, I was told the wait would be 15 minutes. 52 minutes later and I was finally receiving my 2 entrees and side of two empanadas. Yes, 52 minutes. I waited inside (and outside for a small portion of it). I was never offered water or anything. I was told about 40 minutes into the wait that my food was "almost done" and "would be ready in 2 minutes" -- then 12 minutes later I received it. The bartender/hostess/waitress was friendly. She is the reason for adding a star to my original grading of this review. The people at the bar also did make comments that their drinks were good. Will I try Dash of Sazon again -- maybe. But I wont be ordering the same items. Also, I strongly recommend that you call your order in well ahead of time. If you have high blood pressure or are watching your sodium, I would also ask for the cook/chef to make an adjustment to the amount of salt added. read more

The service was really fast, the flavor of their food was so delicious and I would highly recommend this Peruvian, Jamaican and Puerto Rican style restaurant to anyone looking for authentic flavors. read more

Dash of Sazon - Tostones - Caribbean Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

Right now it is a pop up only open on Wed. The Garbanzo Guisados was yummy. Owner said they are just testing the market but i highly recommend it for something different. read more

So happy these guys are in the pearlridge food truck area now! Some of the best Latin food I have had on island. Great service and a lot of food! Definitely check em out! read more

Coming from New York, I'm craving for authentic Spanish foods. I was satisfied. Looking forward to try different items in the menu, once they open up with the new location. read more

Dash of Sazon is a culinary treasure trove where the vibrant flavors of Latino and Caribbean cuisine come to life. With a menu that spans the rich and diverse culinary traditions of these regions, every bite is a journey through taste and culture. The authenticity and attention to detail in both food and ambiance create an immersive dining experience that feels like a warm embrace. The chef even came out to visit us and make sure we were enjoying our meal. It really was a wonderful experience. read more

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