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    Kalei's Kitchenette

    4.3 (273 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Kalei's Kitchenette Photos

    Business Info

    KALEI'S KITCHENETTE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating

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    Menu as of June 2026
    Maria H.

    Hidden and very tasty Hawaiian food restaurant in PQ. I never knew this place existed even though I live around the corner, but so glad I discovered it. The cashier was very nice and offered their weekly special. Service was great and my order came out promptly. They are closed on Mondays and Sundays and open till 7pm. Parking can be a bit hectic since the sports bar is right in front of it and plaza is very busy. I ordered the garlic chicken combo plate and that did not disappoint. Perfectly crispy and moist chicken in a sweet and tangy garlic sauce that is not overpowered by the garlic. The combo plate comes with 2 sides, I chose the furikaki rice and macaroni salad, the macaroni salad needed a bit more flavor, but it complemented well with the garlic sauce. Will be back to other dishes and the cucumber salad. They also have some desserts with appeared to be homemade.

    Kalei's plate with garlic and huli huli chicken
    Maynard O.

    My wife and I came here on a Friday morning right when they opened at 11. There was plenty of parking outside on this holiday weekend and we were the first ones in so there wasn't much of an ambience, but it was very nice and organized inside. The girl who greeted us was nice and customer service was about standard. We ordered the Kalei's 2-item plate with garlic and huli huli chicken, Mac salad and rice. The garlic chicken was the star of the show. Crunchy, juicy, and the flavor was there. Huli huli was okay, but was a bit dry for being a chicken thigh and drenched with barbecue sauce so we couldn't taste the char/marinade/dry rub. Overall, I got my plate lunch fix, but I wouldn't drive all the way up here. I'd probably come back just for the garlic chicken, but only if I had business in the area.

    Alan S.

    Solid four stars at a five and I give this rating because the flavors were on point and the Cooley chicken and pork. We're all cooked very well. Spam musubi was just OK and felt like you could definitely make it at home versus the 4.50 you'd spend. Service OK nothing outstanding because it felt more like a café than a restaurant and it makes sense because there was no inside seating. They have outdoor seating which was nice. Love the decor and the story behind this place. I decided to come here for my birthday and it was a nice treat because I was looking for more Hawaiian spots in San Diego. The mac & cheese was great I wish as a side they added more furike seasoning on the rice. Again, these are just small changes but overall the food is great solid and everything tasted delicious.

    Poke plate (half shoyu/half spicy ahi) only available on Saturdays
    Pauline T.

    I'm gonna be honest, I'm not usually a big ahi fan and so I tend to avoid going to poke places that don't have salmon as an option but this place has definitely changed my mindset. I came in on a Saturday afternoon and ordered the poke plate with half spicy ahi and shoyu ahi. The price was a bit steep at around $25 but when I tell you, I completely demolished it within 10 mins... I got it to go but it smelled so good that I had to eat it in my car still parked right in front LOL. The ahi doesn't have an irony taste like other ahi I've tried from some other places. I think I definitely prefer the shoyu flavor though! I'm definitely coming back and bringing my boyfriend to try the other plates they offer!

    Hulihuli chicken mini plate - yummy
    Vivian H.

    Met a colleague friend here for lunch and enjoyed my lunch here. I wasnt sure what to order here as poke is only available on Saturday so I tried the hulihuli chicken mini meal. I knew I wouldn't be able to eat a plate in one sitting so I am glad I got a mini meal. I also couldnt resist the butter mochi with coconut and got an oder of that. Also, there is a lower price for cash vs card, so you can save some money by having cash ready. Limited seating here so not the best place to dine in but we got lucky and gor a table inside. Overall, food was good and loved the butter mochi. I'd definitely come back!

    Kalei's plate: Garlic chicken, kalua pork, 2 Mac salad
    Catherine G.

    My friend recommended this place to me and it is so good! For my Kalei's plate, my two proteins were garlic chicken and Kalua pork and I got two sides of Mac salad. There is very limited indoor seating so I ended up taking it to go. Service was pretty fast and friendly. Overall: 5/5 flavors were very good together, garlic chicken was nice and crunchy, and I love their mac salad

    Hurricane chicken plate, poke, side of Mac salad
    Jetrina M.

    We went here for a late lunch and it was not busy at all. We ordered the hurricane chicken plate, side of Mac salad and poke to share. We loved the flavor of the fried chicken, though I think next time I would just get the fried chicken as I felt like the sauce was a little too much. The cucumber salad was ver refreshing and would definitely get again as well. We enjoyed the poke and it was a pretty large portion. Minimal searing inside and out, probably about 4-6 seats total. Free parking in the shared lot.

    Kalua pork with rice and Mac salad

    First time checking this place out and it did not disappoint. Husband had the Poke Plate and I had the Kalua pork with Mac salad and rice. Service was friendly and the food came out quick. We sat inside and another couple occupied the other table. 4 seats inside. While we were there, lots of people were picking up online orders. The poke was fresh and the Kalua pork was delicious. Both are winners in our book. We each also had the Hawaiian sun soda. They have Merch available inside too. We will definitely come back. They also do catering.

    Dana R.

    The last two years we have ordered take out for our day after Christmas lunch with family. We love this place. We usually order the tofu katsu, spam mysabi, teriyaki beef, garlic chicken, and crab salmon dynamite. The best thing by far is the crab salmon dynamite. I'm not a fan of the macaroni salad. They don't take orders over the phone so we went in and ordered then went back and picked it up. Less than ideal. There is no where to eat inside. Everyone working was super friendly. My design daughter really likes their graphics. Parking is in front.

    Loco Moco
    Josh M.

    Food was decent. Thought I'd try my luck with a new spot for loco moco. The food/gravy could have used some salt. Also for $22 I should get more than a tiny scoop of rice. $22 is really high for a Loco Moco. I had high hopes but left disappointed. Seating is also very limited inside. The staff was super nice also.

    Crispy chicken combo plate ($15): comes with your choice of two sides (rice, mac salad, or pickled cucumber salad).
    Grace L.

    Right when I entered, I was warmly greeted by the workers. I decided to pick a combo plate, which comes with a protein, and your choice of two sides (rice, mac salad, or pickled cucumber salad). For my protein, I decided on garlic chicken ($15) because it's deep fried and comes with mirin sauce. This was my favorite protein out of all the ones that I tried. I also got the Kalei's Plate which allows you to pick two proteins (excluding loco loco and tofu katsu) so I went with teriyaki beef and kalua pork. In order of my personal favorites for the proteins: 1. Garlic chicken 2. Kalua pork 3. Teriyaki beef For the sides: 1. Mac salad 2. Rice 3. Cucumber salad One of the times that I ordered at Kalei's, I got to meet the owner. She was so warm and welcoming, and really left such a great lasting impression on me. I highly recommend Kalei's the next time that you're craving Hawaiian food! They really embody the aloha spirit in addition to their delicious Hawaiian food.

    Outside
    Rachel G.

    Definitely a favorite for Hawaiian food for me! It's a cute and intimate little place to enjoy some delicious food. The service is usually cheerful & friendly! Never a complaint and I've always been served with a smile. As far as the food goes, I've eaten here a few times, trying the loco moco and kalua pork. The rice is always cooked just right - not too dry but not too wet to the point of being mushy. The egg still has runny yolk and the patty has good flavor for the loco moco. The kalua pork was most & had a smoky flavor! Mac salad is great, but still contending to be my favorite. My parents really enjoyed their garlic chicken as well! Can't wait to visit again

    Combo plate: Teriyaki beef and Kalua pork
    Justin C.

    I was craving Hawaiin food and in the North County area, so I swung by this wonderful Hawaiin establishment. This is a newer eatery and the ownership really strives to bring the Hawaiin hospitality and culture to San Diego. I would say they succeeded! I got a combo "Kalei's Plate" $17 which meant I got to pick my two proteins and a garlic chicken plate: - Garlic chicken + cucumber salad + mac salad - Kalua Pork and Teriyaki beef + mac salad + rice - Two spam Masubis ($4 each) The kalua pork was my favorite, moist and bursting with flavor. The garlic chicken was deliciously crispy on the outside and juicy and on the inside. They do a fantastic job with the Mac salad. The food was very filling and was good for a filling dinner for my wife and I and an extra midnight snack. Service is very friendly and there are some limited seating options. I really enjoyed reading the history of Chef Andy and his team. I really appreciated the owner's wife who came to greet my wife and I warmly and explain the history of some of the dishes. This is a regular rotation in our dinners whenever we are craving Hawaiin!

    Garlic chicken plate with white rice and mac salad

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    Page 1 of 7

    Kalei's Kitchenette Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kalei's Kitchenette

    Hi! Do you offer military discount?

    Aloha Jillian, Thank you for your question! At this time, we do not offer a military discount. We… 

    Hi Andy, on your website. I'm looking using my phone for itemized or combo dishes, not the party trays. You show a crab Friday combo special. I looked for more info on that plate. Where can I view the info on the plate?

    Aloha Tyler! The best way is to go to our online portal: https://order.spoton.com/so-kaleis-kitchenette-12848/san-diego-ca/63f6a311d8bba0b9b2ee71a2 and change the date to Friday -- pretend that you are about to put an online order.… 

    Another vote for malasadas, please?

    Is the Huli Huli chicken sauce made with Sweet baby rays?

    Aloha Albert! we make our own marinade and sauce for all our dishes.

    Will you ever serve lau lau's?

    Do you have malasadas?

    No we don’t. Sorry. Maybe in the future.

    View All 7 Questions

    Tong Sake House

    Tong Sake House

    4.4
    (671 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs on this visit... but honestly, no regrets…read more We hadn't eaten all day, so we may have gone a little overboard. We ordered the Kimchi & Bacon Fried Rice, a Poke Salmon Bento Box, a Philadelphia Roll, and a Dragon Roll. The fried rice was fantastic, but the kimchi was easily my favorite part. It brought just the right amount of tang and spice that made every bite better. Now for my personal breakthrough... Growing up, I was never much of a seafood person. My partner has been slowly introducing me to sushi, and this dinner felt like another milestone. The Philadelphia Roll confirmed that I'm definitely a salmon fan, and the Dragon Roll introduced me to eel... which turns out I also really like. It's always fun when a meal changes your mind about something you've avoided for years. The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming, and another huge bonus was simply finding a great restaurant in Poway that stays open later than most places. Sometimes that's exactly what you need after a long day. We definitely ordered more food than we could finish, but that's just another excuse to come back. Looking forward to trying even more of the menu next time.

    We were excited to try this place since it's so close to where we live but a little disappointed…read more Not the most authentic of flavors and the would prefer not to have a mayo sauce on the agedashi. The chicken katsu was the best thing we had there. The fries were disappointing with the bulgogi tough and chewy. Would also recommend the chicken bowl as the flavor was a little bland.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Dragon roll
    Dragon roll
    Beef japchae

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    Beef japchae
    The Original Sab-E-Lee

    The Original Sab-E-Lee

    3.9
    (1.4k reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    I had takeout from here and the food was amazing. We got pineapple fried rice (spice level 3) and…read morered curry (spice level 1) with tofu and both were very flavorful. Pineapple fried rice had lots of pineapple, cashews, raisins and the curry flavor came through. Red Curry was loaded with veggies and eggplant as well. Some of the best curry I have had in San Diego. This spot lives up to the praise it has gathered over the years! Can't wait to be back to try other dishes.

    I was craving Thai food in the area & the bf and I decided to try this spot. My bf stated that this…read moreplace was bomb back in the day, but now, the quality has definitely gone down. We ordered Chicken Red Curry spice level 4. This was more like an 8!!! This was super spicy that it was a little difficult to eat. The fact that they charge for white rice, is insane. You can't eat curry by itself so I was surprised that we were charged for it. We also ordered Chicken Larb, which was good, veggies were fresh. The third dish was the Drunken Noodles with tofu. The noodles weren't as fresh as I would've liked. It didn't have that bouncy texture. Instead it was soggy and sad. This was also a level 4 spice and this was also super spicy. I tried the Lemon Thai tea, which is basically like a Thai iced tea without the milk and more tart. Instead of lemon, they had lime. I guess they ran out of lemons. We also had the mango sticky rice, which was pretty good. Rice was the right amount of sweetness and mangos were soft and ripe. Food came out super fast and service was friendly. Kinda pricey for the food we got at 91 dollars. Didn't know about the already included tip, which is not advertised like some other Yelpers pointed out. There's so many other great Thai restaurants in SD. This was just okay for me.

    Photos
    The Original Sab-E-Lee
    Pork Jerky ()
    Pork Jerky ()
    Crab Fried Rice (), Curry Puff (), Pa-Nang (), Drunken Noodles (), Papaya Salad

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    Crab Fried Rice (), Curry Puff (), Pa-Nang (), Drunken Noodles (), Papaya Salad
    Sushi Kami

    Sushi Kami

    4.5
    (578 reviews)
    4.7 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Free WiFi

    I was visiting a friend in Escondido today and he recommended that we go to Sushi Kami and it was…read moredelicious! I had the lunch special spicy tuna, salad, rice, and miso soup and it was really good. Great sushi restaurant.

    Cute sushi spot near Phil's bbq…read more Very warm and inviting inside and I like all the booths and how spaced out they are even in the center of the restaurant. There's a lot of businesses around this area so I can see Sushi Kami being a popular spot for a go-to lunch outside of work. We came for dinner and got seated right away and it wasn't too busy at all. It was nice but still casual at the same time if that makes sense. I will say the parking was a little tight and we had to make a bit of an awkward U-turn to get to the restaurant but the lot wasn't that full so it wasn't too bad but I could see this being trickier in the daytime. I really enjoyed both the spicy tuna and salmon. I've had a lot of weird spicy tuna but this one hit just right. It's always hard to find that perfect balance between fish and spice but I really enjoyed this one. The salmon was good too. The standout was definitely the tempura we got as well. It was large and came out hot and crispy and perfect. This is the type of sushi restaurant I could take people to who don't necessarily like sushi all that much. There's lots of options on the menu including bulgogi (next time I shall try!) and really good combos for people to enjoy. Ambiance is chill but still has that fun sushi vibe with the displays of fish (and I even saw some creative fish decorating on the walls which I thought was a nice touch) Service was nice and they always refilled our waters without us having to ask. I enjoyed the food and the vibe! Would definitely come back to try more ...and brings others along too!

    Photos
    Sushi Kami
    Mmmmmm mmmmm uni!
    Mmmmmm mmmmm uni!
    Medium sashimi

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    Medium sashimi
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

    3.8
    (1.5k reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$$

    I've driven past Gyu-Kaku so many times, and I'm kicking myself for not stopping in sooner…read more It was my first visit, and by pure luck we showed up during happy hour. I was honestly shocked by how many menu items were included. Needless to say... we ordered way more than we probably should have. We started with the appetizers, and every single one was a hit. The Spicy Tuna Volcano had an awesome contrast between the crispy rice and the spicy tuna. The Spicy Addicting Cucumber lived up to its name and definitely didn't hold back on the spice. The Cheese Corn Butter is a classic comfort dish that never disappoints. But the real MVP of the appetizer round? The Yuzu Shishito Peppers. That bright citrusy yuzu sauce was incredible. It was so good that I started dipping everything else into it. If that's wrong, I don't want to be right. Then came the grill. The Toro Beef was a great way to start, with just the right amount of marbling. The Umakara Ribeye completely stole the show. Perfect cut, perfectly marinated, and easily my favorite bite of the night. We finished with the Filet Mignon, which was thick, tender, and a great way to wrap up the meat selections. The Sanchu lettuce wraps added a fresh crunch that balanced all the rich flavors, and I have to give a special shout-out to the Spicy Umami Mushroom Medley. I don't even know how to describe it... just order it. Trust me. Then dessert somehow managed to top an already amazing meal. The Boba Mochi absolutely blew my mind. I'd never had it before, and biting into mochi to discover ice cream filled with little boba pearls was one of the coolest dessert surprises I've had in a while. The Matcha Mochi was another winner and a perfect classic finish. This place instantly earned a spot on my list of favorites. Between the happy hour deals, interactive grilling, and fantastic food, I already can't wait to come back.

    I was a huge fan of Gyu-Kaku when I was a student in LA 16 years ago and used to frequent the Pico…read moreBlvd location all the time. So when I moved back to the West Coast after a decade away, I was pleasantly surprised to find a location just a couple of miles from our new home in Scripps Ranch. This place brings back so many great memories. Sometimes nostalgia can make you romanticize a place, only to be disappointed when you return--but that was absolutely not the case here. The quality and service were excellent, and the food was every bit as delicious as I remembered. I also think the pricing is absolutely on the money for the quality you're getting. It's definitely more of a hole-in-the-wall type of place - the experience is really about the food, and I think the whole cook-it-yourself BBQ concept makes for great conversation with friends. I think the location works out perfectly. That said, the last time I came, I was actually dining alone before doing some shopping at the nearby Trader Joe's, and I absolutely enjoyed the experience by myself. I generally love to cook, though, so perhaps that's the key! I had the beef tongue, garlic shrimp, beef sukiyaki, and kalbi steak. Everything was fantastic. Highly recommend!

    Photos
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

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    Kalei's Kitchenette - hawaiian - Updated August 2026

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