I was casually walking down Alberta enjoying the beautiful day with my dining companion, not even thinking about lunch when the window/storefront/something or other made me skid to a halt saying to my subconscious, "this is Hawaii food." Laulau, chicken long rice...CHICKEN LONG RICE! I haven't had that in years and suddenly my mouth was watering. None of the other plate lunch/Hawaiian food places in PDX have had that to my knowledge, and I needed to have it now. My dining companion was taking in the meat jun on the menu, as well as the fried rice omelette. We went in and ordered the chicken adobo fried rice omelette and chicken long rice on the side. Double starch, double chicken, check. Loved that the menu pointed out they serve koshihikari rice. I knew I was in good hands. No medium grain rice for this gal. The service was friendly, the food came out in a reasonable amount of time. There was a nice note on the wall saying the table would be bussed by staff, so we didn't have to play the guessing game of "search for the bus bins." Clean tables, bright light from the windows, good food. The adobo gravy on the omelette was winnahs. The omelette itself was not holding a candle to Elena's Food Truck, but tasty and filling. The chicken long rice was perfect. The only improvement would have been a nice hit of white pepper, maybe. The only thing not quite to my liking was the mac salad, but that didn't stop us from mopping our plates clean. We will be back for everything else on the menu. read more

Kau Kau is a cool and authentic Hawaiian eatery located on Alberta St. There is street parking all around the area. Inside, they have a modern and cozy setup with about 4-5 tables for seating. For their menu, they have a nice selection of dishes and combos to choose from. Wifey and I ended up grabbing a Hawaiian Combo with a Lilikoi Limeade. We enjoyed the food and the authentic flavors. All of the staff here are very friendly and welcoming. Definitely stop by to support them if you are ever in the area! read more

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This place is freaking awesome!!!! From the vegetarian menu to the fish!!!! Their soup was delicious Their pork was so delicious and tender We all had different tastes and we all loved them Atmosphere is cute and simple light sounding music!!! All in all we will be returning Peace be with you all Sherri read more

So yummy! I ordered the spicy poke and it came out super quick. Really good ratio of rice to fish. I also ordered the guava lemonade which was perfect and not too sweet. Even though I ordered food to go, it's a super cute spot to sit and eat at. read more

Kau Kau - Hawaiian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Food is on par with many island options around town, Chochu Local is my favorite. The Chicken Katsu was excellent, the Japanese Curry kinda meh. The Kalua Pig was a far cry from that at Ate-oh-Ate, but worthy nevertheless. Lumpia, Mac and Lomi all decent, but not high praise worthy. I appreciate the pepper water that's at every table. And the mochi was moist and chewy. Portions for most dishes were small, but ample for a few. Service was friendly and relatively fast. If you're looking for above average fare, fair prices, in a pleasant quaint atmosphere, then KK fits the bill. I'd return if there was an awesome parking spot right out front, but probably wouldn't go out of my way. read more

Kau Kau - Excellent Katsu - Hawaiian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This restaurant is consistently winning when it comes to food, service, and feeling like you're at a local place in Hawaii. The restaurant is cozy, and clean. Seating is limited so arrive early. I've tried almost everything on the menu at this point and I'd recommend it all! The garlic shrimp might be my favorite, but you really can't go wrong. Pro tip: Use the InKind app here for extra discounts! read more

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Went here for a friend's birthday that she wanted to try out. I'm a vegetarian and I wasn't expecting much honestly. But they were able to substitute fried tofu for a couple of meat dishes. It was the best tofu I've ever had. The sauces & rice were also delicious. Everyone in party (except for one, who didn't think his beef dish was very flavorful) thoroughly enjoyed their hearty meals. Friendly service & cute small spot. Parking can be a pain though. Thanks! read more

Tasty Poke (spicy salmon poke) and the pork was tender and juicy. The lumpia are big & tasty. Curious that they don't have teriyaki sauce. Also the servings are not big compared to other PDX Hawaiian restaurants. Mac salad has potatoes in it. Interpret how you will. (Heavy mustard) Clean counter service restaurant. read more

Kau Kau - Menu - Hawaiian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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On the way to Willamette Valley for wine tasting my friend and I stopped by Kau Kau for lunch on a recommendation of her friend in Hawaii that used to lived in Portland. the friend I was with went to college in Hawaii. We initially went in thinking we would share the combo plate but we saw Lau Lau on the specials list as well and Lomi Salmon and my friend's mind was made up! We shared those along with the Meat Jun. The Lau Lau is made in house my friend loved it!!! Was so tender and flavorful. We also had the Mango Limeade and Calamansi Snack - Li hing muy (dried plum), mango, ginger simple, calamansi juice, lime beverages. The calamansi snack was our favorite of the drinks we tried. Definitely will be back when in the area!! Cause I'm sure the rest of the menu is just as good. Cute space with touches of Hawaii! Casual but welcoming and house made chili water on each table. Wonderful service friendly, checked in to make sure we enjoyed our meal. read more

Kau Kau - Lau Lau, Lomi Salmon and Meat Jun - Hawaiian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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My best friend and I first time here and we really loved it! I had the mom's garlic chicken and it was delicious! I also had the lilikoi limeade and it was pretty good! My bestie had the lau lau plate for her first time and she really loved it! We shared the matcha butter mochi to end our dinner and it was delicious! Definitely our new favorite Hawaiian restaurant in town! read more

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Lunch- Ono! Very authentic. Service was great. It's a small shop on alberta. Small but big flavor. The food is crafted perfectly. The butter mochi was a seasonal flavor which was a little weird but everything else was spot on! Prices are right for what you're getting, pretty big portions and again, great flavor. We got the: - Laulau plate - Curry Katsu - Garlic Shrimp x2 - Butter mochi read more

Kau Kau - Hawaiian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Recommended to try this place if in Oregon. Always supporting local businesses when we get a chance. A small family owned business, a few tables to dine in and outside as well. I ordered the chicken, my husband ordered the loco moco, we also got squid luau I believe it's called luau tako on the menu and we got egg rolls. It was a full restaurant and staff were nice. The chicken is a must try if coming here. The loco moco was a bit mushy and red and the egg rolls is good. I can't forget the best part, the chili pepper water is my fave and wish if I was checking a luggage in I would buy a bottle. read more

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I love the trader Joe styled chalkboard art menu. Very fun names and colors. The cashier was patient, answering all our questions and offering suggestions. She gave us a sample of the chili water from our curiosity. I was sad the ox tail dish was sold out. We got mom's garlic chicken and garlic poke instead. The chicken was super moist and sweet almost like honey garlic flavor. There was Hawaiian mac on the side and rice. I would come here again! read more

Kau Kau - Garlic chicken Poké - Hawaiian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I'm usually ambivalent about Hawaiian food, but I really like Kau Kau--enough to come multiple times and bring out of town guests! Their flavors are more vibrant than other places I've been to. The Mac salad is a prime example, it's not just macaroni and mayo, there's a little bit of tang and spice to it, as well as potatoes. It's delicious. I always get the lau lau, as it is hard to find, and theirs is so nice and tender with good umami flavor. I've tried Mom's Garlic Chicken--also perfectly seasoned, sweet and a little spicy, and I love that it is dark meat! Service iszsiasys friendly, it's a cozy place. read more

Kau Kau - Mom's Garlic Chicken plate - Hawaiian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Born and raised in Hawaii, this local girl can honestly give four solid stars to Kau Kau. The Chicken Long Rice, Kalua Pork, Garlic Chicken, Lomi Salmon, and chili pepper water were on target! The rice was good too. But the taco squid tasted like it was made from powder and the Mac salad had relish in it. Those two didn't cut the fifth star for us. The shop itself is really cute and the staff are really sweet. Parking, like anything in that area, is a challenge but with patience you will find a spot within a short walk. We'll still be back. It's definitely the best Hawaiian food we've had since moving here and there are a lot of similar places to find out there. One last thing- buy the chili pepper water! It's delicious! $9 a bottle. read more

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Kahlua pig was really dry. Mac salad had onions in it and tastes nothing like any Hawaiian Mac salad I've ever had. Rice was good and laulau was good. For the price, portions were small. I can't imagine a plate here would fill up any of my islander friends read more

I'm such a picky person when it comes to Hawaiian food because the stuff on the Island is where it's at. However this place was fantastic. PARKING: You guessed it: on the streets. It wasn't super busy but there is plenty of parking in the neighborhood areas as well. Was not a huge problem when I came here in the late evening. AMBIANCE: The restaurant is small. There are some window seats as well as a few tables inside. Sparsely decorated but overall clean, has some Hawaiian vibes going but nothing overly flashy or gawdy. SERVICE: Counter service. The person at the register was nice and patient. She was kind enough to bring my to go order to the table as well once it was ready and even waited for preparation on it until close to our departure. FOOD: Hawaiian Combo: This is probably my favourite kalua pork in the area. It's not dry, has a ton of smokey flavour AND they put the cabbage in it which not all places do. The plate comes with chicken long rice which is a must eat whenever I visit Hawaii and it tastes just as good. Lomi salmon is also a nice surprise to find out here in Portland. It was fresh and had all that tomato and onion goodness. Macaroni salad was pretty good too. It wasn't too full of mayonnaise like some other places. OVERALL: This is now one of my go-to places to get more authentically made Hawaiian dishes. Loved it and can't recommend them enough. They even have saimin here which I will have to eventually try. read more

Food is incredible! Service is welcoming. The mural on the wall is beautiful! Tracee and Brandon are pros and are killing it! I live on the westside, so when we come in I order enough food to go for lunch/dinner for a few days. Wish we lived closer!! read more

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Always like supporting local food so stopped in on a Friday at lunch time. Great time to check it out as there was no line and no wait. Laulau wasn't quite ready and could have used more steam time but the flavor was on point. Went so well with the side long rice and Kalua pig. Chicken was crisp on the outside and juicy inside. Mac salad has onions (fyi). Chili pepa wata was the star of the meal - went well with everything!! read more

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Food was fine. Service is friendly. I would give this a 3.7 Only reason is due to the sauce for meat jun was too acidic--like Kikkoman was used and not Aloha? Maybe I'm wrong. Just didn't taste balanced to me. But it was my second time and I will return again one day. Place was clean so that's another star. I'll need to try something else perhaps. Mahalo! read more

Kau Kau - Hawaiian Combo - Hawaiian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Grand Opening! So excited to see these guys finally open! Welcome to the neighborhood. The food is bomb, whether you're looking for a hearty fried plate of magic, soul fulfilling loco moco or some spicy salmon poke. read more

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Been several times now and have enjoyed everything I've tried. - Moms Garlic chicken: juicy chicken thighs, great breading tossed in a tangy Mae ploy style sweet chili sauce and served w/ some Mac salad & rice. - Katsu Curry: nice crunchy crisp panko breading and juicy chicken inside, the curry was pretty good too just wish it came w/ rice instead of the Mac salad. - Meat Jun: classic Korean-reminiscent dish of pan fried pork inside egg batter served w/ a soy dipping sauce & rice. Simple but tasty. - Oxtail Saimin: only available Mondays, this is a hearty oxtail bone broth w/ noodles, similar to Korean galbitang if you've tried that. Very filling & comforting. It's a casual cafe vibe, w/ a few smaller tables inside not good for large groups. Order at the counter & they bring your food and bus your table. Great spot w/ very fair (if not monstrous) portions at a fair price, & they always has some new rotating specials, I will probly be back to try the Hoisin ribs. read more

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After leaving Kau Kau, I mentally gave them a 3 star rating. Then I asked the other 4 people I was with how they would rate their food and experience. Two gave it 3 and the other 2 gave it 4. Kau Kau and was new for all of us. The lack of customers on a Saturday night (about 7ish) was telling. We and one other table were the only diners. While the space is inviting and the person at the walk up to order counter was friendly, the food just wasn't 5 star worthy, unfortunately. I and one other in our group chose the Chili Oil Poached Halibut from the specials board. While the fish was cooked nicely and was moist, the seasoning relied too heavily on cilantro and sesame oil. It sat in a broth that needed salt or soy sauce (we had to ask for some to add) and more flavor. The chili oil was quite mild. The baby bok choy was adorable (so tiny) and cooked well. It came with 2 scoops of the obligatory white rice and macaroni salad. The Mac salad was pretty good. It had potato in it too--so much starch! My husband tried the Chicken Katsu Curry. It was probably the best dish at our table. He said it was a 4/5. The Garlic Shrimp was fine, according to my daughter-in-law. She wouldn't order it again. My son rated his Meat Jun a 3. Just OK. The prices were reasonable, and the portions were good sized. Will I go back though? Meh. read more

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Fun experience! So laid back, we just enjoyed the food and took no pictures. Leisurely noshed on the perfect two dishes for us: a Lau Lau side, delicious pork shoulder & spicy salmon poke. We don't really enjoy rice or Mac salad so these lower carb options were fresh, healthy and delicious! Excellent service, they cleared our table and we just enjoyed the casual vibe. They were recently recognized in the Oregonian. Highly recommend! read more

i really wanted to like this place but i was disappointed the space is very cute. it's bright and open. you seat yourself and order at the front. i shared the combo plate but was expecting a lot more quality wise and portion wise. the poke was cut so small and did not taste super fresh. it was hard to grab with chopsticks and they didn't give us a spoon or check in with us during our meal. the octopus was fine but again, the octopus was chopped so small and such a tiny ratio. it must've been only one spoonful worth of octopus. the pork was not outstanding, and there was not a lot of chicken with the noodles. i did not think this was worth the price quality, taste, or portion-wise. save your money and go elsewhere. read more

Kau Kau - combo plate - Hawaiian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Tbh I was skeptical because everywhere I've been so far has been NOT SO HAWAII tasting. Buuuuuut.... While I nearly got chicken katsu I wanted to really get meat jun especially since everywhere I've ordered it was a miss... so I asked the haole cashier and she smiled cuz I asked her "wait you're from Hawaii?" lol and she laughed. Safe to say... it's not home. But the meat jun was great! And seeing the cooks in the back you can tell they're from Hawaii. It really felt nice. I will be back for sure ! Little expensive but that's why we work right? I guess it'll be my payday treat lol. The location is adorable also. They play local music. read more

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This is a cute spot to try when in the Alberta Arts District. It's small but feels warm and welcoming and I especially liked the beautiful mural they're creating. The service was fast and our server was very knowledgeable. The kalua pork was flavorful and moist. The chili water was unique and packed a nice burst of spice. read more

Kau Kau - Hawaiian Combo - Hawaiian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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It's super cool to see that they found a permanent home out in the Alberta area. They have some of the best Hawaiian food in town! During this trip, we ordered the Loco moco, Mom's garlic chicken, and the omelet wrapped chicken adobo fried rice. The mushroom gravy for the Loco moco is one of the best I've ever had. The garlic chicken had a great crispy exterior texture and was full of flavor on the inside. The omelet was both creative and in execution and full of great flavors. I haven't had anything bad from these guys. It's definitely a place to check out. read more

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Super authentic. Felt like I was in Hawaii!! Plus they have Lau lau ! Highly recommend this if you're looking for freshly made authentic food! read more

I always avoided Hawaiian food because I thought it was too heavy. One meal at Kau Kau today didn't just change my mind--it completely blew away my old perception. I am officially changing my tune, and you need to hear about this place. I ordered the Plate Lunch Special, and it was a culinary revelation. The lau lau was the star of the show. It delivered a magical, mouthwatering combination of tender pork shoulder and flaky butterfish. The chef perfectly steamed all of this inside a glorious, edible green leaf. I enjoyed every bite. The sides were equally spectacular: a tangy dipping sauce created a flavor zing, a mac salad with potato chunks tasted utterly decadent, and the kitchen cooked the rice to absolute perfection. The plate lunch delivered a symphony of textures and tastes. Beyond the incredible food, the atmosphere felt infectious. The friendly service made me feel right at home, the cool island sounds transported me straight to the beach, and the comfortable seating made it the perfect lunchtime escape. For just $20, I found this entire experience an unbeatable steal. Do yourself a massive favor and visit Kau Kau. You must try this Hawaiian food. read more

Mom's garlic chicken is amazing!!!! I ordered take out and must say that this chicken made me very happy. The chicken was nice and crispy and you can tell it was quality meat. The sauce is delicious. I was a little surprised that the Mac salad was almost more like potato salad, but it was still good. This is now one of my favorite dishes and will be in my regular rotation. Try it!!! read more

We were excited to try another restaurant with Hawaiian food. Unfortunately, we were disappointed overall. The Kahlúa pork was excellent, the macaroni salad did not taste like Hawaiian made, the mom's chicken was dry and tough. The menu is quite limited. We recommend, and we will go back, to other Hawaiian restaurants in the Portland/Milwaukie area. read more

Another local boy adding to the praise for this Hawaiian spot in Portland. While I'm not going to say the flavors are super authentic to what I had growing up, I would say a lot of what they offer come pretty close. And having tried a few other places trying to serve up Hawaiian food in the Pacific Northwest, this is my favorite so far for the quality. The high point for me is anything they make using the taro leaves from Hawaii, such as the tako luau that's part of their Hawaiian plate, and whenever they make lau lau as a special. The tako luau, which is cooked down leaves with coconut milk, is so creamy because of the coconut milk, served with bits of cooked octopus. The lau lua, which is a favorite of mine from Hawaii, has that nice herbal flavor of the meat cooking in the leaves. It's like comfort food to me. Their kalua pig is nice and tender, although it could use a bit more salt. And I wished they had haupia with their Hawaiian plate. Everything is served with their signature chili water, which is a nice way to cut into the richness of all the starch you're eating. I like how the menu keeps coming up with additional dishes, stretching the imagination a bit about Hawaiian food. People might not think it feels authentic because maybe they don't pile on the food like how they do in Hawaii, but it brings back a lot of good memories for me. read more

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Best butter mochi in town! Great flavor and density. I regret only getting 1 order! Mom's chicken was bomb! The mac was tasty, I've never had it with potatoes & eggs before. Not opposed! Would eat again and would bring my friends with me read more

Kau Kau - Mom's garlic chicken, mac, green salad w/ yummy dressing - Hawaiian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Start with the food. Made to order so it is hot and fresh. everything we ordered was so ono (tasty). Best Hawaiian/japanese style plate lunch in Portland, hands down. Service was awesome. Ambiance- the setting is simple yet comfy. The artwork was impressive. The artist hand drew the menu signage? The mural was awesome too. All in all! The best Hawaiian food restaurant in Pdx. read more

Varied menu. Some Japanese influence and Philipino lumpia. !!! Everything looks amazing. So good. Fast. read more

Kau Kau - Hawaiian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Dirty spoons! Chipped old plastic cup that looks gross. Inattentive cashier. But the food is great! Whomever is in the back cooking wearing a hat is amazing. The food tastes delicious. The garlic chicken was bomb. Just the utensils need to be replaced. The woman cashier at night needs to be more attentive than talking stories with the coworker. read more

Kau Kau is the real deal, great food, special and cocktail! They are a must try you will not be disappointe!

Take my money! Definitely worth the drive from Vancouver!! We're guilty of coming here at least once a week everything from the Loco Moco, garlic shrimp, MEAT JUN, AND THE GARLIC FRIED CHICKEN (must have!) insanely delicious read more

Kau Kau - Hawaiian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Their Lau Lau is perfect!!! It's what dreams are made of:) My life is busy...But one day I'll have the chance to make it there!