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Stopped in on a Sunday morning craving a good loco moco. I was immediately greeted at the door. Since I was dining solo, I sat at the bar/service counter to browse the menu. I asked if they served Kona coffee. Unfortunately they stopped due to the high cost. I settled for passion fruit juice and place my order for the loco moco. Oh my...the plate was beautifully presented w an orchid flower. Everything was cooked to perfection....over easy egg, sushi rice w furikake, smooth homemade brown gravy (takes 3 days to make) My preference was to add shiracha for some heat Thanks for a wonderful breakfast!!!
2 stars for the food and 1 extra star for the service and the industrial looking decor. I believe most of the good reviews are from before the new management took over because the food was definitely not Hawaiian or very good overall. When the best part of your meal is juice from a can, it says a lot about the quality of the food. We ordered the musubi, the macadamia nut waffle with chicken katsu, and the Portuguese sausage with eggs. The musubi was disappointing because it was just rice with some house made spam (sham) rolled up in seaweed that refused to break apart when we took a bite. This meant that the whole thing separated out after a bite. The piece I had was doused in soy sauce. My husband's was not. The inconsistency of the whole dish was disappointing. We still held our hope for the entrees which did not live up to it. The macadamia nut waffle was dry and did not break easy. The nutty element was a good touch but it was super sweet. One would think that the chicken katsu would add a nice savory element, but chicken breast was probably not the best choice for a katsu. The breading was very thick and neither the chicken, not the breading had any of its own flavor. The flavor was all supposed to come from the mango siracha sauce, which was more sweet than spicy. All in all, this dish was basically a chicken and waffle dish but did not live up to the twist that it was supposed to be. The only saving grace was the portion size. But, since we didn't enjoy it as much, I don't know that we wanted that big a portion. The Portuguese sausage with eggs was 2 eggs done your way (scrambled in my case, which became an omelet) with a spicy Portuguese sausage on a bed of rice. I ordered sushi rice but you get an option of sushi vs brown. The sausage itself was good - spicy and flavorful. The rest of the dish was bland. The omelet had no salt and the rice was dry. There was also far too much rice on the plate than the protein. I ended up pouring soy sauce on the rice to give it some body and more flavor. For $19, this was a disappointing portion. I would have preferred just the sausage for half the price. This restaurant is marketed as making Hawaiian food. We didn't think the food was authentic Hawaiian and flavor wise, it did not hit the mark. There is a lot of parking and the servers are really nice. They have some unique interior design elements (look at their fans), so kudos to that, but your food has to be better than what we had.
A super cute hidden gem! The sister and I had lunch here. The service was amazing. Chris was super helpful, super funny, and just a generally good dude. The food! The food was sooo good. I love Hawaii and I love a good garlic shrimp plate. This was the spot! Everything here made me miss Hawaii. The sister had a tonkatsu plate. It was plentiful that she had to take the rest of what she could not finish home. I would looove to try their brunch spot when I get the chance.
4-ish stars rounded up. First step into this resto and I already clicked with the vibe. Cozy & boho. Houseplant-y (and not cloyingly floral). --------------- - Mac nut waffle with chicken katsu: to me the katsu was like a "clean" version of L&L katsu lol; not greasy at all and actually a bit under-seasoned (but that's not something the accompanying sriracha mango syrup can't fix). I might be in the minority here, but I didn't really like the large macadamia nut pieces embedded in the waffle. Too distracting texture-wise from the fantastic-fluffiness of the waffle batter. - Loco moco: flavorful gravy but a bit salty. Slightly overcooked hamburger patties but not a dealbreaker. - Butter mochi: scrumptiously tender and chewy!! Very uniform in texture; zero lumpiness. It comes with guava ice cream, which was alright; I'm guessing it was gritty due to real guava fruit being pulverized into the cream, but I was hoping for more of a guava taste punch. - POG mimosa: standard-tasting but it's there if you want some tropical-esque booze in your system. I noticed that most of the groups dining at the time ordered it as well. --------------- Friendly server but could've been more attentive. I visited on a Saturday at around 11 am; no wait for a table and there was ample lot parking. Overall I'd say this spot is worth trying if you have even the slightest curiosity about the menu.
Not your typical American brunch. This spot specializes in a fusion of Hawaiian tastes. You want chicken & waffles??? No problem. They'll give you chicken katsu and waffles! Same go to everything on their breakfast menu. I would love to be back to eat their dinner. The owner... you'd just have to go & meet him. He's hilarious, sarcastic, and friendly. He engages with his customers on a personal level that makes your overall experience amazing. He definitely makes a mark for his customers to return. My fave item on the menu has got to be the taro benedict. Instead of English muffins, you get a nice piece of mashed taro fried in panko crust. Spam is also the protein, topped with an egg. The sweet items on the menu are awfully sweet for me but they are all also so yummy!!! The macadamia nut waffle is the best. The mango syrup makes it bomb asf. We also love mimosas with the POG juice. Interior is such a vibe. Come after 11am/12pm to avoid the rush & long wait time. They get quite busy.
Kicking off the year with a goal to try new restos, I'm glad I stumbled upon this spot. Funny enough, I had actually been to this spot way back when it was Evan's Kitchen. I came on a Sunday during prime brunch hours. A guy in an apron greeted us with good energy--could've been the owner? Either way, his presence was know which added to the positive experience. I grabbed a seat at the bar right away--quick and easy. The restaurant was packed, except for this big round table meant for larger groups. Honestly, they might want to consider splitting it up for smaller parties to keep the flow moving--think Asia where they seat you with strangers haha Between two people, we ordered the sliders, loco moco, and chicken katsu with waffles. The sliders? Eh, not quite there. They were tiny but buttery. Unfortunately, we couldn't really taste the spam, and the cheese was a bit overwhelming. The loco moco? star of the meal. No complaints. Now, the chicken katsu and waffle... it wasn't their best. The katsu was super thin, overcooked, and tough to cut. The saving grace was the sauce--it was really unique and different I actually liked. The waffle, though? Room temp and not crispy. I don't think I'd order it again. I'd definitely give them another shot--especially to try more dishes and have a mimosa or five.
I've been to Kau Kau a few times now and I recommend dining in because it really gives you the full experience. They have a good sized parking lot and every time I've walked into the business I've been greeted and welcomed in. On my latest visit, I was dining with a friend and they sat us right away and brought waters before taking our food and drink orders. They have a good selection of wine, beer, cider and sake. I opted for a Nitty's cider ($8) during this dinner. We each ordered the Huli-Huli chicken with Mac salad and white rice ($18). They brought our drinks quickly and continued to make sure our waters were filled while we chatted. The food came out and was fresh, hot and so flavorful. The portion sizes are also pretty generous, we probably could have shared but were happy to take leftovers home. The owner came by to check on us as well which was really nice. The restaurant itself is super cute and really is a fun spot to catch up with friends or plan a date night. They also do brunch, which I need to try sometime.
Came here on a weekend morning for brunch and they were so busy. Our wait was estimated to be an hour long so we quickly stopped by the farmers market to kill some time. All of us ordered their kau kau benedict. I got their vegan omnipork version and it was delicious. Using taro cake as the base of the benedict was pretty unique as I'm so used to having an English muffin. Love that they have vegetarian options for many of their dishes! Recommend to try their brunch entrees but plan according as wait can be long!
Had an excellent brunch here last weekend - the menu was packed with interesting looking dishes so it was really hard to choose, but I ended up going with their version of a "eggs benedict" which was one of the more original versions of the dish I've ever had. It replaced the muffin with a small, deep fried taro croquette, with a tasty block of their version of "spam" replacing the ham and a poached egg, then topped with hollandaise. The flavors were honestly much better than a traditional eggs benedict for my money and I love a benedict. Their hollandaise was pretty perfectly executed. My dining companions got the long rice soup, the butter mochi with guava ice cream and the taro French toast - they all enjoyed their meals as well. The place looks great on the interior and has a nice counter / bar. They appear to only have a beer/wine license but otherwise they would be an ideal spot for an upscale version of tiki drinks. Our waiter was really smart and friendly and brought many, many cups of coffee. Overall a high recommendation.
I finally came back for lunch & I will be excited to say yum!!!! It gets pretty busy with our reservations so you should try to get here a bit early to wait for sitting. As always the owner is always as friendly as ever. The food was all delicious & hit the spot for my cravings perfectly. Service there is always the best and the environment is busy with the brunch crowd. The resturant is still beautifully decorated. Best place to experience if you have not tried it yet.
Loved mochi!! So simple and delicious and not overly sweet. Plates don't have veggies so I got a salad separately which was great but I would've loved it if instead of putting so much rice they included salad in plates as well. The service was fast and friendly. Not a lot of space but enough to eat quickly and leave.
This is definitely a nice restaurant to come by. We were greeted by a very nice and friendly staff member, who told us not to worry about our one-year-old baby getting messy in their place. We're so grateful. We had loco moco and the chicken long rice brunch. They're flavorful and not overly salty or sweet, which really caters to our preferences. Our boy also quite enjoyed his meal. We also had their dessert, which was pretty good. The restaurant has very nice retro decor. The plaza has its own parking lot, so there is no need to worry about parking here.
Amazing brunch place with a Hawaiian flare! The food was delicious and beautifully plated (the pics don't do the food justice). The service was great and every person who helped our table was incredibly friendly. Inside the restaurant is beautiful and makes you feel relaxed. Great place for a Sunday brunch! HIGHLY recommend.
1 year ago
I always love to eat at a good Hawaiian spot and saw some videos raving about Kau Kau. We decided to give it a visit for some brunch this past weekend and hate to say that I was honestly disappointed. We walked in to a fairly small but busy restaurant thinking it would take a while for a table but to our surprise we were seated quickly. The server was quick to help us and bring us water which is always great but there is one thing that could've been done better. We were just seeing other tables that came after us , getting their food and we had nothing. We didn't really get an update as to what was taking long or where our food was which was the bummer part. They did make up and give us a 10% discount and a free orange juice which was greatly appreciated. So props for that The food wasn't the worst but also it wasn't something that made me think WOW this is good. I usually don't get gravy with my loco mocos and mostly judge off the meat flavor and this one was lacking seasoning. My wife's waffle was just good nothing crazy and the chicken did taste fresh which we most definitely enjoyed. The mango syrup that came with it though wasn't too much of our liking. It tasted mostly like a mango candy syrup mixed with hot sauce. Overall our experience was alright but not the best..... I don't know if I'll make the drive out here to get some "Hawaiian" bites as I do feel there's better spots in Sacramento. Everything is all subjective to experience and ours was just alright. read more
1 year ago
We visited Kau Kau on a Saturday morning for brunch. We walked in a were seated right away. Our server, Chris, was friendly and attentive. We ordered a half carafe of POG mimosa and the sliders with avocado to start. They are delicious. The spam they make is soft and tasty. I ordered the Kau Kau benedict and my friend ordered the Mac Nut waffle with Chicken Katsu (it comes with a sriracha mango syrup that is amazing). The benedict was good, but that waffle with katsu chicken was awesome. We want to come back for more brunch and for dinner. The restaurant is small, but has a great laid back atmosphere. I love the decor! I definitely recommend Kau Kau. read more
Stopped in on a Sunday morning craving a good loco moco. I was immediately greeted at the door. Since I was dining solo, I sat at the bar/service counter to browse the menu. I asked if they served Kona coffee. Unfortunately they stopped due to the high cost. I settled for passion fruit juice and place my order for the loco moco. Oh my...the plate was beautifully presented w an orchid flower. Everything was cooked to perfection....over easy egg, sushi rice w furikake, smooth homemade brown gravy (takes 3 days to make) My preference was to add shiracha for some heat Thanks for a wonderful breakfast!!! read more
1 year ago
2 stars for the food and 1 extra star for the service and the industrial looking decor. I believe most of the good reviews are from before the new management took over because the food was definitely not Hawaiian or very good overall. When the best part of your meal is juice from a can, it says a lot about the quality of the food. We ordered the musubi, the macadamia nut waffle with chicken katsu, and the Portuguese sausage with eggs. The musubi was disappointing because it was just rice with some house made spam (sham) rolled up in seaweed that refused to break apart when we took a bite. This meant that the whole thing separated out after a bite. The piece I had was doused in soy sauce. My husband's was not. The inconsistency of the whole dish was disappointing. We still held our hope for the entrees which did not live up to it. The macadamia nut waffle was dry and did not break easy. The nutty element was a good touch but it was super sweet. One would think that the chicken katsu would add a nice savory element, but chicken breast was probably not the best choice for a katsu. The breading was very thick and neither the chicken, not the breading had any of its own flavor. The flavor was all supposed to come from the mango siracha sauce, which was more sweet than spicy. All in all, this dish was basically a chicken and waffle dish but did not live up to the twist that it was supposed to be. The only saving grace was the portion size. But, since we didn't enjoy it as much, I don't know that we wanted that big a portion. The Portuguese sausage with eggs was 2 eggs done your way (scrambled in my case, which became an omelet) with a spicy Portuguese sausage on a bed of rice. I ordered sushi rice but you get an option of sushi vs brown. The sausage itself was good - spicy and flavorful. The rest of the dish was bland. The omelet had no salt and the rice was dry. There was also far too much rice on the plate than the protein. I ended up pouring soy sauce on the rice to give it some body and more flavor. For $19, this was a disappointing portion. I would have preferred just the sausage for half the price. This restaurant is marketed as making Hawaiian food. We didn't think the food was authentic Hawaiian and flavor wise, it did not hit the mark. There is a lot of parking and the servers are really nice. They have some unique interior design elements (look at their fans), so kudos to that, but your food has to be better than what we had. read more
A super cute hidden gem! The sister and I had lunch here. The service was amazing. Chris was super helpful, super funny, and just a generally good dude. The food! The food was sooo good. I love Hawaii and I love a good garlic shrimp plate. This was the spot! Everything here made me miss Hawaii. The sister had a tonkatsu plate. It was plentiful that she had to take the rest of what she could not finish home. I would looove to try their brunch spot when I get the chance. read more
2 years ago
4-ish stars rounded up. First step into this resto and I already clicked with the vibe. Cozy & boho. Houseplant-y (and not cloyingly floral). --------------- - Mac nut waffle with chicken katsu: to me the katsu was like a "clean" version of L&L katsu lol; not greasy at all and actually a bit under-seasoned (but that's not something the accompanying sriracha mango syrup can't fix). I might be in the minority here, but I didn't really like the large macadamia nut pieces embedded in the waffle. Too distracting texture-wise from the fantastic-fluffiness of the waffle batter. - Loco moco: flavorful gravy but a bit salty. Slightly overcooked hamburger patties but not a dealbreaker. - Butter mochi: scrumptiously tender and chewy!! Very uniform in texture; zero lumpiness. It comes with guava ice cream, which was alright; I'm guessing it was gritty due to real guava fruit being pulverized into the cream, but I was hoping for more of a guava taste punch. - POG mimosa: standard-tasting but it's there if you want some tropical-esque booze in your system. I noticed that most of the groups dining at the time ordered it as well. --------------- Friendly server but could've been more attentive. I visited on a Saturday at around 11 am; no wait for a table and there was ample lot parking. Overall I'd say this spot is worth trying if you have even the slightest curiosity about the menu. read more
Not your typical American brunch. This spot specializes in a fusion of Hawaiian tastes. You want chicken & waffles??? No problem. They'll give you chicken katsu and waffles! Same go to everything on their breakfast menu. I would love to be back to eat their dinner. The owner... you'd just have to go & meet him. He's hilarious, sarcastic, and friendly. He engages with his customers on a personal level that makes your overall experience amazing. He definitely makes a mark for his customers to return. My fave item on the menu has got to be the taro benedict. Instead of English muffins, you get a nice piece of mashed taro fried in panko crust. Spam is also the protein, topped with an egg. The sweet items on the menu are awfully sweet for me but they are all also so yummy!!! The macadamia nut waffle is the best. The mango syrup makes it bomb asf. We also love mimosas with the POG juice. Interior is such a vibe. Come after 11am/12pm to avoid the rush & long wait time. They get quite busy. read more
Kicking off the year with a goal to try new restos, I'm glad I stumbled upon this spot. Funny enough, I had actually been to this spot way back when it was Evan's Kitchen. I came on a Sunday during prime brunch hours. A guy in an apron greeted us with good energy--could've been the owner? Either way, his presence was know which added to the positive experience. I grabbed a seat at the bar right away--quick and easy. The restaurant was packed, except for this big round table meant for larger groups. Honestly, they might want to consider splitting it up for smaller parties to keep the flow moving--think Asia where they seat you with strangers haha Between two people, we ordered the sliders, loco moco, and chicken katsu with waffles. The sliders? Eh, not quite there. They were tiny but buttery. Unfortunately, we couldn't really taste the spam, and the cheese was a bit overwhelming. The loco moco? star of the meal. No complaints. Now, the chicken katsu and waffle... it wasn't their best. The katsu was super thin, overcooked, and tough to cut. The saving grace was the sauce--it was really unique and different I actually liked. The waffle, though? Room temp and not crispy. I don't think I'd order it again. I'd definitely give them another shot--especially to try more dishes and have a mimosa or five. read more
I've been to Kau Kau a few times now and I recommend dining in because it really gives you the full experience. They have a good sized parking lot and every time I've walked into the business I've been greeted and welcomed in. On my latest visit, I was dining with a friend and they sat us right away and brought waters before taking our food and drink orders. They have a good selection of wine, beer, cider and sake. I opted for a Nitty's cider ($8) during this dinner. We each ordered the Huli-Huli chicken with Mac salad and white rice ($18). They brought our drinks quickly and continued to make sure our waters were filled while we chatted. The food came out and was fresh, hot and so flavorful. The portion sizes are also pretty generous, we probably could have shared but were happy to take leftovers home. The owner came by to check on us as well which was really nice. The restaurant itself is super cute and really is a fun spot to catch up with friends or plan a date night. They also do brunch, which I need to try sometime. read more
Came here on a weekend morning for brunch and they were so busy. Our wait was estimated to be an hour long so we quickly stopped by the farmers market to kill some time. All of us ordered their kau kau benedict. I got their vegan omnipork version and it was delicious. Using taro cake as the base of the benedict was pretty unique as I'm so used to having an English muffin. Love that they have vegetarian options for many of their dishes! Recommend to try their brunch entrees but plan according as wait can be long! read more
Had an excellent brunch here last weekend - the menu was packed with interesting looking dishes so it was really hard to choose, but I ended up going with their version of a "eggs benedict" which was one of the more original versions of the dish I've ever had. It replaced the muffin with a small, deep fried taro croquette, with a tasty block of their version of "spam" replacing the ham and a poached egg, then topped with hollandaise. The flavors were honestly much better than a traditional eggs benedict for my money and I love a benedict. Their hollandaise was pretty perfectly executed. My dining companions got the long rice soup, the butter mochi with guava ice cream and the taro French toast - they all enjoyed their meals as well. The place looks great on the interior and has a nice counter / bar. They appear to only have a beer/wine license but otherwise they would be an ideal spot for an upscale version of tiki drinks. Our waiter was really smart and friendly and brought many, many cups of coffee. Overall a high recommendation. read more
I finally came back for lunch & I will be excited to say yum!!!! It gets pretty busy with our reservations so you should try to get here a bit early to wait for sitting. As always the owner is always as friendly as ever. The food was all delicious & hit the spot for my cravings perfectly. Service there is always the best and the environment is busy with the brunch crowd. The resturant is still beautifully decorated. Best place to experience if you have not tried it yet. read more
1 year ago
Loved mochi!! So simple and delicious and not overly sweet. Plates don't have veggies so I got a salad separately which was great but I would've loved it if instead of putting so much rice they included salad in plates as well. The service was fast and friendly. Not a lot of space but enough to eat quickly and leave. read more
This is definitely a nice restaurant to come by. We were greeted by a very nice and friendly staff member, who told us not to worry about our one-year-old baby getting messy in their place. We're so grateful. We had loco moco and the chicken long rice brunch. They're flavorful and not overly salty or sweet, which really caters to our preferences. Our boy also quite enjoyed his meal. We also had their dessert, which was pretty good. The restaurant has very nice retro decor. The plaza has its own parking lot, so there is no need to worry about parking here. read more
Amazing brunch place with a Hawaiian flare! The food was delicious and beautifully plated (the pics don't do the food justice). The service was great and every person who helped our table was incredibly friendly. Inside the restaurant is beautiful and makes you feel relaxed. Great place for a Sunday brunch! HIGHLY recommend. read more
My friends and I came here for brunch. We decided to share everything. I liked their Hawaiian spin of chicken and waffles- mac nut waffle with chicken katsu. The waffle could be crispier though. The hamburger patties for the loco moco were dry. The chicken long rice is a comforting dish, but bland. The Kau Kau benedict with crispy taro cakes was unique. I didn't care for the homemade spam though. I like spam just the way it is. We also shared two desserts: lilikoi chiffon tartlet and mini hula pie. I was especially looking forward to try the lilikoi dessert, but both desserts were ruined by the rum whipped cream. Everything was well presented, but overall the food was just ok. read more
A hidden gem! Came here for Saturday brunch around 11:45. Walked in and were greeted by the owner Chris. Most tables were taken. My friend and I were seated at the counter since couple of the tables available were reserved for bigger parties. Simple menu but decent selections. Everything on the menu sounds good. It was really hard to choose. We ordered Island French Toast and Kau Kau Benedict. French toast was made with taro. It was super big and fluffy! Pineapples were tangy and a bit spicy from the ginger. Whipped cream was interesting since there was rum. Syrup was interesting as well. Not your typical syrup with French toast :). The benedict was so good. I've actually never had benedict before lol. Loved the taro cakes and their house made spam! Definitely tasted better than those canned spam! The eggs were cooked to perfection. Everything on that dish was superb. Services were awesome. Chris was really nice, friendly and funny. While we were there, it wasn't too packed because of the State Fair that was going on. He made the time to conversate with us. We had good conversations. We talked a lot about different things and topics. We also met the lady boss, Amanda. Our server was really nice and attentive as well. My friend and I really enjoyed our experiences here. Great food and excellent services. Will definitely be back to try other dishes! read more
Enjoyed visiting this spot on a day trip to Sac! The decor inside was beautiful and tropical and elegantly done. The service was prompt, friendly, and relaxed; we never felt rushed or unattended. Food wise, it was good and a few minor tweaks could make it great. We ordered the Loco Moco and the burger patty was tasty and cooked a perfect medium. Very juicy! The rice, however, was hard and dry. Not sure what happened there, but that was a miss. The gravy had good flavor (very peppery--so children or adults who don't like heat, be warned), but the texture was a bit too starchy. A little more reduced broth and a little less cornstarch would fix that right up. We also ordered the SPAM musubi which my daughter enjoyed; me, not so much. The huli huli sauce made the rice too wet and separated (probably because the rice was dry and hard to start with) and the seaweed wrapper turned rubbery. I'd suggest maybe ordering the musubi with the sauce on the side for dipping to help keep it together and not overwhelm with too much sweetness. The butter mochi cake was DELICIOUS and the guava ice cream that came with it was very tasty and not overly sweet. Home run! I'll definitely return to try out their brunch. Looking forward to that katsu waffle and SPAM benedict! read more
Service: I would give 10 out of 10 just for service alone; but since I can only do a rating of 5, then 5 out of 5 it is. My sister and I had 3 small children with us, and though they did not have a children's menu, the owner was extremely welcoming. He brought paper and crayons for our kids to color. He even made sure to give our littles plastic spoons without us even having to ask. He constantly checked on us throughout the night, made jokes with the kids, and even made an effort to come out to say goodbye to us as we were leaving. He definitely went above and beyond! Ambiance: Nice decor. Everything was clean. Bathroom was clean. Lots of parking. Loved the option of chairs and/or bench seating. Food: Hawaiian food is typically on the heavier side, but I'd have to say, if it can be a bit lighter, then that's what they did here. The garlic shrimp plate was delicious! It would have to be my #1 recommendation here. I loved that the shrimp were not only a good size, but already peeled. The sauce was perfectly flavored. I liked that you can do half and half on the rice, so we were able to try both the sushi rice and the brown rice. The Mac Salad was tasty as well. I could have done without the Moco Loco, but my 2 year old really enjoyed it. The sauce wasn't the best in my opinion; but the eggs was perfectly cooked. I especially liked that they let you get a half order instead of a whole order because I knew my 2 year old was not going to be able to finish a whole plate on her own. The chicken katsu was perfectly fried. The chicken was tender. We could have done without the spam musubi, but it wasn't bad. Just not worth the price. Dessert: I'd definitely recommend the butter mochi with guava ice cream! It was a hit at our table. The mini hula pie was not a favorite of ours. The rum whip would be good for people who enjoy rum, but it was definitely not very kid-friendly. Overall, the owner made the place so welcoming that even though this was our first time here, it won't be our last. read more
If not for Yelp (and my fellow Yelpers), there's a really good chance we never would've discovered the wonder that is Kau Kau. Tucked away in the most unexpected of places (a small retail complex filled with antique shops), it's ridiculously easy to miss this place, as you can't even see it from the street regardless if you're walking or driving by. However, IYKYK. And at the risk of too many if you finding out, you really, really should! Even though their location isn't ideal, it's also positive in some regards. Not only is it relatively easy to get here (it's right off J and Elvis), there's plenty of parking both in the lot and on the street, and there's interesting things to see in the neighboring antique shops, which is great if you should encounter a wait for a table (though, we never have for brunch or dinner). Inside, the look of this place isn't overtly Hawaiian themed, but that's just fine - I think the cute, brunch/afternoon tea vibes suits them better. Both the brunch and dinner menus, on the other hand, are filled with Hawaiian inspirations and favorites - from staples like Loco Moco, Poke Bowls, and Kahlua Pork to more unique dishes like French toast made with Punalu'u taro bread, homemade SPAM sliders and musubi, and Macadamia Nut Waffles with Chicken Katsu. -- MACADAMIA NUT WAFFLE WITH CHICKEN KATSU Served with Sriracha Mango Syrup...$18 We opted to get this after seeing the group next to us get it and it didn't disappoint! The katsu were fried perfectly (golden on the outside, moist on the inside) and I liked the syrup's sweet and spicy tang. Part of the waffle felt a little soggy under the katsu, but it was still great overall. -- KAU KAU BENDICT - Crispy Taro Cakes with Griddled Homemade Spam, Poached Eggs, Sesame Miso Hollandaise, and Smoked Salt...$18 I was a little dubious on this one, fearing the taro would be overcooked or dense, but it was so good! The taro cakes were crispy and not all that heavy, the housemade SPAM tasted like a less salty version of the real thing, and the hollandaise was both unique and delicious! -- LILIKOI CHIFFON TARTLET - Sweet Pastry Tart Filled with Airy Passionfruit Filling and Topped with Rum Whipped Cream...$7 In simple terms, this tasted as good as it looked. The passionfruit filling was delicious with just a smidge of tartness while the crust had the perfect consistency. Also, both the filling and the whipped cream weren't cloyingly sweet either (though, I didn't eat much of the latter). -- KAHLUA PORK SLIDERS - Three Toasted Hawaiian Rolls with Slow Roasted Shredded Pork, Huli Huli Sauce, and Vegan Pineapple Slaw...$12 More solid than spectacular, but still pretty good. While I liked that the pork wasn't super salty, I do wish it was a bit more peppery. Also, it sucks that the buns got a little soggy towards the end, but I loved the pineapple slaw, even despite how wet it was. -- LOCO MOCO - Two Housemade Ground Burger Patties, Two Easy Eggs, Homemade Brown Gravy, and Green Onions over Two Scoops of Rice...$20 Our first server mentioned this might be more of a dinner option and I can see why. Between the beefy patties and rich gravy, this would've made for a heavy, albeit tasty, brunch. The patties were juicy and well seasoned while the gravy was super flavorful. -- GARLIC SHRIMP - Crispy Shrimp with Garlic Scampi Sauce, Two Scoops of Rice, and Choice of Mac Salad or Vegan Pineapple Slaw...$22 The ones I've had in Hawaii are better, but this is still solid in its own right. I liked the shrimp and slaw, but I do wish that the scampi sauce had been a bit more buttery and garlicky. Also, the brown rice was okay, but would've been better with the heavier Loco Moco than this one. -- ISLAND FRENCH TOAST - Punalu'u Taro Bread Griddled with Vanilla Custard and Served with Pineapple-Ginger Compote, Rum Whipped Cream, and Mango Syrup...$15 This was as awesome as I hoped it would be. The taro bread had a nice crust yet had a soft, gummy-ish center and I loved the custard's creaminess. The compote was a little heavy on the ginger, and the syrup was a little sweet, but they complemented each other in moderation with the bread. -- PORTUGESE SAUSAGE & EGGS - Homemade Linguica Patties with Two Eggs and Two Scoops of Rice...$18 I wasn't sure what to expect, but this wasn't too shabby. The sausages had a slight kick to them and I liked how big they were. However, I do wish they had been slightly juicier/fattier, as they tasted a little too lean and crumbled apart. While you could make the argument that the food is closer to a four than a five, the service more than validates rounding up from FOUR AND A HALF STARS. From the servers to the co-owner(?) Chris, who works the front of the house like a rockstar, all of them are just really good people. Honestly, every visit has been such a good time that even after visiting several times already, it's not a question as to if I'll be back, but when! And congrats, now you're in the know, too. read more
Local joint. Music was very obnoxious for this early, barely getting my coffee down. I get it, island theme funk but would be more fitting at 8pm after some shots. Like seriously, wish I had my headphones. Ugh!! Food was ok, liked the breakfast sliders but nothing mind blowing. Was disappointed with the macadamia nut waffles, soggy when I expected crispy and delicious. It's in a funky spot amongst antique shops. Brandon was nice and friendly but other servers were too busy chatting with the locals than attending to patrons' needs. read more
08.08.2025 - KAU KAU - SACRAMENTO , CA - it's a wonderful restaurant with great potential - read an article that they will be discontinuing and will be replaced by a Sushi Restaurant - the food was ok - I ordered the most Hawaiian dish they got and that was Kalua Pork and I have to say that I am not use to eating this dish DRY - I'm use to it being slightly wet with a bit of its smoke juices - the traditional Mac salad was ok and I could taste the vinegar flavoring but slightly over powered - their guava ice cream was made in-house and delicious - my companions had the Huli Huli chicken but it tasted leaning towards a teriyaki sauce - I could taste the ginger root - but it still tasted good - another companion that came out for dinner had a poke bowl with colorful veggies -!they also both had their Haupia dessert - overall the meal was good but it's not authentic Hawaiian or Local Hawaii style dishes - maybe they made it with their own spin - I'm giving them 4 stars - it's edible and still good to eat - it just doesn't fit the profile of true Hawaii local eats read more
2 years ago
First things first the service was hands down phenomenal!!! 10000/10 if nothing else I would come back for that. Zane and Chris were amazing, knowledgeable, and accommodating to all of our questions. As a person that is not a fan of Hawaiian food I have tasted in the past I came in treading lightly and anticipating disappointing bland food but boy was I surprised. To start we had the poke sampler and pork sliders The sliders were so flavorful from the delicate texture of the meat to the pineapple slaw everything was a perfect blend mixture complementing each other. I'm not a big fan of poke, while I did try some of everything and it was good my friends loved it so give it a try. For the piece de la resistance aka the Garlic shrimp oh emm geee I ordered it with the sushi rice and macaroni salad. I was so overjoyed with the flavors . The plate was so good!!! Drinks: We began with a bottle of: pedroncelli sauvignon blanc Followed by a Cabernet and finished with the Dows Porto to accompany our dessert. My favorite was the Port but each bottle had its own. Overall I enjoyed everything about this place and would recommend. The ambiance is definitely one to return to. read more
Another spot we decided to hit up when in Sacramento was Kau Kau. We were looking around for a brunch place and this place won out the choice mainly because of the Homemade Spam they have on the menu. As soon as we read that all the memories of the delicious "Spong" (Alan Wong's version of spam that was served at the now closed Pineapple Room in Ala Moana) came flooding back. So how did Kau Kau's version compare? Not as good but good nonetheless. The dish I ordered was the Chicken katsu and waffle and we also ordered the Spam benedict and an order of manapua to share. The katsu was pretty good, although I'd say the chicken breast was cut way too thin so the balance between chicken and breading was a bit off. The waffle was a mac nut waffle and pretty tasty. It had a sriracha-mango syrup to pour over it which was good too. The Manapua was a bit disappointing. It was more like the pork dumplings you'd get at a dim sum place, not the breadier manapua you'd get in Hawaii. The Spam Benedict? That was good. It came on a taro cake with perfectly poached egg and a hollandaise over it. One nit was the taro cake would've been better crispy. The soft texture of that along with the spam just didn't have enough textural contrast. Overall it was a good meal. Mark H's sister enjoyed it and we wanted her to get a sample of "Hawaii" type food. read more
I went on a rainy cold Saturday for a bumble bff friend meet up for the first time at 10am when it opened. There was a lot of people that got there when they opened. They don't seat you until your whole party is there. The place is cute but small. They have hanging plants above the tables. The wall paper is pink with plant leaves. They have a small bar area in the corner. I ordered the kau kau Benedict. I don't like poached eggs so I asked for the eggs over hard. The food was okay. The crispy taro cakes reminded of hash browns. Crispy on the outside but very soft on the inside. I was unhappy though that the food basically took an hour! Even though we were one of the first groups that got there when the restaurant opened. I was having a good time chatting with the girl I was meeting up with but still!!! Overall, I don't think the brunch is amazing but if you are looking for something different from your average American brunch then this is the place. I saw their lunch and dinner menu which looks more interesting and workflow like to try their lunch or dinner dishes next time. read more
3 years ago
Even though it was busy, I didn't have to wait long to be seated for Saturday brunch. The restaurant is very East Sac vibes with decor that's charming & stylish. It's a mix of industrial & modern Hawaiian chic. I was a bit disappointed due to being given a messy menu & a dirty water glass that had to be changed out. Also, one of my poached eggs was barely cooked. Thankfully the owner helped right away by having my meal remade & even provided mimosas on the house. It was my first time here & the owner, Chris, made sure I was taken care of including the rest of the tables in the restaurant. He greeted those walking in & said his goodbyes & gave gratitude as patrons left. I could tell he was proud of his restaurant & enjoys connecting with the community through his service & food. 10/10 - Spam Musubi: the spam was thick, not salty, & had a slight crisp; the sauce was savory & slightly sweet. 8/10 - Mac Nut Waffle with Chicken Katsu: the waffle was fluffy, but it needed a stronger macadamia nut flavor; chicken katsu was fried perfectly; the sriracha mango syrup tasted good on top of the chicken. 8/10 - Kau Kau Benedict: taro cakes were fried to perfection & tasted great; the hollandaise sauce was different, as it was pretty tangy & slightly runny; this was a good take on a benedict, however, I wouldn't order this again. read more
Kau Kau Lunch time was empty when we arrived. We were promptly greeted and seated with menus by a very friendly host. Nice menu! Between two of us we shared an appetizer and two mains. Poke platter had 3 manini (mini) scoops tako, salmon and ahi with two sauces on the side and a huge bowl of wonton chips. The tako was tasty but had more garlic chips than octopus. The ahi was the best out of the 3 and fresh. Can't say much about the lomi tomato salmon poke..Not authentic. Do not recommend. Somen noodle salad was too vinegary for my palate and I like vinegar shoyu anything. Garlic shrimp plate had good Mac salad and the shrimp was tasty but not something I'd re order. The dessert menu came and I had wished it was on the main menu because I would have had dessert first! Hopeful that brunch is better! read more
Love this unique take on several traditional Hawaiian foods--the make their own type of Spam--they call it Sham and it is tasty. My mom would always say "kau kau time..." and I love that they use it here. They also have a nearly impossible to find homemade dish on the mainland--da kine that my mom would make all da time--chicken long grain. Had a large bowl of that and it was great--close to what my mom used to make (but she made it spicy with huge chunks of ginger and it was a tad saltier than what they make here) but still super good. My fave dish was their Kau Kau Benedict--a really creative take on taro cakes instead of bread for the eggs benedict. The taro cake is like a soft croquette typical all over Hawaii and Japan, but this is one is made with softened taro root. It had Sham topped with a perfect soft boiled egg and a nicely done hollandaise sauce w miso (very mild). My keikis had the loco mocos which were packed with 2 large mounds of rice and nice beef patties. Great job to the entire team at Kau Kau! Keep it up (and please let me know when you start serving lau lau again!!!!) read more
First of all, we ate here once in 2022 to go see a concert and had been looking forward to coming back here since then! Last night I brought my son here along with my wife. Had to go with the masubi (I hate SPAM because it's too salty, but was convinced to try it because they make their own). Had the sliders and pork belly appetizer as well as the Loko Moko. Their Loko Moko outshines most any I have had! My wife has the Huli huli chicken. Fortunately for my son and I, she couldn't finish it, so we did! Absolutely love this place! Service is fantastic as well as the humble location. read more
1 year ago
Brought a bunch of friends this week for a really fun time, to share great food, and lots of laughs. The garlic shrimp, vegan sham musubi, poke sampler, and loco moco were the favorites of the evening. Zane and the team took great care of us. read more
Saturday, 11/23/2024 - went to dinner at Kau Kau. Address is 855 57th St, Ste C, Sacramento, CA 95819. This is a cute little restaurant located in an antique shopping plaza. There's lots of parking here. They have their own parking lot, which makes it so much easier. Upon arrival.... Pros 1) love that is located in this little shopping plaza so there's a parking lot. 2) restaurant is so cute! I saw a little bar area. But no one sitting there. Everyone was seated at their tables. 3) Chris was such a cool guy. He is so chatty and sweet. He joked with us and helped us several times. 4) servers fill our water cups several times without us having to ask. Water tasted good. No funky taste. 5) we ordered 2 Somen Noodle dish and the Ahi Poke bowl. All the dishes were great! I love the seasoning or sauce they used on my somen Noodle dish. It was perfectly flavored. 6) they provided a scoop of guava ice cream and mochi for my friend's birthday. It was so good!!! 7) they let us try a little of the pineapple shaved icee-ish they made. It was really good. 8) restaurant was very clean. Table, chairs, plates, utensils, cups all clean. 9) there's two bathroom (1 stall in each) in it's own room. Clean. Cute. Cons 1) none Conclusion I thought Kau Kau was such a cute restaurant and foods were all good. I will definitely have to go back here and try a different dish. I really liked the Somen cold noodle dish. I will have to try the warm noodle next time. Love that parking was so easy. If you arrive early, you can shop in all the cool little antique shops there. The servers were nice and Chris was super cool. Go try this place if you haven't yet. read more
1 year ago
This place is amazing! I got the loco moco and my friend got the macnut waffles with chicken Katsu. It was so amazing! The loco moco gravy is out of this world and the chicken katsu and macnut waffles come with this delicious mango syrup. Their homemade spam called "sham" is pretty delicious too. Highly recommend. The service was great too! We really enjoyed ourselves. read more
Decided to give this spot a try after seeing the other reviews. It is located in a small antique strip mall with lots of parking and the Porchlight Brewing Company across the street. Extremely friendly staff with some neat interior features like the cool belt driven fan. We had the Kalua Chicken and Katsu Chicken. Serving sizes are very generous and you will not leave hungry. Both were very good with the Kalua chicken impressing me the most with a good smoke flavor, not fatty or greasy and also not all dried out. Pineapple slaw is recommended as well. The food is a solid 4 star plus but the service pushed it to 5 star for me because they were so nice read more
Love the unique concept and aesthetic of Kau Kau. The menu items have all the classic Hawaiian breakfast options as well as a few meatless substitutions available (Omnipork). We have been to Kau Kau a few times now- the Loco Moco and the Benedict are by far the best items. Thoughts on menu items we have tried: - Benedict: I love the taro cakes that are used in the benedicts, they are lightly breaded and have the perfect crunch. Such a delicious idea to use these taro cakes as the base instead of English muffins. - Loco Moco: one of our faves, a classic Hawaiian bfast staple. The gravy drizzled over everything makes this the perfect savory breakfast. - Chicken katsu on macadamia waffle: the macadamia nut waffle was delicious, also loved the tangy sauce that was served with it. However, wish that there was the option of normal syrup as well. The chicken katsu itself was just ok/ didn't seem seasoned at all, was overall a bit bland. - Portuguese sausage and eggs: the sausage was very flavorful with a nice spicy kick to it. The plate as a whole was very dry though, would have liked to have a side of gravy. - Mimosas: love the different juice options, highly recommend the POG (passion orange guava) for a tropical twist. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
The service is very welcoming and homey, the owner genuinely cares about his customers as a community! His friendly remarks made us comfortable during our meal and even gave my boyfriend a confidence boost in his appearance because of the workers compliments. Every time I come here I always get the macadamia nut waffles because they are perfection! The chicken katsu is thin and pairs well with their mango sriracha sauce that they also created beautifully. The sausage and eggs may look small but it was fulfilling and hit the spot. My picture had horrible lighting but I'll be back again soon to get another photo of these waffles! read more
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Ask the Community - Kau Kau
Looking at vegan options. Is their furikake vegan?
They do have vegan options., I don't quite recall if this particular one is vegan but I'm sure they'll have vegan options to you to choose from or modify to accordingly.
Is the Mac salad made with tuna or other fish?
Nope, just seasoned mayo, fresh onion and carrot, and garlic
What kind of gluten–free options do you have?
All sauces and marinades are made with gluten-free tamari, cellophane noodles can be subbed for wheat noodles. Plenty of gluten free choices as well as vegetarian and vegan options.
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