Karen's Kitchen

I first heard about Karen's Kitchen about three years ago when the office I work in had a pot luck.  Someone brought the potato salad from Karen's and it was so delicious that I just had to visit the restaurant to sample some of the other food.  Due to it's close proximity to my apartment, Karen's had become a pretty regular hangout over the last couple of years, but since starting this blog, my visits here have been infrequent at best.  One night several days ago, I left the office earlier than usual and decided to stop by Karen's on the way home.

It was already 8:00 pm, but the shop was quite crowded when I arrived.  In fact, Karen's seems to draw a steady crowd no matter what time of day it is, even though it is in a small strip mall in a mostly industrial area of town.

Tonight, I decided to have the hamburger steak with macaroni salad (US$6.95).

A huge piece of hamburger "steak" was topped with mushrooms and onions before being covered with lots of brown gravy.  The plate also came with two scoops white rice and some macaroni salad.  Delicious is how I'll describe this thick, well-seasoned piece of hamburger.  I'd probably go as far as saying that this is one of the better hamburger steak plates that I've had the pleasure of eating.  The gravy is the perfect consistency, though it can be a little salty at times.  The macaroni salad here is good too -- mixed in with all of the elbow macaroni, you'll find pieces of egg and potato as well.

For dessert, I had a slice of blueberry cream pie (US$2.50).

Although the blueberries used as topping for this pie are probably canned (?), the crust is flakey and definitely homemade.  The cream filling is dense and rich without being overly sweet.

On another night recently, I had the hamburger curry with tossed salad (US$4.95).

First of all, I have to mention the fact that the girl behind that counter was very nice.  It was late, a little after 8:00 pm, and when I had ordered the hamburger curry, she ended up putting whatever was left in the warmer into the "bowl" which is probably why the portion looks so huge here.  In fact, I couldn't eat it all.  The curry was very meaty and just slightly spicy, not really spicy enough for my tastes.  I got a lot of salad with some wonderful "oriental" style dressing that had the taste and armoa of sesame oil.

On the same evening, I decided to go home with a slice of the key lime pie (US$2.50)

When I ate this, my first thought was that it was really good.  I liked the graham cracker style crust and the key lime filling, which was thick and custard-y, was just the right tartness.  The whipped cream topping was sprinkled with something as well.  I couldn't really taste what it was, but my guess is grated lime zest.  Anyone know what it is?

The food here at Karen's is good without being fussy, and fresh, just like homemade.  The people here are helpful and friendly, making this a great place to eat at.  Taking the prices into consideration, the portions here can be considered extremely generous, thereby making a meal here a great bargain. 

Karen's Kitchen
614 Cooke Street
Telephone:  808.597.8195

Comments

[babe_kl]

i love food wid loads of gravy just like yr Hamburger steak with macaroni salad yummmyummm... maybe becos my mom feed me rice wid gravy when i was kid :p

[Moira]

Hamburger steak with gravy and mac salad? Deeeeeee-lish, my friend- as are you great photos.

[Kirk]

Hamburger steak does look homemade, nice brown gravy. Not a fan of "corn" in my food though - that is corn on the curry, right?

[tara]

Perfect comfort food. That key lime pie looks delicious, and it's not usually one of my faves. I would agree, that's probably lime zest on top.

[808650foodie]

That Hamburger Steak really looks ono! Hmm...plate lunch and then cheesecake what a calorie combination. Gotta add Karen's Kitchen to my list of places to visit when I go "home". Let's see--Pho 97, Karen's Kitchen....

Reid, ever thought of reviewing the best plate lunches of Hawaii if you haven't already done so? Where would you start ;-)

[James]

Reid, you gotta stop posting all this good food. How am I ever gonna decide where to go when I visit Oahu? That hamburger steak looks so good! I love it when the gravy is thick like that and all over. The burger looks nice and fat too.

[lance]

Been wondering about Karen's for years. Everytime I pass by, the small parking area is filled. Now I know.....go late at night. Didn't think they would open that late because of their location. Though they were catering to the downtown work crowd and close early. So, they have that elusive hambuger steak that's so hard to find these days. Sure looks homemade "the old way". Look at that gravy. Mmmmmm....I'm there. Plus chose of pie for $2.50, can't go wrong. Thanks Reid.......

[clare eats]

Mmmm pies :)

[Julia]

Mmm...the hamburger steak and gravy is so drool-inducing, so is the blueberry cream pie. :)

[Reid]

Hi babe_kl,

I've been eating hamburgers with gravy forever. Mmm is right!

Hi Moira,

Don't forget the loco moco when you come back. In fact, I think this would have made a great loco moco. I'm going to have it next time. =)

BTW...thanks for the compliment on the photos. It helps when the subject looks good and is patient with me while I take their portraits! =)

Hi Kirk,

The hamburger was definitely homemade and totally ono! I had no idea that you didn't like corn in your food. I guess you wouldn't like this hamburger curry because there was a lot of corn in there!

Hi Tara,

It definitely is comfort food...at least for me it is! =)

The pies were delicious. Not very beautiful to look at, but they were just like homemade.

Hi 808650foodie,

The food here is good and you really should try it. If I were to start with my favorite plate lunch place, it would definitely have to be Rainbows.

Hi James,

The hamburger steak was definitely delicious. This place is really a must try the next time you visit. The gravy, though, wasn't as thick as it looks. For me, it was a nice consistency.

Hi Lance,

Most people don't know, but they are open until 9:00 pm most nights. There is also a TV there that you can watch while having dinner if you're lucky enough to get a seat in that room there. The food is good, so you should definitely try it.

Hi Clare,

Mmmm yes! You definitely need to bake some using your new oven.

Hi Julia,

The hamburger steak definitely got my mouth watering. I really liked the blueberry cream pie as well, especially since it wasn't too sweet.

[Midge]

Whoa! Now those are some serious takes on the usual hamburger steak, Reid! The hamburger curry looks quite interesting; I'll probably try a homespun take on it. Plus, I agree that it's probably grated lime zest dusting the top of the key lime pie.

[808650foodie]

Here's my top plate lunch places:

1)Rainbows- Chili Plate, Beef Cutlet, Boneless Chicken (gravy all over!)
2)Grace's- Chicken Katsu
3)Tsukenjo's Lunch Wagon- Roast Pork plate

It's been 7 years since I've left my beloved Hawaii for the SF Bay Area and boy do I miss plate lunches!

We do have L&L and the new Ono Hawaiian BBQ but they don't hold a candle to Rainbows or Grace's IMHO.

Aloha!

[Reid]

Hi Midge,

The hamburger curry is usually made with ground beef, curry powder and mixed frozen vegetables. I usually use on pound lean ground beef to one bag of frozen vegetables and two to three tablespoons of curry powder.

So I guess it's unanimous that it's lime zest on the pie.

Hi 808650foodie,

I guess I shouldn't tell you that I was just at Rainbows a couple of nights ago and had the chili dog plate. It was so good! =)

[Jo]

Hmmm, Gravy=Goodness from God! You shoulda had the gravy I made last night! It all looks great but tell me, why is the filling on the key lime pie orange? Is it my monitor? It should be a lightly tinged green... chartreuse really...

[808650foodie]

Jo-

It's not just your monitor...I thought that key lime pie was a sweet potato pie myself.

Reid-

You're killing me! Lucky you live Hawaii...I don't know what you look like but how do you manage to eat all that food and stay fit? Now that I'm getting close to 40, I can't eat like that anymore but I can only dream and taste that chili plate with mac salad.

[Jo]

Thanks for the confirmation 808650foodie! I appreciate the confirmation. That has to be the oddest looking key lime pie I've ever seen! Reid, can you 'splain it to us? By the by, I have the BEST sweet potato pie recipe on the planet if your interested 808650foodie! It does have a bit of lime in it!

[808650foodie]

Thanks Jo, but I'm more partial to apple or peach pies myself. My wife hates fruits in her pies (HK upbringing...they don't like cooked fruits) but I sneak a bite of apple pie whenever I can. If you got a righteous apple pie recipe, I'd love to try it.

[Jo]

Well, I can't help you with the filling, but I make a mean crust. For a 2 crust pie use:
2 c plain white flour
2/3 c Crisco (MUST be Crisco)
2 t. salt
1/4 c. COLD COLD COLD water

Mix flour & salt. Add Crisco and cut in till it makes pea sized balls. Set in fridge for 15 minutes.
Drizzle water all over & toss with a fork. You want it to barely hold together, add more water a tablespoon at a time if necessary. Return to fridge for another 15 minute rest.
Make a ball & very gently press out into generally round shape. Then roll out completely.
The idea is not to over work the glutens in the flour. That's the reason for letting it rest and keep everything as cold as possible. You'll get a nice, delicate, flaky crust every time. It's also good for homemade fried pies. I love peach pies but my hubby is partial to apple. Marie Callendars does a darn good peach pie and when it's on special it's quite a deal!

[Reid]

Hi Jo,

I love gravy, but really shouldn't eat too much of it. The key lime pie was not really orange, but I'm assuming that the color is because of the egg yolks used in preparing this pie. Store bought pies, or one's eaten in restaurants are green because of added food coloring, I suspect. Whenever I've made key lime pie at home, the filling is about the same color as this one.

Hi 808650foodie,

LOL! It's not that orange. =) My staying in shape requires constant visits to the gym. If I don't go for a few days, I can put on a few pounds in no time! =P

Hi Jo,

By the way, the secret to making a really flaky pie crust is to use ice cold water and a teaspoon of white vinegar. Trust me.

[lance]

I couldn't wait to try the hamburger steak after reading your review and seeing those mouthwatering pictures. Went this past thursday night. You're right!!! One of the better hamburger steaks so far. Very tasty hamburger steak and mac salad. Also, picked up their chicken papaya soup. Very flavorful as well. Lots of chicken and lots of papaya. Picked up their monthly special menu and it sure looks like I'll be going to Karen's very often. With dishes like, oxtail stew, chicken pasta casserole, lamb stew, pulehu (grilled) ribs, furikake salmon, spinach casserole, mushroom meatballs, etc., how can one not go.......thanks Reid

[Jo]

A teaspoon of vinegar? Do tell! When were and how is it incorporated? My GrandMother taught me how to make pie crust...

[Reid]

Hi Lance,

I'm glad you enjoyed it. The loco moco is really good there as well. I've had many of the dishes and have not been disappointed yet.

Hi Jo,

You can add the vinegar in when you add in the water. Make sure you add it towards the end though. Good luck!

BTW...that was my grandmother's secret.

[Jo]

I'm going to have to give this a shot, probably next week because we are fasting this week. GrandMothers are the best!

[Reid]

Hi Jo,

They are the best. Let me know how GOOD your crust turns out! =)

[chef 'em out]

Looks and sounds like scrumpdiddlyumptious!