Pongo's Kitchen Lunchwagon - Honolulu

It was my first time trying this place. They're located right next to puuhale elementary school across of Ross appliances. the service was super good. Aunty was so nice and chill. She was friendly and very cool to approach. You can't go in the restaurant yet because of covid so you order from outside. I got their combo plate which was baked ahi kickin chicken. They are out of their famous guava chicken because of a missing ingredient that they have to wait for but aunty said that the substitute chicken was the same but less spicy so I tried it. The food was good. The baked ahi was super good. It even had large chunks of crab which was super good. The chicken had a lot of taste. The sauce they used was a little tangy but still good. I loved it! Flavory they gave me 4 pieces of chicken! They pack the plate.

I only go for the baked Ahi guava chicken, but they haven't had the guava chicken available lately. ?Food: 5/5

Takeout lunch in Kalihi, Honolulu, Hawaii...My friends (Bruddah Fran, Dear Daniel, Gary, Kelli, Jozlyn, Lori, Mei Lan, and Travis) wrote glowing reviews for this plate lunch establishment. Darrell even got ROTD (Review of the Day) for Pongo 's Kitchen in 2017!What took me so long to visit?PARKINGLuckily, on the day of my visit, I was early (around 10:30am) and easily found free street parking right in front of the shop.There was a nice lady at the window. She was so efficient and organized: taking orders, giving change, and calling out names when orders were ready!I decided to get the Hamburger Steak Plate and Baked Ahi Plate. I was starving! As soon as I got my package, I started eating the hamburger steak in the car. It was so delicious that I almost finished it all! I stopped and thought: someone else probably needs this parking space... So, I moved my car and finished that plate at home! I think the savory gravy really enhanced the patties. I left part of the brown rice for Mr. Manners , but devoured the corn. I had a taste of the Baked Ahi yummy and finished off the green salad that came with it. Gosh that was a surprisingly good lunch! I think I will return soon! The presentation was beautiful... The entrees were on beds of spinach! So healthy and colorful!

The expression on my face when I took the first bite of Guava Chicken was priceless...WOW!!! It's no wonder why it sells out so quickly. The baked Ahi was cooked perfectly and the Fried Chicken was tasty. The service is excellent and fast. Parking becomes more challenging as it nears 12pm, so calling ahead is recommended. Don't forget to inquire about the daily specials. This hidden gem of a restaurant may be small with just a window for ordering, but it offers efficient and budget-friendly options for a delicious plate lunch!

The beef stew is delicious. It's the reason I keep returning to Kalihi. I also tried the chicken, which was good, but I prefer the stew.