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Ono Grill (Closed) (Hawaiian cuisine)  $

 8.5
JaT Rating

144 E. 3rd Avenue, San Mateo, 94401  (Directions)


650.579.5562


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Made fresh to order Japanese and Hawaiian food in downtown San Mateo


Reviewer: Jason
Total Reviews: 1040
Reviewed: 2/7/2007
Rating: 9
My photo gallery 		Thanks to Wolf1 for pointing me over to Ono Grill in San Mateo. He or She wrote an interesting review on the jatboard and I decided it was time to check it out. Located on 3rd street with limited parking in front but there are a couple of parking structures around the corner. I had just gotten off work and wanted a big meal for cheap.

The Ono Grill menu is huge so don't worry if it takes you 10 minutes to figure what you want. For Hawaiian food, I try to get the basics like Kalua Pork or some sort of bbq chicken. I saw the Grilled Mahi Mahi and it's one of my favorite dishes. For an extra $1.50, you can add fried rice. I know, I know, in my hundreds of reviews, I always refuse to order fried rice so I'm breaking the rule tonight. Why don't I order fried rice? For me, fried rice as an all-in-one meal because it contains so many different ingredients. I don't want to distract from the star of the meal, meats and veggies.

The meal takes a bit longer to cook for a reason, it's all cooked to order. Yes, it is the biggest selling point to visit Ono Grill. Your food will arrive so damm hot, you have to wait for it to cool down. It's flippin awesome! I had gotten my food to go and by the time I got home the food was still hot.

potato salad - I don't eat this stuff but I did snag a try. Not swimming in mayo like other hawaiian joints.

salad - romaine lettuce with sweet dressing, ate all of it, no traces left.

fried rice - 'SPAM' is in the house. There was enough spam in the rice to eliminate the need for the fish. Lots of eggs, onions, green onions, soy sauce, and fluffy rice. Very moist and steaming hot. The rice was really good but there's too many flavors going on. For a grilled fish, I would recommend sticking with the plain white rice. I would order the fried rice as a separate meal.

mahi mahi (image 8) - I loved the mahi mahi at Kauai BBQ Grill in Mountain View but Ono Grill blows it out of the water. The cook prepared this fish perfectly. Super high heat and had the excellent grilled flavor. The fish was just past the pink color making it so tender. Fresh fish and could only dream of eating this by the pounds. I would bob like a circus seal waiting for Ono Grill cook just to throw me fish. Repeat order for sure.

I couldn't believe what I had tonight so I put off writing my review until I made another visit. 2 days later I went with a Kalua Pork bowl. For $6, you get this enormous container filled with rice, stir fried veggies, and mounds and mounds of pork.

rice - sticky white rice, love it, and love the generous portion.

veggies - stir fried veggies and the cook has the 'wok hay' down, well almost, I think his wok was a little too hot as he burned a couple of the onions. The cabbage was perfect.

kalua pork (image 7) - the picture is glistening but don't worry, you'll notice the pork melting in your mouth. Is that a bad thing? No, it taste incredible and yes, this has got to be the worst thing for the arteries. The pork drippings would swim it's way to the stir fried veggies and rice. The cool thing about getting this to go, the inferno hot stir fried veggies are keeping the rice and pork to a hot temperature. The portion is good for 2 meals and it's only $6!!! It's the best bang for buck kalua pork I've had in the bay area.

2 Ono Grill visits in 2 days with both meals excellent. I'm going to make another visit this week because it's my new favorite place in San Mateo. I probably won't try the other dishes like the katsu, bbq chicken, or kalbi. I have those dishes covered at other restaurants. For katsu I go to Hotaru, for bbq chicken it's Kaz Grill, and Kalbi, I'll stick to Santa Clara/SF. I don't want to ruin a good thing as I will be alternating my 2 dishes; mahi mahi and kalua pork (I'm lying, I will have to try the Loco Moco one of these days). The prices are reasonable and dining accommodations much better than other hawaiian places in the area.
 
  RETURN VISIT for Jason! 2/13/2007 - 8 Rating: I went for the combo plate tonight. I went half grilled mahi mahi and kalua pork. The combo plate is accompanied with green salad, scoop of potato salad, and generous portions of rice. The kalua pork was goin' off but it was missing the awesome stir fried vegetables. Maybe it needed cabbage? I think getting the kalua pork bowl is the way to go. Rated 8 - 8.5.

I was disappointed with the mahi mahi. It didn't taste anything like the stuff I had last week. It didn't have the seasoned grilled flavor and was overcooked. I'll give it another chance but I'll wait a couple of weeks for the return visit. Rated 7 - 7.5.
 
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Jason ate...

closed

“drove by and noticed the sign was gone, windows covered with paper, for sale posted in window”

8/23/2008 9:25:54 AM

watizit ate...

Kalua Pork Bento Box

“Disappointing. It didn't taste that great, and the food was not served warm enough. I am not going back.”

3/9/2007 4:07:27 PM

wolf1 ate...

anything and everything

“LOL!!!!! I'm a guy, guy....... My family enjoyed this place...... 'nuf said.......”

2/12/2007 6:05:59 PM