It’s Foodie Friday!

Fresh Catch KAIMUKI
3109 Waialae Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 735-7653
MON to SAT 10:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
SUN 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

I heard about Fresh Catch from Guy Fieri on the show Diner’s Drive Ins and Dives. As you know I have said before, Guy’s recommendations can be hit or miss. I have gone places that were as awesome as he said they would be. However, I have also gone places and wondered if they cooked a special meal for him and had actors posing as dedicated restaurant patrons ( I heard that happens).

So here we were.

I ordered the poke shrimp and fries covered with pork gravy and cheese.

Hubby ordered the deep-fried sushi roll.

The poke shrimp were okay. The sauce that coated them was too sweet for my tastes. I am used to shrimp cocktail with extra horseradish. Salty and a little spicy. This was not. Poke is okay but I do not envision myself eating it by the pound.

When I tasted the fries covered in pork gravy and cheese my reaction was very different.

WHAT IS THIS DELICIOUSNESS ?

The pork gravy was more of a pork stew. There were big chunks of pork in brown gravy sauce with melted cheese on top. The dish did not look very appetizing and I honestly did not expect it to be a flavorful as it was. I only ordered it because I knew the poke shrimp would not fill me up and I wanted something hot.

Everything about this dish was good. The fries were cooked just long enough that they were not crispy but held up well enough so as not to become mush under the gravy. The seasonings were on point. No additional salt needed. It was such a wonderfully made dish that I still dream about it. If this restaurant was not a 12-hour flight away, I could see myself trying to arrange another trip just to eat this dish.

The hubby also enjoyed his deep-fried sushi roll.

I agree that Fresh Catch is a great place to eat. Guy Fieri hit a home run featuring this restaurant. Personally, I needed to redeem myself because the last few of Fieri’s picks that I suggested to hubby were not up to snuff. I was beginning to lose my “restaurant selection” rights.

If you are ever in Honolulu, you need to try this place. If you did not rent a car, you need to rent one to go here. I am telling you, it is worth the trip.

Our first stop in Hawaii was to get something to eat. I already checked to see what Guy Fieri triple D restaurant was between the airport and our hotel: Rainbow Drive In.

I told hubby that was where we were going. He was understandably hesitant because he knew that the quality of triple D restaurant were sometimes hit or miss. We have had awesome experiences and then there have been mediocre ones.

When we arrived, I was excited. I do not let hubby’s lack of enthusiasm affect me. And the crowds of people there bolstered my confidence that this was a good place to eat. I ordered the mahi-mahi plate with fries and coleslaw. Hubby ordered a hamburger.

The best part of the meal was the anticipation. It did not live up to the hype. In the picture is my food. The mahi-mahi was tough like it was overcooked. I think maybe they fried it and had it sitting under heat lamps (I do not know, just guessing). The coleslaw was good. It had a nice vinegary, light peppery taste. The fries were okay-nothing outstanding or special about them. Hubby’s hamburger was one sorry little sad piece of meat between two pieces of bread slathered with their special sauce. To me, it looked like one of those 59 cent burgers from McDonalds.

Hubby said that he was picking the next restaurant meal. Justifiably so. I did not even argue. I felt like I wasted my pick because I bought into what Guy Fieri was selling.

Overall, if you are in Hawaii, do not fall for the hype. The food is average, not spectacular.