They say, “You can take the boy from the island, but not the island from the boy.”
Such is true for chef Terence Fong, owner of Island Sushi & Grill, 9400 S. Eastern Ave., Suite 102. The Hawaiian native opened Island Sushi in 2007 and its grill component in 2008 as a way to bring the Aloha spirit to the ninth island.
The restaurant’s sushi menu features appetizers, such as baked green mussels with spicy aioli and ponzu sauce; edamame tossed in a chili garlic soy sauce; teri beef sliders with sauteed onions and spicy aioli on homemade sweetbread; and mochiko chicken dusted and fried in rice flour. Though the menu highlights a long list of sushi rolls, the staff-recommended Island Special has spicy soft-shell crab roll topped with spicy tuna, spicy aioli and eel sauce. The staff also recommends the Mauna Kea (shrimp tempura and unagi roll topped with spicy soft-shell crab, salmon and eel sauce) and the Ahi Fever (spicy tuna and cucumber roll topped with ahi, avocado and ponzu sauce).
Prices range from $2 for appetizers to $21 for sashimi platters. All-you-can-eat sushi costs $21.95 for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and $26.95 for dinner from 4 to 9:30 p.m. Children 10 or younger eat for half price.
Breakfast isn’t what first comes to mind when thinking of Hawaiian food, but the grill side of the restaurant knows what the people want. Highlights include the Big Aloha (hamburger patty, Spam, Portuguese sausage, two eggs, macaroni salad and gravy); the pancake combo (two pancakes, two eggs and choice of Portuguese sausage, Spam or bacon); and Hawaiian corned beef hash with eggs and rice.
In addition, the grill also serves salads, bowls, soups, burgers, sandwiches and combo plates. Most meals range from $3.50 to $9.95.
Sushi hours are from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and grill hours are from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Visit islandsushiandgrill.com or call 702-221-1600.