Kimi’s Corner - Ethel’s Grill

Ethel’s Grill

232 Kalihi Street

Tel 808-847-6467

OPEN-Mon.-Sat. 5:30am-2:00pm

CLOSED-Sundays & Major Holidays

Ethel’s Grill is a gem of a restaurant serving up affordable and delicious home-cooked food.  The casual interior of the restaurant has collage-like walls covered with hand written signs of daily specials, lots of photographs and tons of sumo décor.

Though many refer to the lady in charge as “Ethel,” her real name is Ryoko Ishii.  She can be found working hard both in the kitchen with her husband David and out on the floor with daughter Minaka.

Hard work has been a huge part of Ryoko’s daily routine ever since buying and taking over Ethel’s Grill 30 years ago.  Ryoko realized when she moved from Okinawa to Hawaii that since she didn’t speak English, she might have a hard time finding a job.  “Though I spoke no English, I knew that I could work hard and that I could cook,” says Ryoko.  -Oh yes, she can.  I had the pleasure of dining at Ethel’s for lunch and like everyone else in the restaurant, I left a happy and satisfied customer.

The restaurant’s customers are regulars and no matter what they order, everyone takes advantage of Ethel’s Famous Tataki sashimi.  At only $5.00 a plate, it’s a great bargain that no one can seem to resist.  Usually the tataki is made from fresh island Ahi, though once in a while it will be either Aku, skipjack tuna, or Nairagi, stripped marlin.  The sashimi is seared ever so lightly, sliced and then served on a bed of bean sprouts.  The flavor of the fresh Ahi is distinctive and divine and is complemented perfectly with the saltiness of Ethel’s Secret Tataki Sauce. The ruby red ahi slices are also topped with paper thin, shoyu pickled garlic slivers, which add a robust flavor and a nice bite to this wonderful appetizer.

Besides the tataki, all types of savory dishes were being ordered from the regulars.  Big bowls of oxtail saimin and pig’s feet soup were being served along with garlic pork chops and a hamburger steak- done Japanese style- with grated daikon and ponzu sauce instead of the familiar brown gravy approach. As tempting as it all looked, naturally I decided to indulge in more seafood.

I took advantage of the daily specials and ordered the hamachi kama and the grilled salmon.  I also ordered the island mahmahi from the regular menu.  All of the plated meals come with miso soup, fresh salad, and a free drink.  The fish dishes I ordered were all accompanied with one scoop of white rice, a lemon wedge, and a homemade special sauce. 

The hamachi kama is the collar section of the yellowtail fish. People who love hamachi for its succulent flavor and buttery texture usually find this cut to be the best for cooking. At Ethel’s Grill, it’s deep fried and served with a tangy ponzu sauce and a big wedge of lemon.  The acidity of the ponzu sauce and lemon really cut through the fattiness of this coldwater fish, and added both great flavor and perfect balance. The outer skin was almost crust-like from being deep fried, which ended up being a splendid contrast to the silky white meat inside the kama. It practically melted in my mouth.

Next up, a local favorite – Island Fresh Mahimahi.  It arrived on a bed of shredded cabbage after being cut thin, heavily egg battered, and then grilled right on the flat top. The result of this preparation was a glistening omelet looking dish, yellow in hue with hints of buttery golden brown. It was served with a homemade tartar sauce and lemon wedge.  When all of those flavors combined to form my first bite, I found it to be one of the moistest approaches to grilled Mahimahi around. The clean flavor of the Mahi surrounded by the buttery egg batter made this dish something I could imagine eating for breakfast as well as lunch and dinner.

The final seafood dish, grilled salmon steak, was plated a little more formally, lying in a glaze of butter sauce and gently covered with a blanket of sautéed snow peas. The rich salmon, with the belly and skin portions still attached, went perfectly with the tender-crisp fresh snow peas, all sitting in a delectable savory butter sauce.  The sauce coated the salmon with a velvety goodness and really allowed the naturally sweet and mild flavor of the fish to shine through. It was almost like I could taste those awesome omega 3’s in every bite.

Needless to say, the staff and customers at Ethel’s Grill know exactly what they’re doing and how to make the most of hard work and good island ingredients. When asked why so much sumo theme in a quaint little restaurant, Ryoko explained, “When I think of the great sumo wrestlers from Hawaii, Akebono, Konishiki, and Musashimaru, and how they went to Japan to pursue their dreams, I see them as 1^st generation people in Japan who had to work so hard, just like how I did when I came to Hawaii. So it’s a tribute to them!  Ganbate!”

Photos: Sterling Kaya