Aloha. Today I am excited to share with you the long awaited opening of Ippy Aiona’s new restaurant, Ippy’s Hawaiian Barbeque, at the Queen Shops in Waikoloa Beach, Hawaii. Ippy Aiona is the son of Max and Robin Aiona, owners of Solimene’s Italian Restaurant in Waimea, the Island of Hawaii. Ippy made it to the center of the U.S. culinary radar when he had great success on the Food Network Star Season 8 show in 2012. When the rumors of Ippy’s possible restaurant became fact, locals went crazy.

I was a little hungry today so I chose the Hawaiian Plate… with the carrot cake… and Pork-N-Da-Monkey ice cream smoothie… and an iced tea.

The Hawaiian Plate is Kalua Pig, Teriyaki Beef, and Lomi Lomi Salmon. First off I have to say the servings are quite generous, like luau size!! The Kalua Pig is onolicious. It is shredded slow cooked pork with the perfect saltiness and melt in you mouth texture. The juices are tantalizing my tongue. The Teriyaki Beef is a sweet teriyaki sauce topped with chives. The texture contrasts the pork with a bit more heartiness. The flavor makes your mouth water. Man this is good. The Lomi Lomi Salmon is a Hawaiian fresh tomato and salmon salad.  It is a mix of raw salted, diced salmon with tomatoes, sweet gentle Maui onions (or sometimes green onion), and occasionally flakes of hot red chili pepper. Keeping with tradition, it is served cold. The Lomi Lomi is similar to a salsa in texture. It is very tasty and well balanced. Traditionally served at luaus it the perfect compliment to the Kalua Pig and Teriyaki Beef. To fill you up the rest of the way they have thrown in 2 large scoops of plain white rice and some Mac salad.

The carrot cake has great texture and I love all the flavors. The myriad flavors of raisin, carrot, cinnamon, nutmeg, and walnut dance on your palette like a finely choreographed broadway show. It’s only short coming is that it is a little dry, but the coconut frosting more than makes up for it.

The Pork-N-Da-Monkey ice cream smoothie is off the charts good!!!  It is a chocolate, banana, bacon smoothie. The flavors are an amazing surprise of salty bacon wrapped by a thick blanket of chocolaty joy and love with the banana thrown in for good measure. It was so good I went back for a second.

Ippy’s Hawaiian Barbeque receives a 4.5 surfboards for flavor, texture, and over all food quality (the shake receives 6 surfboards). The ambience is a 2.5 because it’s in a noisy food court, although on beautiful days you can sit outside in the Queens courtyard. Overall I still give Ippy’s a great recommendation. We will be back!!!

Aloha,  James Christopher

ThruJimsEyes.com

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