When it comes to best views, Sam Choy’s has it. Above Keauhou Shopping Center with a view from Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area to the north stretching 17 miles to  the south the view is unparalleled in all Kona.  The ambience is open-air, our favorite. With the bar being a center point of the restaurant the place is a bit noisy with tv sounds of football in the background. Leise is not a fan of the noise. I enjoy it. As we settle in I relax to the flavors of a good Bloody Mary.

Award winning panoramic view from Sam Choy’s Restaurant

We decide to keep it lite tonight and stick with pupus (appetizers). We order the “famous” fried poke, the “famous” baby back ribs with coconut char siu glaze, fried calamari, and big island pineapple salsa and tortilla chips. I start with the chips… they look like taro chips and pineapple salsa. The first chips are tired and stale. The chips after that get a little crisper.  The salsa is good.  How do you hawaiianize anything?… Add pineapple. The poke is fantastic!! The calamari is a little soggy. The dipping sauce for the calamari is like a thousand island dressing which has been doctored up a little, but not enough to bring me back or have me order it again. The baby back ribs have good flavor and they come off the bone well, but they don’t fall off the bone and they are not very juicy. The Bloody Mary, the poke, and the view are the highlights of our evening.  Leise also ordered a strawberry coconut frozen drink. It is wonderful.

Sam Choy’s “famous” fried poke

Sam Choy’s “famous” baby back ribs with coconut char siu glaze

Sam Choy’s fried calamari

Sam Choy’s big island pineapple salsa and tortilla chips

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As we listen to the rare sound of thunder we wonder if we have time to finish eating before its time to put the top up on our convertible car. Heh heh. With the great view, light breeze gently caressing your skin, and the pretty good food and we will probably come back and try different food selection. For ambience I give Sam Choy’s 3.5 out of 5 surfboards. For food quality I give 3 out of 5 surfboards. For service I give 3 out of 5 surfboards. Overall I give it a 3 surfboards.

Aloha,

James Christopher

ThruJimsEyes.com

Award winning view from Sam Choy’s Restaurant 1