Sugoi
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
21 Reviews for Sugoi
I used to prefer this place over Mitsuken but it seems that the last few times I ate here the chicken just wasn't as good. The chicken was not "fresh" like it used to be, felt like I was eating reheated chicken. The spicy garlic sauce also contained so much garlic flavor that it almost cleared my sinus's. Something has definitely changed...I heard it's changed owners, could this be why?
Had a two for one coupon from the VIP Coupon book for Sugoi so I thought I'd give it a try. I ordered two (gave one away) chicken bentos; one garlic and one spicy. The chicken was excellently crisp. And it was truly spicy and garlicly. I liked the fact that you can have brown rice with your bento, made me think I was eating healthy although I didn't hold on to that very long while I was finishing off the grilled hot dog or the egg.
This is a busy place but they have a bunch of busy cooks too so the food comes out pretty quick and seems to be made to order.
I didn't give it 5 starts because it was sort of a limited menu plus you have to save the 5 star review for the exceptional places. Sugoi is very very good, but not quite exceptional.
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I can't thank Lincoln Chee enough for introducing me to Sugoi's!!!!!!! He said that they're famous for their garlic chicken, and rightfully so!!!
The garlic chicken is perfectly cooked, and tastes a little sweet with a BAM!!!! "broke da mouth" garlic flavor cause it's soo good! Just like most places in Hawaii, the portions are big, and the people are super friendly inside.
I wanted to stop in and check out Young's Fish Market across the parking lot also, but I was too full after leaving Sugoi that I couldn't even look at food anymore.
Next time I'm in Hawaii, I need to buy a few bottles of their garlic sauce!!! They have them bottled up and for sale on the counter... I'll definitely hit that up next time. Perfect omiyage... actually, screw it. I'm keeping it for myself! haha
It's pretty close to Munkyworks Garage too, so you can go to Sugoi after looking at wide Japanese wheel options for your car!
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Garlic chicken to DIE FOR. I think I accidentally ate a little bit of the styrofoam tray, because it had lingering sauce on it. NON-BIODEGRADABLE CONTAINER: ALSO DELICIOUS.
Dreams really do come true! I was asking for a clogged artery for Christmas.
THANK YOU, SANTA!
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True. The garlic chicken broke da mouth. This wee birdie is fried up very crispy, tender and sopped with the most delectably potent concoction of sweet/hot/garlic sauce imagineable. It is the best chicken west of my wife's orange/garlic/jalapeno road crosser.
The best part: Sugoi sells this wonder sauce by the bottle! I shall henceforth carry a vial of this lifeforce around my neck to add 2 stars to every piece of poultry.
Now, to get that permit to build a coop out back...
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Sugoi is one of the local staples. This place is famous for their garlic chicken, and rightfully so. The garlic sauce is saturated with garlic and is sweet with a little kick. When I go to the mainland for a while, I'll crave that good, local style Sugoi bento. They also sell their sauce by the bottle.
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If you want local food done right then Sugoi is the place to go. The food is tasty (damn right fattening) and they serve big portions. My friend and I shared the Mochiko chicken and still had some left over.
I would've enjoyed the meal a lot more if only I wasn't so worried about clogging my arteries or suffering from a heart attack. Despite my worries, I'd come back here again rather than good ole Zippy's!
Best garlic chicken you will ever have in your life but make sure you don't plan on going out anywhere afterwards cause that garlic sauce is potent! The chicken was amazing and tender enough to easily bite into but I wasn't too fond of the mac salad, I opted for the mini.
I made my brother drive me to Sugoi and he doesn't like to try new places but after buying him some of Sugoi's garlic chicken, it has now become his new favorite spot. I TOLD YOU! =P
It has been awhile since I visited Sugoi. I was going to take my Spicy Garlic chicken to go, but Sugoi has expanded and now it has a good number of tables so we decided to eat there. The spicy garlic chicken is THE BEST and it is definitely spicy!!! They sell the sauce in bottles and it tastes just like the sauce they serve in the restaurant. I have used the sauce on take out fried chicken and it's almost as good as the real thing but not really....I like Sugoi's garlic chicken better than Mitsukens. Besides, they have parking at Sugoi's.
garlic spicy crispy chicken!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
suuuuuggggggooooooiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (HA! i can still shout without CAPS yelp ; P)
this is pretty SUGOI too =)
http://video.google.co...
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oh hello? where have i been?? this place is so yummy! i had the garlic chicken and my husband had the mochiko chicken. i suggest that you get a mini if you are not a big eater. their portions are huge and too big for me! i think this is our new favorite place and you don't wait very long for your food either!
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I love that they don't close at 2 in the after noon and have more than just garlic chicken.
They may be famous for their garlic chicken...but I love the garlic ahi...with the spicy garlic sauce...mmm~~~
its the same garlic sauce for the chicken but on Ahi...hehe
They sell bottles of their famous sauce so you can purchase and use at home or give to the garlic chicken deprived college student on the mainland...haha
so far everything i tried is super Ono...
garlic ahi,
bento,
garlic chicken,
spicy garlic chicken,
mochiko chicken,
loco moco,
everything was just SUGOI!!!!
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The garlic chicken at Sugoi is heartier than the offering at Mitsu-Ken. Mitsu-Ken's chicken is sweeter, and less aggressive with the garlic. Sugoi's chicken, on the other hand, is a vampire's worst nightmare. It would be intolerably bitter if it wasn't for the liberal use of mirin to counter the sharpness.
As Jeff I. mentioned, you can make your plate lunch healthier by opting for the tossed salad and brown rice. I personally think that such substitutions are travesties. It wouldn't be a plate lunch without mac salad and white rice, now would it? And who are you fooling anyway? The mac salad isn't the problem. It's the 10 to 15 pieces of deep fried chicken breast. Knocking off 500 calories or so from a 3,500 calorie plate lunch is hardly "healthy."
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Sugoi Bento & Catering
Review By
Matthew Gray (aka "Luckiest Guy in Hawaii")
MGray@HawaiiFoodTours.com
INEXPENSIVE EATS IN HONOLULU!
The Japanese word Sugoi translates to "awesome" or "wow" and is an apt description for many of the flavors you'll encounter here. Sugoi Bento & Catering was launched and established in 2000 by Honolulu native Zachary Lee, specializing in bento box lunches of all kinds. A must-try is their signature dish; the crunchy, tender, and delicious Garlic Chicken, with a winning blend of salty sweetness. This style suits the people of Hawaii quite well.
Sugoi is often a stop my tour company, Hawaii Food Tours, makes on its daily Hole-in-the-Wall Tour because the food is so deliciously different than what you get at most places in and around Honolulu. My guests, from all over the world, have expressed only positive things to say about this bustling little restaurant.
People from all over Oahu make their way to Sugoi for a taste of their Award-Winning plate lunches and popular island favorites such as juicy homemade hamburger steaks, tender and luscious grilled short ribs, and chewy flavorful yakisoba noodles.
Fish lovers would be interested to know that you can order saba, salmon, and ahi (Cajun spicy ahi is my favorite) at any time for inclusion on a bento or plate lunch. The fish tastes fresh and juicy and is a wonderful contrast in flavor and texture when enjoyed along with the famous garlic chicken.
I asked owner Zack Lee what his inspiration was for starting a small restaurant business. He said while lunching at a Taco Bell with a friend he decided that he'd like to give the restaurant business a try. Was Taco Bell your inspiration, or was it just a coincidence, I asked. At that time Zack was intending to become a teacher, but life has a funny way of making subtle adjustments.
The spicy chicken, called karai (meaning hot) - should not to be confused with the Indian word karai that refers to a chicken curry dish, or to a utensil resembling a cast iron wok. Sugoi uses dried habanero peppers in this dish, the first I had heard of a restaurant doing that. The habanero is the world's hottest pepper; 50 times hotter than a jalapeno and rated over 300,000 on the Scoville scale (that measures the heat in chile peppers). The flavor of a habanero is pleasant indeed, even better than most dried chile peppers, if you can stand the heat, that is. At Sugoi, they are not shy about giving chile-heads their hotsy-totsy reward.
The regular size bentos include teri beef, rolled egg omelet, a hot dog, and ume, in addition to white or brown rice. The mini plates include teri beef and ume. Regular size plate lunches include 2 scoops rice, with choice of macaroni or tossed salad.
Sugoi takes simple dishes (recipes were supplied by relatives), cooks it up fast and abundant (in a very clean kitchen, by the way), and offers it at affordable prices. I like their staff very much; they always have a smile to share with you. This mostly take-out restaurant has very limited seating if you wish to eat inside instead of taking your food with you.
Sugoi Bento & Catering
www.SugoiHawaii.com
City Square Building
1286 Kalani St. #B-106
841-7984
Monday- Saturday, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Sundays: Catering Orders Only
Matthew Gray is the former Food Writer and Restaurant Reviewer for Hawaii's largest daily newspaper, The Honolulu Advertiser, and is considered one of Hawaii's top food and wine experts. Matthew currently owns and operates a one-of-a-kind tour business in Honolulu called Hawaii Food Tours (www.HawaiiFoodTours.com) that offers guided restaurant tours. You may reach Matthew Gray with your comments, questions, and suggestions at MGray@HawaiiFoodTours.com anytime at all.
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Garlic Chicken, Garlic Chicken, Garlic Chicken, Garlic Chicken
This place has the best garlic chicken. You can't go wrong with it. It can be a little strong in its flavor at times, but that what I go for. I think one of the best deals has got to be the garlic chicken bento. It's got rice, teri beef, hot dog, egg, and of course, garlic chicken.
Another plus is that you can make your plate lunch a bit healthier by getting tossed salad instead of mac salad, and brown rice instead of white rice. Smart idea. Get a diet coke instead of a regular one, and you got a healthy fat-boy special.
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Just tried this today to grab a bento on the way to Lanikai. I've been to Mitsu Ken before and thought the garlic chicken was pretty good (although honestly their portions are WAY too big at Mitsu Ken in general), and I read some reviews saying that Sugoi's Garlic Chicken is not as good because it's a little fattier. I wholeheartedly disagree with these reviews. At least based on my mini-bento today (2 big pieces of garlic chicken, big piece of teri-beef, brown or white rice, for about $5.50), this place TOTALLY rocks. Wasn't fatty at all, had a great taste/kick, and not as sweetly overpowering as Mitsu-Ken, with a little more garlic flavoring. You're definitely not going to kiss anyone after this unless they love garlic, but it's worth it. It's a little hard to find unless you know where to go, but it's kinda near the Costco Area on Dillingham if you know where that is. Oh one confusing thing is that I got tossed greens instead of mac salad and it just came with plain lettuce/no dressing or whatever, I wonder is that pretty typical? Overall, highly recommended although there is no way you can have it every day.
Sugoi was my first lunch stop on a recent trip to Oahu, having done lots of research on must-try plate lunch places and okazuyas, and it did not disappoint at all!
The BF and I were hungry after getting in to town, but we completely underestimated the size of the mixed plate combos here... we ordered one each and just barely finished them, having to give up on eating the rice altogether!
Summary:
Garlic Chicken - amazing! so tasty with a garlicky sweetness and tender juicy meat
Mochiko Chicken - awesome! didn't know what to expect at first but it was really good... it was tender and fried up like the garlic chicken but without the garlic kick
Short Ribs - tasty as well though one piece was really fatty
Spicy Ahi - just thought it was so-so but the spicy sauce was great!
I also love the fact that you can get brown rice and tossed salad instead of the usual white rice and mac salad (which they have too). I also really wish I had bought some of their bottled sauces... would have been fun souvenirs for friends back at home!
Will definitely stop by again on my next trip!
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When it comes to garlic chicken, I'd prefer Mitsuken. Sugoi's garlic chicken has all these globs of fat that make it soooo unappetizing. I was talking to my girlfriend a few days ago about it, and she agreed.
I like the musubi, though!
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If you are on the hunt for delicious crunchy garlic chicken other than that well known place in Kalihi.... this is the best alternative. If there was a signature menu item they should be known for, it would be their garlic chicken delectables.
Quite simply the best broke 'da mouth garlic chicken in 'da area... for reals, cuz.
OMG, I got around to checking out Sugoi today! I always wanted to try this place near DMV. "Sugoi" means "awesome" or "Wow" in Japanese. They have everything when it comes to Hawaii's local food "plate lunch". My friend told me to try "Garlic chicken". The chicken is really garlicky and no comparable to other Garlic chicken! ONO! 2 thumbs up!
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There is only one thing I care about ordering at Sugoi "Spicy Garlic Chicken." These guys have discovered a way to cram more garlic into an ounce of sauce than anyone I know. It's like they cracked the secret to cold fusion.
I'd give this joint 5 stars if they were able to also keep the "spicy" part consistent. Sometimes I wonder if they forgot the spicy, other times it almost makes me cry.
The garlic, however, is always through the roof. The whole office stinks of it and my wife wants me to sleep on the couch that night.
If you have no client meetings in the afternoon, go for it. Or, if you're meeting with a slimy sales rep, this could keep the meeting short and sweet.
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