Ono Kine Grindz (7215 W North Ave.) started as a specialty Hawaiian grocery and added dining and take-out not long after its opening. Entrées on the combo plate include Kalua pig (smoked pulled pork) and char siu chicken (slightly sweet and spicy boneless bird about as red on the outside as an East Indian tandoori preparation). All full meals include rice; macaroni potato salad, a recipe adapted from one brought by Christian missionaries and tasting lightly of yellow mustard and mayo; and a carrot-pineapple slaw flavored with a native dried plum powder. The latter could almost double as dessert. Seafood diners can choose grilled salmon served with ginger garlic or mango sauce, or Ahi tuna poke (cold salad) mixed with a smidgen of Hawaiian soy sauce and green and sweet onions. The chef’s training in French cooking comes through in the delicate textures of the cakes and other pastries on offer, some featuring Hawaiian fruit such as guava.
