Big Island Sam's

UPDATE: Big Island Sam's has closed its' doors, leaving a void in this man's heart.

Once upon a time there was a guy who spent two weeks in Hawaii. While he was there, he went to quite a few restaurants and shacks that not only gave him sustenance, but enlightened his mind as to the foods that Hawaii had to offer.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am that guy and I'm pleased to announce that Hawaii's food has made its way to Utah Valley.
Today I ate Authentic Hawaiian Food, and I highly recommend this food and this restaurant to you.

When I walked into the restaurant, there were two people in the entryway. The first person that spoke to me was the hostess. When I looked around while waiting to be seated, I saw a friendly old man in a flower shirt with a big smile on his face. I'm a friendly guy, so I asked how his day was going. He said it was going well, and wished me a good meal. We sat down and I had a good two minutes to decide what I wanted. I eventually came to the conclusion that  Sam's Loco Moco was going to be my dish. Around a cup and a half of sticky rice, two fresh-pressed hamburger patties prepared with teriyaki sauce, eggs prepared either fried or scrambled, all topped with a hardy beef-flavored gravy...

I've had Loco Moco on a few occasions, but never had the meat been as fresh and had as balanced a flavor as this meat had today.
I opted for scrambled eggs, as I don't often trust that the cooks understand the concept of an over hard fried egg.

I was eating the meal with a friend who lived in Hawaii for a couple of years, and he had requested to meet with the owner if he was there. The waitress said that he was there, and that he would be made aware of the request. When we had eaten just over half of the more than generous meals we had been given, the friendly old man from the entryway toodled over to our table and introduced himself as Sam. After reminiscing for awhile, and finding friends in common with my friend, Sam offered us some kulolo cake. 

Before I took a bite, I knew that there would be fresh fruit, coconut, and truffles, but I had no clue what kind of treat I was in for. Their kuolo cake is now one of my all-time favorite desserts I have had... ever. When it gets to you, you'll see and smell the reason I'm now raving over it. Its base is a moist yellow cake, almost as moist as a tres leches cake which is usually soaked in sweetened milk for hours before adding further layers. Baked into the top of the cake is a thick coconut mix, with fruit flavors, truffles, and enough coconut to chew on, all in a thick syrup, not quite as solid as caramel. They top it with whipped cream, and serve it at the perfect temperature- hot enough to melt the bottom part of the whipped cream, but cool enough to eat it comfortably.

Unlike the shacks I visited in Hawaii, this restaurant passed the under-the-table-gum-test with flying colors.

I hold no reservations referring this restaurant to you. Go, and enjoy.

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