Feature: Sugoi Bento & Catering : LocoKineGrindz

Feature: Sugoi Bento & Catering

Posted by Dale on Friday, April 30, 2010 · 1 Comment

“Sugoi! Sugoi! Sugoi!”

The word is no stranger to Zachary Lee, owner of Sugoi Bento & Catering. In following with the old adage, “Behind every great man there’s a great woman”, Zachary actually came up with the name of his popular bento eatery with the help of his wife. When the idea to name his venture “Sugoi” arose, Zachary did some research and found that, much to his surprise, the name was not yet registered to a business. Meaning “awesome” or “excellent” in Japanese, “Sugoi” was a natural name for any local business and Zachary was lucky to scoop it up when he did… REALLY lucky! So lucky in fact that shortly after starting Sugoi, Zachary was contacted by another local businessman that just wanted Zachary to know that he had planned to take the name around that very same time!

The Sugoi staff with owner Zachary Lee (far right)

Armed with an excellent business name and his family’s recipes, Zachary opened Sugoi Bento & Catering in 2000. In the years since its opening Sugoi has lived up to its name and has grown from a small start-up eatery to a well established place for local grinds. In three short years, Sugoi went from being the “new kid on the block” to being featured in the Honolulu Advertiser’s “Hawaii’s Best Restaurants” publication. Sugoi has also placed in the top 3 for “Best Bento” in the Honolulu Advertiser’s “Best of the Best People’s Choice Awards” for the past two years.

Garlic Chicken Bento

Talk to any local diner who knows about Sugoi and the topic of garlic chicken is bound to come up. Sugoi’s great success has come in no small part to the popularity of its ‘onolicious garlic chicken. This popular chicken comes in plate lunch or bento form and is sure to please any garlic aficionados. The golden, tender, crispy, and succulent pieces of fried chicken are packed with a nice punch of garlic flavor. No diner would ever feel cheated of a “garlicky” experience when grinding on a plate of Sugoi’s garlic chicken. Sugoi’s success in frying up this popular dish is evident in their daily order of fresh chicken, which weighs in at a whopping 400 POUNDS!

Those of us that would like to enjoy a perfectly cooked piece of fried chicken without needing a pack of breath mints can rejoice in knowing that Sugoi’s other chicken offerings (mochiko, sesame, and katsu) are cooked using the same delicious care. Additionally, anyone who wants to grab a box of chicken for their next picnic or tailgate can swing by and order Sugoi’s “Chicken to Go”: Fifteen pieces of delectable chicken hot, boxed up, ready to go!

Sugoi Chicken to Go!

After ten years of serving delicious garlic chicken to Hawaii, Sugoi has become nearly synonymous with garlic chicken. When talking to Zachary about Sugoi’s food offerings, I asked him the question: “What do you think is your most underrated dish?” Not two seconds went by when Zachary said, “Our katsu! When someone orders katsu, I’m so happy to give it to them.”

Katsu Plate Lunch

I’m guilty of being in the group of Sugoi customers who only order garlic chicken, but after having a taste of their katsu I can honestly say that my stomach is going to do some wrestling over what to order next time I stop by. Many katsu lovers will attest that two things make or break a katsu: Quality of breading and the breading-to-meat ratio. Sugoi’s katsu delivers on both of these items. The breading is a beautiful golden crispy brown with wonderful flavor and crunch while being in perfect balance with the thickness of the meat within. Combine these elements with Sugoi’s tangy and delicious made-from-scratch katsu dipping sauce, and you’ve got yourself one mean plate lunch.

So far we’ve highlighted just the fried foods on Sugoi’s menu, but Zachary and his staff actually provide a wide assortment of local plate lunch favorites. From local-style breakfast items to loco moco, Sugoi has it all. Something you don’t see at many plate lunch joints is Sugoi’s offering of various fried noodle dishes including yakisoba, yakiudon, and chow fun.

Chow Fun Plate

Zachary strives to bring something new to the menu and his customers every few months. If the new item is popular, Zachary will add it permanently to Sugoi’s menu. The most recent example of a successful new item is Sugoi’s Curry Loco Moco.

Luckily for us in Hawaii, the culinary exploits of Zachary and Sugoi extend well beyond their physical location. As the name suggests Sugoi also takes orders for catering. Popular among birthday celebrations and office parties, Sugoi’s catering services can provide delicious food for a party of any size. Sugoi also offers full service catering, which includes delivery and a full-service attendant.

Sugoi Sauces available at many local retailers!

As if running a bento spot and a catering business wasn’t enough work, Zachary and Sugoi also has their lineup of bottled sauces. Currently you can find three different Sugoi sauces for sale all across the state. These three flavors are Garlic (the most popular of course), Spicy Garlic (Zachary’s personal favorite), and Sesame. You can find these fine sauces on the shelves of many local stores including Don Quijote, Foodland, Longs, Target, and Wholesale Unlimited. They are a great way to enjoy the most popular flavors of Sugoi right at home, or to send as a reminder of home to family on the mainland!

If you’re a fan of local style plate lunch and bento fare, then you’ve got to check out Sugoi Bento & Catering! From their famous garlic chicken to the local favorite plate lunch staples, Sugoi delivers excellent food and big portions at reasonable prices. I can guarantee if you’ve never been there that once you do go, you’ll want to go back for more!

*SPECIAL OFFER! STARTS MAY 3, 2010!!!*
LocoKineGrindz.com is proud to present an exclusive coupon offer from Sugoi to our readers! Simply print the coupon (preview below) and bring it on down to Sugoi to redeem! This exclusive offer begins on May 3, 2010 and expires on May 31st, 2010 so you better hurry on down starting Monday! Click HERE for the printable version!