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Paradise Hawaiian Barbecue is a hole-in-the-wall, Hawaiian-Korean barbecue restaurant, located conveniently on College Avenue, near the new College Avenue Commons.
The restaurant’s location makes it extremely convenient for ASU students to grab an affordable and satisfying lunch or dinner.
The food here is appetizing and filling. The combination of Korean marinades and Hawaiian barbecue techniques produces a good flavor that is completely unpredictable. It isn’t the typical Hawaiian barbecue, nor is it the typical Korean barbecue restaurant; it is a mix of both.
Being the only Hawaiian-Korean barbecue restaurant near the Tempe campus, there really isn’t much room for comparison in terms of its authenticity. Because there's no comparable place to get this food, the restaurant is a great place to go if you're interested in sampling something outside the norm of Tempe's food scene.
The prices for most dishes are very reasonable, but the soda prices are less so. It is $1.85 for a medium and $2.25 for a large, and the restaurant only allows one refill.
There are a couple more minor issues that might make you think twice before going. Firstly, the restaurant does not have an interior that is very inviting. It is gloomy and unorganized, which makes the restaurant look messy and dirty. Secondly, the servers aren’t the friendliest people. They take your order, swipe your card and deliver your food. That’s all. Do not expect a "hi," "bye" or "thank you."
Nonetheless, looking past those negative aspects, the restaurant is still worth a visit for its tasty food. The restaurant offers many different dishes you won't find anywhere else in Tempe.
The meat here is marinated in the restaurant’s special sauce and is grilled to a perfect doneness, which is juicy and tender. Also, the side dishes here are extraordinary. Some uncommon ones that I would recommend include the kimchi (traditional fermented cabbage), bean sprouts and glass noodles.
Some popular dishes are the kalbi (short ribs marinated in special sauce), spicy BBQ pork (or chicken/beef) and Spam musubi. Paradise Hawaiian BBQ also offers different plate combos that come with four sides and two scoops of steamed rice.
Additionally, if you happen to be getting lunch at Paradise Hawaiian, take advantage of the lunch special. You will get an extra piece of meat with the four sides and rice. For only $7.59, the portion is huge.
All in all, the food is wonderful and the venue and service are so-so, but not unforgivable. Just call in for takeout if you aren’t too keen on dining in. For a budget meal that’s good and filling, Paradise Hawaiian is definitely worth trying.
Details:
Location – 580 S. College Ave., Ste 103, Tempe
Phone – 480-621-7373
Hours – 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday
Closed Sunday
Reach the reporter at jmoo1@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @moojuliet
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