AO Hawaiian Hideout- the Asian influenced food

rating=5] Last night, Frank, Paul Lisnek and myself went to the south loop to dine at a new spot that will rock you like no other, A. O. Hawaiian Hideout. This is an unusual name , but is a great one as this is a smallish looking ( don’t judge a book by its cover) on the outside, yet massive and very comfy once in the actual dining room. Here is where an explanation must come to pass. When you look at the menu, you might get confused. Is this Chinese? Japanese? Korean? Thai? No it is Hawaiian and is food based on the cultures of all the above.

Hawaiian cuisine is one of the most interesting in the world, thanks to its vast cultural influences that shaped it paired with an emphasis on fresh, locally grown ingredients. Geographically, Hawaii consists of a cluster of islands in the North Pacific Ocean. Each of these islands is home to an abundance of different plants and sea life, both of which contribute to Hawaii’s culinary scene. Year-round, the islands boast a mild yet tropical climate that encourages the growth of pineapple, sugarcane, macadamia nuts, avocados, tomatoes, beans, corn, and more.

Due to such a pleasant climate for growing crops, Hawaii received an influx of people coming to the islands to take advantage of the land during the plantation era. The majority of the plantation activity was dictated by major corporations in America (before the Hawaiian Islands were a part of the United States), where they employed immigrants to work on the crops. The workers came from many different regions of the world, each bringing their own traditions to the islands to share with others. As a result, Hawaii became a melting pot of exciting cuisine from all around the world.

Because of the unique location of the Hawaiian Islands, it’s no wonder that seafood played (and continues to play) a very important part of their menu. The sushi menu is wonderful as is the Poke Bowl menu. You will find that this is almost sushi, unrolled! Paul is NOT a sushi person ( Jane, who could not join us tonight is and she adores the Poke Bowl- we took that home for her). I will say that Paul did try sushi and he did not complain, so maybe there is hope for the young lad!

As usual Frank had everything and would have taken more home except that I opted to take it home to Jane who missed the evening to make sure her health was perfect for our trip to Israel ( this Saturday).

We began with cocktails that are high on the must order list at AO Hawaiian Hideout ( I wonder which patrons were in fact hiding out and which were just enjoying a special night out with friends enjoying a festive meal). I had the Dr. Lee ( a sort of Asian Old Fashion), Frank the Mango Margarita and Paul, the Freaky Tiki ( more like a milk shake then a cocktail). They hit the spot.

For the most part, our menu was pre-arranged so that we could do a true tasting of the many menu items at this restaurant. The Teaser Sampler is a platter of items that are expected in a Chinese restaurant and while we did not hit the egg roll of The Pekin House, this one was crispy and tasty. On the platter we also had a crab Rangoon and a shrimp item- they were all delicious, with the sauces or in my case, without. I am a sauce-less person as I like to savor each flavor and often the sauces change the final taste we get.

The entrees were Lava Shrimp, Kalbi, Honey Sesame Chicken, Deluxe Fried Rice, Penang Chicken, Beef Mie Goreng as well as one Poke Bowl to bring home to Jane. She truly enjoyed this ,and said that compared to other Poke Bowls she has enjoyed, this one is far above their status. She is ready to go back and try other flavors.

The three of us  found our food quite tasty and the amount of food in each order made me see that this is a perfect getaway for a family. Sharing is very easy to do with the portions they serve. One of the beautiful things about this restaurant is that every taste can be satisfied- they do it all- if you like Japanese, Chinese, Thai or any of the cuisines of Asia, AO Hawaiian Hideout will satiny your hunger.

The are located at  1315 S. Wabash Avenue ( considered the South Loop) with plenty of metered parking in the immediate area. There are even a few FREE spaces.

The hours are:

Sunday-Thursday  11:30 a.m.- 8:30 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays  until 9:30 p.m.

The phone number is 312-662-1100

to check them out or place an order or make a reservation, visit  www.aohawaiianhideout.com. If you want to feel that you have escaped from the cold wintry days that Chicago brings in the winter, this is the place. It was pouring outside tonight, and I felt that we were on a tropical island having a ball. You will too!