Loco Moco is a contemporary Hawaiian dish traditionally consisting of white rice, a hamburger patty, fried egg, and brown gravy that I first had from Ono Grindz, a pop-up restaurant, at Asian Food Fest. It wasn’t until after I’d tried and become obsessed with Ono Grindz’ take on the dish that I absolutely had to try E+O Kitchen, an “earth and ocean” restaurant in the former Beluga and Dancing Wasabi space in Hyde Park, which has Loco Moco on its menu. I’d heard good things about E+O, so at about 4:30pm on a Saturday afternoon (like the grandparents we are), BK and I found seats at the bar and got to ordering.
Two Lil Piggies
Loco Moco
To start, we decided on a Two Lil Piggies roll, which is pork belly, avocado, asparagus, avocado crema, salsa roja, black bean puree, and herb salad. The roll was delicious. I then, of course, ordered Loco Moco (grass-fed beef, fried egg, gravy, steamed rice), while BK got a Poke Bowl (ahi tuna poke, cucumber salad).
There were very few people in the restaurant when we arrived because it was 4:30pm on a Saturday. (If you like to eat later in the evening when most adults eat, they take reservations.) Counter service was great, the interior was gorgeous, and the food was awesome, even if a bit pricy. That’s my biggest “complaint,” really, as we paid more than $60 for an app, two entrees, a beer, and a diet pop. But I’m telling you, the food was very good, and E+O would be wonderful for a special occasion dinner if pricier isn’t your style for any ol’ night out.