Da Kine's in Linda Vista
The place for plate lunches
Da Kine: According to Wikipedia, an expression in Hawaiian pidgin, probably derived from “the kind” that usually functions grammatically as a placeholder name (as in “whatchamacallit”), but can also take the role of a verb, adjective or adverb. The web site Atlas Obscura describes “Da Kine” as a symbol of Hawaiian people and the unique way they speak, and maybe the most versatile phrase on the planet.
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It was time again for your intrepid food reporters to go on the prowl to find a unique spot to eat in the Linda Vista area. And so we two pescatarians, along with our friendly carnivore set off on our search – and we didn’t have to go very far to find a place with home cooked meals – if your home happened to be in Hawaii as ours did for six years in the 80’s and 90’s during assignments with the Marine Corps.
Although this is not a new place, actually having been around since 1997, it is new to Linda Vista. We are talking about Da Kine’s Hawaiian Restaurant and Catering. 5401 Linda Vista Road, Unit 402, San Diego, CA 92110 858-302-2096. Hours: Closed Monday, Open Tuesday – Sunday 11 AM to 6 PM.
We decided to try it for lunch recently and along with eating, had a nice chat with the owner and chef, Nelson Ishii. He told us that he had several restaurants as well as a catering business and then about 11 years ago, for personal reasons, decided to stay strictly with the catering aspect of the business and give up the restaurants. When asked why he decided to open a restaurant again, he said that so many people knew him from his restaurant days and indicated they missed his restaurant, he decided to start up again. He opened his present location in October 2019. Things were going very well and he had as many as 12 employees at one time. Business dropped a little over the Christmas holidays and then the pandemic hit in March. At that time he dropped to 0 employees. It is the same story we have heard from so many restaurants that were hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak. Gradually though, things have picked up and the day we were there, there was a steady stream of carry outs along with some diners eating outside at the tables which are spaced apart.
Baked Fish plate lunch
There is an extensive menu of plate lunches (well known to anyone who has ever visited Hawaii) with the traditional two scoops of rice and a scoop of mac salad or green salad. The choices include Teriyaki Chicken or Beef, Kalua Pig, Katsu Chicken Baked Fish, Kalbi Ribs, Loco Moco, and more. There is also an ala cart menu including spam, musubi rice and many other items. All can be viewed on their website here
Since two of us do not eat meat, we ordered the Baked Fish plate lunch. There was more than ample food and the fish was tender and expertly seasoned. The mac salad and sticky rice is how we remember it from our Hawaiian days.
Our carnivore ordered not just a Teriyaki Beef plate lunch, but also a side of Chicken Katsu, which arrived with Teriyaki and Katsu sauces. We could hardly get him to stop eating long enough to comment on the quality of the food. He kept saying “awesome” and “excellent” and other superlatives in between bites of food. “Perfectly cooked and seasoned,” he said.
Teriyaki Beef plate lunch
The value for the money is very good. It’s a lot of food, and almost enough to take home half for another meal. Almost, although we did not do that.
The Carnivore remarked to us that Da Kine’s has already been discovered as a popular go-to place by his fellow hungry USD students.
As mentioned above, Da Kine’s does a thriving catering business. So for your next graduation, birthday, wedding, or any other get together – when we are again allowed to get together – give Da Kine’s a call. Nelson will be glad to help you plan the menu and even if an item is not on the menu, he may be able to help you out.
Side of Chicken Katsu
In the meantime, give them a call, order some plate lunches and eat at the restaurant or take the food home to enjoy at your leisure. Ask about the daily specials. Either way, we think you will really enjoy it.
Da Kine’s — a little bit of Hawaii right here in Linda Vista!
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