It was sometime in the early or mid 1990s when I tried the fried rice at Tante's Restaurant in Kona Bowl. It was off da hook! Best fried rice I've had to this day. I liked it with two eggs and I would slather it with ketchup.
One day, I'm sitting there enjoying the fried rice when Tante comes to me and says, "Try this, you'll like it." It looked kind of like stew, kind of like nishime. I took a few bites and devoured the small bowl. Tante wouldn't let me pay. Shrimp Sari Sari.
Somehow I think he knew that I would be hooked on this, too. When I moved back to Oahu, I missed those quiet meals in the bowling alley at Tante's. Air conditioning on a boiling hot Kona afternoon never hurt, either.
Many years later, I was on Maui covering a state tournament for work. I was shocked to see that the restaurant at my hotel had "Tante's Restaurant" on the sign. I've been back a few time since, whenever work provided the opportunity. The breakfast plate is very good. The Sari Sari is very similar.
Tante expanded over the years to Maui, and now Maalaea. The Sari Sari now is a little different from what I remember, still ono, still chock full of vegetables and shrimp. I had this one to go after finishing breakfast. I later ate it at the baseball state tournament, then back in the hotel room. Hit the spot.
Tante's Island Cuisine
100 W Kaahumanu Ave, Kahului, HI 96732
Hours: 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Closed Sunday.
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