EDIT (12/01/2017): This is a little awkward, but I was informed not even a day after I posted this review that the restaurant has changed their entire menu and basically all of the food that was featured in this post is no longer available. I sincerely apologize for the misleading review!
I was recently making dinner plans with my friend Cupcake when we were seeking out a new restaurant for me to try in Sangmu. As we had previously eaten at many of the cooler spots in the area, it took some digging before we settled on a place that offered something a little different from the norm.
We ended up going to Hawaiian Monk, as it was a spot near Cupcake’s home that had caught my attention each time I was in the area. Having replaced a well-known franchise, this newer place with its promises of Hawaiian food left me curious, especially after having seen other Hawaii-inspired places popping up around town. When we arrived on a chilly evening, I was immediately transported to a place that was really pushing that island theme.
The menu thankfully came with translations for the dish names in English, though the descriptions were only available in Korean. There was an entire page dedicated to Monk Balls, which appeared to be the restaurant’s specialty. From what I could gather, they were made using ground beef and came in dishes like the Monk Brunch, Cream Monk Ball, and even the Monk Bibim Bap. Unfortunately, before we could even consider these options, we were informed by the staff that they were out of balls. Swallowing our disappointment, we glanced over the rest of the menu, which featured dishes like pasta, rice, fried sides, and pizza which appeared to be a popular choice. The menu also had a wide variety of drinks. Offering everything from coffee to shakes, there were a lot of interesting choices like the Hibiscus Ice Tea and Lemon Apple Hot Tea. There was also a varied beer menu with craft beers and a couple of unique draft beers. We settled on ordering the Chicken Tenders, Hawaiian Fried Rice, and the Half and Half Pizza, in which we could combine any two of the pizza options except for the Melting Pizza. The combination we went for was the New York Style Pizza (whatever that meant) and the Pepperoni Solar Pizza.
It took some time for us to receive our food after we placed our order. Both Cupcake and I couldn’t help but lament over the fact that the restaurant was out of meatballs, especially since the table next to ours appeared have them. Speaking of which, to the nice couple who appeared to be enjoying dinner while being stared at by two envious women, I would like to extend my apologies. We were hungry.
The first of our food to arrive was the chicken tenders, which came covered in a pale yellow sauce and a side of a zesty looking corn salad. I hesitated at first with these tenders, as I was not expecting them to arrive pre-sauced. After taking a careful bite, what I assumed was honey mustard ended up being a much milder garlic butter, similar to what one would find at pizza chains. Though this definitely isn’t where my mind goes when I think of butter chicken, it was fairly decent. I did appreciate the crispness of the tenders, though if I were to order it again, I would definitely ask for the sauce on the side. The small corn salad was a nice change from the pickles one would expect to receive in its place.
The main dish I was excited to try was the pizza, which came in the form of a well-cooked rectangle with browned edges and simple toppings. To answer my previous curiosity, it appeared that the difference between the New York Pizza and the Pepperoni Pizza was that the former came topped with a spoonful of tomato paste instead of a protein. Though I’ve never tried legit Detroit-style pizza, I think it’s safe to say that it was the inspiration for what I was about to eat. As a fan of pan pizzas, I was happy with what I got, though the crust could have been a bit less charred. The basic toppings were flavorful, and the crisp edges contrasted nicely with the softer dough inside.
The last dish we had was the Hawaiian Fried Rice, which was a savory mix of shrimp, pineapple, and vegetables that had been cooked with a soy sauce base before being topped with a drizzle of mayonnaise. While that last addition would typically bother me, the amount used in this dish wasn’t enough to be too distracting. As Cupcake is unable to eat spicy food, this proved to be a nice dish that we both enjoyed. It reminded me quite a bit of some of the pineapple rice dishes I had during my visits to Thai restaurants.
Overall, our visit to Hawaiian Monk was a nice, albeit slightly disappointing one (we really wanted those balls). Considering the varied menu, I could definitely see myself coming back, especially since both Cupcake and I couldn’t help but notice the giant portions of pasta the other tables had as we were leaving. I would recommend this place to those who are looking for an affordable and different option for Western-ish food in the Sangmu area, especially since this particular area seems to mostly specialize in franchises and pasta. While the food won’t exactly transport you away to paradise, you will walk away full of decent food.
Address: 광주 서구 치평동 1176
Phone: 062-371-8779
Hours: 11:00 – 24:00 (last order 23:00)
Website: http://hawaiianmonk.modoo.at
Average Price: 10,000 to 14,000