FEW things are more disturbing to me than paying more than $100 for a thoroughly lousy dinner. This happened at a new Italian restaurant that shall remain nameless. (I'm not out to put restaurants out of business, especially since many have proved perfectly capable of repelling customers themselves, thank you.) Zippy’s new fresh
fish menu delightsIf you think my whinefest starts with bad food, well, that's just the beginning. A bad meal means I have to hunt down food elsewhere; so I can't go home; so I have to eat more; so I put on some poundage when I'm already 15 pounds overweight; so I don't feel good; and so on.
In this case though, I was saved by Zippy's fast-food counter. For about $15 for two, you can have a quick, reasonably healthful deal of a meal of fresh fish. Zippy's has always offered fish as a daily special, but now they're trying to offer up to three such specials daily, with a choice of sauces and preparations.
Zippy's administrative director Charlene Kim said more fish was added because "A lot of people are trying to eat healthier. They don't want to eat meat."
At Zippy's Kailua, I tried the Grilled Salmon ($7.75) and Grilled Ono ($5.85). I was offered a choice of tartar, dill or black bean sauces. I opted for the dill with salmon and black bean for the ono. These were respectfully served on the side so one could use as much or as little as desired. With time, new sauces will be added to the repertoire.
The dill mayonnaise will please all who love that Hari Kojima-style fish-mayo combo. The amount of dill was just right -- tasty enough to enhance the fish, but not so overpowering as to offend those new to the herb. The black bean sauce will appeal to those who like their food salty.I was impressed by the salmon's buttery flavor and texture. The fillet was generous; seven ounces is the standard portion. At a finer restaurant, you'd pay $16 to $18 for similar fish.
Of course, at a fine restaurant you don't have to put up with standing behind someone in line trying to pay with 85 cents worth of pennies, or customers who try to chat up the counter help like long lost friends.
SUCH irritations aside, Zippy's has made it almost pointless to cook at home. I recently saw a similar sized salmon fillet in the supermarket priced at $7.15. And sure, maybe you have a knack for coming up with delicious sauces, but Zippy's has the advantage of starting with a better quality of fish, purchased at daily auctions.
A main problem will be that of consistency. Will they prepare the fish as well at Kahala as Makiki? They have the rules down to a science. At Makiki I got a superb piece of Kajiki ($5.85), or Pacific Blue Marlin, sauteed in a garlic-butter sauce. The garlic came from powder, but the veggies that topped the fish were fresh mushrooms, onions and tomatoes. Swap the usual macaroni salad for tossed greens and there's a fine meal. Fast food is now absolutely fabulous!
The only problem is that others seem to agree. If you get to the various Zippy's restaurants after 8 p.m. or so, you'll find only one fish special left, if you're lucky.
At the Makiki, Dillingham and Vineyard Zippy's, the staff is still trying to determine whether customers want fresh breaded ahi in the Zip Pacs, in place of pre-breaded frozen fish. Kim said the ahi appears to be winning. Look for the updated Zip Pacs in other restaurants soon.
So check out the new menu. There's everything, yet nothing fishy about it.
Zippy's
Where: They're everywhere
Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews run on Thursdays. Reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:
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