Jason Chen moved to Texas from San Francisco nine years ago after the cost of living started to become unaffordable, he said. He first worked as a truck driver, but he said his family wanted him to be home more often.

After missing the type of island-inspired barbecue eateries that he said can be found more commonly on the West Coast, he and his sister Crystal Luo ventured into the restaurant business for the first time and opened Hawi Hawaiian BBQ Express in Cy-Fair in September 2017.

Chen said West Coast natives are familiar with Hawaiian plate lunches consisting of steamed rice, macaroni salad and teriyaki-style barbecued meats, but Cy-Fair residents did not have access to such meals at the time.

“Three years ago, we went back to San Francisco to visit friends and mentioned that we missed the food in a friend's Hawaiian barbecue restaurant,” he said. “She said, ‘Why don't you open one in Houston since there is no Hawaiian barbecue?’ I thought that would be a good idea too, and that is how we started.”

The eatery serves variations of chicken, beef, pork and seafood along with noodle soups, salads and traditional Hawaiian favorites. Luo said the most popular menu items are the Hawaiian barbecue plates and chicken katsu—crispy breaded chicken served with Japanese-style barbecue sauce.

Luo said native Hawaiian diners like to order the loco moco—white rice topped with two beef patties, fried eggs and brown gravy—and the kalua pork, Hawaii’s version of pulled pork and a dish commonly served at luau feasts.

The Hawi Plate is served with steamed rice, a fresh salad and the choice of one or two meats. Party packs are also available to feed crowds.

Other traditional Hawaiian cuisine served at the restaurant includes grilled spam with eggs, macaroni salad and musubi—a popular snack made with spam, chicken or beef and a block of rice wrapped in seaweed.

“We open[ed] this to offer one more option for people besides burgers,” Chen said. “Most people have not heard about Hawaiian barbecue. What I like most about running this business is knowing that our customer[s] like our food.”

12254 FM 1960, Houston 281-653-9896 Hours: 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. daily