Tucked within the Rancho Peñasquitos suburbs is Kalei’s Kitchenette — a Hawaiian fusion eatery owned by couple Andy and Khara Mangiduyos. Outside, windows showcase their specials while light music floats around the sunny kitchen. Inside, the Mangiduyos’ attention to detail is on full display, from family photos decorating the walls to a tiny handmade ornament of one of their dishes at the register.
I had the opportunity to talk with Khara to learn more about the founding of Kalei’s Kitchenette. The restaurant began as a San Diego farmer’s market stand and catering company in 2018, then fully expanded into a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Head chef Andy, who grew up in Maui, uses his background to create Hawaiian, Filipino, Korean, Japanese, and Polynesian fusion cuisine.
In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, local AANHPI-owned businesses shared their cuisines, stories, and traditions. Khara spoke about being a part of the first AANHPI Eats Week. “This is a very special moment for us because it’s a combination of who we are, and it focuses on the art and what we wanted to achieve,” she said. Khara noted that their goal is to “bring a slice of Maui here to San Diego through our food and the community that we are building.”
Khara explained that, in true Hawaiian fashion, the meals are served in grab-and-go style. For our AANHPI Eats Week visit, the restaurant prepared heaping boxes of food — three sides and four entrees. As we sipped from cans of Hawaiian Sun Strawberry Guava Nectar and Pass-O-Guava, we dove into our meal.
The three sides included a fresh pickled cucumber salad, a creamy mac salad, and a scoop of rice with salty furikake seasoning. The cucumber salad had an assortment of crunchy pickled onions, thinly sliced cucumber, and sweet carrots. The vinegar flavor was perfectly tangy with a slight kick of spice. The mac salad was composed of thick macaroni noodles, crispy carrots, green onion, and a delicious dressing. Its peppery and perfectly creamy texture made it the first item to be gobbled up from our three to-go boxes.
Our entrees — pork lau lau, huli huli chicken, teriyaki beef, and garlic chicken — were one smash hit after another.
We started off with the pork lau lau, a traditional Hawaiian staple and the dish Kalei’s Kitchenette showcased for AANHPI Eats Week. The care and effort put into this dish was evident in each delectable bite. Kalei’s Kitchenette imports taro leaves from Hawaii to wrap raw pork and salt and steams them for four hours to cook the pork — they only make 10 per week! We were very excited to try this coveted delicacy. The soft leaves were nutty and soaked up the flavors of the perfectly cooked pork, and the meat was tender and juicy with a slight smoky flavor. This was a standout dish from our experience here.
Next, we tried the sesame seed-sprinkled huli huli chicken, which had a rich taste with a slight tang. The sauce was savory and struck the perfect balance of sweetness and smokiness.
Our third entree, teriyaki beef, was soft, bursting with salty umami flavors and dripping with a thick tangy and sweet sauce. The marinated beef melted into the rice making for salty and delicious bites.
The garlic chicken, one of its bestsellers, was our final entree. Khara told us the chicken — her favorite item on the menu — was inspired by a dish the couple had while in Oahu. The beautifully crunchy chicken had a golden exterior that magically stayed crispy even as it soaked up the umami sauce. It was salty with a strong garlic flavor, and was definitely one of our favorites of the visit.
Kalei’s Kitchenette has far exceeded its goal of bringing Hawaii to San Diego. We could taste the care and love put into its dishes and left with not only a greater understanding of Native Hawaiian cuisine, but also heaping to-go boxes of leftovers. Getting to hear Mangiduyos tell the stories behind their food was a testament to their commitment to their community and culture. Not only did the couple bring Maui to San Diego, but they brought it to the UC San Diego dormitories, too.
