Profit Sharing

Generous Dining at Ethel's Grill

Ethel Ishii has a unique profit-sharing program at her Kalihi Kai restaurant, Ethel's Grill. If her customers are tipping her well, the proprietress and waitress will provide a free side order of Tataki Sashimi (normally $4). The appetizer features seared, sliced ahi, which sits atop a bed of bean sprouts in a small pool of shoyu and sesame oil. It's garnished with slices of sautéed garlic. It's delicious.

Ethel's Grill • 232 Kalihi St. • 847-6467 • Monday through Saturday, 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Ishii buys 20 pounds of ahi everyday, and if things are going well, she'll start serving up the tataki free of charge. But wait a minute. She's handing out these freebees to customers before she delivers the bill and gets her tip. I guess Ethel knows a little about investing, too.

Ishii's largesse doesn't end with the tataki. With most of her entrèes, diners also get a bowl of miso soup and a small side salad. The starters aren't quite as good as the ahi. The miso soup was a little cold and the full-bodied parsley Dijon dressing on the green salad a little too strong. However, the meal is one of the best deals in town.

I got two different recommendations to visit Ethel's over the course of a week, so it came as a little surprise to me when I found out that Ethel's Grill has been in the same location for the past 28 years. For all that time, Ishii has been working the front of the house while her husband, David, does the cooking. The couple has an older gentleman who helps them clear off the dishes.

Ethel and David's food is the epitome of Island-style comfort food: egg-battered Fried Mahimahi ($6), Garlic Chicken ($6.50) and a half-a-dozen different Saimin ($5.75), in bowls large enough to stick your head in. The menu, much of it posted above the cash register on sheets of paper, has stayed the same for nearly three decades. However, about every six months or so, Ethel will add a new item or two.

Hold the Gravy: Ethel's Japanese-style hamburger steak. photo: Jimmy Forrest

According to Ethel, her restaurant's clientele was almost entirely blue collar until a few years ago, when downtown "aloha-shirt people" started to discover her tiny place. Since then, she's attracted a younger, hipper crowd. "Also, good looking," says Ethel.

On my first visit, I ordered the Japanese-style Hamburger Steak ($6.75). I was expecting something with a rich, savory, brown gravy, but, instead, Ethel's hamburger steak is served with a tangy, citrus-y ponzu. A bed of grated daikon and diced radish sprouts give additional texture and a little spice. The hamburger steak itself is made "old-style," a combination of meat, bread crumbs, onions, eggs and spices. The result is a flavorful patty that is pleasingly tender. A very large scoop of rice is served separately.

The dish was sweet, salty and sour, an interesting combination of something familiar and something surprising.

I enjoyed the food so much that I visited Ethel's again the next day and ordered the special – Garlic Pork Chops ($6.50). It must have been a good tip day, because the tataki sashimi was free again. The chops were dredged in flour, deep fried, then dunked in a syrupy garlic sauce that adhered nicely to the meat. It was slightly spicy and slightly tangy. Very good.

After finishing my meal, I promised myself that I'd be back again within a week. Before leaving, I made sure to leave a very generous tip.

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