The Weekly Eater
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Obsessive" is a word that comes to mind when Pedro Moreno talks about his work in the kitchen, and Hawaii Kai is the better for it. Pedro’s serves great food
and drinks at a great locationHe's loco enough to attempt to do all the cooking and most of the prep work himself at the restaurant that bears his name, saying, "If I go take a nap, everything changes.
"I take care of the cooking; they help me dish it out. This way I know what I have. Everything's fresh, everything's moving."
On the minus side, dishes can be slow out of the kitchen, especially now. With Cinco de Mayo celebrated next Sunday, Moreno is one popular guy. A couple of recent TV features, including Shawn Ching's "On the Menu" led to a flood of new faces and early this week it took 40 minutes to get water and 20 more minutes to get margaritas and soup. I had filled up on chips and salsa by that time, but was rewarded once the meal arrived, starting with excellent strawberry and lilikoi margaritas ($5.50) -- the latter particularly intoxicating with its sweet-sour blend -- salted glasses optional.
Of the two soups, I prefer the lemony albondigas ($4.50) or meatballs rolled with rice over tortilla soup ($4.50). I've never understood the attraction of soggy tortilla strips. Don't expect to sip it from tiny cups. Both are substantial (I sympathize with the waitresses who have to lift the massive plates here) and along with the basketful of complimentary tortilla chips might serve as a full meal.
Or you might consider getting something small like an a la carte taco ($3.50 to $3.95) or chile rellenos ($4). Moreno, who learned his techniques in Nayarit, an agricultural town between the sea port of Mazatlan and resort town of Puerto Vallarta, said he never understood why Mexican cuisine is watered down in America.
Complaining of flavorless and dried out Mexican food served elsewhere, he aims for authenticity, which won him a 38-year following in San Diego, after he opened a restaurant there "for $5, which is all I had in my pocket."
Moreno's basic chile relleno is exceptional, served in a chunky sauce of tomatoes and onions that is as satisfying as a soup. Even now, I want more!
Chocolate makes its appearance in mole poblano ($13.75) cooked to order. Like a lot of Mexican food, it's not much to look at, but the shredded chicken breast is served in a complex dark sauce of chocolate, chiles and spices, topped with sesame seeds. Aesthetics can be overrated anyway as American restaurateurs, thinking they had found the fountain of fast food, colored Mexican dishes with vivid reds, greens and yellows, while ignoring flavor and sapping the cuisine of its character and potency.
Of course, sometimes all you want to do is sit around sipping margaritas, and the Pedro's site right on the water at the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center is perfect for a lazy afternoon or pau hana time. The tequila can be tempered with a pile of nachos grande ($7.95), topped with beans, sour cream, guacamole and your choice of shredded chicken or ground beef.
The young can get away with punishing their bodies, and that's what chorizo con queso fundido ($6.50) is for. The Michoacan-style cheese fondue is a gob of Jack topped with a layer of the ground Mexican sausage. Even though lean chorizo is used, a puddle of oil gushes from it. Warm tortillas accompany the decadent fat bomb that will be irresistible to anyone weaned on meat-and-cheese pizzas.
You can get combinations of tacos, burritos and enchiladas served with Spanish rice and refried beans for $9.95 to $13.75. If you're really hungry, specialties de la casa include char-broiled carne asada ($14.75), strips of sirloin served with a cheese enchilada, tortillas, Spanish rice and refried beans, or, even better, the carnitas ($13.95), lean chunks of pork simmered with garlic, lime and orange juices, that turns out as tender as kalua pork. If cost is an issue, you can get the carnitas or carne asada in taco ($3.95) or burrito ($6.50) form.
There's not much seafood on the menu. The few offerings include fish tacos ($9.95) and shrimp rancheros ($15.50). I didn't care for the latter, which was overcooked in its stew of tomato, onions and bell peppers.
Moreno doesn't slack off in the dessert department. He makes a Kahlua-flavored flan ($3.50) as thick as cheesecake that you must save room for ... even if he makes that difficult.
Hawaii Kai Shopping Center, 377 Keahole St. (near The Shack) / 394-5555 Pedro's
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Mondays to Fridays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays
Food 
Service Ambience Value Cost: About $20 to $35 for two without drinks
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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:
To recommend a restaurant, write: The Weekly Eater, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or send e-mail to nkam@starbulletin.com
excellent; very good, exceeds expectations; average; below average.
