It's been about a week since Kale's Hale started selling $10 bentos. Last Friday — the fifth day of selling bentos — the eatery had sold more than 200 before noon.
Chef/owner Kale Afong says a friend had suggested this $10 bento idea last year. After running some numbers, he figured he would "try and make it work."
“We sold 40 bentos on the first day, 60 on the second, 60 on the third, 250-plus on day four, and it’s more than 200 now on day five," Afong says.
“Everywhere you go, a lunch is $20 or more,” he adds. “Even plate lunches, poke bowls — it’s a $20 bill. We’re trying to bring back a taste of old-school Hawai‘i and make an affordable $10 bento.”
Afong says Kale’s Hale, located in Kalihi, is in the perfect neighborhood for the bento deal.
“We have a whole community full of kūpuna out here,” he says. “Everybody likes a good $10 bento.”
The $10 bento deal is available daily, according to Afong. While the restaurant officially starts selling the bentos at 10 a.m., the eatery could open as early as 7 a.m. The restaurant will post updates regarding the bentos on Instagram.
“Sometimes, if I have the energy, we’ll start at 7 a.m.,” Afong says. “We’re going to try keep it rolling for at least three months; we’re going to try and go until December, but it’s going to depend on the community.
“If the community is for it, we’re going to stick with it,” he adds. “We don’t really make money because it’s $10. But, we can make it worthwhile if we can sell 500 to 700 bentos per day.”
Like the restaurant’s banchan — the side dishes that come with the AYCE yakiniku experience — the bento choices change daily. Recent selections featured citrus salmon belly, miso Swai (fish), garlic chicken and char siu chicken.
“The most popular are probably the shoyu pork and miso Swai,” Afong says. “The Korean fried chicken is also really popular. We have miso chicken, teri chicken and spicy pork. We get choke; those are the top sellers.”
Bento sides also rotate, according to Afong, who says they have included options like gyoza, seaweed rolls, spring rolls, lumpia, dried radish kimchi and ocean salad.
He says that bentos are also available for catering, and customers can call ahead for larger orders.
“It’s first come, first served in the morning, but if somebody calls and pre-orders, we can accommodate,” he says.
On days when the restaurant opens early to sell bentos, Afong says they will have “a few hundred out” for customers to choose from. The bentos are just the beginning of a bigger project, though.
“We’re going to get this elevated,” Afong says. “We played around with some plating options, but I just got so busy. The bentos look good now, but we’re going to get it way better.”
He explains part of the restaurant will be redesigned to create a mini mākeke, and will include a fridge and freezer filled with local products.
“We’re going to have all locally made products — ice cream, chili pepper water, and more,” he says. “I’m starting with the bentos, but I’m going to build this all out.
Customer parking is available in the restaurant’s lot.
CONTACT
Kale’s Hale
1339 N School St., Honolulu
kaleshale.com
Instagram: @kaleshale_hawaii
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.
