My friends and I have spent a lot of time Kanpai Bar & Grill.

A lot.

So much, in fact, we even knew the shifts of the servers.

So when some of the staff left Kanpai to work in the kitchen of a new bar/grill in January, we were torn. We loved the laid-back indoor/outdoor atmosphere of Kanpai, the abundance of parking across the street and, of course, the garlic chicken.

The new place — Home Bar & Grill — was dark and along Kalakaua Avenue where parking is scarce. (Understatement.)

But — and this was a big one — it had that garlic chicken.

That did it. We were moving the pau hana to Home — and we didn’t regret it.

The menu boasts pan-seared Manila clams, kalbi noodles and chicken gizzards. And there’s even tater tot nachos, with sour cream, olives, salsa, nacho cheese sauce, and jalapenos.

And yes, the garlic chicken was there, too. (Whew)

Here’s what our last night out looked like:

Smoked pork with onions

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Something different on a bar menu: smoked pork with round onions, nicely caramelized, and topped with green onions. Great with beer.

Home Bar & Grill, 1683 Kalakaua Ave. Hours: 2 p.m.-2 a.m. Monday through Sunday. Phone: (808) 942-2237