I was really sad when HK Restaurant closed in September after more than 30 years.

No more teri hamburgers, fried noodles or its popular Yum Yum Chicken.

HK’s was one of my go-to spots before UH volleyball games or after the beach. But in its place opened another plate lunch place, this one serving your standard staples — hamburger steak, chicken katsu, beef stew — with a few items you don’t often see at this kind of establishment, including cold ginger chicken, spaghetti with meat sauce, pork and peas, and roast turkey with stuffing.

I read a few unfavorable reviews and wanted to check it out for myself.

Here’s what my recent lunch there looked like:

Opulicious Restaurant

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The first thing you notice is the balloon animal in the restaurant's logo. The owner, Kelli Chun, is a balloon twister, too.