{Foodie Eats} The Food Company

On the “Windward” side of the island, in the small beach town of Kailua, The Food Company Market & Cafe is a hidden gem that many locals treasure. From the outside, it doesn’t look anything special, but inside their menu is a plethora of meals ranging from pancakes to braised short ribs. The selection of food can be daunting. The easiest thing I can do, while navigating through this menu, is to figure out if I’m in the mood for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depends how you look at it), after 11AM, the breakfast option is no longer available.

I got their famous pork chops (around $8) plate lunch. This meal came with two scoops of rice (I tried to be healthy and picked brown rice), one scoop of Hawaiian mac salad, and about 10 slices of tasty pork. The pork chops are nicely fried and crispy. The cafe included the bone, which I could do without. I didn’t notice excess oil coming from the chops, which is great. Although the chops are tasty on its own, I would’ve love some apple sauce.

My friend, the vegetarian, had an easy time with their menu, because almost all of the meals can be changed from animal-style to vegetarian. She choose the tofu katsu (katsu is Japanese for breaded), which (coming from a carnivore) is AH-mazing. Tons of flavor and the texture is crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside.

Sorry for the blurriness

The banana waffles came with three slices and topped with ripe mashed bananas, mac nuts (but I’m not 100% sure. It was some kind of nuts) and powder sugar. I found the bananas are sweet enough that I didn’t need syrup. The waffles are what you expected from a waffle. It’s a little crispy and light in the middle.

My other friend made her own omelet. I saw her meal as a breakfast wrap minus the wrap. The omelet is nice and thin and wrapped inside is all her fixings. I believe she got cheese, bacon, and peppers. The omelet plate came with a crispy hash brown.

Lastly, my friend ordered a loco moco. Hot rice topped with one piece chicken katsu, a soft sunny side up egg covered with brown gravy. It looks heavy, but it’s well worth the weight. Loco moco is super popular dish, which started on the Big Island. Loco moco can be made in different ways, but the rice, gravy, and egg always stay the same.

For the road, I picked up the mini musubi trio ($3). It’s about the size of a nigiri sushi. This trio is more of a snack than a meal. It came with spam and two different types of sausages. It is the perfect snack. I would go back for this.

The Food Company is small and homey and holds about 6 tables. The great thing is that they take reservations. The menu is vegetarian-friendly and pricing is average.

My takeaway:

I can see why the locals keep this spot a secret. This place serves great food for the on the go beach goer to the family of four. I can guarantee that you will find something on this menu, because it has a lot of options. The pricing is not cheap, but it’s worth it.

B+