RESTAURANT REVIEW:

This is the last of four reviews in a series of healthy, lunchtime alternatives to fast food.

Hawaiian barbecue places have been around for a while, and why they haven’t made more of a dent in the wallets of diners is beyond me.

Lunch would be the ideal opportunity for anyone who hasn’t sampled this type of cuisine. There are several dishes that are great for the afternoon.

What is unique about these restaurants, and there are several of them in the area, are the tastes and cultures they meld together.

One example of this is the Spam musubi at Aloha Hawaiian BBQ. Spam has such a nasty reputation and was probably ruined for a generation after Monty Python’s Flying Circus lampooned it.

But the meat — at least we’ve been told it’s meat — has a different flavor and texture that can be used in different ways.

Hawaiians became enamored with the mystery meat during World War II. It was a staple of GI diets, and many of the locals who worked in military offices became familiar with it.

It was easily integrated into meals and was popular because it needed no refrigeration and had a long shelf life. Many cabinets in island homes have Spam, and it is a perfect item to have while waiting out a hurricane.

The appetizer is about a 2-inch-long piece of Spam put atop a half-inch brick of white rice and drizzled with teriyaki sauce. It is then wrapped in seaweed paper.

The Spam mixes with the rice and the seaweed paper gives it a crunch.

They have extra teriyaki sauce available if you want to make it a little less dry, but I thought it was perfectly acceptable the way it was.

The best appetizer they offer came next. The crab rangoons were the tastiest of the appetizers I tried. The cream cheese and crab combination is lightly deep fried, so the wanton has some crunchiness on the ends, but the middle is incredibly soft.

Like most crab dishes I taste, I would have liked to have seen more crab, but it was still tasty and a bargain at $2.99 for six pieces.

The food groups here are chicken, seafood, beef and pork, and there are several items in each category.

If this is a first visit I would suggest getting a combination, that way you get to sample a couple of different items.

The seafood barbecue mix is the most expensive entrée on the menu, but at $8.29 you get a heaping amount of battered mahi mahi, fried shrimp and a choice of barbecue beef, chicken or short rib.

The Hawaiian barbecue mix has short ribs, served with barbecue chicken and barbecue beef.

The chicken combo has barbecue chicken and chicken katsu.

I ordered the chicken combo, and the barbecue chicken was the better of the two.

It is grilled boneless dark meat and the two large pieces were lightly basted in teriyaki sauce.

The katsu chicken is breaded fillets of dark meat that are deep fried. The chicken, which is then cut into strips, is surprisingly moist, and the breading is not overpowering.

The grilled mahi mahi is another favorite of mine.

I like the spices that come with the lightly cooked fish.

One suggestion is to skip the two side dishes that come with the order. The white rice has nothing on it and lends nothing to the meal.

The macaroni salad is smothered in mayonnaise and is almost inedible.

Instead order a double side of mixed greens and try the Italian dressing that has sesame in it.

This menu will definitely keep diners busy, and most of it is a great value for the price.

ADDRESS: 19071 Brookhurst St., Huntington Beach

PHONE: (714) 964-9878

CUISINE: Hawaiian

SPECIALTY DISH: Hawaiian barbecue mix

ALCOHOL SERVED: none

DRESS: casual

FAMILY FRIENDLY: yes, children’s menu

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: Visa and MasterCard

RATING: ** 1/2 out of 4

JOHN REGER reviews local restaurants for the Independent.