Guava Smoked Brings Big Barbecue Plates Upstairs in Honolulu

A plate of smoky kalbi short ribs, rice and macaroni salad is a pretty convincing reason to climb a set of stairs. Guava Smoked, on an upper floor in Honolulu, works from a broad local-barbecue idea: smoked meats and seafood, generous portions, and the familiar comfort of rice-centered plates.

The flavor has a Hawaiian-Korean character without being pinned down too tightly. Guava smoke gives the food a savory depth and a mild sweetness, while sides such as kimchi and macaroni salad keep the meal moving between smoky, creamy and bright.

This is a useful stop when one person wants ribs, another is thinking about seafood, and somebody else has a firm craving for loco moco. Bowls center a single entrée over rice; bigger plates make room for combinations.

The kalbi short ribs are among the dishes most closely associated with the restaurant. They carry a distinct smoke flavor, bringing a barbecue dimension to the sweet-savory short-rib format.

They also fit the way Guava Smoked encourages ordering. A bowl lets the ribs take center stage over rice, while a larger plate leaves room to add another smoked meat and make a proper lunch of it.

Smoked pork is another sturdy choice, moist and flavorful enough to anchor a full plate. With rice and a scoop of macaroni salad alongside, it has the satisfying, no-fuss shape of a local lunch.

The same pork also appears in a burger or sandwich format. That is a good route for diners who want the smoked meat in a handheld form rather than as a knife-and-fork plate.

Duck gives the menu a less routine barbecue turn. It is offered on selected days rather than as an automatic everyday choice, so it is worth knowing that the duck option may not be on hand whenever you arrive.

Some popular smoked items can sell out as the day goes on, too. The menu has enough range to make a visit worthwhile regardless, but late arrivals may find fewer choices.

Guava Smoked does not stop at meat. Smoked salmon belly is available as a plated dish, bringing a richer, softer fish option into the barbecue lineup.

Butterfish is another notable choice, especially for diners who do not see it often on mainland barbecue menus. It comes as a plate and may require a bit of deboning at the table, a small bit of work for a seafood meal that is decidedly different from ribs and pork.

The loco moco uses a smoked hamburger patty rather than treating the dish as an afterthought. Add a fried egg and white or country-style gravy, and the whole thing becomes a particularly hearty way to approach the menu.

The gravy has an obvious job here: it ties the patty and egg together and runs into the rice underneath. For a meal with several flavors competing for attention, it is the comforting element that makes the plate settle in.

A mixed plate can pair smoked chicken with the hamburger-patty loco moco, with kimchi, fried egg, macaroni salad, fried rice and regular rice all making an appearance. It is a generous spread, more useful for sampling than for anyone trying to keep lunch modest.

Rice is standard with the plates and bowls, but fried rice can be substituted. Gravy can be added over the meal, giving diners another way to steer the plate toward full-on comfort food.

Macaroni salad earns its space beside the barbecue. It offers the cool, creamy contrast that smoked pork and ribs need, and it is strong enough not to feel like a compulsory side scoop.

Kimchi brings the sharper end of the Hawaiian-Korean mix. It appears on combination plates and adds a flavorful, fermented counterpoint to the heavier meats and rice.

For a little heat, chili water or a chili-based condiment can brighten a bite of pork, chicken or kalbi. A few drops are enough to change the direction of a rich plate.

The menu also reaches into stir-fry, chili and a daily meat-stew special, useful options when barbecue is not the only thing on the table. The variety gives the place more of a casual neighborhood-diner range than a narrowly focused rib counter.

A guava slushie makes a refreshing break from all the smoke and gravy. Beer on tap is available as well, an easy patio companion when the meal calls for something colder than another spoonful of rice.

Finding Guava Smoked is part of the routine. The restaurant is upstairs, reached by stairways from the rear parking area or by coming around from Kalākaua Avenue.

Inside, the setting is casual and compact, with booths plus counter or bar-area seating. The room can have a conversational hum, rather than the hushed pace of a formal dining room.

Outdoor seating gives the meal another mood. The patio faces toward a nearby park, with a golf-course outlook also nearby; open windows, music and the scent of the ocean add to the open-air character.

The menu rewards a little guidance, particularly when the choice is between short ribs, pork, chicken, duck, butterfish, salmon belly and loco moco. Service is friendly and prompt, with help available for sorting through the possibilities.

The operation can also handle more than a few individual plates. Guava Smoked has catered wedding food, which makes sense once you see how naturally its rice, meats and sides lend themselves to feeding a group.

Selected smoked items have also been available in frozen portions for taking home, including smoked salmon belly. It is a nice option for someone who wants the barbecue to continue after the Honolulu meal is over.

Parking consists of a small free lot behind the building, with street parking also found on nearby streets and around the neighborhood. The upstairs access is by stairs, so the dining room is not reached directly from the sidewalk.