This post is called:
What's for lunch?
Well, yesterday dad and I drove allll the way to Wahiawa for chicken! While I was externing at Alan Wongs, one of the prep cooks would always talk to me about this place called Maui Mikes. He lived in Wahiawa, so it was no more than a five minute drive to what he claimed to be "the best chicken ever." But for someone like me who lived in Aina Haina at the time, Wahiawa was many worlds and freeways away. So I never went.

But yesterday my dad had a hankering for chicken. Closest to us was Zippy's but they raised their prices and shrunk their portion size. Also close was KFC but I don't go there anymore since the time they accidentally dumped a bucket of scalding hot mashed potatoes on me and I almost died. Honestly. So I declared, "let's go to Wahiawa!" And we went! Oooh, it was mighty long drive (at least for Oahu), but we made it there.

I guess this place is good - look at all the testimonies on the wall. No photos of superstar celebrities here, but local people's assurance of good food is far more comforting.

Maui Mike's pride itself on serving fresh, never frozen chicken and while it's set up to be fast food/quick service type of place, all "meals are made-to-order and served fire-fresh."

The half chicken combo with fries ($6.79) comes with a choice of two "dipping" sauces. I opted for their spiciest one, the Blazin' Chili and for the second, a sweeter Honey Mustard. Our chicken was fire roasted right in front our eyes (at a safe distance behind the counter of course) and was served so hot that I have big red burn on my forefinger from tearing apart the chicken too fast. I also burnt my tongue. But it's okay cause the chicken was so juicy and tender, all the juices dripped onto the fries (normal frozen kine, but good nonetheless) and I dunked the fries first into the honey mustard then the blazin' chili and it was a whole big, really tasty, hot, juicy mess. I ate all the skin too, fat and everything � the fat was so good, especially when eaten with lots and lots of fries. I'm not sure what kind of dry rub they used but it was already provided the chicken with enough salty, slight spicy and garlicky flavors that I didn't even use the sauce for the chicken. My only letdown was the blazin' chili. I was all ready to get burned away and everything, but it only tasted like Siracha!

Maui Mike's
96 S. Kamehameha Highway
Wahiawa, Hawaii 96786
(808) 622-5900