The Lanai: Hawaiian Fare in Del Mar

I got an e-mail  a few weeks from my friend Linda, who lives in Del Mar.  From time to time she will give me a heads up on the new restaurants in her area, as she knows I love to try and write about new places.  One of the places she mentioned was The Lanai, a small, casual Hawaii restaurant on Camino Del Mar and 11th St.  Fran and I tried it for lunch on a very hot Friday in early September.

The menu is mostly Hawaiian, with poke bowls, rice bowls and  pork sandwiches.  They also have a Vietnamese influence, offering a vegetarian banh mi sandwich.  (I was going to order that, but they were out of the rolls).  Kimchee, a Korean condiment, is also on the menu, and served as an accompaniment to many entrees.  Their version of kimchee is made with bok choy, and it is not spicy, like typical kimchee.  I ordered a Hawaiian style cuban sandwich, with shredded pork, spam (I omitted this item), swiss cheese, pickles and mustard.  It was delicious.  Fran ordered two tacos, served with avocado, mango salsa and special sauce.

Many sandwiches are served with their signature tapioca poppers.  They are like potato chips or popped chips.  They are small balls of tapioca that are deep fried, creating a delicious popped chip.  They not salty, just light and airy.

  It's a great place for a casual lunch in a very casual setting.  Thanks, Linda, for a great recommendation.