Two years ago, Dave Delaney, born and raised in Southern California and Hawaii, decided to move to Buffalo.
“Friends and family thought I was crazy,” he said. “I’d never worn snow boots in my life.”
His first job in Buffalo was delivering the U.S. Mail house to house, so he had to learn fast. As he trudged through the drifts on his route, feet snug in bread bags thanks to his local buddy’s protip, “that’s when I fell in love with Buffalo,” Delaney said.
That’s how Buffalo gets legit Hawaiian BBQ in Larkinville, a mile from City Hall, four days a week, for lunch and dinner. Hānai Hawaiian BBQ has taken over the kitchen at Buffalo Brewing Company, where Delaney’s years of experience in Hawaiian BBQ restaurants has so far turned out spectacularly for plate lunch fans.
Hawaiian plate lunch is blue-collar Hawaiian food, not the fancy stuff served in hotels. The genre was born feeding plantation workers, who lined up for ready-made meals dished up by the scoop. A scoop of rice, a scoop of macaroni salad, and a scoop of meat or fish, the main dishes reflecting the island’s melting pot.
There’s Japanese favorites like teriyaki beef or chicken, and hamburger patties drenched in miso gravy, Korean flanken cut beef short ribs in sticky ginger soy, and Hawaiian poke, marinated cubes of fresh tuna.
Now Buffalo can enjoy Hawaiian plate lunch four days a week, for lunch or dinner.
Pipikaula beef ribs ($21), slow-cooked then caramelized, and crunchy garlic tuna poke ($18) are popular, with Delaney cutting fresh tuna each morning for service. A citrus poke ($18) is bright with calamansi and yuzu.
Smoked koju chicken thighs with gochujang truffle sauce ($17) has a slow, sweet burn from Korean fermented chile paste. Spam musubi ($3.50), the classic Hawaiian snack, wraps crispy seaweed around seared Spam and sushi rice splashed with sweet soy.
That’s what he grew up eating as a kid, and cooking as a young man. No wonder he missed it.
Delaney, born Huntington Beach, California, spent summers in Oahu with his mother’s Chinese Hawaiian parents. For 13 years he toured with surf reggae band Pacific Dub, on drums and backup vocals. Between tours, he worked at Hawaiian BBQ joints.
After the pandemic, Delaney wanted something different. His tour manager and best friend was in Buffalo because his wife, a Buffalo native, had just had their first child. They returned to be closer to family, and raise their baby.
“He said, ‘Hey, take a breather. Come out to Buffalo. Stay in our guest room. Slow down and hang out with our new baby,” he said. “I came out here and fell in love with Buffalo.”
Delaney was working for pizza evangelist Jay Langfelder and his partner Amanda Jones at Pizzeria Florian in East Aurora when he complained about the lack of topnotch Hawaiian BBQ in Buffalo. They encouraged Delaney to give it a shot, using their kitchen. Pop-ups were so successful, Delaney got his own kitchen at Buffalo Brewing Company.
Hānai is a Hawaiian word that means to take care of, to feed and nurture, and in some cases literally adopt into your family. It reflects how he feels about his adopted hometown. “That’s it,” he said. “I want to feed Buffalo.”
314 Myrtle Ave., buffalo-brewing-company.com, 716-868-2218
Hours: Noon-8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. Closed Sunday-Tuesday.
REVIEW: Asia Food Market, the international supermarket and fresh seafood counter, has added a Chinese BBQ operation and bakery to the vast store across from Home Depot on Niagara Falls Boulevard. Roast pork, soy sauce chicken, char siu and roast duck is available by the pound, or whole animal. Or by the entree, over rice, stir-fried with vegetables, or served in noodle soup. Buffalo just got a little bit closer to Chinatown. (Thursday, for patrons.)
BAMBOO RIDGE 2: Burmese restaurateur Hla Thu and partners are opening a second location of Bamboo Ridge, which found an audience for its exuberant Thai and Burmese dishes at its original 244 Allen St. location.
Bamboo Ridge 2 is set to open at noon on Monday Nov. 17, at 3574 Walden Ave., Lancaster, talking over from Street Asian Food.
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ASK THE CRITIC:
Q: I’m a student at UB and my friend is coming in from New York City and I want to buy him a cake. I live in North Campus. Where should I go?
– S.H., in person
A: Ohlson’s Bakery is just two miles away. Check out the signature cupcakes pictured above – even an undergraduate should be able to afford one of these lovelies.
More reading from Michael Chelus:
- Andrew told us about the big-city cooking to be found at Coffee Outpost Warsaw in Wyoming County [Four Bites]
- While Flying Bison is closing its taproom, its beer will be brewed and distributed by Hamburg Brewing Company [Buffalo News]
- Brett also visited the newly opened Mira [Buffalo News]
- More details about Hamburg Brewing’s purchase of the Flying Bison brand [Buffalo Beer League]
- Brian’s Buffalo Beer Buzz told us about a collaboration between Brickyard Brewing Company and Magic Bear Beer Cellar, New York Beer Project’s Tenth Anniversary Bash and more [Buffalo Beer League]
- Francesca told us what you can find on the menu at Sueños de Azúcar Bakery [Buffalo News]
- More coverage of the sale of Flying Bison Brewery [Buffalo Rising]
- The People’s Party: Our City, Our Celebration – the inaugural fundraising gala for Our City Action Buffalo – will take place on 11/20 at The Barrel Factory [Buffalo Spree]
- Mr. Galarneau wrote about the delicious Afghani cuisine to be found at Shah’s Food in Amherst [Four Bites]
- Francesca also wrote about Michael Mararian a/k/a Polyester Bakes who will be featured on Gordon Ramsay’s holiday-themed baking competition “Next Level Baker” [Buffalo News]
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