This restaurant has specials every day, and they are worth taking advantage of. I feasted on 1 1/2 pounds of snow crab legs and enjoyed every morsel! It was worth the work because the meat of the crablegs was sweat and needed no butter at all. The cost was $19.95, but you can get 1 lb. for $16.95.

My husband had the misoyaki salmon for $17.95, which is grilled fresh salmon marinated in their own miso teriyaki sauce. His meal was just as delicious as mine. We each had a Blue Hawaiian before dinner, and the bill, with tax, tip and appetizer, came to well under $100.

One of the things we noticed about this restaurant were the smiles on the faces of all who work there. They seem to truly enjoy their positions, and that comes across to the patrons! Everyone we spoke with seemed to be extremely satisfied with their meals and had the same impression of the restaurant and atmosphere that we did.

If you go to Oahu, this place is a must!

Restaurateur, author, TV host, celebrity he pours out Aloha with effusive charm and no holds barred enthusiasm. His recipes, featured on his TV show , with their "touch of this, dash of that" approach to cooking prove his reluctance to take things too seriously even in the realm of his livelihood: the preparation of food.

His restaurant in Honolulu reveals this same fun-loving approach. Although it is a big warehouse type space it is arranged so comfortably that you feel immediately at home. Greeters and waiters are eager to show you the ropes and recommend their personal favorites and specials of the day (samples are conveniently on display as you walk in) as they escort you to your choice of tables. There are many separate party rooms beyond the main dining room (catering‘s a Big Deal with Sam), a bar/brewery and even a full sized boat where you can enjoy menu favorites. A four line exhibition kitchen spotlights the culinary skills of the cooks and chefs as they sear, boil, flip and fry under a canopy of hanging pots and pans. Beside them loom five giant copper tanks, the home of Sam Choy’s Big Aloha Brewery.

The sight of these gleaming tanks tempted me to order their "tasting" sampler; five small servings of five big beers. As this was the breakfast hour, instead I stuck with wholesome green tea served in a big fat steaming cup and ordered a local loco moco favorite, kalua pork moco ($7.25) the Hawaiian version of death by cholesterol. My husband ordered the spinach, bacon, cheese omelet ($7.25) which came with a choice or rice or potatoes and toast. This food is the ultimate Hawaiian soul food and was so good my husband and I stole portions from one another.

If you come for lunch or dinner you might try the fried poke wrap. (Poke is island fish eaten raw, like sushi, but without the rice and with the addition of seasonings and chopped onions and chef’s variable ingredients.) Sam’s also serves the usual Surf and Turf, Crab Legs, Caesar salads and burgers, but if you are adventurous have the Papa Choy’s Tripe Stew or the Kona Flaming Wok, created at Sam’s first restaurant on the Big Island. Sam doesn’t forget the kiddoes (keikis) and has a first rate, low-cost children’s menu with things like Mac Nut Chicken ($5.25) and Sprice ($2.95) (spam, rice and eggs) or Teriyaki Beef. On Tuesdays Keiki Night, kids even eat half price while Chris da Clown entertains!

Even if you’d never heard of Sam Choy before visiting one of his restaurants you’d catch on fast to the man’s island persona since it’s exhibited and reflected everywhere in his establishments. Even though his motto is, "Lucky you live Hawai’i," you get the distinct impression that Sam would feel "Lucky to live - period." Even if it was in Keokuk.