Upscale Hawaii

Ahi. Katsu. Rolls. When you see these 3 magical words on the menu, you know you are guaranteed to have a foodgasm. Oh man, my mouth is watering just thinking about them. Panko-​crusted ahi fried to perfection and finished with their bomb signature sauce, which I can’t even describe, it’s so damn good. You’ll have to stop by and try it yourself. Local guys who know how to throw down. Always good eats at Upscale Hawaii.

Their food is AMAZING especially their garlic salmon it’s not dried and melts in your mouth. service is also amazing. very nice and really fast. a little hard to find parking but so worth it.

Finally got to try this after my friends suggested this and I love how it’s really close by to home!
We went during lunch time and were able to find parking right off the road (the truck is in a neighborhood) and we were able to beat the line that came to be hehe. I really wanted to try the ahi steak but they ran out :(so I decided to get the garlic salmon with asparagus and my friend got the garlic NY strip and we both decided to share the fried poke because why not???
The wait is definitely a while so make sure to bring an umbrella while you stand out in the hot sun or run over to the tree for some shade LOL but it’s worth the wait especially once you smell your food in the container, it’ll just make your mouth drool mmmmmm :3
The garlic salmon was pretty good, no high expectations there since it’s just salmon haha but I was happy with it :) I wasn’t a big fan of the garlic chunks and that made me kind of sad because I love garlic :(I tried some of my friend’s NY strip and it was pretty good too: oo the only downside was it was cooked well done when she asked for at least medium/​medium well xP but it’s okay lol the fried poke wasn’t anything special, it just tasted like cooked fish with their yummy signature sauce on it but it was nice to try. Hopefully next time I come, they’ll have the ahi steak!

Upscale Hawaii, may at first seem shady since it’s the only food truck there and in a neighborhood, BUT it turned out to be fine. Great service, they were polite and helped us decide what to eat. Steak and Lobster for $ 22 seemed like a deal! The food was delicious!!! I decided to give ⁴⁄₅ just because there isn’t much places to eat around the food truck, boyfriend and I had to go to Ala Moana to go eat. However, So glad we went, if you haven’t been, I highly recommend trying it out at least once!

Upscale Hawaii, LOL. They’re food is definitely it, but the location of this lunch truck is pretty trippy. Follow the gps location, they’re located in the back of Damien High School in Kalihi/​Lower Alewa Heights.
Their plates run from $ 12 to their most expensive steak and lobster $ 22. The wait is about 15 minutes and less. Super good quality of food, definitely coming back here for some plates. I’m in love!

We’ve been wanting to eat here for a while now and I’ve been following them on Instagram for too long !!! Well today we parked and waited for one hour for them to open and let me tell you that the food was well worth the wait. Brady and I ordered the ahi steak. I got the garlic ahi steak with brown rice, and Papaya seed dressing. I also got the bomb sauce on the side. Brady got the furikake ahi steak. It was so Ono!!! My mouth watered when I opened my plate and let’s just say we both finished our plates in literally 5 minutes. The best food truck I’ve tasted by far. The ahi was cooked perfect the portion size was awesome and the brown rice was cooked perfectly (I’m picky with my brown rice lol) the garlic on top of the ahi steak was so soft and delicious!!! I can’t find the words to explain how delicious this place is !!! 12 $ a plate is well worth it for this meal. We will be back for sure. The customer service is awesome the guy there was so kind !!! I would recommend this place to everyone !!!

I love the food here! You can get their famous dishes in side orders if you don’t feel too hungry. In walking distance for us. Rarely gets busy on a daily base. They also have brown rice for those who don’t like white rice. If your in the kalihi area, it’s a very good food truck I ever went.

Dragged here by a co-​worker because he loves their food. Their food is ono! I had the steak and shrimp but I heard so much about a salmon that I’m sure I will try next time. The location was weirdly located in a nice lunch wagon parked in someone’s residential driveway. There is no shade to wait for your freshly cooked meal so bring an umbrella or keep the A/​C on in your car and wait a few minutes before they call you. Other than that its worth the wait, the heat, the adventure into a somewhat sketchy portion of Kalihi, but at least your tummy will be happy.

MY MOST FAVORITE FOOD TRUCK!!! I recommend trying this place out. It is in Kalihi in back of Damien school. The street right next to Damien parking lot.
I strongly recommend trying the «ahi steak» with their signature bomb sauce. When they say bomb sauce, it is really THE BOMB, lol. The flavor of the sauce is just perfect along with their fish.
The service at this place is great. 5 stars because they were able to handle my big order at the time. It was a bit of a wait but it’s not that bad. There’s a tree next to it so don’t worry, get plenty shade. Also, I ordered a ice tea and they forgot to give it to me but that’s okay because one of the guys, maybe the owner, came by my car and gave me 2 iced tea drinks instead!
One thing that they need to get a PHONE NUMBER. They have no phone number on Unilocal and I was trying to get one on IG but I couldn’t find one. It would’ve been really great if I were to call in my order then pick it up rather than waiting.
One tip that I have is to maybe hold off on going on Saturdays because one Saturday I went they were closed even though Unilocal says that they are open on Saturdays. This man I saw that lives at the home says that they are only open some Saturday’s so just keep that in mind.

Wow! This food truck is the bomb! It’s located right on Kohou street in front of a house in Kalihi near Damien school and close to King street and off of Houghtailing. I tried their ahi steak today and wow it was yummy! I love the secret sauce they use with it and I love how they put furikake on the rice. The papaya salad dressing that they use is also the bomb! Not to forget to mention their cooked garlic they add to your plate! Wow everything just bursts with so much flavor including the rice! They also have brown rice option too!

I went here with a friend on 2÷12÷15. It’s a food truck right in front of a house and it honestly doesn’t look like the most appealing place to eat… however, their food is down right amazing. I was originally gonna order the steak and lobster but they were sold out of many items, including rice (which I didn’t really mind because I’m trying to cut down on carbs anyways). I opted for the garlic salmon with asparagus with a side of garlic shrimp. Everything was cooked to perfection and the whole cloves of garlic that were on top of the salmon melted in your mouth like butter. It was definitely a garlic lovers dream. The garlic shrimp came with a side of spicy sauce which I thought paired well with the shrimp if you want a spicy kick but the shrimp is amazing all on its own. I will definitely be returning to this place again

Ono, ono, ono!!! My fave is the ahi roll with the bomb sauce!!! Worth the drive, no seating so more of a pick up and go type a deal! In residential neighborhood parking is limited!!!

I went to check out this food truck since I had seen so many pictures on Instagram of the food here. My bf and I went on a Tuesday night.
Apparently on Tuesdays, most of their plates are priced at ten dollars. I ordered the NY strip plate that comes with tossed greens and my bf ordered the Ahi steak with ‘bomb sauce’.
I ordered my steak cooked medium. There was no pink in the steak. First disappointment. Second, as another reviewer mentioned, there was absolutely no flavor. No special spices, only a few cloves of garlic on top and the steak was kind of dry and chewy. There are no steak sauces around to remedy the problem either. The salad was okay.
I tried some of my bf’s ahi steak and it tasted pretty good. I regretted not ordering the fish also.
They had a variety of other plates too including lobster tail, garlic shrimp, ahi steak with various sauces, fried poke, ahi katsu and combo plates. Normal prices range about $ 12 – 18.
Location is a little weird. The street is behind Damien school on a lone residential street parked in the driveway of a two story filipino house.
The workers inside were pleasant. Food took about 15 minutes. No outdoor seating.
Not worth the drive from aiea to come out here again.

For a Food Truck? They live up to their name -«Upscale.» Their food is addicting, because nothing can compare. If I had a list of places to eat before you die like Anthony Bourdain — this would be one of them :)
My favorite plate is the Ahi Steak with their Special Bomb Sauce. It’s something about the simplicity of the plate all together (Huge portions of Rice, Tossed Salad, Fresh Ahi Steak with Generous amounts of their Special Bomb Sauce, Garlic and Furikake). For $ 12, your mouth will be bursting with flavor, more than full with a happy belly, and life as you once knew without Ahi Steak will cease to exist.
Service is always great! The owners are friendly and very welcoming. How quick they prepare your order is also an added plus! If you’re ever in the area — I highly recommend them. Let me reiterate, I highly recommend them! Always check their Instagram for hours: @upscalehawaii

So I would actually rate this 4.5 stars. They are located on the street right past Damien HS is you are driving up Houghtailing heading mauka. You take a right and go down a curved street and his red food truck is parked on the right side.
Anyway, I was able to phone order so I could just stop by and pick it up. We ordered the signature ahi plate and the ahi katsu plate.
Both plates were quite tasty, being this was a foo truck. The signature ahi plate had a nice subtle flavor that wasn’t over powering. The whole garlic cloves on top were a nice added touch. Add a little lemon for more dimension of flavor and it is quite superb. I would have liked the ahi cooked a little less. But given that this is a food truck, it was cooked pretty well.
The ahi katsu was served as a roll that was cut up instead of the traditional breaded filets that are cut up. The ahi was cooked nicely and the batter was very crispy to offer a textural contrast.
Overall, this is one of the more gourmet food truck around. The plates cost $ 12.00 which isn’t too bad since the flavors are more complex for a food truck and I am full after eating, which means $ 12.00 filled me up for lunch which in my book is a steal!
Anyway, I would recommend eating here. The food is tasty, they are quick, and it isn’t your basic run of the mill food truck plate lunch place.

I’ve got to agree with the other review about upscale, literally hands down the best food truck in kalihi. And this is from someone who grew up in town till 14 and moved to the west side.
The place may only be hard for some people if they dont really know town. Its as simple as can be, behind Damien. Food truck is located in front of a house with a «OPEN» sign blinking. Not hard to find when its dark near a canal.
I could careless about parking on the dirt and walking on soil ground esp if its raining and no place to sit when waiting for your food, that happened to me the first time i tried this place out. But the food was so bomb i didnt care i got rained on and shoes were a bit muddy.
My friends and i got the ahi steak, which i must say the sauce was on point super ono, the steak and shrimp plate, the shrimp had a really delicious and flavored breading, cooked to perfection. And lastly we got the ahi chunks which was also bomb, no words to say.
Plus since it was a bit raining the second time we went, we waited in our car on the side. The worker was nice enough to hand deliver it to us and he even closed the door. He was super nice and very sweet. Major points on my standards.
This food truck left me drooling and definitely wanting to come back to try it all.

Best hole in the wall food truck place thing, hands down.
They have the best food deals & the portions are amazing with that price that goes with it. It’s on Kohou street, right behind Damien, just look for that red food truck parked in front of a house and look for a plethora of people lined up.
Ive heard so many good things about this place & of course, as an avid IG user, I saw food pictures and my mouth just watered. I immediately thought, this place is a must go & it really is.
I got the steak plate & my bf got the ahi steak. The steak place was 8 dollars and the portion was big, I was so full. The flavor was very much there and it was far from being too salty or bland. The ahi steak comes with super good sauce and I wish I got extra :-(both dishes come with side salad with their balsamic /​papaya something dressing which were both good. And both meats are topped with these garlic cloves that are cooked so well, I wish I had extra again :-(
That garlic breath is WORTH it.
Prices are so decent and you’ll get full. They have these deals like «ten dollar Tuesdays» (items are 10 bucks except the steak and lobster which is 22 & steak and shrimp for 14) and thirsty Thursdays (free drink with purchase) which is pretty cool. There is kind of a wait because there are only two guys working but it is very very worth it.
ADVICE: their hours are different and so I recommend that you guys follow their Instagram @upscalehi to see their times & what they got going on.

I know something is that good when I actually have cravings for it. And this is the place! I’ve only tried four items, but I was already sold after trying two dishes from my first visit. I actually want to try every single item on their menu.
The two plates I’ve tried were the ahi steak and salmon. I also tried the fried spicy ahi Musubi and garlic shrimp.
Ahi Steak: OMG… Every bite is amazing. Fish is fresh and not cooked all the way through, which I like bc it’s not dry. Those whole cloves of garlic… Mmmmm. Soooo delicious! And that secret sauce… I’m salivating as I write this review. The flavors of everything just pulls together so well. This is so far my number one dish.
Salmon: another great dish. The fish is perfectly fried on the outside with a nice crunch. The inside is still soft and moist. Again, those whole gloves of garlic… So soft it just melts in your mouth and goes perfectly with the fish. Unlike the ahi steak it came with asparagus. It was good but could have been cooked a little longer.
Both dishes came with furikake rice and salad. The dressing they put over the salad is the same as their secret sauce that they put over their ahi steak. It’s on point!
Fried Spicy Ahi Musubi: another of my favorite. The Musubi is so well made that it’s not a big of mess trying to eat it. I love how the outside has a crunch and the inside is just so soft. And it’s a pretty hearty size for a Musubi. I can eat half and I’m satisfied.
Garlic shrimp: unfortunately, it fell short from my expectation. I won’t be getting this again any time soon.
On a side note: the truck is parked at a peculiar place. It’s actually reversed into a garage of an actual house. Road is a bit tight but you can find parking right across off the house next to the canal.

Finally! A legit food truck that serves good food in Kalihi! So, as Kim mentioned, super sketchville! I second that! Upscale Hawaii is a red food truck located on Kohou Street by Damien High School. You won’t see the truck right away, you have to keep driving down the street. They have their menu written on a white board on the truck near the order window.
The wait for the food can be a while, especially if there are others ahead of you. The food is pretty good, customer service is good and prices are fair. Make sure you have cash, they don’t accept cards. All of the plates come with a small portion of salad.
Food: 4.5÷5
Price: ⁴⁄₅
Location: ¹⁄₅
Customer Service: ⁴⁄₅
Operating Hours: ⁵⁄₅
Garlic Shrimp: ⁴⁄₅ Just as ono as the garlic shrimp from Kahuku!
Ahi Chunks: ³⁄₅ The portion looks kind of meager but it’s filling.
Ahi Steak: 4.5÷5 The sauce is really tasty!

Super sketchville, but super legit eats.
No joke.
SALMON WITH ASPARAGUS
Choose between lemon-​garlic or furikake.
I had the lemon-​garlic, which was über tasty. It came on a bed of white rice, accompanied by a small side salad.
I’m honestly not the biggest salmon fan, but this one was really good! I loved the garlic cloves and the hints of lemon! The asparagus was perfectly crisp!
GARLIC SHRIMP
Crispy (and tasty) enough to eat the whole thing, including the tail. Loved the flavor. Not just the typical garlic butter shrimp that most places offer.
HOURS/​LOCATION DEETS
I think you can check ‘em out on IG: @upscalehawaii
Sample menu from some time in Feb 2014:
VERDICT
Despite the dark and seedy neighborhood, this place is worth the possible (minor) risk (s) of getting stabbed and/​or mugged. The food is legit. I would recommend bringing a buddy along though. ;)
#datfoodlegitdoe