𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗙🍩🍩𝗟: A quest: Would I walk 2-1/2 miles for a Loco Moco?

UPDATE Thursday, October 10, 2011: Alohana Hawaiian Grill has closed its location in Clive, and now resides at 802 S.E. Oralabor Road in Ankeny.

I ponder a seemingly pointless quest for a gastronomical grail. The Loco Moco: fried egg atop a hamburger patty smothered in brown gravy, upon a bed of rice, served Hawaiian plate lunch style with a side of macaroni salad.

Hawaiian comfort food. In Dallas County.

Intrepid reporter and Hawaiian transplant Dawn Sagario Pauls of the local rag clued me in to a new eatery way out in Clive beyond the Interstate called Alohana Hawaiian Grill that serves up traditional Hawaiian plate lunch fare. I checked out the menu on their website, and to my delight, find the aforementioned Loco Moco.

My belly is intrigued, but alas, being a non-driver I see the restaurant is beyond the reach of our woefully limited bus service. But...

There is a dial-a-ride service offered within the boundaries of West Des Moines. I could take a bus either to Valley West or Jordan Creek malls and pay a nominal fee for the shuttle to pick me up and deposit me at the corner of 62nd & University, across the street from the eatery. That would be the easy way.

But then there would be no quest. Must convenience always be the rule?

I know, I know. Disappointment is a constant companion of mine, and many a time have I taken the effort to attain a goal only to have my hopes and expectations dashed among the rocks of mundaneness and despair.

Even now my belly aches for sustenance and am so tempted to shower up and run over to Mr. Filet for a Greek omelet. Though I would enjoy such a prospect, I feel compelled to do something else.

Although now, upon closer inspection of my weather widget, I see storm clouds on the horizon. Bands of blue and green approach. Rain is coming our way and I am not a fan of wet shoes.

So perhaps not today. One must always have a quest, but sometimes you have to wait for the rain to pass.

Ultimately, the answer to my quest was yes, but after the meal.

I took the bus to Valley West Mall and from there utilized the on-call shuttle to take me to the fringe of Polk County at 60th & University.

Crossing the street, changing cities and counties, I come upon the restaurant, located at 12931 University Ave. First impression: A nice, clean, friendly fast-food joint. Immediately my ears are delighted to the sounds of cooking on the grill.

To my joy I find Spam Musubi on the menu and order a couple to feast upon as a starter. A very familiar flavor, it reminded me of downtown Las Vegas, where I last enjoyed the dish, but this was much tastier and sans the plastic wrap covering of my Vegas Club snack.

I was also pleased to find the temperature of the cooked Spam slice to be much less than the surface of the Sun, which is what I usually get with the grilled Spam sandwich at the High Life Lounge. Many a time, in haste, have I secured a mouth burn eating their tasty offering.

The sticky rice lived up to its name, keeping its shape, but not overly cooked. Underneath the Spam slice was a smear of a sweet, thick sauce that added an extra bit of flavor. And the nori wrapping it all together contributed a slight pungent bite. I could shove these things in my mouth all day long.

SPAM Musubi. Perfection.

And the price: $1.75 for two is a bargain! I shudder to mention this, but I wonder if they freeze well?

As I'm shoving my last piece of musubi into my piehole, along comes the main course. The Loco Moco: a hamburger patty atop a bed of sticky rice, with a ladle of brown gravy atop, and all this adorned with a over-easy egg and a side of macaroni salad.

I tried the macaroni salad first. The dressing was very light and as a side-dish makes a good compliment. If I were to shovel a big bowl of it down my throat, I would want a little more kick in the dressing.

After breaking the egg on top and slicing my fork through the tenderest hamburger patty I've had in ages, I knew was in for a treat. But the big surprise came when I tasted the gravy. If Angelina Jolie excreted gravy, this would be it! Smooth, beige-colored loveliness. Not peppery, but it didn't need to be. A savory, addictive treat indeed!

The Loco Moco at Alohana Hawaiian Grill. A synergy of temptation!

I think we in the Midwest have a lot in common with our Hawaiian brethren. Our cuisines may come down from different evolutionary paths, but intrinsically, our innate love of comfort food brings us together.

We give you Spam, you give us sticky rice.

Sated I tipped heavily and made the long trek back to Valley West Mall. Along the way I pop into World Market for some Ritter Sport bars and a jar of Vegemite.

After an over-priced pint of Fat Tire at Ocean Beach in the mall, I caught the bus for home.