Lafayette’s Hawaii Grill Delivers on Flavor

August 1, 2025

Eric Cormier, Photos by Joseph Vidrine,

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Forty-three-year-old Sky Huang is sharing a few things in Lafayette that make diners at the Hawaii Grill happy and coming back for more. The eatery’s owner cannot help himself. He has to share the most comforting smile along with a Pacific Rim flavor pattern. ¶ “Pineapples give you a very different flavor. The taste of the fruit makes you love our food,” Huang said while grinning.

This guy, who opened his first restaurant in Illinois in the early 2000s, has found a niche in Acadiana. Except for Sunday, Huang and his staff prepare Hawaiian-inspired dishes on a griddle.

In recent years, the poke craze has taken over the country. Health-conscious people, those who thrive on cool rice-based one-bowl dishes featuring raw fish, and culinary adventurers are well acquainted with this Hawaii favorite.

After seeing firsthand how food lovers react to Hawaiian food in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Huang decided to taste, research and experiment with spices, raw food and sauces in an attempt to provide a new culinary concept in Acadiana.

He opened Hawaii Grill in 2019. Based on social media comments, along with the number of people passing through the restaurant’s doors daily, it seems Huang is fulfilling a Hub City need.

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Before kicking off the Hawaii Grill operation, Huang owned two restaurants in New Iberia. Even though he loved the Asian dishes he was cooking, Huang knew he needed to cook something different.

“I enjoyed making a change in cooking and updating my business,” he said. “Sometimes when you work, you get tired of repeating the same thing every day.”

One of the first dishes that got Huang’s attention was a Hawaiian staple – Huli Huli chicken. The flavor patterns in this chicken dish are sweet, savory, with a smidgen of tangy.

“I started going to YouTube and saw recipes for the dish,” Huang said.

He liked the dish and started focusing on making sauces that would eventually be used in his restaurant.

“It was kind of easy at first to make the sauces. All of a sudden, I was making five-gallon buckets of sauce. I use my recipes to this day,” he said.

The sauces are the backbone of Hawaii Grill’s menu. Fresh beef, chicken, salmon, shrimp, vegetables, noodles and rice are mixed and matched, prepared and served on plates to a loyal group of foodies.

“I like the tropical fruits that we use to make the sauces. That sweetness makes people happy,” Huang said.

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The hot seller (no pun intended) is the spicy chicken dinner. Combination fried rice and noodle dishes also get lots of customer attention.

Hawaii chicken is marinated in Huang’s sauce and grilled. The dish is served with a vegetable medley of broccoli and carrots, with a side of fried rice.

Shrimp, salmon and beef are also prepared with the Hawaiian sauce. “Our food is perfect fusion cooking, just like in Hawaii, where Polynesian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and other cultures can be found on the islands,” Huang said.

His genuine smile is lagniappe.

“The main thing for me is to make people happy and satisfied. It makes me believe I am doing something important,” he explained while smiling. “I like to bring happiness with my food.”

The sauces are the backbone of Hawaii Grill’s menu. Fresh beef, chicken, salmon, shrimp, vegetables, noodles and rice are mixed and matched, prepared, and served on plates to a loyal group of foodies.

Try This

1 | Steak Fried Rice

The quintessential Asian/Pacific Rim dish. Only this time, the protein is steak. Juicy, tender morsels of beef mixed together with veggies and rice. Yes, your belly will be filled. Your taste buds will be thoroughly entertained.

2 | Combo Noodles

It starts when we are toddlers. Noodle love is what the culinary experts should call it. You know what I am referring to. That desire to chomp on some noodles — prepared any way. This combination of grilled shrimp, beef and chicken will entice noodle lovers.

3 | Spicy Salmon

Healthy offerings are something Huang considered when putting the Hawaii Grill menu together. Salmon and veggies are paired with a generous offering of jalapeños and onions. Very tasty.

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