KUA’AINA was born in 1975 in the little town of Haleiwa in Oahu, Hawaii. It expanded by word-of-mouth and became “a burger you want to eat even after driving 114 kilometres.” KUA’AINA makes a delicate and delicious burger by grilling 100% high-quality meat. It launched in Tokyo in 1997 and London, UK in 2011. It also opened its first store in Taiwan in 2016. KUA’AINA’s appeal is popular all over the world, and there is a constant procession of Taiwanese who filter into the Mitsui Outlet Mall Linkou.
The restaurant inside is filled with Hawaiian memorabilia, making it feel like a relaxing space filled with smiles and friendliness. Palm trees, surfboards, and lei are dotted around the restaurant, with Hawaiian music filling the wooden-decked-out restaurant. At KUA’AINA you can get their signature Hawaiin food such as burgers or more generous meals such as steak or rice meals. They also have some great salads and sandwiches, but I generally come here for the burgers. Get ready for some pineapple served on top of a beef patty, it’s about to go down at KUA’AINA!
Linkou food offerings are few and far between, however, at Mitsui Outlet Mall Linkou, not only will you find delicious KUA’AINA burgers, but you’ll also get some delicious Shin Yeh Taiwanese food, and also the trustworthy Gordon Biersch.
Table of Contents
Located on the 2nd floor of the Mitsui Outlet Mall Linkou, KUA’AINA is in the outside section, so you should enter from the Wenhua Third Road entrance and head up the first escalator you see. 1 minute later you’ll be sat down and ready to order.
Upon walking in you should get hit in the face with Hawaii. Having never been to Hawaii, I cannot testify as to whether this is a legitimate Hawaiin theme, or whether it’s stereotypical Hawaii. Nevertheless, it’s relaxed and welcoming, so I don’t mind too much. Palm trees, wooden decking, surfboards, and lei are decorating walls and spare counter space.
You can sit down at your seat and check out the bilingual menu, then just head up to the counter to order.
If you aren’t sure how to order or what to do when you arrive at KUA’AINA, then this is the post for you. See below for How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
3 Fast Tips on How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
The Menu at KUA'AINA
It's good to see a bilingual menu here, especially with KUA'AINA coming from Hawaii.
- Step 1 - Choose your burger
- Step 2 - Choose your bread
- Step 3 - Choose if you want any extra toppings on your burger
- Step 4 - Decide if you want Set A, B, or C.
- Step 5 - Pay and go take a seat.
- Step 6 - Wait for your food to be prepared and then go pick it up from the counter.
What We Ordered
Pineapple Teri Chicken Burger
Some of you out there might want some healthy grilled chicken on your burger to offset the unhealthy fries. This Teri Chicken with pineapple burger is a pretty good choice for that. The chicken is tasty, albeit moderately dry. But the juicy tomato and pineapple help to counterbalance that. The fries are good, but best quickly, as they don't hold up well when gone cold...
Avocado Burger
Give me a couple of slices of avocado on everything and I will be a pretty happy man. Slap it on a beef burger with some lettuce, grilled onion and tomato, and I am pretty much sorted. The only thing that could help make this EXTRA is a fried egg. You should get a gooey fried egg up in here.
The beef is well-cooked but isn't particularly juicy. It's not quite on the level of somewhere like Butcher by Lanpengyou, or not quite as delicate as the burgers over at Chubby Burger, but it's pretty damned good!
Bacon Egg Cheddar Cheese Burger
The pick of the bunch is probably this artery-clogging monster with bacon, a fried egg, cheddar cheese, and a whopping burger sandwiched between the Kaiser roll. It's everything I look for in a burger - decadence.
The cheese melts down and soaks into the bun with the dripping egg yolk. The tomato and lettuce help to cut through the salty fats of the beef and the bacon and everything comes together nicely.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? Linkou food isn't known to be great. In fact, even the Mitsui Outlet Mall Linkou built a few years ago isn't particularly known for its good food or its bargains, but I would say that KUA'AINA is a good option for those of you who have wandered around the mall for hours and want some solid food to keep you going.
What is the best dish? The Bacon Egg Cheddar Cheese Burger is probably the stand-out burger on the menu.
Are there other places like this? In Linkou? No. If you're in Taipei, then you should consider burgers from Butcher by Lanpengyou, Chubby Burger, Big Al's, or Sheep and Pony.