If you have ever had a Hawaiian plate lunch, you have probably had Kalua pork: tender, salty, smoky pulled pork that shows up next to rice and mac salad. It is one of the most recognizable dishes in Hawaiian food.
What “kalua” means
In Hawaiian, kalua refers to cooking in an imu, an underground oven. Traditionally, a whole pig is wrapped in leaves and cooked for hours over hot stones buried in the ground. The result is pork that is fall-apart tender with a deep, smoky flavor.
Most kitchens today do not dig a pit in the backyard. Modern Kalua pork is usually slow-roasted to get the same tender, shredded texture and savory, smoky taste.
How to eat it
In Hawaii, Kalua pork is a staple at luaus and on plate lunches. It also shows up in sliders, tacos, fried rice and sandwiches. Its salty, savory flavor works especially well next to something a little sweet.
The Onoh’s version: Kalua pork on a malasada bun
That sweet-and-savory pairing is exactly why it works on our malasada buns. The bun is made from the same dough as our malasadas: soft, light and just a little sweet. Put Kalua pork on it and you get the balance of a Hawaiian plate lunch in one sandwich.
- Kalua Pork sandwich: $8.95
- Kalua Burger: $9.75
- Add a side: Onoh’s Fries, $3.75
If Kalua is not your pick, the other malasada bun sandwiches (B.B.Q. pork, B.B.Q. chicken, Southwest chicken and Onoh’s Cristo) are $8.95 each. See the full menu.
Get a Kalua pork sandwich in Pleasant Grove
Onoh’s Malasada Co is at 1043 S Valley Grove Way, Ste A, Pleasant Grove, UT 84062. Open 8am to 8pm Monday through Thursday, 8am to 9pm Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Order ahead online, or feeding a group? See our catering options.