“ Lunch in Honolulu, Hawaii... Searching my Yelp app for a nearby restaurant, I found Aloha Express - down the road (Dillingham Boulevard) from Costco Iwilei. After reading reviews, I figured out that this restaurant used to be called 99 Local Mix Plate. It was at the former 99 Ranch in Moanalua. Currently, this business is located in the corner of the Kingsgate Plaza, where Jiffy Lube and Jollibee are the most noticeable tenants. Aloha Express is the new name of this business. The cheerful woman at the counter asked about my photo-taking. LOL! I just answered by ordering a Hamburger Steak plate and sat down. Eventually, she called out my order and brought it in a plastic bag to me since I was busy on my phone. Thank you! Later, she approached me, asked how I liked my meal, and offered me a cup of cold water... wow! Many thanks! I also appreciate her singing Chinese tunes occasionally between customer. She's very sweet and observant! The Hamburger Steak wasn't the worst I've ever had. It was a bit peppery and slightly chewy. The gravy and two scoops of white rice helped it out! The macaroni salad had tiny bits of onion and carrot... wow! This space was formerly a Mexican restaurant. The new upgrade is bright, clean, and simply pleasant! The kind woman said they opened up around October 2023. Cool! I wouldn't mind returning because the shared parking lot is free and the location is convenient! ”

“ The food is consistently good and flavorful, a great value, generous portions, clean restaurant. ”

“ I miss them when they were at 99 Ranch. So happy that they were able to reopen in another location. Love love love their Beef Stew Bowl. ”

“ We used to pick up from this place when they were in 99 Ranch. We like their fried chicken plate. We had some time to pick up from them last week. I made sure to call ahead because the chicken takes awhile to cook. Parking is kinda difficult, but managed to find a stall. Prices are super reasonable AND they have one of the best fried chicken around!!! Always large pieces, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. ”

“ 3/9/2024 Steak and fried shrimp combo $19.99 . The corn is refrigerated corn, no big deal just caught me by surprise. Steak is a little tough but good flavor. Shrimp was okay, batter was very flaky, in other words breaks apart easily. Oh, hubby's kaleidoscope good flavor but don't bite down too hard because lot of bone chips. ”

“ Driving into the parking lot greeted by the infamous Jollibee, in the hidden corner of the Kingsgate Plaza building near the stairs on the first level - is a local plate lunch spot called 99 Local Mix Plate. Greeted by their neon multicolor sign above the door (which is quite noticeable at night), and red Cooper Antique Condensed text that says "99 Local Mix Plate" - you can definitely smell the goodness before even having a chance to figure out why you came here in the first place. If you were a fan of 99 Ranch, this place will sound VERY familiar. As a long time resident of the famous spot that locals tried so hard to keep alive during the pandemic, this secret plate lunch spot that real foodies know has moved closer into town, meaning easier access to one of the few love languages locals speak - plate lunches. When walking in, you are greeted by a friendly aunty who gives ample time to read and fully comprehend the demands your stomach is making. The place offers many styles of mixed plates. From chicken, pork, beef, and combinations - you can choose between mini and regular. If you order a mini you get one scoop rice, and a regular two scoop rice. The portion of meat also is bigger, so it's recommended to splurge a few extra $$s to get a bang for your buck. You can also add sides, get party platters, different special plates - truly is plate lunch heaven. This place is known for their Orange Chicken, Jamaican Chicken, and Steak and Shrimp plate (Steak is 8oz and under $20 btw - what a deal!) But on the real - for $10.99 for a plate lunch? Such reasonable prices especially being in town. I decided to get the infamous Jamaican Chicken regular plate which was talked about online in a local food FB community, and the daily special which is a combination plate of Mochiko Chicken & Chicken Katsu - which is usually $15.99 but today was only $12.99. Check their Daily Specials by reading the whiteboard sign on the door of the entrance. Aunty answered the many questions we had about the place including what's popular, the history of the place, and if we wanted to take pictures - was overall SO nice. Great place to come if you create food content for social media, given the history and affordability. Besides me was another couple who decided to dine in, who mentioned they've been coming to the new location recently. Here's the real reason why you're reading this review: the quality and taste of the food. Here's a run down as of 12.15.2023; Daily Special - Combination Plate - Mochiko Chicken & Chicken Katsu: Another name for mochiko chicken is Hawaii's popcorn chicken. You can remember this nostalgic taste-of-home chicken from school lunches as well as a popular plate lunch main for many other local restaurants. The marinade for this chicken was a little bit on the sweeter side for the mochiko chicken, but having cut into smaller piece allowed more of the juiciness to soak in, allowing that sweet and savory flavor to please your tastebuds. The panko crusting on the chicken Katsu was soo crispy. My cat was obsessed! They gave some Katsu sauce on the side which was very generous (Some places put it on top so your Katsu becomes all soggy). Everything was easily chewable but the Katsu is on the thinner side if you're expecting a big cutlet. Still very delicious paired with the rice and Mac salad. Regular Plate - Jamaican Chicken: Now this is the REAL reason why I came here. People were saying that this Jerk chicken is the perfect blend between island meets island. Although this dish does take a little bit longer from the others - this was 100% worth coming here for. The juiciness and tenderness of the chicken allows all the flavors of the spice, smokiness, and earthy notes to hit your tongue making you want more. Paired with two scoops rice and their Mac salad, on the bottom is a mix of vegetables and bay-leaves which adds to the aromatic notes of the dish. The portion sizes are generous and even though my stomach was full, my eyes were still eating. So freaking good and I will definitely be coming back for this dish again. Large Fries: The fries were also very delicious, fried in possibly the same oil of the chicken - the standard local plate lunch fries always be hitting more than your local McDonalds. They offer ketchup and salt on the side too so you can flavor as you please. For a dollar more the large fries are worth the price. Flavor: 9/10 Texture: 8/10 Quality: 8/10 Presentation: 9/10 (If you post this on FB, all the unkos gon wanna know where you got that fyre plate!) Value: 9.5/10 Service: 10/10 Overall super good spot to pickup an EZ meal. Delicious and has something for everyone. Will I be back again? Yes! ”

“ So yummy! We got a BBQ rib plate for $19.99 and a curry chicken katsu plate for $11.99. Both had an ample portion of meat, 2 sides of rice, and 1 side where you can pick from a few options. My partner got Mac salad and I opted for a +$4 up-charge for mild ground beef eggplant (it was so worth it!). The portion sizes are generous for the price, the food came out quickly and so hot, and the Chinese family that runs the restaurant is very warm and friendly. I love that you can get Hawaiian plate lunch and also Chinese-inspired takeout food. As I'm half Chinese but was visiting Hawaii, this was my favorite mix! ”

“ It's better late than never. Came in here with bandit and tried this local's favorite eatery inside the Moanaloa 99 complex. Was a lil bit hungry and decided to grab some plate lunch to share. Got the fried chicken wing with fries and mac on the side. The chicken is good but lack of salt and most of the time I love that way. The fries is piping hot and crispy lack of salt though. The mac salad is just mediocre. Overall its good on its price. It's a generous portion to be exact. Customer service is friendly and efficient. Love it. I will surely check 'em if given a chance on their new location which I'm hopeful as they are one of the lucky ones to get a spot in Kingsgate Plaza! Mahalo for reading and happy juandering fellow yeeps! ”

“ If only I have known this before I'd be a regular here for sure! But it's never too late to grab something here before they close their door at Moanaloa 99 and head to their new location. Came here around 3pm and glad they are open. The woman who took my order is so kind and she made sure that she answer my queries. Anyway, ordered a chicken wings lunch plate and opt for fries (add $2) instead of rice with a mac salad on the side. Glad I did coz the fries had a good crunch on it. Not seasoned well but with a pinch of salt it made a difference. The chicken wing is my favorite - crunchy outside and juicy inside. Onolicious to da max! I was grabbing my tummy after as I was really stuffed after - portion is so generous! Glad I fit myself inside my car, phew! Would definitely recommend to grab something here on their new location at Kings Gate Plaza where Jollibee in Kalihi is located. See yah later... ”