ALOHA TO GO L&L BRINGS HAWAIIAN FAST FOOD TO THE VALLEY.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

THE MAINLAND JUMP of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue has finally occurred. And Panorama City's The Plant shopping center is its landing place.

L&L claims more than 50 locations in the islands where it has garnered awards for its fare and is truly Polynesian casual; no shirts or shoes required.

It's also a typical fast-food cafe arrangement where you order and pay at a counter and receive your meals in plastic boxes (with plastic utensils) even if you're eating at one of the few tables on the premises.

L&L's situation in the Food Court area of this relatively busy center allows customers to eat outside at one of the numerous tables.

Remember Spam? Evidently it's still a big favorite in Hawaii.

L&L's kitchen grills it and adds it to saimin noodle soup ($2.79). It also serves this processed meat product with rice wrapped in seaweed ($1.29) as an appetizer called musubi.

Similarly, Portuguese-style sausage ($1.39) commonly known as linguica, here sliced flat, also provides a musubi item.

But appropriately, the signature dish here is barbecued chicken, Hawaiian style ($5.69), boneless, marinated, a tad sweet from its marinade, served with two scoops of decent white rice and a small container of mayonnaise-rich macaroni salad.

As the No. 1 seller in Hawaii (also available here in mini size for $2 less), the Hawaiian barbecued chicken typifies the food from L&L: nothing earth-shaking, but full-flavored, of reasonable portioning and a darn good value.

Seasoned, shredded pork, better-known as kalua pork ($5.79) is another true Hawaiian dish, and one of the better items at L&L. Sprinkle a little hot sauce on it for a real lively treat.

If you try the barbecue mix ($6.29), you'll get an introductory idea of how the three different barbecued meats taste. In addition to the aforementioned barbecued chicken, there's chewable, marinated, sliced barbecued beef and also barbecued short ribs that are dark, sweet and smoky.

One of the highly recommended items is the chicken katsu. It comes forth as slightly crisped, seasoned, fairly wide strips of breaded chicken breast that have been quickly deep fried. I tried it one day in the saimin noodle soup ($3.69). When dropped in at the last minute, it's delicious. Leave it in too long and it becomes spongy.

Curry here can be quite gratifying. Available with chicken, beef or shrimp, it's of medium spiciness, sort of a stewlike liquid boosted and thickened by potatoes, carrots and onions, and at $5.89 for the beef version (or $3.89 for the mini size) a definite bargain meal.

Don't be confused at the description of these dishes as ``plate lunches.'' It's a Hawaiian thing. They're served here until 9:30 p.m. on Sundays and weeknights and 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

In my book, and probably yours too, that's dinner time.

Larry Lipson, [phone]

larry.lipson(at)dailynews.com

L&L HAWAIIAN BARBECUE

Food: Three stars - Value: Three stars

Where: The Plant, 7880 Van Nuys Blvd., Panorama City.

Hours: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Recommended items: Kalua pork, Hawaiian barbecued chicken, saimin noodle soup, katsu chicken, beef curry, barbecue mix, barbecued short ribs.

How much: Everything under $7 except the mixed seafood plate ($7.29). No alcohol. All major credit cards.

Reservations:. Not taken. First come, first served.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2) The seasoned and breaded Chicken Katsu, top, is a highly recommended item at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue in Panorama City, where owners Ming and Donna Gao display some dishes.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer