If you’d like to save a few dollars and dine among the locals, make a trip to Sam Choy’s Kaloko. The atmosphere here is casual, with a modest interior that resembles a school lunchroom. Cooks and servers bustle about in the large kitchen, which is clearly visible from the dining area. What the restaurant lacks in refinement, it makes up for with sizable portions of consistently tasty food. Restaurateur and chef Sam Choy, whose culinary creations have helped to define Hawaiian cuisine, has opened several restaurants on the islands. His Kaloko location is situated in an industrial park on the east side of Highway 19, a couple of miles south of Kona International Airport.

Sam Choy's Kaloko Information:

• Pacific-Rim/Pan-Asian menu. Breakfast, lunch. Casual attire.