Fresh Garden Deli has been a 'go to' place for healthy lunches in downtown Honolulu for 20 years. This post is a listing of my favorite dishes according to the day of the week. Most of the following are specials for that particular day:
Monday: The Apple-Tuna Curry Salad is comprised of ordinary tuna mixed with a delicious blend of mayonnaise, curry, broccoli, and apple pieces over romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber slices. This hearty salad is delicious with their balsamic vinaigrette. (All of the salads come with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber slices, and homemade dressing.)
Tuesday: The Chicken Jicama Salad is one of my favorite salads, hands down! The secret is the light, avocado-lime vinaigrette, which saturates the chicken, shredded jicama, and Mandarin orange pieces. If I pick up lunch here on a Tuesday and order something else, I always regret it later and miss having this yummy salad.
Wednesday: I don't have a favorite among the Wednesday specials so I usually order the Turkey Breast and Muenster Cheese sandwich. Customers are given a choice of whole wheat or multigrain bread, which are both good. The pesto mayonnaise is the flavor powerhouse here and it goes well with the Muenster, shredded lettuce, tomato slices, red onions, and huge slices of turkey. I need to use both hands when eating this hearty sandwich. This past week, I ordered a half sandwich and a cup of soup. Yum!
Thursday: The I-Want-it-All Greek Platter is my favorite, but I also like the Ultimate Greek Platter and the original, regular Greek Platter. The 'regular' is comprised of lentil/feta salad, couscous/parsley salad, broccoli/apple curry salad, hummus, and pita bread. The 'ultimate' is comprised of the same, but with tapenade and a nice buffalo mozzarella/tomato salad instead of the broccoli salad. 'I-Want-it-All' comes with everything, as the name implies. I had the latter for lunch yesterday and couldn't finish it in one sitting.
Friday: The Black Bean Burrito (chicken optional) is the popular choice on Fridays, primarily because of the savory homemade salsa. However, I prefer the Fiesta Salad because I get all of the good stuff (guacamole, sour cream, salsa, chicken, black beans, and tortilla chips) and can still say that I only had a salad for lunch. I had this salad with the optional jalapenos for lunch today. It looked so scrumptious that my boss ordered the same thing.
The soup of the day is always a variation of their delicious Chicken-Vegetable Soup. A hot meal option is offered daily such as Two-Bean Chicken Chili, Chicken/Eggplant Curry, or Chicken Vindaloo. Several combination options are also available. For example, half a sandwich with a small salad or soup; small servings of two different salads; or small servings of three different salads.
Prices range from $3.50 for a cup of soup to $10.50 for the I-Want-it-All Greek platter and the Smoke and Roast Sandwich (smoked turkey and roast beef with cheese). Most of the menu items are priced between $7 and $9. Tax is included, but don't forget to bring cash.
Fresh Garden Deli is basically a take-out place with just enough room for the small dining counter and a few stools along the window. It's not unusual to see people standing in the hallway reading the menu board through the window before stepping inside to place their order. Once you enter the restaurant, wait at the counter until the chef asks for your order. Then pick up your plastic utensils and napkins. Finally, pay the cashier and pick up your made-to-order lunch. You won't be disappointed!
Fresh Garden Deli
The Arcade Building
212 Merchant Street, #9
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Hours:
Monday to Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Apple-Tuna Curry Salad
Chicken Jicama Salad
Half Turkey Breast and Muenster Sandwich and Soup
I-Want-it-All Greek Platter
Fiesta Salad
