Hawaiian Kitchen opens in Bethpage

A new takeout scene in Bethpage aims to channel the Aloha State without jumping on the poke bandwagon.

Hawaiian Kitchen opened Aug. 10 with a succinct menu devoted mostly to marinated, grilled meats, plus “crispy burgers” and a handful of salads and sides.

Co-owner Johnny Ren said he and his wife, Anna Lee, noted the popularity of Hawaiian food during a trip to California and decided to bring the concept to Long Island, taking over the spot where Planet Wings used to be.

Ren — who said he once ran a sushi restaurant in Indianapolis, and serves as cook — grilled two types of “barbecue” meat for the Hawaiian Kitchen menu: Mild, soy ginger, vaguely sweet combinations of chicken breast, cubed beef and shrimp ($9 to $11) billed as Hawaiian Grill and served with white rice, a scoop of cold macaroni salad and broccoli. A slightly spicier rota of grilled meats are called “BBQ” and include short ribs for $12. Those “crispy” burgers cover chicken, steak and cod ($5 to $8).

Hawaiian Kitchen has about 20 bright-red seats but seems designed for a takeout trade. It opens daily for lunch and dinner at 10:30 a.m.

Hawaiian Kitchen, 580 Stewart Ave., Bethpage, 516-935-6888.