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Polynesian soul food comes to New York with this Financial District outpost of the L & L Hawaiian Barbecue chain. Though basically a fast-food joint, the ingredients here are fresh and entrees are cooked to order. The menu reflects Hawaii’s overlapping influences. Shades of Japan can be found in teriyaki and tempura options. Cheeseburgers and fries acknowledge mainland America. Echoes of Korean barbeque can be tasted in the grilled short ribs. Many of the offerings, however, are uniquely Hawaiian. Lau lau combines pork with taro leaves, steamed in a green leaf bundle for a moist, smoky result. Kahlua pork recalls traditional pig roasts, pairing salty pulled pork and strips of cabbage. The old surfer special loco moco smothers hamburger patties in brown gravy and tops them off with fried eggs. Spam, a Hawaiian staple, appears in maki form, layered with sticky rice, wrapped in seaweed, and topped with teriyaki sauce. Don’t be fooled by the Atkins angle, though; while delicious, the meat is a little too greasy to be healthy. The restaurant sports the requisite fast-food accents of orange and red, plus additional Aloha State touches—framed hula posters, a surfboard-shaped sign, and a trash can marked “mahalo” (thank you). — Seth Cohn

Spam musubi, $3.29; barbecue beef sandwich, $3.29; chicken katsu plate, $7.79; kahlua and lau lau combination plate, $7.59