Last night we at PastieBap HQ braved the cold to attend Kua ‘Aina‘s media event at Victoria Square in Belfast to celebrate the launch of their brand new festive Christmas Menu, sample some goodies and to try our hand at creating our own Legendary Burger, and the results where phenomenal!

If you haven’t been to Kua ‘Aina before, then here’s a bit of background about the Hawaiian burger joint:

Kua ‘Aina, or “Koo-a eye-na”, means “back country”, but is more often used to describe a country bumpkin in Hawaii. For native Hawaiians it can mean those who actively live Hawaiian culture and keep the spirit of the land alive.

A favourite of President Barack Obama when he’s back home, Terry Thompson’s lava-rock chargrilled burger and sandwich creations with homemade seasonings have become famous since he opened the original Kua ‘Aina on Hawaii’s famous North Shore in 1975. Forty years on, his legendary burgers and succulent sandwiches are still wowing locals, surfers and visitors alike.

Thanks to Massive PR who invited us down, we sampled the Christmas Burger, the Turkey, Bacon & Brie Sandwich, and the Sage & Onion Portobello Mushroom Bap, all of which offered a Hawaiian twist on a festive feast (and where delicious). We also had a go at creating our own burgers, which the chef kindly attempted to make for us, no matter how crazy our suggestions!

As always, the food was spot on, and the burgers seasoned to perfection, but the real star of the show was the mince pie milkshake, yep, you read that right: MINCE PIE MILKSHAKE. Don’t worry, it’s as good as it sounds.

For the full Christmas menu click here, or to see what else is available follow Kua ‘Aina on Facebook.

Laura Caldwell

Author: Laura Caldwell

Hi, I'm Laura. I'm 30 years old and have a degree in Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. I've written for The Big List, Culture NI, Chatterbox and The Echo, as well as writing for BBC Across the Line.