CK Smoke House & Salad is now open

CK Smoke House & Salad in Chalan Kanoa checks all the boxes when opening and running a successful smoke barbecue restaurant. Since February, the restaurant has become the go-to place for unique barbecue offerings, with tasty dishes and fresh salad that goes well with the restaurant’s relaxed, family-oriented ambiance.

According to P&A Corp. general manager Doyi Kim, the idea behind CK Smoke House & Salad is quite simple really. Since their company also operates the Marianas Meat slaughterhouse and Fresh Market, where ready-to-cook meat is distributed, they already have a line of products that would complement the restaurant.

“…Marianas Meat has been supplying different kinds of meat to the community for many years and putting up a restaurant is another way to maximize the use of local meat. …We offer grilled, barbecue, and smoked meat dishes that suits the local flavor using special ingredients,” she said. “Since we are new, we are still perfecting every dish, and we work very hard because there is nothing like it on island right now. …We are continuously developing our menu and learning by ourselves. …Our goal is to use our own meat and get additional supply from local farmers because our vision is to help local agriculture.”

With just a little over a month of operations under its belt, CK Smoke House & Salad is already gaining a market base—this interview was being done around lunchtime and many people could be seen flocking to the restaurant.

Crunchy and juicy crispy pata. (Donna Rivera)

The ambiance itself is welcoming, with a relaxed atmosphere and décor that brings to mind a modern country house. It is well lit, spacious, clean, and definitely a place where family and friends would enjoy a good meal together. Parking is not a problem as it can accommodate over 30 cars. “We just wanted a place where people can be themselves. They do not have to really ‘dress up’ to come here because there is nothing formal about this place and we just want customers to enjoy their meal and have a good time,” Kim said.

It does not have to be payday to eat at Smoke House because meals go for $15 and below and the portions are big. “Our prices are reasonable and we have received a lot of good feedback about our prices which is also another goal—good meat dishes that our community can afford,” she added.

The Smoke House menu is an array of island favorites—beef, pork, and chicken dishes that are served hot and fresh at your table. Expect a delightful version of the Chamorro beef steak, pork sisig, crispy pata, and chicken wings. Smoked-style includes juicy grilled short ribs, porkchop, hamburger steak, and seafood that includes fresh mahi, mussels, and more. They also have a smoked-BBQ style where customers can choose pork, beef, chicken plates or all of those in one plate.

They have different “special lunch” served every day and that includes the main meat dish, creamy soup, a choice between vegetable or potato salad, and a choice between plain or fried rice for only $10.95.

Pork sisig topped with fried egg. (Donna Rivera)

Customers can mix dining and fun at the restaurant because they also have karaoke and can accommodate private functions and celebrations. To help people unwind, happy hour is from 5 pm to 7 pm and you get a discount of $1 on selected drinks. Future plans include live bands.

Operations manager Kevin Kim said that Marianas Meat is U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified and that the partnership continues to maintain the good quality of the meat that they distribute. “The USDA certification means that the meat we use for our dishes is akin to organic beef because we do not grow cattle like they do in factories. …We do not interfere with their growth. …We let the animals roam around the farm, they feed on grass, which is full of vitamins, omega 3, and nutrients and ultimately produce healthy animals because of their healthy diet.”

“We work with the inspector every day and maintain quality assurance at work. …We are also careful and do what the USDA requires from start to finish in handling meat. There is no room for error or cross-contamination because we maintain the cleanliness of the area and all the workers comply with quality requirements,” he added.

Doyi Kim believes what the community needs are a great ambiance, reasonable prices, and good quality meat—and they heeded that call.

“We want our customers to be satisfied from the moment they come in, eat, and go home. We want them to come back and have a wonderful time again. Another goal is for everyone to know we are local friendly. We want them to have the mindset that they can come and be comfortable here,” she said.

CK Smoke House & Salad is located at the back of the U.S. Post Office in Chalan Kanoa. They are open Monday to Sunday, from 11 am to 2 pm for lunch and 5 pm to 9 pm for happy hour and dinner. For more information, call (670)234-3331. Look them up on Facebook or Instagram: @CKSmokeHouseSpn and get a chance to have a CK SmokeHouse eco-friendly bag.