PAige Takeya Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

With burgers made from 100 percent grass-fed beef, locally grown on Kulana Ranch on the Big Island, Momo Burger has become the object of lunchtime cravings. Momo’s website boasts that grass-fed beef is “lower in calories, contains more healthy omega-3 fats, more vitamins A and E, higher levels of antioxidants, and up to seven times the beta-carotene,” making their burgers “[t]he healthiest you can possibly get if you are going to eat a burger.”

Some menu items have an Asian influence, such as the Kim Chee Burger ($7), made with ko chu jang aioli, kim chee slaw, kalbi glaze and toasted sesame, and its Teriyaki Burger ($7), made with teriyaki glaze, negi aioli, caramelized onions and American cheese with both items also available as hot dogs ($4). Momo also offers each of their burgers in “slider” sizes, which are equivalent to about half the size of a regular burger.

Gyros are on the menu as well, such as the Bulgogi Gyro ($6.50), made with Korean beef, spicy tzatziki, lettuce, tomato and red onion.

Noticeably, this favored food truck no longer operates on campus, but to find out where you can get Momo, visit its Facebook page or Twitter, @momoburgerhi

Momo Burger

Momo Burger sells both garlic fries and sweet potato fries

Phone: 808-772-1074

Hours: Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Website: momoburgerhi.com

http://www.kaleo.org/features/best-food-truck-momo-burger/article_9bb007f0-809d-11e2-8865-0019bb30f31a.html

On the was to Maui’s Kahului airport there was a half hour window of opportunity to eat at a Hawaiian Food truck. I had never eaten at a food truck, even in the Oregonian food pod mecca of the world, Portland. It was time to check this adventure off my bucket list by munching on delicious shrimp at Geste’s.

Geste’s Shrimp Truck in Kuhului, Hawaii has a four star rating and serves fresh, juicy shrimp, on the side of the road…in a truck.

We drove about two miles past the airport on Kuhului Beach Road to find Geste’s Hawaiian food truck. And there was a line. Good sign.

There ain’t nothing fancy about this mobile food joint. Nothing.

The truck is plain white with a small sign and menu. And there are no tables, chairs or garbage cans. Surely, this is where the locals go to get their Hawaiian takeout lunch. And curious people like me.

We ordered the Hawaiian Style shrimp and popped a squat on the rocky beach directly behind the truck. We almost got a contact high from the local fishermen hanging out there.Should we have moved closer?

The shrimp had the shells on, in all of my dining out (which is embarrassingly a lot) I have never seen this. Tails on, yes. Entire shells, no. But, maybe it was meant to capture the moisture and flavor, because these shrimp had both.

12 shrimp per order (for $12) were served with rice and crab Mac n cheese. It was imitation crab, but you won’t care because you have shrimp.

The food truck meal was served in styrofoam with plasticware which reminded me of my recent Southern BBQ meal in Georgia where my wine was served in a plastic cup. Both meals were equally as good.

http://journeys.blogs.petaluma360.com/11775/eating-shrimp-at-a-hawaiian-food-truck-in-maui/?tc=ar

]]> http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2013/01/kahului-hi-eating-shrimp-at-a-hawaiian-food-truck-in-maui/feed/ 0 http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2013/01/maui-hi-maui-street-food/ http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2013/01/maui-hi-maui-street-food/#comments Sat, 19 Jan 2013 00:15:09 +0000 MFN Editor #1 http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/?p=39149 By Natalie | NJ in LA

Huli Huli Chicken
Located: Hana/Upcountry

Chicken being sold on the side of the road, need I say more? Huli Huli chicken came highly recommended by my sister and after one amazing morning of surfing, I had built up quite the appetite. On our way back to the hotel we spotted this beautiful set up off the highway and quickly turned off road. It was only 10:30 a.m. but the chicken was ready to be eaten! We paid a woman $8 and she kindly handed us our plates of chicken, corn and white rice. The chicken was incredibly juicy and the skin tasted like absolute perfection.

I’ve been told the chicken usually sells out by the early afternoon, so keep that in mind on your visit to Upcountry. Maui street food at it’s finest.

Olowalu Juice Stand

Location: Lahaina

My first morning on the island began with a trip to the Olowalu Juice Stand, so brightly painted and covered by incredibly shady trees off the highway. Though I was thinking I could simply get a cold pressed juice (how L.A. of me), this was actually a smoothie spot, but I wasn’t complaining. I ordered up a guava mango smoothie, sweetened with freshly squeezed sugar cane and despite my allergies to tropical fruit, I couldn’t get my straw inside quick enough. The freshness was real and the chunks of fruit made it hearty. I wish I had one right now.

Big Beah BBQ

Location: Makena

On our way to Big Beach we couldn’t help but stop at the Big Beach BBQ food truck which was serving up pulled-pork tacos and sandwiches. I ordered up the tacos ($9, hey it’s Maui) and drenched them in the various salsas. They could have had a bit more salt for my taste, but they hit the spot on that Saturday afternoon.

Now try some off roading and go get some delicious food!

http://njinla.com/2013/01/17/maui-street-food/

]]> http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2013/01/maui-hi-maui-street-food/feed/ 0 http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2012/12/national-news-hawaiian-food-where-to-eat-like-the-president-on-the-mainland/ http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2012/12/national-news-hawaiian-food-where-to-eat-like-the-president-on-the-mainland/#comments Sun, 23 Dec 2012 01:00:26 +0000 MFN Editor #1 http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/?p=36387 By Chris Gray Faust | Aol.com

The pictures of our Honolulu-raised president eating shave ice while on vacation represent only a glimpse of the Hawaiian foods that make the Aloha State such a favorite with foodies. Since Barack Obama came into office four years ago, Hawaiian food has experienced a mini-revival on the mainland, exposing more people to the joys of loco moco, tuna poke and kalua pork. Besides earning the presidential seal of approval, Hawaiian dishes and flavors have proved popular with today’s urban trendsetters: food trucks. Furthermore, the TV presence of James Beard Award-winning chefs Alan Wong, Roy Yamaguchi and Sam Choy has made more haoles aware of the cuisine, which combines island ingredients with flavors from Japan, Korea and the South Pacific.

“It’s only a matter of time until Hawaiian food makes its way across the U.S.,” says Choy. One of the 12 founders of the Hawaiian regional cuisine movement (now more than 20 years old), the chef opened his Pineapple Express food truck – inspired by food trucks on Oahu’s North Shore – in Los Angeles earlier this year. “I think we will see a big boost in Hawaiian concepts this next year and moving forward.”

Kamala Saxton, whose Marination Mobile spawned two brick-and-mortar restaurants in Seattle, says people are drawn to the emotional connections of Hawaiian food, even if the dishes aren’t familiar to them. “Hawaiian cuisine is tied to hospitality,” she says. “If you are in a small town in the Midwest, you might not know about laulau (fish, pork, chicken or vegetables steamed inside ti leaves). But you might know the people who are cooking for you. That extended ‘aloha’ is part of our culture.”

While a trip to the islands remains the best way to sample the state’s particular blend of fusion flare, consider the following dishes a delicious dip into Hawaiian cuisine while you’re on the mainland.

LOCO MOCO

What it is: The comfort food centerpiece of almost any Hawaiian plate lunch establishment, the typical loco moco involves several hamburger patties on heaping servings of rice, slopped with gravy and a runny egg (or two). If that’s not enough, some places add a scoop of macaroni salad.

Don’t miss it at: Some restaurateurs have gone upscale with loco moco. For instance, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, the L.A. chefs behind meat-centric restaurant Animal, offered a foie gras version before California banned the delicacy. But if you want a more typical gloppy experience, go to one of the 175-plus outposts of L&L Hawaiian BBQ. There’s even one in New York City’s Financial District.

SPAM MUSUBI

What it is: The Hawaiian taste for spam has been well-documented; its popularity dates back to World War II, when the processed meat put out by Hormel was widely distributed to GIs. While you can find Spam prepared in various ways on the islands, it’s most often marinated and pan-fried, then wrapped with dried seaweed on a block of rice.

Don’t miss it at: At Kamala Saxton’s Marination Mobile in Seattle, Spam musubi is often ordered in a whisper. “It’s a bit of a dirty secret,” says Saxton. One of her employees even made a sign telling customers not to be “spam-prehensive.” “It’s a guilty pleasure. It’s salty and sweet and really hits the spot.” Besides following the Marination Mobile food truck on Twitter (@curb_cuisine), Seattle Spam lovers can find it at Saxton’s storefronts, the Marination Station in Capitol Hill and Marination Ma Kai in west Seattle.

POKE

What it is: If you’re a sashimi fan, you’ll love poke (pronounced po-kay). Served in grocery stores on the islands, poke consists of raw fish cut into cubes that are then marinated with sea salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil and sesame seeds; onions, tomatoes, macadamia nuts and other local ingredients can be added. “It is something that I’ve always loved,” says Choy, who considers it the “gateway” Hawaiian food. “It is something that can be reinvented to complement any season, peak produce and, of course, seafood.”

Don’t miss it at: Choy’s truck, the Pineapple Express, serves poke in sliders, a parfait or a simple cup. “We pride ourselves on utilizing only sustainable seafood species,” he says. “So one day it may be ahi, and the next it’s ono or salmon. It’s really provided our guests an opportunity to sample the dish over and over again.” Find the truck in Los Angeles on Twitter (@SamChoysPX) or Facebook.

KALUA PORK

What it is: Served at luaus, kalua pork usually comes from a pig that has been seasoned, salted and cooked in an underground oven, or imu, lined with banana leaves and stuffed with hot rocks. Over the years, chefs and home cooks have streamlined and modernized the dish by wrapping pork shoulder butt in ti leaves, flavoring it with mesquite or liquid smoke and slow cooking it in an oven or pressure cooker.

Don’t miss it at: Roy Yamaguchi, one of the pioneers of Hawaiian regional cuisine, usually has at least one kalua pork dish on the seasonally changing menu at his nationwide chain of Roy’s restaurants (23 on the mainland U.S. and six in Hawaii). Look for it in quesadillas or tacos, baked in a smoked Gouda mac ‘n’ cheese or popped into an eggroll-like lumpia.

MALASADA

What it is: While Hawaiian food is more commonly associated with Pacific Rim flavors, Europeans played a role in its development as well – and nowhere is that more apparent than in this doughnut-style pastry of Portuguese origin. Deep-fried and traditionally served before Lent, malasadas came from the Madeira and Azores islands to the Hawaiian ones through plantation workers; now visitors and local residents line up at bakeries like Leonard’s in Honolulu to get their fix.

Don’t miss it at: You can find malasadas at bakeries in places with traditional Portuguese communities, such as Providence, RI, and southeast Massachusetts. Chef Carol Wallack (who has a home in Maui) makes a version with hot fudge and raspberry sauce at her Hawaiian-influenced fine dining restaurant Sola inChicago‘s North Center.

SHAVE ICE

What it is: Don’t add the “d,” and definitely don’t call it a snow cone. Hawaiians feel proprietary toward their keep-cool-on-a-hot-day, melt-in-your-mouth dessert, made with fine ice that has been shaved, not crushed, from a block. Various flavors of brightly colored syrups are absorbed into the ice, usually served in a paper cup. Ice cream, condensed milk and even adzuki beans can be used as toppings.

Don’t miss it at: Shave ice flourishes in Southern California, where Hawaiian expats have long taken advantage of the hot weather and beach culture to spread their cuisine. Not as logical: the success of shave ice in suburban Washington, DC, where two food vendors serving up the sweets have become summer staples. The Clayboys Shave Ice stand in Bethesda (corner of Bethesda and Woodmont) has been around for more than a decade (as a twist, a Swedish fish is stuck inside).

The young operators of AJ’s Hawaiian Iceez (brothers Adam and Jonathan Holland are still in their teens) make up in publicity what they lack in years: The Prince George’s County residents have been highlighted by BET and the Washington Post and have won several entrepreneurship awards. Find them at festivals and large events during the summer; check their Facebook page for details.

http://news.travel.aol.com/2012/12/22/hawaiian-food-where-to-eat-like-the-president-on-the-mainland/

The owner of the popular Hawaii food trucks Xtreme Tacos and Fairycakes is getting into the wedding cake business.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub, who also owns a restaurant chain in the Middle East, has purchased Frosted, an established business specializing in custom wedding cakes and cupcakes, from Melissa Char, who sold the business to pursue a master’s degree in education.

Awai-Dakroub is best known in Hawaii for her colorful food trucks that draw long lines at locations around Oahu.

The mustard-yellow Xtreme Tacos truck, which is often seen in Kakaako and around Windward Oahu, sells Mexican food with spicy sauces.

It is accompanied by Fairycakes, a bright purple van named “Lola,” which serves up whoopie pies, brownies, cupcakes, and gooey bars made from scratch.

Fairycakes’ sales took off, and Awai-Dakroub became flooded with requests for wedding and specialty cakes.

“I couldn’t meet these people’s demands with my van, and thought why not,” Awai-Dakroub said. “So we had our consultants put out a notice that we were looking to buy a wedding company, and, well, here we are.”

Awai-Dakroub intends to keep the Frosted brand, but will call her new business Frosted by Fairycakes. She is looking to hire five people.

Awai-Dakroub is no stranger to the food industry. Twenty years ago, she and her husband, Yossef, opened Sumo Sushi & Bento, now a chain of seven full-service restaurants, in Dubai and Bahrain. She and her husband plan to open their first U.S. restaurant in September, in Seattle.

“Rent in Hawaii was too expensive to open up a full-service restaurant but food trucks were low risk for us,” said Awai-Dakroub. “But we’d like to open a full-service restaurant because that’s what we’re good at.”

For now, Awai-Dakroub says she’s thrilled to be adding a wedding cake business to her growing collection of food establishments.

Frosted by Fairycakes is opening a commercial bakery on Queen Street by mid-August. It will continue to accept orders until then.

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/blog/2012/06/hawaii-food-truck-owner-adds-wedding.html

By Olena Heu | KHON

Camille's on Wheels

The latest food craze sweeping the nation has also taken off here in Hawaii.

Gourmet lunch trucks can be found on streets across town but many lunch wagon owners say they could be forced out of business because of an out of date law.

Lunch wagons in Hawaii have long been known as a quick and easy way to grab something delicious to eat.

“We are really trying to be enterprising in an economy that’s down and we are trying to create work for ourselves,” said Camille Komine, Camille’s On Wheels.

Former television set decorator and food stylist Camille Komine took her culinary skills to the streets a year ago and has received national acclaim for her fusion tacos and homemade pies. But recently Camille along with several others say their future has become uncertain.

Recently Honolulu Police officers started enforcing a city ordinance, originally written in 1978, that states “It is unlawful for any itinerant vendor… to carry on or solicit business in one location on any street or on any public highway for a period of more than 15 minutes.”

“It has put at least one vendor out of business because he can’t set up in 15 minutes,” said Komine.

The citation comes with a fine of $500 per person and up to 30 days in jail and has lunch truck operators driving scared.

“It doesn’t allow a food truck to operate in any capacity,” said Joe Twarowski, Chicago Eatz.

Police officials say “The HPD has received complaints from the community regarding the lunch trucks taking up some of the limited parking spaces in the area. For the past few months our officers have been educating the vendors about the law and have been giving them warnings. After repeated warnings, some of the vendors have been ticketed.”

“We are providing a service for people, we don’t park in front of other businesses out of respect,” said Komine.

But are they breaking the law?

“The way the law is written some of them probably are but you know so were black people who sat at certain lunch counters,” said Marcus Landsberg, trial attorney.

City Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard introduced a bill Thursday seeking to increase the time limit to two hours.

“They are complying with the law in every other area, the problem that we are seeing here is an outdated law,” said Tulsi Gabbard, Honolulu City Council.

“I am a very small business and the irony of being chased out of business is pretty unbelievable.” said Komine.

http://www.khon2.com/mostpopular/story/Lunch-wagon-crackdown/FtN6eqV6nUyuSs2aLM2gpA.cspx

Photo: courtesy Michi Harris

Since 2008, self-taught cook Michi Harris has been serving up full family meals-to-go through Michi’s Cooking Fresh for You. The food is nutritious (low butter, low salt), delicious and affordable. For example, you can get a chicken shepherd’s pie and a barbecue chicken chopped salad that serves six for $53. You order online and pick up the goodies at Star of the Sea cafeteria, near Kahala Mall.

There’s little chance of getting bored—her dishes take cues from around the world. One night may be shredded pork enchilada casserole, the next Greek-style roasted chicken. I ordered the stuffed shells—filled with creamy ricotta—and Caesar salad, and three adults had dinner, then lunch for the next two days.

In April, Harris added to her repertoire and took her show on the road with a lunch truck. Now fans don’t have to wait until dinner. The 14-item menu includes five-spice teri chicken with pineapple salsa, Vietnamese-style pork chops and a salad of the day. The plates come with two scoops of Genji-mai whole grain brown rice,  salad with miso vinaigrette and fresh fruit.

After a nomadic start, Cooking Fresh for You now has regular stops: You can find the truck at Servco Mapunapuna (2850 Pukoloa St.) on Wednesdays and Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. She also makes appearances at Servco Auiki Street on Sand Island, and in front of Sports Authority on Ward Avenue. Right now, her overall schedule is a little mysterious, but Harris promises she’ll start using her Twitter account (@CookingFresh4U) to let hungry lunchers know where she’s at.

Michi’s Cooking Fresh for You, 286-6484, cookingfreshforyou.com.

http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/Biting-Commentary/September-2011/New-Food-Truck-Cooking-Fresh-for-You/

Gabriel Luck, owner of Papa Luck’s, has been serving coff ee to university students for the past fi ve years. NIK SEU KA LEO O HAWAI‘I

There are six independent food vendors located on the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa campus, and each vendor brings something different. Whether it’s Da Spot’s 27 smoothie options or India Café’s buy-10-get-1-free meal card, these vendors provide students with tasty meal options.

The Sustainability Courtyard, home to two of the campus’ independent vendors, is strictly vegetarian. Govinda’s Vegetarian Cuisine and Da Spot have other outlets around the island. At all locations, Govinda’s offers vegetarian dishes, including their temple and restaurant in Chinatown. However, Da Spot’s other locations, such as its new restaurant on South King Street, serve meat.

Govinda’s provides an escape from the crowded campus cafeterias. Located at the front of the Sustainability Courtyard by Kuykendall Hall, Govinda’s offers more than 11 vegetarian food choices paired with homemade iced teas and fruit drinks, such as Lemon-Mint-Ginger Rush and Blackberry-Raspberry Iced Herbal Tea.

“We offer a lot of curries, like the Kafta Ball mixed vegetable curry,” said Rebecca Vinson, a member of the temple and a student at UH. “So it’s a lot of Indian food.”

For students who are less enthusiastic about Indian food, Govinda’s has other vegetarian choices such as garden veggie burgers and banana bread. “Most of the produce is local,” said Vinson.

“It’s great that we can promote our Krishna beliefs and provide a healthy food choice for UH students,” she added.

Da Spot also serves curries in the Sustainability Courtyard, but its smoothies are popular with students. With 27 options, on top of a “make your own” choice, Da Spot allows customers to mix any of eight fruits, six homemade sorbets, and six juices into their smoothies.

“We make all of our own sorbet without any preservatives … unlike most smoothie makers. We don’t use any ice which dilutes the smoothie, and we use as many local products as possible,” said Ahmad Ramadan, co-owner of Da Spot.

The tropical fruits used in the smoothies are kept fresh by flash freezing, a process that quickly freezes the fruit so that ice crystals do not form in the fruit.

“We give them [the students] a better quality smoothie. … Whatever appeases our palate is what we make,” said Ramadan.

India Café is the third vendor that regularly serves curries. Located at the center of campus on McCarthy Mall, India Café sells a range of curries. Whether students are looking for lamb, seafood, vegetarian, or spicy meals, India Café has a bit of everything available.

“During the regular semester, we offer three to four meat [and] seafood entrees and four to five vegetarian side entrees, totaling in seven to nine different curries,” said Jiva Segaran, chef and a member of the family-run business.

Spices including cinnamon, coriander, cardamom, cumin, star anise, and mixes called masalas are brought in from India. These seasonings are paired with recipes passed down through the Segaran family.

“Because our food is so unique and the menu changes every day, we have to do a lot of talking to let customers figure out what they will enjoy the most. It is very personable because our goal is to provide not just great tasting food, but an enjoyable experience that will hopefully share some of our unique culture,” said Ramadan.

Two on-campus vendors, Simply Ono and Golden River Catering, specialize in local food.

Simply Ono has two locations at UH Mānoa: one by Krauss Hall, and one in the Biomedical Sciences building.

“One of our more popular dishes is our Hawaiian plate with homemade kalua pig, lomilomi salmon, laulau, fresh poke, and a starch,” said Harris Sukita, co-owner of Simply Ono.

Local produce is selected from a variety of shops in Chinatown owned by friends of Sukita. Sukita also goes to the United Fishing Agency where he hand-picks island fish.

“It is a lot of work, but we can have the freshest fish, as well as a cost savings that I can pass on to our customers,” said Sukita.

Of the six food vendors around campus, three specialize in curries and ethnic food and two focus on local foods, but only one, Papa Luck’s, serves European-style food and drinks. Papa Lucks, also the only vendor that offers breakfast food, has a selection of freshly baked goods and 16 different breakfast drinks ranging from “OJ on Ice” to Americanos.

“We have a full-on espresso bar, double shots on ice, and fresh-brewed iced tea. … We make an effort to accommodate students who have to be up early and don’t want to eat at one of the Sodexo cafés,” said Gabriel Luck, also known as “Papa Luck.”

Luck said he searched for the right bakery to get his baked goods. Although he hopes to bake his own products at some point, Luck is happy with the shop that he has found. “It’s a local bakery that makes great New York style bagels. I use the bagels that I get from them for my “Build a Bagel Bar,” where students choose what goes inside,” Luck said.

Although Luck only has one vending location, he is working on starting a second. For now, he said he is happy knowing that college students are coming to his café for what he calls “comfort food.”

Luck is not the only vendor who enjoys selling food on campus.

“I love working at UH because of the high-paced flow and the unique opportunity to interact with so many different people,” said Segaran.

Govinda’s

10:00AM-2:00PM

Sustainability Courtyard

$0.50 Hallava- $7.50 Full Plate including 2 entrees, brown rice,

salad, desert, and soup.

Strictly Vegetarian, food never includes: Fish, eggs, garlic, onions, MSG, Iodized Salt, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, and any artificial colors or flavors.

Da Spot

10:00AM-2:00PM

Sustainability Courtyard

$1.00 Baklava- $7 Combo meal including 2 entrée, brown rice,

salad, baklava.

Strictly Vegetarian vendor

27 smoothie choices or make your own

Simply Ono

10:30AM-1:30PM

Krauss Hall and Biomedical Sciences Building

$1.25 soda-meal between $5-$7.50

Daily menu change

Each menu includes array of fresh fish, 2 daily specials, pasta,

sandwich, chicken, salad, soup and desert

Papa Luck’s

7 a.m – 2 p.m.

Outside Art Building

$1.00 fruit- $5.95 Quiche and Salad

Gabriel Luck (Papa Luck): “Some people call it Bistro Fair, but I like to think of it as comfort food.”

India Café

10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. (or until out of food)

Varney Circle @ McCarthy Mall

$1.00 soda- $8.25 meal

Some Vegetarian choices

Students get discount if they bring their own plates Daily Menu Change

Golden River Catering

10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Holmes Hall

$0.60 hard-boiled egg-$7.50 Combo Plate including 2 entrée choices, 2 scoops of rice, choice of Mac Salad or Garden Salad

Weekly menu change

Need to know facts:

Vendors in the sustainability courtyard are strictly vegetarian.

Student meal cards cannot be used with vendors.

http://www.kaleo.org/nso/food-truck-frenzy-1.2609725

The lucky, last few customers wait for their sandwiches from the Melt food truck on Ward Avenue, which stopped service after running out of food Thursday, July 28. Jamm Aquino/Star-Advertiser

Saying the popular food truck Melt wrapped up its street business today on a high note would be an understatement.

After word got out via social media, Melt’s gourmet grilled-cheese sandwiches sold at such a volume that orders were halted an hour and 15 minutes after opening at 11 a.m. at the truck’s regular parking spot on the Diamond Head side of Ward Avenue near Sports Authority. The assortment of triple melt, tomato basil melt, pastrami melt and signature Melt of Shame sandwiches were assembled and sold by co-owners Lindsey Ozawa and Martha Cheng at a steady pace.

The business volume never waned. There were as many as 40 hungry patrons in line, some texting away with smartphones. Later, some of them had to be turned away when Cheng came out from behind the truck’s grill to make the disappointing announcement that they had run out of food.

“It sucks … .” said Ozawa when the last sandwich went out. “We prepped for normal service, but most of our orders were, at a minimum, three sandwiches per, so we ended up running out of cheese before anything else.”

If it’s any solace, Ozawa said he and fellow co-owners Cheng and Alejandro Briceno are looking into re-opening Melt sometime in the future, only this time as a “brick-and-mortar” operation.

“It’s become a good brand with a good following,” Ozawa said.

Above, Martha Cheng, front, and Lindsey Ozawa, are kept busy on the food truck's last day of service. Below, Cheng grills up some triple melt and pastrami melt sandwiches. Jamm Aquino/Star-Advertiser

Along with other food trucks, Melt was at the forefront of a popular movement that started last October that has since blossomed into the monthly Eat the Street festival held on the last Friday of every month in Kakaako. It was Cheng who brought the food truck concept back from her Portland, Ore., visit to Ozawa, who had left his post as executive chef at Nobu in Waikiki.

Now Ozawa, with 14 years of experience by his count, will bring his full attention to his new restaurant Prima, which he plans to open in early September in Kailua in the Foodland complex on Hekili Street, between Baskin-Robbins and R. Field Wine Company.

With a wood-burning pizza oven already in place, Ozawa said he’s starting off with an Italian-based menu, although he added he may later add items based on his training in French and Japanese cuisine.

“The advantage of starting the food truck first was the low start-up cost. With a restaurant, it’s five to six times more. That’s a lot of money, so I have to make sure that Prima will be successful,” he said.

http://www.honolulupulse.com/food-drink/gourmet-food-truck-makes-its-last-sandwich

Some may say the lunch wagon craze has gotten out of hand. They’re popping up everywhere around Oahu and that’s saying something, most of the island already lived off plate lunches from these trucks.

But the new found fetish has lead to some pretty delicious wagons opening up. One in particular, Flip’T Out I happened across after surfing Kewalos. It was parked on Ward outside of Sports Authority and was quit unassuming with an all black paint job and small lettering spelling out the business.

I wandered over and a nice lady, I believe Mel, greeted me and informed me that the Banana Split Lumpia was out, they had already gone through 500 that week. She also mentioned that although it was to be taken off the menu next week, they were quickly rethinking that strategy.

I decided to go with the Pinoy Dogs which were now made with Adobo Pork. These mini treats were put in a sweet Spanish roll each and topped with tocino, sisig, and gisantes along with a veggie mix of kinilaw that included tomatoes.

The little dogs came out in about 7 minutes and were not all that little. The plate was more than enough to fill someone up.

Also, turns out those three mystery toppings were delicious ways to make pork. The combination of whatever they were marinated in, the hot dog, sweet roll and little veggie toppings were the perfect match for my pallet. At $6 a piece, it ended up being a pretty good deal.

That was all I had this time around, but once I find out when theyll be back, I’ll be sure to try out that Banana Split Lumpia, 500 people can’t be wrong, can they?

http://www.alohaupdate.com/2011/07/20/flipt-out-pinoy-dogs-are-delicious/