The top 10 most influential food trucks

[matapule]

Well! Somebody has come up with the top 10 most influential food trucks in the USA http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ashley...0.html#s154948 Where is local kine food truck on Oahu? I'm shocked Oahu did'nt make the top 10. Are the shrimp really THAT bad? Hana hou' Hawai'i, let's holo holo 'usi for some onolicious local grinds kine food truck!

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: The top 10 most influential food trucks

Influential? Nah, but it is indeed time for a round-up of the current truck/wagon fare, lot's of new subjects like the BBQ truck on Kamakee at a storage place, the wagon on Beretania/McCully @ some decrepit sports bar, they look worth a try. And the UH campus has some good vendors, I like the Indian wagon.

[matapule]

Re: The top 10 most influential food trucks

And the UH campus has some good vendors, I like the Indian wagon.

Ron, are you talking about the Swap Meet or all the time?

[leashlaws]

Re: The top 10 most influential food trucks

I miss the Tsukenjo red truck!

[Honoruru]

Re: The top 10 most influential food trucks

Food truck vs. lunch wagon. What’s the difference?

While “food truck” is a hot trend nation-wide (witness The Food Channel’s “Great Food Truck Race”), Hawaii’s had the lunch wagon since at least the 1940’s. Even earlier if you consider that saimin with barbeque sticks used to be served up by the Saimin Lady and her mobile cart, and manapua was only available from the roaming Manapua Man.

So what’s the difference? Well, I’d say the local, traditional “lunch wagon” was/is the source of our beloved plate lunch (two scoops rice, mac salad, and other “stuff” [i.e. fill in the blank]). The new “food truck,” as far as I can tell, is a mobile gourmet stand specializing is one particular fare.

I think Ron is correct. There are a lot more specialized food trucks appearing here. I heard about the Beretania/McCully truck (T.A.S.T.E.), which is a Goji wannabe truck (Korean/Mexican tacos). By the way, I saw on Nonstop Honolulu that the Goji Truck has landed in Honolulu. And I also remember seeing another list of top ten Food Truck articles on the web that listed Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck on the North Shore.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: The top 10 most influential food trucks

Ron, are you talking about the Swap Meet or all the time?

No clue about the swap meet..., but the India wagon is always open for lunch at the main circle/fountain and something similar maybe still by the E/W Ctr.

Food truck vs. lunch wagon. So what’s the difference?
Well, I’d say the local, traditional “lunch wagon” was/is the source of our beloved plate lunch.
The new “food truck,” as far as I can tell, is a mobile gourmet stand specializing is one particular fare.

Mainland food trucks tend to serve much wider hour spans and choices, while local style is mostly lunch only with trad fare.
At first, coming from LA in the mid 70s, I hated plate lunch. Discovering Hawaiian and real local food cured that and now I dig plate lunch and can almost enjoy white rice, not sticky.

[matapule]

Re: The top 10 most influential food trucks

Discovering Hawaiian and real local food cured that and now I dig plate lunch and can almost enjoy white rice, not sticky.

It's funny you mention that because we had Peace Corps training for 3 months in Ho'olehua, Molokai back in the 60's. Our first trip to Hawai'i and I was hooked on everything! Meals were prepared by Hawaiian kine people. They made those clear celophane noodles almost every day! My colleagues hated them and I thought they were about the most onolicious food I ever tasted. Matapules eat almost anything and have the waist to prove it! Everyone scraped their noodles onto my plate and I was in puaka heaven. I would hitch a ride into Kaunakakai and order a bowl of Saimin at the drive-in on the weekends. I miss those days.

What I wouldn't give for a big plate of Hawaiian clear noodles right now, maybe a little poi on top!

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: The top 10 most influential food trucks

What I wouldn't give for a big plate of Hawaiian clear noodles right now, maybe a little poi on top!

That is usually called chicken long rice, and is indeed ono in it's basic versions, a staple at all lunch wagons.

But the simplest mix of one scoop cold/old poi with one scoop hot kalua pig... we need an orgasm emoticon!

[matapule]

Re: The top 10 most influential food trucks

we need an orgasm emoticon!

How dis? There are others, but they won't make it past the HT censors!

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: The top 10 most influential food trucks

How dis?

That'll do only for knowing you're about to have an... eat some poi and pig!

[Pomai]

Re: The top 10 most influential food trucks

There are a lot more specialized food trucks appearing here. I heard about the Beretania/McCully truck (T.A.S.T.E.), which is a Goji wannabe truck (Korean/Mexican tacos). By the way, I saw on Nonstop Honolulu that the Goji Truck has landed in Honolulu.

That would be GOGI Korean Taco Truck, not Goji (as in the berries), where I read they now park behind the old Cutter used car dealership on Ala Moana Blvd., across the street from Cutter Volkswagen.

Not sure if any lunchwagon (a.k.a. "food truck") in Hawaii would be considered "influential", but probably more "historic" as a better description and meaning.

The one that tops my list would be the long-gone now Kanda "Kewalo" Lunchwagon, that called the parking lot at the Diamond Head side of Kewalo Basin home for DECADES. I tell you, like most excellent restaurants in town, them local Okinawans that ran "Kewalo" Lunchwagon really knew how to cook some ono grindz! "Kewalo's" "Regular Mix" was my favorite. For just $5.50, it included their most EXCELLENT roast pork and gravy, luncheon meat, shoyu chicken, long rice, 2 scoops rice and mac salad, plus that also included a cold drink! Plus, they served it the old school way, on a Chinette paper plate that was lined with wax paper and wrapped with butcher paper and rubber band. Classic!

Remember those LONG LINES? That's cause their plate lunches were cheap, yet absolutely stick-to-the-ribs OISHII! RIP "Kewalo" lunchwagon. We miss you! Come back please!

[Honoruru]

Re: The top 10 most influential food trucks

That would be GOGI Korean Taco Truck, not Goji (as in the berries)

A berry embarrassing misspelling on my part.

I agree with you on Kanda's, my all-time favorite. And you can't ignore Tsukenjo (the red truck on Ward). But another favorite for me was Grace's, when they were just a lunch wagon at UH. There used to be an armada of lunch wagons at UH in the 60's and 70's. Grace's was the most popular; it was certainly my favorite. That bed of chow fun and that little cup of kim chee did it for me.

[anapuni808]

Re: The top 10 most influential food trucks

I fondly remember Kanda's. when I came back here in '96, the day after I got here I made my brother find me a lunch wagon so I could have a plate lunch. We were successful - somewhere in Mapunapuna area. and it was very yum!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: The top 10 most influential food trucks

I miss the Tsukenjo red truck!

Now that was an iconic lunch wagon in Kakaako...back in the days