CHICKEN IN A BARREL, WAHIAWA – Recommended by a friend who said it was “juicy” chicken and the it was so tasty that you didn’t need a sauce. She was right. It was worth the drive to Wahiawa, even if we couldn’t figure out the parking. The loaded fries are a must have, which we got with chicken. The grilled cornbread was something she wanted to take home. https://chickeninabarrel.com/
JEJUBING, ALA MOANA – I always passed by and would wonder what it was like, then I went there. During the week I think about how I can get myself to Jejubing. I day dream of the flavors that I enjoyed while eating mango and nuts. It isn’t just on the top, but worked into the bingsu. Drizzle it with the sweetened condensed milk. I love shaved ice, but this is more like milk shaved ice. I am planning a trip to Korea and will be looking for bingsu. I actually HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SPECIFIC bingsu spot. https://www.instagram.com/jejubingdessertcafe/?hl=en
VONS CHICKEN, MILILANI TOWN CENTER – As I get older, I find myself wanting food that it not oily but still tasty. I also need food that is light and doesn’t hurt my stomach. Vons chicken is exactly that. I heard it is fried twice, but it is not oily and heavy. It is busy and our family orders to go boxes of our favorites – garlic, snow, honey butter, and regular fried. The fries are super crunchy, but has flavor. I actually enjoy the fried mandoo and fried mochi (tteokbokki). http://towncenterofmililani.com/stores/vons-chicken/
Frida’s. Pictures of Frida Kahlo adorn the walls, which reminds me of the summers I spent in Mexico City staying at the Casa de Los Amigos and visited Frida Kahlo’s house. Ever since my first summer in Mexico City, Chiapas, and Guatemala I have been searching for food that would be like the flavors I enjoyed in those two summers aboard. I live in Hawai’i, which is known for great Asian food, but can be a desert for those that are looking for those flavors from Mexico and Central America.
First thing I learned in my summers aboard is that there are definite differences in tortillas and frijoles (tortillas and beans). I did not understand the regional aspects that changed depending on where you were. In Mexico City, I had no problem getting corn or flour tortillas and pinto beans. But the closer I got to Guatemala, I found the tortillas to be thicker and black beans more so than the pinto beans. I must be honest; I love black beans more. I prefer thinner flour or corn tortillas because these are easier to eat. The frijoles I ate in Guatemala were mostly black beans. The only time I ate pinto beans was when I went to a Taco Bell in Guatemala City.
After my summers in Mexico and Guatemala, I lived in Los Angeles, so I never thought about not having the things I grew to love, and I mean LOVE. Jamaica, the hibiscus drink that I never knew existed and I lived in Hawai’i where these flowers are everywhere. I learned you can dry out the flower and then turn it into a powder form, which is mixed with sugar and water. The best flan I ever had, which was the only thing I could eat when I first got to Mexico City because my body was still adjusting to the smog level. The distinct types of salsa, which made me aware of what cilantro could do and just how much I loved it. The bootleg Tequila that was so smooth, that I can no longer really drink Jose Cuervo or Patron unless it is in a mixed drink. The Tequila came in an unlabeled bottle with a cork on top and brought up from the basement.
I have been to some good restaurants and food trucks on Oahu looking for that flavor that would remind me of fond times with friends and experiences that I would never have, if I stayed in the US. El Jalisciense food truck in Waikele was a go to for similar street tacos. There was a Santa Cruz Taco truck, but I have not seen it in a long time. El Burrito on Piikoi is not bad, but far from my home. There was Azteca and Jose in Kaimuki, which reminded me more of California than it did Mexico.
When Keoni and Hazel are in Hawai’i, she makes the best salsa that is like gold in our family. The salsa runs out quick and I am normally the last to get it because I am slow. Lupe, who did not really eat a lot of Mexican food turned me on to Frida’s in Waipahu. HELL YEAH! I finally found a place that totally reminds me of those two summers in Mexico. Frida’s is a go to now.
The Waipahu location had lots of parking that was free, so that was appealing. We also found out that Frida’s started out with a truck and now has two locations. Mr. Basto, the owner, told us about how they started in a food truck and then grew to have two locations: one in Waipahu and the other in Ewa. He was right about how fresh the food was and that is one of the reasons it tasted so good.
The tacos came with two salsa selections, and you could choose your meat. I chose the carne asada. The vegetables used for the tacos were fully fresh and has influence in the taste. The Frida Taco came with the hottest salsa I ever ate. I did not know how hot it was until my face turned red and I went to ask them for sugar. Sugar and milk seem to help with easing the heat. The salsa is peach colored and tasty. The only other salsa I ate that was hot hotter than this was by Hazel for our family.
I also ordered an ala carte street taco with carnitas. This taco was juicy and although carnitas tend to have lots of fat, it was not oily. All the tacos come with salsa, and you can select one that meets your heat level needs. I also got the birria tacos because Lupe said she tried it and it was tasty. My favorite item was the nachos with chicken. The chicken was moist, and I could not stop eating it. I normally do not eat chicken with any type of nacho or taco, but I wanted to try it out. I was thinking of getting an order of nachos to go, but I already ordered enough for more than two people. I also got to drink the jamaica flavored Jarritos.
Everything was fresh and tasty. If there is one restaurant that brings back some of the memories from the summers in Mexico, it would be Frida’s.
Nachos with chickenStreet Tacos with CarnitasFrida Taco with Carne AsadaBirria TacoHottest Salsa
This recipe has no name that we know of, but it brings back all those memories of growing up. We lived across from the Hongwanji on Nuuanu Avenue and shopped at Chun Hoon’s. Our mother worked hard to make the money stretch. Canned goods were a source of quick and inexpensive meals. This was ideal because canned goods had a longer shelf life than produce. This is a recipe that you can make, even if you get your canned goods at a food bank. It helps to stretch the soup for a family.
I am not totally sure, but this might’ve been from Auntie Harriet. There are only three canned foods you need and cooked rice to pour it on when you are ready to eat.
Canned Spam, diced.
Campbell’s Vegetable Soup, get the one with the alphabets in it.
Canned Spaghetti, Campbell’s is the best.
Make the vegetable soup the same way the directions indicate, with a one to one ratio of water. Then put in the diced Spam and the Canned Spaghetti. You can leave it on a low boil. You don’t have to wait to eat, but it is best done while hot. Pour it over white, short grain cooked rice and it is heaven.
Lupe and I grew up with every Friday night being a mother-daughters outing of Chinese food and a movie. For those that grew up in the Nuuanu-Chinatown area in the seventies might remember Liberty Theatre, Empress Theatre, and the Four Seasons restaurant on Nuuanu and Pauahi. So many childhood memories wrapped up in food and Run Run Shaw movies. The idols I loved were Ti Lung, Alexander Fu Sheng, and Bruce Lee.
With the passing of our mother, Manumalo, we thought of those things that brought us together – our love for food and sharing a meal together. Even if we wanted to kill each other during the week, Friday was the day that we could enjoy each other and forget our troubles. Now we think about the dishes that we loved from our childhood: saimin, crispy gau gee mein, kau yuk, and beef tofu. The joy from these memories built in each spoonful of these dishes made me want to cry. There is a true connection between our physical experiences and the memories bound to them.
It is difficult to find a Chinese restaurant with the exact taste from the past. Many of the restaurants stopped using MSG for health-related issues. Even the menus changed and some of these dishes cannot be ordered. But when I think about restaurants that come close, Happy Days Restaurant on Waialae Avenue is the first one I want to go to. Our mom was able to eat at the restaurant.
The noodles used in the won ton mein and crispy gau gee mein were perfect in texture, size, and taste. The skinny noodles are lighter and allows for the taste of the ingredients to shine through. A great balance of noodles and ingredients.
The soup base for the won ton mein had a lot of flavor and was not oily. The actual won ton were tasty, although I would’ve loved more filling.
Lupe ate the mapo tofu and had to drink water because it was hotter than expected. But she found it tasty. I felt the heat from the peppers overpowered the other flavors in the dish. My preference is beef or pork tofu, but that was not on the menu.
Lupe mentioned before we started to eat it, she rather have this color of the kau yuk than the red dye that we grew up with. Lupe was happy to see that the pieces had a good ratio of meat to fat.
The one flaw at Happy Days was the service. Although the food came out at a good pace, the waitress rarely checked in on us, even to the point where we had to go to them. The food still made the visit worth it.
Crisy Gau Gee MeinMapo Tofu Kau YukWon Ton Mein Happy Days on Kaimuki
Saimin Kau Yuk Beef Tofu Crispy Gau Gee MeinStuffed Bitter Melon Aiea Chop Suey
Aiea Chop Suey is an old staple for those in both the Central and Leeward/Westside of the Oahu. My mother would regularly go to the restaurant. Granted the restaurant has seen better days, which didn’t matter considering we grew up eating at Tin Tin in Chinatown. My mother would always know the best places to eat, even the “hole in wall” restaurants. For the area of Oahu I live in, this is the closest to what I grew up with; other than that, I would have to go to town.
The saimin was good, but the noodles got soggy quick. The soup base was a little bland, but this is the best place on the Central and Leeward side when it comes to Chinese style saimin, since Bo’s Kitchen closed.
The crispy gau gee was good and to get the noodles I love; I needed to order cake noodles or crispy noodles. I know some people would think this is picky, but my noodles for saimin and noodles dishes must be thin. They put more meat and vegetables than Happy Days. The gravy was thicker than Happy Days. Alex, who normally doesn’t like Chinese food, enjoyed the stuffed bitter melon.
The one item that brought back memories of eating meals with our mom was the beef tofu. It is rare to find now; even rarer to find one that taste as good as this. The gravy was just right and the beef was tender. I love to add this to a bowl of white rice and we are not talking about Uncle Ben’s.
When I think of service, Aiea Chop Suey was great because they were fast and the food was hot. The server checked in on us, refilled our drinks on time. Although good service cannot replace good food, it can make the experience unbearable.
I love both Aiea Chop Suey and Happy Days. I know that everyone has their own memories triggered by restaurants. I wish the side of the island I live on had more Chinese restaurants that remind me of those Fridays with the two most important women in my life.
Kau Kau Sistahs 