Photoshow: February Eat the Street

Story by Maria Kanai

Photos by Rie Miyoshi

If you’re a food lover like me, you’ve probably heard of January’s “Eat The Street,” Hawaii’s first food truck and street food rally ever.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to make it, but then I learned that Poni Askew, the mastermind behind the rally, was planning another one for February 25th…except this time, it would bigger, sporting partnerships with Nonstop Honolulu and Kamehameha Schools. And in the case of food, bigger is always better, right?

I counted down the days. I invited all my friends in selfish hopes for a food buddy. I even interviewed Poni herself! When the great day arrived, I was ready for some good feasting.

courtesy rie miyoshi

When we got there, the event was just starting, so the lines weren’t too bad. Well, most of the lines. Superstars Gogi Korean Tacos and Melt had people across the full length of the Kaka’ako parking lot.

 

courtesy rie miyoshi

So my friend and I stopped by T.A.S.T.E first. They’re the ones who started it all, with their unique fusion of Asian and Mexican food. As an international student from Japan, I appreciated the light Asian flavors; not too heavy, and perfectly blended. My favorite was the char siu with shoyu aioli and hoisin vinaigrette (left). The rib eye with Kal Bi marinade and wasabi dressing (right) was pretty good too, and I loved the wasabi dressing. At $3 per order though, I thought it was a little pricey.

courtesy rie miyoshi

The Gogi line was an hour and a half. We were there for 6:00 to 7:30 pm, but we delegated friends to grab more food from Dixie Grill.

courtesy rie miyoshi

We got a pulled-pork sandwich for $6. The meat was perfectly cooked and soft, and tasted wonderful with their famous Dixie Grill spicy sauce. It was perfect to curb our appetite during our Gogi wait.

courtesy rie miyoshi

There was a flash mob! Student from the drama club in Nanakuli School performed for us in the middle of the parking lot, dancing hip hop to Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.

courtesy rie miyoshi

Fairy Cakes Hawaii is new to the street scene. Their debut “whoopee pies” for $4 looked delicious, and I was sad that I didn’t get a chance to try them.

courtesy rie miyoshi

Despite the crowd, the atmosphere was very relaxed and comfortable, and the huge space really helped keep things moving. There was good music, and as the night wore on, it got cooler and thankfully, the weather held up.

courtesy rie miyoshi

Around 7:30 we finally made it to the front of the line! We got the Gogi Quesadilla with BBQ Chicken for $5 and a BBQ Short Rib tacos for $2. The chicken was nicely flavored, and the Korean + Mexican tastes were unique. The taco was tiny though, so I was glad to have gotten the four quesadillas. It was worth waiting for the hype, and I was glad I finally got to try it.

courtesy rie miyoshi

Sold-out Melt. They were one of the first to run out of food, which wasn’t surprising considering how long their line was. They come to UH though, so I still have a chance to try their famous grilled gourmet cheese sandwiches.

courtesy rie miyoshi

Aloha Icecream Tricyle for desert. We got their Mauna Kea Deelite for $4. My favorite part was their crumbly crust, which made the three layers of icecream seem more “pie”-ish. Their chocolate fudge combined with coconut flavors was wonderful. (In the background, you can see Ed Morita, who blogs for Nonstop Honolulu. He took our picture and we talked story with him after!)

courtesy rie miyoshi

I got a “Romeo et Juliet” crepe for $7 from Le Crepe Café. My crepe had generous amounts of nutella, strawberries, and bananas, with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top. Delicious way to finish off an awesome night!