After living in a modest Kalihi neighborhood on Oahu for nearly a decade, it is an understatement to say I miss Hawaii. I miss my neighbors many who were like ohana (family). I miss asking my child for the millionth time why she has no shoes on. I long for the predicatability of the ever-comfortable tropic weather. I miss the electricity of Waikiki on a Friday night, driving around the island just because, and the peace of Lanikai Beach on Christmas after the presents have been torn to shreds. One thing I truly miss though is the food. Whether a spontaneous neighborhood barbecue, an orphan's Thanksgiving, or a PTA meeting, eating in Hawaii is an integral part of the culture. The restaurants in the islands certainly do not fall short in serving up the aloha either. Just a few blocks from home was a family favorite, Helena's Hawaiian Food. The restaurant is small yet popular, waiting for a table a common occurence yet noone ever seems to complain. It has been a Kalihi staple since 1946 and it's fabulous food has earned it a James Beard Award (2000) and a spot on the Travel Channel's Man vs. Food. We often would order kalua pig and cabbage (with a pound of kalua pig on the side), rice and poi. No trip to Helena's was complete without an order of the most sinfully satisfying dessert, haupia, a coconut gelatin popular in the islands. The haupia at Helena's is a family recipe and has an addictive flavor like no other. Our last trip before departing the islands, we paid for our dinner and dessert and decided to get one more pound of haupia to take with us. My husband order our sweets to go and paid with a $20 bill, leaving the change for the waitress. She chased us into the parking lot, insisting it was too much of a tip. We explained it was our last visit and wanted to show our aloha for all the great meals and service we had over the years. She insisted we wait and ran back in to retrieve another pound of haupia, gave us a hug and bid us aloha. I can't say I've had service like that before or since. Much aloha to my former home and even more to Helena's.
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