In Kauai, a bumper crop of food trucks

Story and Photos by Lee Daley.

The Hawaiian island of Kauai serves up cuisine that is both hot and cool. Hot as in haute and cool as in food trucks. New to food truck dining on Kauai, the lushest of Hawaii’s islands. I made my visit’s first priority a culinary quest where I could indulge my appetite for local, natural, and delicious from a food truck kitchen where island food could be had for a fair price. As it turned out, I lucked into two that spoke of authenticity and distinct island flavor. Here’s my take on the food truck, mom and pop eatery scene, on Kauai’s North Shore. And more.

Trucking Delicious: At our first stop near Hanalei Bay, my husband John and I gathered around a brilliant turquoise blue food truck set amidst a circle of picnic tables. “I’d rather sell cupcakes on the side of the road,” chirped Chef Chloe Sorey, the 20 something-year-old- founder of the wildly popular “Trucking Delicious” food truck. This is where Kauai locals and newcomers line up for plates of spicy coconut shrimp and frosty glasses of dragon fruit lemonade. Chloe was referring to her love of creating original dishes from the bounty of her homeland, Kauai. I knew immediately we were in for a treat.

A few years after graduating from culinary school, Chef Chloe founded her business by buying her truck on Craig’s list. She calls her ownership of the food truck an online dating story and after moving “him” from the Big Island, she gave “him” a facelift with a fresh coat of island blue paint accented with red lettering. In January of 2017, competing on TV’s Food Network, “Cooks vs. Cons,” Chloe won the first round with her signature stuffed won tons. She says her greatest inspiration is her boyfriend who is also on board as sushi chef. “He’s devoted to food that’s cleaner, fresher and wholly natural, An inspiration ”

Listed on Chloe’s blackboard that day were four specials. I found myself torn between the Sweet and Spicy Coconut Shrimp tossed in reduction coconut sauce or the Sweet Soy Wasabi Chicken Watsu with crispy chicken breast, sweet soy ginger sauce, soy wasabi and aioli with rice. The enticing garlic shrimp dish was sold out. As aromatic plates crossed the counter to waiting diners, I couldn’t help but notice the generous servings, especially since they were all so reasonably priced. After we’d cleaned our plates and sat enjoying the cool breezes on the outside patio, Chloe presented us with freshly baked and wildly colored sweet potato haupia cupcakes, fresh from the oven. Very haute. Very cool.

A stop at Trucking Delicious in Hanalei, at the gateway to heavenly Hanalei Bay, brings you very close to beautiful Hanalei Beach Park and Lumahai Beach where you can surf, swim, fish and bring along picnic fare. Lumahai Beach, snuggled in a quiet cove, sheltered by lush green hills, was known as Nurse’s Beach in the film, South Pacific. With Chef Chloe’s delicious array of island fare and an escape to the blue, blue waters of the bay, this, to me, was the perfect recipe for my very own South Pacific Kauai adventure. The food truck has been serving food at 5-5100 Kuhio Highway in Hanalei since 2014. It’s been such a success that they have added on more space to accommodate extra guests.

Hanalei Taro and Juice Company was next up on our food truck foray where the beautiful Lyndsey Haraguchi greeted us with creamy taro smoothies. Her menu is rich in foods that are authentically Hawaiian such as lau lau, lomi salad, and lots of Poi dishes. From a fifth-generation family farm, the menu is literally “farm to table.” We filled our plates with sweet and tender Kalua pork wrapped in taro leaves and lomi lomi salmon as we sat in the shade at comfortable picnic tables And then because we couldn’t resist, we topped the feast off with bites of “melt in your mouth” mochi cake. Lots of vegetarian options were on offer too. With its emphasis on traditional Hawaiian food embellished by a modern twist, this is your best bet to enjoy taro, the root crop that sustained Hawaiians for generations. Once again, very haute, very cool.  Hanalei Taro & Juice Company prides itself on creating dishes made with local ingredients fresh from their family’s farm. In fact, their chef and owner Brad Nakayama adds taro to everything on the menu.

Not all the venues on our culinary quest were food trucks; some were small family-owned places. Musician Todd Rundgren –who fell in love with Kauai and made it his home–owns the very colorful Tiki Iniki Bar in the Princeville Shopping Center. Multitalented Rundgren is credited with producing Meat Loaf’s “Bat out of Hell” Album, one of the best-selling rock albums of all time, and is also founder of the rock band, Utopia.

Rundgren’s winsomely theatrical wife, Michele, was on hand to oversee us devour “fall off the bone” ribs accompanied by Mai Tais all around. Tiki Iniki is yet one more side of Kauai that serves up Hawaiian cuisine with island flair, very haute, very cool.. http://www.tikiiniki.com/

Another favorite was our stop at Tom Pickett’s Kilauea Bakery, a bastion of island cuisine that fit my quest for island food both fresh and fine.  Consider the Nuttin’ Muffin. I asked Tom about this muffin’s moniker. He said, “there’s nuttin’ wrong with it.”  Besides his sense of humor, Chef Tom’s creativity showcases a menu of goodies baked with,the highly healthy guava known as Hawaiian sourdough.  Tom tells me he likes to incorporate  “canoe crops” into his menu items and baked goods. Canoe crops are named for the foodstuffs brought to Hawaii by the Polynesian colonists when they traveled across the Pacific Ocean carrying guava, breadfruit, various seeds, chickens and pigs in their canoes.

Look for unusual pizza toppings made with semolina crusts and topped with slowly simmered pizza sauce. I was especially taken with the Billie Holiday Pizza named for its smoky flavor. It’s garnished with smoked ono, spinach, roasted onions, gorgonzola rosemary sauce, and mozzarella cheese.  Very haute, very cool. Stop here for coffee and pastries before heading to Secret Beach and then Kilauea Point.

Tom is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and a bit of an intellectual. On the bakery’s shaded outside patio, a bookshelf holds a generous selection of used books. At $2.00 each, they are a bargain for the buyer and a boon for the local schools. Tom contributes all book proceeds to community education.

Once on the island, you’ll soon see why both South Pacific and The Descendants were filmed in Kauai. The lushest of the Hawaiian Islands, the Garden Isle is home to more than 50 food trucks. Be sure and let me know your favorites next time you visit. I’d love to hear about a few more gems like these. Enjoy the exquisite beauty of this treasured place. As Tom Pickett says, “Kauai has the most Aloha.”

Hanalei Bay: Any one of these owner-run island gems can prepare the perfect takeaway for a picnic on the beach. One of Kauai’s most idyllic, Hanalei Bay with its half-moon curve, fronts the town of the same name. Located at about the middle of the two-mile-long crescent-shaped bay, Waioli Beach Park, fronted by a large grass lawn, is family-friendly and ideal for long-boarding or lounging. Here you can ramble, read, ruminate while feasting on Kauai’s bounty.

Recommended Lodging:  A stay at the Princeville Ocean Resort Villas is the ultimate in luxury. Perched atop the emerald cliffs that line Princeville, the villas offer spectacular ocean and mountain views. Because Princeville borders the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge, I was able to observe an infinite variety of birds from my lanai often while watching a dramatic sunset or sunrise over the blue Pacific. Staff. dining options and location are all superb. Westin Princewille Ocean Resort Villas. 3838 Wyllie Road, Princeville, Kauai. Tel; 808-827-8700.

Trucking Delicious: 5-5144 Kuhio Highway – Corner of Aku Road–Hanalei, Kauai, In between Tahiti Nui and Kalypso,  www.truckingdeliciouskauai.com: (808) 826-5551. Since my visit, Trucking Delicious has become increasingly popular so much so that Chloe had to enlarge her space. Her food truck has retired and she is still serving the same delicious island menu at her new headquarters listed here.

Hanalei Taro and Juice Company: 5-5070 Kuhio Hwy # B, Hanalei, Kauai  www.hanaleitaro.com/

Tiki Iniki: 5-4280 Kuhio Hwy, Princeville, Kauai,  www;tikiiniki.com. Phone: (808) 431-4242

Kilauea Bakery & Pau Hana Pizza, 2484 Keneke St, Kilauea, Tel: (808) 828-2020. www.kilaueabakery.com

Related Article: Click Here to read more about Kauai, the Garden Isle,

Before traveling to Kauai, visit the Kauai Visitors Bureau which offers a wealth of information and helpful tips.   Tel: (808) 245-3971 Website: www.kauaidiscovery.com.\  For the latest vaccine and visitor requirements, be sure and visit https://www.gohawaii.com/travel-requirements