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Start Here: Hawaiian Food 101

What is Hawaiian Food? A History of Hawaiʻi's Unique Cuisine

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That sounds like a simple question, but the answer is anything but simple. Years ago, we conducted an informal poll asking people what foods came to mind when they heard the words “Hawaiian food.” Pineapple was the most common answer. Kabobs came in second. I found that fascinating because neither is native to Hawaiʻi. Even the coconut, something almost inseparable from the popular image of tropical islands, was brought to Hawaiʻi by Polynesian voyagers. Pineapple is native to South America and was introduced to Hawaiʻi after Western contact. Francisco de Paula Marín recorded growing pineapple in Hawaiʻi in 1813. And the famous “Hawaiian pizza” isn't Hawaiian at all. The ham-and-pineapple combination is generally credited to Greek-born restaurateur Sam Panopoulos in Ontario, Canada, in 1962. So what exactly makes food Hawaiian? Part of the confusion comes from using “Hawaiian food” to describe several different things. Native Hawaiian cuisine, foods introduced after Wester...
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Buzz said to go here

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I'd love to give everyone a private tour of the islands taking you to all the places I have to visit when I'm home visiting family. Obviously this isn't possible, but I will try to document where I go. I must advise you some of the places are holes in the wall that only locals would know about. These are exactly the type spots tourist miss out on. That's the point of this piece, is to provide suggestions of places you should visit to get a better feel for local grindz. I often hear how others visit Hawai'i and don't experience the food scene I serve or speak of. Which is okay if you're okay with that experience, but for those wanting to experience Hawai'i in the eyes of an adventure consider some of the places I'll discuss below. Check each location hours before heading there. You've warned! Hawaiian Time is no joke. Island of Oahu Oahu is where I lived soo I know this island better than the others. Town When you live in the country we refer...
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What Is Huli Huli Chicken? The History of a Hawaiʻi Tradition

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  What Is Huli Huli Chicken? If you've spent much time on Oʻahu, you may know Huli Huli chicken before you even see it. You see smoke rising from a roadside grill or parking lot. Then you smell chicken cooking over the fire. Maybe it's a school fundraiser, a community group or somebody selling birds on a Saturday morning. For me, that smell brings back memories. When I lived in Lāʻie and worked at Honolulu International Airport, Saturdays often meant driving Kamehameha Highway toward work and watching for smoke along the way. If I spotted a Huli chicken setup, I'd stop and grab some for lunch. If I was lucky enough to find another one still cooking on my way home, I'd pick up a bird for dinner too. That's one reason Huli Huli chicken means more to me than simply Hawaiian barbecue chicken. It's part of the local Hawaiian food experience I remember so well. Huli Huli Chicken Saturdays are so popular the Barefoot Natives recorded a song known throughout the islands...
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Becoming a Hawaiian Style Cafe

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In January 2022 Buzz's Hawaiian Grill took possession of 3457 Magnolia Ave. for the future Buzz's brick-n-mortar. For several years prior the space was a well loved hot dog joint that had decided to move to a new location. Buzz's had been looking for a space that shared our chill vibe and this space checked all the boxes. The challenge was, how to convert the space from ketchup red to an island style cafe with a plantation era look. A place people from Hawai'i could relate to.  The other challenge was to upgrade the kitchen from dysfunctional and partially operational, to a fully operational kitchen capable of handling the complex menu we envisioned offering. It was going to require time and money, but we had a vision we felt was achievable.     The Front End One of the main goals was to remove the barn style false ceiling in order to open the space up visually allowing more light in. After all, Hawaiian restaurants are often...
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What Is SPAM Musubi? The Story Behind Hawaiʻi's Favorite Snack

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Hawaiʻi's area code is 808, so perhaps it was inevitable that August 8, or 8/08, would become a day to celebrate one of the islands' favorite local foods: SPAM musubi. In 2021, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue established August 8 as National SPAM Musubi Day in honor of Hawaiʻi's famous 808 area code. At Buzz's Hawaiian Grill, we're happy to help St. Louis celebrate. But SPAM musubi is much more than something to eat on August 8. In Hawaiʻi, it's everyday food. You'll find musubi in convenience stores, lunch shops and restaurants. They're tucked into lunch boxes, backpacks and beach bags. They're breakfast on the way to work, a quick lunch, an afternoon snack or something to eat after a long day. So how did a slice of SPAM, a block of rice and a strip of nori become such an icon of Hawaiʻi local food? Musubi Has Japanese Roots First, it's important to make a distinction. Musubi itself was not invented in Hawaiʻi. Musubi, also called omusubi or onigiri ...
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Location: 3457 Magnolia Ave, St. Louis, MO 63118, USA
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Memorial Day

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  Happy Memorial Day St. Louis!! Memorial day marks the beginning of summer when the pools open, family vacations are on the horizon, and outdoor BBQ season is in full force. In St. Louis, it's a day when we break free of the constraints of winter and really begin to live outdoors. But, hold on a second. What is Memorial Day actually about?  It's about honoring, or remembering, the 100's of thousands of men and women who have given their life during war. Unlike Veteran's day that honors all people who have served in the military whether they faced death or not (like myself), Memorial day is to honor those who literally gave their life in defense of our nation. This is a big deal. Other people, we do not know, gave their lives so we are free to splash in our pools, grill our hotdogs, and play in complete peace that we are a free nation without threat to our lives. This people gave their lives for us. Another aspect of this conversation is who were, and are, these people?...
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Location: Nuuanu - Punchbowl, Honolulu, HI, USA
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Language of the Hawaiian Islands

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Life in Hawaii may seem like a foreign country at times with the vast number of languages spoken in the islands. Foreign languages aside, such as Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Okinawan, Portuguese and Spanish, the two primary languages of Hawai'i are the native language referred to as ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi , and Hawaii Creole English, (HCE) known as pidgin.  ʻ Ōlelo Hawaiʻi is still practiced by many, and particular words or phrases are used by all. Streets and towns are named using the  ʻ Ōlelo Hawaiʻi Hawaiian language and spelling. The Hawaiian ʻ Ōlelo Hawaiʻi language consists of 12 letters, A, E, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, O and W. Five are vowels and seven are consonants. This accounts for why there are towns such as Ka'a'awa that may prompt a chuckle, or two, by people not familiar with the language and proper spelling, but once you learn about the language the more it makes perfect since.  The symbols between the As in Ka'a'awa are called an O...
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Location: St. Louis, MO 63118, USA
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Food Trucks in Hawaii

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Food truck popularity has been sweeping the country with most mentions discussing the New York or California markets. Now that I am in the food truck biz myself, it's ironic to think back to my own experience in the early 80s on Oahu where it wasn't uncommon to find Leonard's iconic red and white striped truck selling hot malasadas on the North Shore. It made perfect sense to bring the islands favorite donuts to the famous waves of the north shore so locals living miles away from Leonard's brick and mortar bakery would be able to enjoy them hot and fresh. The original Leonard's Bakery is located in Honolulu on Kapahulu Ave. not far from the Honolulu Zoo. Founded in 1952, Leonard is credited with bringing the Portuguese treat to the islands. One of my favorite things to do is to pick up a pink box of fresh hot malasadas and take them down the street to Queen's Beach to gobble them down with a carton of milk, also purchased at Leonard's. If you're ...
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