Waipahu Eats: First Bite at Highway Inn

I was in the Waipahu area the other day running a business errand and decided to stop by Highway Inn for lunch. Except as is often the case, I didn’t dine-in, but grabbed a plate to go. Since on this first time visit I only have one dish to taste, while being in takeout form for that matter, I’m naming this “First Bite”, as it’s not really enough to be considered a  valid, complete review.

“First Bite” you say? Well yes, and for a reason. See, Highway Inn was recently visited by Guy Fieri and crew of the Food Network’s hit TV series ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives‘, where as you may know, Guy also has another FN show named ‘Guy’s Big Bite’. Here you see like all the spots “Triple-D” visits, Guy’s left his indelible stenciled mug tag at Highway Inn…

Along with that, adding to the many other celebrity-signed photographs gracing the walls within Highway Inn’s dining room, is this autographed “Triple-D” poster…

Yes, Guy, you’ve certainly had a taste of the “Real Deal Hawaiian” (food) at Highway Inn, I must say!

Here’s a look at their aging (very 70’s-ish), yet cozy and relaxed dining room…

Being located where they are on a side street at the west end of Farrington highway in already off-the-beaten path Waipahu town,  I wasn’t expecting to find any tourists in there, which there weren’t at  the time of my visit. Yet I’ve read there are some adventurous, determined visitors who find their way out here.

Getting straight to the grindz, here’s a look at their takeout menu (courtesy of myhighwayinn.com)…

Click images to enlarge menu above and following story below.

Fascinating story.

Now looking back at the menu, while everything sounds really ono, like Peoples Cafe and Helena’s, I have a complaint with Highway Inn’s “Combo Plate” choices. Why can’t they make an option that has ALL the MAIN Luau dishes? Each selection either has this or that, with no option to substitute or customize while staying within a reasonable price range.

In Highway Inn’s case, each one of their Hawaiian food combos leave out the all important (and very cheap to make) Chicken Long Rice, as well as my other favorite, the Squid Luau! I’d happily pay 3 to 5 dollars more for a smaller portion of those two dishes included on the plate. But NO, in order to get ALL THE LUAU GOOD STUFF, you’re looking at forking out over $20 ordering  ala carte.

I asked if I could substitute the Pipikaula for Squid Luau and they told me “no can”.  Well since I can’t “Have it my way at the Highway” (pun intended), I decided on the Lau Lau Combo #3, leaving out  the addition of  Kalua Pig (for $2 more) just as a personal spite of my rant above. lol

Upon opening the bag once I got back to the office, I was pleasantly surprised to find they (very neatly) pack their food for takeout on a “cafeteria style” paper plate covered with foil…

This, in comparison to if it were packaged in those what I think are sterile and “characterless” white foam clamshell containers plate lunches are unfortunately most commonly served on nowadays.

Now for the moment of truth…

In case you’re asking, that small container of liquid on the left is Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water, or as we say, “Chili Peppah’ Watah”. Like it sounds, it’s simply (for the most part) water and vinegar flavored with Hawaiian Chili Peppers, which are VERY HOT!  Think of it as “Hawaiian Tobasco Sauce”.

Chili Pepper Water is mostly popular with “old school folks” who grew up with and are familiar with using it as a condiment, flavoring everything from soups and stews, to meats and fish and even on rice.  It’s becoming more and more rare to find nowadays in the condiment  station at local eateries (even though it’s relatively cheap and easy to make), so glad to see Highway Inn continues the tradition!

Like all Hawaiian food eateries, you can opt for rice or poi. As you know, Poi is very expensive, so I’m sure the owners hope there’s more folks who choose rice over poi, which there probably are. But not me. GOTTA’ BE POI with Hawaiian Food. Gots’da. And I must say, the portion they give with this plate is very generous, and fresh-tasting as well. Certainly enough to go along with the Lau Lau, Lomi Salmon and Pipikaula alongside it.

Now let’s get to the “main event” the lau lau (bottom left on the plate shown above), which we’ll now open up the Ti Leaf wrapper and cut the contents within in half to see what we’ve got…

Here we find a generous chunk of super moist ‘n tender pork, pork belly fat and most crucially, Butterfish. Butterfish! Yay! Putting the “Cha-Ching! This is money town, flavor town!”, as Guy might say, in this Lau Lau fo’ sure! Well, not that I’ve ever heard Guy say that, but it sounds kinda’ like a catch phrase he would use. lol

Here’s another view of the SUPER FATTY (flavorful) Butterfish pieces in the Lau Lau, where you can see the skin practically MELTING off…

Take that buggah, along with a sprinkle of some Hawaiian Salt and “whack ’em with some poi…

Oh yeah. The melts-in-your mouth, perfectly-salted luau (taro) leaves, combined with the also perfectly-salted, melts-in-your-mouth butterfish, melting pork belly fat and pull-apart tender pork meat is a marriage of flavors that as DONE RIGHT here at Highway Inn, is PERFECTION. I’m giving Highway Inn’s Lau Lau a very solid 4 SPAM Musubi, only short of 5 because it was kinda’ on the small side as far as Lau Lau goes. Highway Inn’s take on the dish is certain in contention to win BEST LAU LAU on Oahu.

While I missed having the Chicken Long Rice and Squid Luau (not really missing the Kalua Pig on this occasion), Highway Inn’s Lomi Salmon stepped right up to the palate plate, providing that wonderful briny flavor contrast to the savory Lau Lau…

What’s interesting about their Lomi Salmon is that they chop what looked and tasted like Roma Tomatoes very finely, almost to the point of Salsa consistency. Thankfully there’s an equal balance of distinguishable chunks of salted salmon, so no “lomi tomato” here. Whether it’s Roma or whatever very red tomato they use, it certainly has unique character, yet is still true to the standard of what Lomi Salmon should taste like. Again 4 SPAM Musubi on Highway Inn’s take on Lomi Salmon.

Now let’s sample their Pipikaula…

Highway Inn’s take on it is pan-fried in bite-size pieces, with a semi-dry texture and very light, not very salty brined, semi-beef, semi “what the heck is this meat anyway?” flavor, with only a mild hint of shoyu, if even used at all. I also couldnt’ detect any sweetness, which is good, as Pipikaula that tastes like Teriyaki really misses the point, IMO.

Honestly for me? This could have just as well been overcooked pieces of fried steak if they served this to me not saying what it was. Let’s try dip some Pipikaula in poi and see if that helps…

Eh, it’s OK. No can beat my Big Island Smoke Pork with poi. Not by a MILE. Not by an OCEAN. No Pipikaula can. I tried adding Hawaiian salt to kick it up. Even tried dipping the Pipikaula in the Chili Peppah Watah, but that only could do so much for it.

On that note, I still wish they would have traded me this for a ladleful of Squid Luau, giving Highway Inn’s Pipikaula 1 SPAM Musubi. No can touch Helena’s on that one.

Finally let’s sample da’ Haupia…

Texture-wise, their Haupia is bit on the stiff side, in a good way. While having a distinctive and fresh tasting creamy-sweet coconut flavor. Good stuff! Of course, it’s nice to have this mildly sweet “dessert” if you will to finish after that blast of savory and briny entree items. With that, I’ll give Highway Inn’s Haupia a very satisfying end-of-meal treat 3 SPAM Musubi.

Next door to left of Highway Inn Restaurant under same ownership (obviously) is Highway Inn Seafood Market…

As you’d expect, there’s a huge selection of Poke to choose from here…

There’s also produce and other local specialty foods, which makes Highway Inn very similar to Alicia’s Market in Kalihi Kai, Marujyu Market in Pearl City and Masa & Joyce Okazuya in Kaneohe, where you can do the same Hawaiian food, Poke and local grinds one-stop shopping. Love that!

For a complete review on this blog, I certainly need to return with a group and dine-in for the REAL “Highway Inn restaurant experience”. Just as I still need to do at Helena’s, Ono Hawaiian Food and Haili’s (who just opened a new restaurant on Kapahulu avenue), among a few other Hawaiian food-centric eateries that I have yet to feature here.

I’m really anxious to watch Guy’s take on Hawaiian food from Highway Inn when they air the Hawaii episode of “Triple-D”. Other Oahu eateries he’s visited and taped at include Poke Stop in Mililani, Hank’s Haute Dogs in Kaka’ako, Rainbow Drive-In in Kapahulu, Nico’s at Pier 38 and from an “inside source”, Murphy’s Bar and Grill in downtown Honolulu.

Highway Inn
94-226 Leoku street
Waipahu, Hawaii
Tel. 677-4345

The Tasty Island rating:

(4) Excellent. Worth another visit or purchase. (Winnahz!)*
*The Lau Lau and Lomi Salmon tasted so ono, it dominated my overall impression of their Lau Lau Combo plate.

While we’re in Waipahu and speaking of “old school”, you probably have already heard the news that, after a 30 year absence, Shakey’s Pizza is returning to Hawaii! They’ll be opening their first new location in Waipahu Town Center, which is nearby Highway Inn. Here I snapped a photo of the future site, which is still undergoing construction…

At this stage, it looked like most of the place is done. They were working on what appeared to be granite countertops for the restrooms (each had cutouts for two oval lavatory sinks). You can see Shakey’s from Farrington highway, but if you’re in Waipahu Town Center’s Parking lot, they’re actually kinda’ hidden, where you’ll have to go around the corner of American Savings Bank.

Shakey’s was very popular in Hawaii during its heyday in the 70’s. Dating myself, I have very fond childhood memories of Shakey’s Pizza in Kaneohe, where we’ve celebrated a number of birthday parties and family gatherings. I remember they had long wooden communal bench dining tables, while near the front entrance inside we were treated to a “pizza cooking show”, being able to watch the pizza chef prepare and spin the dough in the air behind a glass window, which of course as keiki, we were asolutely fascinated by. Add to that, an arcade room in back, and plenty of pizza to go around, those were good old times for sure!

Like Farrell’s, I hope the return of Shakey’s Pizza to Hawaii can bring back that magic to the new generation, as well as rekindle the nostalgia for us who remember and cherish their presence here decades ago.