If you haven’t jumped aboard the food truck bandwagon yet, now is as good a time as ever to sample what’s available here in Honolulu.
On an island where lunchwagons and manapua trucks have been a staple for generations, the latest craze follows the lead of mainland U.S. cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City.
Local residents can now grind authentic, Mexican-style tacos or the newer, Korean-inspired tacos made famous by L.A.’s Kogi BBQ. And along with those portable steak plate operations you see all over, you can also buy a cup of coffee from a scantily-clad female without ever having to step foot inside a storefront.
Starting this weekend, three local food industry veterans launch Oahu’s latest food truck concept — Melt. Former Nobu executive chef Lindsey Ozawa partnered with Honolulu Weekly food editor Martha Cheng and V-Lounge pizzaiolo Alejandro “Aker” Briceno to open a truck that sells gourmet variations of the classic grilled cheese sandwich and old-fashioned patty melt.
Friends and family were invited to a parking lot in Moiliili to sample Melt menu items, which include the Super Melt, made with gouda, gruyere and cheddar cheeses on fresh sourdough bread, and the Bacon Melt, made with gruyere cheese and bacon, topped with onions and apple sage jam and served on fresh wheat bread.
For the more adventurous, order the Melt of Shame — a quarter-pound beef patty served between two grilled cheese sandwiches. Also on the menu: pickled vegetables and a soup of the day (the soft opening featured tomato soup). And don’t leave without picking up a slush, which are made with fruit hand-selected by Briceno and made fresh daily.
Saturday’s grand opening kicks off at 11 a.m. at Fitted Hawaii on Kona Street, located on the mauka side of Ala Moana Center near the city bus depot, and will last until the food runs out. To commemorate the new food truck, Fitted has printed a limited quantity of Fitted x Melt T-shirts that will be sold for $25 (included in the price is a complimentary Super Melt).
Future locations are yet to be determined, but expect to see Melt on a regular basis. The best way to find out where the truck will be? Follow them on Twitter at @MeltHNL.
Jason Genegabus 