That’s how they say “hello… how are you?” in Chinese.

Sorry I haven’t posted anything new in a while… Call it writer’s block, life related stress, heat exhaustion, whatever… but I’m back…

Every four years, the one thing I look forward to is the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics. And this year’s Opening Ceremonies in Beijing is by far, my favorite, and definitely will be the most memorable. Talk about SENSORY OVERLOAD!

So, in honor of the 2008 Summer Olympics… let me introduce you to Chinatown – Honolulu’s Chinatown to be exact… and where you can find the BEST EVER PORKY GOODNESS – EVER!

Honolulu’s Chinatown is like any other Chinatown in any other state with a big enough Asian population – crowded, traffic congested, full of character and the best place to get Chinese Roast Pork and char siu… among other things….

Pass the old residential area of Kalihi-Palama and across the bridge that crosses over a canal that feeds into Honolulu Harbor, lies Honolulu’s Chinatown district. No gilded statues or ornate Chinese gates reminiscent of San Francisco’s Chinatown greet you here. The only indication that you are in Chinatown are that the street signs are written in Chinese characters, along with the vernacular street names like King Street, Beretania Street and Kekaulike Street. Subtle hints like the names of vendors like Chun’s Meat Market and Lee’s Bakery and Kitchen (where they have the BEST CUSTARD PIE in all of Honolulu, if you’re lucky to get one before they run out) further remind you of where you are.

But this is not the Chinatown that I remember. Shops that were once owned by Chinese immigrants are now owned and operated by a growing Vietnamese population. Chinese herbal shops and acupuncture practices are still around, though hidden among the many Vietnamese jewelry stores and pho noodle shops, on nearly every corner. But the produce markets and meet vendors remain as they were, albeit, now run by a different population.

Oahu market brings great memories for me. Growing up, I remember weekend trips to Chinatown with either my parents or grandparents to get a week’s worth of vegetables, meat or fish. It’s where you went to get the freshest ingredients possible – produce straight from the farmers, meat from the ranchers and fish straight off the boats docked alongside the harbor. It’s also where you got the best Chinese style roast pork and char siu (Chinese barbeque pork). My favorite place to pick up these wonderful delicacies is at Chun’s Meat Market.

Chinese style roast pork is made by roasting pork belly that has been seasoned with salt and Chinese 5 spice until the skin is super duper crispy, but the meat is still moist and juicy. Chun’s Meat Market has what I think is THE BEST Chinese style roast pork – crisp, juicy pork belly with a meat to fat ratio that was pretty much hit or miss. Sometimes more fat than meat (good), sometimes more meat than fat (better for you) and sometimes almost equal amounts of each (pure bliss).

Char siu, on the other hand is made by marinating a leaner cut of pork (usually the shoulder) in a mixture of honey, Chinese five spice, soy sauce, hoisin sauce (plum sauce), Chinese wine and red food coloring. The pork is then either grilled or broiled. (In the picture below, the char siu is the meat stuffs hanging on the left; roast duck hangs to the right of the picture.) Chun’s char siu is also the best I’ve ever tasted – seasoned perfectly, with just enough char on it to enhance the smokiness of the marinade and not overpower it.

The roast pork and char siu are sold by the pound. You basically point to which piece or pieces you want from the meat hooks that proudly displays the goods and the butcher will chop it all up for you in seconds with his crazy-fast-super-sharp-butcher-knife-skills, then wrap it all up in butcher paper for you to take home.

I’ve since mastered the skill of opening up the tightly wrapped package to sample the goods in the car on the way home, then re-wrapping whatever is left into an equally tight package. Not an easy task, trying to keep all of the pieces of porky goodness on the butcher paper on your lap while the car is moving… but with practice, totally doable… just make sure you’re not the one driving… in which case, the opened package of porky goodness will usually sit open on the passenger seat all the way home and you’re lucky if there’s a piece left for sharing…

*****

Chun’s Meat Market

(Located in the Queen River Market)

157 N King St
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 533-0577