Kahuku Garlic Shrimp Trucks

Nestled on Oahu’s North Shore is the blink-and-you-almost-miss-it little town of Kahuku. Situated along Kamehameha Highway, it is in between the town of Laie, home of the famed Polynesian Cultural Center, and Haleiwa, so you are guaranteed to pass through it if you are doing the island-drive circuit. If you are even the tiniest bit hungry (or if you are like me, and can always rise to the challenge of a good meal regardless of hunger), you need to stop at one of the famous Kahuku Garlic Shrimp Trucks! As you drive through Kahuku, look for these trucks near the Kahuku Sugar Mill. These trucks sprang up after aquaculture became prevalent in area in the mid 1970’s. Giovanni’s was the first truck, however there are now several others as well. The premise is pretty much the same, although each truck varies slightly. The shrimp are mostly local to the area, and the trucks serve their garlic shrimp “Hawaiian plate lunch” style – 2 scoops white rice and creamy macaroni salad. There are different styles of shrimp to choose from, but garlic butter is the most popular. You can also find a few shrimp trucks scattered elsewhere around Oahu, but the trucks in Kahuku are the originals! I have attempted to recreate garlic shrimp at home a few times, with moderate success. The saying, “Often imitated, never duplicated” applies here, but just for fun, I will have my recipe listed below. If you are on Oahu, you must sample this local favorite!

“Kahuku-style” Garlic Shrimp

Serves 2

Ingredients

12 Extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on

1 Stick of butter or margarine (butter is far superior, but if you use butter, add a tbsp of oil to raise the smoke point)

1 Head of garlic, all cloves minced or pressed (at least one whole head, more if you want)

Flour or Cornstarch for dusting (this will help the garlic butter “sauce” thicken)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Toss shrimp in either flour or cornstarch. Melt butter in sauté pan. Add shrimp and cook on med-high heat until no longer translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic to pan and reduce heat to medium low. You want to “cook” the garlic, but be so careful not to burn. Should only take another 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with steamed white rice and mac salad.  Enjoy!