THELMA'S RESTAURANT Waipahu, Hawaii

Monday, June 26, 2017. My flight from Maui to Honolulu, landed at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, a.k.a. Honolulu International Airport, fricken really? I mean he served the US in the 2nd World War, he lost his arm, was a true servant of our state, very admirable. But why couldn't we just name something new under his name. Like a new swimming pool, or a new arts venue, or sports complex. Oh well, enough of my rants, God Bless Danny, seriously, he was one of a kind.

Now I'm at OGG a.k.a. Kahului Airport, my buddy dropped me off early in the morning. As I wait to board the Bombardier Q-400 like this baby below.

The Q-400 rides smoothly

I'll cut to the chase, I land in Honolulu, my buddy Peter Pao picks me up, Peter by the way owns Prime Sandwiches in Honolulu's China Town, the most unique sandwiches, go check them out. So Peter wants to eat Filipino food, so we head to Waipahu, and we ate at Thelma's Restaurant. As soon as we opened the door, the place was packed with foodies, and the aroma in the air? Ginger, garlic, onions, bitter melons, egg plant, tomatoes, and patis (fermented fish sauce).

Peter ordered five dishes, and all of them tasted perfect, not too overbearing on the patis, just right on the garlic and ginger. There was a young couple behind us, when I took a peak at what they were eating, I found out it was the Adobo Fried Rice Omelet. (I think that was it). Anyway, that's what it was. Peter cut that sucker in half, and we both had a half.

Then the Pancit Bihon, long rice noodles, with bits of pork and veggies, with some patis. That was good, despite I like the Panict Canton style better, the difference is the noodles are made with wheat and eggs, like chow mein. But the other dish for the first three was Dinuguan, hog's blood stew, bits of cubed pork, intestine, spices, and that was great over white rice. Check out this pic below.

Top left Adobo Fried Rice Omelet, Top Right Pancit Bihon

Bottom Dinuguan

Then next and last two dishes came over, and it was a braised dish called Pinacbet, with pork, herbs and spices, beans, tomatoes, awesome. And then the Mungo Beans, also with bits of pork, with fish sauce too. Okay, most of the dishes had fish sauce, that's Filipino cooking for you. Once you get past the aroma in a Filipino kitchen, you'll be fine, you'll be eating the foods like it was nothing new. The picture below is the Pinacbet (left), and Mungo Beans (right). 

If you can't decide what to get for your first Filipino foodie

experience, you won't go wrong with these two.

Thelma's Restaurant

94-366 Pupupani St. #116

Waipahu, HI 96797

808-677-0443

© 2017