Once upon a time there was Kanda “Kewalo” lunch wagon. And then there was Tsukenjo’s. Wait, what? Tsukenjo’s Lunch Wagon is still there, right? No it’s not my friends. Tsukenjo Lunch Wagon is all pau.
We were going to make a trip to Kaka’ako yesterday for lunch, so I called Tsukenjo Lunch House to ask if the lunch wagon was open, but was sadly informed by Doris, the owner that the lunch wagon is no longer in operation. It was shut down this past November of 2007, and the wagon itself was sold.
The family business began as a saimin stand in 1959, with the lunch wagon coming into service in 1970.
Tsukenjo’s famous red lunch wagon, paint weathered from years of active duty in the hot Hawaiian sun, has been at that same location in Kaka’ako at the corner of Ward and Queen Street, in front of what is now Z-Interiors, for decades, serving up meat loaf, roast pork, shoyu chicken and many other plate lunch favorites to generations of locals and tourists alike.
Thankfully, Tsukenjo Lunch House continues business as usual on Cooke street, so you can still get your fix there.
I hope whoever bought that famous faded red lunch wagon preserves it “as is” as a possible future museum piece on “Hawaii’s Culinary History”. Seriously.
With that, I wish the entire Tsukenjo family a very happy new year and big, big, big mahalo for all the years of hard work and dedication in establishing what has become a household name in Hawaii with Tsukenjo Lunch Wagon. 37 years is a long run, yet surely an “onolicious” ride! Aloha Oe.
6 comments
Comments feed for this article
January 5, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Nate
I was wondering about Tsujenko’s Lunch Wagon on Ward Avenue. Enjoyed many, many plate lunches there in the 70s and 80s when used to work close by. My mahalo for all those years!
January 8, 2008 at 4:27 am
Molly
My favorite gone! I passed by the locaton in December and was kind of hoping it was just on holiday break, but alas, no more standing in line with the construction workers for the onolicious roast pork plate lunches. I actually used to schedule my doctor’s appointments around lunch time so I could go out there afterwards (though maybe my doctor is relieved;)).
May 21, 2008 at 9:42 am
opening a lunch wagon in hawaii
[...] yesterday for lunch, so I called Tsukenjo lunch House to ask if the lunch wagon was open, …http://tastyisland.wordpress.com/2008/01/05/aloha-and-mahalo-tsukenjo-lunch-wagon/Hawaii: The sun, the surf, the SpamMost lunch wagons are open for only a few hours — best time to [...]
June 1, 2008 at 6:09 am
Curtis
Tsukenjo lunch wagon came about in the late 60’s… not 1970. I think Doris was generalizing when she was quoted about that in the StarBulletin. I used to know the family very well and worked (only part time) cleaning up the restaraunt with my good friend Walter Tsukenjo. Some days, we’d start early in the morning and helped to load up the Lunch wagon with the food for the day. When the day was over and the lunch wagon came back, we’d unload the truck and wash down the inside, then help clean up the restaraunt and kitchen. This was during my High School days and I grad in ‘69… so I know it existed before 1970… providing my memory serves me! I was quite close with the Tsukenjo family… slept over at their house many times. Almost every weekend, we’d play volleyball at the park in Kakaako (the whole Tsukenjo family was very tight knit!) and a lot of weekends we’d play penny paijut at night. Doris may not remember me, but I do remember her… along with all the family. I guess you could say they were my second family in Kakaako.
I’ve been living in California for going on 27 years, and don’t get back to Oahu that often. It’s sad for me to find out that the lunch wagon is no more. True to every article I’ve ever read about Tsukenjos… the roast pork was the best!!! Aloha Tsukenjo Lunch wagon… I still remember you!
June 1, 2008 at 5:23 pm
pomai
Curtis! Wow! That was an incredible story that goes down as a classic, as told through a Kama’aina such as yourself.
I loved reading every word!
To re-note, Tsukenjo Lunch House on Cooke street is still in business, so all is not pau.
June 1, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Curtis
Hey pomai!
I’ve been reading your blog off and on for a while now. Thanks for all the great reviews and recipes! Always great to drool over “home” cooking… if you catch my drift! I actually started reading your blog when Reid shut down a while ago… glad he’s back up again! You two are da best!
Yah, the Tsukenjo’s are a great family. I feel honored to have been associated with them. I will have to visit the restaraunt when I go back next year. Hmmm… I wonder if anyone will remember me?