Hung Nguyen did not invent Haupia. Or malasada. Or Haupia Malasadas. But he may have created a Porte Mantoo, who will one day be able to participate in Cronuts, Gastropubs, Frappuccinos and more at Alohasada, a bigger foodie lexicon.
At Nguyen’s Aloha Hawaiian Kitchen, these munchkin-sized fried food delights allow Haupia fans to enjoy its cool, creamy hit, allowing people who are not too familiar with this Hawaiian staple dessert to taste what all the fuss is.
And since May is a month of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands heritage, we can’t imagine a better time to see what the figurative shaking of coconut trees falls.
Haupia (How-Pee-Ya) has roots in indigenous Polynesia and found a way to create something that evolved into staple desserts in the past by combining coconut flavor with thickening agents (Arrowroot). The McDonald’s location here serves fast food hand pie filled with Haupia.
Nguyen and his team make dough for this fusion of this “aloha” (here repeats the love and communion it intends) and “malasada” (the gorgeous Portuguese-style doughnuts hailed by Hawaiians), purge them into small servings that are fresh and fresh to order each day.
And while some prefer ube and pandan stuffing (some don’t like them at all), the sublime 50th condition is creamy, nutty, vanillating Haupia cream, but that’s not where Nguyen’s love for Hawaiian food came into being. Rather, it was Las Vegas where his fiancé had many families.
“When we first visited, I was hoping to see lots of chain restaurants, but there was Hawaiian food in every corner of the room with mum and pop,” he says.
In fact, Las Vegas is often referred to as “Isle 9” because of the large community of Hawaii’s transplants.
“It’s everything I’ve eaten when I go there ever since.”
And when it came time to open his own place, it was Poke and Nuguen’s fast casual take on island favourites like Fuli Fuli Chicken and Loco Moko that inspired him the most.
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“Some people like coconuts rather than texture,” he says. The same applies to Haupia, which may be offered in stiffer squares. Nguyen thought the creamy version was a mild entry, including a long game that included introducing legitimate Hawaiian flavours over the menu.
Along with “A Haupia Ice Cream Klondike Bar” there are plans for the bar.
I’ll pass the clipboard, I say.
For those and all the others in this petite Polynesian roundup.
If you go: 6125 S. Semoran Blvd. Orlando, 321-247-5042; alohahawaiiankitchen.com
Sweet and Salty Island Grintz
Will and Sonya Adxon balance time between popular locations at Henry’s Depot in Sanford and popular locations at the latest counter in the hall of the fifth venture. But that doesn’t mean there’s no time to celebrate Asian Americans and Pacific Islander heritage month with an explosion of the original food truck specials before.
One of them is their Haupia Pie, Sonya Adkison told me.
“It’s a labor of love,” she tells me with a laugh.
The layered, spoonable version of Sweet & Salty is one that contains chocolate, like many.
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“Balance is everything,” she says. “A small salty buttery crust. Rich chocolate. A creamy coconut. A crunch of toasted coconut nuts on top. It hits all the sounds… the perfect Ono comfortable food.”
Even if you haven’t been to the town’s favorite chicken sandwich (hot butter chicken cutlet) all month long at Sanford Sweet & Salty, you’re ready for a dessert back to your last visit to Aloha.
If you’re going: Henry’s Depot: 212 W. 1st St. in Sanford; henrysdepot.com
Pork Hana
Solid, crispy, sweet, the take on Coconatti and Poke Hana’s Haupia Pie is really not pie. It’s like a Desertrum Pier! And perhaps more than anything: there are three to the order.
Here, the Haupia is cut into small rectangles and fried in a wrapped spring roll style, then drizzled with sticky coconut milk in a drizzle to crush shredded coconuts. There is crunch, warmth and sweetness, but not much of the latter. This makes it a killer snack or dessert option, completely different from the rest.
If you go: 1225a Colonial Drive, 407-601-0283 or 5845 WINTER GARDAN VINELAND ROAD, 407-395-9423; poke-hana.com
Overrice
Like Sweet & Salty, Overrice’s take on Haupia is creamy, coconut and chocolatty. Also homemade. The bonus here is that it is always available. So, if you miss the Sanford Special, you can get a Chococo modification on Lee Road while enjoying a huge array of Filipinos and Hawaiian classics in plate lunch format and more. The grilling sisig with pork belly, ears and liver is a killer with karamansi squeezes. But even if you can’t sell you with it, you will find your Ono animal.
When it’s time for dessert, follow it up with a sweet nod to the Pacific Islands.
If you go: 1084 Lee Road, Orlando, 407-412-5259; overricecfl.com
Do you want to reach out to me? Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram @Amydroo or the Osfoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. For more foodie fun, join Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group and sign up for Orlando Sentinel’s Foodie Fore Newsletter to taste our culinary coverage weekly.
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