MINASA
ADDRESS: 94-866 Moloalo Street, Suite D12, Waipahu, HI 96797
WEBSITE: https://www.minasahawaii.com/
My Instagram algorithm was at work prior to my trip to Hawaii, since it began to show me videos of a bunch of different spots around Oahu. One of them ended up being Minasa, located on the west side of the island in Waipahu. After primarily operating as an outdoor pop-up, they opened their brick-and-mortar location to help provide more exposure to traditional Filipino flavors.
On the Sunday of my trip, I was off on my own for the day, so I decided to make the stop out to Minasa after spending the morning going to the Byodo-In Temple on the eastern side of the island. From the outside, the restaurant was very unassuming, located inside the Tropicana Square strip mall. But once you stepped inside, however, it was a nice combination of gray and black color schemes, supplemented with other wood décor and dining furniture. It wasn’t really a big place on the inside either, probably able to seat no more than 30 people or so.
The Instagram video that I saw spoke really highly about the lechon fries and ube churros, both of which had looked really delicious. But those items definitely looked like they were better shared than trying to take them on solo, so I looked to the menu to find some other things to try instead. Aside from the appetizer / shareable items, the other offerings primarily focused on the rice bowls, just with different pairings of proteins. They also had sweets revolving around ube, along with a set of specials that probably rotated based on what the owner and head chef, Maleko, wanted to try out.
I’d be remiss if I went to a Filipino place and didn’t try the lechon, so I went for the Lechon Rice Bowl along with an order of the Shanghai Lumpia. I had arrived to the restaurant more on the tail end of their lunch hours, so there weren’t too many others dining in. My food ended up coming out relatively quickly for the most part, under 10 minutes from when I ordered. I do have to say, that lechon rice bowl certainly looked impressive when it was first set down in front of me.
Cubes of pork with crispy skin piled on a bowl of garlic bacon fried rice, topped with scallions, red onions, microgreens, Kewpie mayo, and another sauce that I couldn’t quite place. There were also some sliced calamansi to squeeze and add some more sour citrus flavor to the meat, along with some pickled vegetables and what appeared to be calamansi soy sauce in a smaller container to pour over the bowl.
The flavor bomb that this rice bowl ended up being was quite something, melding together not only a bunch of different flavors but also textures as well. Sweet, savory, sour, and umami, all of these flavors were very present in each bite, along with the contrast of soft and crispy texture as well. The hallmark of a good lechon is the crispy outer layer of the pork belly, and each cube definitely delivered on that end. The heaviness from the lechon and garlic bacon fried rice ended up being balanced out really well by the acidity from the calamansi and the other mystery sauce that was drizzled over the top of the bowl. With how the rice bowl was, I could only imagine how good the lechon fries must taste.
Lumpia is definitely another Filipino staple that I’ve tried over the years as well, and this order of the Shanghai lumpia actually came mini-sized. There were 10 to an order, so I was originally wondering if I would be able to finish all of them before I got the clarification. But it ended up not being an issue, and I was able to make pretty quick work of the pork lumpia, which were served with some soy sauce. They were fried nice and crispy on the outside, and the combo of pork and soy sauce provided a good umami flavor overall.
If it wasn’t for that Instagram video, taking the trek to the western side of the island for Filipino food definitely wouldn’t have been on my list of things to do. But I’m certainly glad that I did, because Minasa is 100% worth the trip. All of the flavors and quality of the food were fantastic, along with the selection of other items to eat as well. I honestly would have eaten everything on that menu, if I could have. If you’re visiting Oahu or a resident of the island and you’re looking to take a trip through some Filipino flavors, make the journey out to Waipahu to check out Minasa.
Let’s now take a look at the Minasa Dish Spotlight. Asterisks (*) below mark my recommended dishes.
** Shanghai Lumpia **
Mini spring roll wrappers filled with pork and deep fried. Served with soy sauce for dipping.
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** Lechon Rice Bowl **
Cubes of roasted pork belly with a crispy outer layer in a bowl of garlic bacon fried rice, topped with scallions, red onions, microgreens, Kewpie mayo, and an acidic sour sauce. Served with pickled vegetables and calamansi soy sauce.
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And finally, here are my rankings for Minasa:
Food: 5 / 5
The flavor profiles of the food really shine through, with the mixture of a number of different ones to keep things interesting with every bite. In addition, the menu provided good variety of different options to select from, ranging between the appetizers to the rice bowls to the specials.
Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5
With the gray / black color scheme and wood dining elements, the dining area felt a bit sleek, yet relaxed. You wouldn’t expect it from looking at the place on the outside. The tables were also spaced out pretty well from each other, so you didn’t feel too crowded while eating.
Service: 4.5 / 5
The food came out of the kitchen relatively quickly, and the staff members that I talked with were really nice. I even got the chance to have an extended conversation with Maleko as well, after he came out to the dining area to do some paperwork. It was great to hear about his vision for what he wanted to do with the restaurant and what it meant for him to support the Filipino community.
Price: 4.5 / 5
The lechon rice bowl might have been a bit more on the expensive side for the portion, clocking in at $17.59. But for the quality of the food, it’s something that I would certainly pay again. If the other things on the menu are at the same level of quality as well, sign me up for those prices too.
Overall:
18.5 / 20
(93%)
Categories: Hawaii, Restaurants
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