Lee A. Tonouchi

Contributor

Lee A. Tonouchi stay known known as “Da Pidgin Guerrilla” for his activism in campaigning for Pidgin, aka Hawai‘i Creole, for be accepted as one legitimate language. In one front page story entitled “Long Dismissed, Hawaii’s Pidgin Finds Place in Classroom,” The Wall Street Journal wen recognize him for starting da firstest eva Pidgin Language and Pidgin Literature courses at Hawai‘i Pacific University. For preserve and perpetuate da language, Tonouchi wen organize Da Kine Dictionary: Da Hawai‘i Community Pidgin Dictionary Projeck which wuz featured insai The Washington Post. Tonouchi’s creative works written in Hawai‘i Creole wen gain national recognitions. His Pidgin poetry collection Significant Moments in da Life of Oriental Faddah and Son won da Association for Asian-American Studies book award. His Pidgin children’s picture book Okinawan Princess: Da Legend of Hajichi Tattoos won one Skipping Stones Honor Award. An’ den his Pidgin play Three Year Swim Club wuz one Los Angeles Times Critic’s Choice Selection. Ova da years he been invited for talk to hundreds of classrooms and organizations in Hawai‘i and beyond about da importance of Hawai‘i’s unique creole language, which some linguists worry stay coming endangered.

 

Some of Tonouchi’s local prizes include da grand prize in da 21st annual HONOLULU Magazine fiction contest for his story “Seven Deadly Local Sins.” An’ den hana hou, brah, in 2006, he won da grand prize again for “Legend of da River Street Gambler.” Be sure for read his HONOLULU Magazine classic “Da Untold Story of Hawaiian Santa.” Even though came out in 2014, it’s even more relevant today.

 

Articles

Okinawan Sweet Potato Crisps Best Chip

KaSnack attack! Okinawan Sweet Potato Crisps

What? Small kid time, Yick Lung's Nib-bits used to be my favorite snack. Ask people from my Gen X era and they'd all probably tell you they could pound one whole bag, no problem. I not sure when exactly, but…

Diamond Bakery Dunkin' Donuts Boston Kreme Pineapple Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookie

KaSnack attack! Diamond Bakery x Dunkin’s collab donut

What? I love it when local companies team up with Mainland companies for create new hybrid products. This collab between Dunkin' and Diamond Bakery stay getting lotta publicity lately and like many people, I kinda curious too. Every single ting you need…

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Battle of the chili dog plates

Q: Which classic chili with hot dog plate stay mo' ono? For me, growing up in Aiea, Rainbow's has always had kinda that townie mystique. All da kids who lived townside would talk about Rainbow's. One of da dishes dey…

Oxtail Soup Kapiolani Coffee Shop Kam Bowl
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Battle of Two Legendary Oxtail Soups

Q: These old-skool diners built their reputations on oxtail soup. So which one mo' bettah? Legend has it that Kapiolani Coffee Shop and Kam Bowl share da same legendary oxtail soup recipe. Something about one divorce and da secret recipe as…

Kauai Omiyage Mark Oyama Marks Place Hamura Saimin Noodles

Broke da mouth: Da one that got away

Da Sumo Saimin Special My go-to omiyage for bring back from Kauai had always been Hamura Saimin noodles. Whenever we went Kauai we always made sure for eat Hamura Saimin at least couple few times, then on our last day we…

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Broke da mouth: How is McDonald’s global menu?

In Hawaii we kinda lucky our McDonald's get lotta exclusive tings that other McD's no more. It warms my heart when I see tourist peoples getting excited when they eat one of our delicious Taro Pies. Their faces so opposite compared…

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KaSnack attack! 7-Eleven’s Local Style Saimin

What? My secret shame wuz going be revealed when my editor texted me one picture of this and asked if I wanted for review 'em. Though I wuz super intrigued, I wuz kinda hesitant for get 7-Eleven's new Local Style…

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Broke da mouth: 3 offbeat loco mocos you gotta try

I love creativity, so I'm always down for trying one unusual take on da classic loco moco. Most times it means just subbing out da meat portion with some oddah kinda meat besides one hamburger patty. But chef people do…

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3 outta-da-box ramen bowls at Shirokiya

Pesto Ramen, Gashoken I wuz with couple pesto lovers when I first saw this and they wuz kinda snooty, brah. They firmly said, "Pesto only belongs with pasta!" But I wuz intrigued. This wuzn't just ramen noodles mixed with pesto sauce. This…

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Broke da mouth: Back to school for beef and ulu stew!

I wuz impressed when I saw on top my children's school lunch menu that they wuz going have ulu in their beef stew. Turns out this wuz part of da once-a-month special Aina Pono program where da Hawaii State Department…

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KaSnack attack! Lychee Slurpee?!

  What? 7-Eleven has a lychee-flavored Slurpee that made me think of my dad. When I wuz growing up, me and my faddah would always pick lychee during da summer time, cuz our tree only give fruit once a year.…

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Broke da mouth: H&T Burgers stay open at Pearlridge

I gotta admit, years back when I first saw da H&T Burgers open up at Windward Mall I wuz kinda skeptical. I attributed da long lines to there being no other burger places around since da McDonald's in da mall…

MyungRang Korean Hotdog on a stick

Broke da mouth: Korean kine hotdogs on a stick

I wuz just wandering around da Makai Market Food Court at Ala Moana Center and I came across MyungRang Rice Hotdog Hawaii, one kiosk in da dimly lit, central area of da food court. My first instinct wuz for ask if this…

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Broke da mouth: Ulu chips and ulu poi!

When Kanani Keliipuleole and her husband Rooke had their first child, they took their baby's piko or umbilical cord and planted one ulu tree on top of that in their yard. Why one ulu tree? Cuz of its cultural significance.…

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Broke da mouth: Dis flower shop get amazing mandoo

Update: The owner notified us that because of the volume of her flower business, she stopped making mandoo in late 2019. So I picked up some homemade mandoo for my family and everybody wanted for know where I got 'em…

Jack in the Box Teriyaki Steak Bowl and egg roll

What I found at Jack in the Box: Teriyaki steak bowl

What I found at ... is a series that tests and vets intriguing store-bought foodie finds. It’s the mainland and global parallel to KaSnack attack!, our series reviewing made-in-Hawaii snacks. What: Teriyaki Steak BowlWhere: All Jack in the Box Hawaii…

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Broke da mouth: Da airy, purple Taro Mochisada

When I first saw Hauoli Pastry's Mochisada at da Aiea Family Fun Fair I wuz doutful. I mean, could it really taste any different from any old regular mochi donut? Cuz I tink that market's kinda saturated. Everybody selling mochi…

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Tanaka Saimin’s tempura ice cream is bomboocha big

Da world can be divided into two kine peoples. Those who prefer vanilla ice cream and those who prefer chocolate. I remembah small kid time, whenever we had family parties, Grandma would get upset if she had for spend extra…

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Waka waka food: Da Pac-Man pop-up cafe

As a kid did you play with your food and draw maple syrup happy face on top your pancakes? Or maybe you sculpted your mashed potatoes into one volcano and made da brown gravy be da lava? As kids we was always…

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Eat Local

Da Ruth’s Chris of hamburger steak

In order for determine if one local restaurantʻs any good, my friend David Miyashiro has devised what he calls The Hamburger Steak Test. When he goes to one restaurant for da first time, das what he orders. And if it…

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Eat Local

Attack of the 50-foot mutant bacon

‘Da Pidgin Guerrilla’ Lee A. Tonouchi is one Pidgin author and playwright. He also sometimes contributes Da Kine 5 Tings We Love to da Honolulu Star-Advertiser. His favorite food is local food. What da heck’s Bacon Steak? Das what I was wondering…

Seven Deadly Local Sins

The 21st Annual Honolulu Magazine Starbucks Coffee Hawai‘i Fiction Contest Grand Prize Winner