Highway Inn: A Family Legacy That’s Still Going Strong
(Sponsored) More than 70 years later, the family-owned business still has a special place in our hearts and stomachs.
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Photo: Marisa Heung
The legacy of the family-owned Highway Inn begins with Seiichi Toguchi, who opened the original location on Farrington Highway in 1947. The idea to start a restaurant business was born from a strong spirit, desire to provide a comfortable life for his family, and his kitchen experience at the old City Café, where he learned to cook Hawaiian food, and the mess halls of the Japanese internment camps he and his family were taken to after the outbreak of WWII in 1941.
It’s safe to say that his goal of putting food on the table was a literal and figurative success. Now, more than 70 years later, Highway Inn has moved, expanded and remains a favorite choice for locals and visitors in the mood for Hawaiian food.
Highway Inn’s tasting plate includes poi, sweet potato, lomi salmon, chicken long rice, kālua pork, squid lū‘au and your choice of chicken or pork lau lau. Photo: Courtesy of Highway Inn
The menu hasn’t changed much since opening day—because why mess with a good thing?—and features all the local cuisine staples you’d expect, plus plenty of local favorites such as Loco Moco, mochiko chicken and seared ‘ahi salad. If you come hungry and can’t decide what to order, this is my solution (it’s a popular one, too!): Get the tasting plate. Just shy of $30, the Highway Inn tasting plate is a big order that will leave you with plenty of leftovers, and includes portions of all the classic Hawaiian fare: poi, squid lū‘au, kālua pig, lomi salmon, chicken long rice, sweet potato and your choice of pork or chicken lau lau. FYI, you can see lau lau making in action at the Kaka‘ako location, where it’s made by hand every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday morning.
For more, visit myhighwayinn.com. For updates, follow @myhighwayinn on Instagram.
