Roll With It: Bombucha Focaccia Sandwiches from a Cute Blue Food Truck

Update: In April 2022, Hau‘oli’s owners announced plans to close the food truck.

Happy National Food Truck Day! Here’s the latest in our Roll With It series about new O‘ahu food trucks we’ve seen out and about, plus a roundup of the series so far.

Between the sun, surf and sand, hitting the beach works up a mean appetite. Some people pack extra musubi, while others load up on poke and crispy fried chicken. For Anna Tetsutani and Cleston Teixeira, bombucha homemade sandwiches are the fuel of choice. These are also the inspiration behind Hau‘oli Sandwich Co., a new truck that parks everywhere from Kaka‘ako to Kailua and Kaimana Beach.

Parked near Kaimana Beach. Photo: Thomas Obungen

After many days and meals at the beach, the entrepreneurial couple—he a full-time personal trainer who studied psychology, she with a degree in nutrition—dreamed of opening their own sandwich shop. They began the process of making it a reality last year and started popping up in Kaka‘ako earlier this month. They have a keen eye for branding: The navy blue truck with SNDWCH plates is one of the nicest on the scene.

It puts a smile on my face.

The menu

Photo: Thomas Obungen

At a glance:

The menu alternates between sandwiches ($11 each) named after local beaches like Waikīkī and Hale‘iwa. Each is prepared with smoked, braised or roasted meats and spreads atop freshly baked rosemary herb focaccia bread. You can also pick up homemade chocolate chip cookies ($2) and choose between two wicked tasty beverages ($4 each) to wash it down.

Teixeira says it wasn’t their intention to bake focaccia. But they couldn’t source the bread they wanted so they took it upon themselves to make it their way. Several recipes later, it’s the star of the show. The crumb isn’t full of big air pockets, and its depth makes for an ideal bread-to-contents ratio.

The Po‘ipū sandwich with a liliko‘i mango iced tea. Photo: Thomas Obungen

We recommend:

• The Po‘ipū sandwich is generously meaty with a thick hunk of honey-roasted turkey surrounded by provolone cheese, mayo and pesto with sundried tomatoes and pickled onions on warm rosemary focaccia. The turkey breast is moist; a lot of the flavor comes from the basil pesto and sweet pickled onions.
• The Hale‘iwa sandwich gets a slab of applewood-smoked ham topped with muenster cheese, avocado spread, mayo, tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, pickled onions and a drizzle of honey on focaccia. This sammie is juicy, full of veg and so satisfying with the sweetness of honey accenting the smokey ham.
• The lemongrass ginger lemonade is refreshing. The vegetal brightness of lemongrass keeps it from going too tart. I could drink a gallon of this any day.

How it rolls

Note that locations, menu items and days may change, so be sure to check Hau‘oli’s Instagram before heading out.

• Where: Kaka‘ako on Cooke Street, Kailua on Hekili Street and Kaimana Beach on Kalākaua Avenue
• When: Check Instagram for the latest
• Preorders: Walk-ups only for now
• Payment: Cash or credit card
• Follow: @hauolisandwichco

Keep it rollin’

• Roll With It: This New Roaming Food Truck Is All About Smoked Meat
• Roll With It: O‘ahu’s New Italian Food Truck Is a Carb Lover’s Dream 
• Roll With It: This Mexican Food Truck Serves Up Tacos, Carnitas, Chimichangas & and Pastrami Melts
• Roll with It: Happy Belly Joins Pearlridge Food Truck Lineup
• Roll with It: Nico’s New Food Truck in Kaka‘ako