Helena’s Hawaiian Food – Honolulu, HI (Since 1946)
Helena’s Hawaiian Food on North School Street, Honolulu. Don’t let the humble exterior fool you – inside awaits award-winning Hawaiian home cooking, recognized by the James Beard Foundation as an American Classic.
In a low-slung, no-frills building in Honolulu’s Kalihi neighborhood, Helena’s has been serving the Aloha State’s most cherished traditional dishes since 1946. Founded by Helen Chock, a native of Oahu, this family-run eatery has become a living repository of Hawaiian cuisine – honored with a James Beard “Regional Classic” Award in 2000 for its quality, local character, and lasting appeal. Now run by Helen’s grandson, Craig Katsuyoshi, Helena’s continues to draw locals and tourists alike for its authentic flavors of ka mea ʻai (the beloved foods).
The space is simple and unassuming, almost cafeteria-like: tile floors, formica tables, fluorescent lights, and on the walls, family photos alongside the framed Beard Award medal. During lunch, every table is filled with families sharing generous platters of food, and a line out the door is a common sight. Despite the bustle, the staff – many of them relatives or longtime friends – greet everyone with warm Hawaiian hospitality, making it clear that at Helena’s, it’s all about the food and ohana (family).
The menu at Helena’s is served family style, meant for sharing and mixing. First-timers often order the pre-set combination that includes the must-try items: Kalua pig, luau squid, lomi lomi salmon, pipikaula short ribs, and poi. The Kalua pig – pork slow-cooked in an underground imu oven – arrives shredded and smoky, tender enough to melt in your mouth. It pairs perfectly with a scoop of poi, whose subtle sourness balances the meat’s richness.
The pipikaula short ribs might be the single most talked-about dish: strips of beef short rib that are salt-cured, dried like beef jerky, then deep-fried to order, resulting in chewy-crispy bites bursting with flavor. Complemented by tender luau squid in a creamy taro leaf stew and chilled lomi lomi salmon – a refreshing mix of salted salmon, tomatoes, and onions – each bite is a symphony of earthy, salty, and tangy flavors.
What makes Helena’s special is how deeply it is woven into the community. Many customers have been coming for decades – part of their childhood, now shared with their own families. Office workers on lunch break sit beside tourists fresh from Pearl Harbor tours, all sharing communal bowls of Hawaiian salt and chili pepper water. The restaurant’s unpretentious vibe and consistent quality have earned it loyal fans – including the late Anthony Bourdain, who once highlighted Helena’s as a can’t-miss stop in Hawai’i. As one local reviewer put it: “No trip to O’ahu is complete without a meal at Helena’s.” One taste of their pipikaula dipped in poi, and you’ll understand why Hawaiians and mainlanders alike keep Helena’s close to their hearts.