Holo Holo Blog

One lucky winner will receive:

Holo Holo Sunset Boat Trip for TWO

The Musubi Trucker Hat, Sticker Pack & $50 Gift Certificate

Hoa Kai Surf – $150 Gift Certificate

All you have to do is:

Like this post

Tag two friends who love a day on the ocean

Follow @holoholocharters @themusubitruck @hoakaisurf

We can’t wait to award our winner! The contest ends at 6 P.M. on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. The winner will be announced on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Stay tuned, friends!

The Musubi Truck

Step into almost any convenience store on island, and you are likely to find the ever-so-popular SPAM Musubi. It’s a grab-and-go favorite on Kauaʻi, perfect for a day well-spent at the beach. But how did the SPAM Musubi become so popular in Hawaiʻi?

The Musubi Truck shares on their website that;

SPAM became a household stable in Hawaiʻi during WWII, but it wasn’t until 1982 when the late Barbara Funamura created the SPAM Musubi right here on the island of Kauaʻi at her shop, Joni Hana, in The Kukui Grove Shopping Center. This genius invention quickly spread to all  islands in less than six months after her first few sales, and has since been one of Hawaiʻi’s most popular local staples.

The Musubi Truck is an exciting food truck created by Kauaʻi natives with their elevated interpretation of the original SPAM Musubi. We’re excited to combine popular local dishes and turn them into a fun, fresh and easily accessible musubi meal.

It’s hard to beat The Musubi Truck’s musubis. They are hands down the best musubis on island. They have taken the OG SPAM Musubi, which showcases baked SPAM, steamed rice, and furikake (which they tastefully deliver for $3/musubi), and transformed it into something truly spectacular.

You can find a wide variety of spins on the classic favorite, like the AHI Katsu featuring panko-crusted ahi, furikake, garlic sauce, kabayaki, and a side of spicy mayo. If vegan and vegetarian musubis are more your thing, try the Sooo Tofu Musubi, which includes baked tofu, fresh cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, cilantro, and a side of peanut sauce. And if you just can’t decide, why not try the ʻOhana Sampler, jam-packed with deliciousness? The sampler boasts The Bomb Musubi, Miso Happy, Sooo Tofu, and the OG Musubi.

The Musubi Truck Kapaʻa is located at 4548 Kukui Street, Kapaʻa, Hawaiʻi 96746. It is open Monday – Friday from 7 A.M. to 6 P.M. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.

The Musubi Truck Supports Kauaʻi’s Keiki

The Musubi Truck cares about Kauaʻi’s community and keiki! They are currently running a program called Feed our Keiki with the goal of feeding 4,000 kids this winter break. Your $5 donation (please consider donating more, if possible) buys one keiki meal consisting of one SPAM Musubi, chips, and a drink. Your donations pay for meal vouchers, collected monthly by Kauaʻi Skate ʻOhana and distributed to social workers, school counselors, and The Musubi Truck’s sponsors who directly work with keiki in need. Please visit the themusubitruck.square.site to donate.

Want to Make SPAM Musubi at Home? Try this delicious recipe from our local caters “Rose & Bros”

• • Cook at least 5 cups of rice for one can of SPAM.
  • Slice the chunk of SPAM into 8-9 pieces.
  • Cut the nori into 2-3 inch pieces.
  • Fry the SPAM on both sides until desired crispiness.
  • Assemble the musubi by laying down one piece of nori, followed by the musubi mold. Fill the mold with one slice of SPAM and a scoop of rice. Press down on the rice and take off the mold. Wrap it up with the nori using a dab of water to seal it up.
  • You can add soy, teriyaki and furikake to your musubi to take it to the next level.

Hoa Kai Surf

When you think of the perfect day on Kauaʻi, it almost always involves the beach. Sun, surf, sand – SO MUCH SAND! Your average bulky beach towel takes up precious room in your beach bag and takes forever to dry. The sand just seems to stick to it, and you end up carrying a lot of it to your car and eventually home.

Hoa Kai Surf was “born on the beaches of Kauaʻi.” Kelly Kakalia, born and raised on Kauaʻi, and her husband, Andrew, share on their website that

… they found themselves constantly washing moldy, sand trapping towels that wasted space in the laundry machine and beach bag! Enter the Turkish towel, and Kelly and Andrew were blown away – these soft, high quality, fast drying towels were lightweight AND sand resistant. Perfect for their island life! They knew they needed to share Turkish towels with friends and family.

Turkish Towels

Hoa Kai Surf describes

The Peshtemal or “Turkish towel” was first made in the 15th century by weavers in South Turkey for Hammams, or ancient Roman style steam baths. The towels made of 100% cotton were wide enough to wrap around ones body, yet still extremely light weight and absorbent. Eventually the practicality of these towels caught the attention of the surf and beach communities, and peshtemal took off worldwide!

What makes the Turkish Towel so unique? Hoa Kai Surf highlights the following “Turkish Towel Qualities.”

• • Absorbs water just like a terry towel
  • Dries quickly because of unique weaves
  • Takes up less space everywhere
  • Easy to carry and travel with
  • 100% raw Turkish cotton
  • Unbelievably sand resistant
  • Wide enough and light enough
  • Eco-friendly; less in the washer and hang to dry
  • More durable than an ordinary towel

Hoa Kai Surf Cares About Community

Hoa Kai says it best on their website

On a small island, community is everything, and the Hawaiian culture that created it still runs deep. Kelly was inspired to seek out Turkish towel weavers that held the same values of community and sustainability while supporting the culture that first created these incredible towels. Today, the Turkish towel industry has been taken over by machines and mass production. Because of this, hundreds and possibly thousands of weavers have been put into poverty. Manufacturers selling huge quantities of towels at a lower cost put Turkish families out of business and out of tradition. In her search for the “best of the best,” Kelly was fortunate enough to find a small village in Southeast Turkey weaving authentic Turkish towels. They are incredible master weavers, and have quality that no machine controlled loom can copy.

In the spirit of community, Hoa Kai strives to collaborate with local companies, designers, and organizations working to preserve Hawaiian culture. Kelly and the wāhine who make up Hoa Kai are committed to supporting local and creating opportunities for everyone to grow. Your purchase of a Hoa Kai towel is part of a bigger mission to create more sustainable, ethical, and thriving communities.

Turkish towels are the rage and will have you ditching your old towels in no time. Check out Hoa Kai Surf’s gorgeous collection of towels on their website, hoakaisurf.com, and on Holo Holo’s website, where we have specialty-printed designs.