Feeling a Little Closer to Lahaina in Carson

 Back Home In Lahaina 

519 Carson Street

Carson, CA 90745

I may have passed my obsession on to my sister. Like me, she has gotten into audiobooks and even outread (or listened?)  me last year. She had been wanting to get another library card to increase her book selection. I suggested going to a Los Angeles City Library branch to get her one of their library cards. They have the fifth-largest collection of books in public libraries in the US, so we headed to the closest branch, which happened to be in Wilmington. This also allowed me to try a restaurant I had heard good things about, Back Home in Lahaina. 

It was serendipity that I brought my sister here. Like so many people, Lahaina holds a special place in her heart. In the early 90s, she worked a summer at the iconic Pioneer Inn, which was destroyed by the wildfires of August 2023, like the rest of the town. That disaster brought out such a need for not just the large Hawaiian community that inhabits the South Bay, but anyone who has a connection to the town to help out, remember, and just want to be near something that reminds them of how Lahaina used to be, and hopefully will be again. 

For many, that place was Back Home In Lahaina. This restaurant, opened in Carson in 1998, has become a meeting place for all who want to feel close to what was lost 2,500 miles across the ocean. The large murals that dominate the dining room make it easy to feel a proximity, highlighting what Lahaina once was and will hopefully be again. There are even replica street signs and built-out storefronts of the historical seaside town. It almost feels like you are transported back there as soon as you enter the space, which makes this place feel special, even before I had my first bite of food here. 

Almost every best Hawaiian food list that appears online or in print media lists this as one of the go-to spots for Hawaiian cuisine. It's a restaurant, a bakery, and a small market selling Hawaiian goods. The Back Home In Lahaina menu is four pages full of Hawaiian staples: lau lau, kalua pork, spam musubi, poke, and others. Most entrees are priced right around the $20 price point, and as you'll see soon, they do not skimp on the portion sizes here. We were seated, our order taken, and we waited patiently for our food to arrive. 

Up first for my sister and me was the Kalua Pork Lumpia ($6.99). They stuffed kalua pork inside wonton skins with this fusion dish and deep-fried them. I was let down by this starter. The outer skin was not as crispy as I would have liked, while the pork inside had a good flavor, but I found it on the dry side. The provided sweet and sour sauce helped moisten things up, but it detracted from the taste of the kalua pork. I'll stick to the traditional Filipino lumpias next time. 

On the way up here, I talked up the fried chicken I have had at other Hawaiian restaurants (Da Hawaiian in Huntington Beach being the best I've had so far), and I guess after 50-plus years, I have proof that my sister actually listens to me sometimes. She selected the Lahaina Fried Chicken Plate ($12.49 plus $2.99 for the upgrade to Bacon Fried Rice) as her meal on this early evening. Here at BHIL, they use boneless chicken nuggets, which were very solid. I'm always partial to chicken off the bone, but these were almost as good. The breading was crispy and perfectly seasoned, and the chicken underneath was tender and juicy. The chicken didn't need a sauce, but I used the provided teriyaki, a good complement to the savory chicken. The fried rice was worth the upcharge, as it was good and not as oily as other places tend to serve it. My sister skipped the ramen cabbage salad and got two wontons filled with sausage instead. They were excellent. She took half of this home for lunch the next day, as the portions were very generous. 

I also took half of my meal to go. As is my custom when eating out, I always veer towards a combo meal or, in this case, a platter to ensure I try as many things as possible on my initial visit. This #1 Platter ($19.49 plus a $2.99 upcharge for sausage fried rice) featured the same delicious fried chicken that my sister enjoyed, kalua pork, beef teriyaki, cabbage ramen salad, and a scoop of macaroni salad. This kalua pork was much better than what we had in the lumpia at the start of our meal, but some bites were still dry. The beef teriyaki was OK, but nothing really stood out to me about it. The ramen cabbage salad was bland, and the mac salad was good, but its serving size was dwarfed by the mound of fried rice and cabbage on the plate. It could be evened out. The chicken and fried rice saved this plate. 

We did not need dessert, but we had come all this way, so why not? I had not done my research, as I learned later that the item to get is the haupia cheesecake, which gets rave reviews. We tried the Pineapple Upside-down Cake ($3.49) instead. It was good and moist, but I was hoping for more sweetness. Next time we're coming for you, haupia. 

Back Home in Lahaina was a good but not great Hawaiian restaurant. If you are in the area and craving food from the islands, this place will satisfy your cravings, and you will likely have food leftover for the next day. I had high expectations, and although they were not met, I would definitely visit here again if I found myself nearby. I would not skip the fried chicken and try their loco moco, kalbi short ribs, or BBQ pork. We experienced excellent service on this visit, and the food came out quickly. This restaurant embodies the feel of Maui, and that's well worth a visit if you are missing all that was lost in the fires almost a year ago.   

Out of five banyan trees (because the banyan tree is viewed as a symbol of hope by the people of Maui, and luckily, the banyan tree that was planted in 1873 in the center of Lahaina is showing signs of recovery after the fires), five being best to zero being worst, Back Home In Lahaina gets 3 banyan trees. 

For more information about Back Home In Lahaina, click here to visit their website: https://www.backhomeinlahaina.com/