Many times, I am sent on missions for my part-time job that seem to be a wild goose chase but with persistence and knowing the ins and outs of Honolulu's Chinatown, I at times surprise myself.
For the second weekend in a row, I was tasked to buy pork belly. Last weekend I went to my go to stall in Kekaulike Market and bought 3 strips of pork belly only to be advised it was "too lean" and not good to make steamed pork belly with harm ha (fermented shrimp paste). The "lean" pork belly eventually was used to make a different dish that made some employees bummed as they were looking forward to the steamed dish for that day's employee meal.
This past weekend I went back to my regular stall and once again they had pork belly but indeed it was on the leaner side. I asked the boss man if he had any more pork belly as I wanted a fattier cut in his back refrigerators but sadly, none. I then visited the other 2 meat stalls in Kekaulike Market and the pork belly was too lean. My other options were to go to Oahu Market or to Maunakea Marketplace. Because I wanted to pick up some dim sum from Dimsum Village at Maunakea Marketplace, I proceeded mauka and entered Maunakea Marketplace from N Hotel St entrance and immediately came across Carnate's Meat and Seafood (CMS).
CMS seems like a husband/wife team that sells fresh meats and seafood. The showcase on the left I found fresh pork nicely displayed and immediately found pork belly, but on the leaner side. I then asked if they had fattier slabs, where the male staff grabbed one from the middle and indeed it was fattier. ***happy dance*** However, because I had to feed 8 adults, I needed more. At first, he looked in the showcase and had none, but he offered to check his refrigerator behind him. He pulled out a large piece of unsliced pork where one end had fatty pork belly. Yes!!! I was so thrilled of the availability as it saved me time from walking around Chinatown when I had a list of other things I had to buy. I asked for 2 more slabs of fatty pork belly.
He packaged and weighed the pork belly, and then paid for my purchase to his wife who was at the register. Because I was getting reimbursed, I asked for a receipt in which she obliged. While waiting for my change, I checked out their display and saw assorted packages of spices and mixes, as well as pre-packaged dried beans and grains. Seems like they were for Filipino dishes that I am not knowledgeable in.
I took my purchase to my part-time job to receive thumbs up to make the steamed pork belly with harm ha sauce. It was sliced and marinated with some chopped garlic, fresh chilies, harm ha sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and cooking wine. It was steamed and we had a delicious lunch that day.
Overall, a very pleased first visit where CMS came through in satisfying the critical staff at my part time job. They have refined palates where ingredients are key in cooking where variation and substitution are not forgiving. When tasked for fatty pork belly, I'll be sure to make my way back to CMS. read more