There’s a new manapua man in town — and for Waialua, it’s been a long time coming.
Manapua men originally carried pork hash and rice cake in metal tins slung over their shoulders back in the plantation days before vehicles took over.
And in a world where they’re becoming a thing of the past, one man is preserving the profession for the future.
Jourdan Simmonds stays true to the tradition of old-school cuisine while adding new flavors into the mix — so you can enjoy fried noodles in a plastic bag alongside fun twists on local favorites, like pizza-filled manapua and spicy pork hash.
HPR traveled to Oʻahu’s North Shore to ask some customers about their favorites from the manapua man.
“Honestly, everything’s really good,” one customer said. “The pork hash, it’s miles above.”
“The prices are unbeatable,” another customer told HPR.
HPR also got the chance to talk with Simmonds about what it’s like bringing the manapua man tradition into the modern age.
“I feel like every neighborhood needs a manapua man,” Simmonds said.
“I do think that having a Manapua man as a pillar in the community is something that makes a lot of neighborhoods, especially back then. So whether it's me or somebody else, you know, I feel like it's a good thing for the community.”
For Simmonds, the manapua man represents a nostalgic tradition that has since become a cherished and historic part of Hawaiʻi’s heritage.
“If you don't keep this stuff going, then it just disappears. So I think somebody's got to do it,” he told HPR. “Somebody's got to keep the tradition.”
More information on the manapua man can be found on Simmonds' Instagram page.
This story aired on The Conversation on Oct. 6, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
