First off, This Musubi Love is the name of the new microenterprise home kitchen (MEHKO) founded and operated by Roger Post on Vulcan in Leucadia — and folks, it’s the real deal.
I thought it was an appropriate headline for Valentine’s Day this week, and I love what Roger is doing with Musubi through the MEHKO program. Musubi, as you may recall from my L&L Hawaiian Barbeque column, is traditionally nori (seaweed)-wrapped Spam that can be customized in many ways. It can be found all over Hawaii and is much loved by the budget-conscious.
In a nutshell, a MEHKO is a small-scale food business that allows residents to prepare, cook and sell food directly to consumers from their permitted home kitchen while adhering to strict cleanliness and food safety standards, in many cases even more so than large commercial establishments.
They offer a much more affordable path into culinary entrepreneurship than traditional restaurants, and that can translate into lower costs for consumers, as evidenced by every delicious variation of Musubi on Roger’s menu being below $10.
Given the current reality of $18 California burritos, that is a great thing for folks working and renting coastally and who are slowly getting squeezed out by the crazy cost of living in paradise.
I also fancied This Musubi Love because I had a chance to sit down and get to know Roger over a Lick the Plate Radio interview, and his story leading up to this venture is a good one. Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, to a flight attendant mom and pilot dad, Roger grew up snowboarding in Alaska and went to college at the University of Nevada, Reno, but found his calling in the restaurant world.
Maui beckoned, and with many new to the area and finding the cost of living out of whack with wages, he discovered musubi, which became a regular part of his diet. Eventually, Roger settled in Oceanside, where he lived a stint in his Subaru Outback while perfecting the art of living off of very little.
The pace, vibe and surf of Leucadia beckoned, and he found a place with his girlfriend in Beacon’s Townhomes, where This Musubi Love was born and now operates. Our conversation veered toward the high cost of local restaurant food and how there is no budget joint west of I-5 with Captain Keno’s gone. Roger saw an opportunity to fill that niche and did it beautifully with This Musubi Love.
I admit that my experiences with Musubi before Roger’s amazing creations were lukewarm. I was not craving it regularly, but that all changed after eating through the affordable, creative and delicious menu Roger has created.
Let’s get to that, shall we? Roger only uses low-sodium Spam, soy sauce, and organic cane sugar, making it among the healthiest versions. You will also see furikake in many of his offerings, which are a mixture of sesame seeds, seaweeds, herbs, fish flakes, and salt. It derives its name from the Japanese term for sprinkles. It’s commonly pressed into rice-based snacks for another layer of flavor, texture and healthy goodness.
The Classic has Spam, teriyaki and furikake, simple and perfect. Spam N’ Cheese is the classic with your choice of cheese. Tropical Heat adds some depth with pineapple and fresh jalapeno. Dawn Patrol is Spam, egg, bacon, cheddar cheese and spicy mayo.
Katsu Spam includes panko-fried Spam, Bachan’s Japanese BBQ Sauce and furikake. Bachan’s Chicken is chicken fried tenders tossed in Bachan’s sauce and wrapped with nori. And finally, for all you coastal vegans, Roger offers a plant-based protein patty, teriyaki and furikake.
My sampler included all of these, and I munched on all of them, hot and cold, over the next three days and enjoyed every bite. Each order comes with two hearty pieces of musubi, which have that rare combination of light and hearty.
It was brilliant to offer chicken and a vegan offering, as many folks will still freak out about Spam. My advice: Get over it and give it a try. Roger’s flavor and texture combinations will make you a fan, and if they don’t work for you, go with the chicken. Avocado can be added to most options, but please check the website regularly for updates and changes.
The mac salad is excellent, so it should definitely be part of your order. He also offers miso soup and edamame, chips, a variety of sodas, Hawaiian Sun Juice and Waterloo Sparkling Water.
It’s been a while since writing a Lick the Plate column, which has endeared me so much to the proprietor, the food, and the value like This Musubi Love. My advice is to get to this place ASAP and get some Musubi Love in your life.
Pickup is in Leucadia. Pre-order at thismusubilove.com and follow them on Instagram for updates.
