Thelma’s Lunchwagon

Good portion size and good food = a happy tummy. Favorite: pork gisantes /​pork n squash mix.

Thelma’s Special is the thing to get if you’re not sure. The special is Lenchon with tomato and onions in a vinegar/​shoyu sauce. It’s good. The lenchon isn’t crispy so it’s more like pork in tomaot and onions. The sauce is light and good with rice.
The other filipino dishes were good and you can’t go wrong. The only thing it’s $ 7 for a plate. You get a lot of food but I like to compare plate lunches with the avg $ 5 price.
I took awhile to finish the plate so it’s a large serving.
Try it, you’ll like it.
G

I’m jealous.
I hear about all of these fancy lunchwagons in town, and my mouth starts salivating like warm maple syrup dripping off a plate of French Toast. I want grilled cheese sandwiches, Jawaiian food, soul food, and Korean tacos, too!!!
What’s a guy to do in the Airport area? Well, thankfully (salamat!) those of us who are relegated to the area near the airport for weekday lunch have a brand new eating option bearing the taste flag of the yellow sun and stars… literally, you can’t miss this lunch wagon with it’s bold, golden yellow paint job.
Located in the old guest parking lot for Aloha Airlines’ red brick building (off of Elliot Street, past the Federal Detention Center, before Hickam AFB’s Kuntz gate entrance), Thelma’s Lunchwagon brings flavorful Filipino cuisine to customers every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Where are they on the other days? I don’t know… maybe it’s somewhere else, but for the time being, MWF (roughly 9am — 12pm?) it’s on Aokea Place.
Thelma’s offers a selection of the mix plates you might see at the Waipahu restaurant including: Pork or Chicken Adobo, Pancit Mix, Gisantes, Squid Guisado, Dinuguan, Pork Pumpkin, and the famous Thelma’s Special.
So far I’ve had both the Thelma’s Special (which is the chopped Lechon Kawali with diced tomato, onions and shoyu) and the Pork Adobo. The Special is delicious, the lechon (even after sitting a few hours – you have to buy it early or it’s often sold out) was both crispy by the skin and tender throughout. The Pork Adobo just melted in my mouth, very tender with a strong but not overpowering vinegary flavor.
Overall, Thelma’s Lunchwagon is an exciting addition to the usual food fare in the airport/​Nimitz area.