Hawaii’s manapua man serves his last meal

By Kristen Consillio

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    PEARL CITY, Hawaii (KITV) — It was once a familiar sound across Oahu.

“He used to come around the neighborhood by my tutu’s house and then we would hear the bells in the evening time or the music then I used to ask my tutu for money,” said customer Johnneen Kapua. “Can’t even put it into words how sad we are.”

After almost 50 years, the music has gone silent.

It’s the end of an era for Joseph and Kristie Vu. They’ve run the manapua truck for generations of residents in Pearl City.

The couple has not only fed neighbors comfort foods like pork hash and fried noodles, but watched many of them grow up.

“I take care of them from Highlands, high school, they get married,” said Joseph Vu. “Their grandchildren buy from me.”

Making some of the best childhood memories for Johnnai Kapua.

“After school, that was my favorite part of the day,” Kapua said. “Just leaving school, walking over the bridge and seeing him at the end of the bridge, you know, like the end of the rainbow.”

And the nostalgia runs deep.

“I brought my daughter back the other day,” said customer Shauny Barrett. “This was like before the announcement even broke and he was like, ‘Oh, I remember when you were that small.'”

Running the original food truck wasn’t easy—working weekends, constantly prepping and being robbed many times.

“He came here and did this business, just selling candy and snacks that cost like $1 back then, right?,” said daughter Jennifer Rivera. “He was able to sponsor his family, one by one, his siblings and my mom’s siblings to America, and they made a life for themselves as well.”

But it’s been a labor of love for Joseph and Kristie Vu, the backbone of the manapua man.

“When I come over here I don’t have anything yeah, no money, no anything,” Kristie said. “English, cannot talk. But now I have the van. I go sell the food. First time I got money—about $30, $40 a day—oh, I’m so very happy.”

And after decades, they’re happy they’ve been able to be a special part of people’s lives.

“First, thank God. God blessed me,” Joseph added. “And secondly, thank God for everybody. Everybody loves me. If they don’t buy from me, I cannot take care of my family.”

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