As Wikipedia helpfully explains, “Tahiti is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia,” and for those readers entertaining the notion of visiting Tahiti, any number of travel agents and web sites will be of assistance.
One web site I’ve found very useful when planning trips in recent years is Going, formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights. It’s an informative portal with information about the nuts and bolts of saving money on flights, and also offers tips and bonuses, as with today’s link: “Tahiti’s Chow Mein Sandwich: The Dish That Fuses the Island’s French and Chinese Cultures.”
This carb-heavy, addictive monstrosity stands out among street snacks in French Polynesia for bringing together the three main cultural influences on the islands—chow mein via the Chinese, fresh baguettes thanks to the French, and the Polynesian ingenuity that brings it all together. Plus, it’s cheap. This thing will keep your belly full for hours and usually costs under five bucks.
A Google search for “chow mein sandwich” +louisville turned up nothing, and French Polynesian restaurants (as opposed to tiki bars) are thin on the ground hereabouts.
Looking for your next food truck idea? Here it is.
See also “Chow Mein Sandwiches, Mustard Wontons, and Fruit: a Tour of French Polynesian Street Food,” by Mark Orwoll (Matador Network), source of today’s cover photo.
I inspect the pre-packaged sandwiches. They look okay, but I’m still not convinced. Chow mein, most people know, is a noodle dish. Noodles, most people know, don’t fit well into sandwiches. Unorthodox sandwiches, most people know, are usually not recommended. But what do I know?
