For people who wouldn't know a laulau from a luau, the short answer is, "There is."
The rest of us have an intuitive sense that leads us to many a luncheon nook or wagon, or simply, to sniff our way to auntie's or tutu's house.
Still, the tourist concerns have merit. Randy Chee, owner of Aloha Poi Bowl on King Street (not to be confused with any of the other Poi Bowls - Ala Moana and Windward), feels he's one of a dying breed of pupu and pipikaula purveyors.
"If you look at the number of Hawaiian food restaurants that are reliable, there are only six or seven that I know about," he said. "There are many more that are just counters, where you pick up a few items and take them home.
"People don't realize how much preparation time it takes and, when you consider we use a lot of specialty ingredients, it gets expensive. And with poi, when there's a shortage it gets sort of frustrating."
Kalua pig ($4.10) is oven-roasted and is similarly moist, which Chee explains by saying, "I don't do it by temperature or time. I keep checking on it and when it's the softness I like, I pull it out and shred it, then cook it longer on the stove."
The kalua pig is one of 10 selections on a combo plate menu which runs $7 to $11.50 for one to three choices plus side dishes of lomi salmon, two slices of pipikaula and haupia.
Since the haupia (coconut dessert) arrives with the rest of the meal, it tends to become a little soggier than it would be if it were delivered straight from the fridge.
Aloha Poi Bowl's kalua pig, and other dishes as well, are less salty than most, which fits in with another of Chee's philosophies. Diners can always add more salt at the table, he said, but they can't take out what's already added in the cooking process.
What does have plenty of salt is the Salt Meat Luau ($6) and Salt Meat with Watercress ($6). The former is a stew of luau (taro leaves) and brine-soaked beef brisket, the latter a hearty soup.
Na'au Pua'a ($3.75) is a soupy stew of luau and boiled pig's intestines, bearing that usual strong, musky flavor throughout.
One of the eatery's best offerings is its laulau ($3.70 a la carte), luau-wrapped bundles with a filling choice of pork or fork-tender chicken.
When one considers it takes Chee a good four hours to wrap and steam 75 laulau, and two days to whip up a fresh batch of pipikaula, then the real question is, how is it that there so many Hawaiian restaurants?
Aloha Poi Bowl: 2671 S. King
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays to Mondays; 4 to 8 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, 4 to 9 p.m. Fridays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays; and noon to 7 p.m. Sundays (closed this Sunday).
Prices: About $14 to $20 for two; cash only
Call: 944-0798
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