If Hawai'i time conveys a life pace that slows to measure the moment then how better to respect the local culture than a food crawl? How many times do we return from travel carrying in the suitcase a foodie memory? Pausing to savor the wrap-around sensory food environs gives the day flavorful worth or translating into modern-speak, the journey is the destination and in other centuries humans probably lived knowing this intuitively. Which brings me to pork belly.

On a slow walk from one eatery to another, each foodie door parallel to the next, in a town called Waimea, the view just beyond when turning around is Mauna Kea, a mountain that simply reminds we are the mighty pebbles and she the majestic rock. These are the starts on food environs on your food crawl, going door to door in a popular shopping zone.

We got Chinese, Italian, and Vietnamese shops. A bakery offers sourdough boles lifted from the oven in an open air kitchen where many delicious breads begin. A significant grocery store indigenous to Hawai'i Island called KTA thrives as the penultimate stop in this long food corridor.

On a Saturday morning last week, after a gift called a sobriety meeting, we three women decide to go for the splurge and walk into Hina Rae's, a foodie nook on the crawl in the corridor, an aligned choice then. Savory combos for breakfast signify real lift for the day that follows. And in this exacting moment, journey as arrival, only pork belly will do.

Let's assess the food plate from the bottom up. We have white rice—clumping well so one forkful brings an entire bite. The ratio of clump to light and airy is fitting. As a fan of brown rice that road has equal value simply different culinary path. White rice runs interference, or support if you wish, for whatever adventure flavors you got on the plate. Backup is necessary in this world. After one clump of white rice enjoyed as a stand alone moment, I decide how to proceed.

I go for the first stab. The pork belly cube, an even-sided square chunk of pan-seared crunchy on the outside and soft texture for interspersed layers of pork meat and fat on the inside, is a one fork win. Flavor immersions are salt granules, shoyu (soy sauce), random green onion, and a slight sweet pan glaze. Clearly, white rice follows. The seaweed side has vinegar marinade that pairs well with pork's weighty flavors. One boiled egg can be an entire snack meal and since the plate carries a full one cut into halves, I select the first half for thoughtful pacing—not too much, too soon. As a dessert to the food crawl across the plate process, I celebrate with the baked banana that seems to be an apple banana, on island one of the high sweet distinct flavors. Taking my time over the next half hour, I simply repeat the process.

When you shuffle walk a few beats slower into the music of your day, go try this place. Consider taking your time. Friends sitting across the table keep ordering one large croissant puffy full with scrambled egg, crispy bacon, and melted cheese. Bacon, croissant, and cheese in the same bite are God's confirming way that you are on the right path. On a previous foodie venture here I ordered a BLT on waffles—that's right, one each side. The slight sweet in the baked waffle batter brought out the savory notes of pesto mayo on one half and then spicy mayo on another. If imagination takes a dip while ordering, reliably the waffles piled high with whip cream then doused in maple syrup works fantastic. The place is known for innovative bowls of Acai (ah—sigh—eee) that I have yet to attempt.

When I fathom that next sojourn, the Pele Plantation coffee will accompany whatever I order. Stupendous as this seems, I have only ordered ice water so far. Pele's coffee bean door is a few steps away from Hina Rae's and this wholesale distributor has a short commute to deliver the treasured goods. Blessings for us all on that.