By Greg Ambrose, Special to the Star-Bulletin
Kaimuki Grill is an oasis of Hawaii for
isle transplants in San Mateo.

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The search for signs of
Hawaiian life in the universe

Burl Burlingame
Star-Bulletin

LAST week, we ran a photo of a plastic cow in Maili, to which we were tipped off by the Dutch newspaper "Leeuwarder Courant," which makes a regular feature of cow-statue snapshots from around the world. Turns out the little Netherlands town is smack dab in the heart of Dutch dairy country.

Well, this notion entertained us mightily. So much so that we're kicking off something called "The Search For Signs of Hawaiian Life in the Universe." Send us snapshots of things Hawaiian you've seen anywhere but Hawaii, and we'll put them in the newspaper.

Hawaii may be in the middle of the Pacific, but Hawaiians and Hawaiian culture, old and new, have become part of world culture and history. Who knew that a Hawaiian was present at the Battle of Little Big Horn? (On Custer's side.) Or that a hotbed of Hawaiian steel guitars is Sweden? That hula is the rage in Japan? That StarBulletin.com is read daily by tens of thousands of readers, from Aiea to Zaire? When you're the primary online newspaper in Hawaii, by default you become the news source of record for the rest of the world.

Take this picture taken by Star-Bulletin ex-patriate writer Greg Ambrose: Kaimuki Grill. The restaurant serves sushi and grilled foods. The rice is sticky. The shoyu bottle's on the table. Mac salad on the side. Any number of people claim it's one of the best little restaurants in Kaimuki.

Except -- oops! -- Kaimuki Grill is nowhere near Kaimuki. It's in San Mateo, one of those little cusp cities on the San Francisco peninsula. It's owned by a fellow named Okada, who moved there from Kaimuki, and took the name with him.

So, if you've see anything that's Hawaiian, and it's not in Hawaii, send us a snapshot and information on where it's at. Get a phone number too, if you can. Mail it to: The Search for Signs of Hawaiian Life in the Universe, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, HI, or e-mail a scanned image to features@starbulletin.com.