Local team’s proficiency with geoduck seals deal

The coconut wireless kicked in strong for the Aloha Plate food truck team during a trek to Portland, Ore., in the second episode of Food Network’s "The Great Food Truck Race" that aired Sunday.

Brothers Adam and Lanai Tabura and friend Shawn Felipe took a strong first place in earnings, at $2,505, which keeps the trio securely in the competition.

The three were excited to hit Oregon, where they thought they could tap a large Polynesian community and former Hawaii residents. Their bottom line proved they were right.

Host Tyler Florence threw the seven teams several challenges. The first was actually Oregon law, which doesn’t allow parking on city streets, requiring the teams to find private spaces to sell their fare. The second: No restocking their pantries without the OK from Florence. The third: A gift of geoduck, a giant clam common to Oregon that was to be prepared and served by each team.

Aloha Plate was not intimidated by the restocking restriction. Said Lanai Tabura, "We grew up poor. We know how to spread it out." To address their limited supply, they raised the prices of their teriyaki lettuce wraps.

Their advantage in tackling the geoduck was familiarity, as the clam is served raw in Hawaii. Adam Tabura, a trained chef, had worked with the product before, unlike members of the other teams. Aloha Plate’s dish: a geoduck lettuce wrap in which the clam was pounded then mixed with shrimp, onion, garlic and jalapeno, then topped with a special sauce.

Tikka Tikka Taco served geoduck in a tortilla, while Boardwalk Breakfast Empire made a savory pancake.

The rankings: Second-place Bowled and Beautiful trailed Aloha Plate in earnings by almost $1,000, at $1,662. Its spot was solidified when the all-woman team arrived first at an Oregon park to nab a token worth a $500 bonus.

Tikka Tikka Taco was third, with $1,219 in earnings; Slide Show followed with $1,121; Philly’s Finest Sambonis earned $961; and Franfoota followed with $727.

Boardwalk Breakfast Empire went home to New Jersey, but not emptyhanded. The team hailed from an area hit hard by Hurricane Sandy and was gifted the $6,400 earned by the trucks to support Sea Bright Rising, a nonprofit dedicated to victims of the storm.

Murphy’s Spud Truck was eliminated last week.

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"The Great Food Truck Race" airs at 8 p.m. Sundays on Food Network and repeats several times all week.