Enjoying a Plate Lunch in Hawaii
Hawaiian Plate Lunch
Hawaiian cuisine is synonymous with something known as the “plate lunch.”
A Hawaiian plate lunch is the simple combination of steamed rice, creamy macaroni salad and a choice of meat.
It’s normally packed into a compartmental foam container (or traditionally on a plate and put into a pie box) so it’s easy to transport on the go. Disposable chopsticks are the choice utensil, but you’ll aslo find plastic forks and spoons.
Plate lunches are made to consume at the beach – in fact every time I eat a plate lunch (anywhere I happen to be), I find myself dreaming of relaxing at a beautifully inspiring beach listening to the waves.
Fried Mahi Mahi Plate Lunch
The Meat
The most complicated decision you’ll have to make when comtemplating a plate lunch is the meat that will be the main event of your plate. Along with the starch, you’ll be served a generous heaping of delicious meat!
Nowadays there are lots of items to choose from, but here are the classics:
- BBQ Chicken, Beef, Pork – Hawaiian barbecue style, similar to Japanese teriyaki
- Fried Mahi Mahi – Breaded and deep fried mahi mahi fish
- Hamburger Steak (remember that epic Loco Moco?) – A thick hamburger patty mixed with onions and seasonings
- Chicken Katsu – Japanese style fried breaded chicken
Creamy macaroni salad from Rainbow Drive In
The Macaroni Salad
The macaroni salad is like Thai chicken rice sauce, it’s one of the make or break ingredients of a good plate lunch.
It should be mayonaise-ey and creamy, not overly sweet, and slightly salty so it mixes up nicely with the rice and meat. You don’t want it to coat the rice like gravy, but you want it to mingle with the rest of the plate just a little bit.
Most plate lunches are served with 1 scoop of macaroni salad (known better just as “mac salad”), but you can also choose to get 2 scoops if you prefer.
Hawaiian Plate Lunch
The Rice
The last remaining fundamental part of a Hawaiian plate lunch is the rice. Most large plates come with 2 scoops of rice, but mini or small plates will only include a single scoop.
The rice is medium short grain rice that is cooked moist and slightly mushy. The consistency goes well with the fried greasy meats and the macaroni salad to complete a Hawaiian plate lunch.
Rainbow Drive In
Where to Eat Plate Lunches in Honolulu
There are many hole in the wall locations to grab Hawaiian plate lunches in Honolulu, but here are a few popular and easy to visit locations.
Rainbow Drive In – One of the most well known and popular place lunches in Honolulu is Rainbow Drive In, located in Kapahulu, near Waikiki. They’ve been doing their thing for over 50 years now and their plate lunches are simply a Hawaiian classic.
Address: 3308 Kanaina Ave, Honolulu, HI, 96815, (808)737-0177
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue – There are locations all over Honolulu and even in the mainland of the United States. They have coined the term “No. 1 Hawaiian Barbecue,” and their plates lunches are large in size and delicious.
For more Hawaiian plate lunch advice, check out Ono Kine Grindz and The Tasty Island.
It is great travel food although I suggest carrying a tupperware container with you or splitting with a friend because the portions are gigantic.
Ayngelina recently posted..Eiffel Tower Reunites in New York City
Thanks Ayngelina, you’re right portion sizes are huge! My family and relatives will often get a few, plus a few other dishes and just share them all family style.
I did have an Hawaiian Plate Lunch, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what the meat was. All I remember is that it was good!
Kathleen@Globe Trottin Granny recently posted..The Mystery of the Polar Bear Joke
Haha, well, at least it was good, that’s all that matters!
For anyone that goes to Maui, a visit to Da Kitchen is a must. When I worked on cruise ships and we visited Maui once per week, I went there every single time for a plate lunch. Oh chicken katsu, how I miss thee!
Earl recently posted..Can Budget Travelers Afford To Stay In Hotels?
Thanks for sharing Earl. I still have never been to Maui, but if I do, I’ll be sure to visit Da Kitchen. Katsu is one of the best choices for sure!
Love the mixed plate, especially the coconut prawns.
A Cook Not Mad (Nat) recently posted..Borgo Garibaldi – a pictorial
Aw, yes, along with rice, it’s so good!
Mark, Next time your back in the Islands get a mix-plate, some Drive-in’s offer 2 or 3 choices of meats, or just ask. Special note on the Mac salad Hawaii people are very particular when it comes to Mac salads, it has to be Best Foods (Hellman’s) mayonaise or nothing! Like Spam, Best Foods is Hawaii’s mayonaise LOL! Also some of my favorites Plate lunch places are Richie’s Drive-in (Kalihi), Loco Moco’s (Ewa Beach) , Saint Louis Drive-in (Kaimuki) or most Lunch Wagon’s (Lunch Trucks) at any location.
Excellent, thank you for all these other great recommendations – and for the tip about the mayo! I’ve been to Saint Louis Drive-in a few times long ago and I remember it being fantastic!
mark: You are the mac daddy of eating good food man…
Thanks a lot Sully!
That’s it! I’m on my way over, right now. *hands on hips*
Don’t argue w/me. I don’t care what time it is!
Hahaha, Yes!
We had some really yummy BBQ at a plate lunch “tent” in Hana – Bruddah Huts BBQ Grill.
Caanan @ No Vacation Required recently posted..There’s Something About Maui
Great Caanan, that’s an awesome name for a BBQ tent!
I have to stop reading your posts now and go eat lunch. Getting too hungry!
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Enjoy lunch!