Plate Lunch 101
Eating on O'ahuRainbow Drive Inn (aka "Rainbow's)
808-737-0177
3308 Kanaina Ave. www.rainbowdriveinn.com Cash or credit cards Very limited parking, but it turns over quickly.
Boneless, gravy on the rice--Two humongous chicken pieces, katsu cooked, with lovely brown gravy smothered over the rice and chicken. 2 scoops of rice, macaroni salad. You and a friend will drift into a contented food coma after this. Around $6.00, easily feeds two.
Mix Plate--feathers, gills and four-legs sampler. Boneless chicken (see above), mahi and a piece of teriyaki meat. $7.25, also feeds two. Slush Float--ice cream meets shave ice meets fruit punch. You shouldn't eat like this every day, but if you're on vacation or spent a hard day at the beach, you deserve this indulgence! Around $3.00 Grace's Inn (aka Grace's)
Say no to airplane food. Mini-chicken katsu on top of chow fun with one scoop of rice, plus tsukemono. Less than $6.
Teri-beef deluxe sandwich. There is something inherently satisfying about sweet/salty teriyaki meat, crunchy sweet onion, lettuce, tomato and a soft/squishy/toasted bun w/mayonnaise. Around $3.50 Zippy's (& Napoleon's Bakery)
Various locations--Oahu
A little more expensive than Rainbow's or Grace's, but good and very convenient. Also, their weekly/daily specials are well-priced. Cash or credit cards Korean fried chicken mini-plate--my welcome home meal. Just the right amount of food for the lunch-time landing. Less than $7.00,
Mini Chili Loco Moco-- Could be our new favorite. Around $6.00 Giovanni's Shrimp Truck (Kahuku)
Kamehameha Hwy & Burroughs Road
Near the park and a little past the post office. No phone, no website. Cash only.
The other thing to keep in mind is that a shrimp truck serves exactly that, shrimp. If you are expecting a plate-lunch style of choices, you will not find it here. But the garlicky-perfectly seasoned shrimp, with a little of the sauce over the rice is well worth it!
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Elena's (Waipahu)
Add the shot of vinegar/garlic sauce. My kids could not put this in their mouths fast enough.
Pork Adobo Fried Rice Omelet--the inspiration for my pork adobo fried rice. Elena's purist version is simply pork adobo, onions and fried rice wrapped in fluffy scrambled egg. Easily feeds two. +1 from the Big IslandSuper J's
808-328-9566
83-5409 Mamalahoa Hwy About halfway between Kealakekua and Honaunau Cash only
food menu (laulau, lomi salmon, kalua pig), and all amazingly good. Super J's looks more like a house than a restaurant, and walking in is literally like going into your Aunty's dining room and kitchen on Hawaiian food day.
This is Hawaiian food that is honest, home-cooked and just right. When you're done, you'll wish that Super J was your Aunty so she could cook for you all the time. +1 from MauiIchiban (Wailuku)
808-244-7276
2133 Kaohu St. Wailuku, on a side street near the court houseNo website. cash only. Very limited parking
Every time we go to Maui, we stop here. At least twice.
Ichiban is an okazu-ya, a cafeteria-style set-up, which means they make a variety or main dishes and sides, and you can pick and choose how you want to assemble your plate lunch.The chicken katsu and garlic ahi are always good as are the sides of kim chee, chili-gobo (burdock, kind of like jicama), and chop chae (Korean noodles). It makes me happy and hungry just to think of this place. +1 from Kaua'iHamura Saimin
808-245-3271
2956 Kress St. Lihue Across the street from an old Goodwill warehouse. No website. Cash only.
But the saimin and broth is perfection. Just the right balance of flavor and texture. And don't forget to order a crispy won ton and lilikoi chiffon pie.
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