PLATE LUNCH: 2-3 scoops white rice, 1 scoop mac salad, about a half-pound of the meat entrée of your choice; Combos have mixed meats; Minis come with 1 scoop rice, mac salad, half the amount of meat; Korean-style: may or may not have mac salad, but also includes 2-4 seasoned vegetables or pickles
LAULAU (lao-lao): tender boneless pork or chicken, seasoned with a tiny piece of salted fish and encased in meltingly savory taro leaves -- all wrapped and steamed together in ti leaves; traditionally eaten with poi, today may be served with rice
KALUA (kah-loo-ah) PORK/PIG: fork-pulled smoke-steamed pork; traditionally, a whole suckling pig is gutted, salted and filled with hot rocks, covered in ti leaves and a burlap sack, and buried in a hole with more smoldering rocks for 12+ hours; modern preparation, pork butt or shoulder is seasoned with sea salt and just a touch of liquid smoke, then braised with taro leaves or cabbage in slow cooker or oven, or smoked in an outdoor smoker
POI: pounded taro paste; may be fermented (slight sour taste) or sweet (no sweetener, just means it’s not fermented)
OXTAIL SOUP: long-cooked meaty oxtails served in light broth, with rice on the side; grated ginger is usually provided to be aded to the soup as desired, and hot mustard as a dipping condiment; often enjoyed for breakfast
VIENNA SAUSAGE: canned lightly seasoned and textured sausages; often a breakfast meat option on menus
PORTUGUESE SAUSAGE: descendant of the original Portuguese beef and pork chorizo is lighter in texture and seasoning than its venerable Continental ancestor; comes in mild and spicy; main seasoning for the “Gotta Try It” Portuguese Bean Soup
TERI-BEEF (or CHICKEN): thin boneless teriyaki-marinated and grilled beef steaks or chicken thighs
JUN (joon) (FISH OR MEAT): Korean-style thin boneless seasoned fish fillets (pollack, mahi or ahi) or beef, dipped in egg and pan-fried; served with spicy dipping soy sauce
LOCO-MOCO: the classic – rice, topped with a beef patty, fried egg and brown gravy; personal favorite is from Ken’s House of Pancakes in Hilo – they use grass-fed beef which is a HUGE flavor boost, and they have a real ono-licious gravy; in a pinch, can try any of the 29 Zippy’s locations on Oahu
CHILI-MOCO: Zippy’s special – two scoops rice, smear of sweet mayo dressing, beef patty, chili and topped with 2 eggs! Not for the cholesterol shy.
MAC SALAD: mayo-based macaroni salad; the ubiquitous side dish to any plate lunch
KALBI (kahl- bee): grilled beef short ribs on the bone, marinated in spicy soy-sesame dressing
BBQ, CHICKEN, BEEF OR PORK: thin boneless beef, pork, or chicken thighs marinated in sweet soy dressing and grilled
FURIKAKE (hoo-ree-kah-kay) CHICKEN or FISH: marinated boneless chicken thighs or fish filets coated with furikake (Japanese seaweed and sesame mix) and pan fried
MOCHIKO (moh-chi-ko) CHICKEN: marinated boneless chicken thighs coated in thin batter of mochiko (Japanese glutinous rice flour) and pan fried or deep fried (see photo under Bento)
CURRY RICE: mild Japanese-style curry gravy, usually with cubed chicken or beef and vegetables, served over a bed of white rice; can also be served over Katsu; usually accompanied by delicious sweet mixed pickle (Fukushinjuke)
TONKATSU (tohn-kah-ts’): Japan’s answer to the German Schnitzel – thin seasoned pork filet breaded with panko (Japanese extra-crispy bread crumbs) and deep-fried; served with lemon and tonkatsu sauce (Worcestershire flavor with A-1 sauce thickness) and lots of hot rice
RAMEN VS. SAIMIN: Saimin (sigh-min) is the uniquely Hawaiian version of Japanese ramen and Chinese mein; chewy fresh egg noodles in a light clear broth with a mind-boggling variety of toppings reflecting saimin’s plantation roots: Chinese menma (seasoned bamboo) or char siu (roast pork), Japanese nori (crisp seaweed), kamaboko (fishcake, often pink and white in saimin) or tonkatsu, Portuguese sausage, Spam, eggs, green onions, mustard cabbage, you-name-it; available at most drive-inns, but for the best variety try a saimin shop; we really liked the saimin at Ken’s House of Pancakes in Hilo and Oki’s Diner in Lihue – we had it for breakfast in both places
Ramen (rah-men) is fresh Japanese wheat noodles in a variety of broths (miso, shoyu, tonkotsu), and can also be found with a large variety of toppings; must seek out a Japanese noodle house; in a pinch, the noodle counter at Shirokiya (Ala Moana center) serves very good ramen
Compare the two styles and see if you have a preference!
PORTUGUESE BEAN SOUP: luscious combination of Portuguese sausage, kidney and white beans, ham hocks, macaroni, green beans and cabbage in a tomato-based broth
KIMCHEE: we explained won-bok (cabbage) kim-chee to a German friend once as “spicy sauerkraut” – he loved the slightly spicy gingery garlicky Napa cabbage; contrary to popular belief, Korean kim-chee need not be fermented, and comes in many many varieties, including daikon (white radish), cucumber, seafood, and combinations of all the above
MANDOO (mahn-doh): pan-fried Korean-style pot stickers, but thicker skinned than their Chinese counterparts; filled with beef and vegetables
LAULAU (lao-lao): tender boneless pork or chicken, seasoned with a tiny piece of salted fish and encased in meltingly savory taro leaves -- all wrapped and steamed together in ti leaves; traditionally eaten with poi, today may be served with rice
KALUA (kah-loo-ah) PORK/PIG: fork-pulled smoke-steamed pork; traditionally, a whole suckling pig is gutted, salted and filled with hot rocks, covered in ti leaves and a burlap sack, and buried in a hole with more smoldering rocks for 12+ hours; modern preparation, pork butt or shoulder is seasoned with sea salt and just a touch of liquid smoke, then braised with taro leaves or cabbage in slow cooker or oven, or smoked in an outdoor smoker
POI: pounded taro paste; may be fermented (slight sour taste) or sweet (no sweetener, just means it’s not fermented)
OXTAIL SOUP: long-cooked meaty oxtails served in light broth, with rice on the side; grated ginger is usually provided to be aded to the soup as desired, and hot mustard as a dipping condiment; often enjoyed for breakfast
VIENNA SAUSAGE: canned lightly seasoned and textured sausages; often a breakfast meat option on menus
PORTUGUESE SAUSAGE: descendant of the original Portuguese beef and pork chorizo is lighter in texture and seasoning than its venerable Continental ancestor; comes in mild and spicy; main seasoning for the “Gotta Try It” Portuguese Bean Soup
TERI-BEEF (or CHICKEN): thin boneless teriyaki-marinated and grilled beef steaks or chicken thighs
JUN (joon) (FISH OR MEAT): Korean-style thin boneless seasoned fish fillets (pollack, mahi or ahi) or beef, dipped in egg and pan-fried; served with spicy dipping soy sauce
LOCO-MOCO: the classic – rice, topped with a beef patty, fried egg and brown gravy; personal favorite is from Ken’s House of Pancakes in Hilo – they use grass-fed beef which is a HUGE flavor boost, and they have a real ono-licious gravy; in a pinch, can try any of the 29 Zippy’s locations on Oahu
CHILI-MOCO: Zippy’s special – two scoops rice, smear of sweet mayo dressing, beef patty, chili and topped with 2 eggs! Not for the cholesterol shy.
MAC SALAD: mayo-based macaroni salad; the ubiquitous side dish to any plate lunch
KALBI (kahl- bee): grilled beef short ribs on the bone, marinated in spicy soy-sesame dressing
BBQ, CHICKEN, BEEF OR PORK: thin boneless beef, pork, or chicken thighs marinated in sweet soy dressing and grilled
FURIKAKE (hoo-ree-kah-kay) CHICKEN or FISH: marinated boneless chicken thighs or fish filets coated with furikake (Japanese seaweed and sesame mix) and pan fried
MOCHIKO (moh-chi-ko) CHICKEN: marinated boneless chicken thighs coated in thin batter of mochiko (Japanese glutinous rice flour) and pan fried or deep fried (see photo under Bento)
CURRY RICE: mild Japanese-style curry gravy, usually with cubed chicken or beef and vegetables, served over a bed of white rice; can also be served over Katsu; usually accompanied by delicious sweet mixed pickle (Fukushinjuke)
TONKATSU (tohn-kah-ts’): Japan’s answer to the German Schnitzel – thin seasoned pork filet breaded with panko (Japanese extra-crispy bread crumbs) and deep-fried; served with lemon and tonkatsu sauce (Worcestershire flavor with A-1 sauce thickness) and lots of hot rice
RAMEN VS. SAIMIN: Saimin (sigh-min) is the uniquely Hawaiian version of Japanese ramen and Chinese mein; chewy fresh egg noodles in a light clear broth with a mind-boggling variety of toppings reflecting saimin’s plantation roots: Chinese menma (seasoned bamboo) or char siu (roast pork), Japanese nori (crisp seaweed), kamaboko (fishcake, often pink and white in saimin) or tonkatsu, Portuguese sausage, Spam, eggs, green onions, mustard cabbage, you-name-it; available at most drive-inns, but for the best variety try a saimin shop; we really liked the saimin at Ken’s House of Pancakes in Hilo and Oki’s Diner in Lihue – we had it for breakfast in both places
Ramen (rah-men) is fresh Japanese wheat noodles in a variety of broths (miso, shoyu, tonkotsu), and can also be found with a large variety of toppings; must seek out a Japanese noodle house; in a pinch, the noodle counter at Shirokiya (Ala Moana center) serves very good ramen
Compare the two styles and see if you have a preference!
PORTUGUESE BEAN SOUP: luscious combination of Portuguese sausage, kidney and white beans, ham hocks, macaroni, green beans and cabbage in a tomato-based broth
KIMCHEE: we explained won-bok (cabbage) kim-chee to a German friend once as “spicy sauerkraut” – he loved the slightly spicy gingery garlicky Napa cabbage; contrary to popular belief, Korean kim-chee need not be fermented, and comes in many many varieties, including daikon (white radish), cucumber, seafood, and combinations of all the above
MANDOO (mahn-doh): pan-fried Korean-style pot stickers, but thicker skinned than their Chinese counterparts; filled with beef and vegetables
AT THE DRIVE-INN /BBQ
