Hawaii no ka oi. That means that Hawaii is the best and there’s no place like it. Hawaii is one of the most popular destinations for vacationers. Plenty of sun, relaxation on sandy beaches, swimming in the ocean, and let’s not forget about the food. Hawaiian food, so ono. Ono means delicious. As was mentioned in another article Hawaii gets its variety of foods from many cultures all over the world. Whether you like to cook, or perhaps you prefer to go out to eat, in this article we’ll examine some of the dishes that you will find when you eat out as well as some good home cooking and eating Hawaiian style.
Let’s go out to eat Hawaiian style
In Hawaii you will find plenty of fine dining. Restaurants of all types of cuisines and cultural extractions. After all, it is an amazing vacation spot and it’s economy is based on tourism. However, there is one type of restaurant that appeals to locals as well as visitors. It is the drive-in. The drive-in became very popular all across the United States in the 1950s. It’s a very simple premise, namely that you can drive into a parking lot, remain in your car, and then are served by a waiter/waitress on foot or roller skates. In Hawaii the name Drive-In still remains.
Diners called Drive-ins
However, these modern-day eateries are basically diners. You have the choice of take-out counter service, or a sit down meal. It’s about delicious, but affordable meals. The specialty is the plate lunch . What’s a plate lunch ? We’ll get into that in just a bit. As for the owners of these drive-ins, some are families that start out together and grow their family business. Some drive-ins were established decades ago and are still thriving. Generations of families have come to the same place to enjoy a quick bite to eat, or to relax and enjoy their food after a long day.
For instance, L & L Drive-in was first opened in 1976 in Honolulu. L & L has since become a franchise. Starting in 1988 it grew into a chain with locations throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Later, in 1999 the first L & L was opened in California. Of course if you use the term drive-in in California or any other part of the Mainland USA, there would be a certain expectation of the type of food served. Therefore the name L & L Hawaiian BBQ was given to all the restaurants in the chain so as to reflect the Hawaiian origins, and also the type of food served there. The expansion continued. Currently there are some 200 L & L Hawaiian BBQ restaurants in different parts of the world, from New Zealand to the Philippines.
Eating Hawaiian Style- The Plate Lunch
So, what’s a plate lunch? A plate lunch starts off with two scoops of rice, one scoop of macaroni salad, meat/chicken or fish generally served on a bed of shredded lettuce or cabbage. It’s basically Hawaiian comfort food. For instance, a few of the most popular plate lunches are: Chicken Katsu, Kalua pork, the Loco Moco. Chicken Katsu is one of my favorites. It’s deep fried boneless chicken with a katsu or ketchup-like sauce. There’s also Kalua pork with cabbage. Go here for more about Kalua pork. Then there’s the Loco Moco, a totally Hawaiian invention. So imagine you have a delicious hamburger patty, served over rice topped, with brown gravy and guess what’s on top…two fried eggs. The loco Moco is a big hit in Hawaii and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Spam Anyone?
I had never eaten spam until I went to Hawaii. It is super popular over there. I don’t eat it very often, but when I do go to Hawaii I have to have a Spam Musubi. It is a slice of spam perhaps grilled or prepared in some other kind of way with a portion of rice below it. The rice is the same width and length as the spam, and is approximately two inches thick. In addition, to hold it all together it is wrapped in dried seaweed, otherwise known as Nori. Am I making you hungry?
Eating Hawaiian Style, but Cooking at Home
So you’ve been invited to the home of a friend for a dinner gathering. “What should I bring”, you ask. “Oh, whatever you want. Surprise me” is the answer you receive from your friend. If you don’t live in Hawaii, most likely if you make and bring either or both of the following dishes, your friend will be amazed. First, as a main dish Kalua pig is quite easy. There is no need to bury it in the ground for hours, unless you want to. On the Hawaiian Style page there is a link to oven-roasted Kalua Pig. On this page you will see below three other ways to make it.
Kalua Pig- Three Ways
Stove Top Method
3 to 5 lb. pork butt
Hawaiian salt
Pepper
Cabbage leaves
Oil of choice
Start by scoring the meat, making uniform slits throughout. Then rub the pork butt with the salt and season with pepper. After heating the oil in a pan, brown the meat on all sides. Meanwhile, place foil on the bottom of a deep pot and then the cabbage leaves. When the pork butt has been thoroughly browned, place it in the pot and cover it with more cabbage leaves. Finish by covering it with foil. Place the lid on the pot and cook over a low heat for 2 or more hours. Shred and it’s ready to eat.
Slow Cooker Method
3 to 5 lb. pork butt
Hawaiian salt
Pepper
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
Cabbage leaves
Score the meat and rub it with salt. Add pepper and the liquid smoke. Wrap the pork butt in the Cabbage leaves and place it in your slow cooker on high. Cook for at least 6 hours.
Instapot or Pressure cooker method
Use the ingredients above and follow the directions for the slow cooker method. Be sure to place the pork on the stainless steel wire roasting rack. Add a half cup of water and 1 tsp of liquid smoke to the pot. Cover and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Enjoy!
Eating Hawaiian Style- let’s make dessert
Haupia or coconut pudding is the dessert that you will have at a luau. It is also made as a cake. In my opinion, it is absolutely delicious in that format. Moreover, for people like me that love chocolate, the Chocolate Haupia cake is even BETTER! Go here for an easy recipe that you will love. It will be a hit at your next dinner event.
One more thing… Just in case you are not the one cooking, you can always show up at your friend’s dinner with an amazing bottle of wine. You can’t go wrong. These fine wines can be brought to your door so that you will always have a bottle on hand. They come directly from the winery. Therefore, no middle man means great prices. Go here to find out more.
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