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ENGLISH: Welcome to the Oahu Plate Lunch Review. The following is a review of the plate lunch places I have personally been to in Honolulu and the rest of Oahu, Hawaii, the birthplace of plate lunch. They are arranged by geographical area and rating (from one to five scoops rice). Note: If you don't understand what a plate lunch is, it is basically an entree (or a combination of two or three) served with two scoops of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad on the side. It is the de facto lunch of choice in Hawaii and best represents the blend of cuisine and culture found in Hawaii. It can incorporate Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Hawaiian, and American dishes, among others. Pidgen: Ho brah, dis is Geoff's da kine review of da grinds. Comin' up is one list 'bout all da places I when go grind at in Oahu, where da bugga won start. I when arranged them by where they stay and how they are (from one to five scoops rice). Note: If you don't go comprehend what one plate lunch is, how you goin' read this anyway? Address: Various locations (around 18) throughout Hawaii Phone: Varies Rating: 4.5 scoops rice Review: L&L Drive Inn offers the best combination: good food, huge quantities, at reasonable prices. The menu is extensive, with the usual plate lunch fare along with some seldom seen choices like steak, fried shrimp, and mahi mahi. The set combination plate comes with Teri Beef, Hamburger Steak, and your choice of Stew, Chili, or Curry. Pass on those three choices and order your own custom mix plate with any two items on the menu. I personally order the Teri Beef and Hamburger Steak (yes, the same two choices as the set menu -- you receive a lot more of both that way). All plate lunches come as either "mini" or "regular and the portions are huge. The mini is more than enough for women and children and most men and costs as little as $3.50. The regular portion will satisfy the hungriest of men for less than $6.00. Each L&L Drive Inn is individually run and the food tastes somewhat differently at different locations. I prefer the Kapahulu and Kahala locations, but the Chicken Katsu at the University location (the chef is known as "the wizard") is superb. Address: Various locations (around 20) throughout Hawaii Phone: Varies Rating: 4.0 scoops rice Review: Zippy's is the Denny's of Hawaii -- they are everywhere. Most locations have both a fast food counter and a full sit down restaurant. The menu is extensive with local favorites and some tasty burgers but the real reason to go to Zippy's is the chili. They boast that they sell 150,000 pounds of chili a month, so you know its good. You can get it with rice (Hawaiian style), on a burger, with a hotdog (the famous "Chili with frank"), or my favorite, on top of spaghetti. On trick, order the "Zip Meal Chili" and a "Zip Meal Rice." The combo is enough food for three, but costs the equivalent of two large Chili with rice. I also recommend their "mix plate" (which can't be changed) with Teri beef, Chicken Katsu, and Chili. The food is pretty uniform among the various locations, but nothing can beat the Hawaii Kai's location right on the marina or the brand new elevated restaurants in Pearl City and Kahala. Zippy's is more of a local restaurant than a true plate lunch place, but it remains an excellent choice. Interesting Fact: I have eaten at EVERY Zippy's on Oahu (all 18 of them!) Address: Various locations throughout Hawaii Phone: Varies Rating: 4.0 scoops rice Review: Yummy's Korean BBQ offers good Korean plate lunch. The BBQ Beef and Chicken are especially good. Each plate lunch also comes with your choice of four vegetables to go along with the two scoops rice, one scoop mac salad. Address: Various locations throughout Hawaii Phone: Varies Rating: 3.5 scoops rice Review: Very similar to Yummy's, Tasty's Korean BBQ also offers good Korean plate lunch. The BBQ Beef and Chicken are good, but avoid the Meat Jun which can be undercooked. Each plate lunch also comes with your choice of four vegetables to go along with the two scoops rice, one scoop mac salad. Grace's Inn Locations: 1) 2919 Kapiolani Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96826 (808-732-0041) 2) 1296 S. Beretania St., Honolulu, HI 96814 (808-593-2202) Rating: 4.0 scoops rice Review: Grace's offers up a sizeable menu with good portions. What sets them apart is that all entries are served on a bed of chow fun along with the usual two scoops rice, one scoop mac salad. The teri beef and teri burger are especially good. Address: 3308 Kanaina Ave (Off Kapahulu) Phone: 808-737-0177 Rating: 4.0 scoops rice Review: Rainbows is the classic plate lunch drive inn. Its colorful name sake sign offers locals and tourists alike good plate lunch just minutes outside of waikiki. The portions tend to be smaller than other plate lunch places, but you can get a side of chili for just $1.50 and a loco moco for $3.00. Another trick is to order a plate lunch and ask for "chili on the rice" for just a $1.00 more. Address: Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI Phone: Rating: 2.0 scoops rice Review: This distinctly Hawaiian plate lunch place boasts the motto "Eat till you sleep." Nothing could be more true. The portions are large, and the food is so rich, you can actually taste the butter in the gravy. Their specialties are Hawaiian food, so pass on the fried stuff and the gravy and order some Lau Lau, Lomi Lomi, or Kalua Pork. The restaurant is hard to find and they are only open for lunch -- and only when they feel like it. The door says they are open from 10am till 2pm but it is not unusual for Kanack Attack to be closed by 1:30. Maybe the cooks had to take a nap. Address: 745 Fort Street Mall, Downtown Honolulu Phone: 808-538-3181 Rating: 4.0 scoops rice Review: Located in the lobby of the Amfac Center (just north of Aloha Tower), Fort Street Bar & Grill is actually a posh conference room converted into an eatery. Because of this, the surroundings are nicer than most places, with plenty of chairs and tables, and a big screen TV to watch while you eat. The food is top notch, with a set menu that changes every day. Monday (Furikake Crusted Catch) and Wednesday (Katsu Curry) are especially good days to go. It may be a little pricey and buying drinks by the can adds up, but the quality of the food and the nice atmosphere can't be beat. It gets really crowded at noon so either get there early or late. Note that they are open for lunch only from 10:30am - 2:00 pm and all phone orders must be placed by 11:30am. Address: 218 Merchant Street, Downtown Honolulu Phone: 808-538-3181 Rating: 4.0 scoops rice Review: C & G is a little hole in the wall place near the corner of Alakea and Merchant. Here the food is served "Soup Nazi" style: You order, pay, then quickly move to the left. Do not ask questions or hesitate when you order - they don't like that. So why put up with this? For the best Hawaiian plate lunch on the Island, that's why. Served only on Aloha Fridays (that's every Friday for you non-locals), the regular plate lunch menu is supplemented with all of your Hawaiian favorites. The Kalua Pork is exceptionally good. The prices are reasonable and the portions big. Definitely worth putting up with a little hassle at the counter. Most people take out, as there are few tables. Address: Fort Street Mall, Downtown Honolulu Phone: Rating: 0.0 scoops rice Review: There is a lot to like about To Go BBQ: the strange name, the generous portions, and the good selection of Korean food. The hot sauce is excellent and the Meat Jun tasty. So why the first ZERO rating on this list? Let's just say that I noticed that they have a problem keeping roaches out of the food. Address: 515 N Kuakini Phone: 808-531-1651 Rating: 3.5 scoops rice Review: Liliha Bakery is an old-time bakery, with a counter where you can order local breakfast any time of the day. It is a favorite with locals, so there is usually a wait. Address: 1719 Liliha Ave Phone: 808-533-1238 Rating: 3.5 scoops rice Review: Jane's Fountain is a very tiny, old fashion diner just off of Liliha Ave. You need to park on the street, and there are only a few booths inside. But the home-made hamburger patties and Ox Tail soup for just $5.95 will keep you coming back for more. Address: 1512 Gulick Ave Phone: 808-847-1461 Rating: 3.5 scoops rice Review: Alright, what is a Delicatessan doing on this list? Well, it is because this is really a Japanese bento place, which serves up some generous portions of tasty food. Choose one of the pre-selected bentos (I recommend Bento #2 with Teri Beef, Mahi Mahi, Spam and a choice of Shoyu or Fried Chicken) or mix-and-match from over 20 different choices of food. It is tucked away on a tiny side street in Kalihi, with only street parking and no place to sit. Also, they close at 3pm everyday (2pm on Sunday's), and tend to run out of food, as the day goes on so get there early. Address: 522 N School St. Phone: 808-537-1881 Rating: 3.5 scoops rice Review: Another small eatery in Liliha, which specializes in Loco Moco (hamburger patty, egg, rice and gravy). It has a small (4 spaces) parking lot and just a few seats, and closes at 1pm so get there early. The teriyaki sauce is not as good as the gravy, so stick with their specialty. Address: 1017 Kilani Ave, Wahiawa Phone: 808-621-7188 Rating: 4.0 scoops rice Review: Sunnyside is hidden on a side street in Wahiawa, but the locals have no trouble finding it. Here you can enjoy traditional plate lunches, burgers, and excellent Korean food (the Meat Jun and BBQ Beef are exceptional) on some days. The breakfast here is also good, and the pies (chocolate pudding among others) are baked fresh every morning. Address: 1808 Liliha St. Honolulu, HI 96817 Phone: 808-524-4260 Review: Masu's claims to have the largest plate lunches around. With some of them costing more than $7.00 and weighing more than 3 pounds (yes, 3 pounds of food!), that is a safe assumption. Their menu is varied and their constantly changing daily special sometimes include prime rib and shrimp and can cost over $10. Thankfully they print a monthly menu of their specials so hungry guys can plan their lunches around it. Any additional places that I should know about and review? Please let me know by e-mailing me the name and address so I can check it out. Thanks. All material © Copyright 2005 by Dakine.net |