Hopefully, we'll see a bit more of these establishments rising up in the islands. You'll find the same Styrofoam plate housings used, the same casual environment, and just about the same prices as normal plate lunches (ok, maybe just a bit higher in some of them - but still very cheap!). The difference is more of an emphasis on quality ingredients, fancier menu items, and a bent towards healthy options. The first two entries, Kakaako Kitchen and DH grill, are truly in a class of their own in this respect, but don't count out the others for a great-quality plate lunch.
| Look like a plate lunch to you? Try, kicked-up plate lunch, that is - opakapaka dore with almond butter sauce, from Chef Russel Siu's Kakaako Kitchen. |
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Da Big Boy'z: All are fabulous, dah-ling.
Kakaako Kitchen. A Closer Look. 1200 Ala Moana Blvd. at the Ward Center in Kakaako. 594-3663. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily except closed Sunday evening at 5pm. Parking in center lot. Prices: $. Map. Award-winning chef Russel Siu of 3660 on the Rise was the first to envision an upscale plate lunch. This eatery started it all, with nalo salad greens, seared ahi sandwiches with tobiko (fish eggs), and five-spice shoyu chicken, to name a few of the dishes. The food is definitely of a higher quality than a normal plate lunch, and they even bring the food out to you in the inside/outside dining room. The desserts are also very popular, with the best vanilla bean bread pudding ever!
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A very popular Portobello mushroom burger from very popular Diamond Head Market and Grill. |
Diamond Head Market & Grill. A Closer Look. 3158 Monsarrat ave near Diamond Head. 732-0077. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Parking outside store. Prices: $. Map. Not only will you find a kicked-up plate lunch here, but also a specialty grocery store, a bakery, a deli, and an espresso bar! The gourmet sandwiches are my favorite items, with the Portobello mushroom and rib-eye steak sandwiches being the best of those. Just about everything here is well worth it, including the fresh ahi, teri-steak, miso salmon, and burgers. On the bakery side, there are banana crumble tarts, chocolate ganache, pumpkin crumbles, haupia squares, and blueberry-cream cheese scones that are drawing raves. For breakfast, the fluffy-light pancakes are getting most of the attention, but don't forget the French toast, omelets, and good scrambled eggs with fried rice. On the downside, there are only a few not-so-clean tables with the sun scorching from lack of cover and the service often slow, but as for good food at fantastic prices ・you can't go wrong.
Nico's at Pier 38. 1133 N. Nimitz Hwy. at Pier 38 in Kalihi. 540-1377. Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday till 6pm, breakfast and lunch Saturday till 2:30pm, closed on Sunday. Parking outside store. Prices: $. Map. Chef Nicholas Chaize takes advantage of his location right across the Honolulu Fish Auction to seize the freshest fish possible. Try the breakfast of fresh fish, lightly seasoned and sauteed perfectly, with eggs and fried rice, and sit out at one of the tables or simply plop yourself down on the grass nearby where you can enjoy your meal while taking in the quiet harbor views. For an even better morning, visit the fish auction at 5:30am before walking to Nico's at 6:30am, when they open shop. Even though he offers standard plate lunches like loco-moco, roast pork w/brown gravy, and chicken katsu, this is not your typical plate lunch place - there are also great sandwiches, fancy salads that are perfect for entire light meals, and quality burgers, which are excellent and have placed very high in local taste-test awards.
Dean's Drive-Inn. 45-773 Kamehameha Hwy. at the Adon Plaza in Kaneohe. 247-1300. Lunch and dinner Sunday-Thursday, 11am-4pm Friday, closed Saturday. Parking in center lot. Prices: $. Map. This little nook out on the Windward side is quite the pleasant surprise! The teri beef plate is a best-seller and of a quality that, like the others in this category, transcends most plate lunch definitions. A luscious, sweet teriyaki glaze covers thick, tender cuts large enough to be ordered rare, medium, or well-done, unlike most plate lunch houses that serve standard thin cuts. The menu is smallish but the portions are decent, with mini-plates more than sufficient to satisfy. There are fresh fish and chopped steak plates, ahi cakes, chicken katsu, and furikake salmon, which are all worthy of consideration, along with a small display of such home-made desserts as lemon bars, pineapple upside-down cakes, and bread pudding. You may have to wait quite a while for your order, as the place is small and crowds keep coming, while employees are relatively few.
North Shore Grinds. 1429 10th Ave. in Kaimuki. 732-7775. Lunch and dinner daily except closed on Sunday. Parking on street. Prices: $. Map. You might pass this casual hole-in-the-wall even if you池e looking for it, but once inside you may be surprised at the items offered, such as the popular fresh fish of the day with cilantro pesto, furikake salmon, or the garlic calamari steak with pineapple/basil salsa ・not really typical plate lunch fare. The teri beef plate, which is usually found in thin-cut slices elsewhere, is thick and heavily marinated with a sweet teriyaki glaze, while the chicken katsu plate is a classic that comes in man-sized portions. The small dining area is comfy and casual, with newspapers scattered on different tables to make you feel right at home.
Kahai Street Kitchen. 237 Kalihi St. in Kalihi. 845-0320. Lunch only, 10:30am-1:30pm. Parking on street. Prices: $. Map. This super-casual spot in the industrial section of Kalihi, ocean-side of Nimitz Hwy., bustles with plate lunch activity. Their rotating specials can include such items as Singapore noodles, oven-roasted prime rib, seafood-crusted mahimahi, sauteed opakapaka, and Bombay-style chicken, which is baked in curry, saffron, and other savory spices. Regular menu items can include hot pastrami sandwiches, pulehu chicken, furikake salmon, pork chops, and teriyaki boneless shortrib. There are only a few small tables available, and if you take them, you’ll likely be eating with a packed, standing-room crowd of diners almost directly over you, either ordering or waiting for their food. Parking is also tough, but the great food just may be worth the hassle!
| The most kicked-up affordable beef stew, with the most tender, succulent chunks of beef I've seen around, comes from Your Kitchen in sleepy Palolo Valley. |
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Your Kitchen. A Closer Look. 1423 10th Ave. in Palolo. 203-7685. Lunch and dinner daily except closed Monday (sometimes closes early unannounced). Parking on street. Prices: $. Map. Located in the same small building as North Shore Grinds, and housed in the same unit as the former Samira’s, this casual take-out eatery has some big shoes to fill. They feature about ten different dishes and are also known for shave ice, of the fresh fruit variety, not the regular, artificially flavored stuff you see everywhere - it's a little pricey, but definitely worth it! Dishes are heavily Japanese-influenced, as the Chef/Owner comes from the upscale Tokyo Tokyo restaurant at the Kahala Resort, with such items as miso pork, grilled spareribs, steak bowls, broiled salmon, and my favorite, a miso-flavored beef stew with the softest, most succulent chunks of beef you’ll find anywhere! Get ready for a super-long wait, even if there’s only a handful of people in line.
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An ecletic decor of quirky energies, but you'll find a wide variety of affordable, quality Japanese foods here at Pioneer Saloon. |
Pioneer Saloon. 3046 Monsarrat Ave. near Diamond Head. 732-4001. Lunch and dinner daily, except closed on Monday. Parking in tiny lot or on street. Prices: $. Map. Despite the Wild West theme, it’s all about Japanese comfort foods here, with a wide variety of Japanese fare like chicken karaage, miso butterfish, katsu, curry, yakiniku bowls, unagi bowls, saba, shoyu pork, and a few cross-cultural dishes like bbq spare ribs, rib eye steak, and even a Thai green curry. Prices range between $6 and $9, making it an attractive venue for this kind of quality. Waits of 20 minutes are not uncommon, however, so be sure to plan accordingly, and there are only a couple of parking slots available, so you’ll probably need to find something on the street. While the dining room is reasonably large, there’s quirky seating arrangements and lots of eclectic-minded props, including surf boards, clothes racks, corrugated metal sidings, deer skulls, and even piled firewood! A curious combination, for sure, but the food is all that matters, right?
| Now that's kicked-Up! A crab-stuffed, nori-wrapped ahi goes for only $8.95 at hide-away Food Company in Kailua! |
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The Food Company. A Closer Look. 1020 Keolu Drive at the Enchanted Lakes S.C. in Kailua, 262-6440. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Tuesday-Saturday, breakfast and lunch only on Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday. Parking in center lot. Prices: $. Map. Besides standard plate lunch fare, you’ll find an eclectic mix of items, from Japanese oyako-donburi and ramen to full Hawaiian plates to bay shrimp with avocado salad and home-made foccacia sandwiches. Chicken katsu is lighter and very good, especially with their sweet-chili version of tonkatsu sauce added, and the mochiko chicken is exceptional. But don't forget trying their seared fish choices, such as a sesame or furikake-crusted ahi or salmon, and, especially, a panko-fried, nori-wrapped ahi with real crab stuffing, all served with rice and salad, and all for $8.95! They also do a large amount of catering, so be sure to keep them in mind for your next party!
