Plate Lunch, page 2
Karen’s Kitchen. 614 Cooke St. in Kakaako. 597-8195. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, except closed on Saturday evenings and all of Sunday. Parking outside store. Prices: $. Map. This simple, comfortable eatery sits in the perfect position to attract nearby workers from the industrial/commercial area it is housed in, and also the office workers of nearby Downtown and construction workers looking for a substantial, cheap, home-style meal. The hamburger steak comes drenched in brown gravy and covered with fresh mushrooms and onions. They also have daily specials like prime rib, Hawaiian plates, and Filipino plates. The large tofu patties are substantial meals, and many love them covered with the same brown gravy as they use for the hamburger steaks.
HK's is an old-school hang-out serving up great local grindz like this fried noodle plate w/bbq chicken and teri fried ahi plate, both must-try's.
HK's. A Closer Look. 946 Coolidge St. in McCully/Moiliili. Lunch and dinner Monday-Friday only. Parking outside store or on street. Prices: $. Map. HK's is an old-time, really local eatery that is known for a great fried noodle that comes thick and tasty, along with fried or grilled fish plates of either ahi, salmon, or snapper, prepared with with either a shoyu/ginger, tartar, or my favorite, teriyaki sauce. I'm pretty sure it will be your favorite, as well, as this teri sauce is not overly sweet or overpowering as you might think, and is fabulous over your fish, rice, fries, or pretty much everything else. Rotating specials are also found, with such items as chopped steak, pork chops w/gravy, chicken hekka or nishime, meat loaf, baked macaroni, and more. Old-school, all the way!
Byron’s. 3297 N. Nimitz Hwy. near the airport. 836-0541. 24 hours. Parking outside store. Prices: $. Map. Byron’s is an old-time plate lunch stop in the industrial area next to the airport. It is a blast-from-the-past, nostalgic kind of place that was once a very popular place to be. Their famous shrimp burgers are still the same after all these years, the hamburgers are not bad for cheap eats, and the menu gives you as many plate lunch choices as you’ll see anywhere. The outdoor tables provided are ample but dirty.
Keneke’s. 41-857 Kalanianaole Hwy. in Waimanalo. 259-5266. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Parking outside store. Prices: $. Map. Keneke’s is an interesting place in a very visible location - right along the picturesque main road through which every tour operator passes on their way to Kailua Beach or the Windward side. The food is tasty and full of flavor, but for some reason, the rice comes almost as mushy as mochi (we’re not sure if they do it on purpose or not!). There are Hawaiian plates, pork gisantes, teri chicken, and hamburger steak plates that all make for large, robust meals. They also have shave ice available, but the ice is not very finely cut, leaving some coarse crunchies in there.
Lahaina Chicken Company. The Food Court at the Ala Moana S.C. 946-4588. Lunch and dinner daily, except closed Sunday evening. Parking in center lot. Prices: $. Map. These guys are a structured a bit different than a normal plate lunch. They offer roast rotisserie chicken, beef, pork, and baby-backed ribs, which are under hot lights and cut to order, and they also give you a choice of different sides like mashed potatoes, corn, and steamed veggies. Plate lunch with a meaty American twist, perhaps. There are also a few standard plate lunch choices. For fast food, the cuts of meat here are decently moist and flavorful. Not a bad choice for the carnivore in you.
Kiawe Grill. 2334 S. King st. suite 104 in McCully/Moilili. 955-5500. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking outside store. Prices: $. Map. As its name states, these guys use Hawaiian Kiawe wood from Waianae to grill their meats, with the smoky smell apparent from the moment you walk into the store. They also, surprisingly enough, have such exotic offerings as Kobe meats, buffalo, venison, and even ostrich burgers! The Korean background is evident here, as Korean-style vegetables are housed in a small salad bar-type arrangement, and they trust you not to take more than a pound of these side dishes per person. The meats here are heavily marinated to a dark-colored perfection and the flavors strong and a bit on the sweet side.
One of the most original plates out there, Taes's offers thin teppanyaki cuts with zesty sauces and rolled around finely shredded potato (huh?) It works, though- believe me!
Tae’s Teppanyaki. A Closer Look. 1666 Kalauokalani Way in McCully/Moiliili. 383-2280. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking in small lot behind restaurant or on street. Prices: $. Map. Tae’s rib-eye steak and pork dishes are thin-sliced, teriyaki-soaked, and wrapped around (are you ready for this?) shredded raw potato! Our shock to this unorthodox approach, however, was quickly replaced by an awe for the simple genius of it all. The creation is then laid on a bed of lettuce and covered with sauces of wasabi, teriyaki, spicy, or garlic, or simply seasoned salt and pepper. They also include two scoops of rice (garlic rice for $1 more) and a special ponzu dipping sauce to top it off. They do not have the scoop of mac salad to make it a proper plate lunch, but the cheap prices, Styrofoam housing, and overall feel of this eatery merit it being listed here. Tae’s used to be a mobile lunchwagon located in the Don Quijote parking lot, but moved to its permanent residence nearby after gaining in popularity.
New Diner’s Drive-Inn. 1333 N. King st. in Kalihi. 842-0344. Open 24 hours. Parking outside store. Prices: $. Map. Another classic that’s been around for a long time, this establishment once had many outlets throughout the island but is now relegated to a single store in Kalihi. New Diner’s has a pretty good ½ pound burger that is a lot more filling than your standard plate lunch burger. The locomoco, with the same hamburger patties, are also very popular. The rest of the menu is economical, sub-par plate lunch fare.
Papa Ole’s Kitchen. 54-316 Kamehameha Hwy. at the Hauula S.C. in Hauula. 293-2292. Monday-Friday breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily except no dinner on Wednesday, 8am-5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Parking in center lot. Prices: $. Map. One of the few to choose from on this side of the island, Papa Ole’s serves up some local-style plate lunches like garlic chicken wings, steak w/mushroom and onion, kalbi ribs, and beef stew. They also serve eggs, omelets, and a good variety of pancakes, like banana, chocolate chip, macadamia nut, and even li hing mui! This eatery is also much cleaner than most places in the Kahaluu-Kahuku stretch, and you can eat inside or out in the covered lanai area.
| These Buffalo wings are the specialty of the house at Dirty Lickin's, this one with heat levels kicked-up to volcanic! |
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Dirty Lickin’s. A Closer Look. 99-115 Aiea Heights Dr. at the Aiea Shopping Center. 486-8500. Sunday 11:30am-6:30pm, Monday lunch only, Tuesday–Saturday 10:30am-8pm. Parking in Center lot. Prices: $$. Map. The name of the game here is chicken wings, all done Buffalo-style, in either the traditional butter/hot sauce, and offered in five different heat levels, or in four other sauces of garlic, teriyaki, American bbq, or honey mustard. You can order them in batches of 5 ($4.05), or all the way up to 300 ($357)! Other than that, there are chicken tenders, salads, wraps, chili, sandwiches, and a few plates, including items like chicken katsu, teriyaki chicken, kalbi, and pork chops. Situated right next to the Alley restaurant and Aiea Bowl, this is a great place to pick-up party packs of wings, in several different varieties, for your next gathering or party.
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