Cooking
Today is the Aloha Festival in San Francisco out in the Presidio. That means mellow Hawaiian music, enchanting dance performances and most importantly, if you ask me--plate lunches.
Hawaii has a tradition of serving up a lunch that consists of a scoop or two of rice, a 1-part-mayonnaise-2-parts-macaroni salad an optional serving of poi and some kind of meat, chicken or fish. It could be hibachi grilled teriyaki, kahlua pig, lomi lomi salmon, chicken long rice, lau lau or any number of other specialities that are so popular in Hawaii. Why the plate lunch is so addictive I am hard pressed to explain.
Hawaiian food is a beguiling blend of Japanese, Chinese, Pacific Islander and Philipino cuisines. It seems to take the best of each and using local ingredients come up with dishes that are unique and mouth wateringly delicious. For a tropical place, baking also seems to be a popular pastime and there are wonderful bakeries all through the islands selling delicacies such as tropical fruit cakes, breads, and cream pies, cookies, sweet breads and malasada doughnuts. Some dishes are for the more adventurous, but there is something for just about everyone. Unless of course you are a vegetarian. Hawaiian food is heavy on the meat protein and starches which probably explains the large waistlines. Perhaps it's best that the Aloha Festival only comes once a year.
- Helena's Hawaiian Food: Restaurant Review
If you want to experience authentic native Hawaiian food, as opposed to the fusion of Hawaiian, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese that is common today, you must eat at Helena's Hawaiian Food. I've been going to Helena's since 1977 and while...
- Plate Lunch, Redux
When you come to Hawaii, you have to try a plate lunch. Plate lunches are the ubiquitous "blue plate special" in Hawaii. They consist of some kind of protein like breaded chicken or pork cutlet, beef teriyaki, fried mahi mahi, etc., two scoops of white...
- You Hungry?: Restaurant Review Closed
One of the secrets to finding good food in Hawaii is to look in unconventional places. Stay away from the touristy areas and you may just find where the locals eat. While you might never consider eating in an industrial neighborhood, at a drive-in or...
- I Love Plate Lunch!
When you think of Hawaii, what comes to mind? The beach? Surfing? Hula? All of that is good, but the food, now you're talking! I truly believe the food of Hawaii is the most underrated regional cuisine in the United States. The combination of excellent...
- Aloha!
Time for a quick vacation! I will be in Hawaii for one week, swimming, snorkeling and eating my scoops of rice and macaroni salad. Those of you who have had a plate lunch know exactly what I'm talking about. I will be posting from the beach, but...
Cooking
Aloha Festival
Today is the Aloha Festival in San Francisco out in the Presidio. That means mellow Hawaiian music, enchanting dance performances and most importantly, if you ask me--plate lunches.
Hawaii has a tradition of serving up a lunch that consists of a scoop or two of rice, a 1-part-mayonnaise-2-parts-macaroni salad an optional serving of poi and some kind of meat, chicken or fish. It could be hibachi grilled teriyaki, kahlua pig, lomi lomi salmon, chicken long rice, lau lau or any number of other specialities that are so popular in Hawaii. Why the plate lunch is so addictive I am hard pressed to explain.
Hawaiian food is a beguiling blend of Japanese, Chinese, Pacific Islander and Philipino cuisines. It seems to take the best of each and using local ingredients come up with dishes that are unique and mouth wateringly delicious. For a tropical place, baking also seems to be a popular pastime and there are wonderful bakeries all through the islands selling delicacies such as tropical fruit cakes, breads, and cream pies, cookies, sweet breads and malasada doughnuts. Some dishes are for the more adventurous, but there is something for just about everyone. Unless of course you are a vegetarian. Hawaiian food is heavy on the meat protein and starches which probably explains the large waistlines. Perhaps it's best that the Aloha Festival only comes once a year.
- Helena's Hawaiian Food: Restaurant Review
If you want to experience authentic native Hawaiian food, as opposed to the fusion of Hawaiian, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese that is common today, you must eat at Helena's Hawaiian Food. I've been going to Helena's since 1977 and while...
- Plate Lunch, Redux
When you come to Hawaii, you have to try a plate lunch. Plate lunches are the ubiquitous "blue plate special" in Hawaii. They consist of some kind of protein like breaded chicken or pork cutlet, beef teriyaki, fried mahi mahi, etc., two scoops of white...
- You Hungry?: Restaurant Review Closed
One of the secrets to finding good food in Hawaii is to look in unconventional places. Stay away from the touristy areas and you may just find where the locals eat. While you might never consider eating in an industrial neighborhood, at a drive-in or...
- I Love Plate Lunch!
When you think of Hawaii, what comes to mind? The beach? Surfing? Hula? All of that is good, but the food, now you're talking! I truly believe the food of Hawaii is the most underrated regional cuisine in the United States. The combination of excellent...
- Aloha!
Time for a quick vacation! I will be in Hawaii for one week, swimming, snorkeling and eating my scoops of rice and macaroni salad. Those of you who have had a plate lunch know exactly what I'm talking about. I will be posting from the beach, but...