One of Hawaii’s traditional dishes is the plate lunch. Never heard of it? I hadn’t either until I visited Hawaii about 15 years ago. But if you love a good ol’ Southern meat ‘n’ three, you’ll probably love this dish.
The plate lunch grew out of the midday meal that pineapple and sugar plantation workers would enjoy. It’s simple and hearty: kalua pork or another protein, two scoops of white rice, and a scoop of macaroni salad.
But you don’t have to visit Hawaii to enjoy it.
Hawaiian Style BBQ has long had a location on Gordon Highway, but recently opened a second location at the Washington Walk shopping center, a few doors down from Kroger.
Inside, the restaurant is cozy and casual, all shades of cream and tan, with lots of brickwork. There are about eight booths, a few more tables and an upscale bar. Images of the islands and Hawaiian art adorn the walls, with signs that say “Aloha” and “North Shore.” The night we went, it was a little cold inside, so plan to bring a sweater just in case.
The menu features appetizers like spam musabi (essentially sushi with spam—it’s so good!), spring rolls and dumplings; salads and sandwiches; and BBQ bowls or poke bowls. But the star, in my mind, are the plate lunches, or mixed plates as they’re called here.
You can choose beef teriyaki, beef short ribs, kalua pork, garlic shrimp (mild or spicy), shrimp katsu, Hawaiian BBQ chicken, chicken katsu or garlic chicken (mild or spicy). A regular plate features three sides, and mini plate, two. Options are rice, macaroni salad, potato salad, cucumber kim chi, cabbage kim chi, Hawaiian sweet rolls or steamed cabbage.
Combo plates with your choice of two meats or Hungry Hawaiian plates that include three meats, two scoops of rice and macaroni salad are other options if you’re looking to make the meal even more hearty—or if you want the variety.
I did. I had already planned to order the kalua pork, but decided to add the beef short ribs because they looked so good. Then, along with a scoop of rice and macaroni salad, I added potato salad too. Meanwhile, my husband, Sean, ordered the kalua pork with BBQ chicken, rice and macaroni salad.
Our meals came out swiftly on heavy-duty paper plates, just like I remembered when we were in Hawaii. The server also brought us cups of sweet katsu sauce, and the tables feature bottles of spicy teriyaki sauce, regular teriyaki sauce and a spicy mayo, but who needs sauce when the meat has so much flavor?
Traditionally, kalua pork is slow-roasted in a pit dug in the ground, with the only seasoning being sea salt and smoke. (For those of us who aren’t into digging a huge hole in our backyards, the slow cooker plus sea salt and a little liquid smoke is a good alternative!) I didn’t dig into how the pork was prepared, but the flavor of the meat was deliciously enhanced—it was smoky, a little salty, tender and moist, a perfect bite with the white rice. The macaroni salad was creamy and tangy and peppery, and the potato salad was flavored with mustard, both serving as a nice accent to the meat.
On the other hand, the beef ribs were deeply marinated, dark and sweet, with fatty, crunchy edges.
It was the best of both worlds. The flavors invited me to eat more than I might usually, but I was still full pretty quickly and took home about half of my entrée.
If you’ve never tried Hawaiian food, the plate lunch is an easy way to start. It’s got all the components of a great Southern meal: the BBQ, the rice, the cold salads. All on one plate—and all so good.
Make Your Reservation
Hawaiian Style BBQ
2801 Washington Rd., Suite 10
Find them on Facebook, Hawaiian Style BBQ – Washington Road
Entrée cost: $10.50 to $19.99
