The plate lunch ( haw, pā mea ʻai) is a quintessentially Hawaiian meal, roughly analogous to
Southern U.S. meat-and-threes. However, the
pan-Asian
Satellite photograph of Asia in orthographic projection.
Pan-Asianism (''also known as Asianism or Greater Asianism'') is an ideology aimed at creating a political and economic unity among Asian peoples. Various theories and movements of Pan-Asi ...
influence on
Hawaiian cuisine
The cuisine of Hawaii incorporates five distinct styles of food, reflecting the diverse food history of settlement and immigration in the Hawaiian Islands.
In the pre-contact period of Ancient Hawaii (300 AD-1778), Polynesian voyagers brough ...
, and its roots in the Japanese
bento
A is the Japanese iteration of a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal, often for lunch. Outside Japan, it is common in other East and Southeast Asian culinary styles, especially within Chinese, Korean, Singaporean cuisines and more, ...
, make the plate lunch unique to Hawaii.
Standard plate lunches consist of two scoops of
white rice
White rice is milled rice that has had its husk, bran, and germ removed. This alters the flavor, texture and appearance of the rice and helps prevent spoilage, extend its storage life, and makes it easier to digest. After milling ( hulling), t ...
,
macaroni salad
Macaroni salad is a type of pasta salad, served cold made with cooked elbow macaroni and usually prepared with mayonnaise. Much like potato salad or coleslaw in its use, it is often served as a side dish to barbecue, fried chicken, or other picni ...
, and an
entrée
An entrée (, ; ) in modern French table service and that of much of the English-speaking world (apart from the United States and parts of Canada) is a dish served before the main course of a meal. Outside North America, it is generally synonym ...
.
A plate lunch with more than one entrée is often called a ''mixed plate''.
Origins
Although the exact origin of the Hawaiian plate lunch is disputed,
according to Professor Jon Okamura of the
University of Hawaiʻi
The University of Hawaiʻi System, formally the University of Hawaiʻi and popularly known as UH, is a public college and university system that confers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees through three universities, seven com ...
, the plate lunch likely grew out of the Japanese
bento
A is the Japanese iteration of a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal, often for lunch. Outside Japan, it is common in other East and Southeast Asian culinary styles, especially within Chinese, Korean, Singaporean cuisines and more, ...
, because "bentos were take away kinds of eating and certainly the plate lunch continues that tradition".
Its appearance in Hawaii in recognizable form goes back to the 1880s when plantation workers were in high demand by the fruit and sugar companies on the islands.
Laborers were brought to Hawaii from around the world, including from
China,
Japan,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, and the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. Kaui Philpotts, former food editor of the ''
Honolulu Advertiser
''The Honolulu Advertiser'' was a daily newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily newspaper in the American state of Hawaii. It published daily with special Sunday and In ...
'', notes that the laborers "didn't eat sandwiches or things like that; it was leftover rice and a lot of things like canned meat or
teriyaki
''Teriyaki'' (kanji: 照り 焼き) is a cooking technique used in Japanese cuisine in which foods are broiled or grilled with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.
Fish – yellowtail, marlin, skipjack tuna, salmon, trout, and mac ...
or cold meat or maybe scrambled eggs or pickles, and almost no salad or vegetable."
[
] Later on,
macaroni salad
Macaroni salad is a type of pasta salad, served cold made with cooked elbow macaroni and usually prepared with mayonnaise. Much like potato salad or coleslaw in its use, it is often served as a side dish to barbecue, fried chicken, or other picni ...
was added to the plates, as it seemed to bridge national tastes and also mixed well with gravy-covered slabs of meat.
Some locations also include the traditional Korean side dish ''
kimchi
''Kimchi'' (; ko, 김치, gimchi, ), is a traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including '' gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), ...
''.
As the days of the plantations came to an end, plate lunches began to be served on-site by lunch wagons to construction workers and day laborers. Later, local hole-in-the-wall restaurants and other stand-alone plate lunch restaurants began popping up,
then
plate lunch franchises. Eventually these made their way to the U.S. mainland such as the
L&L Drive-Inn chain in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
in 1999.
[
] L&L founder Eddie Flores
rebranded
Rebranding is a marketing strategy in which a new name, term, symbol, design, concept or combination thereof is created for an established brand with the intention of developing a new, differentiated identity in the minds of consumers, investors ...
it "L&L Hawaiian Barbecue", explaining that "When we went to the mainland, the name 'Hawaiian' is a draw, because everyone just fantasized, everyone wants to come to Hawaii."
Popular entrées
Overwhelmingly, popular plate lunch entrées reflect Asian influence. Of Japanese origin is
chicken ''katsu'' (fried boneless chicken breaded with
Japanese bread crumbs) and beef ''
teriyaki
''Teriyaki'' (kanji: 照り 焼き) is a cooking technique used in Japanese cuisine in which foods are broiled or grilled with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.
Fish – yellowtail, marlin, skipjack tuna, salmon, trout, and mac ...
'' ("teri beef"). A common side-dish with plate lunches is fried noodles, often ''
chow mein
''Chow mein'' ( and , ; Pinyin: ''chǎomiàn'') is a Chinese dish made from stir-fried noodles with vegetables and sometimes meat or tofu. Over the centuries, variations of ''chǎomiàn'' were developed in many regions of China; there are s ...
'', ''
chow fun
''Shahe fen'' (沙河粉), or simply ''he fen'' (河粉), is a type of wide Chinese noodle made from rice. Its Min Nan, Minnan Chinese name, translated from the Mandarin 粿條 (''guotiao''), is adapted into alternate names which are widely e ...
'' or ''
saimin
Saimin is a noodle soup dish common in the contemporary cuisine of Hawaii. Traditionally consisting of soft wheat egg noodles served in a hot garnished with diced green onions and a thin slice of , modern versions of saimin include additional t ...
'' noodles.
Entrées of Hawaiian origin include ''
kālua puaʻa'' (roast pork) and ''
laulau
Laulau, otherwise known as Lū in Tonga, Palusami in Melanesia(Fiji) and Samoa, and Rukau in the Cook Islands, is a Polynesian dish consisting of cooked taro leaves containing fillings such as pork, fish or coconut cream. In old Hawaii, laula ...
'' (pork or other meat or fish wrapped in a taro leaf). Some side dishes are
lomi-lomi salmon (salmon salad) and ''
haupia
Haupia is a traditional coconut milk-based Hawaiian dessert often found at luaus and other local gatherings in Hawaii. Since the 1940s, it has become popular as a topping for white cake, especially at weddings. Although technically considered ...
'' (a coconut dessert).
Korean entrées include ''
kalbi
''Galbi''
* (), ''galbi-gui'' (), or grilled ribs, is a type of '' gui'' (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine. "''Galbi''" is the Korean word for "rib", and the dish is usually made with beef short ribs. When pork spare ribs or another meat is u ...
'' and ''
meat jun
Meat Jun is a dish of Korean origin, consisting of thinly sliced beef dipped in egg batter and fried.https://firstwefeast.com/features/hawaii-food-history/ A type of jeon, it is a popular dish served at Korean restaurants, served both as an entr ...
''. Some side dishes are ''taegu'', a dish made of shredded codfish, and ''
kongnamul muchim'', a dish made of seasoned soybean sprouts.
Other Asian ethnic contributions include the Okinawan
shoyu pork (Okinawan: ''rafute''), Chinese-influenced ''
char siu
''Char siu'' () is a Chinese, specifically Cantonese–style of barbecued pork. Originating in Guangdong, it is eaten with rice, used as an ingredient for noodle dishes or in stir fries, and as a filling for '' chasiu baau'' or '' pineapple ...
pork'', and Filipino ''chicken
adobo
or (Spanish: marinade, sauce, or seasoning) is the immersion of cooked food in a stock (or sauce) composed variously of paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, and vinegar to preserve and enhance its flavor. The Portuguese variant is known as . ...
'' and ''
longanisa
Longaniza (, or ) is a Spanish sausage (embutido) similar to a chorizo and also closely associated with the Portuguese linguiça. Its defining characteristics are interpreted differently from region to region. It is popular in the cuisines of ...
''. Western European dishes include ''
linguiça
''Linguiça'' or ''lingüiça'' () calabresa is Calabrian chili-seasoned smoke-cured pork sausage seasoned with garlic and paprika, popular in Portugal, Brazil, Lusophone countries, and the U.S. state of Hawaii, created by Calabrian immigr ...
'', a traditional Portuguese sausage.
A notably American element is the
hamburger steak, a ground beef patty smothered with brown gravy served atop rice; adding a
sunny side up egg makes it a ''
Loco Moco
Loco moco is a dish featured in contemporary Hawaiian cuisine. There are many variations, but the traditional loco moco consists of white rice, topped with a hamburger, a fried egg, and brown gravy. Variations may include bacon, ham, Spam, t ...
''.
File:Wardsplatelunch.jpg, Traditional Hawaiian plate lunch. Clockwise, from bottom left: two scoop white rice, ''ahi poke
Poke ( Hawaiian for "to slice" or "cut crosswise into pieces"; sometimes anglicised as 'poké' to aid pronunciation) is diced raw fish served either as an appetizer or a main course and is one of the popular dishes in Hawaii. Traditional form ...
'', lomi-lomi salmon, ''haupia
Haupia is a traditional coconut milk-based Hawaiian dessert often found at luaus and other local gatherings in Hawaii. Since the 1940s, it has become popular as a topping for white cake, especially at weddings. Although technically considered ...
'' dessert, '' kālua puaʻa'' (roast pork), and pork ''laulau
Laulau, otherwise known as Lū in Tonga, Palusami in Melanesia(Fiji) and Samoa, and Rukau in the Cook Islands, is a Polynesian dish consisting of cooked taro leaves containing fillings such as pork, fish or coconut cream. In old Hawaii, laula ...
''.
File:Shrimp plate lunch.jpg, A shrimp plate lunch
File:Lukoki Hawaiian BBQ, Mt. View seafood & kalua pork combo.JPG, Kālua pork combo plate lunch from a Hawaiian BBQ restaurant in Mountain View, California
Mountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Named for its views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, it has a population of 82,376.
Mountain View was integral to the early history and growth of Silicon Valley, and is the ...
See also
*
Cuisine of Hawaii
The cuisine of Hawaii incorporates five distinct styles of food, reflecting the diverse food history of settlement and immigration in the Hawaiian Islands.
In the pre-contact period of Ancient Hawaii (300 AD-1778), Polynesian voyagers brough ...
References
External links
History of the Hawaiian Plate Lunch(''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', 2008)
Southern California Plate Lunch ConnectionOrigins of the plate lunchstory from
KHNL
KHNL (channel 13) is a television station in Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, serving the Hawaiian Islands as an affiliate of NBC. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CBS affiliate KGMB (channel 5) and Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Kailua ...
"What's in a Hawaiian Plate Lunch?"(video)
1997 exhibition at the
Japanese American National Museum
The is located in Los Angeles, California, and dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Japanese Americans. Founded in 1992, it is located in the Little Tokyo area near downtown. The museum is an affiliate within the Smithsonian Affil ...
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Food combinations
Hawaiian cuisine
Hawaiian fusion cuisine
Japanese fusion cuisine
Lunch dishes
Restaurant terminology
Serving and dining