A Hawaiian style menu usually centers on the plate lunch: a main protein with two scoops of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad[1]. Around it you will find poke, loco moco, kalua pig and laulau, with shave ice and malasadas for dessert. Local food blends Native Hawaiian dishes with cooking brought by plantation-era immigrants from China, Japan, the Philippines, Portugal, Korea and elsewhere[2]. On a first visit, one plate per person is a full meal.
Typical menu
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Examples vary by restaurant. Confirm ingredients, portions and dietary needs with staff.
Plate lunches and rice plates
- Plate lunch — The everyday local meal: one main such as teriyaki chicken, chicken katsu, kalbi or hamburger steak[2], with rice and macaroni salad. Filling and usually mild; one regular plate is a full meal for most adults.
- Mixed plate — Two or three mains on one plate, for example kalua pig with chicken katsu or kalbi. The easiest way to try several flavors, but heavier than a single plate, so it suits a big appetite or sharing.
- Chicken katsu — Chicken coated in panko breadcrumbs, deep-fried and sliced, served with a sweet-tangy katsu sauce. Crunchy and mild, one of the most common plate-lunch mains and an easy pick for children.
- Loco moco — A hamburger steak and egg over rice, covered in gravy[1]. Rich, savory and not spicy; the runny yolk mixes into the gravy. It is a full meal on its own, often with mac salad on the side.
- Kalbi — Korean-style short ribs marinated in soy sauce, sugar, garlic and sesame, then grilled; sweet-salty and chewy around thin cross-cut bones. Usually mild, so ask for chili sauce or kimchi on the side if you want heat.
Hawaiian dishes and poke
- Kalua pig — Pork prepared in an imu, an underground oven, and shredded[3]. Smoky, salty and very tender, often served with cabbage or simply over rice; mild, and a good half of a mixed plate.
- Laulau — Meat wrapped in taro leaves and steamed, traditionally in an imu[3]; usually pork, sometimes with salted fish. The leaves turn soft and spinach-like and are eaten, but set aside any tough outer ti-leaf wrapper. Mild and filling.
- Poi — Pounded taro root, a starch meant to be eaten with everything[3]. Smooth, pasty and gently tangy; usually a small cup on the side, best paired with salty kalua pig or laulau rather than eaten alone.
- Poke — Cubes of raw fish, traditionally seasoned with salt, seaweed and roasted kukui nut; modern versions add shoyu, sesame oil and green onion[2]. Often sold by weight or as a bowl over rice; heat depends on the sauce.
- Lomi salmon — Salted salmon mixed by hand with diced tomato and onion into a cold, chunky salad. Salty and fresh, served in a small portion to cut through richer meats like kalua pig. Not spicy.
Musubi, noodles and desserts
- Spam musubi — A slice of seared Spam, often glazed with sweet soy sauce, pressed onto a block of rice and wrapped in nori. Salty-sweet and hand-held; one piece is a snack, two make a light lunch.
- Saimin — A local noodle soup that reflects Hawaiʻi's mix of cultures[2]: thin noodles in a light, clear broth, topped with green onion, fish cake and sometimes char siu or Spam. Mild and comforting; check bowl sizes before adding a plate.
- Shave ice — Ice shaved very fine and topped with colorful syrups[1]; soft and snowy rather than crunchy. Common add-ons include ice cream, sweet azuki beans or a condensed-milk drizzle, and one cup is easy to share.
- Malasadas — Portuguese doughnuts[1] with no hole, fried and rolled in sugar; light and eggy, best eaten hot. Some are filled with custard or haupia. Usually priced by the piece.
- Haupia — Coconut pudding[3], set firm enough to cut into squares; cool and lightly sweet. It also appears as a layer in pies and cakes, which may add other ingredients, so ask what is in them.
How to order on your first visit
At a plate-lunch counter, choose one main or a mixed plate, then the sides: two scoops of rice and mac salad are the usual default. Ask whether a mini plate or a swap to green salad or brown rice is offered if you want less. For poke sold by weight, ask how much makes a single portion before ordering.
Different menu styles
Native Hawaiian dishes such as kalua pig, laulau, poi and haupia come from lūʻau traditions[3]. Local-style plates mix in cooking from the Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese and Korean families who came to work on sugar and pineapple plantations[2]; katsu, kalbi, saimin and malasadas are examples. Mainland poke shops are a different format, usually build-your-own bowls with many toppings, part of poke's spread beyond the islands in the 21st century[4].
What to order
- First visit: one mixed plate with kalua pig and chicken katsu shows both the Hawaiian and the local-style side of the menu
- Smaller appetite: ask for a mini plate, or pair a small poke bowl with green salad instead of mac salad
- Avoiding raw fish: ask which poke options are cooked, or go for laulau, loco moco or a katsu plate
- Sharing with a group: a few plates plus some poke and a round of Spam musubi for the table
- Dessert: shave ice for a cool, light finish; malasadas when they are fried fresh
Frequently asked questions
What is a Hawaiian plate lunch?
It is a casual local meal built from a main protein, rice and macaroni salad, rooted in Hawaiʻi's plantation-era history[2]. Counters usually let you choose one, two or three mains, and many pack the plate for takeout by default.
What does two scoop rice mean on a menu?
It is the standard starch portion on a plate lunch: two rounded scoops of steamed white rice. Some places offer one scoop, brown rice or extra mac salad instead, so ask before ordering if you want less rice.
Is poke safe to eat?
Poke is usually raw fish, which can carry harmful bacteria and parasites, and some soy sauces used in it are high in sodium[4]. If you have health concerns about raw fish, talk to a clinician, and ask staff which poke options are cooked.
Is Hawaiian food spicy?
Most plate-lunch dishes are savory or sweet-salty rather than hot. Heat usually comes from add-ons such as chili pepper water, spicy mayo on poke or kimchi on the side, so ask for them separately if you are unsure.
Related guides
Sources
- Hawaii Tourism Authority. Oahu Restaurants. Accessed
- Hawaii Tourism Authority (Go Hawaii). Culinary Experiences in Hawaii. Accessed
- Hawaii Tourism Authority (Go Hawaii). Hawaiian Luau. Accessed
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Poke. Accessed