Going Native: The Hawaiian Rice Plate

While T and I ate most of our meals at the various wedding events, we did have the occasional opportunity to venture out. After our flight into Hilo, we took the advice of a colleague of mine who had just returned from his own trip to the Big Island. Matt's recommendation of Cafe Pesto (link here) was only reinforced on the plane ride in by a "local" who recommended the place to the young flight attendant on board. Who knew the best place to eat in Hilo was an Italian restaurant. Go figure. T's grilled ono with jalapeno-infused broth was delicious though. And my wild mushroom and artichoke pizza wasn't bad either. But the real high point for me was my first encounter with a traditional "Hawaiian rice plate". Hawaiian rice plates are the everyday food of locals, having originated with the sugar cane plantation workers from Japan and Korea generations ago. They vary in composition and quality depending on where you go but generally always include a handful of common components served on a paper plate: rice, fried egg, fried spam, and gravy. T and I ate ours at Blane's in Hilo. Delicious. It definitely beats mainland fast food both on taste and price. Each plate is less than four bucks! My mission now is to find a genuine Hawaiian rice plate place in the Bay Area. There has to be one somewhere.