Fine dining is only one part of Hawaii's food story. Much of what makes eating in the islands memorable is "local food": everyday dishes shaped by Native Hawaiian traditions and by the many immigrant communities who came to work on sugar and pineapple plantations. These foods are sold at drive-ins, lunch counters, markets and family restaurants, and many Restaurant Week Hawaii participants offered their own versions on special menus.

This beginner's guide explains the local dishes you are most likely to see, how they are usually served and a few tips for ordering.

The plate lunch

The plate lunch is the classic local meal. A standard plate includes two scoops of white rice, a scoop of macaroni salad and a main dish, all served together in a takeout container or on a plate. Popular mains include teriyaki beef, chicken katsu, kalbi short ribs, garlic shrimp, beef stew and kalua pig with cabbage.

The plate lunch is often linked to plantation days, when workers from different backgrounds shared food from their lunch tins. Over time, those influences blended into a meal that is filling, affordable and very much its own thing.

How to order

Ask for a "mixed plate" to get two or three mains on one plate.
Many places offer brown rice or tossed greens instead of macaroni salad.
Mini plates are a good option if you want to save room for something else.

Poke

Poke (pronounced "poh-keh") is cubed raw fish seasoned in a variety of ways. The word comes from the Hawaiian for slicing or cutting into pieces. Traditional versions use ahi or other fish with sea salt, seaweed and roasted kukui nut. Popular modern styles add soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, sweet onions, chili or creamy spicy sauces.

In Hawaii, poke is commonly sold by the pound at seafood counters and markets, and it is often eaten over rice as a poke bowl. For more about the fish used, see our guide to Hawaii fish on menus.

Saimin

Saimin is a noodle soup that developed in Hawaii's plantation era. It combines soft wheat noodles with a clear, light broth, usually flavored with dashi or shrimp. Toppings often include green onion, kamaboko (fish cake), char siu pork, egg or Spam. Saimin is simple, comforting and inexpensive, and long-running saimin shops are local institutions. Shiro's Saimin Haven was among the restaurants that took part in Restaurant Week Hawaii.

Loco moco

A loco moco is a bowl of rice topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg and brown gravy. It is widely credited to Hilo on the island of Hawaii in the late 1940s. Today you will see many variations, from versions with kalua pig or fish to upscale takes with premium beef and homemade gravy.

Spam musubi

Spam is popular in Hawaii, and the most famous way to eat it is as a musubi: a slice of grilled Spam, often glazed with a sweet soy sauce, pressed onto a block of rice and wrapped in nori. Musubi are sold everywhere from convenience stores to specialty shops and make an easy snack for the beach or a hike.

Native Hawaiian dishes

A Hawaiian plate or a lu'au menu introduces foods with deep cultural roots:

Poi: taro root cooked and pounded into a smooth paste, eaten fresh or slightly fermented.
Kalua pig: pork traditionally cooked in an underground oven called an imu, giving it a smoky, tender texture.
Laulau: pork or fish wrapped in taro leaves and ti leaves, then steamed.
Lomi salmon: salted salmon mixed with tomato and onion, served cold.
Haupia: a firm coconut pudding, often served as dessert.

The Culinary Institute of the Pacific's campus plans even included an imu pit, a sign of how important these traditions remain. Read more in our article about the institute.

Other local favorites

Manapua

A local take on Chinese steamed or baked buns, usually filled with char siu pork. Manapua are sold at bakeries and markets.

Shave ice

Finely shaved ice topped with flavored syrups, often with ice cream or sweet azuki beans underneath. It is the island answer to a hot afternoon.

Malasadas

Portuguese-style fried dough coated in sugar, sometimes filled with custard. See our guide to Hawaii desserts for more sweets.

Tips for enjoying local food

Follow the lines. Popular lunch counters often have a queue at noon for a reason.
Bring an appetite. Portions are usually generous; sharing is common.
Try the specials board. Many family restaurants offer daily specials not on the printed menu.
Be respectful of cultural foods. Ask questions about dishes you do not know; most people are happy to explain.

Local food also appears on more formal menus. Chefs associated with Hawaii Regional Cuisine often reinterpret plate lunch and loco moco with refined techniques. During restaurant weeks, browsing categories such as local food and gourmet local is a good way to compare everyday and elevated versions.

A short local food vocabulary

A few words you will hear around food in Hawaii make menus and conversations easier to follow:

Ono: delicious. It is also the local name for the wahoo fish.
Grinds: a casual pidgin word for food, as in "good grinds."
Pupu: appetizers or snacks served with drinks.
Shoyu: soy sauce, used in countless local dishes.
Furikake: a Japanese seasoning of seaweed and sesame, sprinkled on rice, popcorn and fish.
Li hing: a salty-sweet dried plum flavor found on candy, fruit and even drinks.
Da kine: a flexible pidgin phrase meaning "the thing," heard everywhere, including at the lunch counter.

Using a word or two with a smile is welcome, but there is no need to force it. Most counter staff are simply glad you came hungry.

Conclusion

Local food is the everyday heart of eating in Hawaii. Plate lunch, poke, saimin, loco moco, musubi and Hawaiian dishes tell the story of the people who built island communities, and they remain some of the most satisfying meals you can find. Start with a plate lunch, add a poke bowl and finish with shave ice, and you will have a delicious introduction to the islands. Find more food stories on our news page.