Favorite Okazuya

[Da Rolling Eye]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

It's interesting to note that okazuya (or okazu-ya, whichever you prefer) is a plantation word that's hardly, if ever, used in Japan today.

From the book:What Hawaii residents call okazuya is a sozaiya - delicatessen - in Japan. Even okazuya owners who've lived in Japan say that okazuyas are unique to the Islands. Although some of the okazu items are similar to Japanese food, they point out, the taste can be different. Hawaii's okazu has a true "local" flavor influenced many local ethnic groups. What's more, okazuyas have created and developed their own recipes which have been in families for many generations.

One of the local faves that was influenced by Japanese regional cuisine is the local style teri sauce. Notice how sweet it is. Wife said it stems from only one area in Japan, can't remember which area and I'm not about to wake her up to get it. Anyway, it's the only area where the food is sweeter than the rest of the country and where most of the Japanese plantation workers came from. Local style made it even sweeter than the original (I'm gonna guess because sugar was way cheaper here) and now most Japanese restaurants/okazuyas make their teri to suit local palates. Ever since meeting my wife, I've come to notice these differences and, today, cannot eat local style teriyaki anything. I now find it way too sweet and salty, a bad combination for us old futs with high blood pressure and type 2 anyway. Needless to say, I no longer eat a lot of okazuya food, although I do miss it.

In the old days, there used to be a couple of okazuyas here in Wahiawa. Early mornings they used to be busy with planation workers buying their lunches, having the okazuya fill those old double decker lunch tins for them. Rice on the bottom and okazu on the top. We used to buy our lunches for school excursion days from them.

Well, they all went by the way side when the plantations started to down size and don't recall going to another okazuya till much later. I remember going to Fukuya a couple of times, then later still, St. Louis deli, then Gulick. More recently it was the Japanese place over in Mililani Town Center. My faves have been relegated to a simple musu, fried chicken and some gobo. Not too much of the latter because it's totally too sweet for my now more "sophisticated" tastes.

[Pomai]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

I love good okazuya food too! >>>George's Delicatessen on Beretania diagonally across from Times.
>>>George's food is consistent with quality and taste!

O.K., George's is now officially on my target list. Diggin' that "grumpy guy in the front" factor. So there next work week!

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

If she did, she never let on!

[oceanpacific]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

"Former Catholic Schoolgirl". Heh. That reminds me of high school time. Tia Carrere went to Sacred Hearts Academy, and though I can't say for certain, I could swear I knew her back then.

The more important question is: did Tia Carrere know you?

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

A picture says a thousand words.

LeiLiko, please change your Avatar. So naughty! lol

"Former Catholic Schoolgirl". Heh. That reminds me of high school time. Tia Carrere went to Sacred Hearts Academy, and though I can't say for certain, I could swear I knew her back then.

[1stwahine]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

Auntie Lynn, the thingy in seaweed you're referring to is probably, "konbu maki." It's a kelp roll tied with a gourd strip (known as kanpyo) and has gobo and pork inside.

Yeah, das da one! Some onolicious! I can eat three!!! I treat you lunch there one day instead of Dalisay!hahaha

Auntie Lynn

[Beau]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

Auntie Lynn, the thingy in seaweed you're referring to is probably, "konbu maki." It's a kelp roll tied with a gourd strip (known as kanpyo) and has gobo and pork inside.

[Pomai]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

What she said!

Pomai, do you know what their hours of operation are?

A picture says a thousand words.

Matsumoto's hours of operation:
Monday-Saturday (Sunday closed)
Okazuya: 6am-10am (No wonder when we got there at noon everything was almost gone)
Lunch: 11am-2pm
Dinner: 5pm-9pm

Fukuya is great, but pricey.

LeiLiko, please change your Avatar. So naughty! lol

[1stwahine]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

I would get dee following: Fried Butterfish from Gulick.
Chow Fun, Cone Sushi, Macaroni Salad from Mitsuba.
Thingy in seaweed , Fried Pumpkin, Hamburger Patty, and Corn Beef Hash from Nuuanu.
Garlic Chicken from Mitsuken.

Ice cold Passion Orange from Mitsuba!

Auntie Lynn

[Lei Liko]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

Ahhhh Pomai and your food porn! Everything looks ono.

What she said!

Pomai, do you know what their hours of operation are?

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

I love good okazuya food too! My favorites would include, Fukuya and George's Delicatessen on Beretania diagonally across from Times.

Fukuya and George's food is consistent with quality and taste!

I'll second Beau's endorsement of Fukuya, on King Street just past Puck's Alley in Mōʻiliʻili. So ʻono!

[Lei K]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

Ahhhh Pomai and your food porn! Everything looks ono.

[Pomai]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

whoops. just drove past natsunoya. tues-wed-thurs, six to one.

My Uchinanchu friend told me that most Okazuya shops owned by Okinawans are closed on Tuesdays by tradition. St. Louis is an exception. They're open that day. Masa and Joyce is closed on Tuesday.

I had Hilo Lunch Shop cater my Yakudoshi last year for about 200 people and they seriously gave enough food for 300! So much extra we had another lunch party the next day at my house.

Sounds like a great place with a huge selection. Great tip for future Hilo visitors!

And then there's Mitsu-Ken: breakfast special, garlic chicken, and chow fun. I remember when the breakfast special was less than two bucks.

We passed there around noon yesterday, and as usual, there was quite a line out the door. Gulick (the Gulick location) was packed too.

With that, as I said in Caryn's thread, we paid a visit to Matsumoto's Okazuya and Restaurant on Gulick Ave. for lunch yesterday. This was my first time to order an entire plate for myself.


There's lots of glare, but in that front window are the classic open display of Okazuya items to choose. More selections are also located just as you walk in the door, where you're greeted by a very attractive local gal (bonus!). On the right of the front counter is an opening that leads to a rather small restaurant seating area. Here you can order from a menu that includes box lunches, teishoku and ramen. Worthy of another thread in itself.

We got there around noon, and most of the Okazuya take-out items were almost sold out. We obviously just missed the rush. Two fellaz in front of us had just placed an order for 50 bentos. Obviously Matsumoto's is a hit.

So we walked out with this...

"Bluesman's" plate: Fried Rice, BBQ Teriyaki Steak, Mixed Vegetable Tempura, Kimpira Gobo, Corned Beef Hash patty and Chow Funn (they spell it with two N's). $5.50


My plate: Corned Beef Hash Patty, Shoyu Hot Dog, Mochi? Spring Roll, BBQ Teriyaki Chicken, Ume Musubi and Chow Funn. $6.09

I'm willing to bet either of these plates would have costed at least $2 more at Nuuanu, Fukuya or Gulick. All great places, but can prices can really add up.

Matsumoto's value is hard to beat, but more importantly, the Okazuya items are all AWESOME. No complaints at all.

One noticeable quality they have is a grill that really sears and puts the BARBECUE in the BBQ meats. That Teriyaki Chicken with the sear marks and rich glaze was EXCEPTIONAL.

The most interesting item on my plate was that Spring Roll. The wrapper was made out of a sort of glutenous, stringy thing that had an interesting, chewy texture. It was filled with shrimp, and what looked like daikon and green onion. Sugoi oshii desu.

The corned beef hash was tasty. Not as good as Tanioka's, but still oishii. The shoyu hot dog was your typical basic Okazuya affair. Take a nibble and chase it with the musubi. Oh yeah.

Just like the last time I tried, it, the Chow Funn. Oh the Chow Funn. This is what Okazuya is all about. Winner all the way. I'm going back here many times again just for that. Hopefully that beautiful server will still be working too. lol

You gotta' check Matsumoto's out. Great food, great value. Highly recommended.

Matsumoto's Okazuya and Restaurant
1323 Gulick Ave. (Kalihi, a.k.a. "God's Country")
808-848-7464
(owner's name is Todd)

[scrivener]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

whoops. just drove past natsunoya. tues-wed-thurs, six to one.

[Beau]

Re: Favorite Okazuya

George's Deli had Ron working up at front before. He would always be yelling back to the kitchen where his sister and mother are cooking. My co-worker would order a nori musubi and had none in the display counter so he would yell " TWO NORI MUSUBI, WAITING, WAITING" or one time had this customer waiting for his saimin so Ron yells 'WHERE DA SAIMIN? THEY WAITIING!".

Today 10:29 AM
I know! Ron is really a nice person beneath that gruff exterior. And his sister Diane and I have had many pleasant conversations.