Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

    Admin, I did a search on plate lunches and only got "where's the best plate lunch" sort of general questions.

    So now it's time to dissect and critique EACH popular local style plate lunch entree from top to bottom! You know the common selections: Chicken Katsu, Beef Stew, Beef Curry, Chili Dog, Fried Chicken, Mochiko Chicken, Teriyaki Beef, Mahimahi, Hamburger Steak, Hawaiian Plate, to name a few. Of course, always served with 2 scoops rice and mac' salad. Be still my beating heart.

    This time we'll start with Hamburger Steak, which is my friend's "plate lunch gauge" on whether a place is good or bad. If they can make a good hamburger steak plate lunch, then they're approved in his opinion. lol Really, how can you screw up Hamburger Steak? It's all in the gravy of course. But the patty has to be good too. Not a hockey puck, yet not too fancy or it doesn't have the "cheap romance" a plate lunch is signature for. lol

    So here's da' sample...


    Pongo's Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch
    100% ground sirloin patty (no fillers)
    $7.50

    Witness the large, single oval-shaped burger patty. It's covering one (of the 2) scoops of rice. The chopped parsley adds a nice visual touch, yet I think Furikake on the rice would have sealed the deal for me. Lots of onions in there. Yum. Gravy looks thick 'n rich. According to him, the patty was moist, not dried out. Plus it had a char-grilled flavor - a must! The gravy had good depth and infused hamburger steak flavor. The rice and Mac was standard fare. Nothing to write home (or here) about (even though I just did). Interestingly, Pongo's used to have a lunchwagon, which he preferred over the restaurant on this order. Still, he gave it a thumbs-up of approval.

    What's missed is the "true" paper plate (Chinet) with the wax paper liner, all rubber-banded up... something that gave old school plate lunch stands such as the former Kewalo (Kanda's) Lunch Wagon the nostalgic romance of Hawaii's plantation yesteryears.

    Any hamburger steak plate lunch stories or issues? Where's the best? This is the thread to share it. This thread is only about Hamburger Steak plate lunches, made local style. Who said it was a "steak" anyway? lol The Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch is simply comfort food at its best.

    Coming next: Chicken Katsu Plate Lunch (and boy, do I have >sauce< issues with that one!)
    sigpic The Tasty Island

  • #2
    Re: Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

    Mahalo Drive Inn on Young Street will team up Hamburger Steak with BBQ Chicken for it's Saturday special and with Chicken Katsu for it's Monday special. I can't remember the other daily specials but I know for sure not all of them combine them with the Hamburger Steak.

    The daily specials sell for under $6. The Hamburger Steak is kind of decent, no external onions being served, the brown gravy sort of taste like how coffee smells and they serve two patties in the daily specials.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

      Making me hungry as usual with the heartstopping stuff....That looks supa ono. Sucks that I can't get that around here.

      Of course, I may live a little longer because of that
      http://tikiyakiorchestra.com
      Need a place to stay in Hilo ?
      Cue Factory - Music for your Vision

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

        The best hamburger steak I've had was at, oddly enough, Formaggio's wine bar in the Market City shopping center. Formaggio's is the kind of upscale trendy place you'd think wouldn't even carry lowbrow stuff like hamburger steak, but they put sort of a sophisticated gourmet spin on it. I find that it works brilliantly.

        My runner up would be the sizzling hamburger steak plate at Dot's in Wahiawa. (They have 2 different hamburger steak plates; be sure to order the sizzling one.) The serving is HUGE, and I as already feel guilty enough for ordering a hamburger steak in the first place, the size of Dot's serving makes it a bit too much for me.
        Last edited by zff; February 4, 2007, 10:58 AM.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

          Not a plate lunch, but I'm a big fan of the hamburger steak at Kenny's Restaurant in Kalihi. Helen, I know you love that combo at Mahalo's, but man, it's mediocre at best. You go there for the value, admit it.
          But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
          GrouchyTeacher.com

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

            Ive made this a few times for my husband, used recipes from alohaworld.com he usually requests loco moco, all the haoles up here in his command (military) look at him like their nuts. Their like what is that?? My husbands like food why.. funny. Man that sounds yummy right now.. hmmm...

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

              Originally posted by scrivener View Post
              Helen, I know you love that combo at Mahalo's, but man, it's mediocre at best. You go there for the value, admit it.
              The BBQ Chicken is what I really like and I think I rather have the Hamburger Steak instead of the Beef Curry that is offered on some other day.

              Value, yeah sure.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

                I always enjoy the hamburger steak at Liliha Bakery. Bakery Kapiolani also makes a great one too. I also like the one at Ray's Cafe, but they top it off with teriyaki sauce instead of gravy.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

                  While I was reading the first post, I swore I smelt the food.

                  I need the address!
                  How'd I get so white and nerdy?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

                    Originally posted by doc1456 View Post
                    While I was reading the first post, I swore I smelt the food.

                    I need the address!
                    That would be:

                    PONGO'S KITCHEN
                    414D Mokauea Street
                    Honolulu, Hi 96819
                    (Kalihi industrial area)
                    Tel. (808) 845-6008
                    sigpic The Tasty Island

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

                      you haven't lived until you get a hamburger steak from sueoka's in koloa
                      Twitter: LookMaICanWrite


                      flickr

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

                        Originally posted by Pomai View Post
                        That would be:

                        PONGO'S KITCHEN
                        414D Mokauea Street
                        Boy, that looks good! I usually don't order hamburger steak plate lunch because it's so easy, so simple, so basic. But that pic tempts me to try Pongo's. I used to work close to that address many years ago.

                        The last time I had a hamburger plate was in the mid/late 60's at a place off Aiea Heights Drive, hidden within a residential neighborhood. I can't remember the name. We used to hang out there after class during high school days at Aiea. Man, was that a long time ago.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

                          Originally posted by Honoruru View Post
                          Boy, that looks good! I usually don't order hamburger steak plate lunch because it's so easy, so simple, so basic. But that pic tempts me to try Pongo's. I used to work close to that address many years ago.

                          The last time I had a hamburger plate was in the mid/late 60's at a place off Aiea Heights Drive, hidden within a residential neighborhood. I can't remember the name. We used to hang out there after class during high school days at Aiea. Man, was that a long time ago.
                          You could easily turn that into an excellent loco moco with a drop of egg on top. Man that would be killer with some kim chee on the side.
                          Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

                            Originally posted by Honoruru View Post
                            Boy, that looks good! I usually don't order hamburger steak plate lunch because it's so easy, so simple, so basic. But that pic tempts me to try Pongo's. I used to work close to that address many years ago.

                            The last time I had a hamburger plate was in the mid/late 60's at a place off Aiea Heights Drive, hidden within a residential neighborhood. I can't remember the name. We used to hang out there after class during high school days at Aiea. Man, was that a long time ago.
                            We used hang at the same place during high school days at AHS during the 70s. The place was called Omiya's. The building was called Aiea Community Store but everyone called it Kanda's with the laundromat.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Hamburger Steak Plate Lunch

                              Originally posted by na alii View Post
                              We used hang at the same place during high school days at AHS during the 70s. The place was called Omiya's.
                              My friend said one of the ladies (an aunt?) at Omiya's used to lick the rice off her fingers while she made the cone sushi (aburage) in front of the customers. Then she'd ask, "How many you like?".
                              sigpic The Tasty Island

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X