Here To Eat: Ace Eats America 10 Plates at a Time

Price: $6.45
Rating: ***** / *****

The Hawaiian plate lunch is something that has intrigued me since I saw Rachael Ray fake a mouthgasm while eating one on an episode of $40 a Day. Semi-interestingly enough, I first thought that $40 a Day was a show about spending big and eating gourmet, but was shocked when I found out that it was about eating on a budget. I guess they took my idea for $40 a Week and shortened it down or something. Anyway, she didn't really seem to genuinely enjoy it too much, but I knew that rice, fatty meat, and macaroni salad was a meal that I could dig on.

The biggest thing that bothers me is the price of the meal. It'll cost you $9.00, including a tropically themed drink, for a meal that they serve you in a styrofoam tray with a plastic knife. I at least want silver cutlery if you're charging me that much! From what I understand, the mainland Hawaiian barbecue places jack up the prices since they have the market cornered. While it is a bit too pricey to eat consistently, it is really, really, really good. Really.

I got the Chicken and Beef combo and asked for the deep fried chicken instead of the grilled one. Chicken Katsu is different from traditional fried chicken because it is coated in fine panko bread crumbs and not seasoned. That's where the sauce comes in. Some places serve it with a gravy, but this one came with a tangy brown sauce. To go along with it, a huge heaping pile of sauteed beef made the whole thing special. The barbecue beef is fatty and heavily seasoned, both traits perfect for this type of fair. Lean beef would be underwhelming, and the fat keeps it moist so that you further enjoy your rice and macaroni salad.

The sides are an essential aspect of the meal here. The signature of a proper Hawaiian macaroni salad is that the dressing is mild and the macaroni is soft. It is yummy, there's nothing else quite like it. The 1 and a half scoops of rice were well cooked, but my only complaint was that I was finished with my rice before I was even halfway done with my chicken and beef. Still, by that point I was full and the leftovers went great with a fresh batch of rice the next day. Huzzah!

Posted by Anthony Nguyen on Thursday, December 07, 2006 at 12:10 AM | Permalink