Poke, Plate Lunch, and Spam: where are we?
I always read the information book that a hotel puts together. I'm more apt to use that book than the Book of Mormon or the Gideon's Bible. I find out if/when there's free food, where the washers & dryers are, if there's an exercise option, and what channels are on the TV. Usually there's a listing of nearby restaurants, bars, and movie theaters. Usually the restaurants are national chains with poor to mediocre, calorie-laden food: Applebee's, Denny's IHOP, etc. Usually we don't go to those restaurants. We make do with complimentary happy hour snacks, left-over lunches, or nearby take-out. In this particular hotel, there is no free food after 10:00 am and Bob's current hospital doesn't provide lunches—so I'm forced to forage every day.
Fortunately this hotel's list of nearby restaurants included the Aloha Island Grill, a local favorite, just a short bus ride away. I've always been curious about Hawaiian restaurants, Eugene OR has at least seven options, Tacoma WA has two or three (none that come highly recommended), Seattle and Portland have plenty to choose from.
I visited with a surfer girl at Capitola Beach who said that Santa Cruz surfers align themselves more closely with the Big Island than with Southern California. Hawaiian culture has strong roots in the Central Coast of California—no where stronger than in Santa Cruz and Capitola. A local radio station has an eight-hour slot devoted to Hawaiian music and the weather supports a life style oriented towards the beach, allows cultivation of tropical plants, and encourages people to be outdoors all year round. Several local restaurants feature Hawaiian cuisine with meat plates, teriyaki, and Hawaiian barbeque.
The development of Hawaiian cuisine reflects the evolution of Hawaii's population. The first wave of voyagers hit the beaches in about 300 AD to an island with an abundance of fish, coconuts, and bananas. The few edible plants, wild boar, dogs, and poultry the new residents brought with them added another level to the existing diet.
Captain Cook, the first of the global explorers, arrived with domestic pigs, pumpkin, melon, and onion seeds for planting. Soon after Cook, American settlers began the cultivation of pineapple and sugar cane, creating the need to acquire property and find bodies to work the fields. When the owners and native Hawaiians tired of being field laborers, China provided the next wave of immigrants and with them came woks and stir fries. Next up: the Portuguese with their chilies and sweet fried donuts. The Japanese soon came with complex broths and seaweed, closely followed by Philippines with garlic and adobo, Puerto Rico with spicy dishes and meat turnovers, and Vietnam with lemon grass, coconut milk, and ginger.
And North America's contribution to the table? A taste of the Midwest—Spam and macaroni salad. (Despite this area's culinary influence on Hawaiian culture, Duluth/Fargo/Brainerd didn't seem to be on the Spamwagon and had no Hawaiian restaurants.)
So what do you get when you whisk up this mix of ingredients?
Poke—raw fish salad without citrus or vinegar. Unlike ceviche, the seafood in poke is not cooked by an acid ingredient.
Plate lunch— two scoops of rice, macaroni salad, and loco moco.
- Loco moco—white rice topped with choice of hamburger patty, Spam, teriyaki beef, pulled pork, sausage, bacon or chili, fried egg and brown gravy.
Determined to succeed this time at riding the bus, I hopped on the #55 to Santa Cruz, and (with the help of a pleasant, young man sitting next to me) hopped off at 18th & Portola, right in front of the restaurant...cool, cool, cool. Slightly worn, tiki torches at the ready, tall totem-like statues guarding the entrance, and surf boards everywhere.
I knew that I had to order loco moco—in the interest of culinary research. Imagine my surprise when it arrived (within a respectable preparation time of fifteen minutes) and it was delicious. As advertised—two scoops of white rice, one scoop of macaroni salad (close to the best I've had), two hamburger patties and a fried egg, blanketed with brown gravy. Not a lunch for the faint of heart but then...
Next time I'm having Poke.
Loco Moco
I've had plenty of on-line help learning about Hawaiian cuisine. My favorite source was "Go Lightly Gourmet" http://danazia.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/history-of-hawaiis-cuisine/, a well written, easy to read, and informative blog. Give it a browse.
Here's a recipe for Poke, courtesy of Hawaii Magazine.
1 lb. fresh ahi steaks, cut into cubed, bite-size pieces
1/4 cup soy sauce (shoyu)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (tops included)
1/4 cup chopped Maui onion (or yellow onion)
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 chili pepper, cored, seeded and diced (optional)
Sea salt, to taste
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
2 tsp. finely chopped toasted macadamia nuts (optional, as a substitute for inamona, which is difficult to find outside of Hawaii)
(Note: You can vary the ingredients to your taste.)
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, and mix lightly. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
Categories: Restaurant, Seafood, Travel, Asian, American
Tags: Aloha Island Grill Poke Loco Moco Hawaii Magazine
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