$40 in Oahu #2 - Dinner

After a day of feasting on manapuas and kalua pork sandwiches, we've got to conclude the debauchery with another local Hawaiian dish. OK, OK, so this dish is likely not consumed at dinner (it is considered to be a 'plate LUNCH', after all), but it's the only way to fit it in: the Loco Moco is so very Hawaiian, I had to find a place for it in my second $40 days!


A Loco Moco is heavy enough to be dinner for this Japanese girl, though. It consists of a plate full of rice, hamburger patties, eggs (over easy), and a ton of really thick, rich gravy that is surely to contain enough lard to make anything delicious. Well, delicious for the first several bites.


The yolk is meant to be punctured and blended with the rest into a messy gloop. I briefly hesitated stabbing at the yolk as I recalled my childhood memory of sitting at the Misonikomi (udon in thick miso soup - my hometown Nagoya specialty) Shops, fighting my sister off who got a kick out of puncturing my egg yolk when I was trying to let the yolk cook for a while longer in the steamy hot soup. But I quickly regained myself and with gusto, stabbed at the yolk and let it mix in with the rice and burger meat. The resulting gloop wasn't so photogenic, but it was a powerful plate of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. It was rich enough to conquer me in a few bites. Literally.

Those Hawaiian kids eating this kinda mega-meals for lunch - no wonder they come to Japan and become champs at our national sport!

This Loco Moco was from the Kapiolani Coffee Shop for $4.95, which brings my grand total to $27.95!! That leaves $12 to drink some fancy cocktails with umbrellas at one of the Waikiki bars!! If you know of a nice one, let me know for next time!