The plate lunch is Honolulu's most honest food. Two scoops of white rice, a scoop of macaroni salad, and a protein — chicken katsu, kalua pork, beef teriyaki, or fried mahi-mahi — served in a styrofoam container from a lunch wagon, diner, or drive-through. It costs around $10, feeds a large appetite, and has been the working person's meal in Hawaii since the plantation era.
The plate lunch developed from the bento lunches brought by Japanese plantation workers in the early 20th century, absorbed influences from Filipino, Korean, and Portuguese immigrants, and arrived at its current form sometime in the 1950s. The best places are not restaurants but lunch wagons and small hole-in-the-wall spots. For something more ambitious, Helena's Hawaiian Food in Kalihi is a James Beard award winner that has been serving Hawaiian plate lunch since 1946.