Hilo Lunch Shop
Okazuya-style places are great if you want a nice variety of food at great prices, and Hilo Lunch Shop is one of the most popular ones in Hilo.
It was only 12:30 when we got here, and already most of the food was gone! No more sushi, and a lot of the hot plates were missing/empty. Luckily, there were still some choices left. We made it just in time. Here is what we got to share…
2 scoops rice, 4 pcs nori chicken, 2 pcs breaded Ono (Wahoo fish), nishime, mac salad, and a spring roll. All this for $7.98. Not bad for 2 people… I’m lucky Bev is a light eater.
We both thought everything was really ono. Bev especially liked the nori chicken and mac salad. They are famous for their nori chicken… very flavorful and moist inside, while being crispy on the outside. It’s so good. The mac salad was actually a potato/mac salad with cucumbers, eggs, and carrots — really yummy. Everything else was good too. The breaded Ono was nice and moist inside, the nishime was fresh and tasty. The spring roll was big and crisp, but just average tasting.
Hilo Lunch Shop serves up some onolicious food. Just make sure to get here well before noon!
Hilo Lunch Shop
421 Kalanikoa Street, Hilo, HI 96720
Phone: (808) 935-8273
June 7th, 2006 at 5:49 am
Hey James – Mmmmm, one thing I really misss about the Islands is the Okazuyas. But we always had to go early to get the good stuff, and most places also closed right after lunch. Bad thing was, if I went to grab my food in the morning, it would all be gone before lunch!
June 7th, 2006 at 6:18 am
good to see you post about hilo grinds again brah….I donno brah….i tink hilo get da most authentic local grinds in all da islands….and da hilo lunch shop is one of da originals. Da buggah stay da same from my hannabatta days brah!……dey used to have ono tempura if i remembah….and ono kine cone sushi….always da best aftah early morning surf at Honoli’i brah!
June 7th, 2006 at 7:42 am
Welcome back James…. I really love the Hilo lunch shop, but your right about getting there early. I once got there at 10am and it was packed. Hilo IMO, is really losing it’s choices in Okazuyas. Hilo Lunch is the best one left.
June 7th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
Kirk, I know what you mean! At my work place, we often buy platters of food from here early in the day, and it’s not just lunch for most of us, but also breakfast.
kelly, tanks for being such one loyal reada brah! yeah, i wish dey still wehn have sushi coz it is good!
Dean, yeah, it gets really packed… I havn’t really tried many other Okazuyas here in Hilo since I usually go here, but I know there are a few other good ones.
June 9th, 2006 at 9:00 am
Love that place. Always “a must visit” when I go home.
July 6th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
I love Hilo Lunch Shop!! When my grandparents came up to the mainland for Christmas, they used to get one big okazu. We used to eat ‘em around 9.30 pm Seattle time,after we picked them up at the airport. Was so ono, just a small taste of Hilo.
The only other lunch shop that’s still around from hanabata days is Kawamoto Store–the only thing is those corn beef hash patties get smaller and smaller every year. The chicken long rice is so ono there.
December 30th, 2006 at 8:03 am
yep, absolutely da best…..and i mean everything was so ono…..btw, the have one cold vegetable side-dish with warabi (fern shoots), kamaboko and maybe some onion or something like that…..does anyone have the recipe? it was so good.
June 27th, 2007 at 9:35 am
Thanks for this site!
hifue.info
August 16th, 2007 at 10:39 am
Good info…I used to live Hilo…coming back Oct…I no can wait fo’ sushi like Hilo Lunch Shop’s. No can get in Texas. I rememba how ono da food in dis kine place. I no miss dis one wen I come. I almos’ foget stuff like nori chicken. Pidgin coming back slow…pretty soon mo betta. T’anks fo’ da blog.
October 17th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Hilo Lunch Shop is a winner! I highly recommend their fresh lau laus, the best in Hilo. Also their pipinolish salad keeps you coming back for more. But if tempura is your craving for the day, you have to go to Kawamoto’s. Two kinds of fish, and several vegetable tempuras are offered.