Big Island Grinds

Today I went to Cafe 100 for lunch. It was really crowded. Most of the people were already sitting down eating, so luckily there was not much of a line. I go to Cafe 100 every so often since they have a great variety of food and nice, fast service. The eating area is open-aired and breezy.

(I am temporarily borrowing this pic, and will get a new one up soon)

The menu includes daily plate lunch specials and all the local favorites, but what is most impressive is their loco moco menu. They have the most extensive loco moco menu I’ve ever seen! This is where many say the loco moco started, so the menu was no surprise. But how does it compare with other loco mocos in Hilo?

I ordered the Super Loco!

2 eggs, 1 beef patty, 1 slice spam, 2 pc. portuguese sausage, loads of rice, mac salad, gravy all over, and kimchi (supposedly) on the side. It’s huge. It only costs $4.45.

First thing I thought was… “where’s my kimchi!?” All the other times I’ve ordered this they gave a small container of kimchi. *sigh* It’s ok…

Here’s a closeup.

HooooOO brah!! Look good ah?

No forget da loco moco essentials.

Start grinding already!

• Burger: Tender and tasty, but way too thin and too small.
• Gravy: Taste like good ol’ regular brown gravy made from the gravy powder. It was just enough to bring everything together, but it could’ve used more. I do wish it were thicker with richer flavor.
• Eggs: Done really well! Perfectly cooked. I could taste the flavor of butter as I ate a piece of egg.
• SPAM: It’s SPAM, how can anyone go wrong?
• Portuguese Sausage: Ono. Nice and crisp.
• Mac Salad: Cafe 100 makes excellent mac salad. It’s actually a mac/potato salad served on finely shredded cabbage. It has a great consistency and taste.
• Rice: Good, but for me, there was way too much compared to the amount of meat and gravy given, but if I was super hungry, I guess I wouldn’t complain.

I often see tourists come to Cafe 100 to try a loco moco for their very first time, and while Cafe 100′s loco moco is ok, there are many other places that serve better versions. I would recommend Blane’s Drive Inn or Ken’s House of Pancakes. Their burgers are much bigger and the gravy is much tastier. Yet, there’s still something special about Cafe 100 that makes me come back.

I will get more pictures of Cafe 100 very soon. My camera should be in tommorow or the day after!

Cafe 100
969 Kilauea Ave
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
(808) 935-8683
(808) 935-6368 Menu Hotline

What better way to start this food log off with one of Hawaii’s most famous comfort foods? The loco moco! Origins of the loco moco are still debated, but most agree that it began right here in Hilo.

What is a loco moco? It’s white rice, a hamburger patty, an egg, and gravy “all ova”. It’s delicious. It’s beautiful. It’s versatile. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner. It’s usually cheap too.

Almost every drive inn and local restaurant in Hawaii serves their own version of the loco moco (I even added a Loco Moco category to this flog), but one of the best are at Blane’s Drive Inn (often mispelled Blaine’s). Also, their onion rings are sooo good. But put them both together and everything gets exponentially ono!

There are two locations for Blane’s and both are in Hilo. (Update: A new Blane’s has opened in Honoka`a) The one I went to today is in the industrial area across wal*mart. It gets crowded during the lunch hour since it’s near a lot of businesses. Lucky I went early today.

Blane’s has several different types of loco mocos (spam, korean chicken, teri beef, and pretty much any other meat that they have) and two sizes (bowl or plate).

Real loco moco lovers know the only way to go is the original hamburger loco moco. The hamburger loco bowl has rice, one burger, one egg and gravy ($3.00). The plate has lots more rice, two burgers, two eggs, gravy, mac salad, and miso soup ($6.25). I had the bowl today.

So how was it brah???

• Gravy: Thick, brown, tasty and rich… great consistency.
• Burger: Very tender. Tastes like they add other ingredients like onions and other things that make it taste yummy. Sort of like a good meatloaf flavor.
• Egg: Over-easy, soft, yolky, cooked just right. Perfect.
• Rice: Average local rice. Maybe a bit under-cooked, but not really noticable when eaten with everything else.

And the side dish:

The onion rings were crispy on the outside with a light batter, toasty brown, and very good. Nice big slices of onion inside. Perfect with the loco moco, especially when dipped in the gravy.

What a match! Blane’s loco moco and onion rings have been so good to me today.

Any other loco moco recommendations?

Industrial Location:
150 Wiwoole St Hilo 96720, Menu Hotline: (808) 969-6677, Phone: (808)935-2259

Downtown Location:
217 Waianuenue Ave Hilo 96720, Menu Hotline: (808) 969-6677, Phone: 969-9494