Hawaiian Comfort Foods - Loco Moco is Oh So Ono!

"Ono" (oh-no)

1. John Lennon's widow and the woman often credited with breaking up the Beatles.
2. The Hawaiian reference to the Wahoo fish.
3. A Hawaiian word for tasty, yummy, delicious...you get the point.

Loco Moco (loh-ko moh-ko) is a mighty meal of white rice topped with a hamburger patty and an egg cooked medium, sunnyside-up, then smothered in gravy. Sound appetizing? It should! Widely accepted as the original, home-made Hawaiian fast food, Loco Moco, can be found just about anywhere in the Islands: fast food joints, mom and pop restaurants, roadside lunch wagons, etc. - any food establishment serving comfort food, or "local grind," will have this uniquely-Hawaiian dish. I would recommend that you not go looking for it on any hotel restaurant menus (the staff may give you a strange look), however, the more local the establishment, the more likely they may serve it. Loco Moco is popular for any meal of the day: breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and is truly what cardiologists (heart doctors) would call a "heart attack on a plate," but, as many locals will testify, it's well worth the risk. As you dig in, you're supposed to break the egg and then combine the burger, egg, rice, and gravy on your fork for each bite...try it, you'll like it! Many folks have claimed to have invented the Loco Moco, but it is now generally agreed upon that it was created in 1949 by the Inouye family, who owned the Lincoln Grill in Hilo, Hawaii. It was concocted by a group of young boys who, not having much spending money, asked the owners to put rice in a bowl with a burger patty and some gravy (the egg came later)...it was much cheaper than a burger entree. One of the boys was nicknamed "Crazy," so they named the dish loco moco - loco because that's Portuguese and Hawaiian pidgin for crazy and moco just because it rhymed with loco! Making Loco Moco In a bowl, in the following order, put

• 1 large scoop of white rice
• 1 ground beef hamburger patty, cooked to your liking
• 1 fried egg, preferably medium and sunny-side up or easy over-ed
• brown/beef gravy, as much as you want!

Optional: onions, scoops of macaroni salad, fried saimin noodles...you decide! Many Hawaiians and myself resort to the Loco Moco for a quick and satisfying reminder of the Islands; and to get a quick beef, salt, fat, and more salt fix! Warning: Hawaiian foods are not the most sodium or fat/calorie-friendly foods (watch for our health-conscious Hawaiian Grinds article coming shortly). Even though Loco Moco is one of the simplest dishes I've ever made, it doesn't hurt to have a handy recipe on file for quick reference. Here are some of our favorites:

• Big Island Grinds Loco Moco Recipe
• History and Recipe of Hawaiian Loco Moco
• Loco Moco Recipe Video

This post is dedicated to my friend Minnie C. in the Bay Area who needs a little Hawaiian comfort these days. I'd make you some Loco Moco, but you don't eat red meat! Maybe we can try RecipeZaar's vegetarian version instead! Too lazy to make Loco Moco and just want to read about it? Check out these great articles on the Loco Moco experience: The Tasty Island: The Loco Moco at Rainbow Drive In and Big Island Grinds: Collection of Loco Moco reviews. photo courtesy of flickr: su-lin