Eat more than one meal in the Islands and you will no doubt find yourself face-to-fork with the ubiquitous "plate lunch." Hawaii's version of fast food, the plate lunch is inexpensive (usually less than $7), made to travel (to the beach, at least) and meant to satisfy even the healthiest of hungers.

These build-your-own masterpieces begin with a solid foundation of starch, inevitably including rice (white or brown) and a choice of macaroni or potato salad. From there, the options are nearly boundless, but usually include a choice of several types of barbecued pork and beef (mild Chinese char siu pork and tangy Korean kalbi ribs among them); chicken done adobo (braised), katsu (breaded and fried) or teriyaki style; lomilomi salmon (served salted and chilled, Mexican ceviche style) and more.

Every kama'aina (local) on every island has his or her favorite plate lunch shop, but a few good places to start are Honolulu's Ono Hawaiian Foods (for an emphasis on indigenous dishes), Hilo's Café 100 (home of the original "Loco Moco"), Lahaina's Aloha Mixed Plate (superb shoyu chicken), Lihu'e's Fish Express (try the 'ahi katsu) and Kaunakakai's Big Daddy's Store & Restaurant (try everything!).