MAUI The Filipino Version of Chow Mein "Pancit"

Plate lunches from a Filipino dig are gaining popularity in the islands, as far as Asian cuisine is concerned, Filipino foods to me are one of the more exotic, the aromas range from basil, thyme, ginger, garlic, scallions, fish sauce (patis), vinegar, olive oil, anchovies, shrimp paste, wine, brandy, and a myriad of veggies and fruits. With influences from other Southeast Asian countries and mainland China, and Japan, as well as the occupation  of Spain, Filipino foods are awesome.


If you are a culinary student, the Filipino kitchen will utilize every method and technique you are in school for. Braises (adobos), Deep Fry (Chichorones), Stew (Dinuguan), Roasts (Lechon), Steam (Pork Butts/Fish/Squid).


But if in Hawaii, and you want to learn to eat what locals here eat, go to the nearest Filipino dig, and get yourself some Pancit (Pan sit) it is an egg noodle dish, likened to the Chinese's Chow Mein. Generally speaking, it is bits of pork, garlic, ginger, scallions, mushrooms, stir fried in oil, with some patis in there and some annatto water.


What gives Pancit its kick is the garlic, ginger, and the fish sauce. Try it and see if you like it.
You can add any ingredient to Pancit noodles

THAI STYLE AU PART 2

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THAI STYLE Marlin (Au) on our Lick em UP cooking show from Maui.

THAI STYLE AU PART 1

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PART 1 OF our Lick em UP! Cooking Show, Thai Style Au (Marlin)

Maui- Local Foods Cont. Katsu Don (Japanese Influenced)

Japanese influenced foods are a big part of the plate lunch culture, here I'll explain one Japanese influenced dish that is very popular, and if you can get it, try it. It is called Katsu Don, it is made up of deep fried breaded pork (tonkatsu), onion, and egg on rice. Don short for Donburi means "bowl" hence a bowl of rice with different ingredients make up the Donburi.


Seasonings range from dashi (fish base) soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, sake, or broths of various kinds, but the base of the bowl is the steamed white rice. Japanese is famous for the umami, and the chefs utilize a lot of those ingredients which make up Japanese food.

MAUI Local Faves "Chow Fun"

Chow Fun noodles tossed around in a hot freekin wok, that's excellent, and easy to make. If you are in Hawaii, look for a plate lunch dig that serves up Chow Fun noodles. What are Chow Fun noodles? It is usually made with rice flour, or wheat flour, and looks kind of rectangular and flat in comparison to an Udon noodle.


Some chefs will use these ingredients, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, thin cuts of beef, chicken, or pork. With thin slices of round onions, green onions, carrots, and is cooked quickly. The noodles are usually bought from a supplier, dried or already cooked but soft, and all the chefs need to do is either boil the dried ones to soften, or just blanch the cooked ones and strain them. Basically what Chow Fun is is just a stir fry with the noodles added into the wok or pan to heat through, that's it. 


Sichuan Style Chow Fun (Wheat Noodles)

MAUI Foods Locals Crave Chopped Steak with Onions

When vising 808 the state, and you love beef, find a local dig that has Chopped Steak with Onions, it is a simple dish, served at most diners, it is basically around 8 oz. of sliced flank, or other beef cut, and sauteed in oil, garlic, sometimes with ginger, and is cooked in a concoction of soy sauce, sugar, with onions. Diners vary on how they cook it, some digs will put in oyster sauce, or sesame seed oil, it varies. But the basic ingredients are the steak and onions.


Dousing it with ketchup and more soy sauce is common with the local crowd, and like all plate lunches it is served with the equivalent of 2 scoops of white sticky rice, and a scoop of rich macaroni salad.


So if you want to eat what locals eat, Chopped Steak and Onions is one option that can't go wrong unless the cook really  messes it up by over cooking the meat and onions. Remember, that Hawaii is made up of different ethnic groups, hence there is different influences of Chopped Steak, a Korean chef may make it Korean with the kalbi seasonings, the Japanese chef may turn it into an almost teriyaki style, an Italian chef may add in oregano, basil, garlic and tomato sauce. You get the drift.


You wanna be a true local in Hawaii, ask for chili pepper water, kim chi, and put some mayonnaise on your rice, locals love mayonnaise, ketchup, soy sauce, fish sauce, and just about anything that's rich.

Maui- Thai Kine Food

Hawaii is the melting pot of Asia, so yes Thai food is just as big here as it is anywhere else in this little world of ours. Do I love Thai? Yeah for me, Thai and Indian foods is right up there, me loves them spicy foods.


If you come to Maui, there's a few Thai digs around in Lahaina, Kihei and Kahului. 

Khao mun kai Steamed rice with slices of chicken with chicken broth, served with fermented yellow bean paste, ginger, garlic, Thai chilies. 


Just one of the faves of the islands, the list is endless man, because we are so diverse.