Still life with fruits, nuts, and large wheels of cheese. Hawaiian vegetable amuse bouche, roughly analogous to Southern U. Standard plate lunches consist of two scoops of white rice, macaroni salad, and an entrée. A plate lunch with more than one entrée is often called a mixed plate.
Although the exact origin of the Hawaiian plate lunch is disputed, according to Professor Jon Okamura of the University of Hawaiʻi, the plate lunch likely grew out of the Japanese bento, because “bentos were take away kinds of eating and certainly the plate lunch continues that tradition”. As the days of the plantations came to an end, plate lunches began to be served on-site by lunch wagons to construction workers and day laborers. Later, local hole-in-the-wall restaurants and other stand-alone plate lunch restaurants began popping up, then plate lunch franchises. Overwhelmingly, popular plate lunch entrées reflect Asian influence.