Boyhowdy's Hawaii Foodie Excursions - Episode #1

Best described as a Hawaiian-style Denny's, the Zippy's restaurants have been a part of the local-dining fabric for over 40 years. With 25 locations peppered across O'ahu, anyone who has resided on the island for more than, say, 6 months has eaten here. Serving everything from your standard cheeseburger to the more-uncommon fare, like tripe stew & kalua pig cabbage, Zippy's has got something on the menu for everyone.

Yesterday, after escaping the unforgiving afternoon heat in the air-conditioned confines of a movie theater (BTW, 'Iron Man' is fantastic!), a friend & I revisited this former high-school haunt & ordered up some of our faves.

Of the dozens of menu selections, Zippy's is certainly most famous for its chili. Thick and hearty, it is served in a variety of ways - over a hot dog or burrito, atop spaghetti noodles, in an omelette, as nachos, etc.. They'll ladle it on anything you want! We went with two of the tried-&-true options...chili & cheese fries:

And the uncomplicated 'chili w/ one scoop rice':Burger combo orders include a side of either potato salad, macaroni salad, soup, french fries, or tossed greens, but my friend ordered his Mushroom Burger (quarter-pound patty topped w/ mushrooms sauteed in garlic butter) a la carte:Of course, I needed to order something that would look impressive on this blog...behold, the Zip Min! Saimin is kinda like ramen or pho - slightly-doughier noodles served in a fish-based broth. In the case of the Zip Min, it seems like everything but the kitchen sink is added...breaded shrimp, char siu pork, fish cake, pork-filled wonton, egg, Chinese greens, seaweed, and green onions!It goes without saying, there was no room for dessert.

Zippy's is the kind of place you go to when indifferent, but hungry. Nothing on the menu is truly brilliant, but everything's satisfying. On a scale of 5 poi bowls, I'll give it a 3.5, if only for the nostalgia.

http://www.zippys.com/


Ciao4Now.