This video is dedicated solely to Zippy’s-Hawaii’s most beloved restaurant chain.
Like any local kid born and raised in Hawaii, I grew up eating Zippy’s food, whether it’s at one of their 24 convenient restaurant locations spread across the islands or at family potluck events.
Some of Zippy’s menu items, like their famous chili and fried chicken, have become Hawaii staples that both locals and tourists love.
Now, is Zippy’s the best quality food? No, not really. Will you be able to find “better” Hawaii local food elsewhere on the island? Of course! However, when it comes to evoking nostalgia, Zippy’s, for me, is at the very top of that list.
Zippy’s also has its lane, and they do a great job of serving that specific purpose. They have a bunch of locations, and more importantly, are open late, which is perfect for drunk people stumbling out of bars or if you’re simply hankering for a late-night snack. And not to mention, Zippy’s has been serving tasty food for over 50 years, so you’d think they know what they’re doing.
Lastly, don’t mistake Zippy’s as Hawaii’s version of a Denny’s or IHOP. Denny’s and IHOP are total garbage when compared to Zippy’s. Zippy’s is a beloved establishment amongst local people.
But enough of me talking. Let me show you my favorite Zippy’s dishes.
CHILI & CHICKEN MIXED PLATE
This is my go-to Zippy’s order. The plate comes with two scoops of rice, one scoop of Mac salad (a Hawaii plate lunch staple). Sidebar: Zippy’s Mac salad, in my opinion, is absolute fire and one of the best mac salads on the island. You have two pieces of crispy golden fried chicken, and they’re world-famous chili.
Okay, I need to talk about their chili for a second. It’s thick, creamy, and delicious.
If you asked me what nostalgia tastes like, Zippy’s chili would be my answer. I remember being in college on the mainland, I’d be homesick for Zippy’s chili, and I’d literally buy a bunch of frozen packs of them from the nearest Asian supermarket, which wasn’t cheap, especially for a broke college student. But to me, whenever I was a tiny bit homesick, a bowl of Zippy’s chili was the perfect remedy, and why I’ll always have a special soft spot for it.
Anyway, let’s give this plate a try.
Chili and fried chicken make for the perfect pairing.
ZIP PAC
Zippy’s claims this is their most popular menu item. I mean, it’s the quintessential beach lunch. You got a piece of fried chicken, breaded Hoki fish, a slice of Teri beef, and a piece of the infamous Spam, all on a bed of rice topped with furikake with a side of takuan which is a Daikon radish.
KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN PLATE
This is one of the newer menu items, but I remember when I first tried the Korean Fried Chicken, I knew it would be an instant hit. Seriously, what’s not to love? You have crispy golden pieces of fried chicken topped with Korean sauce.
You are again accompanied with rice and Mac salad. Okay, let’s dig in. It’s crispy, you get the sweetness from the sauce, and you get all of the juicy goodness from the chicken. 100% onolicious!
MINI CHILI MOCO
This is a mini chili moco, Zippy’s rift off of the loco moco. Loco moco can be found at many local eateries throughout the island, and it’s usually made with a piece of hamburger steak, two eggs of any style, and smothered in brown gravy.
Zippy’s chili moco is the same idea, but they cover it with their famous chili instead of brown gravy.
I went with the beanless chili, so it mimics the gravy-like texture. Also, I ordered the miniplate to highlight the fact that they do offer smaller portions for most of their plates if you’re trying to watch your figure
OMELETTE SANDWICH, PORTUGUESE
I had to order the Portuguese sausage omelette Sandwich. This sandwich is the perfect stumbling out of a bar at 2 AM, having consumed one too many alcoholic beverages and needing something to soak up said alcohol. Well, this is the sandwich for you.
It’s made up of egg, cheese, Portuguese sausage, sandwiched together by a Hawaiian Sweet roll. I know it doesn’t look like much, but let me tell you, this is drunk food at its finest.
Two of these bad boys will squash any future hangover guaranteed (not really).
APPLE NAPPLE
Last but not least, we have Zippy’s uber-popular apple napple. Apple is my number one favorite flavor of pie, like a handheld version of an apple pie.
Let’s have a taste. It’s soft, flaky, and you have the creamy apple filling. This is an excellent bookend to an otherwise filling meal.
So those were my favorite Zippy’s foods. They have many other items on their menu, which I’m sure are just as tasty as the ones I’ve shown you here. But if you’re visiting the island for the first or 101st time, I implore you to go to a nearby Zippy’s restaurant.
The food is relatively cheap, really filling, and you’ll experience what Hawaii’s local cuisine is all about.
OUTRO SONG: / futurejames
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14 июл 2024
