Ohana, a restaurant near my office, has loco moco on the menu. It’s all right, but I nearly always get the beef teriyaki bento instead because it’s so good. The loco moco is a bit bland. What’s a good way to jazz it up a bit?
I don’t know what i would do to jazz up something that literally translates to “crazy snot”.
More salt.
Better gravy? Seasoning in the hamburger?
Now I’m hungry.
Black pepper; sriracha sauce (they usually have some of this at my local Hawaiian BBQs)?
I think the point of loco moco is ginormous fat intake as opposed to lively flavor experience. That said, I love it, though I’ve never ordered a whole one for myself. My cardiologist would object.
For a dollar more you can add bacon.
I couldn’t bring myself to do that.
Does anyone have any idea when this gastrointestinal delight might be making its way to the Midwest?
I’ve never even tasted it, and I already love this dish.
About the only thing I think it might be lacking is cheese.
Maybe you can introduce it there. Loco Moco is a bowl of white rice topped with a grilled hamburger patty smothered in brown gravy (and onions) topped with a fried egg.
Oof.
I met a friend for lunch, and I ordered the loco moco (which did come with the macaroni and potato salad). She ordered the teriyaki salmon bento. Only they brought out the beef bento. No good to her, since aside eating seafood she’s vegetarian. Being a good friend I had to help her remove those charred bits of bovid carcass… a chopstickful at a time. Stuffed like a demon, I tells ya! (And they comped her lunch for the mix-up, which was completely unexpected. I left an eight-dollar tip, which is what her meal would have cost. 
)
Loco mocos are not meant to be jazzed up-- when done right, they are culinary perfection. If it is merely “all right”, then either the hamburger patty, rice, or gravy are not up to snuff.
God, I can’t wait to go home this month.
You guys notice that when you try to convince lifelong mainlanders that they should try the most delectable island delights (loco moco, spam musubi, guava cake, haupia, manapua, poke, lau-lau, etc) they look at you like you’re completely insane and it takes a great deal of convincing? I mean, you even suggest kalua pork and people are all ambivalent and nervous about it. Sheesh.
They have SPAM musubi at Ohana too. I get it more often than the loco moco.
All of the stuff you just listed is one of my main goals when I go to the islands. I adore it. I just love how you guys sell this wondrous food right at a plain ol’ supermarket. I can walk in and buy a buttload of fresh poke and a big square of haupia for lunch, then take it all to the beach with a pair of chopsticks and have a fabulous meal.
"Oh my god, you cook the whole pig in the ground?!" :eek:
I don’t even try to convince them anymore, especially when it comes to Spam. Some people get this look in their eyes when you say the word “Spam” and it’s clear that they’re already dead set against anything that contains the stuff. Whatever. More for me!
SPAM-salad sandwiches.
Run SPAM through your meat grinder.
Mix with Miracle Whip and sweet pickle relish.
Chill.
Serve spread between two slices of Wonder white bread.
Shut up! The lot of you! It’s my dad’s recipe. He had to convince people to eat it. Once they did, they asked for more.
PS: What’s wrong with cooking the pig in a pit? 
All those are delicious…except poke. GodDAMN that stuff is nasty. My grandpa used to eat it by the barrel. I still gag at the thought of it.