Not all chili pepper chicken plate lunches were made equal, but at least two of them offered on this island are worth coming back for more. Both establishments are not too far from each other – one is in
Not all chili pepper chicken plate lunches were made equal, but at least two of them offered on this island are worth coming back for more.
Both establishments are not too far from each other – one is in the Ching Young Village shopping center in Hanalei and the other is in the Kojima’s store parking in Kapa‘a town.
If you’re a surfer with a hungry appetite or an inveterate connoisseur of local plate lunches, it’s no secret to you that the Village Snack Shop and Bakery in the Ching Young Village is the hotspot for chili pepper chicken on the North Shore.
The boned chicken thighs are deep-fried crisp on the outside, skin intact, yet juicy on the inside.
It is bursting with an intense sweet-salty teriyaki marinade spiced with just enough chili pepper and a few secret ingredients to incite you to take just one more bite.
You might even find a flake or two of the authentic red Hawaiian chili pepper on the chicken, proof that it’s a homegrown recipe.
The recipe is the joint creation of Michael Ching and one of the snack shop’s original workers, Narcine Concepcion. Concepcion and her husband Dan bought the snack shop from the Larry Ching family seven years ago, said Jeff Culverhouse, Ching Young Village manager.
The plate comes with a choice of a lively seasonal green salad sometimes enhanced with bell pepper, cucumber and tomato or a scoop of macaroni salad and a scoop of brown or white rice.
You have the option of dining outside or inside the snack shop.
At the picnic table just outside, listen to live Hawaiian music coming from the south end of the open mall and take in the fresh tradewinds.
Or dine inside, where the temptation of fresh pies, cakes, pastries and cookies abound.
Hanalei Snack is open from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday and until 3 p.m. on Sunday. But come in as early as you can because it is a hot item.
Heading from the North Shore into Kapa‘a town, in the Kojima’s parking lot is another unassuming eatery.
Kay’s lunchwagon serves another version of chili pepper chicken that is less spicy but equally habit-forming.
In a class of its own, this plate is a completely different presentation in that it uses deboned chicken thighs cut into bite-sized morsels.
It is fried to a medium crisp and its moderately intense juices with a hint of chili pepper drips onto a nice bed of shredded cabbage.
The flavor is perfect for those seeking the authentic flavor of chili pepper chicken on a lighter level.
This entree is complemented with a fresh salad using locally grown greens and topped with a choice of Chef Vance’s unique local-spiced homemade dressings with white or brown rice.
Chef Vance is aiming for a menu using only healthy, island-raised and island-grown ingredients, including fresh fish, locally raised cattle and locally grown greens.
Picnic tables next to the wagon is the dining area, shaded by tarps, where you can enjoy the fresh ocean breezes wafting from just across the street.
An added benefit is sometimes when he’s not busy, you have the privilege of talking to Kay’s vivacious owner and chef, who has a way of keeping you entertained.
Kay’s is more than a lunchwagon. It is from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday, so it also serves dinner. Both versions of the platelunch cost around $8.
