Okazuya

Okazuya(御菜屋orおかずや) orokazu-yaare a Japanese-styledelicatessencommon in Hawaii. Unlike westerndelicatessensfound in North America or Europe, anokazuyais an establishment that sells readymade Japanese-styled food. "Okazu" refers to a side dish to accompany rice, while "ya" refers to aretailestablishment.
InHawaii, anokazuyaoffers an array ofokazu, food items that are soldà la carte, often by the piece, which can be combined to create a meal.However, many of the dishes may also be offered in the form of ready-to-gobento.It is often considered the precursor to theplate lunch.
The idea of theokazuyawas a result ofJapaneseandOkinawanimmigration in the late 1800s. Thousands came toHawaiito work ascontract laborersin the fruit andsugar plantations.While men labored in the plantation fields, women were doing household jobs such as cooking. Many of these women would eventually sell their cooked dishes to other plantation workers for additional income.These establishments were essential in the daily lives of immigrants, particularly for bachelors who did not have the resources or knowledge to cook for themselves.Although the localokazuyaderive its name and recipes from Japan, they are still considered very much Hawaiian.Many of theokazuyathat exists today were started byOkinawanswho retired from plantation work in the 1940s.
Numerousokazuyaare standalonetake-outshops or attached to anotherfamily businesslike a neighborhood grocery store,but there are a few that have a dining area or have an adjoining restaurant. Olderokazuyahave typically remained afamily businesspassed down from generation-to-generation.Consequently, the challenges of multigenerational establishments have forced several to close when family members choose other careers.Much of the work is done manually, requiring 18 hours a day.Each of the mainHawaiian Islandshas anokazuya.Oahuhad as many as forty-twookazuyain 2000, but that number has decreased to less than half by 2022.The oldest existingokazuyaon Oahu isSekiya'swhich was opened in 1935.One of the oldest in Hawaii wasNagasako Okazu-ya DeliinLahaina,Maui, opened in the early 1900s before it was destroyed in the2023 Hawaii wildfires.
Numerousokazuyaproprietors and workers typically start very early in the morning to prepare theokazubefore opening the shop in order to target customers who purchase lunch before the start of workday.As a result, several dishes are  sold at room temperature,although a fewokazuyahave modernized with equipment such asfood warmers. These dishes are often displayed on the window front or counter (sometimes without prices) for patrons to see.Very few remain open past lunchtime, in order to prepare for the next day. While manyokazuyaoffer traditional and similar fare, ingredients and preparation ofokazucan vary greatly from one shop to another. "Fried chicken" at one shop may consist of battered boneless chicken thighs while another usespankobone-in chicken wings.
As suggested by the name,okazuare dishes that are enjoyed with rice. Thus, many are characteristically salty or salty-sweet, with partial use ofshōyu(soy sauce) andmirin(sweet cooking wine) as ingredients. Several of these dishes were a result offusion cuisine, adapted to the ingredients and tastes of the time.Okazuya-stylechow funis simpler than Chinesechow funand is a common substitution foronigiri(rice). A "potato hash" (or "hash patty"), sometimes containing small amounts of cannedcorned beef, are described as pan-fried potatocroquettessanspanko. TheOkinawan dishrafuteis pork belly simmered inshōyusweetened with sugar. This popular concept was applied to dishes like chicken and hot dogs which were widely available and affordable, now known today as "shoyuchicken" and "shoyuhot dog" respectively.Tamagoyakioften includeSPAM,hot dogs, orfishcake.
In the present day, severalokazuyahave included in their offerings to modern local-Japanesefusion dishessuch as  "chickenkatsu," "furikakechicken," "garlic chicken," and non-Japanese foods such as Chinesestir friesincludingchow mein, Filipinoadobo, Koreankalbi, Hawaiianpoke, and Americansteak.