Okazuya (御菜屋 orおかずや) orokazu-ya are a Japanese-styledelicatessen common in Hawaii. Unlike western delicatessens found in North America or Europe, anokazuya is an establishment that sells readymade Japanese-styled food. "Okazu" refers to a side dish to accompany rice, while "ya" refers to a retail establishment.[1][2][3]
InHawaii, anokazuya offers an array ofokazu, food items that are soldà la carte, often by the piece, which can be combined to create a meal.[4] Many of the dishes may also be offered in the form of ready-to-gobento.[5][6] It is often considered the precursor to theplate lunch.[7][8]
The idea of theokazuya was a result ofJapanese andRyukyuans immigration in the late 1800s. Thousands came toHawaii to work ascontract laborers in the fruit andsugar plantations.[6] 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.[9][10] 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.[11][12] Although the localokazuya derive its name and recipes from Japan and Ryukyu Islands, they are still considered very much Hawaiian.[13] Many of theokazuya that exists today were started byRyukyuans who retired from plantation work in the 1940s.[14]
Numerousokazuya are standalonetake-out shops or attached to anotherfamily business like a neighborhood grocery store,[6] but there are a few that have a dining area or have an adjoining restaurant. Olderokazuya have typically remained afamily business passed down from generation-to-generation.[15] Consequently, the challenges of multigenerational establishments have forced several to close when family members choose other careers.[6][11][16] Much of the work is done manually, requiring 18 hours a day.[15][17] Each of the mainHawaiian Islands has anokazuya.[18]Oahu had as many as forty-twookazuya in 2000, but that number has decreased to less than half by 2022.[18] The oldest existingokazuya on Oahu isSekiya's which was opened in 1935.[19] One of the oldest in Hawaii wasNagasako Okazu-ya Deli inLahaina,Maui, opened in the early 1900s before it was destroyed in the2023 Hawaii wildfires.[20][21]
Numerousokazuya proprietors and workers typically start very early in the morning to prepare theokazu before opening the shop in order to target customers who purchase lunch before the start of the workday.[6][16][17] As a result, several dishes are sold at room temperature,[6] although a fewokazuya have modernized with equipment such asfood warmers. These dishes are often displayed to patrons on the window front or counter (sometimes without prices).[15][20][22] Very few remain open past lunchtime. While manyokazuya offer traditional and similar fare, ingredients and preparation ofokazu can vary greatly from one shop to another. "Fried chicken" at one shop may consist of battered boneless chicken thighs while another usespanko bone-in chicken wings.
As suggested by the name,okazu are 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 fun is simpler than Chinesechow fun and is a common substitution foronigiri (rice). A "potato hash" (or "hash patty"), sometimes containing small amounts of cannedcorned beef, are described as pan-fried potatocroquettes withoutpanko. TheOkinawan dishrafute is pork belly simmered inshōyu sweetened with sugar. This popular concept was applied to dishes like chicken and hot dogs which were widely available and affordable, now known today as "shoyu chicken" and "shoyu hot dog" respectively.Tamagoyaki often includeSPAM,hot dogs, orfishcake.
In the present day, severalokazuya have included in their offerings modern local-Japanesefusion dishes such as "chickenkatsu," "furikake chicken," "garlic chicken," and non-Japanese foods such as Chinesestir-fries includingchow mein, Filipinoadobo, Koreankalbi, Hawaiianpoke, and Americansteak.[6][15]
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