Loco Moco, going crazy for Hawaiian breakfast

For a traveler, there are few things more hospitable and comforting than being offered hometown favorite food dishes.  When Hawaiians leave home to come to the mainland they also leave the culinary customs that are unique to their idyllic part of the world.  Whether you are entertaining someone from the islands or waxing nostalgic after a trip to Hawaii, the morning dish known as loco moco is sure to bring a satisfied smile to everyone at the breakfast table.

This dish is so popular even Wikipedia has a write-up on it... and why not, since 'wiki' is the Hawaiian word for quick:
Loco moco is a dish native to Hawaiian cuisine. There are many variations, but the essential loco moco consists of white rice, topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg, and brown gravy. Variations may include chili, bacon, ham, Spam, kalua pork, Portuguese sausage, teriyaki beef, teriyaki chicken, mahi-mahi, shrimp, oysters, and other meats. Loco Moco is also the name of a Hawaiian-based restaurant chain that serves Hawaiian rice bowl dishes.

History and origin
The dish is rumored to have been created at either the Lincoln Grill or May's Fountain, two restaurants in Hilo, Hawaii, in the 1940's.[1][2] It is a fact that "loco moco" translates to "crazy snot" or "crazy mucous" from Spanish.

Popularity
The dish is widely popular in Hawaii and now on the menu at many restaurants in the mainland.[citation needed] In keeping with the standards of Japanese cuisine, rice is used as a staple starch, finished off with the hamburger, gravy, and fried eggs to create a dish that does not require the preparation time of bento. Loco moco can be found in various forms on many Pacific islands from Hawaii to Samoa to Guam and Saipan.

Recipe [from AdventuresBaltimore.com]  

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound ground beef 
• 1 egg 
• Hot prepared gravy 
• Hot pepper sauce 
• Tomato ketchup 
• Soy Sauce 

Directions

1. Form the ground beef into a patty. 
2. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, cook patty until cooked to your liking; remove from heat and set aside. 
3. Fry egg (sunny-side up or over easy) in the grease from the ground beef. 
4. Assemble this dish by putting a bed of cooked rice in a large bowl, top with hamburger patty, fried egg, and 1 to 2 ladles of hot gravy. 
5. Add hot pepper sauce, ketchup, or soy sauce according to your preference. 
6. Makes 1 serving for a very hungry person. 

Gravy, from scratch, if you've got the itch

• 1 can good beef broth flour for thickening 
• 1 tb butter 
• couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce 

1. Pour a little broth into the same pan and incorporate the stuff in the pan, then pour in the rest of the broth. 
2. Bring to a boil and let reduce for about 3-5 minutes or so, depending on taste, for a more potent gravy. 
3. Turn down heat to a simmer. 
4. Add couple dashes of worcestershire sauce. 
5. In a seperate bowl, mix flour with some water. 
6. Using a whisk, slowly whisk in the flour/water mixture until gravy is nicely thick & smooth. 
7. Turn off heat and mix in the butter until well blended. 

"Loco Moco is a mountainous meal consisting of a heap of white rice topped with a hamburger patty and a Sunnyside-up egg, and then smothered in gravy. This dish is popular for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and is a candidate for the Cholesterol Hall of Fame. As you eat, break the egg - then blend the burger, egg, rice, and gravy on your fork for each bite for a real taste of paradise.

There are many people who claim to have invented Loco Moco, but it is generally agreed that around 1949, either the Cafe 100 or the Lincoln Grill (both in Hilo, Hawaii) originated the first dish of Loco Moco. According to the story, the dish was created for teenagers who wanted something different from typical American sandwiches and less time-consuming than Asian food to eat for breakfast. The nickname of the first boy to eat this concoction was Loco ("crazy" in Portuguese and Hawaiian pidgin). Moco rhymed with loco and sounded great, so Loco Moco became the name of the dish."