@Entity
@Table(name = "VIEW_MENU_ITEM")
public class MenuItem {
   
   @Id
   @GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.AUTO)
   @Column(name = "ID")
   private Long id;
   
   @Column(nullable=false,name = "ITEM_LABEL")
   private String label;
   
   @Column(nullable=false,name = "TARGET")
   private String target;
   
   @ManyToOne(fetch = FetchType.LAZY)
   @JoinColumn(name = "PARENT_ID")
   @Cascade( { org.hibernate.annotations.CascadeType.SAVE_UPDATE })
   private MenuItem parent;
   
   @ManyToOne   
   @JoinColumn(nullable=false,name = "CATEGORY_ID")
   private MenuCategory category;
   
   @Type(type="yes_no")
   @Column(length=1,name="IS_DEFAULT_ITEM")
   private boolean isDefault;

..getters

@SuppressWarnings("serial")
@Entity
@Table(name = "VIEW_MENU_CATEGORY")
public class MenuCategory implements Serializable {

   @Id
   @GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.AUTO)
   @Column(name = "ID")
   private Long id;
   
   @Column(nullable=false,name = "CATEGORY_LABEL")
   private String label;
   
   @Column(nullable=false,name = "CATEGORY_KEY")
   private String key;

..getters

      return session.createCriteria(MenuItem.class)
      .add(Restrictions.eq("category.key", category)).list();

      return session.createCriteria(MenuItem.class).createAlias("category","category1")
      .add(Restrictions.eq("category1.key", category)).list();