Plumeria Beach House

Best for: Beachside Brunch Buffet, Happy Hour, View
Location: The Kahala Hotel

Only $32 for a brunch buffet literally steps away from the beach

If I could only go to one restaurant before I die, I would choose the Plumeria Beach House - not necessarily because it's the best restaurant I've been to (although, it's pretty damn good), but because I have so many memories here. I practically grew up at the Kahala Hotel, as I am within walking distance and have celebrated many special occasions throughout my life at this restaurant, e.g. my high school graduation party, various Mother's and Father's Days, ballet and piano recital celebrations.

Whenever I have guests in town, I always take them here for brunch. This is the place that initiated my love for the three B's: Beachside Brunch Buffets. Of all the beachside restaurants I've been to in Hawaii, Plumeria offers the best view - unobstructed views of Portlock on the left (and sometimes other islands on clear days) and Kahala on the right.

live Hawaiian music

grilled Kahuku corn

The brunch buffet is my favorite meal here, and I usually have this about once a month. There is an omelette station at which you order customized egg dishes, bruschetta bar, miso soup station, fruit station, cereal station... so many stations! One of my favorite brunch dishes here is the thinly-rolled pancakes soaked in melted maple butter that oozes out with every bite.

Their famous pancakes - thin, rolled up, and soaked in maple butter.

gorgeous views, any time of the day

The brunch buffet is slightly over $30, which is an amazing deal for what you get. Service could use some work, but I guess I shouldn't expect much for a buffet. Service is much better later in the day, when it's less crowded.

This is obviously not my plate

they now have a bruschetta bar!

I just recently tried Plumeria's new happy hour, and it was lovely. Live Hawaiian music can be annoyingly touristy, but since it's in Kahala not Waikiki, the singing trio somehow seemed less cheesy. Cocktails are $8 and pupus are about $6-8. What a bargain! And these aren't the cheap cocktails usually available during happy hour. I ordered a Plumeria sparkling sangria, which is Chandon sparkling, grand marnier, dekuyper amaretto, orange and pineapple juice. Jae ordered a Boston sour, made of Makers Mark bourbon, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, and angostura bitters. We shared two dishes, calamari and hummus. Nothing really interesting, but both tasted great. I will try the more interesting dishes next time I go.

$8 happy hour Plumeria sparkling sangria

$6-8 happy hour calamari and hummus

A couple of weeks ago, Mizuki and I had dinner at Plumeria. Secluded and beachfront, this is the perfect place for a romantic evening. Unlike the hustle-and-bustle at brunch, dinner time is more relaxed, and service is much better. We came on a Wednesday night, so I'm pretty sure the other three occupied tables were all guests at the Kahala Hotel.

 Not sure why the sky looks so purple...

Mizuki felt like celebrating (she can always find an excuse for celebration), so we started with a bottle of prosecco. I ordered the rosemary and Hawaiian salt roasted half chicken. You can't go too wrong with roast chicken and mashed potatoes, but this one was exceptionally tender and full of wonderful rosemary flavor. Mizuki had the Crab and Clam Boil ($34), of course, which came with butter poached Hawaiian white crab, king crab, clams, black mussels, sweet prawns, fesh catch fish, corn, and potatoes.

Tomato cheese soup ($10)

Rosemary and Hawaiian salt roasted half chicken with mashed potatoes ($28)

We both ended our meals with a latte, which, much to my delight, came with Kahala's signature sugar stick, which releases the perfect amount of sugar into the coffee drink.

Latte ($6.50)

I've been here for dessert a few times as well. They have about ten desserts, all delicious but none are very interesting. If you want more innovative desserts, go to Morimoto instead. Plumeria's dessert cocktails are great and about $12 each. My favorites are the Perfect Night (coffee, frangelico, Baileys and amaretto) and Keoki (coffee, Kahlua, brandy, and dark crème de cacao). What a perfect way to end the night.

Waialua chocolate mousse cake: light, creamy mousse made from cacao grown on Oahu's north shore, $10