Honolulu Coffee

Best for: Macarons and coffee
Location: Waikiki, Ala Moana, Downtown

Honolulu Coffee is similar to Island Vintage, specializing in Kona coffee beverages and sprinkled throughout Waikiki, catering to tourists who don't mind paying the price. While I tend to prefer the coffee at Island Vintage, Honolulu Coffee definitely has a better selection of pastries.

chocolate mousse in the shape of a cup!

Unlike Island Vintage, Honolulu Coffee has a branch in downtown, which is really convenient. Macarons during your lunch break -  need I say more?

peppermint macarons

So far, these are the macarons in the state. And these are no typical macarons. There are lilikoi, Hawaiian salt, and Kona coffee flavored macarons - only in Hawaii!

lilikoi, pistachio, and caramel & hawaiian salt maracons

pistachio, kona coffee, and caramel & Hawaiian salt

studying at Bishop Square

at the Moana Surfrider Hotel

Lobby Bar

Best for: Drinks, Late-night
Location: Modern Honolulu

Pinot noir and a geisha ($11)

Margarita and rosé

I absolutely love this bar. That is all.

 

Charcuterie

Prima

Best for: Italian
Location: Kailua

After months of wanting to try Prima, a small Italian restaurant that opened up last fall, I finally made the trek to Kailua with Anthony and his friend Justin last week. Prima was exactly how I expected it to be... sort of reminiscent of some of my favorite restaurants in Portland, e.g. Broder, St. Jack, and Grüner -- I'm not sure if it's due to the typewriter font and lack of decimal places and dollar signs on the small menus or the cutesy minimalist decór, but Prima does share characteristics with town, my favorite restaurant in Hawaii. It had to be a good sign.

 

The restaurant looks like a chic cafeteria, with an exposed ceiling, robin's egg blue desk chairs and light recycled wood tables, and an open kitchen that showcases a wood-burning oven.

I had a glass of pinot grigio and shared a boquerones pizza and veal parmesan with Anthony. The boquerones pizza had thyme, white anchovies, chili water, and garlic. The crust was a little dry and too burnt (try JJ Dolan's for the perfect crust), but the toppings were fantastic. Gotta love those anchovies and thyme.




We had reluctantly ordered the veal parmesan because we figured we may still be hungry after just one pizza, and, ironically, this dish turned out to be better than the pizza -- not because of the veal, but because of the spaghetti. It's always exciting when pasta is properly cooked al dente in Hawaii.



Justin had the fried jidori chicken leg and thighs, which came with mashed potatoes and collared greens. Just like my al dente pasta, fried chicken that has flavor beneath the bread brings tears of joys to my eyes.




I regret not trying dessert here, because apparently the pastry chef is a Nobu alum -- is this the same chef who used to create the dolce mascarpone at Nobu that I still fantasize about?? I guess I'll find out next time.

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

JJ Dolan's

Best for: Pizza
Location: Chinatown
Foodgasmic dish: Scampi pie

Scampi pie and the Deli Meat Special

I desperately need to go back to JJ Dolan's -- not just because it easily has the best pizza in Hawaii, but because my photos of my meal there are tragic. Fortunately, Anthony constantly craves pizza, so I don't think a return trip will be too much of a request.

We shared the Scampi Pie ($18.50), which was loaded with bay shrimp, mushrooms and scampi sauce, for $18.50. Now that is what a crust should taste like!

Meatballs, pepperoncini, Portuguese sausage, and garlic ($19)