Island Lava Java

Best for: Brunch with a view
Location: Kailua-Kona
Foodgasmic dish: Smoked salmon benedict

I only had three prerequisites when choosing the restaurant for Anthony's birthday brunch; it had to be 1) beachfront, 2) in Kailua-Kona, and 3) not too expensive, since I had splurged on his birthday dinner celebration. After reading countless reviews, Island Lava Java, a small, casual restaurant facing the bay,  became the clear winner. Since some pictures on Yelp showed its tables covered in white table cloth, I figured it couldn't be that informal. However, other pictures were taken of a long counter inside the restaurant for orders, implying that wait service was nonexistent and customers instead stood in line. I didn't know what to expect, but everyone raved about the food, so I returned to OpenTable and made our reservations.

On our final day on the Big Island, Ian (our favorite cabbie again!) dropped us off in the parking lot and made plans to pick us up later to take us to the airport. Island Lava Java was packed when we arrived, so I'm glad I had made reservations. Much to my relief, the restaurant had white table cloth and wait service.

We were seated at the exact table we had been eyeing while weaving through the crowd. It was perfect - in the shade, close (but not too close) to the live music, and offered a direct view of the coast on Ali'i Drive, the winding, beach-lined road that I had quickly become fond of.

Anthony and I both wanted the smoked salmon benedict on a buttered croissant (wouldn't you?). Is it ironic or completely predictable that Anthony, the birthday boy, was the one to cede the benedict and order a ciabatta burger instead? Children in Western society (the only society about which I can justifiably make claims) are taught that on their birthday, self-absorption is condoned, even encouraged, and that every desire should be satiated - usually by an eager parent. Perhaps it is a mark of maturation when we become more selfless on our birthday, or at least act more selfless (is there a difference between being and acting selfless?). It is precisely because of that ingrained sense of entitlement that the older we get, the more steps we take to consciously act the opposite way. Somewhere between a spoiled six-year-old and a jaded adult embarrassed by his age lies the better part of decorum.


How did I get from croissants to social norms? I'm not quite sure what point I was trying to make, especially since Anthony probably let me have the smoked salmon because the burger really did sound just as enticing.

Anthony's burger - not a bad alternative at all

My smoked salmon benedict was wonderful. Forget English muffins (once again, England, an item you've produced proves to be subpar); I want my poached eggs served on buttered croissants from now on.

My smoked salmon benedict on a buttered croissant, served with potatoes

The ukulele music was a lovely accompaniment to our morning; when you're beachside brunching in Hawaii, nothing else can really top Jack Johnson. Or a more socially-conscious spinoff of that "I wanna be a billionaire..." song.

Despite the staff ignoring my note on OpenTable that we were celebrating Anthony's birthday, just like at our dinner at Honu's (what's going on, Big Island restaurants?!), our Island Lava Java brunch was the perfect meal to conclude our weekend in Kailua-Kona. After a few more hours of playing tourist, i.e. gallavanting around hotels, checking out tacky shops, and snacking on too many Hawaiian treats, we caught our final cab back to the airport and headed home.

Honu's Bar and Grill

Best for: Seafood buffet
Location: Kailua-Kona

A couple of weeks ago, Anthony and I hopped over to the Big Island to celebrate his 25th birthday. Yep, he's now a quarter of a century old. It was his first time on another island, and it was my first time in Kona since middle school. From what I remembered, Kona was exactly what we were looking for - touristy, relaxing, and the perfect size for a three-day getaway.

I had spent the week before our trip doing extensive research for Anthony's birthday dinner. Or at least I thought I did. My original plan was to take him to Beach Tree at the Four Seasons, an elegant restaurant/lounge right on the beach, with live entertainment. It was a little pricier than what I had wanted to spend, but I justified it by reminding myself that we didn't have a Four Seasons back in Honolulu, and, thus, it would be a while until I'd have another chance to dine at one. So I made reservations using OpenTable, one of my favorite internet sites, after Amazon and that site that lets me watch Gossip Girl for free.

It wasn't until the day before the trip that I finally looked up the exact location of the restaurant. Turns out the Four Seasons is almost an hour away from our hostel and is inaccessible by bus, which only runs twice a day anyway. Damn. Toto, I have a feeling we're not on Oahu anymore. Since we wouldn't be renting a car until the following morning, and I assumed cabs were too pricey for us, the Beach Tree seemed out of the question. I quickly went on yelp, a site that I use, not for the reviews, but for finding restaurants categorized by locations. I made sure to narrow down my search to restaurants in Kailua-Kona, the "urban" section of Kona, which would be on our way to the hostel.

I finally stumbled upon Honu's Bar and Grill, a beachfront restaurant at the King Kamehameha Hotel that offers a seafood buffet every Friday and Saturday night. Seafood buffet. I knew Anthony would love a buffet, so, unless he preferred one of the two pizza places also on my list, it looked like Honu's would be the selected venue. I was right. For once, he passed on the pizza and was excited for a buffet. I returned to OpenTable and booked a table for two.

We arrived in Kailua-Kona about two hours before our reservation, allowing us time to explore the main street and even indulge in an iced Kona coffee beverage at one of the many coffeeshops sprinkled throughout the city. We headed back to the sprawling King Kamehameha Hotel (think Hilton Hawaiian Village, without the obnoxious zoo animals roaming about) and finally entered Honu's. After choosing a table partially inside and outside, we went straight to the buffet line, eager to stuff ourselves with seafood.

Those of you who know me probably wonder why I even bother with buffets; I get full about halfway through a plate. However, like a good American, I appreciate the concept of buffets - lots of choices and unlimited portions must be good, right? - never mind that quality and service tend to be sacrificed.

For my first round, I filled my plate with clam chowder, dinner rolls, and seafood pesto. The clam chowder was wonderful, probably my favorite part of dinner. My next round consisted of crab legs. Only. My mom wasn't around to crack the crab legs for me, so I put the birthday boy to work (I knew he'd come in handy!). As expected, the quality of the crab was somewhat inconsistent, but was, as are all things that require work and come in small packages, still perfectly satisfying.

our epic pile of crab legs

We had come at 6 and thus dined through the sunset, a glorious sight even though it happens every night. I only had a few more pieces of sashimi because I wanted to save room for more important things in life, e.g. dessert. The dessert table at buffets never disappoints! I ordered my second Kona coffee of the day (I could get used to this town...) and piled on the desserts. They had the requisite cakes, pies, and cookies.

My only complaint about Honu's (and another place in Kona, Island Lava Java) is that the restaurant ignored my little note in the Special Requests box on OpenTable that we were celebrating my boyfriend's birthday. It wasn't a big deal because I hate singing in public anyway (I'd need one more glass of wine for that), but, still. Anthony could've gotten a bowl of complimentary ice cream that would have gone perfectly with his dessert of choice from the buffet -- a simple chocolate chip cookie.

Service was attentive and the view was just as I'd hoped. In the end, I'm glad I chose Honu's over Beach Tree; Anthony, who is not impressed by stuffy, five-star restaurants, seemed to have enjoyed his dinner, and that was all that mattered.

The Fish Hopper

Best for: Breakfast
Location: Kailua-Kona

Anthony and I met Ian on our first day in Kona, when he picked us up from the airport and dropped us off at what he assumed to be our hotel (the King Kamehameha Hotel) in Kailua-Kona. He was an awesome cab driver, overwhelming us with restaurant suggestions and driving advice on how to get to the volcanoes, all in a delightful British accent. His first restaurant suggestion, since he considerately instructed us in chronological order, was the Fish Hopper.

After spending the week prior to our trip conducting restaurant research, I recognized the Fish Hopper. It had been on my "Anthony's Birthday Breakfast" list for a couple of days, but I had eventually taken it off because I'd noticed a breaded-and-fried trend on its menu. However, Ian was very convincing, and, much to my relief, I found it easy to avoid fried seafood, especially during breakfast.

On Saturday morning, our hostel owner Annie was generous enough to drive us all the way into town and dropped us off right by the restaurant. We were seated on the balcony, with direct views of the bay. I ordered the macadamia brioche french toast ($9.95) and another cup of Kona, while Anthony had pancakes, eggs, and spam, with a side of rice -- he's such a local. My portions were tiny, which meant that, for once, it was the perfect size for me. Encrusted with macadamia nuts and topped with whipped cream and maple syrup, my two slices of french toast were a perfect start to a day of exploring the volcanoes.