Time Machine: Waikiki - Day 3, March 7, 2010 (Part I)

Today was the day we go to Halekulani for brunch!  I was looking forward to this the most, as I had read a lot of reviews and blog posts about brunch here.  It's not cheap - I think it was $55 per person, plus tax and tip (I didn't see the bill as Sheri paid my share to reimburse me for our last mileage run).  But what a spread!  Everything looked fresh.  I didn't have enough room in my stomach to sample everything.

We walked from our hotel to Halekulani.  Google Maps said that it was just a 12 minute walk, but it started to rain halfway there.  We were running from awning to awning and ducked into a mall.  I really didn't want to be late to this posh restaurant, even though they probably are used to fashionably late patrons.  Our reservation at Orchids was for 11:30; we made it to the hostess station by 11:28, whew!  The hostess directed us to the waiting room, which looked like a living room inside a huge mansion including a real fireplace.  Very elegant surroundings.  Of course, orchids were prominently displayed.

After a few minutes, we were taken to our table.  I had read some reviews and blog posts mentioning to request a table outside on the patio, but I forgot to do that when I reserved on OpenTable, and I couldn't find a way to add the request after the reservation was made.  But as luck would have it, we were seated right along the edge of the patio!  There were views of the ocean and also of Diamond Head crater.

The buffet was divided into different sections.  There was the omelette station where you can get made-to-order omelettes and eggs.  There was the sushi section where there were different rolls, sashimi, poke, and shellfish.  A salad spread was alongside one of the walls.  There was also a cold appetizer table offering selections such as cheeses, cured meats, pasta salads, etc.  A hot food area contained breakfast foods, fish, chicken, rice, etc. normally found in warming trays, along with a carving station offering prime rib, kalua pork, and turkey.  The dessert table was full of all kinds of cakes, cookies, mousses, you name it.  An ice cream station was available with a person scooping assorted flavors and you add your own toppings.  Lastly there was a "popover" station alongside a selection of breakfast pastries.

Halekulani is known for their popovers, so I had to try it to see what the hoopla was about.  I got one, a dollop of orange marmalade, and a "pain au chocolat" (chocolate croissant) as that is one of my favorite pastries.  I tried a bite of popover; it reminded me of Yorkshire pudding (tasteless), but eaten with marmalade versus gravy.  Maybe I had a bad one, but I didn't understand the appeal.  Glad I had the chocolate croissant as a backup!

I hit the sushi table, as this is where I was going to try to eat $55 worth of food.  There was salmon and tuna sashimi, jumbo shrimp cocktail, cold mussels, four different types of poke, and assorted rolls such as California roll, maki roll, etc.  Everything was fresh.  The sashimi melted in my mouth, no stringy parts.  The poke was tasty.  My favorite kind of poke is "shoyu"-style.  I even tried octopus poke, as I usually avoid chewy foods, but it was actually tender.  As you can see in the photo, I couldn't resist getting some smoked salmon from the appetizer table, topped with capers.  It was so good.  It had a slick texture to it, brightly colored and slightly translucent, versus the fishy, pink opaqueness of smoked salmon you get in a package at Costco or Trader Joe's.

I had a couple of plates from the sushi section and then tackled the warm food area.  I skipped the bacon, waffles, and eggs benedict as I didn't want to fill my stomach with foods I can get from other buffets.  I tried some kalua pork (I asked for the skin, and the chef was all "You want the skin!?" as if it was unheard of) and it was okay.  Then followed by "island fish with caviar sauce" (ie. whatever fish we could find with sauce made up of tobiko eggs that normally top sushi rolls) which was "eh".  Megan wanted only half of a cheese blintz, so I got the other half.  That reinforced why I don't normally get cheese blintzes, yuck.  I found some canned lychees.  I know, canned?  But it was the only lychee selection available, and they were good.  I had wanted to hit the cured meat and cheeses but decided to save my stomach for dessert!

Halekulani is also known for their coconut cake, and I had to have some.  At least I can agree with the reviews, it is good.  I don't normally like shredded coconut (again, I am adverse to chewy foods) but I was able to look past it and enjoy this light and delicate cake.  I read somewhere that you can order this cake from the hotel for something like $150, plus shipping!  I also sampled other wonderful sweets such as the Valrhona chocolate cake, strawberry jelly roll, haupia, vanilla custard, and a huge strawberry topped with real fresh whipped cream.  I know it must have been freshly whipped because it was inside a stainless steel insulated container, and in order to get a dollop, you had to open the lid of this container, grab the big spoon which was COLD, scoop some, and try to slop it onto your plate without making a mess.  That whipped cream was over the top.

My stomach was about to explode, but I could not neglect the ice cream station.  I skipped the omelette station, even though I love eggs.  But ice cream is one of my weaknesses.  The flavors of the day were chocolate, vanilla, some fruity sherbet, and coconut ice cream.  I tried the coconut ice cream.  It had coconut flakes in it (yuck) but I was able to enjoy it anyway.  I topped it with fresh fruit, a few nuts, chocolate shavings, and a cherry on top.  I realized I could've eaten into my $55 budget by scarfing the fresh berries from the ice cream topping bar.  BKM's noted.  (best known method...a term used a lot at my work)

All in all, the Orchids brunch buffet at the Halekulani met my expectations.  (they were high because of everything I read beforehand)  The service was excellent as every empty plate was swiftly taken away, and our requests for beverages were quick too.  The food was abundant, and none of the selections ever looked "almost empty"; it seems like the staff always tried to keep the stations full.  There was a harpist there providing live music to go along with the ambiance.  The view was excellent.  I would go there again and recommend others to try it, if they don't mind the $55 price tag.  Thanks to my friend Garett who mentioned this place in his Facebook updates; otherwise I wouldn't have even thought of going!  I also want to stay at Halekulani itself.  The hotel exudes a relaxing atmosphere, an unlikely escape from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki Beach.