Hawaiian Aroma Caffe at the Waikiki Beachcomber

On our last day of our staycation, we slept in and decided on acai bowls for breakfast. I had heard great things about Hawaiian Aroma Caffe at the Waikiki Beachcomber which was just a short walk away. We had missed the morning rush, but the caffe was still pretty busy. The seating inside the caffe is first come first serve and there are also a few tables outside by the pool.

We ended up with two acai bowls, a traditional waffle, and an almond latte.  The kids loved the acai bowls and I really enjoyed the fluffy waffle.  It was a nice casual breakfast! They are open Monday-Friday from 6am to 2pm and then again from 5:30pm -9:30pm. On Fridays and Saturdays, they are open from 6am to 9:30pm and on Sundays from 6am to 5pm.  

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The Nook Neighborhood Bistro Closing April 4

Mochi waffles

When I saw the sad news on fellow Hawaii Mom Blog blogger Nat’s story about the Nook permanently closing on April 4, I immediately booked a reservation. I needed to get a last taste of their mochi waffles that I loved so much!

The Nook is offering takeout and both indoor and outdoor seating for brunch Friday through Sunday 8am to 1pm. You can also book a private Nook at Nite dinner for up to 15 people. 

Wishing them a fond farewell and looking forward to see what they have coming up next! 

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Pizzas, Waffles, and Honey Slushes at Wicked Hi Cafe

We recently tried Wicked Hi’s famous honey slush at their cafe in Waialua! Although we were primarily there for the super refreshing honey slushes, I couldn’t resist trying their sourdough pizzas and waffles.  We loved the pizza so much, we returned the next day to pick up a couple of pies to enjoy at the beach. 

House made Margherita pizza.

Vanilla Brioche waffle.

They are open daily from 9am to 5pm and closed on Tuesdays. You can phone ahead your order at 808-636-8162.

Wicked Hi Cafe

66-935 KAUKONAHUA RD.

WAIALUA, HI 96791

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Tater Tot Waffles

Months ago, when I told a friend of mine that I wanted to try and make hash brown waffles, she said tater tot waffles would be a great idea too.

I finally bought a bag of tater tots over the weekend so I could try and make Tater Tot Waffles.

My first attempt was a fail - I didn't put enough thawed tater tots on the waffle iron, and the waffle just fell apart.

The second attempt I made sure to put even more tater tots, and the waffle stuck together better.

Just be sure to completely fill up the waffle iron with tater tots, and let it cook for about 5-6 minutes, until the waffle is golden brown.

This is my kind of waffle!

I love all things savory for breakfast, so I really enjoyed this tater tot waffle.

My husband doesn't care for tater tots, but he loved the waffle (although he did say maybe it was the egg yolk from the accompanying egg that gave it that extra yumminess).

If you love tater tots as much as I do - make some tater tot waffles for your next breakfast!

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Koa Cafe

I love mochi anything so I was anxious to check out the fairly new Koa Café.  Koa Café is a new concept by the same family as Koa Pancake House and known for innovative dishes like their mochi waffles and mochi pancakes.

My son and I arrived on a Saturday morning, just early enough to snag one of the last available tables.  The ordering concept is the same as Koa Pancake House.  You order and pay; get a table; and they bring you your food. 

The décor of the cafe is nice and clean.  Bright white tables and chairs fill the dining area with bar seating lining one side of the room.  

We shared the Guava Lava Mochi Waffle and The Usual with fried rice.  I liked the sweetness of the guava puree and the waffle tasted just like butter mochi, but I wish it had been chewier.  On the other hand, I really liked the fried rice.

Glad they are opening a second location at the Ka Makana Alii in Kapolei so I can try more of their creative dishes!   

Guava Lava Mochi Waffle

The Usual comes with a meat, two eggs your way, and starch.  I subbed for fried rice.

Koa Café is open daily from 6:30am to 2pm and is located on 2700 S King Street.  Parking is available in the adjacent lot.  

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Try This Mochi Waffle Mix!

I've noticed the mochi waffles post has garnered a lot of attention lately, so I wanted to share this mochi waffles mix I found at Don Quiote.  It's called Maffles and it's made in Hawaii. 

The mix is predominantly mochiko as you will see by the fine cloud of dust that will encompass everything when you empty the bag.  Follow the directions on the bag by adding milk, oil, and an egg. 

Mix for a minute and your doughy goodness will look like this. 

Use an ice cream scooper or spatula and portion into rounds and roll in granulated sugar.  This gives the waffles a sweet caramelized coating. My daughter loves helping me out with this step. 

Next heat up your waffle iron and cook for 2 minutes. I like to do one at a time so they come out looking cute. I've heard you can also add fruit into the mix. Haven't tried that yet but will soon.  Enjoy  the mochi chewiness of these waffles! 

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Visit Portland: The Waffle Window

Before I visit a new city, I make sure to check Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat.  Portland, Oregon has two on the list:  The Waffle Window and Built to Grill.  In all fairness to Built to Grill, waffles will win me over every time so without any further research I put my trust in Yelp and added a stop to the Waffle Window in my two-page, single spaced, color coded itinerary.

Waffle Window has two locations and serves up handmade Portland style Liege sugar waffles using premium local and seasonal ingredients.  We visited their super cute restaurant on Alberta Street.

They have a great selection of seasonal, sweet, and savory waffles.  You can even have a sundae waffle or take home some frozen waffles.   My friend and I decided to share one of the seasonal waffles with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and sliced peaches and we each got our own blackberry basil lemonade made with fresh basil and real blackberries.  I was really tempted to get the blackberry basil mimosa, but responsibility won out as we had a 40 minute drive to the Woodburn Premium Outlets in front of us.

The waffle was delicious and I probably ate more than my share, but hey, I gave up my mimosa!  The waffle was crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside and was amazing paired with the fresh fruits and whipped cream.  I loved the lemonade!  Next time, I will get a mimosa for sure.  Another great recommendation from Yelpers!

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Mochi Waffles

I wasn't kidding when I said the mochi waffles from the nook neighborhood bistro made an impact on me. I spent a good deal of time looking for a recipe but all I could find were recipes for moffles (mochi blocks heated in the waffle iron).  I was only able to find one that sounded close and of course I didn't bookmark it, but luckily I printed the list of ingredients.  Basically, it's a waffle recipe substituting half of the flour with mochiko, a sweet rice flour. 

Mix 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of mochiko, 1/4 tsp salt, 2T sugar, 3 tsp baking powder. 

Mix in 1 1/2 cups milk and 2 eggs. 

Here's the batter. Spray your waffle iron with a non-stick spray.

 

Looks good! These waffles are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. They were pretty yummy, but of course not as yummy as the ones from the nook.  But hey, my daughter loved them and my mochi waffle craving is satisfied...for now. 

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Yogur Story

After visiting Yogur Story for the first time during the Dishcrawl Brunch, I was quite impressed with the menu and ambiance, and suggested to my girlfriends that we should have our holiday get-together there, so we recently celebrated the holidays there just a couple of weeks ago (yes, we usually celebrate at the start of the new year since it's so hard for us to all get together during the holidays).

Here are the items we ordered:

 Cranberry Chicken Salad Croissant (the person who ordered this LOVED it).

Dolce de Leche Waffles

Breakfast Croissant (the person who ordered this doesn't care for eggs, so when she requested "no egg," the server said she'd ask to put an extra bacon on the sandwich).

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich (several people ordered this, and they seemed to enjoy this as well).

Cobb Omelette - This is what I ordered.  I really enjoyed it.  The Bleu Cheese added a nice tangy flavor to the omelette.

West Hollywood Waffle

Oreo Cheesecake - I split this with a friend.  It was VERY good!

While there, I had a chance to chat with Brent Paul, the Manager at Yogur Story.  We briefly talked about  such things as the transition from a yogurt shop to a full-service restaurant (a bar now stands where the yogurt machines once were), the popularity of their waffles (most popular is the Red Carpet), and the possibility of opening new locations (yes - it's a possibility!).

The decision to change to a full-service restaurant has proved to be a wise one, as you'll find guests often raving about the dishes, especially the waffles, on social media.

Also, as guests have noted on social media, the service can be a bit slow, just as it was during this visit.  The restaurant was pretty crowded, but there were moments when the wait seemed extra long.

However, our server was very friendly, and overall we had a very nice lunch at Yogur Story, and I can't wait to go back to try the Red Carpet Waffles!

Yogur Story: 815 Keeaumoku St, Honolulu, HI  96814; (808) 942-0505

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