Set in the heart of Honolulu, Koko Head Cafe serves as the place to go when brunch cravings strike any time of the day. All they do is brunch, after all, and they definitely do it well. From their twist on the Loco Moco, dubbed the Koko Moco, of course, to the imaginative Egg Handwich, every menu item is built to impress.
Chef Lee Anne Wong headlines the show, bringing her culinary wizardry and focus on global fusion cuisine. She builds beautiful flavors in every bite by using her training at The French Culinary Institute and work experience at winning kitchens all over the world. As a testament to her start in the fashion world, all her dishes look as good as they taste, too.
Despite the magic happening in the kitchen at all hours of the day, the Koko Head Cafe itself is a bit unassuming. At first glance, you’d never guess that fine dining style dishes await, especially not ones served with artistic plating presentations. But that’s the reality at this little joint. They never skimp on the flair and always go above and beyond to make sure their patrons leave fully satisfied with their dining experience.
With so much put into every dish, it’s no wonder that their tables fill up fast hour after hour. Even at the start of the day, you can find people lining up at the door before Koko Head Cafe officially opens. From there, it’s common for there to be at least a 20-minute wait, although it can extend up to two hours at times. To avoid standing around waiting for a table to open up, you can hop on the waitlist before leaving your hotel. You’ll just need to go through their website or on Yelp to put your name on the list.
Swing by to try these delicious items from Koko Head Cafe:
Cornflake French Toast
A pure picture of perfection, the Cornflake French Toast will leave you admiring its decadence well before taking your first bite. They create this dish by dunking sweet bread in batter, and then covering it in Cornflakes before frying it up to a rich golden brown. After that, it lands on the plate along with billionaire’s bacon and Frosted Flake gelato. Cream black pepper maple syrup goes over the top to finish it off right.
Elvis’s Revenge
You haven’t truly enjoyed the ideal breakfast sandwich until you’ve had Elvis’s Revenge. To create this hand food, Koko Head Cafe dips a banana in tempura and fry it until golden brown while making billionaire’s bacon. Then, they put the banana tempura and bacon on a sweet bun smothered in peanut butter. Toasted coconut and local honey go over it all at the end to complete this delicious treat.
Breakfast Bibimbap
As soon as you get a bite of the Breakfast Bibimbap, you’ll be planning your return trip to this brunch joint. This dish starts with crispy garlic rice in a hot skillet. Over that, they add bean sprouts, ong choy, sesame carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and kimchi. As if that’s not enough, they continue adding bacon, heritage ham, Portuguese sausage, a sunny-side-up egg, and a dash of soy-mirin to bring it all together.
While brunch is definitely the star of the show here at Koko Head Cafe, the team runs a full-service bar as well. You can get all your favorite brunch cocktails, including Bloody Marys and Mimosas, or really anything else you can dream up. If you prefer something a little more low-key, they have beer, wine, and all the top spirits. When it comes to non-alcoholic beverages, they have everything from coconut water and Maui Brewing Co. soda to espresso drinks and hot chocolate.
Insider Tips:
-Although there is no onsite parking at Koko Head Cafe, you can easily find a spot at the paid lot down the block. If that’s full, then look for an open spot on the street and feed the meter.
-They do not allow you to make substitutions, although you can add sides ala carte.
-When dining with six or more, expect an 18% service charge.