Café Kaila shows that breakfast success is in the details

MOILIILI—A year or so ago, I was training for the Honolulu Marathon and began a ritual of going out for a hearty breakfast after long Sunday morning runs. During those several peak training months, my family sampled a range of breakfast spots throughout East Honolulu; the marathon became a fun excuse to try different restaurants but we couldn’t help but feel a bit of a breakfast void. There was one place, however, that we revisited time and time again for its fresh and filling fare: Café Kaila in Market City.

Chef/owner Chrissie Kaila Castillo did not go to culinary school. Instead, the café was born of her passion for breakfast, her favorite meal of the day, and the talent she cultivated while cooking it for family and friends. She has learned the art of running a restaurant through trial and error. 

The gracious staff is largely composed of her friends, which explains why the place is so welcoming. She is also grateful to her faithful patrons for their feedback, which she has incorporated into the current menu.

Everything is cooked to order, so there are currently plans to renovate and enlarge the kitchen, which should help to expedite orders when the place gets slammed. Kaila is also looking to offer dinner a few days a week in the near future.?

Café Kaila is the kind of neighborhood place that is accessible and affordable enough to attract a loyal following, yet special enough to remain a “treat” each time you visit. The staff is sharp and warm, the setting bright and airy. European landscape paintings and a working fountain lend a certain Café charm and help diners to forget, at least momentarily, that they are in a shopping center. But it is the simple, yet scrumptious food that has made it such a success.

I typically come to Café Kaila on a weekend day, when it is customary to see a line out the door, particularly after 9:00 a.m. Happily, Castillo tends to come out from the kitchen and offer samples of her waffles to her patient patrons, making the wait endurable while heightening anticipation. My most recent visit, however, was on a Tuesday at about 9:30 a.m. Still, a long list of crossed-out names on the clip board indicated that there had been a morning rush and the place was still buzzing with only one or two empty tables. 

The menu combines reliable standards (Two Eggs Any Style, Buttermilk Pancakes, $7.95, and $6.95, respectively) with more creative offerings such as Cinnamon French Toast ($7.50) and Frittatas ($9.95). In general, the offerings lean towards cosmopolitan comfort food: Lox and Eggs ($9.95), Croissant Sandwich ($7.95), Italian Omelette ($9.95), and The Local Scramble ($9.95), a nod to local palates with its choice of Spam, bacon, or Portuguese sausage. 

On this particular morning, we split the Italian Omelette and the Belgian Malted Waffle ($6.95). It helps to have a dining companion who shares so that you don’t have to choose between sweet and savory, since Café Kaila executes both so well.

The Italian Omelette initially struck me as an odd combination (eggs and eggplant?) but since I have never had anything that wasn’t tasty at Café Kaila, I felt confident about trying it. Sure enough, it was delicious. It features eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms sauteed with garlic and basil, melted mozzarella cheese, and a touch of fresh marinara sauce. The eggs themselves were wonderfully light and fluffy and were not overpowered by the vegetables, as I had feared they might be. 

I think the fact that the vegetables are finely diced helps maintain the proper balance in flavors and textures. Castillo also uses just the right amount of cheese—enough to feel indulgent but not so much to be heavy. The eggs were well complemented by the rosemary-scented red potatoes (though rice is also an option), which happily come in addition to (not instead of) toast; critical for a post-workout refueling session.

It’s hard for me to come to Café Kaila and not order her standout Belgian Malted Waffle. It has inspired me to start making waffles at home, but I have not yet been able to achieve Kaila’s crisp yet cake-y perfection and wonderfully malty flavor. 

To top things off, literally, you can select from an assortment of fresh fruit: bananas, blueberries, caramelized apples, or strawberries. I typically opt for the strawberries, and for $1.50 you get an astonishing quantity. 

Having steered clear of restaurant waffles for most of my adult life, not wanting to re-experience the gooey messes that I ordered as a child—syrupy strawberries with a scary shine to them and so much whipped cream that the waffle was immediately soggy—it is a relief to just enjoy the natural sweetness that comes from using the best strawberries available on a given day, whether they be from Kula, or organic from California. 

And just a touch of pure maple syrup goes a long way; you definitely won’t miss the whipped cream.

In a similar vein, her pancakes and french toast are equally delicious, depending on your mood. Kaila herself shared with me the simple reason for that: The batter is made in small batches every morning (meaning that on busy mornings, several batches might be made).

Café Kaila is also child-friendly. They offer $5.00 Kiddie Meals that include milk or juice. One of my daughters always selects the pancake with sausage; the other devours scrambled egg with rice, bacon, and toast.

In general, the food at Café Kaila is wholesome, beautifully presented, and tastes like it was made thoughtfully. It is the antithesis of say, the industrial breakfasts found at most hotel buffets or chain family restaurants. Though the price is comparable. And Café Kaila also gives free and frequent refills on your coffee. 

While the emphasis is on quality rather than quantity, you won’t leave hungry, either. The portions are generous without being ridiculous. Whatever you choose, you are bound to leave feeling well nourished, well cared for, and feeling like the day is full of possibility.

Café Kaila is located in Market City, at 2919 Kapiolani Blvd., and is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. In addition to serving breakfast all day (a rarity in these parts), the café serves lunch from 11:00 a.m. onwards, offering a selection of specialty paninis, salads, pastas, and other homey specialties. For more information, call (808) 732-3330.