On our way back from attending last week’s red carpet event, Scott and I both agreed that, even though there was plenty to explore on Oahu and plenty of work to be done at {and on} the house, we hadn’t spent enough time visiting old haunts in Waikiki in the month plus that we’ve been back on island. We set about remedying that very gleefully and managed to head down for brunch at the Moana Surfrider Resort.
The Moana has been around since 1901 and has that kind of a historic look and feel to it. We were pleasantly surprised to find it reminded us a lot of the things we liked best about the Grand Floridian Resort where we got married, except this is the genuine article. It’s been updated throughout, and really is the best of both worlds – old world elegance combined with new world tech, especially in the kitchens of its wonderful restaurants.
The Beachhouse is a fairly new addition. According to the website, it’s only been around since 2007, but they really know their way around their food. You can see some of their fine dining offerings there, but what you won’t see is that they also serve a delicious breakfast menu and host a breakfast buffet, along with special occasion meals {this is our current top pick for our annual Easter Brunch restaurant experience}. We decided to partake, but thanks to the Aloha Flower Parade that closed down Kalakaua Avenue, we missed the buffet. But we were able to catch the end of breakfast!
We were seated out on the terrace, right beside the Banyan courtyard. Pretty much everywhere in the restaurant offers a beautiful beach and/or ocean view, and there’s a nice breeze coming off the water to cool you down so you can enjoy your coffee and morning mimosa in comfort.
As you may remember from my variations on this wonderful dish, I’m always a fan of Eggs Benedict. The Beachhouse does some wonderful variations of their own, and after some hemming and hawing, I decided to try their traditional version with smoked salmon. And let me tell you, it was not only beautifully presented, it was phenomenal.
I’m always excited when restaurants serve me beautiful food in beautiful atmosphere – it’s a lot easier to produce beautiful food pictures when everything is pretty much conspiring to set you up for success. And the beautiful environment doesn’t hurt either.
If your travels ever take you to Waikiki, stop by the Moana Surfrider and walk around. There are plenty of beaches, spa experiences, and shops in the beautiful architecture to tempt anyone, and there’s a meal worth stopping in for at the Beachhouse.
What’s been your favorite dining experience lately? Share!
KCS
P.S. This is not a sponsored post, nor was I compensated in any way for this restaurant review. Although if the Moana Surfrider or the Beachhouse wanted to bring my husband and I back to taste more delicious food and take more pictures, we wouldn’t say no.
