When Kalapawai Cafe & Deli extended its reach from Kailua to Kapolei, we on the west side took right to it, drawn to the boldy green, plantation-style structure right on our main drag.
The Kalapawai model is local-style and family- friendly, but with enough sophistication on the menu that we don’t have to head for the higher prices of the Ko Olina resort to get a dose of dining finesse.
Happy hour, available from 3 to 6 p.m. every day, is an ideal respite after a day of errands, or chores, or just because.
The experience
Kalapawai has a bright, comfy indoor-outdoor bar, and happy hour centers here on full service at the counter or on high tops on the lanai. The dining room is open too, so you can pick an indoor seat, but you’ll have to walk up to the bar to order.
We almost abandoned our outdoor table in the late-afternoon heat when flies started buzzing us, but then a breeze kicked in, chased away the bugs, and we settled down for some fresh air and sustenance.
The food
Items on Kalapawai’s bar menu are $2 off at happy hour, covering 14 drink-friendly items from sweet chili edamame ($4 with the discount) to New York steak ($14, ditto).
For your basic finger food, choose onion rings, fried calamari or fries (truffled or done up with cheese and furikake) — but the sleeper on the menu is the chicharrones ($6), big, pillowy pork rinds made in-house and served with Andy’s Bueno Salsa, made in Kailua by salsa meister Andy Doka.
Play with the texture and let the snappy bites wallow in the salsa for a bit. They’ll soften just enough to give you some chew with your crunch. If you just need a snack, this would be my suggestion.
For a more substantial pau hana, choose from shareable items like fish and chips ($12 at happy hour), or lechon kawali ($12), the classic Filipino dish of crisp roast pork, tomatoes and onion done here buffalo-style with a spicy sauce. If you prefer the traditional vinegar sauce (we did), just ask for it.
Mini Skinnys (pork sliders, $10) come in threes; fish tacos ($12) in twos. You can have the fish done battered, blackened or grilled; we picked blackened — mildly spicy, rounded out with a chipotle crema sauce.
If it’s just you, the Kalapawai Bar Burger ($8) is a third-pound of wagyu beef, juicy and smoky, a quite satisfying burger served with fries so you could make a meal of it. If the lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickle don’t fulfill your vegetable needs, add avocado for $2 more.
We also ordered the steak, grilled up pupu-style with a good amount of sauteed cremini mushrooms and onions. Tender and subtly seasoned, the steak’s beefiness was front and center.
The drink
Beer, wine and house cocktails are discounted by $1 for pau hana, and the cafe has a generous drinks list.
Kalapawai’s intriguing craft cocktails ($6 to $11 when discounted) use local juices from Govinda’s, fresh fruit and homemade syrups.
The options are many, from shandies and sangrias to a Bulleit Bourbon Old-Fashioned, but we always gravitate to the strawberry-jalapeno margarita. Made with Sauza tequila, Govinda’s lime juice and studded with berries, it’s got a bite, plenty of fresh flavor and never fails us.
On our most recent outing we added the Jack & Ginger (Jack Daniels with Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur and more Govinda’s lime) and a pear martini (Absolut pear vodka with cava), a Spanish sparkling wine. Both were refreshing choices, the martini on the sweeter side; the Jack & Ginger packing just the right boozy, gingery bite.
The beer drinker in our group picked a sampler of four 5-ounce pours ($9), choosing among eight local draft brews from Kona, Maui and Waikiki brewing companies, Aloha Beer and Kohola Brewery.
The verdict
It’s great to have the Kalapawai option in our neighborhood, but really, we’ll share with those of you not lucky enough to live Kapolei. Come visit — it’s not that far. We have a mall, a Costco, some really nice movie theaters. Then, happy hour out on the lanai.
Join us.
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Kalapawai Cafe & Deli
711 Kamokila Blvd., Kapolei kalapawaimarket.com/ kapolei, 674-1700
Happy Hour: 3-6 p.m. daily
Food specials:
>> Chicharrones with salsa, $6
>> Burger, $8
>> New York steak, $14
