I hate to admit it, but being a food writer doesn’t mean I have my finger on the pulse of all the new eating places — our Crave editor, Kelli Shiroma Braiotta is the go-to on that. Instead, I like to live vicariously through people who have the time and patience to wait in long lines at new restaurants. And then, after checking out their content, I will decide if it’s a place I think I might like. Such was the case for Oli’s Kitchen at Puck’s Alley (next to Nijiya Market). One of my friends reached out asking if I had tried it, touting the ono dishes. Then, Kelli went to a media preview and enjoyed it so much that she told me that I needed to check it out. A recommendation coming from her is gold, so my family and I made plans to try it.
We ventured there on a recent Saturday to find it moderately busy around 10:30 a.m. Little did we know it was the calm before the lunch storm. At one point, the line was so long it went out the door and spilled onto the sidewalk — so you know it’s gotta be good. Spoiler alert: It was!
During our meal, I got some weird looks, which normally happens because I order my main meal and dessert and ask our server to bring both at the same time. I alternate sweet and savory bites because I believe it makes the flavors pop more (e.g. a bite of a savory steak is amplified after eating a brownie and ice cream).
It’s one of the reasons I was delighted when perusing the menu at Oli’s Kitchen. There are an array of breakfast dishes like a lox and bagel ($12.50), loco moco ($16.10) and Mediterranean avocado toast ($10.95), as well as local-style plate lunches featuring spicy shrimp ($19.99), hamburger steak ($16.20) and kalbi ($19.99). To satisfy my sweet tooth, there were also pancakes, waffles and French toast.
If you’re a breakfast lover — read: eggs and protein — then the breakfast burrito ($11.60) is for you. It comes with your choice of protein, eggs, french fries and cheese all wrapped in a fluffy tortilla. Protein options include Portuguese sausage, bacon, Spam or link sausage. You can also upgrade to steak for an additional $3.50.
My husband got the garlic chicken plate ($16.10), and while I thought my burrito was delicious, I was enamored with the chicken. The batter is ultra crispy, and the seasoning didn’t come in the form of gloopy garlic sauce (aka soggy chicken). It instead was infused so well into the batter itself for a pronounced flavor that was not too overpowering. Next time, I can picture us splitting the garlic chicken and a traditional waffle ($11.42) for a local-style take on Southern chicken and waffles.
On this recent visit, we did split a bacon waffle with peanut butter maple glaze ($12.50), and dang, that thing was hefty. We ended up taking most of it home because the portion was pretty large. This breakfast dessert — because anything with that much sweetness has to be dessert — is a true work of art. Savory bacon bits (a lot of them) cover the fluffy waffle, and a hearty helping of that peanut butter maple glaze ties it all together. It’s a meal in and of itself.
While our entrees were good, the real winner of the day was the Philly cheese egg rolls ($8.99). On our next visit, I’d be happy to get two orders of these and make it my meal. The egg rolls are perfectly crispy on the outside, and ooze with cheese and steak on the inside. It’s such a wonderful pairing, and it’s hard to think it could get any better. But it does. It’s served with a spicy cilantro sauce that I hoarded all to myself (it’s the same sauce that comes with the breakfast burrito). The refreshing dip cuts the oiliness of the egg roll, and as a huge fan of cilantro, this was right up my alley. Oli’s Kitchen, if you’re reading this, bottle that stuff up! I’d buy it in a heartbeat.
Oli’s Kitchen
ADDRESS
1009 University Ave. Ste. MP2, Honolulu
PHONE
808-387-0457
HOURS
8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily
WEBSITE
oliskitchenhawaii.com
INSTAGRAM:
@oliskitchenhawaii
FOOD: 4/5
DRINKS: n/a
PRICE: $
SERVICE: 5/5
AMBIANCE: 4/5
PARKING: Puck’s Alley lot between Kansai Yamato and Betty’s Burgers. First hour free with validation.
Nicole Monton is the managing editor of Crave and contributing editor for Kaka’ako VERT magazine. Follow her on social media (@nicmonton).
