When it comes to brunch, Fig & Ginger Honolulu is one of my favorite spots. The cafe, known for its gorgeous charcuterie boards, is aesthetically pleasing — think modern tropical vibes and a laid-back setting.
When the eatery opened its brick-and-mortar in 2022, it offered a brunch menu with dishes like cinnamon poached fig waffles ($15.50) and Caprese house toasties ($17). It recently launched new happy hour and dinner menus, so I had to check them out.
“We still wanted our dinner menu to stay with the Fig & Ginger concept — graze, take your time, and talk story with your family and friends,” says business owner and chef Yim Kwok. “We stayed with the fusion concept — Asian, European and Hawaiian fusion — so there’s something for everybody.”
Since I love all things cheese, the skillet baked brie ($22) was a must. This new dish — available for dine-in only — featured a generously sized skillet of baked French brie served with mustarda, roasted mixed nuts, berries, honey and crostini. I love melted brie by itself, but the honey took it to the next level.
We also ordered the burrata salad ($20) with lomi heirloom cherry tomatoes, balsamic reduction and housemade pesto, served with grilled sourdough bread. It was simple, but delicious; I couldn’t get enough of the housemade pesto’s nutty flavor.
From the happy hour selection (available daily from 5 to 6 p.m.), we chose the corn fritter elotes ($6) and poutine steak fries ($6). The elotes’ crispy, fried morsels came with a drizzle of sweet chili sauce, Parmesan, green onions and garlic aioli, making them tasty and a good deal. The poutine steak fries — chopped steak, teriyaki truffle sauce and melted cheese sauce — were indulgent, thanks to the truffle sauce. Be forewarned, it’s easy to fill up quickly on these.
The dinner menu consisted of mezze (shareable smaller plates) and demi plates (entrees). Choices ran the gamut, from more traditional options like the F&G burger ($22) and steak frites ($36) to Thai-inspired dishes like chicken satay skewers ($16), Ka-pao chicken wings ($15) and braised short ribs with a panang curry demi sauce ($30).
In true Fig & Ginger form, charcuterie boards were on the dinner menu: mini graze ($18), cheese graze ($35), and F&G antipasto ($40). The cheese graze was my fave, since it included brie, gouda and manchego.
For entrees, we chose the braised short ribs ($30) and blackened ahi ($28). The fresh ahi — topped with yuzu kosho and a truffle teriyaki glaze, and served with cucumber namasu and sesame rice paper — was love at first bite, thanks to the yuzu kosho. The truffle was mild, but I enjoyed the lingering sweet flavor of the teriyaki.
Meanwhile, the braised short ribs were fork-tender; we didn’t need a knife. It was served with a flavorful, charred, spiced cauliflower, panang curry demi sauce and fresh Thai herbs.
The eatery is currently BYOB and offers smoothies and shaken iced teas (mocktails to come). We tried the lilikoi shaken iced tea ($6) — featuring homemade oolong tea that’s brewed in-house — and butterfly pea tea lemonade ($6). The latter was aesthetically pleasing and refreshing after a savory, cheesy meal.
Desserts included tiramisu ($12), lilikoi creme brulee ($12), ube panna cotta with candied kabocha pumpkin ($12) and a dark chocolate brownie skillet ($12).
The tiramisu was a crowd favorite, while the brownie boasted a cake-like consistency and came with Il Gelato vanilla gelato and a raspberry drizzle.
Keep an eye out for featured pasta and seafood specials, which will be coming soon to the menu. We got a sneak peek of two dishes launching soon as weekly specisl: the grilled salmon with miso beurre blanc ($28) — paired with white rice, lomi tomato and onions — as well as the cavatelli pasta with herb garlic chicken, sauteed onions and mushrooms in a bacon cream sauce topped with shaved Parmesan ($22).
While both were tasty — especially the salmon, liberally coated in that addictive miso sauce and finished with an ultra-crispy salmon skin — I’m looking forward to the eatery’s seafood pasta with uni butter.
Fig & Ginger Honolulu
Address
McCully Shopping Center
1960 Kapiolani Blvd.
Ste. 103, Honolulu
Phone
808-501-7249
Hours
Open for dinner 5-9 p.m. Thursdays-Tuesdays
Closed Wednesdays
Website
fghonolulu.com
Instagram
@fig.gingerhonolulu
Price: $10-$40
Parking: Free public parking at McCully Shopping Center
