You should never judge a book by its cover — or in the case of The Breakroom, a sports bar by its exterior.
The biz, located in the former space of 2 Rende Vuu on Sand Island Access Road, opened about three months ago — at the time of this interview, they’re 105 days in, according to executive chef Maxi Miyashita. From the outside, it’s completely unassuming. But this place is the epitome of a hidden gem.
Miyashita says he’s been cooking since he was nine years old — “cooking has been a passion of mine” — and before opening The Breakroom, he worked at Whole Foods Market as a butcher, as well as other restaurants like Livestock Tavern in Chinatown and Stripsteak, A Michael Mina Restaurant.
It was at Roy’s Hawaiʻi Kai where he felt like “he finally found a family” and worked there for about five years.
“I worked all the way up from prep cook; they offered me an executive sous chef position,” Miyashita says. “I turned it down because there was a bigger passion; I felt like there was a bigger need.
“That was the dream (to open my own place),” he says. “In 2017, I was like, ‘I’m going to open up a sports bar.’ That’s crazy that it’s what this became. We opened on March 28 — that was our soft opening day — and I feel like we’ve been pretty successful so far.”
On the inside, The Breakroom looks like your typical sports bar — huge, comfy booths that are spaced apart; flat-screen TVs display the latest games. But when you take a closer look at the menu, you’ll see it’s anything but.
“I like to think about our menu as ‘Thriller,’ Michael Jackson’s album,” Miyashita says. “Everything’s a hit.”
If you’re at The Breakroom for the first time and don’t know what to order, look for the “IYKYK” (if you know, you know) markers on the menu. Those dishes have been customer favorites, according to Miyashita.
“It’s like putting the gold star (by those dishes), but we wanted to be a little different,” he says. “The dishes are literally things I’ve grown up with, but I use my fine dining experience (to give it a twist).”
Miyashita says the kalbi kimchi quesadillas are a popular pūpū inspired by his days at Social Honolulu.
“I gotta thank the owner over there, Hyuk Kim — he’s one of my favorite Koreans,” he says. “They have quesadillas over there and they have kalbi, but I just combined them together. It’s like ʻHannah Montana,ʻ the best of both worlds.”
The unlikely combo somehow works. A crispy, grilled tortilla is stuffed liberally with savory Korean barbecue ribs, melted cheese and firecracker sauce with a dollop of sour cream on the side. The kalbi is tender and flavorful, and the slight spice from the kimchi is tempered by the melty, gooey cheese.
The smoked meat and pickled onions ($15) is another crowd favorite, thanks to its savory appeal. The slow-cooked, tender cuts of meat are paired with tangy housemade pickled onions. Described as “something beautiful” by Miyashita, the dish boasts a nice balance of flavors.
This cold tofu dish ($8) includes sesame oil, shoyu tare, local green onions and Kupu Place microgreens. Especially refreshing on a muggy, summer evening, this dish is a welcome palate cleanser to offset the heavier menu items.
The blackened ‘ahi ($22) is a new special that was recently added to The Breakroom’s line-up. It features a Cajun rub with truffle wasabi aioli, an unagi sauce drizzle and microgreens on top. It boasts umami flavor, thanks to the truffle, with a lingering spice from the Cajun rub.
Onto the heavy hitters, aka the entrees. The Breakroom special ($20) immediately catches my eye just based on its menu description.
“The Breakroom special is one of my favorites,” Miyashita says. “It’s my rendition of the KFC Famous Bowl. The rosemary garlic mash is super homey.”
The flavorful mash is topped with house gravy, buttered corn, melted cheese, fried chicken and microgreens, all in one bowl. The gravy is light and creamy, and the rosemary mashed potatoes are reminiscent of Thanksgiving flavors.
We let the bowl sit for too long before trying it — the camera always eats first — so the chicken isn’t as crispy, but it’s still tender and flavorful.
Fun fact: The Breakroom also has a “Maxi Meal,” which of course, is the chef’s rendition of the Munchie Meal. It includes five crispy chipotle chicken tacos and a side of battered fries with ranch and house ketchup.
“Our niche here is taking fast food concepts and making it gourmet,” Miyashita says.
These country fried pork chops ($25) might be inspired by the legendary dish at Side Street Inn, but Miyashita explains that he sous vides them, so they’re nice and moist. They’re cooked for more than 16 hours, then battered and fried to a golden brown. They’re served on a bed of cabbage and smothered with mushroom gravy and pickled onions.
The pork chops are perfectly cooked — not dry at all — and seasoned well; there’s a hint of five spice in the batter, which gives the dish a slight Asian flair. The gravy, which is the same one used in the Breakroom special, is light, creamy and doesn’t overpower the pork.
Be sure to ask about any featured specials, like this truffle salmon ikura bowl ($30). Miyashita says one of his goals is to offer more fresh fish on the menu.
“The ikura is sourced from Hokkaido; I cured it in a nice tare and added a little truffle in there,” he says. “I cured the Scottish salmon for about a day in a little salt and sugar to draw the moisture and get the firmness of the salmon. If it’s popular, we might add it onto the menu.”
The salmon is moist and tender, and I love its distinctive truffle flavor. It’s served on a bed of rice with lemon and wasabi, but honestly, the fish is so flavorful that it doesn’t need anything else. The ikura adds refreshing pops of flavor.
While savory dishes shine at The Breakroom, you’ll want to save room for dessert. The banana lumpia ($10) comprises three crispy lumpia filled with caramelized bananas and brown sugar and are deep-fried to perfection. They’re served hot and crispy with two scoops of Scoops Scoops ice cream — choose from vanilla or ube — and a rich caramel drizzle.
This dessert was the result of a happy accident, according to Miyashita.
“It was an accident that was made at Roy’s,” he says. “I didn’t know something else was supposed to be added besides cinnamon and brown sugar. I had only put brown sugar and cinnamon, and I had already rolled like 500 of them (lumpia). We ended up eating it and it became this beautiful concoction.
“We make our own salted caramel, too; we put a little graham cracker crumble (on it),” he adds.
This dessert is full of crunchy, sweet and savory goodness — the lumpia, fried to a nice golden brown, is perfectly crispy and crunchy. The caramelized bananas and velvety ice cream make it decadent, but you can take solace in the fact that you’re eating fruit for dessert (well, sort of).
There’s a hidden spice in the dessert — “there’s li hing mui in the graham cracker crumble,” Miyashita confirms — that gives it a nostalgic air. But those are the twists Miyashita loves.
“A little bit of love goes a long way,” says Miyashita, about his cooking. “We’ve only begun; you’re finding us at the right time.”
Stay tuned — The Breakroom will be celebrating its grand opening in August, and customers can look forward to a brunch menu coming soon.
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CONTACT
The Breakroom
197 Sand Island Access Road, Honolulu
Instagram: @thebreakroom808
Open 2 p.m.-2 a.m., Wednesdays to Mondays
Closed Tuesdays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
