Ube ‘ulu hash. Protein soba salad. Miso chicken. These are some of the unique offerings you’ll find at recently opened Nani’s Café.
The Waialua-based biz soft opened at the beginning of July, according to business owner Kanani Oury.
“Nani’s Café was inspired by a desire to bring back some old country charm — reminiscent of my hanabata days — to my hometown of Waialua/Haleʻiwa while filling a need that I saw in food service,” she says.
The idea of starting a healthy, locally inspired grab-and-go location came to Oury in 2005.
“I traveled to Venice Beach [California] and went to an eatery that had a café/bistro vibe,” she says. “They focused their cuisine on locally sourced and inspired food. It was a real ‘a-ha’ moment for me, and I began going down the rabbit hole of how I could translate that into something that could service our local community here in Hawaiʻi, while honoring the mix-plate culture of Hawaiʻi’s plantation past.”
It wasn’t until 2020 — 15 years later — that Oury began seriously considering the idea. She had recently lost her job as a restaurant manager, and recalls sharing her idea while being cooped up at home — like most of the community — due to Covid-19 restrictions.
“I shared my idea with my aunty Kanani, and she said if I ever did it, she would want to be part of it,” Oury says. “That was the first time someone outside of my home said they believed in my idea enough to pitch in."
From 2020 forward, Oury waited patiently for the perfect opportunity for a business space.
“Last year, the Gilman Family Trust listed this small space up for rent; I fell in love,” she says. “The space is in my hometown, in a space that used to be a gathering place for our plantation community and is blanketed in deep, local ties and history, with a backdrop of Mount Ka’ala. It was perfect.
“The space needed to honor Waialua Town,” she adds. “We paid attention to all the details in color, design and décor. The space is regularly outfitted with tropical flowers from the farms of Carol Gilman, grandchild of Hannah Gilman, the founder of the Waialua Shopping Center and a cornerstone of Waialua town’s past.”
Wanting to honor the 2020 discussion she had with her aunt, Oury reached out to her aunt Kanani and “Nani’s Café” was born. The business is rooted in local cuisine and locally sourced ingredients, and features dishes served with a health-conscious approach — meaning less oil, less frying, and more vegetarian options.
“I started with a single piece of paper that I tore from our lease and began drafting what Nani’s would be,” Oury says. “My other half has been vegetarian his whole life, and there was a desperate need to offer a place where we both could be happy. The hope was to remind people that this place is still rooted and allow them to enjoy their favorites, but also inspire them to try something that could help with their health.”
The café’s soft opening menu comprises 35 items, ranging from kalbi beef ($3.75) and corned beef ‘ulu hash ($2.75) to plant-based options like kale salad ($3), tofu musubi ($2.50) and chow funn ($3.50).
“There is so much to choose from, and everyone has different favorites,” Oury says. “One of the stars of the show is our chow funn — we spent a lot of time perfecting the made-from-scratch sauce. Another is our Pono sweet potato salad and kale salad, paired together with any of our proteins. It has people that would never eat kale coming back again and again.”
Oury says the protein soba salad ($10) is her personal favorite.
“It has all the ʻono flavor, but it’s completely vegan with miso-glazed tofu, sesame braised soybeans and sea asparagus,” she says. “It’s delicious, chilled and light, perfect for this hot weather.
“The food, while ‘ono, is healthier than you would imagine,” she adds. “Take the ‘ulu corned beef has or ube ‘ulu hash, made with locally sourced ‘ulu and finished on our flattop instead of a fryer — no oils except the naturally occurring goodness. The shoyu hot dog is an all-beef hot dog.”
If you’re overwhelmed by the choice in the okazuya display case, the café offers ready-made bentos for easy grab-and-go. Sun Up ($8) is its version of a breakfast bento, complete with rice, eggs, Portuguese sausage, a shoyu hot dog and link sausage.
The AAA Threat ($12) is a customer favorite and includes a bed of rice topped with kalbi beef, mochiko chicken, a burger patty and hash.
“I deep-dived into recipes and ideas with my team; we taste tested, again and again,” Oury says. “We swapped out unhealthy items for healthier ones and kept kitchen testing to see how far we could stretch local flavors toward being health conscious without compromising the taste and feel of our childhood.”
No matter what bento you get, be sure to snag a few of the café’s ube doughnut holes ($2.50 each). They’re light, bite-sized and downright addictive.
Besides its variety of okazu items, the café also offers coffee from Kailua Town Coffee Roasters. Customers can choose from drip coffee ($2.50) and cold brews ($4.50) to a variety of specialty lattes ($6-$8).
“The coffee packs a huge wake-up while drinking smooth like butter,” Oury says. “Having locally roasted, smooth and delicious beans were a must and we paired them with locally sourced syrups and local flair.”
Bestsellers include the café’s “Brah Relax” ($6-$7.50) — a vanilla-lavender latte featuring locally sourced Pono Potions lavender — and “Like Get Nutz” ($6-$7.50), a honey latte with Pono Potions’ macadamia nut and coconut syrups topped with cinnamon.
We especially like “Salty Buns” ($6-$7.50), the café’s caramel sea salt vanilla latte, which is creamy, sweet and slightly salty all at the same time.
“We are still modifying and will be adding other items as we figure things out and get feedback,” Oury says. “We are just happy to be here and to be serving up things reminiscent of the past that supports healthy futures.”
A date for the café’s grand opening hasn’t been set yet, but Oury is aiming for September. She says the grand opening event will be a community gathering, and the café would set regular hours and unveil more menu items. Stay updated by following the biz on social media.
“With every opportunity, we tried to keep the past, the community, and our memories at the forefront of our choices and we think it paid off,” Oury says. “This space is special. I had a dream (to do this) more than 20 years ago. I never imagined it would manifest in the way that it did, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“The community has been amazing,” she adds. “They have been supportive, understanding and have really lifted us up. We hope we can do the same for them.”
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CONTACT
Nani’s Café
Waialua Shopping Center
67-292 Goodale Ave., Waialua
808-637-6373
Instagram: @nanishapacafe
Open 7 a.m. until sold out Tuesdays-Saturdays
Closed Sundays-Mondays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
