Located on Kalākaua Avenue, Ki Club Hawaiʻi is known for its high-energy nightlife experience and Japanese-fusion cuisine. The eatery recently launched a new weekend brunch, available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays only.
The brunch menu features a variety of sweet and savory dishes, ranging from pancakes and avocado toast to steak and eggs and tacos. During a media tasting, we tried a variety of some of the more popular dishes so far.
Eggs Benedict is one of my favorite brunch dishes, and Ki Club’s version doesn’t disappoint. It features poi English muffins topped with Koji-cured Scottish salmon and yuzu hollandaise, with crispy potato hash on the side. The flaky salmon boasts a smoky flavor, and the creamy hollandaise is both indulgent and velvety yet light, thanks to the bright yuzu.
Pancakes sometimes have a bad rap for being bland, but you won’t want to skip this version — especially if you like matcha. The fluffy pancakes come with miso maple syrup, Sakura butter and fresh local fruits.
The matcha flavor is subtle, but you can taste it. The pancakes themselves are fluffy and moist — even before you drizzle them with syrup.
This eatery’s version of omurice features a housemade angus and bacon patty topped with Waialua tornado eggs and yuzu soy demi glace. We loved the meaty, flavorful patty that came smothered with the demi glace. While the demi glace was not as thick as those in other omurice dishes, it still boasted a nice sweet-and-savory flavor.
These “fish tacos” came filled with the eatery’s house poke, Hass avocado, house pickles, charred tomato salsa and cilantro. The crispy wonton shells contrasted nicely with the creamy spicy ‘ahi poke, making these tacos a fun and flavorful starter.
This trio features either six ($21) or three ($12) pieces of bruschetta presented three ways. They’re topped with shiitake mushrooms with toasted mac nuts, garlic confit and micro greens; prosciutto with Hauʻula tomatoes, mascarpone and fresh herbs; and sake cured Ora King salmon gravlax, mascarpone and fried capers.
While all three bruschetta were flavorful, we especially enjoyed the sake-cured Ora King salmon gravlax, which reminded us with lox and bagels. The slight spice from the capers was offset nicely by the creamy mascarpone.
Brunch desserts include options like cereal milk panna cotta ($14), matcha bread pudding ($16) and s’mores cheesecake ($15). If you’re looking for something a little lighter — with a nice balance of sweet and savory — go for the shiso miso crème brulee with sake marinated Hayden mango and Sakura salt ($12).
The crème brulee boasts that indulgent, custardy filling with a caramelized shell. We could aptly taste the miso, which was a nice touch, and prevented the dish from being overly sweet.
Of course, you can’t have brunch without a selection of colorful cocktails. The line-up features Japanese-inspired cocktails like Sake Spritz ($14) — a purple-hued layered drink with sparkling sake, Angelika Botanika elderflower, yuzu, lemon and orange blossom — and Smoke and Blossom ($14), a mezcal-based beverage with lime, cynar and yuzu bitters. Groups can also share a mimosa tower, which includes 12 mimosas ($66).
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CONTACT
Ki Club Hawaiʻi
1731 Kalākaua Ave., Honolulu
Instagram: @kiclubhawaii
Brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
