The wait is over — WESTMAN CAFE, which closed its Waikīkī location on Beach Walk in January 2024, just opened at Kōʻula in Ward Village.
The cafe is currently open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for breakfast and brunch. It’s only accepting reservations for dine-in (takeout beverages allowed) via OpenTable for the time being.
“The excitement has been very real, which is nice,” says Ryan Ko, vice president and COO for Westman Corp. “We’ll probably allow for limited walk-ins throughout the week, as the team gets accustomed to everything. We want to make sure we deliver something good.”
Customers who remember the cafe’s former Waikīkī store will notice similar décor in the Kakaʻako space.
“A lot of it (the aesthetic) comes from the old location, but we refreshed it to make it look modern,” Ko says. “A little bit of lighting makes it really pop.”
The food menu features some of the cafe’s dishes that were popular in Waikīkī — like its signature souffle pancakes — along with more savory options.
“There’s a lot of inspiration from it (our Waikīkī location),” Ko says. “We copied over a lot of things, we updated some and added stuff like shakshuka — things that are more modern in the U.S. and Japan.”
The eatery’s souffle pancakes ($22) feature two fluffy pancakes served with banana, cheese cream, maple syrup and a choice of sauce (lemon, mixed berry or tropical). The tropical sauce features pineapple puree with mango chunks; mixed berry is a combo of blueberries and raspberries.
“The lemon (sauce) for sure has been a home run for everybody,” Ko says.
Customers can also choose from a variety of toasts — avocado ($17), salmon gravlax ($18), beets ($16), falafel ($17) and breakfast ($16) — along with “wellness” options like acai bowls ($18) and yogurt bowls ($15).
Acai bowls feature a refreshing acai blend topped with bananas, strawberries, blueberries, granola, honey and cacao nibs.
The avocado toast ($17) features sourdough bread topped with avocado, a poached egg, feta, dukkah, herb oil and micro herbs.
WESTMAN CAFE features local artisan breads from Bread Shop in Kaimukī.
Customers that dine between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. can enjoy Island-inspired fare like the washugyu loco moco ($22) — comprising a washugyu beef patty, white rice, hayashi gravy, Brussels sprouts, egg, carrot marinade and red cabbage slaw — and mahi mahi loco moco ($22). The latter features mahi mahi with white rice, avocado, edamame, radish, carrot marinade, red cabbage slaw, an egg and garlic cream sauce.
Brunch beverages range from house coffee ($5) and lattes ($6) to a variety of teas ($5-$7.50), cocktails ($12-$17) and smoothies ($8.50). Zero-proof options ($5-$8) are also available.
“Our house coffee is really good, too; we’re blending that ourselves,” Ko says.
While the cafe is currently open for breakfast and brunch/lunch, it will eventually be open for dinner.
“Once we can get the team built and put everything together, we’ll have dinner service,” Ko says. “Then, we’ll be off and running.”
CONTACT
WESTMAN CAFE
1000 Auahi St., Honolulu
Instagram: @westmancafe
Reservations accepted via OpenTable
Open daily, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
