Brunch is served!
You may remember me mentioning that Jake and I rented a hotel room in Waikiki on Halloween so as to avoid the hassle of gridlock traffic during the wee hours. (You may think Hawaii is paradise, but wait until you see the traffic…) Since we don’t normally make it out to Waikiki, we took advantage of the short walk to bills from our hotel to grab some brunch!
bills just opened up a few months ago in April of 2014. Bill Granger, who I’m told is like the Bobby Flay of Australia, has restaurants all around the world — London, Tokyo, Seoul, and of course, Sydney.
bills doesn’t just serve breakfast (served 7a – 11a), they also have lunch and dinner menus that come into play as the day goes on. Lunch options become available from 11a – 5pm, and dinner is from 5pm onward. Luckily for us brunchers, breakfast is served even later on weekends because our reservation was for 11:30.
The upstairs dining room inside bills.
bills is absolutely beautiful — it’s exactly the kind of atmosphere I look for in the perfect Hawaii restaurant. You wouldn’t know it just by walking by — as the ground level showcases a tiny, unassuming cafe — but upstairs? That’s where you’re in for a real treat. You’ll fall in love with the high ceilings and gorgeous wooden interior. There’s also a “breakfast nook” kind of vibe from cushioned benches lining the tables closest to the windows.
It feels like I just woke up and I’m eating breakfast in an airy beach house. Who doesn’t want to feel like that while in Waikiki?
Their breakfast menu is relatively small, but the dishes they do have are made with quality ingredients. Jake got the Full Aussie Breakfast ($16). It comes with scrambled organic eggs, sourdough toast, bacon, cumin roast tomato, miso mushrooms, pork and fennel sausage. Basically, it’s a big plate o’ meat for the manliest of men!
I, on the other hand, got the Ricotta Hotcakes ($14).
The Full Aussie Breakfast! ($16) A big meal, even for your man.
Ricotta Hotcakes ($12) — that honeycomb butter, tho. Delicious! Lives up to the hype.
I was hesitant to order the hotcakes because — as you might remember — I’m not big on just plain starch for breakfast, but seeing as Granger’s restaurants are famous for them I figured I must! And YES, you have to. They’re served with honeycomb butter (and bananas), but that is what makes it. Honeycomb butter. So good.
I tried a forkful of the organic scrambled eggs that came with Jake’s plate, and I’m not eggs-agerating when I say they are the best I’ve ever had. They are fluffy and so delicious — I would have been happy with a plate of those and their sourdough toast ($12). I later read that this is another thing Granger was famous for — having the best eggs in town. Apparently the secret is cream, butter and technique. (Divulge the technique so I can have these at home NOW!)
As far as brunch places go, bills is a bit on the expensive side but the quality of food and atmosphere make it a worthwhile trip. If you’re a local venturing into Waikiki and have no idea where to park, I heard that there’s $6 parking with validation at the Bank of Hawaii (Beachwalk Ave.) or First Hawaiian Bank (Kalakaua Ave.)
Lastly, attention kama’ainas! Don’t forget to show your Hawaii ID to get your discount! Happy eating!
Brickberry 