Sunday, September 28, 2014

Goofy Cafe + Dine



 I go through my phases where I'm obsessed with a certain type of food or meal, and must go on a mission to find the best. I've undertaken such pursuits for the BEST Ramen, Oxtail Soup, and Uni Pasta to name a few. Recently, it's been Eggs Benedict. And the best? Goofy's. It's probably not very well known to the typical local here, as this is more of a tourist trap. Located next to Hilton Hawaiian Village and about a 2 minute walk from The Modern Luxury Hotel, this place is a hidden gem. Small, crowded, service isn't great, and always a wait on the weekends, but TRUST ME, this place is worth it.

Parking is difficult. My secret is to valet or park at The Modern, have an early midday drink at the Sunset Pool Bar, get validated and walk over to Goofy's for brunch.

Now, the waiting. If you're smart and have the time, go on a weekday and an off time. The best time to go to Goofy's is for an early dinner. I did this the first time, and it was great. No wait. The second time, I went with a friend on a weekend and couldn't help but go for brunch, and we waited almost an hour. It is painful when you are hungry!!

What to get? Any of their Eggs Bene's. ANY. What makes this the best is the Lilikoi Butter Hollandaise sauce. OH. MY. GOD. Creamy, sweet, savory, velvety, rich. I even tried to look up a recipe for the sauce, it was so damn good!!! No luck, though. Guess I will just have to make the journey to Goofy's for this goodness! I went twice and got to try the Kalua Pig Eggs Bene, which is my favorite, but the Local Shinsato Pork Belly is a great second as well. It's ALL in the sauce, people!!

I also tried the Kona Abalone appetizer at dinner, but that wasn't as good as the grilled abalone at the HNL Farmer's Market on Wednesdays. It was also pretty expensive. Spend your money on the Eggs Bene's!!

For refreshers, I had the Sugarcane Sour made with Haleiwa Shochu. Interesting! Good to try once, but too sweet for my liking. I would highly recommend either the Peach Tea Soda or the Passion Fruit Tea Soda. Both are non-alcoholic, but amazingly fresh choices. It'll keep you cool in this open air restaurant.

This place is excellent. The negatives, like waiting time and slow service are very 'manini' and outweighed by the delicious food. I highly recommend this little spot. Not to mention, Goofy has nothing to do with any Disney characters, but instead stands for the right-foot-forward surfing and skating stance! How lovable is that?!

PS- The Nook Neighborhood Bistro's Pork Belly Benedict came in as a close second! Will post on The Nook soon!




All ingredients they use are LOCAL. #eatfresh #buylocal