We have afternoon tea often when in Hawaii and rotate between three spots: Halekulani, Kahala, and Moana Surfrider. There are pros and cons to each tea (I’ll do a future post on this), and today we’re at Halekulani…
This Week in Hawaii I
I sometimes forget that this site started off (in 2005) as a personal blog, mainly about what I love to eat while home in Hawaii.
There were many posts on Palama Market (which I still visit weekly), breakfast at Cinnamon’s (Cinnamon’s isn’t as good anymore, we like Over Easy now), and the Zippy’s + Nisshodo combo. I’ve aged 13 years since then but still love local food as much as ever. Possibly even more? Yes.
I’ve been home a lot lately (trying to nail down this perfect schedule where I can evenly divide time between Hawaii, SF, and NYC). Wouldn’t it be cool if we could teleport? The older I get the more I appreciate how amazing and special local food is.
On Monday I got this bento from Ookini, a new musubi/bento shop in Waikiki. It’s called the “All Star” bento. Clockwise from top left: salmon/egg/spam, pickles/fishcake, chicken karaage, mac/potato salad (so vinegary, love it!), and the rice. Cute rice, yeah? Ookini rents out…
Phoenix Collection
We met David Lee Hoffman on Saturday afternoon…
…his home/workshop/tea caves are collectively called Last Resort (read more about it here). It’s something wild. Breathtaking and peaceful at the same time.
Vancouver | Afternoon Tea at Honey Salt
Afternoon tea at Honey Salt at Parq Vancouver.
I love that this tea service feels like a meal, colorful and balanced. Many afternoon teas err on the side of too many sweets, but this one has a great ratio of sweet to savory, plus a side of roasted greens for virtue.
Hawaii | Timeless Afternoon Tea at Moana Surfrider
Afternoon tea for two on Moana Surfrider’s 117th birthday.
For just one afternoon, the hotel replaced haupia cakes and lilikoi curd with a classic menu of afternoon tea sweets and savories. Want to take a look?
First, tea (this is the Veranda Breeze – black tea with Big Island vanilla and caramel)…