Kelly picked a bunch of us all up Saturday morning, (while half the city was still without power), for a day of breakfast at Cinnamon's + Lanikai Beach + Shave Ice. Eating with Kelly is always a good time because she'll eat most things, and then eat a lot of it. All very enthusiastically! Cinnamon's is our go-to breakfast spot when we're all back home for summer/winter break. Mainly for carrot cake pancakes. Remember those?
But on this visit, we noticed a new (or to us at least) change on the menu. Guava Chiffon pancakes!! The sickly pink appearance was a slight turn off at first, they look sugary sweet, no? But appearances were thankfully deceiving in this case. The classic Cinnamon's pancakes - airy and near puffy light, were topped with a duo of guava chiffon sauces, one foamy and creamy light, another more tangy and sharp on the tongue. Together they worked well, especially when combined with the pancake itself, gave a feel not to far off from the classic guava chiffon cakes so popular on the island.
We also tried another new pancake: Blueberry & Corn. Local honey butter on the side. Marie remarked, "I don't know if I'm eating breakfast or lunch," as she speared a wedge with both ripe berries and corn kernels specked throughout. In the old days, Cinnamon's was known for their daily pancake specials (the lemon curd pancakes were ohmansotasty). But it seems they've done away with that and instead decided to expand the daily pancake menu.
We followed the sweets with two savoury dishes, the first being an order of Eggs Benedict, home fries on the side...
...and then, Loco Moco! I'm no loco moco expert, but this is one of my favourite versions on the island (second would be the one at Rainbow Drive In). At the base, a ton of white rice, followed by a hamburger patty, lots of gravy, two eggs over easy, and then mushrooms and sautéed onions. So long as the gravy is good, the rice well-cooked, the patty generous and the mushrooms and onions super buttery, you can do no wrong. I love how loco mocos fill you up in that incredibly satisfying, the-world-is-just-a-okay sort of way. You could be having the world's worst day, but eat a loco moco, and then everything is good and happy again. Like magic, I swear.
loco moco upskirt!
I also love how there are never any greens. No greens in loco mocos. Ever :D
Bellies full, we headed to Lanikai Beach right afterwards. I'm not a fan of the sand, sun or water, but must return to the ocean once a year to reconfirm the fact that, yes, I'm just not the go-to-beach type of person. It's often assumed that because you're from Hawai'i, you love the beach, and of course, excel at surfing. So far from the truth, hehe. I like the look of the beach, but from a distance ^_^
Unfortunately/fortunately, the day proved too cold, windy, and rainy so we only stayed for a short bit before heading for (hooray!) more food at...
...Island Snow. Shave ice time! Waiola's has the best shave ice, but Island Snow earns bonus points because they don't charge for ice cream. There's nothing like breaking into your shave ice and finding a frozen mound of creamy happiness at the base. Almost as good as having a snow cap (condensed milk) ice top!
Flavours are aplenty as you can see here...
Everyone has personal preferences, I know Kelly loves Snazzleberry, and Tiff is a Banana fan. The other nice thing about Island Snow is that you can choose up to three flavours (most places only allow two). I went with Mango, Li Hing Mui, and Lychee. Ahhh, shave ice: one of the many local foodstuffs that NYC could never do justice ^_^
Cinnamon's Restaurant
315 Uluniu St
Kailua, Hawai'i 96734
(808) 261-8724
Island Snow
130 Kailua Rd
Kailua, Hawai'i 96734
(808) 263-6339
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