Who doesn’t love a breakfast buffet? It allows for customized plates, unlimited portions, and time during the rest of the day to work off the guilt. While most tend to be upscale spreads operated by major hotels, there is a hidden gem independently operated in the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Rainbow Bazaar.
Hatsuhana Japanese Restaurant offers an Asian twist on the breakfast buffet concept. For starters, there are the Western staples of cereals, fresh fruits, tossed salad, scrambled eggs, link sausage, and bacon, complete with a selection of teas, hot cocoa with various toppings, and a coffee machine that brews a fine cup of espresso or Americano.
However, what makes this buffet unique is the impressive roster of Japanese dishes, some of which are gluten-free or vegetarian.
Flavorful braised dishes include mustard greens with fried tofu, burdock root, fried eggplant & red bell pepper, and Okinawan potato, with a must-try soy-simmered scallops. Miso soup, rice porridge, extra soft tofu, and fragrant Japanese beef curry are popular selections as are traditional simmered dishes, including deep-fried vegetable tofu with daikon, and a potpourri of root vegetables and shiitake mushrooms.
Grilled salmon and mackerel, yakisoba noodles, and pork or shrimp shumai dumplings make a second serving irresistible. And if still craving eggs with breakfast meats, consider grabbing some arabiki, a seductively smoky Japanese pork sausage.
Visit the condiment area for some Japanese pickles, including the highly addictive soy-marinated garlic cloves. There is also a wide selection of American and Japanese seasonings to accent different dishes, so be sure to ask the staff for their recommendations to make your dining experience an even more delectably adventurous one.
