New Restaurant–Wailuku

Café Central Wailuku

62 N. Market St. Wailuku (808) 249-2693

This is a new location for this restaurant which is now in the former Old Wailuku Grill space. At first the café looked like it was not open for business because we almost missed the small “Open” sign located on the side of the big “Coming Soon” banner. It turns out that it was their first opening day. The place looked empty. However, we didn’t come during the typical lunch hour rush. It was about 2:30 p.m. We were a little confused upon entering, as to what to do, because there was no host/hostess at the entrance and only a large easel menu board stood a few feet from the door. A table that had not yet been cleared of dishes, sat empty. There were no signs indicating what to do. As we looked around and down the stairs, we saw two people eating at a table and beyond them, two people behind a counter. So, we went down the stairs and approached the two women behind the counter and only then found out that we needed to put in our order and sit at a table. Our food would be brought to us when it was ready.

Two dishes ordered were Panko Crusted Chicken Katsu and Taro Crusted Fish. The chicken katsu was over fried, dry and hard. The toasted wheat bread used on the taro crusted fish was a plain thin sliced wheat bread and not hardy enough to hold up as a good sandwich medium. As the sandwich was being eaten, the bread quickly flattened and became soggy as the dressing in the sandwich dripped out. The taste of taro in the crust of the fish was indistinguishable. On a positive note, the sandwich was served with a dill pickle and chips.

Opening day for any venture can be very challenging and can only improve as kinks are worked out. The café offers a wide variety of island style dishes on their menu: starters, soups, salads, sandwiches, entrees and even “kid friendly” fare.

• Hours: Mon. - Fri. Breakfast: 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Lunch 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Closed Sat. & Sun.
• Price Range: $4.00 - $18.50
• Ambience: Casual walk-in Catering: Yes

This Café – For Now gets One Leaf

Wow! That Was A Long Break – New Review Today

Brigit and Bernard’s Garden Café - Kahului

335 Hoohana Street Ste 7a (808)877-6000

A wonderful little restaurant, tucked away in a one story industrial type building, consisting of several other businesses. This restaurant has been in this location for many years and has grown in reputation for its delicious German/Swiss European cuisine. They are also known for their annual Oktoberfest celebration.

There is indoor and outdoor dining. The interior feels like a cozy European type chalet hung with an eclectic collection of signs, pictures, beer steins, flags and various antique type objects. Under the shade of a large tree, the outdoor dining tables are surrounded by fencing, providing some privacy from the nearby street traffic.

We ordered two sandwiches - Blue Crab Cake Melt and a Schnitzel Burger. Sandwiches are served on your choice of whole wheat, ciabatta or French bread,with tomato and onion, accompanied with coleslaw and macaroni salad. The bread was fresh, and the Blue Crab cake was crispy, flavorful and yummy! The tasty macaroni salad and coleslaw rounded out the dish . The Schnitzel sandwich was amazing– (admittedly, we had to look up schnitzel) fried but not heavy, very flavorful, not fatty or tough.

We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch, as every bite was satisfyingly delicious. The service was also prompt and friendly. The lunch menu offers a good variety of dishes: appetizers, salads, sandwiches, entrees, pasta, beer, wine & spirits. We are definitely coming back here to try out more of their unique cuisine – especially the scalloped potatoes. We’ll be sure to take a photo – it was a sight to behold.

Hours: Lunch: Mon. - Fri. 11am - 2:30pm Dinner: Tue. - Sat. 5:00pm - 9:00pm

Take Out & Preorders: Yes

Catering: Yes

Ambience: Casual, family friendly

Prices: Lunch: $8.00 - $25.00

We Give This Establishment   out of five leaves. We would have given it five but felt the prices on some items were a bit high for lunch.

Technorati Tags: Watercress Cottage,Brigit & Bernard's Garden Cafe,Maui,Restaraunt Review,Schitzel,Crab Cake