DINNER at Moena Cafe Kapolei

Venture to the west side and you will find an abundance of new stores, eateries and shopping centers. Residents from the area continue to rejoice as mainstays like Target, Ross and 24 Hour Fitness have opened their doors. With that it is surprisingly comforting to see local businesses flourishing and Hawaii entrepreneurs finding success as they expand. One of those businesses is Moena Cafe. A loved cafe from East Honolulu and in Japan, this delicious eatery is famous for its sweet and savory brunch items like Strawberry Milk Pancakes and Short Rib Loco Moco.

Moena Cafe Kapolei has a spacious, contemporary yet coastal decor that features a bar, open kitchen and an abundance of seating inside. The menu I am going to highlight is their new dinner menu. Known for their classic locally-inspired comfort foods, Moena Cafe serves hearty dinner appetizers, entrees and desserts. They also feature a specialty happy hour and keiki menu.

Standout dishes include:
Furikake Garlic Fries - perfectly cooked fries nice crisp, golden brown and sprinkled with furikake then garlic flakes. The ratio of garlic to furikake is spot-on and the fries are ideal for dipping in ketchup or eating without any additives/sauces.
Crab Artichoke Dip - Blue Crab with artichoke and blue corn tortillas, the amount of fresh crab is very generous and a good pairing of crab with artichoke served with a touch of cheese.
Korean Chicken Wings- perfectly cooked and crisp chicken wings lightly glazed with a Korean-style sauce (honestly the sweet soy flavor wasn't as potent as I would've liked but the wings were so crisp and well cooked they were a standout).
Hawaiian Salt Crusted Prime Rib- extremely massive, very generous serving size with accompanying mashed potatoes and a side of veggies this is a meat-lovers dream, dad would be pleased.
Harissa Marinated Lamb - Also served with seasonal veggies, the lamb chops are well seasoned, perfectly cooked and finger-licking good.
Pork Cutlet Katsu with Mushroom Sauce - wow massive portion again, the katsu was fried golden then served with a mushroom demi glaze which was generous portion and highlighted by the mushroom selection.
Mud Pie- Kona Coffee Ice Cream, Oreo cookie crust, another very very large portion and great for sharing! Best seller!
Chocolate Brownie Sundae - loved this dense sweet yet dark chocolate brownie and side of fresh strawberry and banana sundae with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and caramel. Beautiful dish but also delicious to eat too!

Overall, this cafe is delightfully casual, features a friendly happy hour and gigantic dinner entree portions. This is a great stop for family dinners, especially for those who like to share or love to take home leftovers. I already gush over the brunch menu and the classic items they're known for, now I can look forward to a fun evening with large portions to enjoy for dinner too. Dinner entree prices range from $17-$38.95

Moena Cafe Kapolei
Ka Makana Alii
91-5431 Kapolei Parkway
(808)628-4737
www.moenacafe.com