The Nook Neighborhood Bistro

For the next 5 weeks, we have time free time from 10am-​12pm. With that time, we are going to visit breakfast/​coffee places in downtown Honolulu. Liv, our adventure eater, is up for the challenge and will be our guide on this breakfast adventure!
Stop #1 The Nook
The location is tucked away behind a shopping center on University Ave. Sorta hard to find, but worth it. Parking is a tiny lot, but be patient something will open up. There is a slight wait for breakfast, but it only took 5−10min to be seated. Service was great, so polite and friendly! We went with lighter fair this morning. Strawberry Lilikoi scone was amazing. The papaya with yogurt/​granola and a drizzle of honey was a perfect combo. The Haupia oatmeal had a mild coconut flavor, but would definitely keep you full for hours. There were other heartier plates we couldn’t help but notice: the chicken and waffles and the eggs Benedict. Would totally recommend going that way if you were super hungry. Their bloody Mary’s look totally amazing too! Would come back for sure!

Really good food. Service was pretty slow but the food made up for it. Small place but local made the environment easy. Sat outside on a stool chair

The food may be great but out of the first two things we ordered, they were out of both. Not a good start. I will update my review if we come back before we leave.

My husband brought me here for breakfast and I was pleasantly surprised at the atmosphere they created, so 5 stars for that!
We shared a really yummy mocha coffee first. I ordered the Kale Benedict because, hey, I figured I’d combine healthy greens and my favorite breakfast dish. I wanted to like it, I really really tried. There was a LOT of kale — seasoned well, but the kicker for me was the lack of hollandaise sauce that was also disappointingly bland.
I asked our waitress what it was made of — she said egg yolks, butter, some salt maybe. I thought, «What in the world, they don’t use lemon juice?! That’s what hollandaise IS!!!» But what I asked was, «So, they don’t make it with lemon juice!» She said, «No but I can bring some lemons out for you to add to it.»
Such a sweet gesture, she was very kind an accommodating, but that wasn’t the point. I told her it wasn’t inedible, but please mention to the cook that the sauce is incredibly bland.
My husband got the dish with the breakfast bread pudding, he said it was different, interesting, not bad… But apparently not something to write home to mom about either.
In the end, I could only finish one half of the Benedict, focused on the potatoes which were kind of tasty but a tad bit over cooked, and their house made hot sauce, which was also not that impressive, especially for the portion and $ 13 price.
Re-​enters our sweet waitress: she brought the check and apologized about my disappointment in the Benedict, and have us a super tasty blueberry macadamia nut scone! Thank you!
My absolutely favorite Benedict dish is Café Kaila and this just couldn’t compare. I will have to come back in the afternoon or evening to give it another chance, maybe then I can give the food a higher review.
— — — — — — — –
UPDATE:
We went back this morning with our kids and tried something different. The Brekkie Stack Sandwich was amazing!!! My husband got the Malasada breakfast sandwich that was also amazing, homemade sausage was excellent, kids shared the Mochi Waffle which was already sweetened so no need for extra syrup.
Glad we went back, would like to try the dinner menu as well :)

Been here several times but forgot to write the review. We love the mochiko chicken and waffles, hands down I get it every single time. We have tried the French toast stack (forgot the name) which is kind of like a fancy mcgriddle in the best way. I am in love with the polenta fries… Oh my god so crisp, nice tang from the balsamic, and a creamy and salty punch from the blue cheese crumbles. Yum!!! Usually the wait isn’t too long so go early or don’t be picky and sit outside :)

I’ve been dying to visit The Nook for dinner for the longest time, and finally I got my chance. What a memorable meal! We started with the polenta fries. They come with a choice of garlic sriracha aioli or balsamic reduction. We chose the garlic sriracha dipping sauce and it gave those perfectly crisp fries a boost of wonderful flavor. I have never had polenta served fry style, but it was so good! Not oily, beautifully crunchy exterior and warm and soft in the center. The fry alone tastes pretty much like cornmeal but with the sauce, it’s an amazing combination.
For entrees we ordered the sweet potato gnocchi and veggie pasta. The gnocchi is made with okinawan sweet potatoes and served in a brown butter sage sauce w/​little morsels of pork belly and topped w/​arugula and shaved parmesan. This dish is a total home run. The gnocchi were pillows of chewy deliciousness. It’s a bit of a rich dish, but so yummy. The veggie pasta was also very tasty. It came w/​mushrooms, pumpkin, bacon and also topped w/​arugula and cheese. The pasta is apparently homemade, which is a plus!
Lastly, for dessert we had the mochi churro w/​mexican hot chocolate. When the dish was presented to the table, my bf immediately said it looked like fried turds (lol). But I can assure you, it doesn’t remotely taste that way. They had that cinnamon crunchy texture w/​an extra chewy inside because of the mochi, which I liked. The hot chocolate had a bit of a spicy kick to it, pretty decadent stuff.
Reservations were super easy to make using open table. The Nook although small, wasn’t crowded for dinner. My only complaint was the AC overhead would blow directly onto the table, which was a little too cold for me personally but good for my bf who breaks a sweat in most restaurants. Oh and the bathroom is outside up a flight of stairs. But overall, I am a big fan of this homey restaurant, and I can attest to breakfast being good as well.

– Small restaurant = long wait for a seat…
– The restaurant itself is aesthetically pleasing.
– The food is worth the wait and price!
– I would recommend the pork belly eggs benedict (the potatoes are super good!!)

The restaurant is located in the back by the parking lot, so you won’t see it from the street. As the name suggests it is a small restaurant but there is some outdoor seating. We got seated right away even though it was busy. The waiters there were very friendly and always smiling. The food did take a while to come out but no complaints because everything was delicious. I had the fried chicken with mochi waffles. Just like mochi it had that «sticky» texture and was a little gooey but still light and airy at the same time. My sister had the Asian pear grilled cheese which I tried. The Asian pear was fresh and it added a nice crunch to the sandwich. The polenta fries were perfectly crispy, get the blue cheese balsamic sauce. Overall a really great place to grab brunch, a great selection of food and cocktails.

Yes! I’ve been wanting to go here for a while and I’m glad I finally got to!
NNB is located in Puck’s Alley on University Ave, behind Tropics. Park on the street by the old Bubbies across University, and walk over to where the old Kiss My Grits restaurant used to be.
We came at a fortunate time, snagging the last 2-​seat table before another wave of customers lined up. This place looks like it’s always busy. It’s a small location with no tables that have more than 4 seats.
I got a latte (yum!) and the famous Mochi Waffles with Mochiko Chicken. Let me just tell you straight up — I am a breakfast enthusiast, and these Mochi Waffles sure pull rank on most of the specialty breakfasts I’ve ever had ! My only breakfast enthusiast misgiving is that there is no hot chocolate here :(but the coffees and miscellaneous morning drinks (alcoholic and non) they have make up for that.
My boyfriend got the Brekkie Stack which comes with French toast, egg, and breakfast meats. Sounds simple, but they do something special to flavor everything — it’s soooooo good!
The food is awesome, but I think what makes this place really special is the atmosphere and the SERVICE! Young crowd here but not sloppy like some young service can be. This staff has passion for this place, and you can tell.
Looking forward to coming back!

The eggs Benedict was ok… I had the pork belly one what was recommended by the staff. The pork belly was just really thin and tasted like bacon. The chicken and waffles seems to be the stand out dish.
Nearly every table had it.
Coffee by American standards was great. We got a über to pick us up and they could not find the place it’s hidden away a bit.

Had a N-​ice time N-​oshing on some N-​credible food with the N-​comparable Nat N. at Na Nook Neighborhood Nistro. Finally had the pleasure of meeting her for lunch as well as trying out this little N-​iche of a place.
THE LOCATION
This tiny restaurant is tucked away on an inside courtyard of a parking lot located just across the street from an iconic cylindrical building at the corner of University and Coyne streets. The narrow driveway to access the restaurant and parking lot is right next to The Greek Corner.
THE PARKING
If arriving before 11:00am, the gate arm will be up which means free parking. I arrived around 11:20am with the gate arm still open, but had to pay $ 1.50 upon leaving at 1:30pm. Apparently, for those with a validated ticket, the first hour is free. There is additional parking available by driving further in toward the exit and up into a two-​story parking structure. Be watchful of pedestrians and other vehicles on the ramp as there are no walkways or stairwells, plus the turn at the top of the ramp is difficult to maneuver.
THE ATMOSPHERE
While the seating on the front porch is open air, we opted to sit inside the cozy, air conditioned dining room. Although there isn’t much square footage to the interior space, the tables are arranged with the best possible usage of the limited space. We sat next to the front entrance near the front window on a small 2-​top since we were a party of two… meaning parties of two are allowed to sit at 2-​tops while parties of 3 or more are invited to sit at 4-​tops, etc.
One thing to note, indoor seating exposes diners to greasy cooking odors from the kitchen. Occasionally, I could even feel my eyes stinging from the oil fumes. After leaving the restaurant, my hair and clothing reeked of burnt grease. Not something I usually care to return to. Perhaps because of this one uncomfortable aspect of indoor dining at this establishment, I might return if the weather is cool and breezy enough to sit outside. Also, the volume from conversation going on indoors can get pretty noisy.
THE FOOD
—Mochiko Chicken and Mochi Waffles $ 13.50—
If I were not on such a restrictive diet, I would’ve ordered this signature item. A GLUTEN-​FREE version of this dish is also available. Fortunately, Nat ordered the chicken and waffles, so at least I had a good look at the portion size. For the price, I personally would’ve appreciated more protein with the waffle which was typical in size as far as waffles go.
—Citrus Shrimp Salad $ 14—
My meal-​sized salad contained a generous mound of fresh leaf lettuce which was tossed in a delicious house-​made mint vinaigrette dressing. Just an observation, but the leaf lettuce is similar in appearance to that which can be found in a bag of Wapoli Hydroponic Lettuce sold at Costco. A few mandarin orange slices were placed around the perimeter of the plate along with dollops of goat cheese randomly sprinkled over the lettuce. Four head-​on Kauai shrimp sautéed in a slightly spicy herb oil base topped off the dish. Without the heads, the shrimp are approximately the 16 – 20 or 21 – 23 variety. The salad also contained a small amount of thinly sliced round onion. Overall, this dish was flavorful and well executed. However, the portion of protein probably measured no more than a ¼ cup. For the price tag, I had hoped there could’ve been a bit more shrimp instead of the shrimpy portion.
THE SERVICE
The service received on this visit was stellar. Upon arriving 20 minutes before Nat, I was greeted by a server almost immediately and was allowed to sit down at a table to wait. Our female server was prompt, friendly and professional throughout our entire time there. Another gracious female staff member (who may have been the manager) unobtrusively came over toward the end of our meal to inquire about our experience. Excellent team work!

In the nook of University Avenue is a rustic, darling restaurant filled with classic breakfasts & local favorites with a twist.
FOOD
I guess I had high expectations of this place because the menu and food presentation photos looked appetizing, but I was sadly wrong. I had the PORK BELLY BENEDICT and my husband had the MOCHIKO CHICKEN and WAFFLES. The pork belly benedict was very salty and the pork was not soft. The english muffins were so chewy, it was hard to cut through it. The Mochiko chicken pieces were tiny and rock like. It reminded me of leftovers microwaved from yesterday. But, I must admit the eggs were pouched very nicely. The freshly steeped tea we ordered was piping hot and relaxing.
ENVIRONMENT
Located in the Pucks Alley. The private lot has a decent amount of stalls, but every time I come here most of them are taken.
SERVICE
Excellent & attentive server. Everything came out quickly. Waters were filled timely.
CONCLUSION
A nice little breakfast and brunch restaurant in the UH Manoa area to try if you’re in the area. We just probably stopped by on a bad cooking day.

Talk about a hole in da wall! Dis place sells comfort to grazers and drinkers!
K the skinny… Tucked in the back of Puck’s Alley… Gotta be lucky to find parking… Like we did… Then gotta hope got space for your party… They had for us luckily… Once your in… Order up and hopefully you’ll have the same experience we had!
Since this was 1 of 3 places today we ordered mildly… 2 orders of scrambled eggs, bacon and hapa rice & an order of their Apple Pie French Toast. The bacon was thick which is probably why we only got 2 each… The eggs and rice were like comfort food… Gud! But the French Toast… BRAH… was sooo ONO! Damn… Went well with our savory taste of bacon, eggs and rice! The food is GUD here and they try to do everything sustainable and local as possible… I like that!
The service… All females (didn’t see any guys) and all working in unison to get everybody happy and going… Our server was pleasant and soft spoken and took good care of us! Mahalo!
Tip… Go early… The later in the day, the more you’ll have to wait! K Grind On! Pau!

I really like this «nook» of a restaurant!!! My friends and I wanted to try a new place for brunch and were not disappointed in the least. When my friend and I arrived, we needed a table for 10. The hostess and waitress were super accommodating and I must add a thank you here for the man that was asked to move so that we could have our table put together.
Our waitress was nice and very patient. Our group trickled into the restaurant and she greeted everyone with a smile. There are such cute names for their food and drinks!!! I also like that you can get mimosa’s or other interesting alcoholic drinks — with boba or espresso!!! There is also a pretty extensive tea and coffee menu.
Our table ordered the pork belly benedict, mochiko chicken with mochi waffles, Brekkie stack, kale benedict, mochi waffles, and turducken sausage. All the dishes came out hot and smelled delicious!!! Everyone was ooohing and aaaahing after the first few bites. I really enjoyed my pork belly benedict!!! The pork was crispy and full of flavor, hollandaise sauce wasn’t watery (I actually wanted a little bit more) and who doesn’t love an English muffin perfectly toasted? I got to tasted the turducken sausage and it was also full of flavor, but a little on the dry side.
A definite must return for me!!!

Came here for breakfast after seeing all the yummy pics from Unilocal.
Quaint little place with cute decode inside. I Ordered the chicken and waffles and the machiatto.
Who knew mochi waffles could taste so damn good. The mochi in the dough makes it delish. The chicken is great too with it.
I still have to check out dinner to try out the okinawan sweet potato gnocchi and match a affogato.
Breakfast is a must at this place

This tiny joint really is tucked away like a nook, it’s so cute! Nice hipster vibe with some unique brunch items. Very nice service!
Hubby got the apple pie French toast which he loved, I really enjoyed by Pork belly eggs Benedict. Now I’ve only had pork belly 3 times in my life, and each time was completely different, so I’m not sure what’s the proper way to make it. This time it was very flavorful yet some parts were possibly overlooked? Still yummy though. The Rosemary polenta hash was insanely good.
My only real gripe is that a side order of bacon is 2 tiny «thick cut» slices for $ 4! Other than that, I was very pleased.

This place lives up to its name. The Nook Neighborhood is literally in a tiny nook. The ambiance is really nice. I feel like it’s veered towards the younger crowd but anyone can enjoy this place. There’s outdoor seating as well as inside, I prefer the AC over the fan outside though. Oh! One thing I didn’t like is the smoke coming from the kitchen. If you decide to eat inside be aware that it gets smokey and with sensitive eyes like mines, I got teary and it hurt a bit.
The menu had a great selection and it’s not too much where you get overwhelmed and end up not know what you’d want. Prices are decent too. The plating is really nice and neat. I had the Pork Belly Benedict as well as my other friend and we both found it very hard to slice through with the knives we had. One of my friend had the steak and they gave him a sharper steak knife, I really wish we had that too. In the end I ended up pushing everything off my English muffin and are it one by one (Not how I’d usually eat eggs benedict though). The Mochi waffles were also very good, nice and warm and soft. It’s be a great dessert item if they added ice cream on top! That’s how I usually eat Mochi waffles haha.
Over all I’d go back to this place, it’s very cute and quaint.

So as if mochi waffles for breakfast wasn’t enough, you can now get your dessert noms on with mochi churros and mexican hot chocolate for dinner! When I read that this delicious little breakfast spot decided to start serving dinner (and booze) I was somewhat worried. I mean, breakfast, is breakfast. But dinner can be a completely different animal. The Nook however, happens to be spectacular at both.
When our original dinner plans failed, I looked online to see where we could go, saw the Nook had reservations available and headed straight over. Since we got there a little before they opened, it was very easy to find parking right in front of the restaurant. When you go here for breakfast, it’s a cute little place, bright with the sun shining through the windows, a little warm with all the bodies in there, good food, loud happy atmosphere. At night, it’s cooler, the lights are dimmed, it’s a little less chaotic and quiet, it just looks and feels different. It feels like a great place for a nice intimate dinner — first date maybe?
The drinks were delicious. They have wine, and beer, and mixed drinks. I had the classic-​ish mai tai which was very good. I’ll take a brulee’d pineapple on every drink from now on thanks! My husband had the chai hard fashioned which was also very good. Ok, we are liquored up, now on to the eats.
I wanted polenta fries, husband insisted on the «green tea orange chicken» since he was getting polenta fries with his entrée, I reluctantly agreed and let him order the chicken. OMG best decision ever! The chicken is battered and fried, served over some spinach, tossed in a light sauce with what tasted like orange zest and garlic throughout and tons of carmelized sauteed onions. With two little cups of ice tea to drink with it. The tea alone was soooo good. Definitely would order this again! Such a good dish!
Now for the entrees. now, I’m excited. Husband got Duck Confit Sliders with Polenta fries. The sliders were great. But these polenta fries are pretty out of this world! There’s another business out there that does polenta fries and I thought they were pretty good. Nope, the Nook’s polenta fries puts everyone else to shame. They are herbed, and SUPER crispy on the outside. Really good stuff.
I had the braised pork belly. I was a little weary because it was served with kale and sometimes I’m not the hugest fan of kale, but the kale was so crispy and salty. Add that with the pork belly, and the rice, and the apples, it all just came together really well. As much as it pained me, I let my husband have a few bites :)
Finally for dessert… mochi churros and mexican hot chocolate. You can use the mexican hot chocolate for dipping or for drinking. I’m a wuss, and can’t handle spice, so dipping was the way to go. The sweetness of the churro made the spiciness of the hot chocolate bearable for me :) The mochi churros tastes like a denser malasada. So good! Can’t wait to go back and try the affogato and biscotti. There’s even something called a «matchagato». Guess I gotta come back :)

The Nook now serves dinner! And you can make a reservation (bonus!), for dinner only.
Let me tell you, my love for this place knows no bounds. Their brunch is still my absolute favorite on the island, and their dinner menu is equally fabulous.
My boyfriend and I started our dinner off with polenta fries with sriracha aioli, and they were great. Crispy and creamy, and the portion was perfect– enough to be satisfied but not be passing out at the table and clutching our food babies by the time that our entrees arrived.
We both opted for the rib eye steak with a blistered cherry (or grape? I am not up to speed on my small tomato varieties) salad and their take on a baked potato– a Yukon gold topped with pork belly pieces. The steak was HUGE, tender, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. The sauce (wasabi crème fraîche) was so delicious that I could have eaten it with a spoon. If they ever bottle that stuff, I’m in trouble.
We finished our meal off with their mochi churros. We should have shared one of these, because these things are massive. The churros were pleasantly sticky/​chewy and perfectly doughy on the inside, but had that awesome churro crunch on the outside. The Mexican hot chocolate was great, but I hardly used it… The churro itself was enough for me.
The service was also excellent. Julio, our server, was totally on the ball.
Thank you for another great meal, Nook!

When Kiss My Grits left Puck’s Alley, I wasn’t sure what business would move into that location. It seems that no business lasts there for long. To my surprise, The Nook Neighborhood Bistro is doing pretty well. They’ve been there for almost a year and a half. Some Yeeps and I decided to have breakfast at this place on a Saturday morning around 8:30. I’m not sure if someone made reservations or just arrived early to get a table. We walked in and it was almost full house, but we got our table of seven.
The Mochiko Chicken and Mochi Waffles were fantastic. The waffles were chewy with a crunchy exterior. Add on the mochiko chicken and maple syrup, we have a winner! The portion wasn’t huge, but it was filling. I managed to consume everything on my plate and was beyond stuffed. My friend got the Pork Belly Benedict. I tried a piece of her pork belly and it tasted like sausage, lol. Her eggs were poached perfectly, runny in the middle. The had a jar of pineapple compote on the table that you can put on your food. Try it out. It was excellent.
The service was on point. The server was pleasant and efficient. All of us got our food in a timely manner.