boot's & kimo, kalapawai market & cafe

After seeing Kathy's post about Boots and Kimo's, I had made a mental note to try it when I came home. Luckily, my mom had e.s.p. about it too and wanted to try this place also.

Since we'd heard so many good things about the place and that it was quite popular, mom, dad and I jumped into the car to make it to the restaurant by 7 a.m. (opening time). (We had actually asked grandma to join us, but since it was too early for her, she asked that we bring some back for her, "if it was good".)

On a weekday like today, the place was actually quite empty. So empty that the a/c which was blasting made the place...fahreezing! There were several take-out orders while we were there, but for the most part, we had the place all to ourselves.

The guy that took our order didn't have time for chit-chat and had very little personality, so it turned out that even though we had ordered different short stacks (2 banana and 1 banana-mac), we ended up with 3 short stacks of banana-macadamia pancakes (each US$6.50+tax). Chunks of banana were in the two pancakes.

Each order was topped with their famous macadamia nut sauce. A creamy, buttery sauce topped with chopped macadamia nuts. (No need for the fake maple syrup which was on the table.)

One thing I love about living in Hawaii is that almost everything is open early. In Japan, you usually have to wait until 10 a.m. to go shopping or even to have breakfast somewhere. If you ask me, the whole day is pretty shot by then.

Another thing that I had forgotten about Hawaii were the free coffee/tea re-fills. In Japan, they are obsolete. It was nice to have my cup of coffee "warmed-up" with a little more coffee. The short stack was the right size for our appetites.

Since we were in Kailua, we also went to check out the Kalapawai Market. Mom and I both were interested as to what they sold there.

Mom was disappointed, she thought they would have been more of a "market" and had more fresh veggies there. I liked the place. There was a coffee corner, where you could buy beans as well as an area to "decorate" your cup of coffee with cream and sugar. There was also large wine area, a small grocery area (selling canned goods), as well as a deli area. (Check out this Spam can, but don't ask the price, you may faint.)

We checked out the deli area and picked up our lunch. (I know, we had just finished breakfast, but since we were in Kailua, may as well pick up lunch too...)

We got the turkey pepper wrap and a hummus bagel (total US$11.29 tax included).

The bagel looks small, but this is the size we're all supposed to be eating. I enjoyed the hummus and the veggies.

The wrap was filled with thinly sliced turkey, lots of veggies and a roasted pepper spread....delicious! This place is a perfect stop before heading to the beach!

I think the next time I'm home (even though I still have a little more time on this visit) I should explore more of Kailua, there are many new shops and eateries.

Boot's & Kimo
131 Hekili Street (UPDATE: they moved to 151 Hekili)
Kailua, Oahu
Phone: 808.263.7929
Open Monday-Friday 7:00-14:00, Saturday & Sunday 6:30-14:30
*************************************
Kalapawai Market
306 S. Kalaheo Avenue
Kailua, Oahu
Phone: 808.262-4359

Kalapawai Deli & Cafe
750 Kailua Road
Kailua, Oahu
Phone: 808.262.deli (3354)
Both locations open daily from 6:00-21:00