Eating House 1849 (Waikiki)

We had a delightful Sunday brunch at Eating House 1849, located on the third level of the International Marketplace in Waikiki. The entrance to the parking lot is on Kuhio Avenue.

International Marketplace on Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki.

Roy Yamaguchi, age 66, now owns 10 restaurants in Hawaii, and Eating House 1849 is one of them. He was born and raised in Japan but moved to the USA to study at the Culinary Institute. He has won many awards for his culinary skills, one of them being the James Beard award. He is the author of several cookbooks and was also featured on TV.

Roy Yamaguchi, chef and owner.

Roy Yamaguchi decided to open Eating House 1849 as a nod to Peter Fernandez, a Portuguese man, who opened the first restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1849. Fernandez called his restaurant “Eating House,” which was very popular with plantation workers. It no longer exists.

This is Eating House 1849 by Roy Yamaguchi. There is an enclosed air-conditioned area in the back, but we preferred to dine in the covered outdoor lanai in front:

Here we are:

David Aquino was the featured soloist that day. He sang mellow Hawaiian and pop music while strumming his electric guitar. I loved his beautiful rendition of my favorite song, “Fly Me to the Moon”:

We started with complimentary Edamame (Spicy Soybeans) as an appetizer:

Since this was Brunch, there were breakfast items, such as eggs, on the menu. David ordered the Short Rib “Loco Moco” (Boneless Beef Short Ribs, White Rice, Fried Egg, and Assorted Vegetables such as Tomatoes, Mushrooms, and Onions):

I ordered the Brown Butter Banana Waffles. Besides the Banana, there were Strawberries, Blueberries, and Blackberries. The Waffles were covered with Maple Syrup, and there was a dab of Butter on the side:

Dessert was Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle and Vanilla Ice Cream:

The food was very good, especially the dessert. What a delightful Sunday brunch in such a pretty outdoor setting! And I loved the live music!

On the way out, we had our parking ticket validated by the waiter and paid $2.00 at the Kiosk in front of the elevators. Then, we used the ticket to exit the parking lot. Without validation, parking would have cost us $9.00. Holy cow.

This is David at the Kiosk, which accepts cash or credit card:

This outing took us through Waikiki, which is a magnet for tourists. It’s where all the ritzy resorts and hotels are, close to the white sandy beaches and the blue Pacific Ocean. David and I have vacationed in Waikiki several times over the years. How relaxing it is to vacation in a luxurious first-class resort! It’s certainly better than staying in a grass shack, which has no appeal at all.

This is my photo of Waikiki Beach outside the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, where we vacationed in 2008. This hotel is called the “Pink Palace,” because the exterior is painted pink. Established in 1927, it is iconic, having ushered in a new era of luxurious resort travel to Hawaii.