Good Morning, Waikiki

So when we walked into the lobby of the Outrigger Waikiki, I was pleasantly surprised. We had come to the resort to visit the Hula Grill Waikiki, an ocean-side eatery that celebrated its first anniversary earlier this summer. However, in the process, we got a dose of turn-of-the-century Hawaiiana.

The hotel's lobby is dressed up in dark woods and somber floral patterns. Two dramatic murals, as large as movie screens and depicting canoe surfing off of Waikiki, cover and illuminate the walls. There are also small collections of Hawaiian artifacts and collectibles in glass cases.

Think Bishop Museum meets Tommy Bahama.

They've got nothing like this at the mall.

Beach Breakfast: The Hula Grill puts a new and local spin on pancakes, eggs Benedict and loco moco. Photo: Jimmy Forrest

The Hula Grill is a floor up from the Outrigger's famous Duke's Waikiki. Both restaurants are owned by T S Restaurants of Hawaii and California. Resembling an elegant plantation-style dinning room, The Grill is a slightly more formal affair than the beachside restaurant and bar down below.

Before we were even seated, I knew what I was ordering. I had heard of the Hula Grill's Loco Moco ($13), in which the stalwart hamburger patty is upgraded to a petite filet, which is covered in a shiitake mushroom sauce instead of trusty brown gravy.

My dining companions also ordered items from the menu's "Island Favorites" selection: Hula Eggs Benedict ($9), which featured Portuguese sausage instead of Canadian bacon, Crab Cake Eggs Benedict ($9.50) and Stir Fried Rice and Egg ($8). We also got an order of Banana and Mac Nut Pancakes ($7) and an Island Fresh Tropical Fruit plate ($8).

I was disappointed in my loco moco. To me, the meat and egg are just garnishes, good excuses to enjoy the salty, smooth goodness of gravy on rice. Hula Grill's gravy/sauce is, to be fair, inappropriate. It appears to be made with butter and cream. The stuff probably tastes fine with pasta or potatoes, but butter and cream just don't go with rice. In addition, despite its improved pedigree, the sauce looks ugly, having a slightly greenish tint that left me feeling green.

Both eggs Benedict were unexceptional. Of the two, I preferred the one with the Portuguese sausage, which added a nice spiciness to the dish, complemented nicely by the smooth papaya hollandaise. The fried rice tasted almost exactly the way it does when we prepare it at home, which made us wonder why we ordered it in the first place.

The best dish of the day turned out to be the banana and mac nut pancakes, which were fluffy and tall, crunchy, sweet and fruity all at once.

At meal's end we paused a few minutes to drink up the fabulous view of the beach. Guests splashed in the pool below, while surfers caught gentle, glistening waves far away. The setting was perfect. The crowds and traffic weren't nearly as bad as we anticipated. Parking was only $5. Would we be back to Waikiki for breakfast?

Not any time soon.