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Pagoda Floating Restaurant

Digest Step Up to the Plate

April 20, 2014

Story By: Alana Folen | Photos by: Anthony Consillio

Pagoda Floating Restaurant is a legend in the local dining scene, having served generations of families since 1964. Located on Rycroft Street, the establishment originally offered patrons a buffet-style meal centered around Japanese-American fare. Fast-forward to 2010 when Pagoda began providing daily sit-down service for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which specifically catered to the tastes of kamaaina. For restaurant partner and executive chef Jason Takemura, his philosophy is simple: “I stick with local comfort food, and create the types of dishes I like to eat — and I love Peanut Butter Banana Stuffed French Toast. Who doesn’t?”

Peanut Butter Banana Stuffed French Toast made its debut on Pagoda’s breakfast menu about a year ago, and it’s been a hit among the keiki and those who are kids at heart ever since. According to Chef, you can have your fill of this good stuff well into the day.

Thick slices of locally baked sweet bread are dipped into batter and deep fried. The pillowy toast remains warm and fluffy with each bite, making it the perfect choice of carbs to indulge in.

Just when you thought this dish couldn’t get any sweeter — it does, thanks to a decadent butterscotch banana sauce that’s drizzled over the French toast. Can we say dessert for breakfast? Oh yeah, you know it!

A choice of savory breakfast meat is just what you need to balance out the sweetness of the dish.

Crunchy peanut butter and bananas are sandwiched between slices of sweet French toast. “What I did was combine my love for both peanut butter banana sandwiches and French toast into one breakfast dish,” says Takemura, whose brilliant idea has earned fantastic reviews from diners.

A hunk of homemade whipped cream, along with strawberry and banana slices top this sweet commodity. And the whipped cream is extraordinary, as it’s made from heavy whipping cream and an essence of vanilla extract. Fancy!

Pagoda Floating Restaurant

1525 Rycroft St., Honolulu
948-8356
Open Daily
Breakfast: 6:30 A.M.-1 P.M.
Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11 A.M.-2 P.M.
Weekend Brunch: Saturday And Sunday, 10 A.M.-2 P.M.
Dinner: Nightly 5-9:30 P.M.
Dinner Buffet: Friday-Sunday, 5-9:30 P.M.

Honolulu, HI 96814

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