Comfort served daily

Buttermilk Pancakes ($9.95, bananas or caramelized apples $2.75 each; fresh blueberries or strawberries $3.25 each)

What does the phrase “comfort food” mean to you? For Chrissie Kaila Castillo, owner of Cafe Kaila, comfort food is “like a hug on a plate. …

Something that is both hunger satisfying and also warms your soul.” Perhaps most importantly, “It should be ingredients of high quality that is thoughtfully crafted and made with love.”

Castillo knows of what she speaks. In 2007, she opened Cafe Kaila because she “always dreamed of having a place where people could come together and feel like they were welcomed into my home and become a part of my family. I show my love by feeding people good food made from scratch and from the heart.”

Since breakfast is perhaps the most comforting meal of the day that is what Cafe Kaila focuses on. It offers options to satisfy a wide variety of palates.

Pancakes are a breakfast staple throughout the U.S. At Cafe Kaila, Buttermilk Pancakes ($9.25) come in a stack of three light and fluffy pancakes dusted with powdered sugar, served with butter and syrup. Bananas or caramelized apples are available for an additional $2.75; fresh blueberries or strawberries for $3.25.

Meatloaf Loco Moco ($16.25)

Soul food aficionados are no doubt familiar with chicken and waffles, a dish that has gained widespread popularity in recent years. At Cafe Kaila, the Fried Chicken and Waffles ($16.25) features breaded boneless, skinless chicken breast served on a buttermilk waffle with cayenne maple butter.

Loco moco is a major comfort food for many locals, and Cafe Kaila offers a unique spin on the classic dish. The Meatloaf Loco Moco ($16.25) features homemade meat-loaf, two pieces of sourdough toast, rice and two local farm fresh eggs from Ok Poultry in Waimanalo.

Fried Chicken and Waffles ($16.25)

Whatever your comfort food of choice, you can wash it down with something from Cafe Kaila’s full espresso bar, such as a classic Cappuccino ($3.95 single), made with Royal Kona Coffee.

In addition to its regular menu items, Cafe Kaila offers specials every week. “We have a variety of different waffles, soups, eggs Benedicts, stuffed French toast, scones, muffins and entrees that keep things new and interesting,” Castillo says. “Also, if one of the cooks wants to feature a dish that is close to his heart and something that he likes to make at home, he is given the opportunity to sample it as a special. If the guests love it (which they usually do) like huevos rancheros, or Filipino style eggplant torta, or deviled egg salad, it will become a part of the ‘special of the week’ rotation.”

To keep track of what’s being offered, follow Cafe the restaurant on Instagram @cafekaila and facebook.com/cafekaila for weekly specials and updates.