Kit n Kitchen’s New Owl Menu Spices Up Nocturnal Dining

As customers continued to flock to their University Avenue eatery, Kit and May Yiu were faced with an encouraging dilemma: how to accommodate those diners clamoring for Kit n Kitchen to open later than the 10 p.m. closing time.

Customers will be pleased to know that earlier this week, the dynamic duo behind the European-influenced cuisine introduced a new late-night menu that allows diners the opportunity to enjoy meals through midnight every day of the week. The appropriately titled Owl Menu, which is currently available nightly from 9 p.m. to midnight, offers up many of the traditional menu’s offerings in addition to a collection of brand new dishes.

“We had a lot of customers who would ask ‘how come you close so early?'” says May Yiu of the motivation behind extending the eatery’s hours. “When I told them we (previously) closed at 10 p.m., they would say ‘oh no!’ After too many times, we decided to open later. Already, a lot of people have been coming in. The menu is very popular.”

Angry Bird Wings with Waffle ($10.95) serves up a scintillating combination of sweet (fresh-hot Belgian waffles and syrup) and salty (crispy garlic chicken wings along with a creamy ranch dressing) served with a choice of roasted potatoes or rice. While the combination may seem odd at first glance, the dish is flying out of the kitchen window — much like the uber popular video game characters after which the dish is named.

Sticking with breakfast-themed items available on the Owl Menu, Steak and Eggs ($11.95) provides the perfect late-night meal — especially following a University of Hawaii sporting event. The hearty plate features thin slices of grilled USDA choice beef topped with a zesty chimichurri sauce, and is served with fried egg and a choice of roasted potatoes or rice. Eggs Benedict Florentine ($9.50) also is earning rave reviews as customers enjoy the buttered English muffin topped with poached eggs, a bed of spinach and ham topped with a May Yiu with Angry Bird Wings with Waffle ($10.95) hollandaise sauce that, as Yiu explains, incorporates more egg yolk than butter to give the sauce a vibrant yellow color and extra “hold” to encapsulate the stacked dish.

“We focus on items that are light but will still fill you up,” she says when describing the traditional breakfast items. The culinary whiz spent months researching the new dishes to make sure loyal customers would not be disappointed.

Another popular addition to Kit n Kitchen’s wide array of offerings is Kung Fu Soup Noodle ($8.95), a customizable noodle bowl modeled after similar dishes served in Hong Kong. Customers start by selecting a soup (Classic Shrimp or Szechuan Spicy) then picking a noodle type (Cantonese thin noodle, rice vermicelli or lo mein). Diners then choose two toppings from an extensive list that includes Shrimp Wanton, Beef Ball, Shabu Shabu Beef, Grilled Chicken, Fried Eggs and, of course, Spam. Customers also may add additional toppings for $1.95 apiece — a popular option with so many items to choose from.

“This type of dish has become very popular in Hong Kong; it’s one of the most popular street foods,” explains Yiu, who traveled to the region and worked in her friend’s restaurant for a month as a way to glean ideas for the new menu. “There are so many different items for customers to pick from. It’s a very good dish for the late night; it will wake you up!”

Kit n Kitchen also has enhanced its crepes menu for the late-night crowd, providing even more versions of the French-style pancake made fluffy and thin. Crepes Tiramisu ($7.95) makes its debut on the Owl Menu, and the Italian-style dessert offers up whipped egg yolks and mascarpone flavored with liquor and cocoa all wrapped up in a large, savory crepe. Add a dollop of ice cream, and enjoy the explosion of flavor that ensues.

“I tried to think of what else I could put inside a crepe,” Yiu says. “I tried the tiramisu and, whoa, it was really good. I really like to play with different tastes and put them together. That’s science!”

Oh, what a sweet science it is.

Kit n Kitchen