Tranquil Treats at Pagoda Restaurant

Baked Apple Pancakes ($10.50)

By Jaimie Kim

For many locals, Pagoda Restaurant is practically an institution. Its peaceful surroundings of lush greenery, a waterfall and colorful koi make it irresistible. With an updated interior and exterior, and a new menu, there’s really no excuse not to go back.

“It’s a completely different ambience when you walk in,” says executive chef Jason Takemura. “But it still has the Pagoda feel; we still do a lot of comfort food.”

One menu item that will have your taste buds dancing in anticipation: Baked Apple Pancakes ($10.50). Caramelized Granny Smith apples are coated with sugar and cinnamon, folded into pancake batter and baked in the oven, making it fluffy. It is served with a breakfast version of creme anglaise sauce that is made without eggs to make it lighter and perfect for early morning hours.

If you’re heading in for lunch, thank the inspiration behind Mr. Park’s Oxtail Ramen ($12). The story goes, that Mr. Park went to Pagoda to dine one day in an extremely hungry state and asked that his oxtail soup be served with ramen noodles, and a new menu item was born.

And according to Takemura, “It’s actually huge, it’s a very big portion.”

Mr. Park’s Oxtail Ramen ($12)

The ramen noodles are fresh from local company, Sun Noodle. Also included in the soup are vegetables, and a couple of shrimp and shiitake mushroom dumplings. If you’re really hungry, Takemura says that some people order it with rice to finish the soup once the noodles are gone.

Don’t forget that you can relish in the nostalgia, or make new memories, while indulging in delicious eats with family and friends in any of the restaurant’s tea houses or banquet rooms.

Pagoda Restaurant

1525 Rycroft St., Honolulu
948.8356
Breakfast: Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 6:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Brunch Buffet: Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Dinner Buffet: Wednesday-Sunday, 5-9:30 p.m.