As always, new restaurants continue to appear in Hawaii, but in fact, many of them are “open only at night. One reason for this is the shortage of labor. Therefore, choosing a restaurant for lunch can be surprisingly difficult, and since they are usually open until 2:00 p.m., it is quite a problem when you are running a little late. The other day, I took a friend for lunch from 2:00 p.m. and she liked the place.
Fusion Cafe + Wine opened in late December 2023 in Kaimuki, a gourmet town where locals gather. Opened by five women with a passion for coffee, wine, and eating, the cafe-bar is already bustling with regular customers.
Inside, there is casual seating with a view of Waialae Avenue, the main street in Kaimuki, stylish high chairs, and gorgeous chandeliers and velvet sofas in the back of the restaurant. The walls are decorated with Monstera leaf designs, creating an atmosphere that mixes Hawaiian-ness and luxury.
The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch until 3:00 p.m., and offers a variety of salads such as couscous and arugula, four types of sandwiches including cheese and charcuterie, and pastries such as scones, along with coffee made by baristas and original green tea drinks.
When I arrived around 2:00 p.m., there were not many items in the showcase, but I found the burrata cheese salad and quiche I was looking for. However, the burrata cheese salad and quiche I was looking for were available.
The Burrata Salad is made with sweet tomatoes topped with fresh sea asparagus and a thick, creamy burrata, and is served with a drizzle of white balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Served with a spinach quiche with a strong egg flavor.
The barista prepares coffee made with coffee beans by Ruby Violet, a coffee maker in Hawaii. In addition to macchiato, cappuccino, latte, americano, etc., there is also an original called Tiramisu Mocha.
Deli-style cheddar bacon scones, soft fruit-sweetened mango scones, and moist olive oil cake.
From 4:00 p.m., wine and champagne can be enjoyed along with tapas and charcuterie and cheese boards. There is a wine list, and the spritzer with port wine, a popular Portuguese cocktail, was slightly sweet and easy to drink.
Ube madeleines, a purple sweet potato that has become a popular sweet in Hawaii, are available for takeout. The store is unique in its unprecedented concept: you can stop by and order these sweets and coffee to take home, or you can bring in your PC and use it as a café to relax or have a light glass of champagne.
As is typical in Hawaii, the sunlight outside is strong, but all the stores are poorly lit, so you can hardly see what is going on inside from the outside when you walk down the street. In other words, it is not so much a case of “this store looks nice! Rather than saying, “This shop looks nice,” the store owner would say, “I wouldn’t dare to open the door of a store I can’t see inside. Therefore, it is quite important to “know” what you are looking for. This time, a friend of mine who has lived in Hawaii for 20 years said, “Wow, I didn’t know a new restaurant had opened here. What’s more, I like the atmosphere inside the restaurant. This kind of word-of-mouth spread may be one of the characteristics of popular restaurants in Hawaii.
© Source travel watch