Honolulu Coffee began in 1992, on a Kona coffee farm on the Big Island of Hawaii. With the perfect growing conditions that Hawaii normally has, Kona beans are loved by many and have a pleasant taste to them. Honolulu Coffee here in Vancouver is not only the first to open in Canada, but the first on the mainland of North America.
Honolulu Coffee is located in Nelson square on the bottom floor, next to Gyu Kaku. The space is nice and clean; there is a long table, many smaller tables for two and places to sit at the window. Hawaiian music plays in the background, so as I sat enjoying my coffee, I felt like I was transported back to the islands (if I didn’t look out the window into the rain!).
They have a small selection of pastries, desserts and sandwiches – although I’m sure this will change as they just recently opened and I’ll probably testing out what will be popular here in Vancouver.
This time I ordered a Hawaiian Latte, their Lilikoi Matcha Mousse cake and a Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie.
Besides the food and espresso drinks, you can also purchase Hawaiian coffee and teas.
The Hawaiian Latte has coconut and macadamia nut flavouring added to it, which is quite delicious. They also put whip cream on top of your latte, so just in case you’re not a fan – you can let them know to skip it. Their drink menu is concise and I like it this way – there are some great smoothies you can order and even a coconut and mac nut flavoured blended coffee drink.
The Lilikoi Matcha Mousse cake consists of matcha and lilikoi (more commonly known as passionfruit). The mix of matcha and the slightly sweet and tangy taste of the passionfruit makes for a nice blend of flavours without being too overpowering. In Hawaii, Lilikoi is most popular in shaved ice and as a stuffing for mochi, malasadas, Honolulu Cookies and more.
The Chocolate Macadamia nut cookie is my favourite thing – it’s packed (and I mean PACKED!) with mini-chocolate chips and chunks of macadamia nuts. I’d definitely come back for this alone!
It’s great to have a slice of Hawaii here in Vancouver. While the prices may be a little higher than most cafes you can visit, it’s still worth it – it’s like visiting the Hawaiian islands without having to spend the airfare getting there! Prices are probably the way there are as it is pricey to import and export things from Hawaii. I’d recommend you visit it, especially if you’re craving some Aloha spirit. I look forward to visiting it again and trying the blended coffee drinks and picking up another chocolate mac cookie!
Food/Drink: 4
Service: 4.5
Value: 3
Ambiance: 4.5
OVERALL: 4.5
For more information, visit their website here: http://www.honolulucoffee.com/
