Ken's House of Pancakes (Hilo, HI)

The first time that Kristen and I visited Hawaii, we stayed solely in Honolulu; specifically, Waikiki. For this vacation, we wanted to venture out and see the Black Sand Beaches, Kilauea Volcano, Akaka Falls, and the other spectacles that the big island of Hawaii had in store. We spent the first 2 1/2 days in Hilo before moving onto Oahu for the remainder of the vacation. On the last day in Hilo, after spending the early morning in a rainforest and the Akaka Falls and staring down a flight back to Honolulu, we settled for the 24 hour breakfast joint right down the street.

When we arrived, Ken's was surprisingly busy. Upon receiving the menu, we noticed recognition on the front from Bon Appetit and USA Today. Apparently we stumbled onto a well known restaurant without even knowing it! The menu had a number of intriguing options, both sweet and savory. As with most cases, I decided on a savory breakfast, choosing one of the many variations of the Hawaiian favorite, the loco moco. Typically consisting of rice topped with a hamburger patty, gravy, and fried eggs, my version substituted the (apparently famous) housemade corned beef hash for the hamburger. I knew going in that I would love this, since given my love for both gravy and corned beef hash, but it exceeded my expectations. The gravy melded with the other breakfast items, and the rice added a substantial base, as well as keeping the saltiness in check. I also had a side of Portuguese sausage, but they were a mere distraction to the loco moco. This was the first of many loco mocos in Hawaii, and was by far the best rendition.

Kristen went in the sweet direction, and had the Banana Macadamia Nut Malted Waffles (and a fried egg on the side). This came with five different syrups, including guava, passion fruit, coconut, boysenberry and regular maple (last two not pictured). These, as you can imagine, were sweet and decadent. Our favorite syrups were the guava and boysenberry.

Our biggest disappointment with Ken's is that we found it on the last day that we were in Hilo. There is a vast menu full of items I wish I was able to try. If/When we make it back to Hawaii, Ken's will definitely be on the top of the list for breakfast.