We’ve actually been here twice already. Once when we had just arrived in Japan and again to mark our one year anniversary. As its name would imply, the restaurant was known for their Hawaiian coffee and pancakes. It was conveniently located off the 50 Mito bypass.

The exterior of the building was made to look like a Hawaiian building/shack. It was covered in a mix of weather beaten wood paneling. The landscaping was a mix of semi-tropical plants and a few palm trees. They had these really cool looking chairs made of wood.

The interior had a similar Hawaiian theme. It had a very homey atmosphere with some of the seating being couches and lounge chairs.

Kona’s Coffee & Hawaiian Pancakes Menu

The menu featured a wide variety of Hawaiian themed foods. There was a healthy selection of coffee and pancakes. They also had a good amount of burgers, entrees, and appetizers.

We ordered appetizer sized portions of the poke and garlic shrimp and fries, and a stack of their strawberry, banana, and whipped cream pancakes. Our strategy was to get smaller portions for our entrees so we could save room for the pancakes.

Kona’s Coffee & Hawaiian Pancakes Food Review

The poke bowl was delicious. The fish was very fresh and had melt in your mouth type qualities. The vegetables were crisp and added a bit of texture to the other soft ingredients. The sauce was light enough to where it was flavorful, but did not overpower the natural taste of the other ingredients. Typically, I’m not a fan of salmon eggs, however they added a nice salty flavor that complimented the refreshing cucumbers and tomatoes. The avocado added a creamy component and the onions added a little spice. There were a lot of flavors, but they complimented each other. All in all, it was very good, and something we wouldn’t hesitate getting again.

The garlic shrimp with French fries was delicious as well. The shrimp were well marinated in a soy garlic sauce. They had good flavor and the meat was nice and tender. The French fries were nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. This was another one of our go to staples.

For dessert we had a plate of strawberry and banana pancakes with a heaping pile of whipped cream. The whipped cream was a bit excessive in our opinion. The pancakes were really good. The strawberry, banana, and whipped cream complimented each other nicely. The mint added a nice refreshing taste. Our only gripe was that they were a bit pricey.

Final Thoughts

We always enjoy the food when we come here. The menu had a good assortment of staple entrées and an ever changing list of seasonal pancakes. It gave us the right balance of familiarity, while also giving us the opportunity to try something new. The quality was good and the ingredients were fresh. It was a little pricey though and not somewhere we would go to all the time. However it was a nice place to meet up with friends to celebrate special occasions like a birthday or anniversary.

We learned only after going to their website that they actually have 40 locations throughout Japan.

Here is the link to their website.

More to Come…