FORKED UP

CORNFLAKE FRENCH TOAST
KOKO HEAD CAFÉ
1145-C 12th Ave., Kaimuki
Phone number (808) 732-8920
website kokoheadcafe.com

Sometimes Koko Head Café can be a bit too much. The dishes are all so elaborate and ambitious that they can be … overwhelming. Luckily, this brunch joint’s most famous dish is worth the hype. Chef Lee Anne Wong’s take on French toast is rolled in cornflakes, deep fried and topped with a thick slice of billionaire’s bacon (which is bacon coated in brown-sugar glaze) and a half-scoop of Frosted Flakes gelato. That ingredient list is, again, a lot to take in. But the flavor is simple, rich and delicious.

CHIRASHI DON
IZAKAYA TORAE TORAE
1111 McCully St., Honolulu
Phone number (808) 949-5959

The first thing to notice here is the price. At $13.95 (as of our last visit), this is probably one of the best deals you will get for a quality chirashi bowl on this entire island. It comes with the usual selection of fresh fish — your basic salmon and ahi alongside scallops, tako and other fare — atop a modest bed of sushi rice. There’s nothing too exotic here, but none of the essentials are neglected. It’s a meal that’s achieved the Golden Ratio. The bowl isn’t gigantic, but that’s actually a nice thing because it leaves you more room to try some of the other delicacies this izakaya has to offer.