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Category: Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Hawaiian Monarch Hotel Waikiki
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I had the most delicious crepe at the Cream Pot. The crepe is ridiculously light even with a Bechamel sauce. The ingredients are really fresh and it seems like the chef takes a lot of time and effort in making these dishes. The potato cake is light and savory and the strawberry waffles melt in your mouth. The waffles are light and the strawberry puree is not overly sweet. The mocha is really rich like melted chocolate. I really like how intense the flavors are in their dishes. They are really thinking outside the box.
The decor is really unique. You definitely don't feel like you're in Honolulu. I like the cute figures everywhere and they even have an herb garden right outside. I noticed that the kitchen is actually upstairs and the dining is downstairs, which is why some people commented on the wait in their food. Seriously, the food is that good that it's worth the wait!
3.5 stars
If I had synesthesia, I'd probably see the music fluttering out of a music box exactly as the frilly, lacy interior of The Cream Pot. It kind of has the sunny, nostalgic aura of a fond childhood memory that you didn't ever have (whatever the hell that means). It's, as mentioned in other reviews, like a little girl's tea party, only the imaginary china contains a brew of fly agaric. It's how Yoko Ono might decorate a country nursery.
Like the decor, the service was whimsical -- as in you would be served whenever they merrily happened back into this realm of consciousness. The owner stopped by our table, and he was very friendly, but the rest of the staff may have partaken in the little girls' shroom tea. They probably thought they were moving pretty quickly, but time ceases to exist when the psychedelics kick in. Everybody was nice, and attentive, they were just in slow-mo.
Quirky imagination definitely rules here, but that actually worked out in terms of the menu. My girlfriend and I split the Fig Crepe with Dark Chocolate, Bleu Cheese, and Red Wine Sauce, which was extraordinary. My second choice of Salmon "Eggs Benedict" (their Burgundy Beef Stew Omelet had sold out) was nicely prepared and flavorful. All of The Cream Pot's benedicts were served with Mornay Sauce (a small sauce of Bechamel with Gruyere cheese) instead of the usual Hollandaise. Also, I don't think any of them have an English muffin as a base. My girlfriend had the Baked Eggs with Shrimp which she would have liked better had the whole thing not been so watery.
It was definitely an experience. I recommend microwaving a frozen burrito when you get home to fill up.
My girlfriend Tamra recommended the Cream Pot to me awhile back and it's my FAVORITE breakfast spot on the island. It's located at the Hawaiian Monarch Hotel which is a fairly sketchy place to stay (unless you want to get mugged) and sits on the corner of Ala Wai and "Gangster". But quite frankly I don't care where something is located as long as it's delicious. The Cream Pot could be at the end of a dark dirty alley where people are doing crack deals and I'd still go!
The Cream Pot is owned by a former mainland lawyer and his Japanese wife who regularly work at the restaurant. When you walk into the restaurant it looks like little gnomes live there because the decor is all miniaturized and completely random. I've often thought, "Hey maybe it's a gnome restaurant during late night and you can't get in unless you're under 12 inches?" Anyway, it's really cute and girly and a perfect place to go with girls or take a girl.
I once recommended it to a friend to take a girl out to on their 2nd date (true story!) and between you, me and the entire Yelp community, it was a home run if you know what I mean (wink! wink!).
My faves are the Salmon Eggs Benedict (I thought eww too but then I ate it and I LOVE it!) and the crepes. Oh yes the crepes! They have various flavors depending on the fruits in season such as strawberry, blueberry, cherry, but you must have the banana crepes with salty caramel. My bf likes to order the omelets (which are light & fluffy) but I say omelet schomelet because I'm eating crepes!
Service is never quick because of the time and care they put into their dishes, but the straight from Japan servers are really polite and very sweet. Besides as long as you get me my Cream Pot dish in under half an hour, my anger will be immediately swept away by salty caramel.
I think the only way I would love the Cream Pot more is if they had actual gnomes that you could eat with and bring you coffee. "More coffee gnomes!!!"
Rating: 2.5 stars.
The Breakdown:
Ambiance: 3 - very girly and cute
Food: 3 (although I'd recommend the Belgian waffles - they were a 4.5)
Service: 2
Overall: 2.5 The waiting period really killed the experience.
Stopped in the Cream Pot a few weeks ago for Sunday Brunch. As Edwin S. summed it up, it's kind of pricey for good, but not amazing, food.
The Good:
The food was good (I tried someone's salad - pretty fresh, and shared a chicken crepe (ok) and an order of the belgian waffles (really good stuff). I might go back for the waffles, but probably not anytime soon.
The Not So Good:
The service, however, was barely ok - it was sloooooow, like... you're having a great 30 min conversation and the food still not here and 10 mins later you check in with the waitress who assures you that it's on its way and we had to ask twice for water refills... while waiting for the food. And then a third time after the food arrived. They did have a huge party there, so maybe that was the reason, but the party-attendees didn't arrive until about 15 mins after we ordered so it should not have unduly affected our wait for our food.
Definitely not the place to go if you have any time constraints. Plus, we managed to completely blow our time limit (they do partially validate) b/c the service was so slow, so that was a double-whammy.
This is the 4th or 5th time I've had breakfast at the Cream Pot, and each time I've thoroughly enjoyed it. Love the crepes, enjoy the decor, and the service has always been great. The staff are polite, unobtrusive, and while this is not the place to go to if you have time constraints, I've never found them to be especially slow as has been the complaint in other reviews. The Cream Pot has always served for a very relaxing experience. Oh, and I just lovvvvvvvve the Iced Chocolate! Mmmmmmm!
The Cream Pot is my favorite spot to eat breakfast on the island when I'm feeling a little classy. This is an unfortunately rare phenomenon, however, and so I've only been there four or five times, and on none of these occasions have I felt quite classy enough to spend money parking in the hotel lot (there's always been street parking within a block--I'd suggest you try to find some and avoid the hassles of one or two of the other reviewers). But if a few friends and I are feeling a bit snooty (wanting something a little nicer than Cook's Extra Dry--bring your own, btw--to mix with our morning OJ) and are up before noon on the weekend, we love to head to the Cream Pot and get refined for a bit.
Not that the Cream Pot is pretentious or anything--the atmosphere is quaint and welcoming, with a vibe that is sort of reminiscent of an old-school European cottage. The chef/owner is a very friendly culinary school graduate of Japanese descent who pushes the traditional breakfast culinary envelope a bit--with somewhat mixed results in my opinion.
I'd agree with a few of the reviewers that some of the dishes miss the mark slightly--they're all nicely presented and tasty, but not exactly "OH MY SWEET JESUS" good for the $15+ you're spending. For example: the Toro and Salmon Benedicts both bend the traditional benedict rules a bit, with the salmon/poached egg/non-hollandaise sauce sitting on top of a potato pattie, and with the toro sitting on a sort of rice pattie. Both are clean-tasting and decent, but, they're a bit light on flavor and sauce for my taste and in neither case did I feel like they advanced the intricate and fascinating science of eggs benedict to any great degree. However, there are obviously some reviewers here who disagree, so if you've got a pallette that prefers lighter, cleaner flavors, these may do the trick for you.
That being said, there are some selections on this menu that really do knock my socks off, and it's mainly for these dishes that I can't deny the Cream Pot its 5-star rating. First and foremost: the 'classic' savory potatoes-bechamel-onion-bacon-gruyere-oh sweet jesus crepe. I am thankful for friends who pick other dishes so I might know what I'm missing every single time I order this dish, which is every time I come here. I was lucky enough to pick it on my very first visit, and it hasn't failed me yet. If you care at all about the ingredients I just mentioned, order this, and if you don't like it I'll let you punch me in the face.
But perhaps more extraordinary than the classic savory crepe was a chef's special sweet crepe that was available for a few months last year--it WILL be brought back for the holiday season this year, or there will be blood. Check this out: sweet crepe with sugar and maybe a little lemon, dark chocolate drizzle, figs, and bleu cheese. WTF, right? I don't even like figs. And with bleu cheese? What school did this dude go to? But a good bite of this crepe with each of the ingredients together was honestly one of the most interesting culinary experiences I've ever had. it was such an explosion of diverse-yet-somehow-complimentary flavors that I got teary-eyed.
I know I'm skipping a lot of the minutae about the Cream Pot like beverages, service, and whatever, but after describing those crepes I'm feeling kind of post-coital and I think I need a nap. Sorry.
Only come here if you have the time. For a party of five it took us 2 hours to get in and out. I had the strawberry Belgian waffles and an iced chocolate. Both were delicious. Despite the long wait, I definitely enjoyed my meal and would come back. The owner was also extremely personable which added to the overall experience.
If I had a daughter and wanted to throw her a "tea-party" themed birthday, this is the place I'd do it.
The decor is like a page from a Beatrix Potter book: sweet, feminine, delicate, intricate and so unbelievably CUTE! They even have pots on their terrace which is where they pick the herbs for most all of their dishes as well as the tiny flowers that adorn the tables.
I would love to come here for Easter breakfast with my girls and dressed in our pastel Sunday church outfits. It's just that kind of place.
Food-wise... it didn't really stand out. The crepes were tasty and simple but rather overpriced. $11 for a blueberry crepe with whipped cream... mmm, it's just a little much. Don't get me wrong the food, in all it's simplicity, is good but it isn't particularly different or outstanding. Yea, the service is quite slow but the waitresses make the effort to be charming and polite.
Still The Creme Pot deserves applause for its character and ambiance (you definitely don't feel like you're in Hawaii, let alone Waikiki... which is a great change.) And I will give them props for their water... yea the water. I'm rather sure it's from the tap but they infuse it with lemon so it's much more refreshing than questionable.
In summary - OK food and expensive for what you're getting. Ambience not for me but see my last sentence.
This restaurant is in the Monarch in Waikiki. There is a parking garage at the Monarch and is validated at $2/hr, there's also street parking in the area. Cream Pot has a cottage like theme. Different... probably not my first choice as far as ambience.
The food was OK, nothing really great but not bad. We ordered-
- Coffee - bland and not good
- Blueberry Crepes - fresh blueberries, 2 crepes with whipped cream and blueberry sauce. It was good but not worth $10 for something that barely fills you up.
- Salmon Eggs Benedict - It was good but not worth $15.
- Maple cured bacon - 2 slices $3.50
Service was fine, very friendly but not the speediest.
Overall, I really doubt I'll eat there again. Try it if you like cottages, doll houses, if you're taking granny out, if you're girlfriend has a little red riding hood fetish, if you like menus with pictures, and if you really like the aging Monarch.
This was a nice quaint little place. Did not Feel Hawaiian in the least. Roomy for sure. The food isn't out of this world or anything, but it was solid, a bit pricey.
Giraffe Friendly.
The decor here is so cute... definitely a notch above your average breakfast spot. It looks like it's right out of a story book. :) It's a great place for an early AM date.
There were lots of items on the menu that I wanted to try... I guess other people have this conundrum... hence the combo specials which were listed on a chalk board.
My bf got the baked egg w/ bacon and crepe combo. I opted for the belgian waffles with strawberries.
The baked eggs were great. They were served over a bed of potatoes. The bacon was a chunky maple flavored canadian bacon. Not the thin-microwave-til-ready variety. The banana crepe was a lot smaller and lighter than expected. It probably wouldn't have been filling enough on its own, but combined w/ the eggs, they were the perfect portion.
The strawberry waffle was served w/ fresh whipped cream (yum) and strawberry coulis. The strawberry sauce was too sweet for my taste...and it didn't really help that they practically doused my whole plate with it. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if they had used half the amount of sauce. My bf has a real sweet tooth though, and he thought it was great.
We ordered the ahi Benedict and the egg & spinach bowl. The ahi Benedict had a rice cake instead of bread which was different but, good. As for the egg & spinach bowl, it was not that great for my taste buds, it was also pricey. I ordered the Strawberry lemonade and she brought the mint lemonade. I did see her go to the lanai and pick out fresh mint leafs from the small garden they have. The drink was fresh and good...almost like a mojito w/ out the Bacardi. The service was a bit slow, but friendly. I did enjoy the décor. I'd like to go back and try the crepes.
Over all cute spot, the food was ok but, nothing to rave about.
I went to Honolulu recently with my family. We found this place just walking by from where we stayed. What a cute place and well decorated! They have pictures of their menu which will help you know what you eat. They have the best Belgian Waffle we ever had. In fact all of their sweet breakfast items are delicious but I didn't care for the baked eggs with shrimp. Omelets are good but the ricotta souffle pancakes and Belgian Waffle and Crepes are excellent! There was a former chef at the table next to us and he liked it so much that he ordered two meals. We highly recommend you to stop by. The owner takes pride in their ingredients and the attention to details, like their 100% Cacao Mocha, that was rich but not too sweet.
My husband & I would've never walked in this hotel if it wasn't for good ol' yelp. This was probably our best breakfast besides the Original Pancake House while we were in Oahu.
Although it is located in the run-down Hawaiian Monarch Hotel, I walked in pleasantly surprised with the cute, tea-house decor. I had the Classic Crepe which was delicious with the gruyere in bechamel sauce along with the bacon, potatoes & onions. Perfectly put together. The belgian waffle was huge and looked overly sweet, but was surprisingly light with fresh strawberries & freshly whipped cream.
We tried to make it back for 2nd visit, but we didn't have enough time. We're definitely coming back here on our next visit to Oahu!
I would only really go here again with my grandma, and only if she was buying, and then only if she was a millionaire. This place is outrageously overpriced, the portions are small, the food is boring. the coffee is god-awful, and the service is bad.
I still feel guilty I dragged my husband here and made him spend $54 on breakfast. Woops. Got some cute pictures of him, though, wishing he were elsewhere.
Don't let the decor and above average reviews tempt you. Please listen to me, you'll thank me for saving you hard earned cash-ola.
Amazingly quaint!!!! Really fresh food, very friendly staff, very nice decor, not crowded. NOT your middle American potato and eggs diner!!
Do not eat here.
Yesterday's dining experience at The Cream Pot will stand out as one of the worst I have ever had. I was so excited to try the place, because I love Belgian waffles, omelettes, and especially crepes. I lived in France and am always looking for good creperies in Hawaii. I ate at least one crepe a day in Paris, and while in Bretagne, the birthplace of crepes, I would indulge in a crepe (sweet) or galette (savory) at every opportunity, i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks!
When my friend and I arrived, there were 5 parties seated and for a while, only 1 server. She was rushing about, totally disorganized, but managed to tear herself away long enough to seat us at a long community-style table in the middle. She was so focused on herself, she didn't even smile or greet us. She just sat us, and then left us there for 25 minutes without getting us water or taking our orders.
The service is so slow at this restaurant that the girl next to me actually FELL ASLEEP while waiting for her food. Ha!
We had lots of time to look at the decor while waiting for service. I would call it "Dollhouse Creepy." The restaurant was made to look like a Hansel and Gretel house; they went way overboard on the "cute" touches. While I appreciated the white walls and light colors that gave the place a natural brightness, they greatly overdecorated. Metal knickknacks and vases full of dried flowers are everywhere, and they stuck little fuzzy chickens that look like Peeps whereever they could. There is a black cat on the roof of the kitchen area, and a child's white chistening gown hangs outside the window. A wall near the entrance is covered in old cookware . . . and more Peeps and flowers. Shortly after I wrote this, several suspicious 501s came out claiming the atmosphere is "French country inn." Sure. I've never seen an inn in France that creepy!
While we were waiting, another couple got seated. Then a 2nd server appeared. Both seemed determined to ignore us. The 2nd server greeted the couple that came in after us and took their order. We really wanted to order at that point, but the two waitresses had tunnel vision and refused to make eye contact. Finally, my friend stood up and asked loudly if we could order.
After a few more minutes, the 2nd server came over with a notepad. Both servers were Japanese and didn't speak English too well. I ordered Combo B, a classic omelette with potatoes, caramelized onions, and Applewood-smoked bacon served with a salad and rice pilaf, and an apple tatin crepe with salted caramel sauce. I asked the server if that was enough food for both of us and she said no, so I added on a strawberry crepe and a side of hash browns. My friend ordered a Cream Pot blend coffee (iced Vietnamese coffee) and I a fresh squeezed orange strawberry juice. I wasn't sure if the server really understood what I was saying, so I pointed to the menu as much as I could. Here is an example of our dialogue:
Waitress: "Would you like crepe same time as omelette or after?"
Me: "The same time, please."
Waitress: "After?"
Me: "No. The same time."
Waitress: "After?"
Me: "THE. SAME. TIME. PLEASE."
Waitress: "Oh. Okay." (weak smile)
45 minutes after we sat down, the omelette finally arrived. WITHOUT the crepe. It was bland and totally not worth $11.50--there was hardly any bacon or onions in the filling. It was mostly potatoes. The rice pilaf was okay. Then the hash brown came. It was a tiny latke covered in a dollop of sour cream and green onions. It was good, but not $3.50 good.
We were really thirsty because our drinks had not arrived. My friend flagged down our waitress and asked her to bring them. She said okay, but 10 minutes passed and they had not appeared. Meanwhile, the strawberry crepe arrived, and 5 minutes later, the apple crepe.
Holy cow, these were the smallest crepes I'd ever seen, and they charge people $10 for one!! Talk about huge profit margin. The strawberry one was covered in cheap whipped cream (the kind you get in a can) and what they called strawberry coulis, even though there were lots of seeds in it. You couldn't even taste the crepe because of all the crap they piled on it. Get it?
The apple tatin crepe was even tinier. It, too, was covered in cheap whipped cream. The salty caramel sauce was indeed quite salty. There wasn't enough food on the table for two people, yet our breakfast tab was already up to $35.
We had finished eating and still our drinks hadn't arrived. My friend really wanted his coffee, so he asked Waitress #2 for it again. She gave him a blank look. "Coffee?" I leaned over and interjected, "And I don't want my juice anymore. It took too long." She looked even more confused. "You want juice?" My friend said, "You wrote it down, remember? I want the coffee that I ordered that you wrote down." She disappeared and never came back. Finally, he flagged down Waitress #1 and she brought it along with the bill. I think we all wanted out at that point.
I used the urbanspoon app for my iphone to find the Cream Pot - a cute breakfast eatery located in Waikiki. I never heard of the place before so I decided to go. We found street parking easy, about a block away. We walked up and immediately to my delight and dismay I was bombarded with quirky décor. Imagine a medieval, Disneyland, Dutch like theme. In the center of the room is a gigantic dining table, which could easily house 20 English knights in full armor frolicking while eating huge shanks of meat and drinking goblets full of mead. Even the waitress uniforms are a bit campy - the word "wench" came to mind. Though it wasn't as bad as the Anna Miller's girl's uniforms.
There are rounded small arch doors behind the front counter that I believed could only house little hobbits or mythical dwarf trolls. We took a seat by the window, overlooking the Ala Wai. Everything on the menu looked so good, I really enjoyed the picture menu that accompanied the regular text one - but it only lead to more indecision. The crepes looked tasty, fruit and cream filled decadence, the omelets looked fabulous as well but after scanning the menu one more time I decided upon the Nigiri (or was it maguro?) Eggs benedict. It had a nice fusion, Asian twist to the classic breakfast. Sub out the English muffin for rice; add avocado and raw fish, Instead of hollandaise sauce it was covered with a sweet, shoyu, cream concoction. It was delicious! My friend had the Salmon benedict, which I tried and also loved.
Over all I had a great experience, the service was polite, the décor made me smile, the food was tasty and I could see myself coming back to try a crepe...
Two important things about Cream Pot:
1. They do not accept credit cards. It's cash only.
2. If you want to pay $25 for a $50 gift certificate, check out this website http://kucd.ccrideals.... and see if there are any left. It's actually 2 $25 gift certificates and you can only use one per visit.
Ok, that being said, that place is close enough for me to walk to from home and a good thing, too, because I needed to walk home after that meal! I had baked eggs with bacon. It came in a bowl of diced potatoes, onions and bacon, with two eggs (I'm guessing baked in a bain marie, but I'm not sure). The egg yolk was loose in the middle, but firm around the edges. Yum. I mushed and mixed it all together and ate it on top of buttery brioche slices. *sigh* It came with an apple, banana or strawberry crepe. I got apple, which was the perfect balance of tart, spice and sweet. The crepe was so light and delicate! Mine never come out that good. I would have used my finger to lick up all the cinnamon-butter sauce, but didn't want to embarrass my parents (took my mom here for a b-day brunch). ($17)
My dad had the beef burgundy stew omelette. The omelette was filled with rice and the savory stew was poured over it. It came with a baby mixed green salad. He got the strawberry crepe, which had chocolate inside and thinly sliced strawberries around it with a strawberry syrup. It was good, but my apple one was better (more butter, methinks). ($18).
Sorry, no pics of the fruit crepes. We ate them before I remembered I was supposed to take a picture. Trust me, delicate and yummy.
Mom had a savory crepe filled with chicken in a white cream sauce. Her crepe was a little thicker than the sweet ones and the flavor was light and delicate, but still rich.
I had a cold dark chocolate drink, which was good, but not something I would order again. ($4.50, see pics). Regular coffee (2.50) is refillable, but the Kona coffee ($4.50), which is a per cup serving.
Service is very nice and friendly. The decor is girly...cute country French with knick-knacks and flowers on the table. Even the silverware and plates are dainty, but not so girly that a guy would feel weird there. Well, maybe if you were there with only guys and you weren't so secure with your masculinity, it might be a tad weird.
Overall, slightly on the expensive side, but worth it due to the quality and care given to the dishes. A nice way to treat yourself. I'll be going back, and not just because I have my second $25 gift certificate to use!
We happened here by chance and let me say I wasn't disappointed. The banana french toast was to die for. I never say that about anything. But yes the french toast was pretty freaking awesome.
The service was great, the waiter/chef was also very nice. They made sure everything we had was to our liking.
My boyfriend had the eggs benedict with pineapple & bacon and he absolutely loved it as well.
If it wouldn't have been awkward I would have licked my plate clean.
High possibility we are going back tomorrow.
What a fun way to start the day!
After scanning the many mixed reviews of The Cream Pot I decided I just had to experience it myself. Glad I did!
ATMOSPHERE:
- Though many exaggerate and ridicule the decor, The Cream Pot is actually quite quaint and not "creepy" at all. Made to model a simple, french country inn.
- Well lit from the sun (not direct sunlight), and the temperature is just right, not too cold!
FOOD:
-BELGIAN WAFFLE: Extremely light, fluffy, sweet! A slightly crisp browned crust adds contrast to the pillowy innards. A mild and sweet vanilla sauce is spooned inbetween the waffle fourths and is topped with homemade whipped cream. Fresh strawberries and strawberry coulis are drizzled over the waffles and around the plate to add a bit of tang to the slightly sweet waffles. Melts in your mouth!
-STRAWBERRY CREPE: Again, extremely light and fluffy with a crisp edge! The crepe engulfs a sweet vanilla custard and is topped with the same strawberry coulis. Perfectly chewy and soft at the same time!
-FRESHLY SQUEEZED STRAWBERRY ORANGE JUICE: Really tasty and tangy and fresh! However, the thin glass wasn't enough to make up for the price.
SERVICE:
- All workers do not speak English very well.
- Very considerate, however, not very knowledgeable at all.
- NOT very friendly.
PRICE:
- A little expensive considering all factors (food, service, and PARKING).
OVERALL:
Will visit again, but perhaps only for those special crepe of waffle cravings.
I'm kind of torn as to what I should rate this restaurant. On one hand the food is spectacular, on the other, the prices are spectacularly high.
The restaurant is really cute and frilly, too much so. It was way too girly for my liking. I don't know really how to describe it, except that there's lots of lacy curtains, little bottles with flowers in them. My mom loved the place, whereas I really didn't love it. They do have a (lovely?) view of the Ala Wai, though.
The food there is really great. Definitely it was some of the best breakfast food I've ever had. There were two "specials" that both came with two courses. My mom got an eggs benedict with fatty tuna. It was an interesting interpretation. Instead of an English muffin, it was on top of a rice cake and had toro instead of canadian bacon. She really enjoyed it. I had the baked eggs with potatoes and bacon, served with toast. The eggs were great, perfectly cooked, on top of the bacon/potato "hash" It was nicely seasoned, and went great along with the toast. After we had that, a crepe came with the special. My mom got the banana with salted caramel, and I got the chocolate and strawberry crepe. My mom's crepe was delicious. The salt in the caramel really brought out the flavors in the crepe. My crepe was a little flat, as I thought it wasn't nearly sweet enough.
The service was quick and efficient. Our waitress, though we couldn't understand her with her accent, was very nice.
What notches this restaurant down are the exorbitant prices. The meal ended up costing us $50. Was the food good? Yes. Was it $50 good? I don't think so.
While there may be some people (tourists) willing to pay that much, I expect a lot more bang for my buck. In fact, I'm sure we aren't the only ones put off by the pricing, since we were the only ones in there that Saturday morning. I probably can not afford to eat here again.
From a review I wrote for my site http://www.cotygonzale...
The Crème Pot is a relatively new eatery that opened up its kitchen this past February. It's clean, cute and frilly with lots of flowers, lace and pastel colored pattern thingies. Although the eats are heterosexual, the décor is definitively geared toward those with less testosterone and more estrogen.
Enough about the décor. The food at this cutesy little European styled restaurant at the Waikiki Monarch Hotel totally delivered. I indulged in a nice serving of Belgian waffles. The waffles came topped with a lovely butter topping, maple syrup and powdered sugar and fresh bananas. The waffles were out of this world good! The syrup and butter topping did not overpower the taste of the waffles. It's not unusual for me to only eat half the plate when ordering pancakes or waffles but to my surprise I was able to gobble up the hearty serving of waffles in its entirety.
I'm usually an eggs and bacon kind of guy, so luckily, Michelle and I ordered some maple bacon and baked eggs with potatoes on the side. The eggs were incredibly good even though the side of bacon was disappointingly small. Michelle ordered a breakfast set that included an omelet served with rice and greens as well as a crepe with fresh bananas.
If you're into breakfast then The Crème pot is a must visit. We ended up paying about $45 for a breakfast for two. The prices are on the high end, but as the old adage goes, you get what you pay for. What you get is a great breakfast with quick, efficient and friendly service.
My wife and I left our Waikiki beach hotel early in the morning excited to try this place out after having read some great reviews. We arrived at about 8am with the place about a third full of Japanese tourists (we were the only english speakers). We were seated next to each other at the long community table (seats ~20). We received menus right away and were made aware of the specials.
The menu had a good variety of breakfast/brunch dishes, most of which contained or were served with custard or cream (makes sense given the place's name). I chose the banana french toast with creme anglaise and my wife had the special - fig and macadamia filled crepe with chocolate and a red wine reduction. I had iced tea and she had the mint lemonade (fresh lemonade with lots of mint leaves). Our orders were taken after about fifteen minutes which wasn't terribly long, but left us a little impatient as we were quite hungry after the mile-long walk to the restaurant.
We were served our drinks after a few minutes and took in the decor. Definately a cute place - nice curtains with a decent view behind them, polyurethaned rustic looking solid wood tables, nicely plastered textured walls, antique cooking gear on the back wall.
We wanted to love this place, however the wait for our food was atrocious. As noted, our order was taken at 8:15. Our food finally arrived at 9:05 (we were looking at our watches every 2 minutes at this point). In the meantime, we had finished our water and our drinks long ago and hadn't had any offer to refill them. The woman who brought out our food did thank us for waiting, but it wasn't enough to keep us from eating our food grumpily and rushing to the cashier to pay before our check arrived.
The food itself was good, not excellent. My french toast was tasty and satisfying - 3 thick french bread slices with plenty of tasty syrup and a generous helping of creme anglaise on top. Overall, what I'd expect for $9.50. My wife's crepe was tiny (I felt bad even trying the tiny piece that I took from her), though she stated that it was plenty as it was very rich. I thought it was kindof a rip at $11.
Overall, I have to give this place two stars for the service. Though our waitress was very nice, she entirely forgot about us once our drinks were served. I'll wait this long for a from-scratch stuffed pizza (Chicago), but not for breakfast. Refills of our drinks or an occasional check-in and apology for the wait would've helped our moods immensely. A good place to try if the food sounds good, but make sure you have heroic patience and aren't starving before giving it a shot.
Simple french breakfast foods that are severely overpriced. Crepes are good. They offer partial parking validation, which sucks because it is in Waikiki. We waited at least 20 minutes for our food even though the place was barely half full. I requested to sit at a certain table but the waiter insisted it was reserved even though no one ever came for nearly two hours. I hate being lied to.
again, great breakfast!
pricey but worth it!
I had my shrimp baked eggs! oh, popping my yolk with the buttery toast! ahhh....so yummy
and my favorite, banana crepe! I hope cream pot is here to stay!
I love their banana crepes! The baked eggs are great too! I hope they last...kinda pricey but i love… Read more »
Terrible. Waited 55 minutes for my food and they tried to charge us for 2 hrs of parking. My wife's french toast was ok, but my belgian waffles were completely dry. I ate one of four and left the rest.
Honolulu, HI
Category: Diners
Honolulu, HI
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Honolulu, HI
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Honolulu, HI
Category: Creperies
Honolulu, HI
Category: Restaurants
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