Business

Sealed With A Meal

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Sealed With A Meal

Whether you’re making a first impression or meeting with colleagues, it can be hard to pick a place that isn’t too casual or too over-the-top fancy.

Here is a mix of eateries with different settings, food and drink options suited to fit whatever the next business meeting will be.

To quote the song I’ll Make A Man Out of You from Disney’s Mulan, “Let’s get down to business!”

Heavenly Island Lifestyle

Make a trip out east to Heavenly Island Lifestyle (7192 Kalanianaole Hwy., Ste. D-105) at Koko Marina Center.

Enjoy the breeze and views of the marina for a terrace-like experience.

Many of the dishes showcase Asian-inspired cuisine elements. Its lunch time special menu items include mentaiko butter shoyu spaghetti and kalbi beef and garlic rice (available starting at 11 a.m.).

If you’re having an earlier meeting, the biz serves omelets, acai bowls, falafel, banh mi sandwiches, and healthy options like a quinoa and kale salad.

Top it off with desserts like a Kona coffee affogato, ITO EN matcha tiramisu, a parfait and more.

Keep an eye out for its weekly special menu available Mondays to Fridays.

Make a reservation online at heavenly-hawaiikai.com.

Waioli Kitchen & Bake Shop

Take your next meeting out of the city and to Waioli Kitchen & Bake Shop (2950 Manoa Road) in Manoa Valley.

Order your meal at the counter and find a spot inside the casual dining area or outside on the lanai.

Get the Waioli Breakfast Bowl for a little bit of everything — fried rice, scrambled eggs, bacon and the bread of the day. For something sweeter, try the banana macnut pancakes or one of its signature housemade pastries.

It’s a popular spot, so get there early!

The eatery also supports its staff, many of whom were incarcerated and are transitioning back into the workforce as they recover from substance abuse.

Learn more at waiolikitchen.com.

Hidden within a plant shop in Kaimuki, Plantoem (3457 Waialae Ave., Ste. 203) offers a quiet space perfect for small-group meetings.

Besides coffee, it also has floral tea pots to share. There are hot teas like Calming Rose or Osmanthus + Pear. The latter features orange chrysanthemum, lily, bamboo leaves and jasmine. For a cooler option, try the Jasmine + Lilly, a blend of mint, jasmine, osmanthus, lily and chrysanthemum, served over ice.

There are also lattes and lavender and lilikoi spritzers.

For food, there’s a selection of baked goods, including croffles in flavors like honey black sesame and
strawberry nocciola.

The shop opens at 7 a.m. on weekdays. It also hosts plant workshops, poetry nights and live music events.

Visit plantoem.com.

Moku Kitchen

Located at Salt at Our Kakaako, Moku Kitchen (660 Ala Moana Blvd. No. 145) serves handcrafted foods and drinks in its spacious indoor and outdoor seating areas (or, pull up a seat at its long bar top).

Choose from small plates like roasted squash ravioli, pork potstickers or poke tacos. It also has salads such as Peter’s Caesar, marinated shrimp salad and organic kale.

Whether it’s the Hamakua mushroom and truffle oil pizza or enjoying your the smashburger and fries, each dish reflects Moku’s commitment to crafting something delicious.

For more info, visit mokukitchen.com.

Tango Contemporary Cafe

While Tango Contemporary Cafe’s (1288 Ala Moana Blvd. Ste. 120) menu changes every month, its European-style bistro vibe does not.

If you’re meeting during the workweek, check out its all-day or breakfast menus, which are offered 7 to 10 a.m. A brunch menu is served 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the weekends.

Currently, its breakfast menu features eggs Benedict and breakfast hash options alongside sweeter dishes like sweetbread French toast and plättar, or Swedish pancake with fresh berries, berry compote and fresh whipped cream. The all-day menu has a range of salads, burgers and entrees like mushroom risotto with asparagus or lobster and
shrimp pasta.

Be sure to ask about its daily specials.

Visit tangocafe.com.

Morning Brew

Morning Brew (600 Kailua Road and 685 Auahi St. No. 113) captures the aesthetic of a cafe you actually want to do work in. Both locations also have an upstairs loft where you can get away from the bustling space below.

Both offer a variety of breakfast and lunch foods as well as coffee, lattes, teas and ice-blended drinks. Try the morning burrito, which features potatoes, sauteed onions, tomatoes, black beans, fresh spinach, Jack cheese and scrambled eggs in a rolled flour tortilla. Another option is the B.L.A.T. Sando, featuring a multigrain toast with classic bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado mash and a sundried tomato aioli with a side salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

For more info, visit morningbrewhawaii.com.

Looking for a central meeting point in town with lots of parking? Located inisde Neiman Marcus Honolulu in Ala Moana Center, Mariposa (1450 Ala Moana Blvd., level three) is the perfect, business-casual spot with a delicious menu.

Chat on the shaded lanai while overlooking views of Ala Moana Beach Park or dine inside.

Share pupus like its hurricane-seasoned fries or Mariposa poke; the latter includes fresh tuna garnished with maui onion, green onion, avocado, truffle-kabayaki sauce, arare and shiso. Then, dip into entrees like wagyu cheeseburger, salmon ochazuke, pan roasted scallops, braised duck leg and more.

Make a reservation at bit.ly/3Iv8jD8.