Michel's at the Colony Surf - A Sunday Brunch Worth Repeating
Hawaii Diner Staff & Marianne Schultz
February 2005

We had the perfect excuse to book a table for Sunday Brunch at Michel's when a relative visited from one of the neighbor islands. We don't often think of braving the hordes that descend for Sunday Brunches without external motivation - the joys of sleeping in and wearing pajamas most of the day hold great charm for us. We chose Michel's for three reasons - HawaiiDiner.com contributor, Marianne Schultz and family had dined there recently and enjoyed the food (we have included comments and photos from their outings in this review), the brunch is not a buffet and the prospect of being seated mere feet from the ocean was irresistible. Parking is a breeze here as well, with a valet at the ready to take your car.

When we made reservations (a must) we requested a table by the beach and were assured that they would do their best to accommodate, and they did. It is hard to adequately describe how delightful it is to be seated so close to the ocean - it is a reminder of how fortunate we are to live here and how easy it is to forget. Michel's is flanked on the Diamond Head side by the Outrigger Canoe Club and the scene was brimming with activity from paddlers, beach goers, snorkelers and surfers. We took particular interest in three young children completely engrossed in piling their respective boogie boards with sand and then dumping it, only to repeat the process. My partner noted that it would be nice if we adults could be so easily entertained and full of pleasure at such a simple activity.

But I digress, we were there to eat and proceeded to peruse the menus after our helpful server took drink orders. We ordered a Mimosa ($8) and a Bloody Mary ($5) - next time I will skip the Mimosa as it's overpriced. A note here: if you like Bloody Marys then you have to order the Bloody Mary Bar - it is a brilliant concept and at $5 per drink an excellent value. The service from the outset was outstanding with the wait staff attentive and efficient as well as exhibiting just the right amount of cheerfulness for a Sunday morning. And, even though the restaurant was busy, we were never made to feel that we needed to hurry up and leave so another party could be seated.

We ordered a bowl of the Vichyssoise ($6), two orders of the Eggs Benedict ($16 each) and the Homemade German Apple-Blueberry Pancakes with Bacon ($12) for our breakfast. With our order placed, we turned to our beverages and while nibbling on the very tasty Lavosh provided (it was even better when slathered with the yummy Garlic, Basil & Sundried Tomato Butter) we surveyed our fellow patrons. The place was filling up quickly and it was interesting to note that there were a lot of local residents enjoying Michel's including a table of women who apparently work in the same office and were have a great time talking story and eating.

(To round out this review, we are fortunate to have photos and commentary from Marianne Schultz. Marianne and family enjoyed brunch at Michel's on two separate occasions recently and her comments on the Salmon Platter ($9.50) and photos of the salmon, eggs benedict with crab, Shrimp Cocktail ($12) and Hardy's Deep Chocolate Cake ($7) have been incorporated into the review. Thanks, Marianne!)

The Vichyssoise was excellent - very creamy and perfectly seasoned. I haven't seen this famous cold potato soup on a menu in quite a while so it was nice to enjoy this somewhat retro dish. Be aware that they give quite a large portion so if you have a small appetite you might want to share; otherwise you might not fully enjoy your entree and you surely wouldn't want to do that.

From Marianne on the Salmon Platter - "The salmon was very subtle in flavor, the essence of smokiness did not overpower the fish itself rather allowing the salmon to shine through the veil of smoke, the fish itself was not oily as it can sometimes be. How nice to have something house smoked to start the meal. A crisp potato pancake topped by a grilled apple slice was delicious when dipped into the stone ground mustard. The usual condiments came along, capers, onions, creme fraiche and some lemon. The toast points served were somewhat limp and unnecessary, a melba toast would have been really nice. Having had this twice in the last month I can certainly say without a doubt this is a winner not to be missed!"

The Eggs Benedict arrived; the twist that Michel's does with their eggs benedict is to use artichokes and Dungeness crab instead of Canadian bacon. We had ordered one as per the menu and one with ham instead of crab. The traditional Hollandaise sauce was excellent and the eggs were perfectly poached. Both of them were very good and while $16 isn't cheap, the portion was hearty enough for the hungry guys in our group.

The star of the show was the German Apple-Blueberry Pancakes. These were beautiful to behold with a ring of apple surrounded by tender German-style pancake batter with blueberries embedded. Three strips of deliciously crispy bacon topped the pancakes and an orchid adorned the plate. The pancakes were wonderful and since there were three of them, very filling. I wasn't able to finish all of the pancakes so this is a hearty dish. Highly recommended if you're a pancake lover. The menu also offers Belgian Waffles ($14) for those who like these types of breakfast foods.

Without doubt, the prettiest dish was Hardy's Deep Chocolate Cake which was presented on a plate to look like a honu (sea turtle) swimming. The decorative elements of berries, creme anglaise and chocolate sauce made a dish that demanded a photo and table wide admiration before eating.

Relaxing over coffee at the end of the meal, conversation was limited as we were completely mesmerized by the gorgeous view. I looked around and noticed that many of the people at the other tables overlooking the beach were doing the same thing, staring out at the ocean with expressions of quiet contentment. You can achieve this same little slice of paradise yourself at Michel's on any given Sunday. We recommend you give it a try.

Michel's at the Colony Surf
Colony Surf Hotel
2875 Kalakaua Ave
Waikiki
923-6552
Hours: Sunday Brunch 10am-1pm, Dinner Nightly 5:30pm-9:30pm ('til 10pm on Fri & Sat)