Attended a small birthday party there and the food and service was excellent! Beautiful building is in a quaint mansion like setting. Perfect for special celebrations!! Convenient parking too! read more

Came and visited here for a brunch with the girls. Parking was difficult as there is limited parking on the premises and street parking is limited as well. We ended up getting lucky with street parking close by but our other gfs had to park a few blocks away/by the park The ambiance is so cute. There's indoor outdoor and upstairs seating. The upstairs seems like it's more for bigger parties-- there was a baby shower going on when we arrived The food was good. Highly recommend the corn soup, seafood rice gratin, and the dessert trio. Flavors were light but delicious! Menu is slightly limited but this restaurant gives more of a small cafe feel. Dress for photos as there's a bunch of photo opportunities in the yard/outdoor space and great lighting. Will definitely be back to try their dinner menu read more

Waikiki Leia - Seafood gratin - Wedding Chapels Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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My wife had watched a video where a Korean YouTuber had a great experience at Waikiki Leia. I asked my wife if she wanted to try it and we planned to go for a Saturday brunch. The restaurant's website says: Brunch Saturday and Sunday ONLY 9:30am - 2:30pm (Last seating 1:30pm) I tried making a reservation via OpenTable for various times within the posted Brunch period, but kept getting "Please accept our apologies, OpenTable has no availability on this date at this restaurant," and suggesting future similar Friday times for weeks in advance. I wondered what sort of answer I would get if I phoned directly, but when I repeatedly called during business hours, no one answered the phone. As a last resort, I even offered to take a vacation day from work so we could schedule for one of the Fridays OpenTable kept suggesting, but at this point, she had lost interest. She said I shouldn't have to go so far as to take off from work just to give this restaurant a try. read more

Our party of 11 made the mistake of not reserving ahead of time for Sunday brunch. Understandably, there was no space to accommodate us. We thought to try and ask if it was possible to split our party in 2, and again understandably they were not able to accommodate us. The man speaking with us was very irritable and let us know there was no walk-in for the rest of the day. This was not mentioned prior btw. While my friend and I discussed in private, "where do you think we should go?" He butted in saying "you're not going to find a place to eat on Sunday without a reservation." Well we were able to eat at Cafe Morey's right across the street :) I want to note that we were not rude at all. If anything a bit irritating, sure, but as service workers, something like this does not prompt the rude behavior. I just want the owner to be aware of our experience and hope it'll be corrected. read more

This little diamond has been in my bookmarks for so long, and I'm so glad I finally got to check it out this visit to Oahu. In addition to their restaurant, there's a quaint little wedding chapel with gorgeous views of Diamond Head in the back. We were able to stop by for brunch, which was AMAZING and literally one of the BEST meals we had during our vacation (which really says something considering how delicious food in Hawaii is). We ordered their signature souffle pancakes, which were unbelievably fluffy yet light, as well as their omurrice, which came with a perfectly whipped egg omelette and the most delicious Japanese-style cream of corn soup that I've had. Highly recommend checking this hidden gem out if you're visiting Honolulu! Featured here: Soufflé pancakes Omurrice Cream of corn soup read more

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We were invited to enjoy lunch at Waikīkī Leia by cruisemates whom we met during our recent journey to Japan and Korea. We hadn't heard about this place until our cruisemates described the location and recommended the Island-style Fusion French brunch menu. I recognized the site as the former Diamond Head Anela Garden Chapel and Guest House, which offered a private wedding venue and restaurant services during the mid-2000s, but was unaware that it had undergone renovation and was renamed to "Waikīkī Leia. We excitedly accepted the invitation as we reminisced in the luscious French cuisine by master chef Jacques Pépin aboard our cruise ship. Upon arrival at Waikīkī Leia, we parked our car in their spacious parking lot and entered the guest house/restaurant. The hostess greeted us as we confirmed the reservation and seated us before the other couple joined us. Meanwhile, we enjoyed the tropical gardens and were soothed by the gentle splashing waterfalls while perusing the menus. Our cruisemates, who have dined at this restaurant before, ordered their usual breakfast menu items, Plantation iced teas, soufflé pancakes, and eggs Benedict. Since we were blessed with a gorgeous, sunny, warm, and clear day, we started our meals with iced teas, priced at $5 each (Plantation for my husband and Volcano for me), served in cute mason jars. Both iced teas were flavorful and refreshing. For my entrée, I chose the Seafood Rice Gratin ($25), which was preceded by a fresh mesclun salad drizzled with a well-balanced tropical vinaigrette (featuring liliko'i or passion fruit). The combination of mixed greens offered light, bitter green notes, spiciness, and tender bites, thanks to its variety of leaves, and prepared my taste buds for the rice gratin. The butter rice was topped with tender cooked shrimp, scallops, fish, and calamari in a rich Mornay sauce. The golden brown gratinée complimented the bubbling hot Mornay sauce. I waited a few minutes before digging into this fragrant and delicious dish. Our server warned me about the heat coming from the gratin dish and to avoid touching the dish. My husband chose the Trio Seafood Platter $30. The oven-baked seafood was artfully plated and accompanied with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes. He showed me the tender and moist flakes of salmon when he cut the portion. The scallops and shrimp were also done perfectly and lightly seasoned. However, he kept glancing over to my Seafood Rice Gratin and I felt pressured into sharing my meal with him which he said he wished he had ordered the Seafood Rice Gratin instead. We ended our meal by sharing the Japanese Dessert Trio (green tea ice cream, warabi mochi with kinako and kuromitsu or "black honey", and warm sweet azuki beans topped with fresh whipped cream) $8.50. The trio of desserts treated our palates to hot and cold and not cloyingly sweet or less sweet Japanese desserts. Our server was friendly and professional and not too chatty with us as with other guests. There were two servers to wait over the fully-occupied restaurant so service lagged at times and we often had to flag down our server for water or beverage refills. We weren't rushed and leisurely enjoyed the convivial venue and lively conversation within our group and thankful to our cruisemates for introducing this restaurant to us. 4.4 stars read more

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What a wonderful brunch! We ordered from both the breakfast and lunch sides of the menu and all were very content with their selections. Great service and a beautiful setting! read more

Waikiki Leia - Souffle pancake - Wedding Chapels Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Amazing ambiance, staff, and great food! Will definitely recommend and come back. Japanese dessert trio Omurice Soufflé pancakes Seafood trio platter Creamy corn soup Salad with mango dressing read more

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In Diamond Head, Waikiki Leia is a stunning place to grab a bite to eat! The entrance sets the tone with an arc of flowers and a classic looking white building. The space is well lit and clean. We sat outside and it was a beautiful day. There was a grass area right outside while we ate. The food was good too! We got soufflé pancakes and french toast. Both were quite good. Next time, we'll try a savory dish like pasta. The service was efficient as well. A very pleasant experience. The only difficulty was the parking, as there are limited spots so we had to find street parking and walk. Otherwise, very sweet place that we hope to visit again soon. read more

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Waikīkī Leia is a hidden sanctuary in a residential neighborhood just outside of bustling Waikiki off Monsarrat Ave -- so you don't feel like you're in the crowded cityscape. Small and limited parking in their lot off Kanaina Ave but lots of residential street parking -- just be considerate of the neighbors. They host weddings and private parties in various sections of the venue, so check first before going. Went for brunch and had a relaxing time with friends, and we all had fun with the cheerful and humorous staff who were all bilingual Japanese/English speaking. Definitely recommend this off the beaten track restaurant for a little escape from the stresses of daily life! read more

Waikiki Leia - Small salad with papaya dressing that accompanies the omelette rice dish. - Wedding Chapels Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Perfect for feasting with the eyes. Waikiki Leia is my favorite new discovery. I came across this unmarked restaurant while walking in the neighborhood, and was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the chapel adjacent to the restaurant. Social media influencers flock to Waikiki Leia for the picture perfect dining experience. Bring your incognito shades if you're shy and want to avoid getting caught in someone's livestream. The menu features Japanese cafe favorites, like omelette rice (オームライス). Each lunch entree comes with the option of the daily soup or salad. Today's soup was corn consumée, leaning on the sweet side for those with a local palette more accustomed to corn chowder. The salad came with a mango dressing, which would be perfect for panna cotta or other dessert dishes. The salad was fresh and crisp. The grilled vegetables and tofu were well prepared and satisfying. Want to know a secret about those picture perfect parfaits? It's Dryer's! Walk-ins are welcome, despite the "reservations only" posts on their website and Instagram. It's best to call ahead to reserve a spot and make sure your table is ready. Reservations may be made in English, but don't be alarmed if your first greeting is in Japanese. Carpool for best results. There's plenty of parking in the private lot in front of the restaurant. With nine stalls, including a handicap access, there's plenty for the size of the restaurant. The neighborhood is full of cars parked on the street, so take a tip from Kaka'ako and avoid overcrowding. read more

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I have always seen food influencer come to this place and I can see why. It's beautiful and very quiet inside. I love how there is a chapel inside where the restaurant is. My friend and I went for their breakfast and they open at 9am. We were the 2nd customer tomorrow get seated. The inside of the restaurant was very lovely. We sat inside by near the outside patio. There isn't much on the menu for the morning time but we shared the pancakes and the French toast. We were expecting the pancake to be big but it was four small fluffy pancakes and three different sauce to pour on. The taste of the pancakes felt like you were back in Japan! The French toast was HUGE. We were actually expecting it to be small but it did the job done and made both of us full! The price is quite expensive and I would go again for special occasions only. Wonderful experience and a beautiful place to have a meal! :) read more

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Absolutely lovely venue but mediocre food :( my friend and I were so excited to try this place and spent most of the time talking about places we could get better versions of what we had ordered here. Great service too. read more

Waikiki Leia - Menu - Wedding Chapels Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Waikīkī Leia left me conflicted. The service? Lovely. We sat upstairs in an airy AC room with the sweetest garden view--super cute and comfortable. But then the food came. We ordered a lineup of eggs Benedicts for brunch, and honestly... not memorable. The omelette rice was basically rice wrapped in a thin egg blanket with gravy--like a loco moco without patty. $20+. Soufflé pancakes were the highlight--light, fluffy, and tasty--but tiny. Four of them, each smaller than my fist--and I have small hands. Vibes were high, but the food didn't meet the moment. 3 stars. read more

Such a cute little place. We came here to celebrate "friendship" over lunch. We sat upstairs with the view of diamond head. I had the teriyaki chicken sandwich. And it was delicious. My friends had the beef stew with two slice of baguette bread and they loved it. Wish there more bread for the beef stew. Very friendly staff and awesome photographer. =) The decor, the chandelier, the ambience, the staircase going up, the little waterfall, the chapel, we wanted to take photos of it all. There's even a toto in the women's restroom. A very nice place to celebrate. read more

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Super cute restaurant in a wedding venue. We started with the soufflé pancakes. They were fluffy and nice. They were served with the tiniest containers of syrup, which surprisingly proved to be enough. I had the pork katsu sandwich and it was ok. Pork generally is kind of dry unless you're ready good at making it. So this was rather dry. My friend had the beef stew and it is not served with rice! So weird for an Asian place. For dessert, we had the chocolate parfait, which was huge. It was just OK though. This place is basically ok food in a really pretty setting. read more

Threw a small party here in the upstairs room. Ambiance and service are top notch. Food presentation was excellent and delicious and very Japanese-y. Oishii. Highly recommend. Check hours on Instagram, they close the place for weddings. Advance reservations highly suggested. read more

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Wedding chapel and restaurant venue at the foot of Diamond Head. Beautiful venue for a small wedding or intimate brunch. You're also able to reserve up to five on Open Table. Parties greater than 40 are usually seated in the first floor dining room which may extend to the lawn fronting the waterfall. Parking is a hassle as there's limited stalls and street parking. I came as a party of six and was set up in the private room upstairs overlooking the front entrance and chapel. If you're looking for a wedding venue this is an intimate setting with multiple options to have your photos taken. We ordered multiple dishes, the crusted, salmon, with shrimp; soufflé pancakes; roasted ribeye; teriyaki chicken sandwich; seafood, rice, gratin. The baked salmon was a little dry needed to be eaten with the vegetable salsa. Ribeye was tender and delicious. Highly recommended dish would be the seafood rice gratin. Chock full of various seafood with tons of flavor. PS: corkage fee of $10, bring your vino. read more

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Excellent atmosphere, good food, good for small groups and small parties. reservations are requires, limited parking. We had a good time there. read more

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Who would have thought that within this somewhat mixed residential neighborhood there's a beautiful wedding venue turned restaurant that is now open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Such an unexpected, lovely space! During my all day O'ahu foodtrip, we stopped here for brunch (or more accurately... second breakfast.). The parking lot is small, but we managed to score the last spot. Behind the gates you're welcomed with lovely landscaping, the pretty chapel, and an incredibly quaint garden villa all at the foot of Diamond Head. The restaurant is the perfect setting for a garden/tea party and of course, wedding receptions with it's spacious lawn, waterfall, flowers, and gentle breezes flowing through. We made reservations ahead of time and were seated promptly upon arrival. We opted for outdoor seating to take in the sunlight and enjoy the scenery. Their menus are small and serve simple Japanese-style cuisine. For breakfast, you can choose between four different sets and a soup set. Each set includes a drink of your choice. We ordered the Japanese-style thick toast, souffle pancakes, and fluffy and thick french toast (almost the whole menu, really). Everything came out REALLY fast and each dish was just so cute and plated so clean. It really all felt very Japanese and I loved it! Our group of three shared all the dishes and they were all executed very well. My favorite overall was the french toast which was served with ice cream and fresh berries. The souffle pancakes were also tasty with the macadamia nut sauce being my favorite. The thick toast also came with an egg salad spread that was so delicious! The best part is it's very light on the stomach which set us up well for our day of eating. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the meals here. Given the venue, I think it is also reasonably priced. The only down part was that we waited quite a long time to get our check. Guests that arrived after us and finished after us got their check and left before us. Overall though, we had a lovely time and I would highly recommend a stop here. read more

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Waikiki Leia is a wedding venue that now opens as a restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and some times closes on days when a wedding is booked. It is recommended to check their IG on their latest hour of operations. I visited this place for both breakfast and lunch. The setting was calm and beautiful. The area was smaller than I expected but the tables were spread out well from each other. Their menu is quite simple and limited. Soufflé pancakes: It includes sliced berries, whipped cream, and three sauces: macadamia nut sauce, berry sauce, and maple syrup. The pancakes were thick and fluffy. The macadamia nut sauce was my favorite out of the three. The berry one was a little tart. I wished there were more sauces because there wasn't enough of each. Breakfast sandwiches: It includes two different type of sandwiches: bacon, egg, cheese and ham, lettuce, tomato. The bacon, egg, and cheese was my favorite out of the two. The bread was toasted and it has some honey mustard dressing. The ham, lettuce, and tomato was alright but it wasn't anything special. The bread is also not toasted for this one. The breakfast sets includes coffee, tea, or fresh juice. The coffee is free refills. Cream sauce with seafood pasta set: The cream sauce was delicious. The spaghetti noodles were cooked perfectly. There were bite-size seafoods mixed into the pasta. Higawari set: The special for that day was "otona-sama" lunch, which is an adult version of a kids meal. It includes: Japanese beef curry don, a fried shrimp, arabiki sausages, fried chicken, and a side salad. There is also an egg salad dipping sauce. The fried chicken and sausages were bite size. The egg dipping sauce was pretty tasteless. The curry was alright but it wasn't anything special. The beef was very tiny and there were barely any in the curry. Overall, the whole dish was just alright. The saving grace were the fried chicken, the shrimp, and the salad. I would prefer the pasta over this dish. Also for this special, the price is actually $26 instead of $24 and we not really sure why. Fruits parfait: The fruits parfait was delicious. It consist of mainly vanilla ice cream with blackberry/blueberry purée (note: the fruits may change depending on the day). There wasn't any crunchy texture, such as corn flakes, in the parfait to scoop with the ice cream, but the cone acts as a substitute. The lunch sets includes a soup or a salad, focaccia bread, and a drink. For drinks you can choose from coffee, hot tea, iced tea, or juice. The coffee has free refills, but the iced tea charged for refills. The focaccia bread is also refillable for free. Overall, a very nice experience for breakfast/lunch. The service was friendly. We do prefer lunch over breakfast since lunch has a bigger portion and is more savory than breakfast. We also love Japanese-style pastas and their pasta reminded us of Japan. Their Higawari special may be a hit or a miss but definitely worth trying out if interested. We will be back again. read more

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Been a few times since they opened as a restaurant during the pandemic. It really is a beautiful hidden gem. I recently went for lunch with a few friends but have also been for breakfast and lunch twice previously. They have a parking lot but if it's full, you can try to find street parking in the neighborhood nearby. The restaurant is located off the main street kind of behind Pioneer Saloon. The first two times I came, I was really impressed. The vibes are immaculate and so aesthetic. It's cute that it is a wedding venue that pivoted during covid to also offer dine in services. Their menus are pretty small but that makes it all the more easier to choose! The first time I came, they had pasta lunch sets that came with your choice of pasta, salad, and a drink for under $20. Most recently, they had a revamped menu with completely different offerings - omurice, beef stew, seafood doria, katsu sando, etc. The menu sounded good so we were excited to go. We got there a little late and they had a wedding that day so we sat upstairs and felt like it was a bit rushed since they had to prepare for the event. I wish they had told us when making the reservation that day. Also, the menu prices have definitely gone up - each dish is around $18 without any soup/salad/drink. If you'd like to have soup or salad, it becomes $22 and $24 for both. Drinks are all ala carte now. I know food prices have been going up drastically at many places, but I wish that they could still keep a set menu for an affordable price. I ordered the beef stew and my friends got the omurice and katsu sando. All dishes were quite small portions in my opinion. My dish was served in a little bowl with three slices of bread. It was okay, but I felt like I've had better beef stew. The meat was really tender but I didn't like how watery the base was and it may have gone better with some rice. My friends dishes looked yummy but also small - the sando comes with 3 pieces and the omurice is also quite small especially for $18. I'm hoping they will add new menu items or bring back their pastas! I really liked those. Although the food wasn't as good this time around, we still had a good time and will be back for breakfast (the souffle pancakes were sold out when we got there). PRO TIP: Come early or stay a bit after your meal to snap some pics before you leave! read more

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Super beautiful venue, we wanted to reserve a family function here since we were looking for outdoor dining, but had no luck snce they were closed for a private event on the day we had planned for. So I decided to take my mom here for her Bday instead. I've seen such great things about Waikiki Leia on social media of course. I was excited and happy to finally check it out. I made reservations the week before, only 8:30 am was available. My husband drove and he was expecting a restaurant not fancy place like someone's house. I told him, Yep this is the place! Luckily we got the last parking stall. Wallking in, I was amazed by how beautiful Waikike Leia is, I love the decor, the outdoor waterfall, plants, I just love the atmosphere! We did take our photos after before and after our breakfast. FYI/Info. for Waikiki Leia, Breakfast 8-10 am Lunch from 11-2pm Dinner ( Friday & Satruday only) 5:30-8:30 pm, reservations required 48 hr in advance CLOSED Tuesday & Wendenesday and occasionally close due to private events. We got a nice table out-door right in front of the water fall, I am loving the view, its a really nice place to catch with friends/family for sure. I really like how they package the utensils which also comes with anti-wipes. For breakfast, the menu is very simple, with only 4 sets, from A-D. Keep in mind that portions are small so if normally eat a big breakfast, you will have to order double. There are no rice dishes, ex. fried rice. We ended up with the Set A, Japanese style breakfast toast, Set B. breakfast sandwiches and Set C. souffle pancakes. All sets includes coffee, tea, or fresh juice. Very nice presentation when the food comes out. The souffle pancakes is cute & tiny! It was moist, but feels like it was missing something, came with 3 types of sauce. ( I was thinking about the ricotta pancakes from Bills, made me miss that! ) The toast breakfast looks like something my mom and I can just make on our own. Our bill $70. not worth it for just plain breakfast food, but with a view! Overall, My mom was happy, main thing & we had great 1st time experience, but would I come back for breakfast again NO, but would love to come back to try lunch or if any friends, family, my big kidsor co-worker gets married here, please invite me!! Thank you at Waikiki Leia, Wedding & Restaurant for opening up as a restaurant to the public so we can check out your beautiful venue! read more

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What a delightful place and such a hidden gem! It was so peaceful and serene here while we had a delightful brunch! Portions are perfect - I felt satisfied but not stuffed, and everything is very tasty. We saw people with massive ice cream parfaits but decided to save that for next time! I would definitely go back when visiting family! read more

Waikiki Leia - Omurice, salmon, seafood gratin - Wedding Chapels Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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My secret garden. Waikiki Leia is a chapel and lovely mansion which used to cater to Japanese weddings and receptions. With travel to and from Japan shut down during this pandemic, Waikiki Leia has been reinvented and now serves a very reasonable breakfast, lunch, and dessert service, along with a more substantial dinner service. While the menu is very limited, what they do, they do it with class and elegance. Have dined here twice now and looking forward to a next time. Breakfast and lunch service offers about 4 or 5 options. Servings are not large, still for most, enough. Unless you are with a group of hungry gals. In which case you order an entree each and a plate of pasta (entree) to be shared as an Appetizer or side dish! Lol. Whichever way, do save room for desserts. Meticulously put together, you will want to get them for the IG value alone! The table next to us ordered the fruit parfait and right away we wanted that one too...next time. Service impeccable. Waikiki Leia does have an upstairs, downstairs, and private room most times available for dining. There is also a photo worthy grounds to meander around. This location is filled with photographable spots! Parking is limited in their lot accessed on Kanaina Avenue. See photo map. There is also ample parking in the residential neighborhood. Welcome to the secret garden. read more

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3/16/24 - Made reservations for breakfast over the phone. She informed me that breakfast is 9-11 so I made it at 10 & she also added that we would need to be done by 11. But I wish she informed me that the whole menu isn't accessible til 11. So we only had 4 items to choose from. But nonetheless my husband and I still enjoyed ourselves and we'll definitely come back to try the rest of the menu. Parking is small gets full fast and then you'll have to find street parking. Luckily someone just left and we were able to park inside. Entrance is beautiful with a cute little chapel. Then when you enter the restaurant area it's also beautiful. There's 2 stories. We didn't see the 2nd floor. They sat us on the first floor with a great view of their water fall & diamond head view in the background. Food - like I said earlier there was only 4 entrees to choose from. We decided on Soufflé pancakes & Avocado toast with prosciutto & corn potage. Soufflé pancakes 5/5 so fluffy & delicious. It came with 3 small pancakes & 3 little cute cups of syrups: Maple, Coconut & raspberry I think. Also came with sliced strawberries & blueberries, a little stingy with the fruit lol. Avocado toast w/ prosciutto 3/5 we added an onsen egg which we felt definitely completed the dish. Although it was an additional $4 for it it was ok, nothing special about. Could've done with more prosciutto. Corn potage (Japanese corn soup) 3/5 tasty but small. Maybe some crackers or small bread or croutons would've made it complete. Definitely gonna make reservations to come back for lunch. read more

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3-13-22 An oasis on Monsarrat with stunning close up of a green tinged Diamond Head. A wedding was going on downstairs with celebrations by the waterfall. Our 5:30 p.m. dinner reservations were up a flight of exterior stairs. Our two servers were waiting for our arrival downstairs in the parking area.. The beginning of what was to remain first class service. Our dining area was a room upstairs plus the balcony ALL to ourselves the entire evening. We didn't know it was a set menu for $90 for adults and $20+ for children. Glad our guests enjoyed the chef's selection. It reminded me of eating at The Cave a few years back. Service was impeccable, each dish was painstakingly prepared to perfection with decadent garnishes and the kiddies were infatuated with the tart palate cleanser and the very tasty cubed softened butter and incredibly delicious roll. The dessert was the same for both the adults and children. Our server allowed us to visit the downstairs area, waterfall and chapel area. She even took photos of us upstairs and downstairs. Couldn't have asked for a better team of servers, so gracious and sincerely kind and respectful of even the kiddies. You can book the upstairs for 20 people or downstairs for 30 people. We were impressed by the charmful elegance of the building, grounds and chapel area strewn with rose petals. Perfect for an intimate meal, a shower or a business meeting. We recognized some big wigs eating in the downstairs lanai after the wedding cleared out. Very glad Yelp Elite Lily D.posted her review so we could try out a wonderful venue. Wishing you a happy Sunday and upcoming St. Patrick's day this week. Remember to wear green. read more

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If I had to describe this dining experience in one word, it would be...Serene. S for such a gem with peaceful ambience. E for excellent customer service. R for real tasty food. E for elegant decor and atmosphere. N for nice view from the second floor dining area. E for exquisite grounds :) Thank you Li Y. for introducing me to this beautiful restaurant. Lunch was delicious and am thinking of when to return! read more

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My friends and I came here for my birthday lunch. Reservation is recommended. It's a small place with a few tables and it gets busy! There is a parking lot with a about 10 parking spots. The place is beautiful because it's known for weddings. The lunch menu is very small and is all combo set. We ordered 2 pasta sets: cream sauce with seafood and the wafu sauce. Also ordered the higawari set which the special was jerk chicken. All sets come with a drink, bread, and choice of soup or salad. -cream sauce with seafood was very lite but cheesy. There were few pieces of seafood. - wafu pasta was a bit on the drier side. The sauce is at the bottom. Interesting flavor but would prefer the cream sauce. - Higawari (jerk chicken) - I only ever tried jerk chicken that was made by my friend and this one was quite different. Flavor isn't enough for the jerk chicken. Love the mashed potato salad though. Love the focaccia bread and didn't know you could get more until the table next to us got more. The soup was good. It had a tomatoey/chili flavor. The drinks we ordered were juices (orange, pineapple, and grapefruit). Ordered a dessert to share. I never tried Mont Blanc but it's a chestnut flavor dessert. It was very creamy and sweet. Depending who the server was, they were great. The view of the place is beautiful and worth the pictures. Food was alright. It's a cute place for a lunch date. read more

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Such a cute and beautiful venue! Used for weddings mostly, they just opened part of the space for restaurant use. They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Reservations recommended. I've been there for brunch, sitting out on the first level patio. It is next to a small garden, which is a gorgeous and calming area to dine. The menu is very small but I highly recommend their soufflé pancakes! They're presented beautifully on a tray with sides of syrups and some fresh berries. Airy, light, and just the right sweetness. I also attended a private engagement party upstairs which was a room that extended to their balcony, also a nice space! The set menu for that lunch was a little interesting and random with tomato pasta, shrimp, and cold ginger chicken. Overall I want to try lunch which has set pasta menu complete with drink and salad or soup! Very affordable deal for the scenic venue. read more

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What a cute brunch place! Who would've known that there was a small restaurant like in this in the area?! I've been seeing posts on social media about their breakfast specials so we decided to check it out. Located in the Diamond Head area, you'll see a rather large chapel in a neighborhood. There is limited parking on the property however you can find neighborhood parking easily. This place is a small wedding venue that has expanded with dining services. We came early on a Saturday as their breakfast is served from 8-10 am. Their menu consists of french toast, souffle pancakes, and more. Very simple menu which reminds me of the small cafes in Japan. All menu items comes with a choice of tea, coffee, or juice. Items range from $8-$12. We all ordered the souffle pancakes which were really good! It came with fresh berries and 3 sauces. There was strawberry, macadamia cream, and maple syrup. All sauces were so delicious but my favorite was the cream one. I was surprised even the maple syrup was good. It tasted more like a honey. My friend's son had their toast special which came with butter, azuki beans, and egg salad with a choice of meat. When it came out her son was ecstatic with how thick the toast was and the presentation of the meal itself. Note to self this is more of a light breakfast so if you're looking for large portions this may not be the place. Overall it's great! Such a cute place that makes you feel you're not in Hawaii another and has great photo ops. I'd definitely would like to check out their lunch specials another time. read more

Waikiki Leia - Wedding Chapels Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Words cannot describe how excited i was to finally try Waikiki Leia !! I first saw their IG in November and have been dreaming of trying their cute breakfast and lunch menu options!! First of all, there's lots of free parking in the lot which is a total plus, but ugh i cannot get over how CUUUUTE this place was!! Everything from the decor to the food, even the server's aprons were cute! The prices are super reasonable for breakfast and were a pretty good portion for the size. The French Toast ($12) was by far my favorite that we got. It's a super thick, sweet, custardy golden brown toast with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and berries. everything went so well and despite the ice cream melting super quick, because the toast is already soft & custardy it was totally fine The Breakfast Sandwich ($10) features two with bacon, egg & cheese and two with ham, lettuce & tomato. Such a simple but well executed dish. The Souffle Pancakes ($12) are from Dean & Deluca and features three small, fluffy pancakes that had that iconic sweet eggy taste that Japanese souffle pancakes are known for! It came with strawberry, macadamia and maple syrup, but my favorite was the simple maple! Each dish comes with a coffee, tea or juice - make sure to come early so you can take pictures because it's literally one of the most photogenic places i've ever been to! The workers are also SO kind - I saw pretty much every worker take photos for the guests that wanted them. We asked Tom-san, who went above and beyond to take photos AND videos for us! read more

Such a cute little place with very friendly staff! They have street parking or a small parking lot if you turn into the street right before Waikiki Leia. Downstairs has about about 7 tables and it looked like there is also some seating upstairs. It's BYOB so my friend brought wine & juices (and fruits too) to make mimosas. The menu is printed a printer paper and it's very simple. Just a few items on their menu and all comes with a salad and a drink of your choice. I ordered the pasta with cream sauce and seafood with a salad and an iced tea. The pasta was really good, the salad came in a cute glass cup, and the iced tea was unsweetened with a cute beaker with liquid sweetener. And they give Dean & Deluca bread that had kalamata olives inside. So good! We also brought our own cake and you have to bring your own plates if you do so. The outside grassy area was so cute with a waterfall, a wooden swing bench & nice greenery that make for perfect pictures! The staff was so nice to take our picture. This place would also make for a good wedding venue or even to celebrate a shower here. Overall, great experience and I'm glad we got to dine here! read more

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Wonderful chapel restaurant. Food and service are nice and the garden is beautiful. It's located near Diamond Head, a street away from Monsarrat, on corner of Kaunaoa Stree and Kanaina Ave. Parking entrance is on Kanaiana Ave. Very close to Pioneer Saloon and Cafe Morey's. Parking is limited. I think there's around 10 stalls. I made reservation because it's a small restaurant. There's around 12 tables. I went there twice for lunch and tried almost everything. They were all good. Regular lunch set is pasta and I think Today's Chef Special changes so they might have something other than pasta. The portion is small but you get to enjoy the beautiful relaxing and refreshing garden so it's worth it. If you just want to eat go to other place. This place is good with friends or date. All lunch set comes with soup or salad, bread and a drink. Pasta set is $19.50 and Today's Chef Special is $24. My favorite one was WaFu (Japanese-style) Sauce pasta. The pasta comes with Ume sauce to pour before you eat. So you can enjoy some without the sauce and enjoy the rest with the sauce. It had lighter taste but I liked it a lot. Next one I liked was Cream Sauce Pasta with Seafood. I will choose this one if I'm more hungry. It was delicious!! Tomato Sauce Pasta was good too. You can taste the garlic and bacon. There were 3 desserts. Sizes are small so not for sharing. Japanese Sweet Trio was cute and tasty. It's like a sampler. It had matcha ice cream, warabi mochi, and coffee jello. Mont Blanc Parfait was good too. It had coffee jello on the bottom. I think the other one was fruit parfait. I haven't tried it yet but it looked pretty and good. The dates that's open changes so check their Instagram for the open dates. Closed Tue & Wed. But if they have wedding or party, restaurant is closed. So please check the open date before you go. They have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And for dinner, you need to make reservation is required 48 hr in advance! read more

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**update!** I've now had a chance to dine in for Breakfast and Lunch. Staff is still very amazing and resilient as they navigate through the pandemic without weddings being booked at the moment. The menu prices start at about $12 which includes a beverage, and the lunch courses are about $17.50 which includes a beverage, small soup or salad, and bread. Prices slightly went up as of today, but it's still very affordable in my book. The breakfast must is the soufflé pancakes! and for lunch was a build your own pasta entree (you pick your noodle, base, and proteins). The ambiance is amazing here as they transformed a wedding space into a dining area. I've only dined outdoors since we had our dogs with us, and they've always been really gracious when we come by. There is parking on site, or you can park around the neighborhood. Its sad it wont be around forever, but its quite a gem and my favorite little secret in the meantime. read more

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Great find for breakfast and lunch! Souffle pancakes sets with coffee are only $10 and sandwich sets are only $8!! Lunch pasta with appetizer is also $18! Flavors are great, ambiance is amazing, service is really good! Coffee is lion coffee and tastes amazingly smooth. Souffle pancakes are fluffy and Consistency is more solid than the ones at cream pot and sun tea mix. Sandwiches set comes with two diff types. A cold cuts sandwich and an egg salad one that's lightly toasted. Breakfast sets all come with a drink of your choice. Lunch pasta is a mix and match of various types of pastas with different proteins and sauce. The creamy sauce and the wafu sauce are my personal favs. The lunch also came with an ube cold soup to start off. Also very picturesque for great family or couples photos! Highly recommend! read more

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Beautiful structure on gorgeous grounds with a simple and small but elegant chapel, perfect for smaller weddings. You get the feeling of being on a beautiful estate right in town, where it's more intimate and private than a hotel. Truly a hidden gem! Lucky for us they are now open as a restaurant so you don't have to get married or attend a wedding to go there. They serve Japanese Western style breakfast and lunch at reasonable prices. Dinner is pricier with special add ons. It is the perfect venue for a bridal shower, birthday or any kind of ladies' gathering. It was just right for our group of gals who celebrated one of our friend's bdays today! We wore hats and then took lots of photos outside in the beautiful grounds. Service is gracious, friendly, professional, and indulgent of those who need a photographer like us! The menu is simple and everything is served in sets. Today's lunch menu included 4 choices. 3 were pasta dishes: tomato with bacon, cream with seafood, and wafu with mushroom and vegetables. The fourth choice was the Chef's Special "Higawari" which changes daily. The server described it as an adult version of a kid's bento. Today's plate included 1 fried shrimp, 2 sausages, some fried chicken, Japanese curry and rice, mand French fries. All meals come with a cute cup of soup or salad, bread and a beverage. The bread from Dean and Delucca is soft and contains a little olive. Delicious! For dessert we got both the fruit parfait and the chestnut coffee castella cake parfait (I forgot the actual name). Both were beautifully decorated and delicious but I really liked the latter. The sweetness of the ice cream and chestnut cream were a nice contrast to the bitterness of the coffee jelly. All of us agreed we want to return to try their breakfast! read more

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What a gem! I had no idea such a quiet, serene haven was hiding in plain site! Waikiki Leia is located on busy Monsarrat Ave, right across from the little shopping complex with Bogarts, etc. I didn't know what the parking situation looked like so I ended up finding street parking around the neighborhood, but it turns out that they have maybe 8 stalls available for guest use. We were visiting for lunch so we got seated on the ground floor. I love how this restaurant opens up to the patio which has lots of greenery, along with a waterfall fountain thingy. Sooo picturesque! I think the only thing missing from the experience was not having a glass of champagne to enjoy the view lol (They didn't offer a drink menu so I assume they don't have any liquor) - Souffle pancakes: good, but I've definitely had better, fluffier ones. I did like how they were small & easy to eat. It came with 3 different syrups in the smallest cutest pourers. - Seafood doria: This reminded me of my childhood! Growing up my mom would also make this. I don't feel like many restaurants on Oahu carry this dish & also I don't usually cook with dairy so this was a real treat that brought me back to my younger days! - Omurice: very good! I liked how they presented the egg & it was just a bit runny. Yum! - Fruits parfait: nothing super special, the cone was pretty good! The servers were very friendly but I think since the restaurant was kind of full, it was slower than expected. But they were so nice- they dropped what they were doing to take photos of us in the garden! Will be back again for dinner service since I enjoyed the food & the views! read more

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My mom, dad, and I went for breakfast this morning at this location because we wanted a very quiet place to just soak in the view and spend family time (after two years apart due to the pandemic). The soufflé pancakes were soft and tasty (C set) . It was enough for all 3 of us to try. The set came with guava, macadamia nut, and maple syrup. My dad ordered the A set, which was the Japanese breakfast consisting of choice of sausage (arabiki) , toast, and butter, azuki, and cream toppings. My mother had the D set, which included thick French toast and vanilla ice cream (which was not too sweet at all, allowing the flavor of the breakfast to feel very balanced.) The grapefruit and pineapple juice were really great, and the flavor or texture of the coffee was quite smooth. The staff were so kind! Also, the toilets have the seat warmer and bidet! Super cool! Definitely reminded me of my experience in Japan! 10/10 will go against with my parents to try the lunch! read more

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I've been seeing photos of Waikiki Leia and thought it would be a cute place for a nicer brunch. I didn't realize it's location and how close it is to Monserrat. There's a beautiful chapel, waterfall, and garden to take pictures at. The waiter was so kind and offered to take our pictures before the restaurant officially opened. They have a small lot, so you need to come before they open to get a stall. We called to make reservations in advance because their hours are quite random. I got the beef stew and soufflé pancake. The beef stew was so delicious and was made with super soft beef. The portion was a little small though, so I'd recommend eating something small before coming here if you have a big appetite. The soufflé pancake was so good! It had the perfect amount of fluffiness, and it even came with these little jars of different flavored syrup. I also got the Mont Blanc for dessert, which was very filling. I loved all of the topping in it and how different it was compared to regular desserts. I'd highly recommend this place if you're celebrating something special, since the venue is beautiful, staff is friendly, and food is excellent. read more

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