Two popular, bountiful Easter brunches

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Friday - March 30, 2007

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This mouthwatering duck with orange sauce is just
one of the dishes on the menu at Sam Choy’s
Diamond Head Restaurant. Easter Sunday brunch
offers a host of entrees that include prime rib,
fresh fish and a fabulous spiced leg of lamb.

Looking for somewhere to bring your family this Easter Sunday? Brunch is the obvious choice. Sunday brunch is one of the easiest (and most filling) ways to celebrate a special occasion with family and friends, and at Easter, most restaurants offer either a buffet brunch or one with special items added to the regular Sunday menu.

But buffets can be hit or miss, depending on the variety of food served and the temperature at which it is held, so it’s really worth paying a little extra to go where the food is great and the service reliable. At Sam Choy’s Diamond Head, the Big Aloha Sunday Brunch is served every week, and local families know that this is one of the great-value buffets around.

“Our Sunday brunch is really popular,” says executive chef Aaron Fukuda. “I think it’s because we have a lot of items that local people really enjoy.”

What you can trust about Sam’s brunch is that there will be lots of variety, freshly caught fish and plenty to eat! Fish is one of the dishes that can suffer badly at the hands of an inexperienced buffet crew. It cooks long after it’s been taken from the grill or sauté pan, and is often overdone before it reaches the plate. Not so at Sam Choy’s Diamond Head, where the fish is pretty much perfect. You’d expect there to be a wide selection of fish at this, one of Honolulu’s “finer” dining restaurants, and there’s variety in the way it is served. From torched sashimi to creamy spiced poke and marinated butterfish, there’s a lot to try.

Aaron Fukuda is the executive chef at Sam
Choy’s Diamond Head. He’ll be in charge
of the buffet on Easter Sunday, so look for
some very special dishes.

Highlights of the Easter brunch menu this year include a poke boat with a wide variety of freshly made poke (spicy, creamy poke, wasabi ahi poke, togarashi tako and torched sashimi), and there’s an omelet station where omelets are made fresh to order; a huge salad bar features dishes such as mushroom, proscuitto and bleu cheese salad, house kiawe-smoked salmon, potato crab salad and peel-and-eat shrimp.

Other popular favorites include sake-marinated chicken, Asian glazed ribs and a carving station with garlic-crusted prime rib and spice-rubbed leg of lamb. And to end the afternoon, chocolate lovers should save room for a trip to Sam’s Chocolate Fountain and Dessert Bar. A huge hit with customers since its introduction a couple of years ago, the chocolate fountain flows throughout brunch, bubbling with a steady stream of warm, luscious milk chocolate.

The Easter Sunday brunch will be served April 8. Cost is $32.95 for adults and $16.95 for keiki ages 5-12.

And if you want your environment a little more casual with the focus on great beer and good seafood, then head over to Sam Choy’s Breakfast, Lunch and Crab. The hugely popular BLC has a buffet where mountains of fresh poke, shrimp, crab legs, tako and a variety of seafood dishes are served. It’s hard to emulate the family style atmosphere at Sam Choy’s BLC. From the fishing boat in the middle of the dining room to the emphasis on family style dining and the genuine welcome keiki are given, it’s no wonder that BLC has gained a reputation with local families as one of the best holiday brunches in town. With live cooking stations to comfort food like roast chicken, baked ham and all-you-can-eat crab legs, it’s easy to see why BLC is the perfect place for large family gatherings.

Call early, though, if you want to reserve a spot.

Brunch at BLC will be served from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 8.

Cost is $29.95 for adults and $14.95 for keiki 5 to 12. Children under 5 eat free. To make reservations, call 545-7979.