Hawaiian Pancakes!!

OK - I'm a little late ringing in the New Year - but better late than never!!  Christmas came and went and I never managed to get a post done! Lots of good intentions and lots of posts started - some of which I will be able to use and some will have to wait until the next holiday season.  We took a quick trip to Hawaii to visit our son Sam, an Army RN stationed at Tripler Medical Center on Oahu.  It was a week long respite before my husband undergoes back surgery - and it was, well - Paradise!!

Our visits to Hawaii are a bit different than the typical vacationer is some ways. We stay with our son in his two bedroom apartment in Kailua, on the opposite side of the island from Waikiki.  It is the rainier side but this year we were fortunate to have only two short rain showers in the seven days we were there so the humidity was much more bearable than last year.  Sam works the night shift and has to catch up on sleep a few of the days we are there so Mike and I set out to explore on the days he has to sleep.  But after a twelve hour shift, he is pretty hungry so first, we go to breakfast!

Hawaiians love their pancakes and Cinnamon's is the place to go for some of the best pancakes on Oahu!  Cinnamon's is known for their famous Red Velvet Pancakes served with White Chocolate Sauce - decadent! It is hard to go to Cinnamon's and NOT get an order so we decided to get a short stack of two just so we all have a taste!  Unbelievably good - I have to try to recreate them at home!

I knew I couldn't eat an whole order of those so I ordered the frittata breakfast - another fantastic gastronomic creation. Artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, basil, zuchinni, a bit of pesto, along with cheddar and some parmesan cheese all mixed with some scrambled eggs and cooked up into a blended omelet of sorts - so divine and with all those veggies I felt I offset the bites of the red velvet pancakes!!

The other crowd favorite at Cinnamon's is the Guava Chiffon Pancakes.  We had never tasted them before and when Sam's other favorite breakfast place in Kailua was closed for the yearly kitchen clean up and maintenance we headed back to Cinnamon's and ordered a short stack.  The Guava syrup is so sweet and along with the Chiffon whipped cream makes an impressive dish!  Super sweet - the Hawaiians definitely have a sweet tooth! We all decided there was no way any of us could eat a whole order by ourselves and we marveled at the customers who could!

 Sam used to live in Kaneohe, also on the windward side of Oahu, but when his house mate got married last year, he had to find a place of his own.  In Kaneohe, one of the best breakfast spots was the Koa Pancake House.  It was here Sam would order the Banana Pancakes!  Yes Banana!  Sliced Bananas fried right into the pancakes and then served with papaya or coconut syrup to pour over all - a tropical breakfast treat!  You know you are in Hawaii when you take a bite of these!

After breakfast, we took Sam back to his apartment to catch up on his sleep and we headed towards our destination for the day - North Shore - home of the big waves! More about that tomorrow! And more about another Hawaiian breakfast favorite!