We ate at the Hilton Waikoloa’s Big Island Breakfast Buffet at Water’s Edge Restaurant and enjoyed it very much. You have to understand, we love buffets, when we lived in Vegas we went to a buffet every week.

The selection was vast and varied.  The food was good but not great.  Some of it was a bit bland.  Our favorite dishes and drinks are as follows: Guava juice (great flavor), Glazed Monkey Bread (outside pieces are heavily carmelized and more cinnamon flavor), Pineapple Muffins, Haupia (Coconut) Muffins, bacon (always good), Chicken Jook with Jai Choi. The Chicken Jook is something I had never had before.  It is a rice porridge often served with various meats and garnishments.  Jai Choi is a form of pickled mustard green and was phenomenal with the jook. The biscuits and gravy were good.  It was nice that they were not too salty. We also appreciated the selection of syrups for the french toast and pancakes.  They included maple, coconut, strawberry, and lilikoi syrup. With your choice of steamed or fried rice and fresh cooked ono (hawaiian white fish) the food selection was rounded out nicely. Our not so favorite dishes and why are as follows: eggs (bland, will try omelette next time). That was all.  The food was good but not spectacular, other than the chicken jook.

The ambience was pleasant.  The buffet is served in a large round hall with large wood framed windows looking out to the lagoon where families swim and relax in the water. The only real complaint is that they said they never open those beautiful windows which would allow the amazing fresh natural breeze in, which really is what Hawaii is all about, indoor/outdoor living.  We had an opportunity to speak to the manager who said they have undergone some changes lately and we are excited to see them doing well.

In summary, we enjoyed the meal and we will come again.  For ambience we give it a 3 out of 5 surfboards.  If they open the windows they would receive a full 2 points more. It is still a great place to people watch though, because of the views.  For food quality we give it a 4 out of 5 surfboards.  The food selection was good, but the flavor was across the board kind of bland.  Coupled with the fact that the buffet is approximately 25% over priced is why only 4 surfboards.

Aloha,  James Christopher

ThruJimsEyes.com

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My wife Leise