How long does it take to cure ham?
This probably could be classified as a rant, but I’m just not feeling the true outrage that a Rant deserves. I suppose it could be a Rantlet or a Petite Rant, but I’ll just categorize it as a food review.
Let me start off by saying that I want to like Cafe Kaila, I really do. The food is fresh with nice presentation, it has a very comfortable atmosphere and it’s in a convenient location with ample parking. You can read more complete review of Cafe Kaila at Kendra’s Adventures here.
We’ve dined at Kaila’s several time for breakfast, but I’m afraid today was probably the last. We went for a late breakfast at around 11:30ish (Kaila’s serves breakfast through lunchtime – another thing it had in its favor) and after a short wait for an open table, ordered around noon. We drank coffee, talked about work, listened to the mom next to us teach the alphabet to her son, drank some more coffee, talked about the Olympics… everything but eat. Casual Sunday dining is one thing, but we didn’t get our food until after 1pm.
The menu has a note that thanks you for your patience since all the food is cooked fresh. Unless they were squeezing chickens and curing ham for my breakfast quesadilla (eggs, cheese, and ham) or picking fruit and fermenting milk for the granola parfait (granola, fruit, and yogurt), an hour wait is just unacceptable. To make matters worse, at least four tables that sat AFTER us received their food first.
With everything that Cafe Kaila has going for it, I’d love to see it succeed but I don’t think we’ll be going back. More cooks or perhaps an expediter would probably make a huge difference. Until then, we’ll have to get our breakfast fix somewhere else.
11 Comments
Other Links to this Post
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
By Kendra, August 24, 2008 @ 9:51 pm
Bummer! I’m sad that you had to wait so long for your food. I would have been frustrated too. I read somewhere, I think on Yelp, that some people had experienced very slow service as well. Oh well, maybe you’ll find another breakfast place in the area. Have you tried Jack’s in Aina Haina yet?
By Not "The LG", August 27, 2008 @ 12:23 am
Wait a minute…or sixty of them.
You waited over an hour for your food and all we get is Rant Light.
The food must have been excellent to make up for that. Mrs. Not “The LG” would have been fuming. In fact, I wouldn’t even try there with the risk of slow service. Well, that is unless I wanted to see someone blow their top.
Oh, and try asking “The LG” how long he waited in Waikoloa before he walked out of that restaurant.
You are too kind.
By egeek, August 27, 2008 @ 7:38 am
Jack’s is one of our other breakfast faves. I should do a breakfast round up post sometime soon.
* * *
Yeah, only Rant Lite. I suppose it would have been a Grand Rant if it was anything but Lazy Sunday and we actually had anything planned for the rest of the day. Ah well…
So we seem to have created a scale for rating Rants (I’ll leave rating Rance to other folks):
Rantlet: Short, to the point (”Dammit!”)
Rant Light/Lite: More of a grumble
(Standard) Rant: WTH? aka IIRTW (”If I Ran the World”)
Grand Rant: WTF?!?
Any other rant shades I should consider?
By Not "The LG", August 27, 2008 @ 9:36 am
Your rant classification system sounds pretty good.
By the lone gunman, August 28, 2008 @ 3:07 pm
We waited for about 20 minutes before we got very irritated and left this unnamed restaurant at Waikoloa. Difference is, we didn’t even get water or a “be right there” or a “has someone helped you yet?” The menus we got from the hostess.
Turned out OK, we walked in at Roy’s and sat at the bar for dinner. It turned out to be pretty entertaining.
I also recall waiting maybe a half an hour or so at other establishments (unnamed place at Ala Moana and unnamed place in Kahului, Maui), tho we did at least get drinks at those places…
Did they at least check in with you… Sorry it’s taking a while… We dropped your food… twice. Here have some more coffee… AND free pupus!
Geez, an hour +… that’s borderline criminal. Was the service slow before this last time?
By the lone gunman, August 28, 2008 @ 3:08 pm
Is Jack’s in Aina Haina related to the Jack’s on Maui?
By the lone gunman, August 28, 2008 @ 3:09 pm
We love Koa Pancake House in Waihiawa… if you need help with a breakfast place list.
By Derek, August 28, 2008 @ 4:00 pm
So whats a Rance Sized Rant called?
By Not "The LG", August 29, 2008 @ 12:04 am
Depends who you’re talking to.
By Jason, September 14, 2008 @ 10:02 am
Hey E-Geek – it would be good to give Cafe Kaila another chance. They have increased the efficiency of their kitchen and the food was coming out in about 10 minutes Saturday. The food is still really really good, you just get it faster now.
By joo, October 8, 2008 @ 4:09 pm
I love Cafe Kaila! We’ve never been on weekends or at peak times during the week, we’re off time eaters. There’s always been tables and service is always good.
Steak sandwich is to die for!!!