GREAT EATS HAWAII: CENTRAL BAKERY ITALIAN BISTRO

Sunday, December 6, 2015

CENTRAL BAKERY ITALIAN BISTRO

4614 KILAUEA AVE

HONOLULU, HI 96816

808-777-6700

HOURS: Monday thru Saturday 10:30 AM - 3:00 PM / 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Now open 11:00 AM for Sunday Brunch

The old Wahoo's Taco location in Kahala has been totally transformed into a quaint little Bistro/Bakery with Japanese and Italian influences. My first impression upon walking in the door was "wow". What a great space. Bright, clean and very neighborhood hip. We entered to find the restaurant empty just after 11:00 am on a Sunday. Turns out this was the first Sunday they have been opened. We walked pass the bar and kitchen and saw an employee behind a dessert and bread counter. She welcomed us with a big smile and then sat us at a table where she presented Brunch menus. Going through the menu I could not figure out what the concept was here but then on the second page I saw Pasta which could mean Italian food. But then there was the French stuff on the first page so I thought French/Italian? Looking around the restaurant for the first time we loved the look and feel of the place. The chalk boards, bread baskets, bread display and a cool clock built into the tile wall. I got up at least three times and walked over to the bread counter to check out the fresh breads and baked goods that were coming out of the kitchen. Everything looked so fresh and delicious. Our waitress which was named Celina on the receipt was exceptionally nice and friendly. Just a sweet person who seemed to like her job. She recommended one of the French Sandwiches, Pasta Bolognese and then a salad. We placed our order and then received a huge bowl of bread. The waitress said to enjoy and this was a way we could try many of their breads with our meal. The breads were served with butter and Olive Oil and Balsamic. I reached for the Baguette and then another piece with chucks of fruit. Delicious! I was in bread heaven. We ordered the Tartine ($14.00) with Salmon and Avocado, Grilled Vegetables and Prosciutto, Mozzarella and Tomato. I enjoyed the Prosciutto Tartine the best. Second favorite of the three was the Salmon and Avocado. The only problem here was that after trying about 1/3 of each sandwich I was getting full of bread. Ended up just eating the toppings of the last Vegetable Tartine. The Bolognese ($22) was a hit with everyone at the table. The Pappardelle Pasta was cooked perfectly and there was a ton of Oxtail and Beef in a very light tomato sauce. Would definitely come back for another helping of the Bolognese. The Casse-creute Ham and Cheese Sandwich ($10) was served on a very hard Baguette but I really liked the flavors of the ham, cheese and mustard. The Chicken and Avocado Salad ($16) was large and filled with fresh vegetables like Cauliflower, Broccoli, Asparagus and Zucchini. The salad was made with Arugula and the bitter dark greens that readers of my blog know I hate. There was a bit of Chicken and Avocado but really not that much. My Wife felt that the "salad was missing something".

Finished our meal with the Tiramisu and it was super light and delicious. Really good Tiramisu!

The entire family liked the waitress and restaurant. The food was good and we will be going back real soon for dinner. We also picked up some of the Brioche to take home.