15 Ways To Feed Your Mom With Love on Mother’s Day 2017

There’s still time to make a reservation at one of these Honolulu restaurants.

May 3, 2017

Lennie Omalza, Catherine Toth Fox,

Don’t stress! Many restaurants are still taking reservations for Mother’s Day, including Mahina & Sun’s in Waikīkī.

Photo: Courtesy of Naomi Christie, Mahina & Sun’s

You should give your mom some love every day, but, on May 14, do a little something extra to show your appreciation. Here are 14 fun brunch ideas—book now before reservations fill up!

Alan Wong’s Honolulu

Spoil your mom with the four-course prix fixe menu at Alan Wong’s flagship restaurant on King Street. Every dish features locally sourced components, including the togarashi seared ‘ahi with baby kale from Ma‘o Organic Farms and green beans from Kualoa Ranch, and the Makaweli red-wine-braised beef cheeks and oxtail.

Dinner service starts at 5 p.m., $89 per person, $134 with wine pairings. (808) 949-2526, alanwongs.com

Chef Mavro

One of the entrée choices on the menu at Chef Mavro is the Burgundy beef, a dish that was first served a few years ago on the restaurant’s Julie & Julia movie menu. It’s an homage to Julia Child.

Photo: Courtesy of Chef Mavro

Chef George “Mavro” Mavrothalassitis will be serving his mom’s legendary pistou soup, a Provencal comfort food, as a complimentary course on Sunday. The rest of the five-course menu features roasted, free-range Island chicken with a tarragon mousse, day-boat catch bourride with braised fennel and Mavro’s signature local goat cheese mousse with a one-minute strawberry jam.

Dinner seating starts at 6 p.m., $135 for five courses, $183 with wine pairings, (808) 944-4714, chefmavro.com

The Honolulu Museum of Art Café

Normally closed on Sundays, the Honolulu Museum of Art Café is opening on the second Sunday in May, just for moms. Chef Jacob Silver has created a tempting à la carte menu that includes sweetbread French toast and a bacon-and-swiss-cheese omelet with onion fondue. The regular menu will also be available.

11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., $16 to $18, (808) 532-8734, honolulumuseum.org

Kai Market at the Sheraton Waikīkī

The Mother’s Day brunch at Kai Market boasts a lavish spread to satisfy any mom: ‘ahi poke; oysters on the half shell; blueberry pancakes; braised boneless short ribs; ‘alaea salt-crusted, slow-roasted prime rib; bone-in pineapple-glaze ham with a rum-raisin sauce; broiled soy-marinated salmon; and made-to-order omelets. Desserts include warm Portuguese bread pudding, coconut-haupia tapioca, Thai coffee custard, Hawaiian vanilla panna cotta and mango pudding.

10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., $70 for adults, $35 for children ages 6 to 12, (808) 921-4600, sheraton-waikiki.com/dining/kai/

Kūhiō Beach Grill

Celebrate Mother’s Day at Kūhiō Beach Grill’s new location, in the Waikīkī Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. Enjoy chef Dino Danao’s extensive Sunday afternoon brunch buffet, featuring steamed crab legs, prime rib, rosemary and ‘alaea salt-crusted leg of lamb, crispy roast pork belly, a chilled seafood bar and a plethora of dessert options.

1 to 4 p.m., $65 for adults, $30 for children ages 5 to 12, (808) 921-5171, kuhiobeachgrill.com

Mahina & Sun’s

Mahina & Sun’s offers a special Mother’s Day brunch menu, but you can still order off the restaurant’s regular menu, which includes these malted waffles.

Photo: Courtesy of Laura La Monaca, Mahina & Sun’s

Celebrate Mother’s Day at chef Ed Kenney’s newest restaurant, Mahina & Sun’s, at the Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club. The four-course bubbly brunch starts with either a sparkling flute of cava or one of Mahina & Sun’s new spring cocktails. Kenney has created a menu that’s centered around elevated home-cooking with locally sourced ingredients. Dessert will be—wait for it—a chocolate ganache tart topped with fresh strawberries and vanilla cream. The restaurant’s brunch menu—including ‘ulu pancakes and malted waffles—will also be available.

$75 per person, $29 for children 12 and under, (808) 924-5810, mahinaandsuns.com

The Maile Room at The Kāhala Hotel & Resort

Treat Mom to an unforgettable Mother’s Day brunch buffet at The Kāhala’s Maile Room. Brunch favorites include prime rib, snow crab legs and fresh sushi, to name a few. There will also be a special performance by Danny and Nicholas Kaleikini, an ʻIolani Fashion Show and Island tunes by MānoaDNA. Plus, mom will receive a complimentary $50 gift certificate to The Kāhala Spa. Book quickly, as reservations are filling up fast; 10 a.m. is the only seating time currently available.

10 a.m. to 1 p.m., $110 for adults, $75 for children ages 6 to 12, (808) 739-8760, kahalaresort.com

The Pig & The Lady

It’s no surprise the Le family at The Pig & The Lady do it up big for Mother’s Day. The “Lady” part honors Loan Le, the matriarch of the family and inspiration behind the Chinatown restaurant. P&L will be serving a special brunch on both Saturday and Sunday with a mix of sweet and savory. The brunch starts with coffee-can bread, pain au chocolat, butter pecan and bourbon muffins and whipped honey butter. Savory entrées include a breakfast sandwich with smoked porchetta and a fried egg, Viet shakshuka tomato stew, green-garlic frittata with chorizo and shishito peppers, and smoked kampachi. If Mom is craving sweets, she can choose among Laotian fried chicken bites and pandan waffles, blueberry-ricotta buckwheat pancakes, layered crêpe cake with bacon jam and banana brioche toast. A credit card is required to hold your reservation and cancellations can be made until 48 hours before May 11; otherwise, a $20-per-person fee will be charged.

$49 per adult, $25 for children under 8, (808) 585-8255, thepigandthelady.com

Piggy Smalls

The “little brother” of The Pig & The Lady is hosting a special Mother’s Day brunch on Saturday and Sunday, with entrées including an egg Benedict burger with chorizo hollandaise, spring veggie pot pie, grilled cheese and Big Island avocado on Breadshop bread, Laotian fried chicken atop funnel cake, banana bread tiramisu and warm vanilla rice pudding.

$39 per adult, $24 for children under 8, (808) 777-3588, thepigandthelady.com

Pōmaikaʻi Ballrooms

Dine on a lunch buffet with live music by Imua at the Pōmaikaʻi Ballrooms. Menu highlights are a carving station with prime rib, an oxtail soup bar, and warm vanilla-raisin bran pudding served with an English custard sauce. Validated parking cost $3. Reservations must be made by May 10.

11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., $65 per adult, $32 for children ages 6 to 10, (808) 695-4496, pomaikaiballrooms.com

Royal Hawaiian Hotel

Celebrating its 90th anniversary, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel is hosting an elegant Mother’s Day brunch in the hotel’s historic Monarch Room. There will be a fresh-squeezed-juice bar, pastries from the Royal Bakeshop, a bounty of fresh fruits from the farmers market, an omelet station, sushi and sashimi, a roasted rack of lamb, smoked prime rib, spice-and-honey-cured roasted duck, assorted dim sum, steamed king crab legs and a slew of desserts. Some menu must-trys include the Pink Palace Pancakes (Naked Cow Dairy fromage blanc, balsamic Kula strawberry-guava compote and a haupia glaze) and the cheesecake bar, with a variety of sauces and toppings.

10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., $98 per adult, $49 for children under 12, (808) 921-4600, royal-hawaiian.com

Tiki’s Grill & Bar

Chef Ronnie Nasuti presents a Mother’s Day brunch buffet atop the Aston Waikīkī Beach Hotel. The special menu includes snow crab legs, an omelet station, a poke bar, macadamia nut mahi mahi, brined pork loin with Kula onion marmalade, lilikoʻi cheesecake, macadamia nut tarts and more. The mimosa bellini bar will be open as well.

8 a.m. to 2 p.m., $48 for adults, $19 for keiki ages 5 to 12, (808) 923-8454, tikisgrill.com

Turtle Bay Resort

Spend Mother’s Day grazing at the buffet at the Turtle Bay Resort. Desserts include a liliko‘i cheeesecake and mango soufflé pie.

Photo: Courtesy of Turtle Bay Resort

The brunch lineup at Turtle Bay Resort features more than a dozen different salads, carving and omelet stations, an assortment of apps, and more than a dozen desserts, including a Waialua chocolate cheesecake, a liliko‘i cheesecake and a mango soufflé pie. Feast on King crab legs, stuffed roast pork loin, a whole roast suckling pig, poached salmon and a spread of North Shore-grown veggies—all with a view of the surf from the Kuilima Ballroom.

11 a.m. to 2 p.m., $69 for adults, $27 for children ages 5 to 12, (808) 293-6020, turtlebayresort.com

The Veranda at the Moana Surfrider

Enjoy brunch on the oceanfront veranda of the historic Moana Surfrider. The menu includes an assortment of locally sourced salads, house-made soups, artisan cheeses, sushi, braised short ribs, blueberry-granola pancakes, dim sum, a variety of poke, prime ribs, crispy suckling pig and a dessert spread that has everything from green-tea roll cakes to chocolate brownies. And you can’t beat the view.

9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., $80 for adults, $40 for children ages 6 and 12, (808) 921-4600, moana-surfrider.com/dining/veranda/

Vino Italian Tapas & Wine Bar

Chef Keith Endo’s four-course menu starts with a trio of antipasti (crispy long beans, roasted pork belly and grilled baby leeks), followed by lobster ravioli and brie-stuffed organic chicken, and finishes with a warm chocolate cake with mascarpone cheese and a chervil-sherry-honey gelato. Or you can order off Vino’s regular dinner menu. Wine recommendations are free.

Dinner starts at 4 p.m., $49 per person, (808) 524-8466, vinohawaii.com