Grab a Cocktail and Sunday Brunch at Ward Village’s New Monthly Event

Think morning cocktails and a yummy range of small plates in a stylish setting.

April 16, 2015

Natalie Schack,

Photos: Natalie Schack

You need weekend brunch to make up for all those workweek mornings spent wolfing down a cup of crappy office joe and that leftover cookie you found in your desk drawer. Come on, you deserve it.

Thankfully, Honolulu’s not lacking in brunch options, and now there’s one more place-to-be that you can add to the roster. Ward Village kicked off its inaugural Brunch this past weekend with an absolutely Pinterest-worthy event at the Ward Village Courtyard (formerly the IBM Building). A branding of sunny-yellow chevrons greeted us as soon as we walked in, along with comfy, yellow-accented lounge areas and rustic table setups complete with wooden boxes of growing veggies and muslin tablecloths.

For $20, you get two drink tickets, each good for a smallish cocktail or a next-level non-alcoholic beverage (options were a ginger-mint cooler or cucumber lime refresher), and three food tickets. Each food ticket can be exchanged for a small plate from one of the vendor booths, and let’s just say that choosing how to spend those three precious tickets will be the hardest decision of your day. This event, themed “Celebrating Women in Food,” featured Michelle Karr-Ueoka from MW Restaurant and pastry chef Jayme Vaniew from Morimoto Waikīkī, co-owners Jill Nordby and Jamie Sexton of Holoholo General Store, chef Gida Snyder from Naked Cow Dairy and more. Quite the lineup, right?

We tried the luscious passion tofu cheesecake from Morimoto, the hearty and comforting bo kho soup from The Pig and the Lady, and fresh veggie poke with ‘ulu and taro from Whole Foods, a delicious range of tastes for one memorable, though unconventional, brunch (no eggs or coffee at this event). We just wish we could have tried the steak and potatoes from MW. Like we said: the hardest decision of your day. If you really can’t decide, next month, additional food tickets can be purchased for $7 (additional drink tickets cost $5). Other highlights included the Naked Cow Dairy cheese samples and Whole Foods Farmers Market, a wonderfully locavore way to start a Sunday.

Our advice: Go early, when it’s cooler. A gorgeous location, delicious dishes and high-profile chefs make for a crowd. Grab a cocktail to keep you company in line first thing, then hit the booths for something to hold you over during the wait.

The next brunch focuses on everything green and sustainable, Sunday, May 17 at Ward Village Courtyard, 1240 Ala Moana Blvd. (former IBM Building). Check wardvillageshops.com for updates on ticket availability for May’s event.