Kissaten: A 24-hour Coffee Shop on Piikoi

From the outside, especially at night, the Hawaiki Tower on Piikoi looks cold and uninviting. Who would have guessed that there’s actually a lively little internet coffee shop on the Waimanu end of the property’s ground floor? And that it would be open 24 hours day, seven days a week?

That would be Kissaten Coffee Bar, where there’s actually more going on than just coffee and pastries. A menu of hot soups, sandwiches and entrees changes throughout the day. We popped in on a Sunday night, after 10 p.m., where the late night specials included pho ($7), grilled cheese sandwich with tomato bisque ($9), a Kissaten Melt sandwich ($7) and more. We were in a dessert mood, however, so opted for a slice of strawberry cheesecake, a mocha and an espresso con panna—that’s espresso with a dollop of whipped cream on top, practically a dessert in its own right—all for $9.

The environment is contemporary internet café. Shazam-able music plays overhead, not too loud. Students tap at their laptops, or sit and share earbuds. A purchase yields you two hours of free wifi. Manga-inspired art hangs on the wall. Pictured here, “LuLu,” by Remi Mead, available for $500. In fact, there’s a “trunk and art show” this week, August 25, from 7 to 10 p.m., with menswear designer Richard Togami and artist Remi Mead.

Up late and in the neighborhood? Definitely stop in. 88 Piikoi Street, 593-1200, kissatencafe.com.