Gastronome

CAFÉ GRACE
725 Kapiolani Blvd. Honolulu
Phone number (808) 492-1470
website cafegracehi.com

As a child, I had a love-hate relationship with bagels. I liked their

bready textures that came in different flavors, but I couldn’t quite comprehend the subtleties — I wanted my strawberry bagels bursting with strawberry flavors.

I think I understand the bagel’s nuances better now. But my appreciation for bagels really only extends to how well it is served in ways other than just slathered with cream cheese.

This is the sort of menu Café Grace offers — mostly sandwiches and desserts that use bagels as part of the final product or as inspiration, not necessarily the center of attention.

Its Hot Pastrami Sandwich, for instance, uses bagels as a substitute for bread. Filled with a thick layer of pastrami and topped with a light horse-radish sauce, melted cheese and sauerkraut, it was just the right combination of flavors and textures that stayed just below the radar of being too rich.

Other dishes like the Banana Walnut French Toast are worth mentioning because of the soft and airy texture Café Grace achieves despite working with very dense bread. The trick, owner Terumi Drake explains, is soaking the bagel slices in French toast batter overnight to allow it to absorb everything and prevent it from drying. Drizzled with syrup and topped with a scoop of vanilla gelato and sliced bananas, the resulting dish is very sweet — maybe something better for the afternoon versus the morning, unless you like to start your day that way.

Still, for me, it’s not so much the food as it is the ambiance that really stands out. Maybe it is the light alternative music playing or the dark wood and comfortable décor, but it somehow feels like being in a café in Seattle — a perfect setting for studying or #cofficing.

Would I go back for the food? Absolutely. It was like comfort café food at just the right price. But maybe next time around, I’ll try something different.

MEET THE OWNER TERUMI DRAKE

A few years ago, Terumi Drake had the opportunity to take over Lox of Bagels in Sand Island from its previous owners who were looking to retire. It was just the thing Drake, who studied restaurant and hotel management at Kapiolani Community College, was looking for. Looking to expand, she opened Café Grace last summer. Everything, from the flooring to the furniture, was hand-selected by Drake.

“This is really my style,” she says.

With Café Grace, she hopes to provide a more sophisticated atmosphere for bagel enthusiasts, while still offering favorite items for new and longtime customers.

TRY THIS
BAGEL PUFF

I had never heard of a Bagel Puff, though owner Terumi Drake tells me it’s long been popular with customers of Café Grace’s sister eatery Lox of Bagels.

It’s like a malasada, but without as much grease or butter. There are usually a few flavors to choose from, such as a strawberry Bagel Puff filled with strawberry guava cream, or a simple sugar bagel filled with a honey cream cheese.

I liked it. It was like indulging in something sweet, without feeling terribly guilty afterward. Order it with any of Café Grace’s coffee beverages, and you’ve got yourself a healthier alternative to a morning donut.