Carley

Has anyone ever done this buffet and what did you think of it? Any idea of the cost? We have eaten at their restaurant Pahul'a and really enjoyed it. Any ideas for a good breakfast buffet? Thanks

connecticut_lady

Aloha Carley,
I can partially answer your questions. We had dinner at the Four Seasons Beach Tree this past November but did not go on the night they had the Surf/Sand special. On our night they had the "regular" menu and it was very good. The price for the buffet that night was $20. My husband ordered prime rib off the menu -- he liked his dinner very much -- and I had the buffet which I also enjoyed. It's a smallish buffet, but quite adequate. On the night we went they had a mushroom soup (I think the soup changes nightly, don't know about the other dishes), very good, plus Caesar salad, potato salad, salad fixings to make your own, fruit salad (fresh fruit choices would have been better), and tomato/mozzarella. I can't remember what else -- a pasta salad of some sort I think. Plenty of food, the tomato/mozzarella was very good. There's entertainment too, live 3 man guitar/singing plus a hula dancer. Lots of families, very pleasant atmosphere. Pahu I'a is much more formal, with a better setting and closer to the ocean. You can't compare the two, both are very nice. Breakfast buffet? I'll post that separately.

connecticut_lady

Breakfast buffet on the Big Island? We love the buffets and on our recent trip we tried several -- I'm happy to give a report:

Pahu I'a, Four Seasons, ringing in at $26 per person and worth every penny. Ocean front, practically in the water (ask for an outside table and you can usually get it with a short wait). Tons of food beautifully displayed. Omelets made to order, waffles waiting for you under a heat lamp along with sticky buns that they keep at perfect consistency. Fresh fruit, cheeses, breakfast meats, excellent breakfast potatoes, choice of fresh juices, pastries that looked good but I was overindulging on the sticky buns.

The Bay Terrace, Mauna Lani Bay, also $26. Very good, not up to Pahu I'a though. Pleasant outside facing the lawn with the ocean in the distance. Omelets and waffles made to order, pancakes and French toast premade and kept under a napkin, the pancakes here were better than elsewhere, potatoes were lacking something (my husband liked them though), there's an egg dish of the day, usually eggs Benedict, excellent fresh orange juice, fresh fruit was very good, pastries were average.

Palm Terrace, Hilton Waikoloa Village, $24 per person....doesn't face the ocean, but there's a pleasant pond with swans gliding by. Their waffles and pancakes should be avoided. They do have more interesting special items though including a blintze of the day (alternated between cheese & apple, both served with strawberry sauce), and eggs of the day (alternated between eggs benedict and eggs florentine -- the florentine are really good), plus bread pudding and salmon. Their potatoes -- hash browns -- vary in quality but are usually very good. Excellent zucchini bread and banana bread. They also have a person making omelets with a slightly limited number of fillings.

Hapuna Prince (I can't remember the name of the restaurant, sorry) -- $22 per person. Well this one was different. The setting is lovely, up several floors, overlooks trees/garden, ocean in the distance. Very peaceful. The food? Feh. Nothing bad....plenty to eat....but somehow lacking. Omelets made to order, but the chef who was making them constantly disappeared. Their selections were somewhat limited, no breakfast sausage on the day we went...french toast was made out of a bread I didn't like....potatoes failed to impress. They did have brioche though and that was a pleasant surprise. Were we worn out & stuffed from all previous eating before we got here? Probably, and that might be influencing my report. Their lower price makes this place more attractive for families and justifies a more limited offering.

We never made it up to the Mauna Kea Beach (*next trip*) and we didn't try the Outrigger/Marriott. There's a Sheraton that opened in Kona, we'll also try that next time. We went to the Fairmont buffet years ago, should probably try it again, but way back when they burned the potatoes and the eggs and I've held it against them for years. HOWEVER....Brown's Beach House and Brown's Deli at the Fairmont are EXCELLENT and should be considered for lunch and dinner (deli closes at 6:00).

If anyone is still reading (I do go on about food) I'd summarize saying that you will get excellent fruit at any buffet in Hawaii and there will be plenty to eat wherever you go. Oh..two more things...coffee...should be hot, no? Hmph. Hot and excellent at the Hilton and Four Seasons, luke warm at the Mauna Lani Bay (on three out of the last three visits), and hot but too strong at Hapuna Prince. And miso soup, I only get this in Hawaii....delicious at Pahu I'a, very good at the Mauna Lani, good at the Hilton....and strangely served with dried tofu at the Hapuna Prince. Maybe it's an acquired taste but "regular" tofu appeals to me more.

Hope this helps!

Carley

Aloha and thanks so much for your replies connecticut lady. I really appreciate your full descriptions and makes me realize I must stay on my diet until we leave the end of Feb. We love the Big Island and are always looking for new places to eat.

cyberUK

There is a really wonderful place for breakfast on the BI called Aloha Angel in Kona, great food, no chance of "buffet Bloat". Good fresh food, great coffee, and cool T-shirts

stever

Carley - how long are you staying on the BI and which hotels? Just the FS?

Thanks,
Steve

Carley

Aloha Steve We will be staying on the Big Island for 15 days. We aren't staying at the Four Seasons unfortunately. We are staying at a timeshare we traded using our home base here in Ontario, Canada. We have stayed there 4 years in a row and really love it. It has two bedrooms, three baths, den, full kitchen and a laundry room in the unit. Don't want to get into the timeshare thing but no one can say to us that timeshares are a waste of money. Can't imagine what we would pay for a unit like this per night. Friends are coming with us this time who have never been so looking for some fun things to do that we haven't done before. We really do love the restaurant Pahu l' a at the Four Seasons though. Our other favs are Roy's,Brown's, Canoe House and Merrimans. Will be happy to help you if I can.

aimeemorice1

hi carley,
i was glad to see you posted this about the surf and stars bbq...as my hubby and i have a reservation for it on jan 29th..unfortunately, it doesnt sound yet like anyones actually been to this bbq. i have looked on webshots.com and if you type in four seasons hualalai to the search there's a couple who went to the bbq and has pics of it.
i can post a review when we get home feb 1 about it.
aimee

Carley

Hi Aimee Thanks for your reply. I enquired about it last time we went and couldn't find out any info then. I would really appreciate it if you could post a comment for me. Do you know how much it is and do you think we should make a reservation ahead of time? I know when we were there last year we had to book the restaurant ahead in order to get a sunset dinner time. I am just a little nervous since we are taking friends with us who have never been to Hawaii and I want to make sure they have a great time. We will definitely make sure to take them to Pahu l'a as it was outstanding and so romantic at sunset.

aimeemorice1

hi carley...i think you should make a reservation.. the concierge there is just great! i made a reservation for pahula at sunset in a few weeks and then the bbq as well-- its on saturday nights. ill be sure to post a report on it when i get home! i believe the bbq is like 60/pp?!? i may be wrong..

Carley

Thanks Aimee I would really appreciate your input. Think I will get on with it and make some reservations at the restaurants we want to go to. I always think it is easier to have a reservation and be able to cancel it rather than trying to get something at the last minute. Have a great time. Have you been to the BI before?

stever

Thanks Carley for the info. Sounds like that timeshare was a GREAT deal for you.

Steve

Etta

Carley, we ate at the buffet last March and enjoyed it very much. There was family style seating at larges tables on the beach, where the buffet was set up. We chose a table for two on the deck. The selection was outstanding with the prime rib, grilled lobster, and chocolate souffles being our favorites. We had an early seating so we could view the sunset but we were done long before the telescope was brought out for stargazing at 8pm. It was $59pp in March.

Carley

Hi Etta Thanks so much for the information. I hope Aimee sees this. Do you think it would be a good idea to make a later reservation for dinner and have a drink to watch the sunset? I would think the food etc. would be good as it is a top notch Hotel. Looking forward to it.

aimeemorice1

im glad i did see this! sounds great etta!! i heard the lobsters amazing!

carley-- i just made ALL our dinner and spa resrvations ahead of time.. and im actually calling today to book a few more massages at the orchid. i like to plan ahead.. that way you wont have to worry about that kind of thing once you get there!

aimee

p.s. and yes-- we have been to the BI before.. this will be our fifth time! my hubbys anduncle and grandpa live in hilo and waimea.. so we see them as well!

Carley

Aimee just wondering if you are home yet and what you thought of the BBQ. Please drop a note if you have time . Thanks, Carley

lia_b

We did the buffet this past August and we just loved it. The view, the hula show and the excellent food could not be beat. The Lobsters were a really nice touch. I did post about this in my trip report in September. There's a smore's roast on the beach. very cute. WE stayed a little later to view the stars.

For a different breakfast buffet we ate at Pancho and Lefty's one morning in Kona. Everyone else had stopped serving (10:30 a.m.?) so we took a chance. If you can handle a little MExican food in the a.m. , it was a good place to people watch since it's up on the second floor. For a minute, we felt lke we were in Puerto Vallarta.

kureiff

Carley and Aimee, I believe you both had reservations for the surf, sand and stars bbq at the Four Seasons, how was it?

We're looking at getting reservations for the bbq the end of May. I've contacted Four Seasons by e-mail last week, but haven't heard back from them. I'm curious about your experience. How much was it per person? Thanks for your help.

cynthia73522

Hello there, I have reservations for this buffet on May 14 and 21. We are staying at the 4S and I must say, I am very impressed with the concierge. Price per person is $62 per adult $31 per child 6-12. Ive only heard rave reviews about this bbq. I am opting for this one verses the Mauna Kea Clam bake we attended last year ( which was also good) I am hoping the 4S surpasses my last experience at the MK. Hope this help

Carley

We are just back from BI so trying to adjust to reality. We had a great time of course and our friends who had never been to Hawaii before really enjoyed themselves.

We did go to the BBQ and have to say it really was good. There was lots of food from shrimp, sushi, bbq steak,ribs, chicken and lobster. Plus all kinds of salads, twice baked potatoes, corn on the cob and veggies. The desserts were also wonderful. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the smores. We sat at the family style tables on the beach and talked with some nice people. Also looked at the stars later in the night. As you can tell we highly recommend it. I phoned the Hotel to make the reservations and just reconfirmed when we got there.

Unfortunately, can't type too well right now as on Saturday just before we left I fell at Costco and badly cut my finger. May have to have plastic surgery as it doesn't look like it is going to heal. It was raining like mad and it was very slippery. Must say a big thank you to everyone who helped me. They were wonderful. Hope this helps. Any other questions will be happy to help.