This classy cafe on the grounds of the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives is run by chef Mark Noguchi and his wife, Amanda Corby, a power couple known for the sheer force of enthusiasm they bring to their projects.
Mission Social Hall & Cafe is no exception.
Noguchi describes the bill of fare here as “comfort food with a nod to history,” and then thinking that may sound stuffy, adds, “We cook whatever we feel like, more or less.”
And thinking that might sound a little too laissez-faire, he adds, “with the sensibilities of our customers in mind.”
MISSION SOCIAL HALL & CAFE
On the grounds of Mission Houses Museum, 553 S. King St.; 447-3913
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays
Cost: $8 to $12
Parking: Metered, on the street
Online: facebook.com/MissionbyPili
By which he means that most of his customers are here on a lunch break and so must be served quickly. Also, they can’t eat a lot of fresh garlic, with the sensibilities of their co-workers in mind.
About the business: Open just over a year, Mission took over what once was a snack bar for museumgoers.
The room has a plantation feel, with lots of wood and lovely natural light (good for snapping Instagram pics of your plate). Eat-in orders are served on pie tins.
The menu has a short list of standard items so that the kitchen can work with whatever local fishers and farmers offer them on a given day.
Noguchi says he won’t put ahi on the permanent menu because he can’t always get it local and fresh, and he won’t buy it frozen or imported.
How to order: Check out Mission on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @missionbypili to see the day’s specials. But if you have to see it to believe it, come down, get in line along the deli case, check out the daily antipasti, then place an order at the counter.
What to order: Standard menu items are luau stew with roast pork or sweet potato ($9), a turkey and cranberry sandwich ($8), egg salad sandwich ($7) and the Island Catch B.L.T. ($8.75), made with whatever fish is fresh and good.
Especially popular are the antipasti combos ($11.25) that let you pair a sandwich or the soup of the day with a choice from the colorful salads in the deli case. Or you can just have all the salads. Everything comes with taro and sweet potato chips.
These salads are exceptional: creative, colorful and uber-fresh. You’ll usually find some kind of kale salad, and something starchy, like kalo or breadfruit. The others might be noodles tossed with beets, or lightly dressed whole baby turnips, with the local farm sources always cited.
Grab and go: Almost all of Mission’s customers walk here from nearby offices. The museum has no parking lot, so there’s only metered parking on the street and that’s hard to get. The closest lot is the Frank Fasi Municipal Building lot at South King and Alapai streets. The Bus passes right by, so if it’s on your route you could grab a transfer, get off, grab lunch and catch the next bus.
