Wok-Kiki Buffet & Bar is one of those “hiding in plain sight” kind of places. It’s located ewa of Discovery Bay and across Ala Moana Boulevard from the Hilton Hawaiian Village, on the curve of Ala Moana Boulevard as the street bends from Ala Moana Center to Waikiki.

You can’t see it if you’re coming from town because the planted street divider blocks the view. Even if you’re coming from the other direction, it’s easy to miss as you’re negotiating the curve.

Nonetheless, the place is a pleasant, matter-of-fact spot for a pau-hana treat, with its own parking, an interesting selection of Chinese dishes on its buffet and great deals on drinks.

THE EXPERIENCE

With that location, it’s easy to think that parking would be a problem, but don’t worry. Convenient parking is available — just pull in the driveway and a sign will direct you to the nearby Ramada Plaza lot. They’ll validate.

There are a few tables outside, but I suspect with traffic whizzing by it’s usually more comfortable inside. The dining room is bright, cheerful and simple — few frills here. A small bar at the door is equipped with a flat screen for entertainment, but the main dining room is modestly decorated with Chinese paintings. It’s quiet and cozy, and seems made for people who want to relax and chat.

THE FOOD

Chinese buffets are commonplace throughout the U.S. these days, with dishes like chow mein, fried rice, sweet-sour pork and kung pao chicken almost as ubiquitous as hamburgers. Wok-Kiki, however, actually caters somewhat to Chinese tourists — the owners run tours and bring patrons by for meals. The place also seems to be getting a reputation among individual Chinese visitors, as many of them came by during our visit.

With that clientele, it’s not surprising that Wok-Kiki’s buffet offers something a little different. I was especially pleased to see tea eggs on the buffet bar – twice-boiled eggs, with the second boiling done in the gravy of red braised pork belly, a classic Chinese dish. I’ve only had tea eggs home-cooked before — they’re excellent for picnics — but served this way, with bits of the pork belly in the rich sauce, was truly a treat.

Wok-Kiki also spiced up its buffet that day with salt-and-pepper fried prawns, served properly with the crispy shell on. The effect was diminished somewhat by its dry texture, a likely consequence of sitting on the buffet bar a bit too long, but these were still a good accompaniment to a beer or cocktail.

Another offering, crab cooked the same way, was also a pleasant surprise.

Chinese long beans, also unusual for a buffet, made for another good dish, cooked perfectly, with just a bit of blistering on the outside, adding to the slightly crisp texture.

This being a buffet, it’s a price-conscious meal — all you can eat dinner for $24, $21 for kamaaina — so don’t expect pricey delicacies like Peking duck. But for good Chinese-style comfort food, Wok-Kiki has plenty to offer.

THE DRINK

According to its website, Wok-Kiki offers happy hour prices from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. daily, but once we got there, we were told that happy hour is virtually all day. That meant beer for as low as $2 for a Primo, up to $4 for a Tsingtao or Sapporo, or a glass of wine for $5.

For cocktails, the key is to make sure bartender Tara Laulu is on duty. She’ll mix up a nice variety of $4 cocktails for you and entertain you with a good story or two as well. Her mai tai is terrific, using three local rums, along with juices and orange curacao, topped with pineapple and a cherry. A lot of rum drinks tend to dull down fruit juice flavors; this one didn’t. She also made a very pleasant chichi, using coconut cream and fresh pineapple juice and vodka. Served in an ice-cream sundae-like glass, it held up as well as a float, and was refreshing and relaxing.

Other drinks offered include a Blue Hawaiian and tequila sunrise, equally up to the occasion.

THE VERDICT

Wok-Kiki will serve as a pleasant surprise for those who want to try something just a tad different than your usual buffet. It’s unpretentious and relaxed. Wok-Kiki fits nicely in a niche between a food-court offering and a more pricey eatery, and offers drinks at a fantastic price.