The Weekly Eater: A perfect fit for Liliha Bakery

There was a time I believed that if a restaurant put out good food, an audience would follow. Yes, there are variables and logistics like ambience and parking to consider when deciding where to place a restaurant, but surely great food trumps all wrongs, right?

The young can be so naive and idealistic. It took about two years of observation to learn that food accounts for only an eighth of a restaurant’s potential for success. Other factors are value, convenience, ambience, service, parking and the business acumen and tenacity of the owner(s).

At times I opt not to write about restaurants I feel may be gone in six months because I don’t want to waste my time or yours. On the other hand, I’m happy when I see all the elements come together as perfectly as they do at the newest, third branch of historic Liliha Bakery, which has moved into the prominent space on the third floor of Macy’s Ala Moana that was formerly home to the Pineapple Room.

It’s really a perfect fit. More than just a bakery, the full-service restaurant’s casual, local no-nonsense fare aligns with the Macy’s shopper who values a balance between quality and price.

The setting is convenient for those who need to take a break between shopping chores, and it’s fairly easy to find parking on the third level of the mall, where many shoppers are reluctant to park because of the lack of shade. The mall’s central location and parking also make it convenient any time of day for people to pick up pastries for office munching or omiyage.

The diner/bakery, with humble roots in the quiet bedroom community of Liliha dating to 1950, is also growing up. Coming soon is a bar that will offer a limited menu of beer, prosecco, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay of the day, and mimosas to complete the dining experience, a first for the company.

The restaurant’s official grand opening is Friday, but you’d never know it from the huge lunch crowds it is already attracting. I hate lines, so tend to go at off-peak hours like 3 or 4 p.m.

Much of the menu is identical to that of the Nimitz location, with a few additions. My favorite is the Paleo diet- friendly arugula salad with grilled salmon ($18.99, most other restaurants would have billed it as grilled salmon with arugula). This contemporary presentation comes with a handful of slivered almonds, dried cranberries and sliced strawberries.

Also new to this menu are mushroom chicken ($15.50), thin chicken cutlets layered with homey gravy and mushrooms, served with rice, corn and a choice of tossed or potato-mac salad; plus garlic fried rice ($12.95), which is not all that garlicky. Unless they amp up the flavor, you’re better off ordering the kim chee fried rice ($13.95). Both arrive topped with an omelet and a side of your choice of breakfast meat.

But first things first. As soon as you’re seated, you’re presented with a basketful of soft, toasty and irresistible butter rolls. Sad that they arrived just as I was telling someone I don’t like carbs, and there I was, devouring two pieces in minutes. Seriously good. The rolls come with the bakery’s scary-red signature Liliha (cherry) jelly. If you decide you can’t live without it, the jelly is sold ($6.50) in the bakery area.

The menu offers your pick of breakfast, local or all-American specialties. Juicy fried chicken has been winning hearts, and because of the restaurant’s build-it-your-way a la carte list, it’s possible to build your own plate of chicken drumsticks, thighs, wings or breast. Prices are $3.25 for a drumstick, $4.50 for breast, $4.25 for thigh, and from there you might opt for fried potatoes ($1.59) and grilled onions ($3.59) in place of white or brown rice or corn. A two-piece fried chicken meal ($14.50) comes with a drumstick and thigh, rice, corn and choice of tossed or potato-mac salad.

Liliha Bakery hamburger steak made with Angus chuck ($14.50) has been a longtime favorite, as has prime rib, at $23.95 for 10 ounces and $29.95 for 16 ounces.

My favorites would have to include a new breakfast item of smoked pork belly and eggs ($15.50), a grilled jumbo shrimp plate ($17.50) and oxtail soup ($17.99), made the way it should be, with plenty of cilantro and peanuts. Sorry for the cilantro-hating crowd, but for some reason, only the ginger comes on the side. I suppose you could ask for the cilantro on the side, too.

For dessert, or as a main course, the Waffard ($12.75) is a popular novelty combining waffles and dollops of custard to be enjoyed with nuts, berries and whipped cream. If waffles are not your style, dozens of savory and sweet confections await in the bakery showcases outside, ranging from Liliha’s classic Coco Puffs, to matcha cream-filled croissants, to poi doughnuts.

Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.