Dining Scene
Tasty food served in a tranquil Manoa setting

By Matthew Gray
Advertiser Restaurant Critic

The patio dining area of the Waioli Tea Room brings the lushness of Manoa Valley up close. Photos by Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser Waioli Tea Room 2950 Manoa Road 988-5800 Breakfast: 8-10:30 a.m. daily Lunch: 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily Afternoon tea: 2:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday

Waioli Tea Room sits on about eight acres in a hard-to-find Manoa setting. The Salvation Army owns the property and has been leasing space to Rebecca and Gary Walker for about five years now. She's the general manager of the restaurant, he's the minister who performs most of the weddings in the chapel a few steps away. It's an interesting blend that works on many levels.

At breakfast, you can enjoy a light and crunchy Belgian waffle ($8.25) in all its glory, topped with your choice of hot cinnamon apple, ginger peach, blueberry sauce, sliced fresh strawberries or fresh banana. It's finished with whipped cream and provides a glorious sugar rush if that's what you need in the morning to get you going. Other sweet tasties include pastries, muffins, scones and coffee cake.æ

If you're an egg lover, the Waioli frittata ($8.75) is an open-faced, fluffy omelet combining mushroom, zucchini, tomato, black olives, diced ham and mozzarella cheese. It's served with potatoes or rice.æThe breakfast burrito ($8.50) rolls up two scrambled eggs, sauteed onion, bell pepper, tomato and mozzarella, with potatoes or rice. Something a bit different is the quiche of the day ($7.50).

Lunchtime brings with it a large selection of sandwiches and salads. The mile-high turkey breast sandwich ($9.75) on 10-grain bread stacks roast turkey, shredded carrot, cucumber, alfalfa and sunflower sprouts, muenster cheese and papaya-seed dressing. The corned-beef sandwich ($10.25) isn't what you'll find at most delis but is a fine combination of lean meat, pickled red cabbage and jarlsberg cheese, along with shredded carrot, cukes, alfalfa and onion-seed sprouts, on fresh rye bread.

There's also an excellent lime-marinated baked chicken quesadilla ($10.25;ævegetarian for $9.25; 'ahi $11.25) with cheddar cheese, inside a large tomato-chile tortilla. On the side is fresh guacamole, sour cream, pineapple salsa and what they call a Spanish salad.

The chicken curry is one of the most popular items on the menu. It comes as a sandwich or a salad choice for $9.75. It is served cool, mild and creamy, with pineapple and toasted almonds in the mix. On the side is wonderful mango chutney made by the Tahitian Goddess Co.

The restaurant's chicken curry sandwich is served on pita bread.

If you're a fan of traditional afternoon tea, it is served here every day except Monday at 2:30 p.m, priced at $18.25 per person. It's a very civilized tradition that includes a selection of finger sandwiches, quiches, scones, pastries and much more. You can't beat this location, my friends. The Waioli Tea Room is a lovely place to unwind and reflect.

Reach Matthew Gray at ChefMatthew@LoveLife.com.