Diamond Head Market & Grillは、大味なハワイのプレートランチの中でも上品な味が楽しめるところです。
炭焼きのハンバーグとしつこくないグレービーソースがおいしいし、チキンは日本のおいしい焼き鳥屋さん並の味が楽しめます。
以前、朝のジョギング帰りに買って帰ろうと思ってこの店まで行きましたが、Diamond Head Market & Grillは開店時間がＡＭ１０：３０からで、残念ながら閉まっていました。
しかし、２週間前から朝食メニューをスタートさせたという記事が、ホノルルアドバタイザーにあったのを見つけました。
６：３０から朝食メニューがスタート、これならダイヤモンドヘッドに日の出を見に行き、その後のブレックファーストに最適ですね。
ただし食事をする場所が少々貧弱なので、ビーチやホテルに戻って召し上がるといいと思います。
２００６年９月撮影
（
The Honolulu Advertiser Dining Outより）
Rise and shine; new morning service
By Simplicio Paragas
sparagas@honolulu.gannett.com
Popular eatery/ market now open daily for breakfast
It looked like the traditional corned beef hash. And I was certain the mound of starch beside it was fried rice.
But when I took a forkful of the hash, it didn’t taste anything like that processed mystery meat that’s found in cans; this one here consisted of shredded homemade slow-roasted pork. And the fried rice wasn’t prepared with the normal white but with brown rice, and it was visibly loaded with chunks of Portuguese sausage and bacon.
This gourmet interpretation on the classic corned beef hash is one of the new morning dishes at Diamond Head Market & Grill, which launched its daily breakfast service, from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m., two weeks ago.
Owner Kelvin Ro tried a morning menu a couple of years ago, but stopped because the food wasn’t up to his usual gourmet standards. This time around, though, he and staff members can take pride in what they’re dishing out.
The banana pancakes ($6.75) were airy, fluffy and noticeably different from the just-add-milk-and-some-eggs boxed version. These were truly homemade, from scratch, and their texture and flavor were superior. And because the bananas had been diced and not pureed then folded into the batter, the pancake maintained a crumbly consistency.
Almost pastry-like were the thick slices of French toast ($5.75), which had a hint of orange, adding a zesty contrast to the sweet bread. No butter needed. Some maple syrup did just fine.
A Japanese-style breakfast ($8.50) consisted of grilled ― not sauteed ― ahi or salmon, served with two eggs over easy, and rice or toast.
If that sounds too healthy, there’s always the calorie-laden loco moco ($6.75). A hand-formed, grilled five-ounce hamburger patty sits atop a bed of rice and is then topped with one egg and homemade brown gravy.
Prices here may be a little more expensive than other places that offer breakfast, but the quality is worth the extra change.
A vegetarian three-egg omelet stuffed with mushrooms and spinach ($7) was well prepared. Too often than not cooks will forget to pat dry the excess water found in spinach and mushrooms, and the result is an unappetizing runny omelet. This one wasn’t. It was firm and moist.
A three-ingredient omelet costs $7.50, which comes with a choice of rice or toast. Add another $1 and substitute potatoes O’Brien for the rice.
Other available side orders include bacon ($3.50 for four slices), Portuguese sausage ($3.50 for five pieces), Spam ($3.50 for two slices), five-ounce patty ($3.50) and kim chee ($1.50). And my favorite side, the blueberry-cream-cheese scone ($2.50).
Waffles, bagels and house-smoked gravlox are to come and so, too, are such specials as eggs Benedict, sausage and biscuits, shrimp omelet and whole wheat pancakes.
Menu items are certainly restaurant caliber ― and better in some cases ― even if they are served in a styro foam box.
Diamond Head Market & Grill
Where: 3158 Monsarrat Ave., at the corner of Campbell Ave.
Hours: Daily from 6:30 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Call: 732-0077
Note: The Market showcases a wide range of gourmet products, as well as ready-to-eat sandwiches, salads, soups, desserts and heat-and-eat main entrees.
