Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2010
Photos by Sarah Noorbakhsh
When Japanese-American couple Jerry and Jan Fukunaga opened Eggs’n Things in Waikiki back in 1974, they had three principles in mind: “Use fresh ingredients, keep the prices reasonable, and treat everyone like ohana [family].” This Hawaiian spirit has never faded, even after word of mouth spread among locals and then overseas, bringing in swarms of Japanese tourists and assuring a full house year-round. Dubbed the “best breakfast in Hawaii,” the modest diner never advertised, never raised its prices, never served less-than-amazing food, and never franchised—until now.
Having already experienced the real thing in Hawaii, our expectations were sky-high when we arrived one weekend morning at the Japanese incarnation of Eggs’n Things in Harajuku, just next to what used to be Gap. Needless to say, there was already quite a line, consisting mostly of chirpy young girls. Luckily, it didn’t take long to be seated on the spacious second floor, where a wooden surfboard adorned the wall and soft hula music tickled our ears.
Knowing that the portions would be large, we limited ourselves to Eggs’n Things’ famed strawberry pancakes with whipped cream and macadamia nuts (¥1,050) and a vegetarian omelet (¥900). In less than five minutes, the pancakes had arrived, stiff and tepid, their tower of whipped cream tilting sloppily. Whatever happened to ohana? Our initial excitement dwindled as it dawned on us that this Harajuku outpost wasn’t like the homey haven in The Aloha State. The pancakes were dry and floury, and the omelet that came soon after was overcooked, tough and virtually tasteless. Granted, the guava juice (¥400) was good and the Kona coffee (¥450) satisfactory, but we were expecting mind-blowing rather than mediocre.
Still willing to give the place a second chance, we ventured back the following week in the hopes that we’d simply gone on an off day. We were more adventurous with our orders this time, and soon enough our small table was crowded with plates of (thankfully) steaming food.
Available from 6pm, the spicy Cajun potatoes (¥800) were a delicious stack of deep-fried, well-seasoned carbs. The Hawaii-style fried rice (¥1,000), meanwhile, came teeming with Spam, pineapples, various veggies and eggs—over-easy or sunny-side up, depending on how you like them. The flavors were more subtle than expected, but they went well with the saltier potatoes.
Mind you, we were most interested in the desserts. The pineapple pancakes with whipped cream and macadamia nuts (¥1,050) were warm this time, and though they didn’t quite compare to our now-hazy memory of the dishes in Waikiki, they were much better than on our previous visit. We were still disappointed with the sloppy strawberry and sour cream crepe (¥1,050), but overall, the return trip was a success.
Hardcore fans of Eggs’n Things should probably just buy a plane ticket to Honolulu, but first-timers might enjoy this Harajuku transplant—and the prospect of having brunch on that terrace as the weather gets warmer is mighty tempting.
