Kapuna Cafe

A must have! I was in town for the weekend with my family and had to stop at Kapuna before we went back home. I love mochi anything, so the first time I saw Mochi pancakes on the menu, I quickly added Kapuna to my Yelp Vegas collection. I love all Island food eats as well. There's something for everyone on the menu. Savory, sweet, breakfast, cakes, rice, noodle soup, musubi, etc. Of course I ordered the Mochi pancakes. So fluffy and chewy (as mochi should be), nice crispy, buttery exterior. I'm salivating just thinking about having them again. In addition to the pancakes, we ordered spam musubi, loco moco, aloha breakfast, bbq chicken plate, and the house saimin. All hot and hella tasty. Good size servings. Friendly service. Clean establishment. Small indoor seating but there is plenty of outdoor seating available as well. Pro Tip: order ahead. This is a small mom & pop cafe. Food is made to order and takes quite a bit of time to fulfill. You can call in an order for take out or dine in.

Got the friday special of laulau with kalua pork. So delicious and freshly made. Loved how it came with lomi lomi salmon, poi, and haupia. Also had to snag a spam musubi. Delicious and easy to eat in the car as a snack before I eat my takeout food. Really friendly folks and a nice array of hawaiian baked goods. Had to get a slice of custard butter mochi too.

Oh my God Becky, look at that butter mochi pancake...it's so big and round! I also like big butter mochi pancakes and I cannot lie either.   Kapuna created an odd pancake and when you add their coconut syrup, it's like you're eating dessert. How they even make mochi is amazing. Supposedly they take some sticky rice and beat the living crap out of it with a mallet until it becomes a ball of sweetness.  Simply put, their pancakes are delicious, filling, thick, gluten free, topped off with maple and/or coconut syrup...don't leave without adding at least a short stack to your order for a measly $5, it's that unique. And you can appreciate the detail they take in the little things, like offering maple syrup with some viscosity instead of a watered down store brand. They also sell an excellent home made butter mochi custard pie slice and a mochi brownie, both for about $4 and gluten free as well. Main dishes are pork and chicken-centric...Korean Fried Chicken did not disappoint with chunks of thigh meat seasoned with a sweet, garlicky skin. But their Kalua pork stole the show, slow cooked for 12 hours and smoked to perfection. Mixed with a little bit of cabbage and served over rice, this is a delicious entree for about $11 and a large size has enough tender meat to make a great burrito the next day with the leftovers. Also tried some kind of hash on the menu ($1 each) for the first time but found it very difficult to keep lit or to even fit into my pipe, so I just ate it instead. Not bad at all and it kind of reminds you of a tasty dim sum item. I always appreciate good island food, having been born on the tropical and remote Isles of Langerhans on the Pancreatic Peninsula. And after eating at Kapuna Cafe, I guarantee you too will be inspired to put on a grass skirt, climb a coconut tree, and blow into a conch shell at passing seagulls. Give this place a try when you're craving good island food!

I came across their fried musubi and cream puffs from Instagram and knew it was a must try. Even though I live in the southeast, I made and effort to go up north just to try it! -- Covid-19 review: Approaching the location, their menu is located outside and you have to call them inside to make an order. After, someone will come to the door to receive your payment and will go back inside to ring it up. They will bring your food to your car once it's ready. Food took around 20/30 min to prepare. -- Arrival: It's quite hidden in the plaza it's located in. The plaza's tables and chairs are closed, as well as their inside, so you really do have to go home and eat it. -- Menu: Written on a blackboard outside as well as printed and taped to the door. They have specials so make sure to look out for those. -- FOOD: -Deep fried musubi: had a good crunch! Most musubis in my opinion are quite bland, but this one really elevated my standards hahaha. -Furikake chicken: Deep fried to perfection. Came with two scoops of rice & mac salad. -Custard Butter Mochi: You won't regret getting this as it has a mochi layer and custard top. -- Bonus: They carry the Hawaiian Sun drinks. One word: yes. Also, they ran out of the cream puffs, so it'll give me more of a reason to go back! -- Recommend? Yes! :^)

This place is seriously on fire!! I'm always on the hunt for bomb Hawaiian fare in Las Vegas. And why not? Las Vegas has long been appropriately coined the "9th Hawaiian island" because of the influx of Hawaiian tourists that flood Las Vegas year-round​, so there's no shortage of Hawaiian restaurants. Plus, our three trips planned this year for Hawaii..all canceled! Instead, I'll be coming to Kapuna again and again. All good. Plate lunches are my thing. Although I had heard good things about Kapuna, I was happy to discover for myself that it was way beyond just good. It was awesome!! My lunch here was even better than some of the spots I've eaten at on the islands. My only problem here was that they had so many things I wanted to try. I originally​ came for their popular mochi pancakes, but when I​ got here, my lack of willpower won out (again)! Before COVID-19, I shared takeout food with my husband. However, being (smartly) extra cautious now, my husband has only eaten takeout once, and I do ALL of our shopping so he doesn't need to step foot inside any indoor public spaces. It's definitely worth being extra vigilant since COIVD-19 is very much invisibly alive and all around us! That said, it means all the takeout food I ​get these days, I end up eating all myself! I was beyond stuffed after this humongous lunch, but it was mind-blowingly​ satisfying! I'd recommend each and every dish I had: ***Mochi Pancakes*** The hype is REAL! This is what I came here for because everyone raves about these. OMG, these were awesome!! Fluffy, a bit chewy and with just an ever​ so slight crisp on the top. You can get them with either coconut or maple syrup. Whichever you choose, just get them! ***Furikake Chicken Plate Lunch*** I HAD a favorite spot in Las Vegas for furikake chicken, but Kapuna Cafe just put the kibosh​ on that. This is THE place for furikake chicken, at least served the way I like it. You can opt for the chicken "extra crispy", which I did. The skin was super crispy and the dark meat was perfectly moist. If you like skinless white meat, this dish isn't for you. I LOVED this!! It's also served with just a little bit of a sweet soy-like sauce, unlike places that typically smother​ sauce on, essentially leaving you with soggy fried chicken. I'm not a huge sauce person, so next time I'll ask for no sauce at all (note to self). ***Lilikoi​ (passion fruit) Cake*** The cake was so freakin' fresh, it tasted as if it was made just hours ago! It's made with fresh lilikoi, so it's got a bit of tang with just the perfect amount of cream. ***Custard Butter Mochi*** If you're a mochi fan, you'll find this to be another winning mochi item! It has a nice mochi chew​ along with a layer of soft custard in the center. Very good! I make this at home, but getting just one slice here is a more convenient and no-fuss​ option. If I had to pick one item I liked least, it might be their mac salad. It wasn't at all bad, but just not real flavorful. The icing on the cake is that the people here are very nice. I had endless questions about their dishes and the woman I spoke to by phone was super nice, patient,​ and helpful. She was equally as friendly in-person. Who doesn't want to support a business like this that delivers on both food and customer service? Local businesses like this are DESERVING of your hard-earned​ money in good times and even more so in difficult times. Show this small family run business some love and you'll get some awesome Hawaiian grub in return! PRO TIPS: 1. You'll need to phone in your order (no order taking on the spot). You won't be able to step one foot inside now. They will bring it out to your car. 2. Get the furikake chicken fried extra crispy (though I don't recall it as an option indicated on the menu). 3. Awarded (and rightly so) the "Best Hawaiian Food" by the LV Review-Journal​ (2019).