Farmhouse Cafe — Restaurant in Honolulu

"Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself." - Coco Chanel

This place had me on an emotional roller coaster! Farmhouse Cafe was a high and low foodie experience and it's not that time of the month for moi! Probably living in Japan has my standards up, but a simple greeting would be nice, right?

My twin, really my best lady friend, wanted to treat me to brunch after my disappearing act in Asia. I wanted someplace easy to go to with good reviews. Farmhouse Cafe near Ala Moana Mall in the 808 building on Sheridan was my choice.

Upon entering we were... eh, ngl we were not greeted and completely ignored. Alpha me could not just stand there, so after a few minutes, I looked at my twin and asked if she was up to going elsewhere. Instead she calmed me down and came to the conclusion they were understaffed. I didn't see it that way, I just saw inefficiency and zero common sense, so I decided to approach the counter even though a sign says to "Wait to be Seated". Ok, no problem waiting as long as someone greets us and tells us to wait!

The lady at the counter next says to "just wait" huh? Hmm we are waiting, just acknowledge us or explain your waiting system. Jeezuz! I have low tolerance for people that won't admit mistakes or plain ignorant. So as we are waiting, the chef, Zouhair Zairi, approaches us and says to wait outside. I'm no stranger to French cuisine bro, so calm down and... and then he apologizes and explains how they are short staffed. Ah! I was tempted debating efficiency, politeness, but instead bit my tongue knowing my twin wanted to eat here. Besides she was right on they being understaffed. Oh nvm we are finally seated lol!

We are handed the menus (finally) and explained to order the food and drinks at the same time by the chef! So odd, but having experienced French restaurants in the non touristy parts of Paris, I finally admitted to myself he wasn't intentionally being rude. All the time my twin only cared about what to drink lol! Let's ignore the chaos. Oui, oui!

Wagyu Burger with Bleu Cheese, Demi-glace & Potato Mille-Feuille for the lady. Mediterranean Omelette with Feta, Potato Mille-Feuille, Buttered Toast with Fruit Jam for the gent. Two Hibiscus Iced Teas. French Beignets with Strawberry dip ordered for take-out. So let's talk the cuisine!

If we're only reviewing the cuisine I'd be at 4-5 stars it was delicious! Everything organic, fresh, and tasty. I could taste the French in every bite and we were truly satisfied! To me, the Beignets that we shared afterwards was the star!

In the end, it may have started with bad juju and my patience being tested, but fortunately I was with a kind soul that reminded me (& treated me sigh) that it may not be as it seems per se. Yes, they were understaffed, but in my eyes the three employees were sufficient if it flowed properly. Then again, we never know what's truly going on, right? In fairness, I need to mention others coming in after us were also confused and not welcomed from the start, so a universal meh.

I'd return simply for the delicious cuisine by Chef Zairi, however take note that the ebb and flow of any business is just as important, especially with other $27 burger options out there! Au revoir!

Pls follow my adventures IG:...

This place has potential, but it's not quite hitting the mark of the prices reflected on menu. Granted, Saturdays are typically busier than usual, but when I arrived, and until I left, the restaurant never ran at full capacity and there was never a wait time. Showed up with a party of 2 and there were 4 shared table seats, a table of 4, a table of 2, and another Hightop table of 4 available. I understood that there was a party of 6 coming 30 minutes after we asked for a seat, but I could see that the other table of 4 adjacent to the 2 top already had their check. We were asked to sit outside at the direct sunlight table next to construction happening next door. I'm OK with outdoor hot seating, but next to a construction site with metal dust and very loud grinding, I'm not. We asked to sit inside only for our health. We learned that the shared table was always available... WHY WASN'T THAT OFFERED FROM THE START? The older of the two wait staff seemed to be very lost and couldn't seem to find any rhythm in her step. The kitchen sounded flustered by the way the bell kept ringing to pick up. The other wait staff was nice, but also didn't make up for a very dicey start. We ordered a burger and a crepe (27 dollars for a crepe?! So small!) The crepe came out very burnt (even the regular customer next to us said, "woah! That's way burnt, it never looks like that." Despite the look, they still delivered it to us. And it was, in fact, burnt. My partner ate her crepe, and I waited on the burger "cooked medium" to arrive. I waited, she ate... and ate slowly... until it was gone. I got my burger (cooked well done) after she finished everything. The burger had delicious flavor, and the sauce was 100% the best thing all day. The layered potato millefeuille was top notch, too. So crispy and decadant. I would 100% recommend this dish if you want to give their food a try. I'm a believer in if you know their is a problem as wait staff, frequent the table with the issue with a smile and an apology, and many things can be resolved that way. The servers clearly knew that timing was off. All they had to do was acknowledge it. Say, "I'm sorry, it's on its way, we're busy." I don't care, just be pleasant and acknowledge that they know that the table is waiting. The couple next to us with the "bottomless mimosas for $25" had to wait an excessive amount of time for their refills. I felt terrible for them. Biggest issue for this restaurant: service. Food has the potential to be a 10/10, but missed the mark pretty bad with a burnt black crepe. Ice coffee had ice coffee cubes, that's a nice touch. Will I try it again? If I'm invited back, yes. Will I suggest it? No

Advice to the restaurant, hire a GM that can...

Third time's a charm. After trying several times to find seating for lunch since this place opened, today I finally got in. It is a cafe afterall and seating is limited, add COVID-19 social distancing and it is very limited.

It is a cute and relaxed little place with lots of natural lighting with a wood interior decor, so it is very easy on the eyes. However, the majority highchair seating might not make it comfortable for some. There is some normal seating, but extremely limited.

Their menu has a good assortments of items to choose from, yet not to busy to overwhelm you with choices. I went with the Bacadillo which is best described as a Spanish have panini to the common folk. Although their Barnyard Sandwich and Gourmet Burger came highly recommended, I was very satisfied with my choice for my lunch. Very well balanced and satisfying.

It is rare for me to indulge in an afternoon dessert at the same place, but I couldn't resist their French Apple Gateau. You could really see that they took the time to use freshly cut apples in it's construction. I was pleasantly surprised by the generous slice that made you feel like you were eating at home. I finished my cake with an excellent cup of Cafe Viennois which complimented my dining experience perfectly.

The young ladies working the tables where very pleasant and polite. The level of attention was appropriate. Price was overall very reasonable for the overall quality of food and dining experience.

My only negative thing I have to say was the sound of the chef yelling at the staff from the kitchen and relentlessly dinging the pickup bell a bit uncomfortable. On one side it was like a funny scene from a movie where the chef is carrying on, but from a professional side, a major HR issue and possible.

I enjoyed my meal very much and plan to return with others in the future.

Hope this place makes it during these...