Why: Parrotheads have Jimmy Buffet, the Caribbean and “Margaritaville.” Da-Kine’s Café cook Geoff Sainsbury has Jack Johnson, Hawaii and “Banana Pancakes,” a song in which the singer croons, “maybe we could sleep in/I’ll make you banana pancakes.”
That 2005 acoustic ditty sprung to mind when Sainsbury planned the breakfast menu for Da-Kine’s, a Hawaiian-themed strip-mall restaurant, a sort of island refuge amid an asphalt sea.
“I also just wanted to incorporate bananas,” said Sainsbury, 37.
Banana pancakes. That’s enough to pique my curiosity. Ditto with Da-Kine’s Kalua Pig Omelet.
Atmosphere: From the outside, Da-Kine’s isn’t much of a looker. Tucked away in the corner of a business strip mall, it’s a surprise to find the little café where you’d expect to see an insurance agent’s office.
But once you walk through the front door, the strip mall fades, and the luau theme begins. Hawaiian artwork dots the walls. A wall-length bench faces cozy tables. Conversation buzzes throughout the café. But the back wall of the snug diner offers a respite from the hubbub in front with three bar stools and a counter facing the wall.
What I tried: I opted for the banana pancakes and my morning staple, a cup of coffee; my dining companion tried the Kalua Pig Omelet Plate and a chai tea. The pancake dish comes with two banana pancakes, topped with more bananas, two bacon slices and two eggs. The omelet plate includes toast, rice or potatoes.
While we looked over the menu, the waitress brought our mugs of coffee and tea, along with a handful of Coffee Mates. This is diner coffee, drinkable, but not the stuff of boutique coffeehouses.
The banana pancakes arrived on a bright blue, Hawaiian-themed plastic plate, garnished with a pineapple wedge. Two thick slices of bacon and a couple of over-easy eggs accompanied the cakes, which were topped with fresh banana slices and powdered sugar.
After adding a drizzle of syrup, I dug into the stack, which smelled of fresh-baked banana bread. A combination of warm, cooked bananas and the fresh ones on top gave the pancakes a contrast of textures — buttery and firm — which was delightful to savor.
In a later chat with Sainsbury, I learned that the buttery taste and texture don’t come from a butter cube. The flavor is owed to a drizzle of banana extract, he said.
The eggs were diner-style, over-easy and tasty. But the bacon was cold and tough, as if it was cooked ahead and left too long under a heat lamp.
The Kalua Pig Omelet was so stuffed that heaps of shredded pork bulged from the three-egg pocket. The pork had the texture I’d expect in a Tex-Mex dish, but without any of the fiery bite. Instead, the flavor was smooth and flavorful, with a salty nip.
During my chat with Sainsbury, he explained the Kalua Pig cooking process: In traditional Hawaiian fare, a cooking pit would be dug in the volcanic soil, which traps the heat and slow-cooks the pork. But lacking the outdoor cooking space — and permits — for that bit of authenticity, Sainsbury selects a pork roast (the variety is a closely-guarded secret) and cooks it slowly overnight in the diner’s oven. The salty taste comes from sea salt, he said.
Other observations: Throughout the breakfast, the waitress checked in on us, kept the coffee flowing and asked if we needed anything. Da-Kine’s has a welcoming vibe, reminiscent of small-town diners in Southwestern towns, where locals gather as much to socialize as to dine.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: The Spam Omelet Plate caught my eye. It doesn’t appeal to me, but it is authentic. Residents of the Aloha State gobble 6 million cans of Spam a year. I’d opt for the Potato Hana, a fried red potato plate that’s cooked with onions and peppers and topped with cheese, sour cream, green onions and avocado slices.
Cost: Plan on about $8 for a breakfast plate.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Breakfast is served until 11 a.m. during the week and until 2 p.m. on weekends.
Telephone: 360-253-9160.
Where: 11700 N.E. 95th St., Vancouver.
Health score: Da-Kine’s received a score of 10 for its June 29, 2009, inspection. Clark County Public Health closes restaurants that score 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.
