Restaurant Review:

It’s strange to me why people fuss so much about their choice in breakfast places. I find it to be the simplest meal of the day, especially if all you’re looking for is eggs and bacon or sausage. It’s pretty difficult to mess that up, because it’s not exactly the most creative of dishes.

When I walk my dog every morning in downtown Huntington Beach, there’s always a line of people waiting for the coveted patio seats at the Sugar Shack, the area’s most popular place to eat the first meal of the day. People stand like vultures burning holes in the eyes of those who woke up earlier than they did and are enjoying the meal.

Two places that would be adequate substitutes and have outdoor seating are no more than 20 yards in either direction.

One place I feel is superior is right next door.

No Ka Oi does not serve the usual scrambled eggs or omelet with bell peppers in it — no, this is quite different. Dishes with poached eggs and filet mignon medallions or eggs with corn tortillas and black beans and chorizo are on the menu.

When I arrived one recent morning during my walk with my dog, it was about 9 a.m. and the Sugar Shack had already started a waiting list.

Of the six outdoor tables at No Ka Oi, four were still open, so I tied the dog to the outside of the restaurant’s rail and plopped down in one of the wicker chairs next to her.

The service was incredibly good at the restaurant. There were three waitresses, so they weren’t slammed with customers and could be extremely attentive.

My waitress offered water for my dog and checked in with me quite often without being intrusive.

She also suggested the Kilauea Benedict, the morning specialty. This twist on the famous dish has two poached eggs with lump crabmeat and their homemade hollandaise sauce.

I like hollandaise sauce and found it on another dish I was eager to try. The Tahitian frittata was a casserole-type dish that has spinach, Portuguese sausage, feta, tomato, broccoli and zucchini.

The casserole was layered, and the approximately 3-inch-wide by 3-inch-long brick kept its shape nicely throughout.

The crunchy outer shell of the egg concoction also gave it a nice texture. The dish was dry in spots, which is expected when eggs are baked, but the hollandaise sauce solved that.

The sauce was nice and mellow and generously poured on top of the dish, but not overly so. There was a bit left over to dab the potatoes that accompanied it.

The potatoes were flavored with seasoning salt and pepper and mixed with shreds of carrot, green and red bell peppers, red onion and diced tomatoes.

In addition to my frittata, I was tempted by the French toast. This version removed the sourdough varieties and replaced them with Kings Hawaiian bread.

The dish was fantastic and would be perfect for children. A side of two slices of the French toast is $3.

With the bread naturally sweet and more than enough powdered sugar, I didn’t even use syrup. The bread mixed with the egg batter well and came out a bit softer than regular French toast.

One item I would like to see on the menu is Spam. The restaurant has Portuguese sausage, but I would have loved to have some grilled Spam to put in a dish like the eggs any style with potatoes and toast. They have apple-smoked bacon, Canadian bacon, filet mignon or mahi-mahi as choices, but one more exotic one wouldn’t hurt, and it would stay true to the Hawaiian roots.

That was a small quibble, though, in an otherwise great breakfast. As I was settling up with the waitress, I noticed it had been 30 minutes since I sat down. One couple that was waiting next door for a table was still standing. As I walked by, I greeted them, but they didn’t look too happy. I, on the other hand, was completely content.

No Ka Oi

ADDRESS: 215 Main St., Huntington Beach

PHONE: (714) 960-8300

WEBSITE: www.nokaoirestaurant.com

CUISINE: Hawaiian

SPECIALTY DISH: Kilauea Benedict

ALCOHOL SERVED: full bar

ENTRÉE PRICE RANGE: $3.50 to $14 for breakfast; also open for lunch and dinner

FAMILY FRIENDLY: yes

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: American Express, MasterCard and Visa

RATING: ***

JOHN REGER reviews local restaurants and may be contacted at Nolimepublishing@aol.com or P.O. Box 2984, Seal Beach, CA 90740.