For the best buffet in Honolulu, and arguably one of the best buffets ever, plan to make a stop at 100 Sails in Oahu, Hawaii!
100 Sails, a Hawaiian-inspired restaurant offering fresh island cuisine through a la carte menus and breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets, is located in Oahu’s Prince Waikiki hotel. It overlooks the Ala Wai Harbor in Waikiki, Honolulu where hundreds of boats are docked and perhaps, a hundred sails.
Before you knock a hotel restaurant though, let me tell you a little bit about the food. The buffet features Hawaiian fare with plenty of fresh seafood and flavorful dishes and salads. Honolulu’s 100 Sails offers slightly fewer dishes than what you might find at a Las Vegas buffet or a Chinese buffet. Yet what it lacks in number, it makes up for in quality!
I visited for the dinner buffet on a Sunday night, and the menu featured items like baked oysters with garlic crab aioli, salt & pepper Kauai shrimp, steamed clams, snow crab legs, bone marrow, and sherry chicken. A woman stood behind a carving station, ready to serve prime rib and Japanese hand rolls. To balance out the entrees, 100 Sails also provided plenty of fresh salads like broccoli salad, macaroni salad, tofu and lomi lomi. The actual dishes vary depending on the day of the week, so check out their website for sample menus!
Everything I tried was delicious! The kitchen kept sending out new food in small batches to ensure that the buffet entrees stayed hot and fresh. The bone marrow was rich, decadent, and full of flavor. The salt and pepper Kauai shrimp were seasoned perfectly. The sashimi tasted fresh, and I’m happy to report I did not have a tummy-ache after dinner! I also enjoyed the Temaki hand rolls that are made-to-order, especially the spicy tuna and scallops! My favorite, though, were the snow crab legs. These were TRULY amazing and the best I ever had. Usually I don’t care too much for crab legs since it takes so much work to eat a stringy, cold crab leg. However, I lost track of how many I ate at 100 Sails! I just couldn’t stop eating the sweetest and juiciest buffet crab legs I’ve ever had.
For those wanting something a little different, 100 Sails also offers an a la carte menu. These are dishes you can order separately, not included in the buffet meal. I LOVED the few menu items I tried. My heart sang when I tried the uni carbonara. The creamy and subtly sweet uni married well with savory, acidic roe. As soon as I took a bite of the chewy al dente pasta, I was sold! The KFC, or Korean Fried Cauliflower, incorporated the sweet and spicy flavors of Korean cuisine into this fried vegetable dish. Buffet or a la carte, you can’t go wrong with either.
Dessert included several options like fruit tarts, eclairs, flan, and fresh fruit. I wanted to try it all, but I already stuffed myself too much. Of course, we needed to end the night on a sweet note, so we tried the Prince Shave Ice from the a la carte menu. This mountain of pink snow has more than meets the eye. The kitchen staff fills the bowl with fruit fresh fruit, auzki beans (also know as red beans), and ice cream. Then they pile on the ice, flavor it with sweet rose and maple syrups. Lastly, they top it with fruit pearls and condensed milk. While it looks heavy, this dessert actually tastes light and refreshing! I recommend it as a way to wash down your food and cleanse your palate.
If you have not yet tried 100 Sails, consider going for your next big dinner plan when you’re in Honolulu, Hawaii! With all you can eat buffet-style options for those with big appetites or tastefully curated a-la-carte dishes, there is something to satisfy everyone here. Don’t forget to make reservations for a window table so that you’ll have breakfast, lunch, or dinner with a gorgeous Hawaiian ocean view. If you go for dinner, be sure to catch the sunset for a lovely golden hue too!
100 Sails
100 Holomoana St
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815