Many years ago, 1982, to be exact, I remember my McKinley High School cross-country coach taking a bunch of us to breakfast at this pancake place on Ena Road just outside of Waikiki. I recall the pancakes were magnificent — kind of crispy on the outside and tender and fluffy on the inside. I would douse it with coconut syrup. This place was called Eggs ‘n Things and if you got there with the rest of the crowd, good luck. The parking would be challenging and the lines would snake around the block.

Jerry and Jan Fukunaga opened the popular eatery 38 years ago with the idea to focus on fresh ingredients, reasonable prices and treating everyone like family. The restaurant was originally designed to cater to locals, but that didn’t quite happen once Japanese visitors found out about the place. The idea of eating breakfast late into the night appealed to many. Locals soon found the place crowded with visitors, and although I loved the food, it just wasn’t worth battling the crowds and the challenge of finding a parking space in Waikiki. That original flagship restaurant on Ena Road eventually moved to Saratoga Road, and another Eggs ‘n Things, called the Waikiki Beach Eggspress would open at the Aston Waikiki Circle Hotel. The restaurants continued to serve long lines of customers over the years unbeknownst to locals who never stepped foot in Waikiki

Jerry passed away 12 years ago and Jan kept the restaurant going for a few years before passing the torch on to family friends to run.

Fast forward to today.

The business appears to still thrive with a third location now opening its doors on Piikoi Street near Ala Moana Center in the spot formerly occupied by I Love Country Cafe.

“It’s our first location outside of Waikiki so we hope to cater to more kamaaina,” says general manager Michael Skedeleski. “We serve the same food as our other restaurants, but our kitchen is bigger so we hope to slowly expand the menu.”

The menu looks pretty extensive as it — serving eggs, of course. And a variety of “things,” including breakfast meats, omelets, crepes, pancakes and waffles. My personal favorite is the Ham Chop & Eggs. Fans of ham steak will love this since you get the ham bone, as well. The pancakes, of course, are still as good as I remember and the best thing is that if you’re a fan of whipped cream, these pancakes come with a good helping of sweet stuff.

“For locals, our most popular item is the Fried Ahi Steak & Eggs,” says Skedeleski. “Japanese visitors tend to order the Strawberry Pancakes with Whipped Cream and Nuts.”

Yes, the food is good at the new Eggs ‘n Things on Piikoi Street. And at the new location, the parking is better. Much better.

Photo: Stacy Yuen Hernandez