The Weekly Eater
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Eating around as much as I do, I don't crave much ... except, there's this po' boy thing. Origin: Portland, Ore. Parc Cafe’s regional buffet
serves a spicy Cajun favoriteForget 'Nawlins, the most overrated city in the world for noshing. They do have the most decadent bars, however, and that may have something to do with the glowing appraisals of the chow, touted in guidebooks and magazines everywhere.
In Portland four years ago, I discovered how wonderful a po' boy could be after one of the natives pointed me toward O'Connor's. There, I was introduced to a 6-inch crusty sub filled with veggies and a half-dozen oysters crisped on the outside and appropriately squishy elsewhere.
Last year I returned to Portland to find the sandwich was not the same, not even close. The French roll had been replaced by plain old toasted bread. The oysters were not as crisp as I remembered, the flavors of Cajun spices toned down, the trimmings middling. With no other recourse, I tried reproducing the thing at home. Not bad, but not the ideal, my humble stovetop incapable of achieving the heat so crucial for deep-frying.
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Enter Parc Café, which this month introduced its All-American Lunch Buffet. Every month, the cafe in the Waikiki Parc Hotel will be putting out spreads spotlighting a particular regional cuisine. This month: the Big Easy. One focus: a po' boy station!This is a Thursday and Saturday deal only. The rest of the week is devoted to Hawaiian/local food (Wednesdays and Fridays). The All-American Lunch starts with the usual buffet assortment of tuna, Waldorf, curried chicken, pasta, egg and spinach salads, plus deli meats, cheeses and fruit.
On the first Saturday the Cajun-Creole Buffet was offered, cook Jaime Tanap was dredging shrimp and oysters through bowls of red Cajun spices and cornmeal for mini-po' boys, the shrunken form countering the "mo' bigger, mo' better" theory behind the sandwich. They're small enough, though, to allow you to try both shrimp and oyster versions. I prefer the oysters myself, though I realize a lot of people have an aversion to the funny-looking, briny-tasting, slimy mollusk. If only the rolls weren't so darn hard, day-old hard. Warming them might have helped.
If you can tear yourself away from the po' boys, there is red beans and rice, and shrimp etouffée equal to the runny, flat-tasting stew back in 'Nawlins. The oysters Rockefeller, and chicken and sausage gumbo are worthy accompaniments to your po' boy, the roux and shredded chicken giving the gumbo exceptional body. (They'll give you the recipe when you leave.)
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Because I had shown up specifically for the po' boy, I wasn't sure the $15.95 cost was worth the trouble of heading into Waikiki. I eat so little at buffets that I always feel like I'm paying for the guy who can put away pounds of prime rib and poke, though I'm the birthday celebrants that day felt it was worthwhile to be able to choose from a variety of items.I would prefer more festive surroundings, though. The room has an airport lounge feel and could use a millennial makeover. This doesn't have to be complicated. Tossing the wood paneling and that odd piece of "art" may be enough.
Of course, the value of the Parc's buffet soared once I saw the dessert table, which included beignets, apple pie, crème brûlée, rice pudding, dobash cake, pecan bars, brownies and soft-serve ice cream with sugar cones.
With luck, the po' boys could stick around during April when the Parc turns its attention to the food of the South. In May the menu will reflect the Southwest, and in June, the Midwest. And if anyone else here is capable of producing an oyster (safe months only) po' boy for $7, you'll have at least one regular customer.
Waikiki Parc Hotel, 2233 Helumoa Road / 931-7272 Parc Café All-American Buffet
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays to Saturdays
Food 
Service Ambience Value Cost: $15.95 per person
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Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews run on Thursdays. Reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:
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