Apple Tree Cafe

Like some people say, we also feel bad about this place. First, they charge $ 3 for entrance fee. Second, The music is very very loud like our eardrums are going to break! We cannot even hear each other at all Anymore!!! They need to turn down the volume. Third, I think this is the main reason why people dont come to this place — - They absolutely need to change the BAND !!! Or maybe change the songs they sing! or perhaps change the singer!
Fourth, they charge too much for beer. Food was okay. Im sorry to the owner but were just being honest! They need to check how they do this kinda of business in Manila. Padis Point Rule!!!

Couple nights ago my parents and their friends came to this café and this place is STRAIGHT UP BULLSHIT!!! The fucking owner of this place has the nerve to go up to my dad and assume that he was making trouble?! And started grabbing him and kicking him out!!! What reason do they have to do that to my dad?! Then they call the cops and make up some bullshit excuse that he was threatening the owner! OH PLEASE! All my dad did was go to the bathroom and sit back down to drink his beer! How fucking ridiculous can you fuckers be?! Inconsiderate I tell you!!! We wasted the shitloads of money here. Not worth the time, I tell you!!! WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!!

Five Stars for you Apple Tree Café!!
Can I pick some apples from your apple tree?
I always pass by this place & was curious…
I told myself that I will have to check out this place soon!
& I also Unilocaled it,
Reviews are not that great, but I took a chance & gave it a try!
I’m glad I did!
The first time we went, ½/​15, they were closed.
The nexts day, I called ahead to make sure they were open.
The restaurant is huge, nice, & clean! there is 2 entrance.
Lots of parking and a clean bathroom.
Per reviews, we were the only ones there too.
It felt kind of strange but it was actually better!
The waiter was nice, he took our order, and brought everything to us with a smile.
Our water was always filled!
2 things I didn’t like about this place, that they brought out the food 1 by 1
& the Halo Halo was just ok. (Max is better & bigger)
The 4 of us got:
lumpia– 7.99
pancit-​, (oodles of noodles) 7.99, this is bihon mixed with pancit. (very tasty)
Pork pinakbet 8.99– this is yums!
½ fried chicken-8.99 I think this chicken is better than Max’s
Halo Halo– 6.95
& unlimited rice! (we had 2^nd round of rice)
The price and portion size is reasonable!
Before Apple Tree, We would only go to Jesse’s,
since the service there isn’t so great & that they start charging for rice,
I’m so glad I was curious to check out this place!
I found my new Filipino restaurant!
We will def. be back here!
I love that the rice is unlimited! My hubby, kids, & I LOVE LOVE rice!
We can sure eat lots of it!
Don’t let the bad reviews fool you, give this place a try! I’m glad I did!
You won’t be disappointed!
FYI– On Fridays and Saturday this place closes at 1:30 am, they have a live band and cover is 3.00. We left just in time for the crowd to arrive!
The place has a nice stage, perfect for a band
Also on the weekends, they have a buffet.
One last thing, Apple Tree also has American food (burgers and pasta)
I hope Apple Tree will add soups to the menu. (Marungaay & Sari Sari)
This would be so great!
Hint Hint…

I came here for dinner with a female friend. It wasn’t quite a date (at least, she didn’t think so, but I was trying).
Welllllllllll… let’s just say the food here certainly didn’t help my chances!
I think I get what they’re trying to do — some kinda fusion, Filipino, east-​meets-​west, Kalihi-​meets-​gourmet-​food, kinda thing. I don’t think it’s a bad concept necessarily. But I do think they come up short on the execution.
And to top it off, they try to come up with creative names of dishes to, I dunno, maybe trick non-​Filipinos into thinking they’re not ordering Filipino food. Or maybe trick Filipinos into thinking they’re ordering something gourmet, as opposed to something they can get at Golden Coin right down the street. For example, «oodles of noodles» = pancit; «belly crunch» = lechon kawali; «seafood vegetable medley» = sari sari. It’s very awkward.
That said, it must work because I started to order the «belly crunch» and for some reason, the server talked me out of it (that was odd!) and told me I should get the «crusted pork chop.» I should’ve known… «crusted pork chop» was nothing more than pork katsu, which I’m pretty sure L&L has.
My not-​a-​date, being slightly less than thrilled that I brought her to a place where we were LITERALLY THE ONLY diners during our entire meal ordered the clam chowder (for the record, you would think that being the only diners in a restaurant would add to the romance-​factor for a guy trying to #turnup… IT DID NOT!). To their credit, I think the clam chowder was home-​made… to their discredit, they left out one major ingredient: THE TASTE! It was probably the blandest clam chowder I’ve ever eaten (and my not-​a-​date made me taste it because she just wasn’t sure if her taste-​buds somehow went defective on her). Nope — all is well; your taste buds still work; they just left out the TASTE from the recipe!
This place salvaged a star because of the silliness of the menu (which I don’t know if it’s intended to be a joke, but it kinda feels like it should be), and because — for all the shortcomings around the food — the service was actually excellent! (I guess you can be excellent when the ratio of servers to patrons is 1:1)

I feel bad for this place. My wife and I got there at 6:30 pm, and the place was empty. We were the only customers in the entire restaurant. We left at ~7:30 pm and the entire time, we were the only customers. We had the entire dining room to ourselves. Our server seemed surprised when we entered.
Apple Tree is kinda cafeteria style dining. When you walk in there is a counter where you order your food. Apple Tree is a part of Loulen’s Restaurant. The dinner menu is mainly Filipino food. You order and pay and move to a large and clean dining room.
The food was okay. We had french fries and an order of crispy pata.
— The fries were very oily and bland (no salt or seasoning, just a very light sprinkle of parsley). The order was very small (especially for $ 5).
— Crispy pata. Once again, it was okay. Crispy skin was very good, but it was bland. The vinegar dipping sauce was good, but the pata wasn’t very flavorful itself.
The service was good. Our server was very attentive to us. Of course we were the ONLY customers in the restaurant.

We walked in about 7:30pm and there was only a family of five or six in the spacious restaurant. We were seated and placed our orders. It took a while for our food to come out being the only ones who ordered food at the time. Maybe they had to wait for the stove and fryer to heat up. Our waiter was friendly and talkative. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and side sweet potato fries. My hubby ordered the fried pig knuckles. Based on previous Unilocal photos, this restaurant looked like they had good burgers and sandwiches which I was craving. Turns out, they specialize in Filipino food. So, my husbands fried pig knuckles were amazing and crispity-​crunchy with skin-​on. Real similar to lechon. There was even a big shank piece, served with side vinegar sauce and two big scoops of white rice.
My burger didn’t have any sauce, but it was a notch above McDonalds and not the gourmet burger you find at gastro pubs like I was hoping for. I’m happy they cooked it well-​done (since I’m pregnant), bacon was small and crispy, Kraft cheddar cheese slice, tomatoes and lettuce on a soft sesame seed bun. Burger meat was a homemade patty which was admirable. It’s good enough for now until I either make my own or get one at Pint + Jigger.
Bottom line: come here for lunch and Filipino food. I know tons of other places to get great Filipino food around Kalihi to Waipahu. At least it’s affordable here!

Decided to try this place, since I had bought a $ 25 for 2-​$ 25 vouchers from Hawaii Deals Direct, (
). This place is actually a part of Loulen’s Courte in Kalihi. I ordered the Furikake Crusted Ah I and my girlfriend ordered the Crispy Fried Pork (lechon kewali).
The ahi was cooked well done. I didn’t think to ask it to be cooked medium. Although it was well done, it was not dry. The portion size was pretty good. It came with a wasabi aioli sauce on the side. It also came with steamed rice and freshly steamed broccoli and carrot slices.
The Lechon Kewali consisted of large chunks of pork, with the fat still attached, that were deep fried crispy. It came with a vinegar dipping sauce and a sauce that was sweeter. It came with steamed rice and diced onion and tomatoes. Both dishes were tasty and filling. Both plates cost less then the $ 25 voucher.
The owner and son were running the café. Initially no one was at the front counter. The owner finally came and apologized. His son then took our order and served us. They were both friendly.
On weekends they have a buffet. On the weekends they have a band playing at night. Check their website for who’s playing and what type of food they’re serving at the buffet.

Our office crew had lunch here fro the first time today, and were for the most part, satisfied and impressed!
«Diner E» ordered the Cheese Steak Sandwich, which for $ 10.95, gets you an very generously sized, fresh n’ crusty roll piled high with grilled tnly sliced Roast Beef, Bell Pepper, Onion, Swiss Cheese and American Cheese, served along with Sweet Potato Fries and a sliced orange. The Sweet Potato Fries are accompanied with this totally masarap BBQ Aioli dipping sauce, which is made with their house BBQ Sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, Lemon Pepper, Ceyenne Pepper and Mayo’. The bomb! I tried a cut piece of Diner E’s Cheese Steak Sandwich, and must say, for the amatuer Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich eater than I am, this was possibly the best one I’ve ever tasted.
«Diner A» ordered the Monte Cristo, which for $ 9.95, 9.95, you get a Sandwich En Croute with Ham, Turkey, and Cheese. The sum of parts described as a variation of the French Croque Monsieur. I also tried a piece of that, and thought it was the next best thing to French Toast meets ham sandwich. It’s served with a Cranberry Jelly and a Mango Jelly, while also being dusted with Confectioners Sugar, so you get that sweet ‘n fruity contrast to the savory and rich sandwich that’s so, so ono. The only reason this entire rating didn’t achieve 5 stars, is because Diner A complained the oil the Monte Cristo was deep-​fried in tasted a little old/​burnt, which also affected his Sweet Potato Fries that accompanied it. I didn’t really taste that, but he noticed it.
Yours Truly ordered the Mushroom Burger one of several reasons. The main reason being the owner, Chef Luis Buton, Jr. used to be the Executive Chef for Liberty House, including Hatfields in Liberty House Ala Moana, where they were know for awesome burgers, especially the Swiss ‘n Mushroom Burger. And my Mushroom Burger from Apple Tree Café did not disappoint! So juicy and flavorful, where you can tell Chef Luis KNOWS how to cook a great burger, after decades of experience in the F&B industry. The white mushrooms are sauteed with wine and garlic butter, and are packed with flavor, while they grill the bun, which also earns bonus points. The only thing it lacked that I think would have helped is mayo’ spread on the toasted bun. Otherwise, the massive ½ burger I had was definitely a winner.
Speaking of massive, for an average of $ 10 for most dishes, the portions are HUGE, where both myself and Diner E could only finish half the dish, taking the rest home for later.
Interestingly, while Apple Tree Café, while it looks like a full service restaurant with wait staff, as implied by it’s «Café» marker, its set up more like a deli, where you order in front, pay, then sit down in the quite large dining room where the counter staff (in our case, John Buton, the owner’s super cool and friendly son) brings your order to your table when it’s ready.
We were pretty much the only party there during the lunch hour visit, which we found a bit strange, however, all the better, as we received top notch service with a Filipino smile!
Apple Tree Café features a full bar during dinner hours, and live music on Friday and Saturday night, where they’re open until 1:30am. Wow!
They also have a 150 person capacity banquet room downstairs where they do private parties, and it’s a very nice venue.
Apple Tree Café is basically Loulen’s reinventing itself with completely overhauled American diner style menu vs. Loulen’s more Filipino cuisine affair.
And with that, we think they have something good going. Prices are reasonable, portions are generous, and most importantly, with decades of experience under his belt, owner and Chef Luis’ dishes ROCK! Check ‘em out. Highly recommended!