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Gateway Buffet · North Shore, Oʻahu

The Great Feast of the Pacific

A chef-led island buffet with 40+ dishes, carved and served fresh every evening.

Reserve your table From $138.95 · Dinner 4:30 – 6:30 pm
See the food ↓

Taste the islands

Every bite tastes like somewhere

Smoky, garlicky, ocean-fresh, caramel-sweet. Hover or tap a plate to taste it first.

Culotte Steak
Carving stationCulotte SteakSmoky crust · Herb-bright · JuicyCarved to order and finished with chimichurri.
Ahi Sashimi
Poke & sashimi barAhi SashimiClean · Silky · Ocean-coldRuby slices with crisp sea asparagus.
Crispy Garlic Shrimp
North Shore classicCrispy Garlic ShrimpGarlicky · Crackling · Sweet heatWith sweet-chili aioli for dipping.
Kalua Pork
HawaiʻiKalua PorkSmoky · Salty · Fork-tenderPulled and tossed with purple cabbage.
Kalbi
Plantation heritageKalbiSweet-soy · Charred edgesSeared hot, glossy with its own glaze.
Huli Huli Chicken
HawaiʻiHuli Huli ChickenSticky · Gingery · Fire-glazedTurned and lacquered until it shines.
Bok Choy & Mushroom
Garden stationBok Choy & MushroomBright · Earthy · Crisp-tenderPlant-based and full of flavor.
Garlic Brown-Sugar Chicken
Island mainsGarlic Brown-Sugar ChickenCaramelized · Savory · Pineapple-sweetFinished with pineapple relish.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
SweetsPineapple Upside-Down CakeCaramel · Tangy · WarmCaramelized island pineapple, cold cream.

Why it tastes this good

A buffet cooked like a chef's table

  • Carved to order

    The culotte is sliced at the station the moment you step up, so every plate is hot, pink and juicy.

  • Ocean-fresh, kept cold

    Ahi, poke and poisson cru sit on crushed ice, alongside a local catch of the day.

  • Sourced close to home

    Chef Tai buys from local farmers, fish auctions and seafood suppliers.

  • Recipes with roots

    Kalbi, char siu, poisson cru, kalua pork: each dish traces back to an island and a family table.

Chef Felix Tai, smiling in a floral lei, carving meat from a skewer

The chef behind the flavor

Felix Tai cooks every island he's called home

He learned by watching his mother cook in Kuala Lumpur, then cooked alongside the men of the Samoan Village as a BYU–Hawaiʻi student here at the Center. Today he leads the Center's kitchens and sets the Gateway menu.

“Our menu is a gateway to the foods of our history.”

Chef's first plate

Carved culotte, medium-rare · two garlic shrimp · a scoop of ahi shoyu poke · lilikoi panna cotta to finish

The menu

Six stations. One very full plate.

For the adventurous eater, the plant-based traveler and the kid who only wants mac and cheese.

Carved culotte steak

Carving

Where the line starts.

  • Culotte steak, carved to orderGluten-freeDairy-free
  • Garlic brown-sugar roast chicken, pineapple relishGluten-freeDairy-free
  • Char siu pork ribsDairy-free
  • Kalua porkGluten-freeDairy-free
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten-free
  • Dairy-free
  • Spicy

Menu shifts with the season and the day's catch. Vegan dishes are also dairy-free. Fried items share fryers, so they are not marked gluten-free. Tell your host about allergies on arrival.

Your plate, course by course

From the first slice to the last bite

A knife slicing roasted culotte steak with chimichurri

The first slice

The knife goes through and the culotte falls open: pink, juicy, crusted. Yours is the next plate.

Poke bowls and ahi sashimi on crushed ice

Cold, bright, fresh

Ruby ahi, shoyu poke, Tahitian poisson cru, lomilomi salmon, all on ice. Straight from the ocean you drove past this morning.

A full plate of carved steak, kalbi, garlic shrimp, poke and rice

Go around twice

Kalbi, garlic shrimp, carved steak, poke and rice on one generous plate. Nobody’s counting.

Lilikoi panna cotta with papaya and ice cream

Save room

Silky lilikoi panna cotta with papaya and a scoop of ice cream. The last bite you’ll tell friends about.

This feast can be yours.

The Gateway dining hall at dusk

The hall & the welcome

A royal hall, and hosts who make you feel at home

Musicians playing ukulele and guitar in the torch-lit hall

Welcomed like ʻohana

Greeted, seated and looked after

Your hosts greet you at the door and walk you to the buffet. Live island music plays while you eat.

Many of them are students from across the Pacific studying at BYU–Hawaiʻi next door. The Center is a non-profit, and 100% of profits from your visit support their scholarships.

Step through 12-foot doors into one of the largest dining halls on Oʻahu. Sixty-eight pillars, shaped like great koa logs and crowned with shell torches, hold up the roof. All around you, a hand-painted mural tells how Hawaiʻi became the meeting place of the Pacific. Tap a story.

The real Gateway dining hall and its wrap-around mural

The aliʻi welcome the feast

At the heart of the mural, Hawaiian royalty open their table to guests — the same welcome the hall offers you tonight.

  • 24,400square feet of dining hall
  • ~8,000square feet of hand-painted mural
  • 68koa-log pillars with shell torches
  • 12 ftentry doors

Plan your evening

Villages by day. Feast at dusk. Show by night.

  1. Afternoon

    Explore the island villages

    Canoe pageant, crafts and demonstrations. Arrive hungry.

  2. 4:30 – 6:30 pm

    The Gateway feast

    Live music, six stations, and time for second plates and dessert.

  3. Evening

    Hā: Breath of Life

    The Center's evening show, a short walk from your table.

Good to know

What is the Gateway Buffet?

A chef-led island buffet with live music, served from 4:30 to 6:30 pm in the Gateway Restaurant. It’s included with the Gateway Package, alongside the villages and the evening show.

What will I eat?

Over 40 dishes across six stations: carving, poke and sashimi, Pacific island mains, garden and plant-based, keiki favorites and sweets. The menu shifts with the season and the day’s catch.

Are there vegan, vegetarian or allergy-friendly options?

Yes. Several dishes are vegan or vegetarian and are marked at the buffet. Tell your host about allergies on arrival and the kitchen will guide you.

Is it good for kids?

Very. There’s a keiki station with mac and cheese, chicken strips and fries, plus hand-scooped ice cream. The Gateway Package is $110.96 per child.

What should I wear?

Island casual: aloha shirts, sundresses and sandals are perfect.

Do I need a reservation?

Dinner is reserved through your Gateway Package, so booking ahead is recommended, especially on weekends and holidays.

A koa-wood table laden with Gateway dishes

This evening can be yours

The first slice, the poke bar, the last sweet bite, and a warm welcome. Your table is waiting.

Gateway Buffet Package

Free dinner · Oct 1–31

Regular price $157.95now $138.95 adult

Regular price $126.96now $110.96 child (4–11)

Free dinner included this October. Discount already applied to the package price.

  • Gateway Buffet with live island music
  • Island villages and afternoon activities
  • Hā: Breath of Life evening show
Book the Gateway Buffet Package

Questions? Call 1-800-367-7060