Good (For You) Eats!
Expect offerings at this cozy café to be low in carbs, free of added sugar, and prepared with pesticide-free ingredients whenever possible.
(All photos by Tommy Shih.)
When you walk into Rise Cafe in Kaimukī, you’re stepping into more than a neighborhood coffee shop, you’re entering the philosophy of someone who has spent nearly three decades helping Hawai‘i heal from the inside out.
For the last 29 years, Dr. Jodi Nishida Matsumoto has seen firsthand how diet affects metabolic health, especially in a state with some of the highest rates of pre-diabetes and diabetes in the nation. From hospital and retail pharmacy to launching her own metabolic health clinic, she’s worn many hats. Now, alongside her husband Jeff, she’s added café owner to the list.
“Jeff is my extremely supportive husband who has been on my program for over three years. I’ve been on it for over nine ... and although he doesn’t have a medical background, he sets a great example for my patients and followers on how healthy you can be ... and how important it is to be on the same page health-wise,” shares Matsumoto.
Rise Cafe follows the same principles Matsumoto teaches in her clinic — low carb, no sugar, no inflammatory seed oil and pesticide-free. Her metabolic health clinic even sits directly above the café, allowing her to support patients from treatment plan to the meals they eat every day.
“Our goal is to show people that eating healthy is not salads or starvation. We eat very nutrient dense in here and everything is cooked in butter or low temp extra virgin oil. Everything tastes really good and you leave satisfied,” shares Matsumoto.
When you walk into Rise Cafe in Kaimukī, you’re stepping into more than a neighborhood coffee shop, you’re entering the philosophy of someone who has spent nearly three decades helping Hawai‘i heal from the inside out.
For the last 29 years, Dr. Jodi Nishida Matsumoto has seen firsthand how diet affects metabolic health, especially in a state with some of the highest rates of pre-diabetes and diabetes in the nation. From hospital and retail pharmacy to launching her own metabolic health clinic, she’s worn many hats. Now, alongside her husband Jeff, she’s added café owner to the list.
“Jeff is my extremely supportive husband who has been on my program for over three years. I’ve been on it for over nine ... and although he doesn’t have a medical background, he sets a great example for my patients and followers on how healthy you can be ... and how important it is to be on the same page health-wise,” shares Matsumoto.
Rise Cafe follows the same principles Matsumoto teaches in her clinic — low carb, no sugar, no inflammatory seed oil and pesticide-free. Her metabolic health clinic even sits directly above the café, allowing her to support patients from treatment plan to the meals they eat every day.
“Our goal is to show people that eating healthy is not salads or starvation. We eat very nutrient dense in here and everything is cooked in butter or low temp extra virgin oil. Everything tastes really good and you leave satisfied,” shares Matsumoto.
The dishes at Rise Cafe may be nutritionally intentional, but they look and taste like food you’d order anywhere else. Take its Kamalu Bowl, a hearty breakfast bowl topped with bacon, hard-boiled eggs, sliced avocado, homemade pickled onion and salsa. At first glance, it looks like a classic breakfast bowl until you dig into the creamy, cheesy cauliflower rice that eats like risotto.
Even its brisket and bacon infused fried rice gets a makeover with smoky brisket layered over cauliflower rice cooked in bacon fat and finished with a drizzle of sugar-free barbecue sauce.
The chicken and chaffles — Matsumoto’s keto-spin on the popular dish chicken and waffles — swaps in a keto waffle and karaage chicken, topped with butter and keto syrup. The cafe’s drink menu follows the same philosophy. All coffee is certified pesticide free, ensuring each cup supports gut health rather than disrupting it.
The most popular drink is the roasted mac nut latte, made with freshly roasted macadamia nuts and no artificial syrups. Matcha lovers gravitate toward the toasty matcha, a blend of organic Japanese matcha and hojicha. You won’t find oat, nut or soy milks here, the preservations in most commercial brands don’t align with the café’s metabolic health philosophy.
Trying to follow a structured diet can be challenging, but Matsumoto makes it easier with its stress-free meal prep menu. The weekly rotating low-carb menu features comforting dishes like shepherd’s pie, meatloaf, kalbi with japchae, pork tenderloin and ginger chicken. It’s designed for anyone trying to stay consistent, even during their busiest weeks.
By blending medical expertise with comforting, everyday flavors, Matsumoto created a place where nourishment feels approachable and delicious. Whether you’re grabbing a latte, committing to a lifestyle change or simply curious about eating cleaner, Rise Cafe offers a reminder that healthy eating can be joyful — and that every meal is a chance to rise a little higher.
Rise Cafe
1135 11th Avenue
(808) 260-9188
weloverise.com
(All photos by Tommy Shih.)