Island Glazed

Island Glazed is a donut shop in the Aiea area that makes fluffy donuts with local flavors like guava, lilikoi, lychee, ube and more. My favorite is their OG (original glazed) donut which is similar to Krispy Kreme but without the greasy taste. I thought the flavored ones were too sweet but the lychee had better flavor compared to the guava. Their donuts cost about $2.50 each which is pricey but if you buy them by the dozen or half dozen, it's cheaper. I recommend going before 10AM for the best selection of flavors. If the trays inside the display case are empty, ask the staff and they'll let you know if there's more of that flavor in the back. Besides the yeast donuts, they also have cinnamon rolls, filled donuts, donut holes, drip coffee and a few espresso drinks.

They are located inside the Pearl Kai Shopping Center next to Ricado's Italian Restaurant. They have a leather couch with a coffee table inside and a few chairs with counter seating against the wall. There is parking in front of the shop making it easy to grab and go breakfast in the mornings.

For more information about Island Glazed, visit @islandglazed on Instagram.

Pearl Kai Shopping Center
199 Kamehameha Hwy #98
Aiea, HI 96701
(808) 777-7505

OG (Original Glazed)

Lychee, Guava

 

Okayama Kobo Bakery & Cafe

Okayama Kobo Bakery & Cafe is a Japanese bakery in Ward Village that offers fresh baked pastries and breads. They also serve matcha, coffee, and teas. My favorites are the salt & butter roll, strawberry milk cream croissant, and the white milk cream bread. The salt & butter rolls taste amazing if you can get them fresh. It's soft with a buttery core and some salt sprinkled on the top. The pastries range from $2 - $5 and the drinks range from $4 - $7. I recommend going before 11AM to get the best selection.

Their shop is small but they bake all day so you can still get some fresh items from the oven in the afternoon. They have a few tables and chairs outside where you can sit and enjoy your pastries and drinks. This used to be the former space of Starbucks Coffee at the corner of Auahi Street and Kamakee Street by the Consolidated Theaters. For parking, the closest parking lot would be the one where you park for the theater.

For more information about Okayama Kobo Bakery & Cafe, visit okayamakobousa.com/honolulu.

Ward Village
310 Kamakee St.
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 888-0724

Strawberry Milk Cream Croissant

Matcha Sea Salt Coldbrew, Mocha Latte

Strawberry Milk Cream, White Milk Cream

Croque Monsieur, Salt & Butter Rolls,
Le Chocolat, Chocolate Croissant

Citrus-ade

 

Nola Cafe - CLOSED

Nola Cafe is a New Orleans inspired cafe that serves beignets and coffee. They open daily from 7am - 3pm. The beignets are made to order and take about 10 - 15 minutes. You can get the traditional beignets which have powdered sugar on them. You also have the option of adding a filling such as chocolate, vanilla cream, or ube. They offer it in savory as well, which turns the beignet into a sandwich with prosciutto or caprese in between. For half dozen of the traditional beignets, it was $7. The beignets taste good when eaten fresh, right after they had it to you. I wish it was a bit lighter and more moist. I suggest getting the traditional beignets since that paired well with a caffeinated drink.

They have some seating inside but most of the seating is on the patio. A lot of the tables and chairs have powdered sugar on them so you might want to get some extra napkins to wipe it down before sitting. They are located across from Kaimuki City Mill and in the same complex as Von's Chicken. They have small parking lot but some of the spaces are a bit difficult to get into.

3040 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 737-0540

Beignets (Traditional)

Beignets (Chocolate, Vanilla Cream)

Iced Mocha

Ocean Side Bakery

Ocean Side Bakery is a French bakery located in Chinatown Honolulu on Smith Street and N. Beretania Street. They make cookies, pastries, sandwiches, and serve coffee. Their shop is tiny and you order at the door. The wait is long since they only have 2 workers and the person in the kitchen is baking pastries as it's selling out in the front. The best time to go is early in the morning when they open because everything is available. My favorites were the croissant cube because they're butter and flaky and the guava bar. If you bite into the croissant cube while it's still warm, you can hear the crunch. If you're a fan of canelé, I suggest trying theirs. The canelé's outer is caramelized and crispy; not burnt, and the center is soft but not too custardy. The prices of their pastries range from $3.50 - $5. The pastry sizes are smaller compared to other bakeries. I do like the smaller size because it gives me a chance to eat 2 or 3 different things.

They are open Tuesday - Thursday from 7am-2 pm. They accept card and have contactless payment. There are a couple of tables outside if you want to sit there and eat your pastries right away. For parking, there is metered street parking on Smith Street or the Municipal parking lot across from Honolulu Park Place, you enter on N. Beretania Street. It's an underground parking lot that's 1 level. The lot is well lit and the stalls are spacious. 

For more information about Ocean Side Bakery, check out their Instagram @oceansidebakery808.

1176 Smith St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 931-9680

Raspberry Croissant Cube

Croissant Cube

Guava Bar

Eclair

Canelé (Chocolate, Original)

Wallflour Bake Shop

Wallflour Bake Shop offers sweet and savory pastries, breads, and desserts to go. You can find them at the Kaka'ako Farmers Market on Saturdays and they pop up at 'ili'ili Cash & Carry on Mondays. What makes them different is they use local ingredients like vanilla, honey, and chocolate. My favorites so far are the burnt basque cheesecake and the vanilla doughnut. I want to try more of their items and now that summer is approaching, I'm looking forward to seeing lychee and mango in there. 

If you visit them at the Kaka'ako Farmers Market, I recommend going at 8AM when the market opens. If you go after 10AM, most of their items will be sold out. The line for their tent is long so grab a drink to keep you hydrated while you wait. If you visit the pop up, the line is shorter and you can pre-order online. They will post on Instagram when the online ordering opens and what is on the menu. Some items are reasonably priced and some can be pricey but since this isn't something I can get every day, I don't mind paying more. If you haven't visited them yet, I highly recommend stopping by for some baked goods.

For more information about Wallflour Bake Shop, visit wallflourbakeshop.com or follow them on Instagram, @wallflourbakeshop, to see what they're baking next.

Kaka'ako Farmers Market
919 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814

Manoa Chocolate Tart

Laie Vanilla Bean Burnt Basque Cheesecake

Laie Vanilla Doughnut

Ham & Cheese Croissant

Orange Brioche Tart

 

Farmhouse Cafe

Farmhouse Cafe is a brunch spot in the 808 Center. Their specialty is the potato mille feuille and I highly recommend ordering it. The food portions were good and everything tasted delicious but the prices are high. The breakfast and brunch items ranged from $10 to $18.

They have a limited menu; this might be due to the pandemic. The wait for food was longer than most brunch places and it seemed like the staff was still in training. The interior decor is rustic but the dine in space is tight. They have 3 table outside by the entrance but it can get busy with people waiting for table. If you are concerned with social distancing, take out would be you best option for you. You can also get pastries and coffee to go. For parking, I suggest parking on the street in the residential area or at a metered space on the street. If nothing is available on the street, you can drop off your vehicle at the 808 Center vertical garage and let the staff park it for you. I'm not sure what their parking rates are.

808 Center
808 Sheridan St., #107
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 888-2055

Potato Mille Feuille

Soft Scramble Omelette Parmesan & Herbs

Origin Hawaii - CLOSED

Origin Hawaii is a tiny bake shop that sells fresh baked goods in small batches. Their shop is a pink shipping container that is located at the corner of Kamehameha Highway and Haupoa Street. I spotted them on my way to Kualoa Ranch and pulled over so I could try their delicious baked goods.

They have cookies, croissants, and scones that are priced between $3 - $4. Everything is in a paper bag so you just grab the items you want and pay. There is small sitting area outside with a green wall and picnic table if you want to eat there. I enjoyed the speculoos guava cookie but I also recommend the croissants. You should go in the morning when they first open for the best selection. They accept cash and credit card.

48-449 Haupoa St.
Kaneohe, HI 96744
(808) 239-8535

Pain Suisse

Speculoos Guava Cookie

Chocolate Cardamom Rose Cookie

Kona Coffee Purveyors | b. patisserie

Kona Coffee Purveyors | b. patisserie is a coffee shop in the International Market Place. They are located by the Kuhio Ave entrance of the market place. The beverage menu is small but they have a variety of pastries and desserts. My favorite is the kouign amann by b. patisserie. I was surprised that it's consistent with the kouign amann I ate at their San Francisco shop. If you're visiting from out of town, I recommend the black sesame kouign amann because you won't find at the SF shop. The mocha from Kona Coffee Purveyors was good but it was strong. I stayed awake for more than what I needed.

There are a few tables inside and some outdoor seating in front of the shop. The prices are high. If you plan on getting a beverage and a pastry, it will be around $10. If you park in the International Market Place structure, you can get validation if you make a $10 purchase. The validation will give you free parking for 1 hour.

International Market Place
2330 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 845-1700

Kouign Amann

Sesame Kouign Amann

Croissant

Cafe Mocha

Scratch Kitchen & Bake Shop

Scratch Kitchen & Bake Shop is located in Chinatown. They are open for breakfast and lunch. The lunch menu starts at 10:30am. They serve American food but there are also some fusion dishes.  When you walk into the shop, be sure to check out the specials written on the board. The cookies, muffins, and scones are baked fresh so the flavors change daily. My favorites are the milk & cereal pancakes, shrimp po' boy, and the BC burger. The pancakes are great for sharing because they make it thick and the sweeten milk with crunchy cereal makes it taste like a dessert. I highly recommend it on your first visit. They don't accept reservations and most of the tables are set up to seat 2 or 4 people. If you have a big group, you should come early because this place does get busy.

Since they are in Chinatown, parking can be tricky. If you get lucky, there might be street parking in front of the shop. If not, there are paid lots around Chinatown. I would recommend the parking lot in Marin Tower since it's the closest.

For more information about Scratch Kitchen & Bake Shop, visit www.scratch-hawaii.com.

1030 Smith St
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 536-1669

"Milk & Cereal" Pancakes

Creole Shrimp n' Grits

Calentado

B.L.T. Benny

Crunchy Shrimp Po' Boy

BC Burger

Liliha Bakery

I consider this place a hidden gem in Liliha. Their signature item is the coco puff which is a puff pastry filled with chocolate pudding and topped with chantilly frosting. It's almost like a cream puff but better. Coco puffs have always been a popular item for locals to bring to potluck gatherings or to the office because everyone will eat it.

Inside of the bakery, there is also a diner. Sometimes, there will be a line outside of the bakery but don't let that scare because that's just for the diner. This place is open 24 hours but they are closed on Mondays. No matter what time of day you go, there will be coco puffs in the bakery fridge. The bakery does get busy but those ladies behind the counter work fast so just pull a number, step to the side, and wait.

If you are visiting from out of town, I highly recommend coming here and trying a coco puff. The prices for the baked good are reasonable and they have their own parking lot. I've traveled to the mainland with these before and they hold up very well, just make sure you hand carry it in a cooler bag with an ice pack.

For more information about Liliha Bakery, visit www.lilihabakeryhawaii.com.

515 N. Kuakini St
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 531-1651

580 N. Nimitz Hwy
Honolulu, HI  96817
(808) 537-2488

Coco Puff

Green Tea Coco Puff

Long John

Paalaa Kai Bakery

In my opinion, this bakery is in the middle of nowhere. The only reason why I drove down to Waialua was because everyone was telling me how good the snow puffies are. So I had to try these for myself and I agree that this pastry is awesome. The bakery was a bit hard to find and on the opposite side, I think it's a plantation. The whole area is residential and all of a sudden you'll see a store and the bakery and you just turn into the parking lot. Depending on what time of day you go, you may or may not have to stand in line.

For more information about Paalaa Kai Bakery, visit http://www.pkbsweets.com.

66-945 Kaukonahua Rd
Waialua, HI 96791
(808) 637-9795

Snow Puffies

Kulu Kulu

There's a new Japanese bakery located inside of Shirokiya on the mall level. Their cakes are very moist and light. They are also very expensive. My favorite item so far is the strawberry roll cake. Their website shows a lot of items in the cake lineup. When I went on the weekend I only saw half of the items in the display case. I plan to go back very soon and try more of their items.

For more information about Kulu Kulu, please visit http://www.kulukulucake.com.

Shirokiya Ala Moana
1450 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814

Strawberry Roll Cake

Soft Souffle Cheesecake

Chocolate Mousse

Strawberry Shortcake

Mango Mousse

Strawberry Mousse

Whipped Cream Roll Cake

Rare Cheesecake

Baked Cheesecake

Nanding's Bakery

This was my first time eating Spanish rolls and I must say, they are delicious. I'm in love! It's like sweet bread but better because it's buttery and savory at the same time. I've made so many trips back to the bakery that I've already lost count. Besides Spanish rolls, they also have other baked goods. One thing that caught my eyes were the ensaymada. They have the normal sized ones but then they also have a big one and it's really big. The one I have pictured below, I split it into 4 portions and ate it in 2 days. The baked goods here are very reasonably priced.

There are 3 parking spaces in front of their shop. I don't recommend driving a giant SUV here because their parking spaces are for compact cars. If the lot is full, circle around the block. This bakery is more of a grab and go place.

918 Gulick Ave
Honolulu, HI 96819
(808) 841-4731

Spanish Rolls

Silang Ensaymada