Baton a Manger

Baton a Manger is a pop up sandwich shop in Honolulu. Their sandwiches are long and narrow and made with a flaky puff pastry. I was lucky enough to have a friend buy a few for me to try and I was very impressed. Each sandwich comes wrapped inside it's own box with a napkin inside. The packaging was definitely fancy! 

I highly recommend the Jambon Beurre which is filled with ham and cheese. The flaky puff pastry makes the sandwich lighter so you might find yourself wanting a 2nd one. The Yuzu Kosho Egg Sando was good but I'm not a fan of spicy food or egg salad. 

To find out where they will appear next, visit @batonamanger on Instagram. 

Yuzu Kosho Egg Sando

Jambon Beurre

Baton Packaging

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)

'ili'ili Cash and Carry

'ili'ili Cash & Carry started out as a place that served pizzas, sandwiches, and salads. In the last year, they've added wines, gourmet foods and snacks imported from Italy so it's now a store. You can buy pizza by the slice or order whole pizzas. My favorites are the garlic balls and the veggie pizza. Their garlic balls are very garlicky, but they don't burn so you can keep eating them. I also get the crispy pepperoni add on which makes it taste better. I personally have not been a fan of veggie pizza until I tried it here. I like it because they don't put bell peppers on top. I prefer the Neapolitan style pizza over the Sicilian style pizza because I like thin crust and the crispy edges. The pizza slices are $4 each and they have 4-6 options to choose from.

They are in Moili'ili next to Mini Garden; they took over the space that used to be Watanabe Bakery. There is ample parking available in the lot after you past the shop. If you are ordering whole pizzas, I recommend doing a phone order or using the Toast app in advance to reduce your wait time in the shop. They do not have any tables or seats; this is a grab and go place. 

2065 S Beretania St
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 367-0606

Choke Garlic Balls w/ Pepperoni

Veggie Pizza

Sicilian Pepperoni Pizza

A-ma's Gua Bao

A-ma's Gua Bao is known for their Taiwanese pork belly buns. They are one of the newer vendors at the Kakaako Farmers Market this month. The bao has other fillings like, beef, minced pork, and tofu. Each bao costs $8. I recommend the pork belly and the beef gua bao. Both of those had a lot of flavor. The minced pork was a bit too spicy for my liking. The tofu is good if you want something with lighter flavor.  

The Kakaako Farmers Market is open every Saturday from 8AM - 12PM. A-ma's Gua Bao is located on the side closer to the ocean. They accept cash and Venmo only. If you plan to try this, I suggest going early in the morning to put in an order first and then coming back to pick up the food in 30-60 minutes. The prep/cook time takes awhile because they steam the buns in small batches. They usually sell out by 11AM.

Kaka'ako Farmers Market
919 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 388-9696

Pork Belly Gua Bao

Beef Shin Gua Bao

Minced Pork Gua Bao

Tofu Gua Bao

 

Fat Cheeks

Fat Cheeks is known for their seafood rolls. Their most popular is the lobster roll but there is a shortage on lobster so I ordered the trio with crab, shrimp, and crawfish. I got half a sandwich for each. My favorite was the shrimp roll because the pieces of shrimp were big and the sauce was light. The crab was my second favorite and I didn't care for the crawfish; it was a bit too fishy for me. All three sandwiches were served cold on lightly toasted brioche. The trio also came with a bag of chips and it was $16. I recommend the online ordering so you don't have to wait inside Ohana Hale Marketplace.

For more information about Fat Cheeks or to place an order online, visit fatcheekshawaii.com.

Ohana Hale Marketplace
333 Ward Ave
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 773-4129

Trio
(1/2 crab roll, 1/2 shrimp roll, 1/2 crawfish roll)

 

No Name BBQ Sandwich

No Name BBQ Sandwich specializes in banh mi. They are open for takeout only, their dine in space is still closed. The sandwiches are priced between $8-$10. My favorite is the roasted beef sandwich. The meat is shredded so every bite has roasted beef. They also put a generous amount of cilantro into every sandwich. The portions are small so you might want to order 2 sandwiches if you're extra hungry.

They are located in Kaimuki. I recommend calling in your sandwich order before going there down. They will make your sandwich after you pay but calling in advance reduces your wait time to about 5 minutes inside the shop. They accept cash and credit card. For parking, they have 3 metered spaces in front on Waialae Ave.

3394 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 200-1268

Roasted Beef Sandwich

BBQ Pork Sandwich

Sammies - CLOSED

Sammies is known for their sandwiches. Abe is the chef and owner. He continues to build his menu with new daily specials. I highly recommend the cubano but it sells out so you need to be in the shop by 12pm if you want it. The sandwiches are priced between $9 - $12. It's a good deal because the sandwich is big. If you have a small appetite, you can share your sandwich with another person. It's always cut in half then wrapped up.

The shop is open Monday - Friday between 11am-4pm. You can eat in or take out. There are 4 small tables and counter seating. For payment, cash and credit is accepted here

1239 Wilder Ave., Ste 207
Honolulu, HI 96822 
(808) 219-5938

Torpedo

French Dip

Cubano

Foodland Farms Ala Moana

Foodland will be reopening in Ala Moana Center on Wednesday. I was invited to a preview of their new flagship store and got to try some of the new creations prepared by the in-house chefs. You can still buy groceries here but you'll also find some new things like a juice bar, shave ice stand, fresh mini donuts, thin crust pizzas, a grilling station, a poke island, and the R. Field Wine Company which offers wine by the glass and specialty beers on tap. HI Steaks, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and the Foodland Pharmacy are in here as well. There is a dining area that seats up to 100 people and offers complimentary wifi. The will call service can hold your groceries for you while you continue to shop around the mall. The interior decor and layout of this store is amazing and its worth checking out. If you like poke, get the truffle ahi poke because it's only available here.

For more information about Foodland Farms Ala Moana, visit www.foodland.com/alamoana.

Ala Moana Center
Ewa Wing, Street Level
1450 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 949-5044

Truffle Ahi Poke

Margherita Pizza

Hawaiian Style Medianoche

Grilled Steak w/ Teriyaki Sauce from HI Steaks

Cheese from R. Field Wine Company

Prosciutto from R. Field Wine Company

Salami from R. Field Wine Company

Mini donuts tossed in Lilikoi Sugar

Livestock Tavern

Livestock Tavern is located in downtown Honolulu on the corner of Hotel Street and King Street. It's a restaurant that specializes in American cuisine but they also have a full bar with specialty beers and wine. They are open for lunch and dinner. For lunch, they do not take reservations so I recommend going at 11am to get a table. Their menu is seasonal and my favorite item so far is the burrata with fruit compote but it's not available on the current menu. The warm brie, crab cakes, and shortrib winter stew are highly recommended on the winter menu. All their portions are big and the food is on the heavier side so you get full pretty quick. The prices are reasonable and the appetizers are good for sharing with 4 people. An entree or sandwich could be shared between 2 people.

If you work in the downtown area, do give it a try. The interior is clean and well lit with all the windows. The servers are friendly and the food comes out fast. It's a nice spot to dine at with your co-workers or clients.

For more information about Livestock Tavern, visit www.livestocktavern.com. 

49 N Hotel St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 537-2577

Warm Brie

Crab Cakes

Maine Lobster Roll

Shortrib Winter Stew

Braised Oxtail Pasta

EARL Sandwich

EARL Sandwich is located in Kaimuki near Happy Days and Big City Diner. The shop faces the parking lot so you won't be able to see it on 11th Ave. They are known for their sandwiches and bacon jam. I highly recommend the turkey jam sam and the caprese. All of their sandwiches are $9 or less. They are only open for lunch and it's busy between 12pm-1pm. During the peak hours your order could take up to 20 minutes. You can also call in your order to avoid the wait. The sandwiches are small but it's packed with a lot of flavors. If you have a big appetite you might want to order an appetizer or a side salad to go with your sandwich.

If you find yourself coming back quite a bit, ask them for a stamp card. They accept credit cards and parking is available in the paid lot or on the street.

1137 11th Ave #102
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 200-4354

Caprese

Avocado Toast

Caesar Salad (side)

Jamestown

French Dip

Turkey Jam Sam

Sprout Sandwich Shop

Sprout Sandwich Shop is located in Kaimuki next to the Crack Seed Store. The inside of the shop is small but they have a few stools where you can sit to dine in. They also have a table with a few chairs outside. They are busy between 11:45am-12:30pm so I recommend using the online ordering. The system will text message you when the shop receives your order. A second text message will tell you your order is ready for pick up (usually in 15 minutes after the 1st text message). The parking in Kaimuki is always busy because of the other businesses near by so being able to pull up in front of the shop, walk in, tell them you're picking up for..., and walk out.

The sandwiches are $8-$10 but if you like to add on lots of things, you may end up paying $12. My favorites are the Floater and the Crater. If you're visiting for the first time, try the Floater, it's different because they have apples and brie cheese in it. They accept cash and credit. If Koko Head Ave. has no parking, you might have better luck with parking in the paid lot between 11th and 12th Ave.

1154 Koko Head Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816

Fonz (toasted)

Floater w/ bacon (toasted)

Duke

Snack Box by Pili Group - CLOSED

The Snack Box is a pop-up located inside PAD Hawaii in Kakaako. It's by Pili Group, the same people who created Lunch Box (not open to public). Snack Box offers salads, sandwiches, toast boxes, bento boxes and baked good. They opened earlier this month and they've been added new items to their menu every week. The food here is prepared with local ingredients and it's on the healthier side. Their specialty item is the salad jar. They put a mix of vegetables into a mason jar and you can shake it up yourself. I haven't had a chance to try their salad jar yet but my favorites so far are the turkey cranberry sandwich and the sprinkle cookies.

They have a small area next to the entrance of the store where you can sit and eat. If you plan to do take out and you're buying more than 1 item, I recommend bringing a reusable bag to hold your food. If not, you can also buy a snack pack from them.  If you buy a drink, remember to bring the mason jar back for a refill on your next visit. You'll get a discount.

The parking lot that used to be next to this building is block off for construction so your only option is street parking. They are open from Tuesday to Saturday, 11:00AM - 2:00PM. You can also check their facebook, instagram, or twitter pages for updates.

691 Auahi St.
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 240-1096

Turkey Cranberry Sandwich

Sprinkle Cookie

Apple Caramel Scones

Mamaki Iced Tea

Olena Lemonade w/ Fruits

Lechon Bento Box

The Whole Ox - CLOSED

If you're a fan of gourmet sandwiches, you will like this place. They offer a variety of sandwiches made with the freshest local ingredients. With the help of some friends, I managed to try almost everything on the menu. Most of us paid about $20 for a sandwich, a side, and a drink. Everyone's favorite sandwich was the Italian Combo. That sandwich had a generous amount of meat and it wasn't too salty. The Burger had the best presentation but the beef didn't have enough taste. The Philly Cheese Steak was too salty. The Roast Beef sandwich, Fried Chicken sandwich, and Ox Potatoes were okay. The beet salad was good and it's worth ordering with a sandwich. I also recommend adding on a plantation ice tea, it's very refreshing.

They have tables on the inside and outside which are shaded. You are also welcome to bring your pets here since this place is pet friendly. There is a parking lot next to the restaurant but if that gets full, you can park on the street. You might want to avoid coming here on the days they have the Kakaako Night Market because Keawe Street gets blocked off and this place gets very busy.

For more information about The Whole Ox, visit www.wholeoxhawaii.com.

327 Keawe St
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 699-6328

The Burger

Roast Beef

Philly Cheese Steak

Italian Combo

Fried Chicken

Beet Salad

Ox Potatoes