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

 

Sunset Texas Barbecue

If you're looking for good BBQ, you need to stop by Sunset Texas Barbecue in the Kakaako area. They used to have a food truck on the north shore and now they have a shop in town. Depending on what time of day you go, the wait could be more than 30 minutes. I went around 12:30pm on a Sunday and there was no line. All items on the menu were available. The beef brisket is tender and goes great with the mild BBQ sauce. The pork spare ribs and cream corn were my favorites. The pinto beans were good but it was a bit too spicy for me so I wasn't able to eat more. This place is very pricey. My lunch ended up being $60 and I shared it with 2 other people. The staff are friendly and they're super appreciative with the customers, they "thank you" and they say "bye" too. I don't get that when I do take out at other places. I got more "thank you's" last year and during the shut downs.

For parking, it's all metered street parking in front and around the area. If you go on Sundays, street parking is free so take advantage of that. They accept cash or card. You can also eat there but you'll need to show your vaccination card, ID, and leave your contact information.

For more information about Sunset Texas Barbecue, visit www.sunsetq.com.

443 Cooke St
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 476-1405

Beef Brisket (top), Cream Corn
Pork Spare Ribs (bottom), Spicy Pinto Beans

Azasu - CLOSED

Azasu is a pop-up tempura shop located inside Mitsuwa Marketplace in Waikiki. They are known for their tempura bowls that have sauce drizzled over the rice and each piece of tempura. The tempura is made to order and you should eat it right away. The seating area is still closed in Mitsuwa Marketplace but you can find a spot to stand and eat around International Market Place. The prices range from $11 - $21 and they a big portion. Each bowl or plate will also come with miso soup. My go to item is the shrimp bowl because they give 4 pieces of shrimp tempura. If you have dietary restrictions, let them know and they will let you choose another vegetable to replace it.

They are open daily from 11am - 6pm. The line inside starts to form around 10:30am and it is best to go early. If you go around 12pm, you might end up waiting 45 minutes for your food. They only accept credit card for payment. The pop-up ends on 5/15/2021.

International Market Place
Mitsuwa Marketplace Hawaii Waikiki
2330 Kalakaua Ave., Level 2
Honolulu, HI 96815

Shrimp Tempura Bowl

Original Bowl w/ spicy sauce

Cheese Tempura

 

Molokai Hot Bread

Molokai Hot Bread is available on Oahu! Their food truck is selling the same bread you'll get a Kanemitsu Bakery on Molokai. They started adding more stops in Honolulu last weekend so I was able to get some. It's a huge round loaf of bread that gets cut in half and you can choose up to 4 fillings; $1 per filling. You can also buy the bread plain for $8. I've always enjoyed the strawberry and cream cheese. If you're feeling adventurous, get "da works" which consists of strawberry, blueberry, cinnamon, butter, and cream cheese.

If you want some hot bread, follow them on instagram or facebook to see where they'll be during the week. Their truck is gray colored and they accept cash and card. Depending on what location you go to, the wait could be long so go right when they open.

For more information about Molokai Hot Bread, visit molokaihotbread.com.

Strawberry & Cream Cheese Hot Bread

Molokai Hot Bread Truck

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

Roast Duck Kitchen

Roast Duck Kitchen is known for their Chinese BBQ. Their most popular item is the roast pork and that sells out fast. They also have roast duck, roast chicken, ginger chicken, char siu, and gau gee. I recommend trying all their stuff but the roast pork is my favorite. The skin is always crispy and the pork is tender. They offer lunch plates that come with 2 scoops of rice and your choice of roast duck or roast pork for under $10. Since this place gets so busy, it's best to call in your order by 11:30am and let them know your pick-up time.

They are located inside the Aiea Shopping Center on the 2nd Floor. You can park by Times Supermarket and take the escalators up. The first shop you see with yellow and red is them. If you go around lunch time, expect to wait 15 minutes because they do get backed up with orders. There are a few tables outside to sit and eat but this is mainly a take out place. They accept cash and credit cards.

99-115 Aiea Heights Dr.
Ste 206
Aiea, HI 96701
(808) 486-0005

Roast Pork (1/2 lb)

Roast Chicken (half)

Roast Duck (half)

Char Siu House

Char Siu House is located in Chinatown between Pauahi Street and Hotel Street. Like most of the Chinese BBQ meat shops, you'll see slabs of roast pork, char siu, shoyu chicken and roast duck in the front window. If you need a few protein dishes for dinner on nights you don't want to cook, this is the place to grab take-out. My favorites are the roast duck, chair siu and roast pork. Their prices are reasonable but they can be stingy when it comes to getting extra sauce for roast duck. They only give a small container for half an order of duck which isn't much.

I recommend coming before 12pm on the weekends because most of the locals do their grocery shopping in the morning. The earlier you come, the better your selection. Once they sell out of something, they don't roast more. Their line moves quickly so don't worry about standing in line for 20-30 minutes to get your food. They speak both English and Cantonese and this is a cash only place. The food tour stops here so you may see big groups in front of the shop sometimes. To make things even more convenient, there is a paid parking lot right across the street. If you get lucky, you may find street parking in front of their shop.

1134 Maunakea St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 536-1588

Char Siu

Roast Pork

Roast Duck (half)

Hawaiian Pie Company

Hawaiian Pie Company is located in Kalihi between Colburn and Kalani Street. It's a family own business and they are known for their fruit pies that are baked fresh daily. Besides having fresh baked pies, they also have daily specials such as cinnamon rolls, bread pudding, manju and more baked goods. You can follow them on instagram to see what the special of the day is. Their pies are sold as whole or by the slice. You can also buy their whole pies frozen. The pies by the slice are $5 to $6 each and I recommend getting more than 1 of each flavor. I like their pie crust the most because it's buttery and it doesn't get soggy. I've eaten the pies cold and warm and they've tasted great both ways. They are very generous with the fruits and you'll taste it in each bite. I recommend the passion pear pie and apple pie.

They are open from Tuesdays to Saturdays, 7am-3pm and they are closed on Sundays and Mondays. If you want their specials, you need to go early in the day. There is a parking lot in front of the shop and they accept credit cards.

For more information about the Hawaiian Pie Company, visit www.hawaiianpieco.com.

508 Waiakamilo Rd
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 988-7828

Passion Pear

Mango

Apple

Fong's Meat Market

I used to think Nam Fong had really good roast pork but after trying this place, they're almost tied. Since this place doesn't have a stand alone shop, not much people know about it. They're located in the Oahu Market facing N. King Street. I usually come around 11:30am to check if they have a piece hanging in the display. Sometimes, they're out but a new piece will come out in about 10 minutes so you'll see the line start to form. They use good cuts of pork where the lean meat and the fat is almost even and they're nicely layered. It's the best roast pork you can have. Their char siu is also very lean and tasty. The next time you're in Chinatown, I highly recommend swinging by this place for some fresh and crispy roast pork. You might also want to have some cash in hand.

145 N King St
Ste 15
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 536-6307

Roast Pork

Char Siu & Roast Pork

Monarch Seafoods

They are located in Kalihi and I consider it a lunch hot spot. Their seafood is very fresh and they serve up delicious and reasonably priced plate lunches. The shop is small and they only have 2 cooks in the back. I recommend calling in your order and then picking up. They don't have a parking lot and the street parking in the area is busy so it helps to have someone wait in the car while the other person goes in for the food.

My favorite item is the ahi katsu. It's like eating ahi sashimi but you get a little bit of crunch from the tempura batter. The ahi is very fresh and it's still rare in the center. This plate will definitely hit the spot. They also have dessert. They are known for banana cream pie but it sells out by lunch. If you want a slice or a whole pie, I recommend calling in the morning and keeping it on hold for when you go and get lunch.

For more information about Monarch Seafoods, visit www.monarchseafoods.com.

515 Kalihi St
Honolulu, HI 96819
(808) 841-7877

Ahi Katsu

Garlic Butter Sauteed Tiger Shrimp w/
Zucchini & Mushrooms over Linguine

Furikake Salmon

Nori Wrapped Crabmeat Stuffed Ahi

Banana Cream Pie

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

The Stinking Rose - San Francisco

This month, I'm traveling 2,000+ miles west and hitting up food spots in San Francisco.

My first stop is The Stinking Rose in North Beach. This place is known for having tons of garlic in their dishes. For some dishes, the more garlic, the better but for others, they over do it and the garlic burns your mouth. For the complimentary bread, they give you the garlic spread on the side, if you put too much on the bread, it will burn you and the rest of your dinner will not be fun. So take it easy on the garlic spread. The food here is good, the portions are decent and it's reasonably priced. I highly recommend trying it since this is a one-of-a kind place.

For more information about The Stinking Rose, visit www.thestinkingrose.com.

325 Columbus Ave
(between Vallejo St & Broadway St)
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 781-7673

Bread w/ Garlic Spread (complimentary)

Garlic Spinach Fontina Fondue

Garlic Steamed Clams

Fourty Clove Garlic Chicken

Salmon w/ Lemon Butter Garlic Caper Sauce & Green Onions

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