Hawaii Mom Blog: kaimuki

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Showing posts with label kaimuki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kaimuki. Show all posts

June 1, 2026

Red Pineapple

Red Pineapple is one of my favorite places to shop at on the island for gifts.  A friend once gave me a bag full of all sorts of goodies, and I've been hooked ever since.

Red Pineapple has all sorts of fun, whimsical, and meaningful gifts - stationery, tote bags, soaps, stickers, books, honey, candles - I could go on and on!

I love that they feature many products made locally


I bought a gift for someone and also bought a gift for myself - Chef Sheldon Simeon's new Ohana Style cookbook!

Every day is the perfect occasion to gift someone something special, so check out Red Pineapple for ideas!

Red Pineapple
1151 12th Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816


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May 21, 2026

Kaimuki Shokudo

Kaimuki Shokudo offers a lunch menu that focuses on soba, donburi, sushi, and tempura.  They also have daily lunch specials from 1130am to 330pm.  One of the specials is a Teishoku Lunch Set for $20 (Hot / Cold Kake Soba, half size, Okinawan Sweet Potato Salad, half size), Sashimi, Rice, and Washugyu Sukiyaki Beef or Grill Saba).

The other special is a half Donburi for $7 with any Soba order. 

I took advantage of the half Donburi special.  

I got the Ume Oroshi Shiso Soba (Cold), which also included nori, takuan, and bonito flakes.

It was such a huge portion, and it was very refreshing for such a warm day.

For my half donburi order, I opted for the Veggie Tempura Don, which had eggplant, maitake mushroom, and shishito pepper tempura. 

It was so delicious and actually so filling - I ended up barely touching my Soba (of course I took the leftovers home)!

Half Order Veggie Tempura Don

And of course we got the Honey Toast.


Honey Toast
I know it's "Honey Toast," but I thought they put a little too much honey - it was so overpowering.  My friend loved it, however, and ate nearly all of it!

We were a little disappointed in the service, however.  Although the staff members were friendly, no one came to check on us / clear our dishes / take our dessert order for quite a while after getting / finishing our food, and my friend actually had to go up to the bar to ask someone if we could order dessert.  We were the second table seated for the day, but other tables seated after us had already left. 

Despite that, I wouldn't mind returning to try the dinner izakaya menu, and hopefully the service will be much better!

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May 8, 2026

House of Intention by Aloha Elixir

Aloha Elixir is celebrating 11 years!

To celebrate, you can visit their House of Intention shop this month for a few new limited products - the Blockbuster Candle, Sunshine Spray, Spell Breaker Oil.

Note: Owner Keoki sprayed the Sunshine Spray on me, and he immediately asked if I had pain in a certain area because of the way the spray dispersed - and he was spot on! 

I am no stranger to Aloha Elixir's products, and I really find that the products help in bringing me guidance and insight.  My faves are the candles and sprays.


The Releasing spray is a go-to, and I choose candles based on the intent.

In addition to a few candles and sprays, I also got some stones as well as a few gifts (thank you to Aloha Elixir for the discount!).


In my opinion, a little extra otherworldly help is always welcomed!

House of Intention by Aloha Elixir
1126 12th Ave Suite 105
Honolulu, HI 96816

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April 21, 2026

The Counter at Miro

I get teased about being a picky eater, but on occasion, I will happily indulge and eat everything placed in front of me, as I did at The Counter at Miro.

The multi-course tasting menu showcased the skill and refinement that Chef Chris Kajioka is known for.

Every dish was superb, but my absolute fave was the Waygu Brioche — I could've eaten half a dozen of those.

Here is all that we devoured (huge thanks to Chef Chris for sending me the menu details!):


Oishii oyster, tosazu, kona limu 


Tartlet of lean and fatty tuna, wasabi, ama ebi, ossetra caviar 


Puff of caramelized onion, truffle and harbison cheese


Wagyu brioche, smoked oyster, hokkaido uni

Kanpachi, paste of charred scallion, ho farm tomato, tomato ponzu 



Chawanmushi, surf clam, pea and asparagus ragout, dashi butter 
Hawaiian rolls, roasted garlic and honey butter 


Scallop, shio kombu salsa verde, yuzu, crispy kombu 


Grilled shortrib, japanese sweet potato, hirabara farm carrots /  

Donabe of wagyu shortrib and fried leeks, nanatsuboshi rice 


Buttermilk panna cotta, pineapple and yuzu granita, shiso, vanilla ice cream, coconut water foam


Mignardises

Thank you Chef Chris & team for a fabulous meal!

The Counter at Miro currently offers 2 seatings, with the second seating offering a more extensive menu than the first.



The Counter at Miro
1108 12th Ave C
Honolulu, HI 96816

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December 19, 2025

Koko Head Cafe

I finally got a chance to go to Koko Head Cafe - my first visit ever since they've moved to their current location at the former 12th Ave Grill.  


Dumplings All Day Wong

The Dumplings All Day Wong consisted of boil beef gyoza in a Parmesan pho broth.  Everything was so delish - we wished there was more broth!

Koko Moco
The Koko Moco was served atop crispy garlic rice and accompanied by tempura kimchi.  We loved the tempura kimchi!
Strata
The Strata was a generous serving of a savory bread pudding with zucchini, bacon, Oaxaca cheese, and grilled jalapeno topped with a poached egg and salsa Rona. 

Service was excellent, and we had a fab brunch!

Koko Head Cafe
1145C 12th Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 732-8920

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December 15, 2025

The Local General Store

I recently went back to The Local General Store, and in addition to my favorite mushroom danish, I made sure to get the House Made Char Siu, Pickled Mustard Greens, and Sesame Seeds Croissant as recommended by Chef Keoni Regidor.

Just look at how beautiful and shiny it is!  It is reminisicent of a manapua, but with a twist.  I loved the flakiness of the pastry and savoriness of the glaze, and the char siu, made in house with Mountain View Farms pork, was so flavorful.

From top left clockwise: Small Kine Farm Keiki Mushrooms, Bechamel, Gruyere; Lilikoi-Orange-Guava; Chocolate Croissant; House Made Char Siu, Pickled Mustard Greens, and Sesame Seeds 

In my opinion, The Local General Store is one of the best spots on the island for sweet and savory pastries! 

The Local General Store
3458 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816 
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April 28, 2025

Bento at Higoto Japanese Eatery

Tonkatsu Bento


We have been wanting to check out the bento from Higoto Japanese Eatery for a long
time! We were scared away by the visible line from the parking lot twice, but you know,
the third time’s the charm. But really, we just waited in line. The small shop allows three
customers in at a time so be patient because the food is worth the wait. Besides bento,
they offer musubi, rolls, cup sushi, salads, inari sushi, and desserts by Malu Honolulu.

We had the tonkatsu bento, nori bento, and shoyu garlic salmon bento. They were
delicious! The food portions are generous and I enjoyed all the sides they included. I will
definitely be back.

Shoyu Garlic Salmon Bento

Nori Ben

Located on Waialae in Kaimuki, Higoto is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11am
to 4pm. You can also preorder your bento, but for same day order the earliest time for
pick up is 11:30am.


Higoto Jaoanese Eatery 3221 Waialae Ave, Ste a4Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 892-1199
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December 2, 2024

Little Vessels Donut Co.

While in Kaimuki, I saw the sign for Little Vessels Donut Co., and even though I had already picked up some sweets from elsewhere, I thought "why not?"  I'm in the area, so I may as well take advantage of the opportunity.


Little Vessels Donut Co. specializes in vegan donuts made with coconut milk, coconut oil, and no eggs.

And they are delish!


Rosemary Pumpkin Cheesecake

Classic Vanilla

Chocolate Sprinkles

Chai Masala Brulee

Orange Cardamom

Calamansi Cookie Cream

We were told the Classic Vanilla is a favorite, so of course I had to try it.  It sure was yummy!

The yeast donuts are crafted in small batches, and they were fluffy with just the right amount of chew.

I had no idea vegan donuts could be so delish!

Little Vessels Donut Co.
3458 Waialae Ave Corner of Waialae Ave &, 9th Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
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November 27, 2024

The Local General Store

I finally made it to The Local General Store!

The Breakfast Danish
The Breakfast Danish is their play on "Shakshuka" - and it is so clever!  It had a bit of heat, and the jammy egg was just perfect!

Small Kine Farm Keiki Mushrooms, Bechamel, Gruyere
I loved this savory and I could've eaten several!  The mushrooms and cheese had so much umami - I just couldn't get enough of it - I wish I ordered more. 

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie

I enjoyed the cookie, and my family devoured the Croissant Cinnamon Roll and the Pumpkin Crunch Croissant.
Croissant Cinnamon Roll

Pumpkin Crunch Croissant

Every single item we ordered was just perfectly executed and the skill that went into each creation did not go unnoticed.  

I look forward to visiting and trying out even more amazing treats!

The Local General Store
3458 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
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November 21, 2024

W&M Bar-B-Q Burger

The last time I went to W&M Bar-B-Q Burger, I ordered a "grilled cheese," which was basically just cheese, lettuce, onion, tomatoes, and BBQ sauce.  

Now, there is actually a "Veggie Sandwich" on the menu (which the employee didn't even realize was in the system until she asked someone - it's different from the Veggie Burger), so I ordered that with cheese and bacon.  It was kinda sorta like a BLT!

Veggie Sandwich with Cheese and Bacon

It was perfect!

Cheese Steak

Hal Special

The Hal Special consists of the Royal hamburger with BBQ steak, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion.

Can't forget the sides!  

Fries
Crab Flavored Salad

Parking is always a challenge at W&M unless you're lucky or get there just before opening.  We got there 10 minutes prior to opening and it was an empty parking lot, but soon after opening the lot was full.  

W&M Bar-B-Q Burger is nostalgic and delish!

W&M Bar-B-Q Burger
3104 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 734-3350

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