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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Nagoya Ramen

After an already crazy morning, I decided to get lunch for the kids at Nagoya Ramen so no one would have to cook or make lunch for themselves.  

And by lunch from Nagoya, I meant the baked goods in the grab-and-go case, since I find those options very inexpensive, yet quite filling.

They offer a lot of sweets, but we only got savories: Spam & Cheese Bun, Hot Dog & Cheese Bun, and Char Siu Manapua.  

Usually the Spam & Cheese Bun is sold out whenever I go there, but this time the kids lucked out and bought them.

The kids enjoyed what we bought, and I did too.

Nagoya Ramen
95-221 Kipapa Dr
Ste C-15
Mililani, HI 96789
(808) 625-9999

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Visit Kaua'i: Midnight Bear Breads

Just before 8am, there were a handful of people waiting to get in to Midnight Bear Breads, so I already had an inkling of just how good the pastries were. 

The team was running behind, and apologized for the wait, but shortly after 8am, the doors opened, and one of regulars led the way in.

We wanted to order sandwiches to eat for later, but after taking our order, another employee nearby said "no sandwiches today."  

Luckily, they had Ham & Cheese Croissants, a Caprese Danish, and an Everything Bagel Danish, which satisfied the yearn for savories.

And of course we got some sweets - Chocolate Croissant, Lavender Lemon Morning Bun, Macadamia Nut Cinnamon Roll, Ginger Cinnamon Morning Bun, and Banana Chocolate Chip Danish.

I saw people in line ahead of me order the Lavender & Lemon Bun, so of course I got that.  It was so amazing!  Soft, pillowy, with a slight lavender and lemon flavor.  

 

Everything we ordered was just fantastic.  The croissants, danishes, buns - nothing disappointed.  I would happily order them all again, and wait in line for them.

I hope next time I get to try the sandwiches!

Midnight Bear Breads
3830 Hanapepe Rd

Hanapepe, HI 96716

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Pai Cafe

We were in Kapahulu looking for a quick snack for the four of us .. the son wanted a smoothie from Mango Mango, so we pulled into the parking lot of the Wong Long Building, and noticed a place called "Pai Cafe" next door, so we went to check it out after picking up a smoothie for the son. 

We picked up an acai bowl and blueberry scone to-go, both were excellent!

The acai was nice and creamy, not icy like how some places prepare it. It came with a good amount of blueberries, strawberries, and bananas, drizzled with organic honey. 

The blueberry scone came with big blueberries in it, which made this scone very moist. I'm normally not a fan of scones (because they tend to be dry), but I couldn't put this one down. I had intended to just take a few bites, but ended up devouring the whole thing.  

Current hours are Monday - Saturday 6AM - 3PM, Sundays 8AM - 3PM.

__________________

Pai Cafe

755 Kapahulu Avenue

Instagram: @paicafekapahulu

 

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Dell's Kitchen & Bakery

In the same space as Mio Pastalogy is Dell's Kitchen & Bakery (both led by Chef Dell Valdez).  At Dell's you can find sweet and savory baked goods, along with musubis and even plate lunches to go.

I stopped in for some sweets:

Melon Pan

Blueberry Cream Cheese

An Pan

Chocolate Pan

Peanut Butter Brioche

The sweets were delightful, and if I had to choose a fave, it would be the Melon Pan, which had just enough sweetness.

Next time I'll try the savories!

Dell's Kitchen & Bakery
1110 McCully St

Honolulu, HI 96826

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Punalu`u Bake Shop

After a jaunt down to South Point, we stopped at Punalu`u Bake Shop for some sweets (and because who knows when I'll be down that side of Hawai`i Island again).

Known for their sweet breads, Punalu`u Bake Shop also offers cookies, sandwiches, and baked goods in their shop.

Of course, I went for the sweets!

There were so many treats to choose from, so I followed the lead of the customers ahead of me, and made sure to get a lot of malasadas!

I got: Cocoa Puff, Vanilla Cream Filled Malasada, Passion Fruit Glazed Malasada, Sweet Bread Pudding, Guava Malasada, and Cinnamon Pinwheel with Cream Cheese Icing.

They were all so yummy, but if I had to choose just one favorite, it would be the Guava Malasadas.  I liked the guava flavor, and the soft and chewy interior of the malasadas.  If you love cream-filled malasadas, definitely try one of those varieties.

The Bread Pudding was really good too - thick, dense, and with raisins!

The Cinnamon Pinwheel was light and airy, and there was no skimping on the icing!

If you love Cocoa Puffs, Punalu`u's Bake Shop's was really good.

Punalu`u Bake Shop
HI-11

Naalehu, HI 96772
(866) 366-3501

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Hokulea at the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina

If you're looking for a quick and easy bite while at the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, Hokulea offers a variety of grab-and-go eats to satisfy.

We decided to pick up some pastries for breakfast since we had a late brunch.  They had a nice assortment, including Blueberry Muffins, Chocolate Muffins, Banana Bread, Pain au Chocolat, and Malasadas. 

The treats were perfect to hold us over until our early afternoon brunch reservation.

In addition to the baked goods, you'll also find Buddha bowls, wraps, sandwiches, yogurts, and more.

Hokulea
Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
92-1001 Olani St

Kapolei, HI 96707

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Nagoya Ramen

Although I've had food from Nagoya Ramen before, and I knew that they offered baked goods, it wasn't until just recently I decided to try the pastries.

It was actually Val's mention of the addicting Azuki Loaf, and Nat's post on the baked goods that finally convinced me to try the baked goods.

Ensemada

Hot Dog Roll

Azuki Loaf

Egg Tart

The Azuki Loaf was light, fluffy, and full of azuki swirls.  I'm not a huge fan of azuki, but I still thought it was good.  The boys loved it!

I loved the Ensemada and all of its sugary goodness.  

The Egg Tarts were good (my kids loved these as well), and the kids loved the Hot Dog Rolls.

Nagoya Ramen has a nice variety of baked treats, and I can't wait to try other items!

Nagoya Ramen
95-221 Kipapa Dr
Ste C-15
Mililani, HI 96789
(808) 625-9999

 

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Pastries from Nagoya Ramen & Bakery

My boss came back from a meeting and presented me with a white box with "Nagoya Ramen & Bakery" stamped on it.  The first thing that came to mind was "a ramen-ya that sells pastries?"  Of course I had to google it, and I found Nagoya Ramen & Bakery's website.  

This locally-owned small business has three locations - Mililani, Kapolei, and Aiea (bakery only).  I found out from my boss that this box of goodies was purchased from their Mililani location. 

Each pastry comes individually wrapped (a-MUST during a pandemic!).  Unfortunately though, the pastries were not marked, leaving me to guess what each one was filled with or flavored with.  But, I could figure out some of them based on the exterior.

This one was a tough one to figure out without actually taking a bite, since there are no markings or hints on the exterior, but once I took a bite I discovered it was their char siu manapua. 

char siu

I like that they don't add red food coloring to their char siu, and the bread was very soft and sweet. 

custard

azuki bean

I really enjoyed all of the pastries and will definitely pay them a visit the next time I'm near one of their locations!

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Nagoya Ramen & Bakery
95-221 Kipapa Dr Ste C-15
Mililani, HI 96789
(808) 625-9999

 

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New Pastries at McDonald's, and how to get one for free!

 

If you haven't already heard the news, McDonald's recently added three new pastries to their menu (cinnamon rolls, apple fritters, blueberry muffins), and now through November 9, 2020, you can get one free pastry per day with a purchase of any size McCafé Premium Roast or Iced Coffee.  You must have the McDonalds App on your smartphone in order to get this deal.  

I normally don't buy coffee at McDonald's, but I could not pass up the opportunity to try their cinnamon roll for free, so I headed to Mcdonald's on the first day of this promotion and bought a cup of coffee for $1 (plus tax), and got a cinnamon roll for free (I ordered both items at the drive-thru, then flashed the QR code on the McDonald's app to the cashier so get the cinnamon roll for free). 

I took a bite of the cinnamon roll when I first got it, and it was actually pretty good!  It did harden up after it cooled down, but a quick 15 seconds in the microwave softened it up again!  

Don't forget, this deal ends on Monday, November 9!

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Kona Coffee Purveyors | b.patisserie - To-Go!

If you are a fan of b.patisserie's Kouign Amanns, you can order them online at Kona Coffee Purveyors at International Market Place for pick-up or curbside delivery!

I ordered four of the amazing, flaky, buttery delights - regular, lilikoi mango, black sesame (my favorite), and chocolate.

You can also order cookies and coffee to-go as well!

Kona Coffee Purveyors | b.patisserie
International Market Place
2301 Kuhio Ave,
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 450-2364

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Vegan Donuts at Whole Foods

I'm not vegan. But I love donuts. So when I saw someone's picture on Instagram of vegan donuts at Whole Foods, I just had to try it. Because I love donuts. 

I found them in the pastry case at Whole Foods at Kahala Mall.  There were four different flavors - blueberry, plain, maple, and chocolate.  

My first instinct was to reach for the chocolate one, but when I saw that it has over 400 calories per donut, I went for my second choice, which was the blueberry, which has only 240 calories (what I can't figure out is why the plain donut has more calories than the blueberry).

The verdict? DELICIOUS! It was moist, and tasted like a regular cake donut! 

Vegan or not, if you're a donut fan, you need to try these.

WHOLE FOODS KAHALA

4211 Waialae Avenue

(808) 738-0820

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Brug Bakery

After taking my oldest son to a doctor appointment at the Ala Moana Building, we decided to get an afternoon snack.

We ended up going to Brug Bakery - my first time ever visiting!

The shop was a lot smaller than I had expected, but it offered plenty of baked goods.  I was very tempted to pick one of the savory offerings, but I resisted.

My son ended up picking the Choco Koro Korone, which wasn't a surprise.

Who could resist a chocolate-filled, chocolate- and sprinkle-covered confection?  Definitely not my son.

It was a huge treat, and my son devoured it.

I picked up two more for my other sons, who ate them for dessert.  They loved the Choco Koro Korone as well.

Brug Bakery was the perfect spot for a sweet afternoon snack!

Brug Bakery
Ala Moana Center

1450 Ala Moana Blvd #1080

Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 945-2200

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Visit Waikiki: Royal Hawaiian Bakery

Our loot!

When my family staycationed at the Royal Hawaiian Resort

last year, we were treated to the most delicious "Only at The Royal" signature pink haupia cake.  I am convinced that Executive Pastry Chef Carolyn Portuondo is the reason why it is so amazing.  Chef Portuondo has extensive patisserie experience and also owned her own retail bakery in Las Vegas.  Her cakes and pastry skills have earned her numerous accolades as well as features in prominent magazines. 

Earlier this month, The Royal Hawaiian Resort celebrated its 90th Anniversary with the grand opening of the Royal Hawaiian Bakery - the first of its kind in any hotel on island.  The bakery is located on the resort's Coconut Lanai and is open daily from 7am to 4pm and offers a variety of baked goods as well as drinks and prepackaged items that would make perfect gifts. 

When my daughter and I dropped by the bakery, we were disappointed to find out they were sold out of the Royal Hawaiian signature pink snowballs (the pink haupia cake mentioned earlier).  Well, I was disappointed.  She quickly pointed out that both the chocolate croissant and the custard brioche braid would make fine substitutions.  Still sad, I agreed and picked up a scone and the cinnamon kougin amann. 

The pastries were delicious!  My daughter's favorite was the custard brioche.  She didn't stop raving about it.  I liked the texture of the scone, but my favorite was the cinnamon kouign amann.  My husband thought it was the best in town! 

I look forward to returning and getting my hands on one of those snowballs or I may just have to order a custom-created cake by Chef Portuondo.  Mother's Day is coming up, after all!   

A variety of delicious pastries await!

Prepackaged goodies make the perfect gift or souvenir!

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CakeM

I would have never known about this cute little bakery on the third floor of 808 Center on Sheridan Street if it weren't for Brandon. He told me about how his friend opened a bakery on the same floor as the salon where he gets his hair cut.  As a lover of cakes and pastries, I just had to check it out, especially since it's owned by a friend of a friend.

The first thing that came to mind when I walked in here was wow, what a nicely designed bake shop. I love the vintage design, subway tile backsplash, and floating shelves. It feels like you're right at home.  

All of CakeM's creations are displayed in the refrigerated display case at the register.  

Fruit Tart

Cheesecake

Pear Tart

Chocolate Cake

Lemon Tart

I seriously wanted to try them all, but I had to choose one, and this is what I went home with....

the strawberry shortcake.  At $6 a pop, it's quite pricey, but I'm a firm believer of quality over quantity, and I must say, it's one of the best strawberry shortcakes I've had. The whipped cream is very light and not ultra sweet.  The cake is light, fluffy, and MOIST.

CakeM does a lot of special orders for weddings, birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, baby's 1st luaus, holiday parties, etc. Check out their Instagram page to see what's baking.

CakeM

808 Sheridan Street #308

(808) 351-7862

www.cakemhawaii.com

info@cakemhawaii.com

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