C-Mui Center

I went to my Eye appointment near by and parked right in front of the office and next to the C-Mui store. It was on Saturday morning then I realized the parking rate in Chinatown is a quarter for 5 minute and the max amount for the meter is one hour! I was too lazy to re-park it across Walmart where my doctors office gives validation for and on Saturdays it's only a flat rate for them $3! After the appointment I picked up some food and decided to check out the C-Mui store! There's only a few old school crack-seed store left and I wanted see what they have and support the small local business. The owner/lady was really friendly and also promoted her dried lemon slices. She said it'll help with digestion so tasted her samples which was not bad and got a bag.I took some pictures and asked her if i can get one of her with her seeds and explain that I post it in yelp and it'll promote her business so more people will see what she sells. She was so touch that she gave me a bag of dried ginger that she mentioned it has health benefits also. I was so blessed by her kindness & generosity! I did buy & try the naturally sweet Li hing mui but it was on the tough side and not soft how I like it but perhaps it doesn't have aspartame inside. Oh well, but I do appreciate her sweetness and trying to make a living. She seems to enjoy working and meeting people and that will keep her business going strong.If you're in the area on Bethel street, her store is right across the Hawaii Theatre! She has a lot of cool snacks and it'll be nice to support her business! Thanks for reading my review =)

Snacks before a show at the historic Hawaii Theater in Downtown Honolulu...This little shop, C-Mui Center (c-mui or see mui is also known as crack seed and li hing mui), is located conveniently across from the Hawaii Theater on Bethel Street. My mom, my sister, my niece, and I had an hour before the show started, so we walked over to take a look inside C-Mui Center. The "aunty" (with a Korean accent) working there said that she opened up shop - special - for an hour before the performance. Very smart move on her part!We had fun checking out all of the candy, preserved fruits, and snacks. The old school glass jars of see mui were enticing. However, the "aunty" sold me a bag of preserved lemon after she have us samples of plain and spicy lemon. She said it's good for digestion and clear skin... Haha! We'll see...PARKING: metered street parking is free on Sundays.

I come here for the pickled mango.The owner said she uses Chinese mango. It has a hint of li hing mui flavor. Please limit you purchase (ha ha ha) so I get some on my next trip to town.

The owner she is very friendly and knows her stuffs. Reasonable price. The taste brings me back of my childhood memories. My new favorite place to go now.

C-Mui Center is located on Bethel Street near Hotel Street, between downtown Honolulu and Chinatown. It's across the street from the iconic Hawaii Theatre. It's an old fixture. Such cracked seed stores used to be a lot more common in Hawaii. You can satisfy your fix for various Chinese preserved seed here. The proprietress is friendly. They don't have a huge selection but they get extra credit for having dried guava, my personal favorite. You can find more seed shops in Chinatown but if you want seed and you're in downtown Honolulu, check this place out.

Even though I am downtown every week, I have never stopped in here. Yesterday, I felt like crack seed so I stopped by to check it out.They have a pretty good selection, and not the pre-packaged stuff from the grocery store....it's all hand done. No company logos or ingredient listings on the bags....just a clear bag with a price on it. It is on the expensive side, but hey...there are not too many inexpensive things in Hawaii...The nice lady allowed me to try a few items I had questions on...and steered me in the right direction when it came to choosing. Of course, I couldn't choose, so I bought a few tasty treats...Li Hing strawberries. Probably the best item here. The strawberries have a little li hing mui on them, and they are hard to the touch, and small. Once you stick it in your mouth, you will notice that they are slightly soft...but dense. Then the strawberry flavor explosion happens in your mouth...and you are reaching for another one, even though you haven't swallowed yet. It tasted like candy.....but it was fruit...at least I think it was fruit....because it tasted like candy....Li hing pineapple. I love pineapple and li hing pineapple, but it was just ok here....get the strawberries....Sweet kumqwat. This was different. It has powdered sugar on the outside and it is sweet. I was waiting for the real sour hit of kumquat but it never happened. It is sweet on the inside as well......but get the strawberries.Lemon peel. There were two types of lemon peel available, strips and slices. She gave me a sample of both, but said I should get the slices, so I did. They have a nice salty, bitter, and sweet taste to them that really satisfies. Keep in mind, slices are much bigger than strips, so it can be a power-punch-to-the-face if you eat a large piece......get the strawberries.I will be back here...probably to try a few different items, but when I do go back, I will get the.....well, you know.....

I think prices are a little expensive here. Idk why you'd come here instead of just getting crack seed from Long's. But if you do find yourself here, you might as well get the unique stuff you can't find at Long's. I happened to walk in when the Korean Aunty was packaging the dried lemon. She offered me a piece because apparently people love it. It was a nice gesture and I actually did really like it. There are two types, a spicy one and a regular one. They're less lihing tasting compared to normal lemon peel. I liked the spice in the spicy one. I didn't like that they buy this stuff in bulk and repackage it without the ingredients list. You can get everything from lihing powder to chocolate covered gummy bears and haw flakes. It's worth checking out if you love lihingmui, just be prepared to spend a bit of time looking for street parking and spending a little more on snacks than at longs.

C-Mui Center is definitely one of those shops that take you back to your childhood days. Bottles of seeds sit on the counters that line the shop and when you finally decide what you want the aunty will scoop it out and weigh it. The shop is really clean and organized and not to much clutter. You can easily browse and take your time looking at the different crack seeds available. The aunty who owns the shop enjoys meeting and talking story with her customers which gives the shop a unique Déjà vu kind of feeling.

Little hole in the wall Chinese seed shop in china town. The owner is a cute little Chinese lady . She always offers samples and is willing to share all of the popular snacks. I enjoy their rock salt plum. The best in town! My daughter loves the dried strawberries. We make a visit at least monthly

The owner is so sweet, always smiling and great to talk toOnly concern is for her safetyPlease help keep watch over herShe's a jewel in China townAnd don't forget she has the best seeds ever and the candies are the best dealsTake care of our mom and pop stores their our history Feels good to walk around inside the atmosphere is so cozy