I've been shopping in Chinatown for AGES and I have my go-to places for all sorts of items. Many times I'll walk up and down Kekaulike St and will pass by Gon & Ti (GT). Located on the Ewa side of Kekaulike St that is near the corner of N King St., GT is a produce store and you may just be impressed like how I am when I pass by their store. I tend to marvel over their display of their fresh fruits and veggies lined up so nicely. And many times I check out their Vietnamese prepacked and cooked items. GT is also on the cleaner side, compared to other stalls in Chinatown.I do appreciate how they carry locally grown products and seasonal items. If you're looking to make Vietnamese food at home, GT is a great place to stop by with the large array of fresh herbs and vegetables to accompany many dishes.When time is the essence, I notice that at times GT carries bittermelon that has been cleaned AND sliced. They are packed nicely and most times can be found in their chiller inside.If you come here early I highly advise you to check out their prepacked cooked items. They have a large selection of savory and sweet items ranging from assorted dumplings, glutinous rice, house made steamed and fried pork rolls (cha lua), rice cakes, baked goodies, look funn rolls....and more.I am also very appreciative on how most of their produce clearly have a pricing sign so you know what you're paying for. So far everything about GT is so good but why only 3-stars?I used to come here a lot but had several bad shopping experiences where I downgraded GT and removed them as one of my go-to places. I was cooking bulk and needed more pre-cleaned and sliced bittermelon but was flatly turned down. I was willing to come back later but was still denied. They clearly had whole and uncleaned bittermelon on display but couldn't be bothered in making more. Moreover, after shopping I proceeded to pay but the line to the outside cashier was long. I then walked to the register inside and MULTIPLE times was ignored by the staff behind the counter as they spoke in Vietnamese. I stood there waiting until I interrupted their conversation. Just recently, I was standing in line outside to pay and a patron in front of me was complaining of people not practicing social distancing during COVID-19. So, I opted to pay inside and the cashier, who in turn became annoyed on why I tried to pay for my purchase inside. I had to explain the chaos going outside and I was trying to alleviate social distancing concerns.Overall, GT is a great place to pick up produce and Vietnamese related ingredients and food but sadly I've had multiple instances of below-par customer service that makes me want to shop elsewhere instead.

While in Honolulu, we searched for a store that had everything that we needed all in one location. Initially we went to Walmart, but it seemed like a commercial location that we could go to anywhere within the United States. So, this wasn't quite what we were looking for. However, we searched for a store that had a bit more to offer. Up until we landed in Honolulu, I had never heard of Don Quijote. This little discovery ended up being one of my favorite places to visit. Don Quijote is located in a small strip mall. There is a small parking lot out front and a parking structure across the street. Parking was a bit of a challenge as the area is pretty busy. Conveniently, there is a phone out front that patrons can use to call a cab directly. I did see several people coming and going via taxi cab, so I'm guessing that people used that phone often.Anyway, before you step inside of Don Quijote, you'll notice tourists taking a photo with their mascot, Don Pen! That's the large penguin that's in front of the store wearing sunglasses on its head while holding onto a surfboard. Be careful as it isn't anchored down and tends to move a bit if you lean against it for a selfie. Don Quijote has so much under one roof! If you're a tourist, this is the perfect place to come purchase souvenirs. They also have a large section with medications for all ailments! I found this section to be quite handy as I was coming down with a cold. There's also a section in the center of the store that carries souvenirs with their mascots on them. They also have some Japanese-inspired bags with Shiba Inu and Akita dogs on them.The store itself has an incredible supply of Asian foods. I have never seen so much Ramen in my life! It was epic! A lot of the food that they carry is representative of the diverse Asian cultures on the island. They had a small baked goods section but the seafood section was quite large. We ended up buying a lot of our groceries from DQ as they had everything that we needed.This location is open 24 hours and seemed to be busy regardless of the time of day that we visited. They do have a self-checkout section as well as a cashier who can assist you with your purchase. Security does walk around and they can be helpful at times.Don Quijote is a pretty awesome store. It also seemed to be very popular amongst locals and tourist. Given the variety of items that one can find in the store, I can see why it was the go to location for people who needed to get things while on the go. This was by far one of my favorite places to frequent while in Honolulu because it seemed to have anything and everything that one could possibly need for the duration of their stay on the big island.