The Most Scrumptious Specialty Food in Honolulu

Teruya's Andagi

★★★★★ 4.7 (235) • $

"Teruya's is located on Pensacola St., in the same block as Aunty Pasto's and Von's Chicken. There are metered stalls along the street, and it can get busy during lunch time in this area, so I really don't know when I'd be coming back. I had an appointment in the area though, and I was looking for a snack, so this was a perfect choice.Teruya's is not a sit down restaurant. It is a little take out counter in the doorway of a little room where they make all the bentos and handrolls. When I went at about 11:30, there was a small line, but it moved quickly. I ordered 2 shrimp tempura rolls and at $3.50 each, I thought it was a little expensive, but I guess I'm used to Kozo sushi sizes, because Teruya's handrolls are twice as big as Kozo Sushi's. They made the handrolls fresh and I waited just a couple minutes for them. The cashier gave them to me in little sandwich bags which I have never seen before. I knew they were going to be good because I could smell them even before I was able to dig in. They tasted freshly made and they add a sweet sauce to the rice for more flavor. It was a perfect accompaniment to the crunchy shrimp tempura. I was rather full after eating two. So much for a snack. Service was fast and friendly. I would definitely try other bentos they offer if parking wasn't so difficult. I some people illegally parked, but I don't think I would chance it. I could see a lot of the Kaiser workers or other office workers in the area coming to get lunch here because it's fast and delicious."

Pg Retailer & Supplier

★★★★★ 4.7 (14)

"If you missed Patty at the Aloha Stadium Swap meat, here is another chance to catch her, at her small little shop, located on 939 Hauoli Street. Parking is right in front of her shop, there is about 10 stalls. The building and parking lot does need renovations. Her shop is the very first one at the corner. Do not park at the next parking lot, it belongs to a Jewelry shop.( the man from that shop will come out and yell at you, for parking there) Hours of Operations: Monday; CLOSEDTuesday: Open til sold out. Wednesday: Aloha Stadium Swap Meat 7CThursday: Open til sold outFriday: Open til sold outSaturday: Aloha Staduim Swap Meat 7CSunday: Aloha Stadium Swap Meat 7CI stopped by the Aloha Stadium Swap Meat on Sunday, to pick up taegu to ship to my friend who lives in Washington State. I was short on time, so I missed her stall. I remember my friend, mentioning she has a shop on Hauoli St. It was so convenient for me to stop by her shop. Its a small shop, the shop is messy with lots of boxes. This is where she packaged the goods!! Just let Patty know what you need and she will get it for you. The items are not displayed. Patty has the best taegu on the islands!! They come in spicy, mild, and with nori. They are 6.50 a bag or 2 package for 12.00. Besides Taegu, She has dried seafood, assortment of cuttlefish, dried fruits & nuts, assorted arare, assorted seeds, macadamia nuts, & candies. Come visit Patty either at her shop or the swap meat!! She is super cute & friendly!!FYI- when you call, her answering machine sounds like someone is answering the phone, you will hear talking in the background until you hear a beep, to leave a message.2016 #42/100 Yelp Challenge"

Tasty Jerky Hawaii

★★★★☆ 4.1 (28) • $$

"The local flavors...Found Tasty Jerky among many vendors in the Hawaii Okinawa Center's Craft Fair and what a lovely setting it was with Santa and silent auction, as I looked at the many flavors they carry in both large and smaller package along with thick and thin and crispy cuts it was Ponzu and Adobo style that really caught my attention.I absolutely love ponzu...adobo as well but really wanted to just get one and with the description of "lemon savory flavor"...it was so hard to resist.Show special of $12 or three for $30 is a great deal but I just wanted to give them as try first and it had a nice crisp to it but just didn't really get if any of the lemon flavor unfortunately and honestly didn't taste like ponzu at all but was a very yummy bite.Getting the flavor right is a difficult thing but I just really needed it to be there for me but love they had other items as well like "toppers" where it's probably the little bits as suggestion for use as snack or top your hot rice or popcorn is a cool way to not waste and still enjoy the flavors it has to offer.The staff there was nice to inform us of the specials and the various items they sell but there were no samples so I couldn't commit to the $30 option as I do love to support local and flavors that many have offers for us to try.Thank you!"

Botanas Fajardo

★★★★★ 4.9 (8) • $

"This is seriously awesomely addicting food right here. When we get a craving for chips, cheese, and salsa, we call Botanas Fajardo. Nothing comes close. The chips are thin, lightly salted, and are great eaten alone. She cooks them up fresh right before pickup or delivery. I can't eat any other tortilla chip, they just don't match up to hers. And the amount of chips you get for $4 is what makes me come back for more. No prepacked bags with 10 chips and puffed up with air. You get a full bag of freshly fried chips. The salsa is amazing! The texture, the taste is unbeatable. For me, the heat (if you wanna call it that) is perfect. I don't dare try her spice shots. I'd die. LOL. The queso...oh, the queso. This is contributing to my inability to lose weight! Haha! And it's worth every pound! Her queso is so good my family will finish the container in ONE night! I always pick up 2 sets of chips, salsa, and queso because I know one isn't enough.If you haven't given Botanas Fajardo a shot yet, you've got to. Just try it once, that's all you need."

Celestial Natural Foods

★★★★☆ 3.6 (73) • $$

"Funny thing! I found Celestial Natural Foods by finding my way to the Cosmic Kitchen! Yep, that's right! The Cosmic Kitchen is in the back of this fantastic store!This organic/natural food market is in historic Haleiwa and is a historic business in its own right! I spoke with Leilila, one of the daughters of the founder, Carter Allen, and she said her dad founded this place in 1974! (at the location it stands today!!)First, Celestial Natural Foods is a Non-GMO store! Love that!! Honestly folks, Celestial has an assortment of everything. Supplements, if you have gluten-free needs they have a lot of givings, local fresh produce, homeopathic, vegetarian and vegan goods, herbs and spices, sustainable products, reef safe sunscreen, natural beauty products, essential oils, juices, kombucha (and Kombucha on tap!!), granola, probiotics, plant based cheeses, Dr. Bronner's products, flours, all sorts of plant based flours, snacks... think Whole Foods but in a family owned, local small town way. It's a smallish type store but it is jam packed! I really, really like it has the old school store freezers, shelves, etc... and vibes. It's such a comfortable, like a "you've been here before" kind of store. Celestial was as busy as a beehive when I was there and everyone was still so friendly! Crystal, an employee there, was extremely helpful and kind. I'm just the next town over and I'm already looking forward to my friendship with Leilila and Celestial Natural Foods. It'll see you soon!"

Chris Peanut Shop II

★★★★★ 4.9 (9) • $$

"We wandered in here before having dinner nearby. The owner was there and was really friendly and nice. He chatted about Japanese and Korean snacks for a bit with my husband, and he explained what a few items were to me.We purchased some boiled peanuts, which are a bit of a nostalgic thing for my husband. They were tasty and a healthy snack that you don't often find in the Bay Area. This is a cool little shop with lots of interesting snacks:)"

waba snacks

★★★★★ 4.6 (60)

"Waba Snacks had a pop-up stand at Ono Grindz & Makeke Farmers Market last Thursday and we got to try their taiyaki. The owner/cashier was friendly and helpful.We ordered the minimum 6 mini taiyakis. Choice of flavors were custard, nutella, red bean, & plain. We ordered custard and red bean from the poster. Afterwards, we noticed on the table was another picture of a special flavor: Ube custard. Both of the ones we tried were crispy on the edges, soft body, and the fillings weren't too sweet. It was a good taste of what they have. Maybe check out their brick-and-morter shop. Overall, 3.5 stars."

Farmhouse Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.3 (423) • $$

"The kiddies treated us here for an early Mothers Day brunch cuz Bud has a football game tomorrow.We had a reserved table next to the window. Two men were on an outside table like they were with us. Bud put his menu on the window to block his view of them.I don't blame him it made me feel a bit claustrophobic with no air.Three of the adults enjoyed their breakfast sandwiches. The kiddies liked the spicy bacon and beignets.We all enjoyed the layered potatoes. I told them what Yelp Elite Rod wrote in his review about their preparation.The male server made the hot chocolate for the two kiddies and me by making mocha without the coffee and adding whipped cream on top.Not sure exactly why but both kiddies and I did not like our banana crepes. Of course hubs and the kiddies father ate it for us so no waste.The two employees servicing our table were polite and kind throughout our meal.Many people that were there before us were still hanging out when we were ready to leave."

Kahala Mkt by Foodland

★★★★☆ 4 (182) • $$

"2023 was for browsing.2024 was for shopping.Last year, we only walked through here as we had just enjoyed brunch with local friends in the adjoining restaurant, et al. We weren't in the mood to shop on a full stomach.After shopping at two other shops in this mall, I brought my friend in here as it was his 1st time here. Though we made our way past the cooked food section (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=rmpMuglJykQoAvlUMuRkYw&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q), we didn't buy anything there since we just came from KCC farmers' market. The only items that we shopped for and bought were some no or low calorie drinks that we can't find at home. When checking out, my friend gave his telephone number to enjoy the Ka'maina discount on our purchase since they are linked to the original Foodland system. The drinks were only so so but it as interesting to try a low cal sparkling soda with tropical flavors. The most impressive section of this store is their extensive liquor and wine section with spans almost a quarter of the shop. Bottles are both on shelves and refrigerated (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=sz704lE03BN4O96tNMMiAg&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q). For sheer variety of grocery items, this store is smaller than the one in Ala Moana.Will likely stop here again if I get a donut craving or need to get some treats from the snacks store a few doors over."

Hawaiian Chip Company

★★★★★ 4.8 (351) • $$

"Chips are made to order! My regret was not buying a big box of the taro chips. I ended up buying two standard bags ($8/each) since I didn't think I could eat it in one day. I sprinkled some seasoning outside of the shop on a fresh chip and had one of those eyeroll to the back of my head moment. Definitely would come back here on my next trip home."

Roscoe’s Sourdough

★★★★★ 4.8 (8)

"Passed this bread stand at the Kakaako Farmers Market and I'm so glad I stopped!Haven't tried anything else but the ciabatta bread, but will have to try other breads as they all look good.Roscoe's ciabatta bread is ONO! We eat it so quickly that we run out before the next weekend, and we're talking loaves between just 2 people...Sliced thick or thin, toasted with slathers of butter, this bread is chewy on the inside and crispy, crunchy on the outside! Woo hoo!"

Yat Tung Chow Noodle Factory

★★★★☆ 3.8 (46) • $

"If you're shopping in Chinatown and will be cooking noodles and/or dumplings, you've got to stop by Yat Tung Chow Noodle Factory (YTCNF). You will be amazed of what you can pick up here at such low prices.Located on Mauka side of N King Street, just near the crosswalk by Kekaulike St., YTCNF carries quite a few types of fresh noodles made in house:1) thick saimin2) thick egg noodle3) golden thread egg noodle4) regular saimin5) thick chow mein noodle6) thin chow mein noodle7) flat egg noodle8) elastic noodle9) thick noodle Udon10) white saiminNot sure which one you're looking for? Look at their counter top for a visual display of these different noodle types.Making dumplings? They've got 9 types of wrappers you can select from:1) gau gee / mandoo (round)2) gau gee for frying (square)3) potsticker (gyoza)4) won ton (local style) - soup5) won ton (Hong Kong style) - soup6) won ton (extra thin and small) - soup7) won ton (frying) 8) siu mai / pork hash (Hong Kong style)9) siu mai / pork hash (Hong Kong style - round)With convenience and great pricing, YTCNF has good foot traffic but the bulk of their business is wholesale. They are open from 6am so you can stop by early in Chinatown but keep in mind they are closed on Tuesdays. Their inventory is made daily so purchasing your noodles and wrappers here would yield a fresher product than what you can get at your local supermarkets AND at a fraction of the price.Although I speak Cantonese, in my shopping experiences speaking English may be the way to go. I've been here a handful of times where the female staff is quite bold and sassy when conversing in Cantonese.Typical Chinatown parking pains but keep in mind there are a handful of convenient municipal parking lots within walking distance. Most important, CASH ONLY here."

It's Chili In Hawaii

★★★★★ 4.5 (27) • $$

"This place ( Located in Ohana Hale hang a right as you come in) is pretty cool with its Niche marketing of different hot sauces and hot pepper merchandise. They also now have hot foods such as nachos ..tostadas...smothered burritos...chili dogs...portugese bean soup ..tacos .homemade chilis..etc....all priced mostly from $6 to $10 and they even have vegan options as well. (pic)I seen they had nachos..(it was ok) .I love nachos so had tunnel vision before I seen their other menu options other wise I would have tried their smothered burrito...Anyways the Lady and guy running it seemed pretty cool. If you are looking for homemade mexican type fare this place is worth a visit."

Aloha Tofu Factory

★★★★★ 4.8 (67) • $

"Delicious soy milk! They're finally open for business again after shutting down for a month! The soy milk was as fresh as you could get. They bagged it up for me hot in the gallon bag after ordering! I also tried their tofu and fried bean curd before. Amazing quality of food. They have their products on Farmlink Hawaii for sale too!Support local and tofu products!"

Daizu Tei

★★★★★ 4.5 (17)

"Fruit-filled mochi at the Kaka'ako Farmer's Market!I got a great tip from Lora C. She said that there would be a new vendor this Saturday morning! She didn't give me the name of the company, but I found them because this booth (Daizu-Tei) had the longest line!We all waited patiently in the sunshine. It was about 8:30am and most of the flavors were sold out. I got one of each of what was left:Strawberry mochi Strawberry mochi with beansStrawberry mochi with chocolate The strawberries were fresh, firm, and tart. I liked the chocolate one the best because it had the most combinations of flavor!I was told upon purchase that no preservatives are used, so eat it right away - that's perfect because I had brought some chopsticks! I stood in the shade of the parking structure and gobbled the three strawberry mochis down!Maybe I will go to the Mililani Farmer's Market tomorrow morning (Sunday) and aim for the peach and pineapple mochi!!! Yum!!!"

Chao Siam

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"Big fan of their fried pork skins! Best I've had in years . I'm from eastern North Carolina where pork rinds are usually a staple in the snack cupboard. These are that perfect balance between fluffy and crunchy...not too much either way."

Better Jerky

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"Update: while three of the flavors are sold at CVS/Longs Drugs, if you go to their website there are many more options to buy direct!"

Akaka Falls Farm Jams Butter & Honeys

★★★★★ 5 (8)

"YOW! It's happened again... my review for this food stall has disappeared even though I've been buying their preserves in-person and locally at the Kaka'ako Farmers Market for the past year and have never been to their actual farm which is located on another island.I was originally introduced to the luscious International Taste Award and International Flavor Award-winning tropical jams, butters, and honeys at a local food festival. However, since then, I have routinely purchased the unique tropical-flavored preserves at their food stall at this Farmers Market although they do have the option for online purchasing (http://www.akakafallsfarm.com) and ships Worldwide. There are usually two gregarious representatives from this farm who will offer you free taste samples of whichever product you see in their vast display. They'll even recommend how to use some of their preserves to complement chicken, pork, beef, seafood, or vegetables or use their butters in desserts or as dessert toppings. I like to chit chat with them and exchange recipes with them. Their jams and butters are sourced from fruits grown on their farm, and they use organic cane sugar or naturally evaporated cane sugar as their sweeteners. I believe that their honeys are harvested from local apiaries where the bees collect nectar from local blossoms like macadamia, kiawe, and lehua. They have over 25 different jams or marmalades, 14 kinds of butters, and 7 kinds of honey. Of the 25+ jams, they even offer hot and spicy tropical flavors that work very well with seafood, chicken, venison, beef, pork, or lamb.When you purchase from this stall, a jar of jam or marmalade or fruit butter will cost you about $12/11 oz jar. However, if you purchase 3 or 6 jars, you'll receive further discounts. Bear in mind that some kinds of butter will cost more like $14/jar, because of the higher cost of the ingredients such as their Kona Coffee Hawaiian Chocolate butter or Coconut Dark Chocolate butter so it's good to ask before you buy.We've brought several friends and visitors here to get some of these preserves because we not only praise the high quality and flavors but their jar labels are so darn pretty! Slowly, we're working our way through their preserves and different kinds of honey but will admit that we have our favorites that we've returned to buy more of. Give them a try and you'll taste Hawai'i's Aloha."

Kickin’ Sweets

★★★★★ 5 (8)

"The poke dip with the shrimp chips is my favorite!!! Awesome food and the people who run the place are so kind and nice. I definitely recommend trying the cream cheese pies!!! I will for sure be back."

Bonzer Front

★★★★★ 4.5 (21) • $$

"I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place before! This is, in my opinion, one of the most successful local businesses in Haleiwa. It is connected with Cafe Haleiwa, an awesome BYOB breakfast and weekend dinner spot one door over. It has evolved throughout the past couple of years from part thrift shop and local clothing/jewelry store to a wine/beer shop that also specializes in cheeses! The cheese counter is a new addition so I haven't really bought from it yet but I've been stopping here to browse the selection for a couple of years.They have an awesome selection of wines and craft beers. But by far the best parts of Bonzer Front are the wine club and the wine/beer tastings. The wine club gives you a wine every month as well as 10% off tastings and everything in the store. The wine and beer tastings are held on the back patio... a quaint location with twinkling lights and great ambiance! It is about $12 to get your glass but you are rewarded with heavy pours, a description of each beverage and snacks, such as cheese, fruit and nuts!Enjoy!"

Pomai Kulolo - Kaka’ako

★★★★☆ 3.5 (4)

"RANTING my frustration again... The rating has nothing to do with the delicious products from this vendor.I created this business page in May 2020 as I did and continue to do business with the food stand Pomai Kūlolo at Kaka'ako Farmers Market. Yet, all of a sudden, someone made changes to this page by removing Kaka'ako from the title and then screwed around by renaming it to "Pomai Kulolo Farmers market." Not only did the change occur to the vendor's name, but they changed the address to this vendor's production site in Kailua, HI where I've never been. All photos and the review reflect this vendor at the Kaka'ako Farmers Market, located at 210 Ward Avenue.Oddly, this morning when I was standing in line to buy some haupia from Pomai Kūlolo, I checked in even though the address is INCORRECT (in Kailua). Still, the map marker is correctly positioned in Kaka'ako. However, the corrections that I'm asking for are: - RESTORE the business page to read "Pomai Kūlolo - Kaka'ako Farmers Market" - CORRECT the address to reflect this vendor's TRUE location at 210 Ward Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96814 I've been trying to make the corrections myself via Yelp's desktop version but nothing changes and the same incorrect information remains. Thanks for hearing me out as I keep my fingers crossed with hope the corrections will finally come through.By the way, to whomever has been screwing around this business page, whether you're doing it to be playful or mildly malicious... you're HURTING THIS BUSINESS with your inattentive detail changes."

Little G Cafe By Garibaldi's

★★★★★ 4.6 (134) • $$

"Little G is located on the 2nd floor of the 808 Sheridan Center. Valet parking only, but you can find street parking nearby as well![Food]My boyfriend and I enjoyed the pepperoni pizza and Italian sausage pizza. The pizza looked beautiful and was made fresh-to-order. They seem to use fresh mozzarella as opposed to the pre-shredded bulk kind. I'm from the East Coast, so I was craving more of a New York bite--The pizza was delicious and tasted light! The sauce came across very simple yet tasty. I personally wish the crust/bread was crispier. After some time, the slices got soggy.[Customer Service]Everyone is super friendly and helpful. Good people, good vibes.I'm curious how the pastas taste! I will return to try different dishes!"

Cookies In Paradise

★★★★☆ 4.1 (10)

"One of the goodies in my gift basket (received as a prize from an OYE) was from this biz located on Oahu, specifically their Furikake Party Mix. The hearty pouch is 18 ounces and comes with an easy-to-open pull-away tab, revealing a heavy duty re-sealer. For you malihini who have no idea what furikake is, it's finely grated nori (seaweed) mixed with salt, sesame seeds, MSG, and a bit of sugar. Combining that with the traditional buttery-sweet party mix flavor makes for a blend of sweet and ocean-y, probably a turn-off to most but not if you're a local! The usual suspects can be found in the bag, including rice & corn Chex, Honey Comb, Bugles, an over-abundance of pretzels and thankfully no wheat Chex. Every piece was flavorful and coated well. TIP:I have a feeling that this is for sale at Costco as there was an "item number" listed on the bag. OVERALL:Good party mix. Being a cookie lover, I can't wait to try some of their selections."

Foodland Farms

★★★★☆ 4.2 • $$

"Definitely a place to stop and grab some snack, groceries, drinks and don't forget about their POKE bar. Their poke are fresh and delicious. They have many variety and flavor to choose from. Definitely one of my go to spot for poke. This Foodland Farms is located on the street level at the Ala Moana Shopping Center and they have plenty of parking."

Kokohead Foods, Ltd

★★★★☆ 4.4 (18) • $$

"Stopped by the local grocery store today to get some "healthy" staples...bananas, vegetable, tofu...and what a nice surprise to bump into a friend I hadn't seen in at least a few months. Thank you Claire for showing me this delicious spread that as you say, "every time you see it you get at least one container!" So of course, I ran over to the seafood section and found, exactly where you said it would be, KHF Smoked Ahi Spread. ...Wanted to make sure in the few moments it took for us to talk talk talk...there wouldn't be a run on this interesting looking delicacy.Took it home and quickly rearranged my plans for home cooked meal. The star was the Smoked Ahi Spread...and what in my home would compliment it? Ohh yes, Tostitos (hah, try not to keep toooo much "stuff" only the essentials). To balance it out, lightly stirfried some fresh spinach and garlic. This spread brought back memories of many years ago when Hoku's @ the then Kahala Hilton Hotel used to serve their smoked ahi spread predinner.Thank you Times for carrying this deliciousness in your chiller in the front of the store. Thank you Claire for sharing this info...ohhh, ok confession time. I actually peaked in your wagon. I will forever be a changed foodie. :) Yummmm !!"

Paradise Jerky

★★★★★ 4.9 (54) • $$

"What do you do after eating dinner?Given what we've been eating, you try to walk off dinner or at least burn some of it off. We talked about a place that our local friend had never tried so I played tour guide and brought here to show her the late night loco moco place upstairs. Upon seeing this store's signage, I didn't hesitate to step in and browse.I bought one each of the two available flavors, original and wafu (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=HTkzUX84Ku-i4GNWAcSK2Q&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q). I gifted to my fellow jerky aficionado, one who preferred types that were easier on her teeth. I waited about six weeks after getting home before opening my bags. I started with the original (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=mM4hMSQrUEFzhfboGkpItg&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q); my initial reaction was that it is pricy for the scant amount of pieces in the bag. As I started eating these thin, crepe-like strips, I appreciated it more and more. The texture is akin to eating potato chips as I munched while watched the NCAA tournament. This was bold and had a mix of sweetness and saltiness that meshed well. A couple days later, I started on the wafu flavor (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=Tnim388rH0dAmAa5HmATBQ&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q). I liked this too though the taste is muted in comparison to the original. I actually finished this bag in one sitting so you know how I felt about eating this.Big thanks to Hiro who handled our purchase and explained the background of their business. I appreciated that he offered the Kamaina discount as luckily our local friend reminded us about it. I enjoyed this so much that I will likely be asking soon-to-be visiting friends to buy me a bag or two (or more) to bring home."

Rajah Dat Snack Shop

★★★★☆ 4.1 (47) • $$

"Cool place ... roger that.We ate lunch at a recently opened local BBQ place in the same strip mall which has around 10 restaurants of all kinds here. Parking was adequate in the early afternoon but I am wondering how hard it may be to park at prime dinner time.Rajah Dat is a snack shop with various mostly local candies and treats. They have some strange stuff on sale too but I will let you discover those on your own. Because my concept of strange may not be as strange as yours.They also vend frozen yogurt. I asked for the frozen blue vanilla flavor which was a 4 out of 5. Not so creamy and flavorful but still pretty good.Just the thing you want on a hot and humid afternoon in August.Will be back when I'm in the area."

Ono Giant Shrimp Chips

★★★★★ 4.9 (36) • $

"The last time I was in Oahu 4 years ago we bought Ono Shrimp Chips at Costco and we're hooked. Family would bring them for us when they visited. Forgot about them until our recent visit. Didn't see them in Costco. But saw them on the beach when someone was holding a bag. Googled them and found this Yelp listing. The factory??? But it was after their opening hours and on a Friday. Darn. Closed for the weekend. One post said to call them and they may open up for you. So I did. The owners answered. And yes, they had to be at the store on the weekend to get ready for a Costco pickup so I could go by. Yay!!!8 different flavors. 2 sizes. Large bag is $10. Small bags are 4 for $20. My fav is the furokake. Trying the Maui onion too. They gave me a box so I could figure out how to get them home to the mainland. Shipping with mail order is expensive. I ended up buying a large bag and carried them onto the plane (2 large and 2 small chip bags). The owners are so sweet. Loved talking to them. Support local!! And come to the factory to purchase directly!"

Lanikai Mochi

★★★★★ 4.5 (2)

"Butter Mochi at the Pearlridge Farmer's Market...My good friend's birthday was last week. We were supposed to go out and celebrate... then the second StayAtHome Order happened for Oahu. My friend was so bummed that she didn't want to do anything for her birthday even though she took off from work. I finally convinced her to go with me to the Pearlridge Farmer's Market on Saturday, September 5. Picking her up at 7:30am from her house in Kaneohe sealed the deal. We were going to have a Fun Foodie Adventure!Finding the entrance to the Pearlridge Farmer's Market was challenging. I thought that it was located by Sears where the Leonard's Malasadamobile is. Nope.We drove up by the Pieology/Macy's area... nope.We looked around the Gen/Uncle's parking lot... and around Ross... nope. We read a review that stated it was near Pali Momi... not really. The entrance is on Moanalua Road, between Ross and Kaonohi Street.We walked around and nothing really caught our attention until we found Lanikai Mochi. I was really drawn to the owner, Janet Ishikawa, who started the business in January of 2020 after her husband told her to either do it or stop talking about starting a business. Haha! We all need someone to help us make our dreams become realities, right?Anyway, Janet was very friendly and answered my questions logically. I have tried to make butter mochi in the past and failed because my recipes turn out too oily, too sticky, and leave a fingerprint on the top when I cut the mochi to separate the sticky squares and place them into cupcake papers.Janet explained that each of her mochi have crusts on all 4 sides of the squares. That means that she has molds into which the batter is poured and individual pieces are baked, then popped out of the molds into perfect shapes! The finished products are professionally wrapped and labeled with a list of ingredients used and expiration dates! Wow! That's excellent work!There were many flavors to choose from. I narrowed down to four and gave them each an award:Original flavor: The Purist's Award - for those who enjoy the basic, simple things in life. Peanutbutter Mochi: Best Dressed (because it was topped with a peanut - nice attention to detail!)Ube Mochi: Best Texture! I believe that there were some bits of Macadamia nuts which enhanced the chew factor and pumped up the flavor! Yes! Note: The color is natural, so it doesn't look purple.Lilikoi Mochi: Best Tasting! I was totally caught off guard and expecting to not enjoy this Passionfruit mochi as much as I did! It reminded me of a lemon bar, but not as tart. The smooth bounciness was a pleasant experience!I'm so glad that I tried these local flavors of Lanikai Mochi. It makes me want to go back for the Matcha, Kona Coffee, and Banana Nut varieties!Good luck to Janet Ishikawa and her Hot and New Business! Thanks for sharing your creative and delicious talents with us!"

Tropical Farms Macadamia Nut

★★★★☆ 4.4 (494) • $$

"Our tour pitstop to use the facilities!Complimentary coffee as well as tasting different flavored macadamia nuts.Crowded with all tourists from different tours!Memorabilias and souvenirs sold here as well as jams and sauces!!Bought salted caramel and onion flavored macadamia nuts. It was so yummmmmy!!Sis and I got some fresh juice in a young coconut for the road !"

Honolulu Crispy Beef Jerky Company

★★★★☆ 3.8 (17)

"During our walks around Ala Moana Center and starting to feel more comfortable removing our face masks while outdoors, we stumbled into the Honolulu Crispy Beef Jerky Company's kiosk. This kiosk is located near the Centerstage side entrance to the Makai Market Food Hall. Our first visit was well before 11 AM, so I took photos and promised my husband that we'd return on the weekend.My husband commented that he prefers snacking on crispy beef jerky, potato chips, corn chips, taro chips, or anything crisply deep-fried while watching televised sporting events. We've brought back beef jerky from Las Vegas, but I think as we've aged, we both stopped enjoying gnawing on the jaw-breaking Cowboy-style beef jerky. Several local vendors feature crispy beef jerky chips that we've either sampled or bought the product from farmers market stations or the former indoor Ohana Hale Marketplace. We returned on Easter Sunday and got to the kiosk to purchase a couple of bags of flavored crispy beef jerky chips. In the back of my mind, the company's name sounded familiar to me. When I talked with the woman working at the kiosk, she told me that their beef chips are featured at several farmers markets at Mililani, Ewa's Kapilina, and Aloha Stadium Swapmeet. Out of the three locations, I realized that I had been to the Mililani Farmers Market, where I had seen their tent/stand before.Meanwhile, my husband circled the kiosk to select two bags of beef jerky chips. The locally-made beef jerky chips are packaged in 4.5-ounce bags. Each bag costs $12.50, but if you pay by Cash, Venmo, or Zelle, you'll save a 4% processing charge. The saleswoman helped recommend their popular flavors since I asked my husband to avoid the Spicy Ghost Pepper, 3X Spicy, and Pineapple Li Hing Mui flavors since we suffer from GERD attacks. He chose the Cracked Black Pepper and Furikake Teriyaki flavored beef jerky chips. Thanks to fellow Yelp Friends (Allen and Paul) who recently helped me learn to use Venmo, I quickly used my account to complete the transaction. Within minutes, we were on our way with our snacks. As soon as were got home, my husband tore open the bag of Cracked Black Pepper crisp beef jerky, opened a bottle of beer, and plopped himself down on our couch to watch an NBA playoff game. The crispy beef jerky pieces were whole slices and were thin and crisp like potato chips. The cracked black pepper seasoning wasn't overwhelmingly spicy, and I imagined the beef jerky as a chip form of steak au poivre that I found myself breaking off pieces and pairing the snack with a glass of Australian Shiraz. We're happy to find Honolulu Crispy Beef Jerky Company at Ala Moana Center, and we look forward to returning for more flavors of your texturally pleasing crispy beef jerky."

Na 'Ono

★★★★★ 4.7 (6)

"I first experienced Na 'Ono's Kahuku Roasted Corn at the KCC Farmer's Market last year. What a treat to find them at the Pan Pacific Festival!For $3 they have a tasty selection of roasted corn with different toppings. DH and I opted for the Shoyu Butter dusted with Furikake and the Wasabi Shoyu Butter with Garlic Herb. Deelish and savory! They also offer a Lilikoi Butter with Garlic Herb, Shoyu Butter w/Garlic Herb, and Lemon Butter with Chili Garlic. Their Chef Specials include: Lilikoi Butter with Parmesan Cheese, Li Hing Mui with Lemon Butter and plain Honey Butter. These tasty cobs are a great snack and pack so much flavor. Who doesn't love roasted corn already and with these savory toppings, how could you go wrong with Na 'Ono!?"

Mrs Cheng's Soy Bean Products

★★★★★ 4.7 (67) • $

"Their soybean products were amazing!!!! they had one of the best tofu fa (tofu dessert) I've had outside of Asia. The ones I got from 99 ranch in California can't even compare. The tofu was absolutely silky with no grainy texture. And the brown syrup had a good ginger flavor in it. Yummy!Also their soy milk was very good. So much flavor and I like how they had a no sugar version. The guy there was very friendly. He packed up my stuff with ice in a bag too. The prices were also reasonable. There wasn't a storefront. You just have to walk into their factory. Their fridges for products were located on the left hand side of the building when you enter though. There were also two doors one On each side. So enter on the left side so you wouldn't have to walk on wet floors as much. It could be easy to miss this place, but look for the blue roof, blue door and blue sign across a Mexican restaurant (I believe?). You won't regret that you've come here!"

The Rice Factory

★★★★★ 4.8 (85) • $$

"I live dangerously close to The Rice Factory and now all other rice has been ruined for me. This specialty rice shop imports all its rice from Japan and really knows its stuff. You can pick from any of their varieties of rice, using a helpful chart of stickiness vs. firmness as well as information about where it's grown and what uses the particular type of rice is best suited for. They freshly mill their rice and you can pick anywhere from brown to white for your milling. Sizes include 1, 2, 5, and 10 lbs. You can also buy a variety of imported Japanese dry goods (furikake, nori, etc), shoyu, bowls, ceramics, and chopsticks here too. It's the perfect stop for any rice-lover or home cook in your life. They also made really beautiful gift packages of 3 vacuum sealed rice blocks you can mail to loved ones on the mainland. Most importantly, all their rice is DELICIOUS! My favorite is the Koshihikari so far, but I can't wait to try more varieties."

Mops Central

★★★★☆ 4.3 (41) • $$

"We decided to finally give this food truck a try and let me tell you they do not disappoint! Let's just say we finish everything on our plate! The food is delicious! The pork chop was cooked just right, my mil really enjoyed her food and she is a picky eater! If you're around Waipahu around 6 pm to 1 am you must give this place a try!"