Palama Express

A few visits later, I thought I'd praise this place for being the perfect solution to hunger if you're in Downtown Honolulu. Located next to Ali'i Place parking garage, a block from District Court, and on the recognizable corner with Central Pacific Bank, in general I think this is a great place to stop for some yummy, homemade food!Bentos, banchan, japchae, sushi rolls, all the Korean snacks and drinks your heart desires. Reasonably priced too! Most bentos are $8 or less. Perfect place to get a meal if you're on a time constraint. Reminiscent of a 7-11.Would highly recommend if you're in the area! Simply can't beat the quality at some amazing prices.

Call me crazy but this is probably top three for my favorite lunch spot(s) in Downtown! It's a small little shop with your basic necessities for a quick lunch. Most of it is Korean products, but no matter what, you really can't beat the price! I can come here with $5 in my pocket and get a quick main dish + side and it would be just right.You also can't go wrong with their bentos and fresh food. My favorite is the mandoo because it's about a dozen of them for $3.50! Granted, they're not super packed in, but I could just eat all that and be happy. Pretty good lunch for an even better price if you ask me. Also, since most of their products are Korean, you can find something new to try here just to add a little excitement to your day.Also, their service is fast, you have to be when majority of your business comes in all at once during lunch time! So be warned, just like any other place in Downtown, either come before 12 to beat the rush or come after to miss the rush. Or just risk it and come here during rush time, it's still worth it!

Loved meandering through this mini mart while waiting for Honolulu Seafood Restaurant to open as was meeting a group there for dim sum brunch/breakfast.Pleasantly surprised at the nice variety of drinks, snacks, and little knick knacks Palama Express has. Need a pick me up in the middle of the day? Located in the heart of downtown, this location even had face masks! Or stop in for a Korean bento for lunch. Want to pre-order for an office lunch? No problem, just give them 48 hours advance notice.Located on Alakea Street between King and Hotel makes this place easy to find.Will be back for some of my favorite Korean drinks and snacks.Regretfully, no parking so, convenience for those working nearby... or dining at Honolulu Seafood right next door!

I love Palama Market. I shop there regularly in town at their Kaheka and Kalihi locations. I shop not only for groceries but also their grab and go bentos and banchan (Korean side dishes). Having an "express" in downtown Honolulu is so convenient and saves me a pit stop on the way home. They have the same selection of grab and go items as their regular markets (i.e., meat jun, BBQ chicken, bulgogi, mandoo, gimbap, japchae to name a few). Quick, fast, convenient for those on the go. They do get busy during the noon hour, but then again, most places do for lunch. They also have a scaled down selection of groceries that you would find at their regular markets. They are located on Alakea Street next to Subway, just mauka of Central Pacific Bank (across the street of American Savings Bank Tower). If you are driving, this area is mostly street parking. Most customers appear to be walk ins that are already in downtown for work or business.

I've been coming to this "new" Palama Express on Alakea Street (next to Subway) for a few months now. I was waiting for someone to post info about this place so that I could add some photos. Ha ha. If you need a quick and relatively cheap lunch this is the place to come. They have pre-packed bento-style dishes (spicy pork, bbq chicken, bulgogi, kim chee fried rice, etc), kimbap "sushi" rolls, fried man doo, pickled veggies, and lots of Korean products (chips, packaged ramen, snacks, ice cream, drinks). I needed a really quick lunch today so I grabbed a gobo & meat kimbap and vegetable man doo. In and out in less than 5 minutes. I recommend that you get there before 12:00 as the bento items disappear quickly.

Finally got to check out the new Palama Express, next door to my workplace, which has been torturing me for months with a huge "Coming Soon!" banner. Brightly lit and immaculately clean inside, the floorplan feels roomier than other local convenience stores, but still manages to fit a wide variety of selections onto their display shelves. Surprisingly, they weren't very busy when I walked in just prior to lunch hour. The 2 staff that I saw working were actually very nice, and helpful, but they never flinched when I walked in, and basically went about their business the entire time I was there, without too much extra chit-chat. Front-and-center when you walk in, you'll see a nice variety of ready-made bentos & sides...BUT don't overlook the food warmer to your left (by the cashier), which features even more yummy eats! Between those 2 areas, everything I saw was affordably priced, looked freshly made, and you probably wouldn't go wrong with any of the ready-made foods here. On this visit, I tried the: MEAT JUN BENTO: Small bento container (in the warmer section) packed with 2 large pieces of tasty meat jun (sliced), a decent layer of white rice, 2 slices of takuan and a tiny sauce container. I'd definitely get this again, though there were a few stringy/inedible bits...it was still a good value, and delicious! Didn't even need the shoyu-vinegar sauce (bc the meat was pre-marinated), but it was fun to change-up the flavor every once in a while. SEAWEED & NOODLE ROLL: Nice little 1- or 2-bite morsels (6 pcs). These were not particularly tasty on their own, but ok with shoyu (comes with it), and a little better with the shoyu-vinegar from the meat jun (sorry if I'm not supposed to do that...just experimenting!). I think this would've been much better if it was freshly fried & still crispy...but of course I already knew that when I bought it.CHIVES JUN: 6 hearty pieces, each featuring just enough batter to hold together a small handful of chives & onions (and tastes like maybe some kim chee too, slightly sour), with a small piece of red bell pepper in the middle for color. This was only so-so for me, but I think it's just a matter of personal preference. Very filling! All in all, between these 3 dishes, and for less than $20, I got more than enough food for 2 people--maybe 3!!--and I will definitely be back to check out their other bentos soon. There's even a refrigerated display area offering small portions of kim chee, papaya salad, and other side dishes, to round-out your meal. Next time I come here, I'm definitely going to try out their instant noodle maker! For a few dollars, you can choose from 4 or 5 different types of instant noodles in aluminum packaging, then use their combination hot water dispenser / boiler plate--which has specific 1-2-3 instructions, posted on the wall--to make your own noodles...AND you get the option of adding a raw egg for 50 cents more (yes please!!). I'm not even a huge instant noodles fan-- they're ok--but I'm always down to try something new! Of course, in true Palama Market-style, there's also an AMPLE assortment of Korean snacks, drinks, ice cream treats, instant noodles, and other instant foods to browse and buy. The prices were not cheap, but also not crazy... this place is really about convenience, after all, not bargain shopping. There are even some heat-and-serve foods in the refrigerators--all the way at the end, near the back wall--that look like they were hand-picked for folks to take home in case of "dinner emergencies"!! Well played, Palama Express, well-played.With everything that this little shop has to offer, I'm sure I'll be back often, for any number of occasions. In fact, I'm kind of craving an ice cream bar right now, hmm. If anyone beats me to that instant noodle maker, let me know what type of noodles you liked!