Kalihi might just
be called, “The Sweet Spot of Hawaii.”
And you might wonder why when historically it wasn’t even known as the
sugarcane plantation capital. It
is because today, Kalihi has many if not the most number of bakeries or bake
shops in Hawaii. And having so
many bakeries means an increased use and consumption of sugar in the area as
compared to the other parts of the state.
Each time I pass
by Nanding’s Bakery in King Street
in the morning, there’s always a line spilling out of its door. From what I understand, people are
lining up because of its specialty, the Spanish bread. And at any given morning, the same
scene can be witnessed in front of Kamehameha
Bakery in School Street with most people buying their specialty, the poi
doughnut. In Kalihi Street, people
also line up in front of Libby Manapua
Shop and Chun Wah Kam Noodle Factory
for their famous manapua and other desserts. The regulars of Jesse’s
Bakery and Golden Coin Bakery and
Restaurant in King Street also flock to eat early breakfast or pick up dozens of their hot pan de sal as well as plate lunch on their way to work. And although it’s open 24 hours daily
except Sundays, Liliha Bakery is
never low on customers, both locals and tourists especially those who are
craving for cocoa puffs.
Also in the
neighborhood, you can pick up cakes, pies, cookies, pastries and desserts at St.Germain’s Bakery, Elvin’s Bakery, and Manny’s Bakeshop in Dillingham
Boulevard. Napoleon’s Bakery has 3 locations in Kalihi: corner of King and
Mokouea, Dillingham Blvd., and Nimitz Hwy.
Let’s not also forget the biggest producer of breads and the like in the
island that’s located in Kalihi, Love’s
Bakery.
Personally, I find
it interesting that I came from a place in the Philippines dubbed as the “Sugar
Bowl of the Philippines” and to end up living in a neighborhood in Hawaii I
would like to call, “The Sweet Spot of Hawaii.” Speaking of sugar, there are many more specialty stores in
the neighborhood that sell sweets.
Being that there are many Filipino stores in Kalihi, it’s natural to
find many sweet concoctions. From a Filipino restaurant like Max’s of Manila where you can find several desserts, there are also
small Filipino stores that sell desserts like the 2 locations of San Nicolas Chicharon and Sausage Co. and
2 locations of North Star Deli and
Sausage and even Jimmy’s Filipino
Store. And speaking of sugar still, you can find Samurai Brand of treats in Umi St. and the Menehune Mac Chocolate Factory and Gift Center in Waiakamilo Rd. Once in a while I’d drive to
Pier 38 and if the line at Nico’s Fish
Market is long, I’d eat at Uncle’s Fish Market and Grill first then go to
Nico’s to pick up desserts. Yes, Nico’s
has the most scrumptious array of cakes and pies sold by the slices and are
ready for pick up.
Besides the popular
bakeries in the neighborhood that create wonderful sweet treats, I was
pleasantly surprised to find more when I searched the web. Here’s the list but I found that
it doesn’t include a branch of Ba-le
Sandwich Shop and Starbucks located in Kamehameha Shopping Center and Costco in Iwilei where you can order
cakes.
