Hmmn...There are several to check out, depending on what you're wanting to
have. If you want to have French pastries, I'd recommend JJ French Pastry
on Waialae Avenue, they makes a fabulous dessert called a "chocolate
pyramid" that is to die for along with other lovely little pastries.
Nearby JJ is a Portuguese bakery, called Leonard's. I don't enjoy their
cakes, but they make really great malasadas - doughnuts without the hole -
that are fried and rolled in sugar. Their sweet bread is also yummy.
There are several Japanese owned French inspired bakeries that make decent
bread, on is St Germaine's, which you will find in a Japanese department
store at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. They have a large variety of things
to try. Don't forget to go upstairs and have a Japanese "pancake" filled
with custard! There is also another bakery upstairs in the same store, it's
called Dee-Lite and they make wonderful cakes! Guava chiffon is my personal
favorite.
There is a little bakery in Nu'uanu that makes wonderful cocoa puffs,
basically pate a choux shells filled with chocolate cream and iced with a
chantilly frosting that is only available in the islands. Everyone on the
mainland was puzzled when I asked at the bakeries, and I have since found
out that it is only a Hawaii thing! It's a mixture of egg yolks, evaporated
milk, sugar, and vanilla, cooked until thick. I'll post the recipe if
anyone is interested, or if there are homesick Hawaiians on this list =0)!
I live in Kailua where we have Agnes' Bakery, another Portuguese
bakery/cafe. There sweets are decent, and the Portuguese bean soup is great!
Napoleon's Bakery at any of the Zippy's restaraunts (several locations
around the island) makes fab turnovers. We took my hubby's aunt there when
she was visiting and she bought two cherry turnovers on the way to the
beach. On the way home from the beach she asked if we could stop and buy
more so she could have them on the plane ride home to CA.
That's all I can think of for the moment, feel free to e-mail me if you
have any questions!
Aloha,
wen
from Sunny Kailua