mauna kea tea

Glad I got to check out the Made in Hawaii Festival.

All kinds of food items, clothing, knick knacks and crafts that are made in Hawaii.

Jam packed with all sorts of vendors.

I'm glad I got to pick up this green tea made by Mauna Kea Tea.

The tea is grown on the slopes of Mauna Kea and is organic.

Can't wait to share this with Satoshi.

koa pancake house & liliha bakery

BFF had to get a blood test done, so we went bright and early then hit Koa Pancake House afterwards for breakfast...corned beef hash, over easy eggs and a short stack (3) all for $6.95 (plus tax)...cheap eats!

Loved how crisp the corned beef hash was and the pancakes were fluffy!

We then went on a little errand in town and hit Liliha Bakery on the way home.

Went in for cocoa puffs but came out with a poi doughnut and maple bacon doughnut.

I had seen a lot of hype about these poi doughnuts online.

They are good AND not greasy!

The maple bacon doughnut was more like a brioche dough with thick maple glaze and bacon...so good!

Early morning foodie adventure...Thanks W!

ka makana ali'i, moena cafe & new friend

Checked out Ka Makana Ali'i, a new shopping mall in Kapolei with Aunty M and Aunty V.

HUGE. Everything is one level and sort of spread out.

I think their marketing target is resort...

There aren't too many stores or restaurants open yet, but we did get to check out Moena Cafe.

Moena Cafe's flagship shop is in Hawaii Kai, and they already have one in Japan and one in Taiwan.

So this place is already popular with the Japanese tourists.

I tried their fruity french toast...delicious but a little dry...coffee was a bit on the burnt side too.

Still it was nice catching up with the two aunties.

Back at Aunty V's, I got to make a new friend, Griffin.

He's feral, so not too people friendly.

I'm glad he didn't hiss, scratch or bite especially since I probably smell like my furry niece...

All in all, a great day, thanks Aunty M for lunch!

Ka Makana Ali'i
91-5431 Kapolei Parkway
Kapolei, Hawaii
Phone:808.628.4800
Hours: Mondays-Saturdays 10:00-21:00, Sundays 10:00-18:00

Moena Cafe (Ka Makana Ali'i Shopping Center) 2026: no longer at this location
91-5431 Kapolei Parkway, Suite #1001
Kapolei, Hawaii
Phone: 808.628.4737
Hours:
Mondays-Fridays 8:00-21:00
Saturdays 7:30-21:00
Sundays 7:30-20:00

library card

On this trip back, I tried to use my library card to borrow a few things.

But, I guess it had been awhile since I last used it because in that time, they had placed expiration dates on the cards and mine was expired.

So, I had to go down to the library, show ID and renew the card (no charge).

There were a few cookbooks I was interested in, so flipping through them through the library was a nice way to actually see them before buying.

Also, I was able to borrow a season of a TV show on DVD for a dollar.

I appreciate the library also transferring books that I wanted to see from one library to a library closer to me.

Do you use your public library?

kona red

Tried this cold brew by Kona Red, which I believe is a local company that uses the nutrients from the coffee berry and infuses it into their coffees.

I enjoyed this, smooth.

It's a 3-day weekend here...today is Admissions Day, the day Hawaii became a State.

Have a nice weekend.

big island coffee roasters

Last summer when I went to Hilo, I picked up Big Island Coffee Roasters' Puna Kazumura, which was a medium roast coffee.

While we enjoyed this, I was interested in trying their Medium Dark blends...

So on this trip back, I ordered their Road 1 Espresso (medium dark) and Stout Heart Dark (dark).

Can't wait to try these.

welcoming committee

I had shared this photo on Instagram, but realized I hadn't here.

I think this was either my first or second night in Hawaii...I found my furry niece, Malia, in my suitcase rubbing her face against my summer bag, welcoming me back...I guess.

Now every morning, we tell each other "good morning" and then she gets some (unwanted) hugs.

Krazy aunty "terrorizing" her furry niece...I know she loves it.