Super friendly uncle who takes cash only. Here you'll find the basics: drinks, ice and pupu. There's also a small section of new to you items. On the weekends the parking lot will be packed with food trucks and veggie stalls. read more

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This review is for Da Dry Fish Kupuna (Donnie) not the Kai Store. I've been coming to this store to buy fish for my son for the past 2 years. He loves the Sakura Ahi, but they have been out. I called the number to see when I can get some. First of all Donnie doesn't know how to talk professionally. He exacts words were. No more fish no more sakura. It is discontued. I asked if you catch it then you will make and he gave me a smart remark. I will not be buying fish from him anymore. I will make my own from now on. I can make just as good but it cost me more to do it myself. read more

Great food booths outside and fresh produce for great prices. I also come here to get my poi. Easy to stop by after or before I go to KTA. Winnahs! read more

Poi on Thursdays after 2pm. Love the wun tun chips from Maebo. Kulolo is so Ono too!

Looking for Dried Aku or Dried Ahi? Stop by this small store. It's located about a block away from the KTA on Puainako Street. They have a small selection of convenient store items. I come here for the dried Aku. It's twenty dollars a tub. Enjoy. read more

Kai Store - Store Front - Propane Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Great prices to get One Ton Chips and other locally made things! Buy a large bag of One Ton Chips there for $7, as compared to KTA 1 minute down Puainako Avenue for $10. Almost a 3 for 2 deal! They sell taro chips too! But they are "allright"... kind of harder than taro and sweet potato chips from other places. But some people like it that way. If you're looking for locally made dried fish like aku, ahi and such, they have that too! Also got One Ton cookies (pretty good) and a few other things. So a laid-back, mom & pop place that really steps back into the past with an old town feel! With a standing order to always get the chips (and strawberry mochi from Two Ladies Kitchen) everytime I'm in Hilo, and to support the small local businesses, this is a must stop for me! read more

Kai Store - Getting my usual stash everytime I visit here :) - Propane Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Always get my poi and dried fish at this store. Laulau is also available. Mr Kai is always friendly and accommodating.

Kai Store is located just behind the Puainako KTA and caught my eye several times because of the taro chips sign in the front. We went in to but some taro chips and discovered that this is a good spot to explore for Big Island omiyage. Besides taro chips they offer sweet potato chips, jerky, smoked and dried fish. Their products look fresh and it is nice to patronized a small family business. I will stop by again next time I am in Hilo. read more

Kai Store - Great sign. - Propane Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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This is a gem from the past and well worth the stop while in Hilo. I love these mom & pop stores that have become all but obsolete in Honolulu. I stopped by as soon as I saw the sign for taro chips. Found out the store doesn't have the technology to take debit/credit cards, so came back later in the day when I had cash, and I'm so glad I did. I bought a bag of taro chips and a hand of locally grown bananas from a vendor who rents a space outside the store. One of the great aspects of these old stores is that there is always an interesting history behind them. I got to talk story with the owner, whose parents opened Kai Store in 1936 when that part of Hilo was just countryside. Now, it's on the corner of a very busy intersection. The owner's parents worked long hours at the store to give their kids an education. They planned to eventually close the store, but when the owner's mom became ill in the 1960s, he returned home and took over the store after his mom's passing. Kai Store used to sell alcohol and tobacco products, but after having kids, he didn't like them to be around customers who had a bad influence on them along with the danger of having some burglaries occur for those products. That is why Kai Store no longer sells alcohol and tobacco. Kai Store now sells mostly Big Island made products like taro chips from Da Taro Chip Kapuna, Maebo One-Ton Chips made in Hilo, Hawaiian Sweet Potato Chips, dried fish, Hawaiian Island Tye Dye shirts, and other Hawaiian made clothing. The owner makes additional profits by renting space outside his store to local vendors who sell fruit and lunch plates. He's had to rebrand the store several times to catch up with the changing landscape, but Kai Stores is still standing. It's sad to think that Kai Stores might not be around after the owner retires - he says that none of his children have an interest in taking over the business - but at least for now there is still a bit of old Hawaii left to enjoy. read more

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Delicious dried Aku. Cash only at Kai Store, though. Maybe they take checks, idk. No credit card technology, or I would have bought more dried Aku, lol! :-D :( The shop owner is very friendly and helpful though, so I only took 1 star off 4 low tech. read more

Kai Store locate up the street from KTA is almost your forgotten Mom & Pops store of yesteryear. We stopped into this small little store on our way to Maebo Noodle Factory after seeing the dried fish sign displayed in front of the store. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/kai-store-hilo?select=YIyDriBW0p1ufbaWwpm7vw#hLpzwjknoQA_9mh3vDjpQg Yes I'm the kind of person who LOVES Dried Aku and Dried Opelu. Once entering this old store you notice they carry just the essentials you need for a pit stop like drinks,snacks,funky shirts,dried fish and what? Maebo Chips? We told the older gentleman that we were on our way to Maebo and his response was that he was a little cheaper...Ahem..Not going to say why..We just grabbed a couple a bags Wonton chips,Cookies,Dried Opelu and Dried Aku. If you're a Dried Aku kind of person then you know that for $20 this is not a bad deal for a bunch of 6-7inch pieces. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/kai-store-hilo?select=YIyDriBW0p1ufbaWwpm7vw#YIyDriBW0p1ufbaWwpm7vw *I'm really glad we made a stop at this Old School Store. I would give this store *3 stars,but because of the good deals we got here *4 stars. *Parking available in front and on the side of the Store. read more

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Looking for dried fish, marlin, aku and opelu this is your one stop shop. A little mom and pop store. But bring cash no credit accepted here read more

Kai Store - Dried fish - Propane Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This is where my mom and grandma pick up their poi from. It's definitely the cheapest one you can find and not watered down like the mainstream poi. We came here for the kulolo and dried fish. The kulolo has that caramelized sort of burnt sugar taste and is a little more corse and is darker in color that sets it apart from the Kaua'i kulolo. Don't get me wrong, the Kaua'i kulolo is really good but I like this one better flavor wise. $7.00 a block. Compare that to Honolulu prices! You be paying at least $4.00 more. They didn't have ahi and the aku had a lot of blood compared to red meat you can see in the picture. The opelu was fileted in half but still had the bones inside. We ended up cleaning out the dried marlin and was nice enough to leave some kulolo behind. $12.00 for a 1 lb bag of marlin. Really nice guy working inside. The parking is...tight. I dont recall lines on the ground but just make pretend there is. Kinda gotta park in a angle because the freaking road is right there behind you. read more

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Stopped back in Hilo for a fast trip to relax and visit relatives. Hubby had to visit Kai's Store to catch up with his friend Paul and see what's new. Picked up some poi from Waipio and Kauai kulolo. And of course had to catch up on news of the family; Paul is such a friendly, likeable guy. Kai Store is definitely an authentic store from the past and a place to visit to see what Hawaii and Hilo is/was like. Will have to revisit on our next trip back. Much aloha, Paul read more

Kai Store - Good friends - Paul and Charlie - Propane Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

The ice is very delicate and they don't use the typical syrup used by many shave ice places. read more

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How could I not give the Kai Store a perfect score? It's all about the experience. Here's a store that is sparsely populated with such a diverse collection of new and used items of dubious value as to make the head swim! "Why on earth is he putting that up for sale and who would want it?", I thought as I scanned the room looking at things hanging, leaning up or stacked. Many of the items faded and/or covered with dust. The proprietor is unquestionably the nicest man on earth; full of goodness and calm that flows from a smile, welcoming eyes and an easy voice that has all the time in the world for you and your needs. I wanted some dried fish. I've never eaten dried fish - but it is about what one would expect dried fish to taste like. There are many different types of dried fish there. Bring cash. The Kai Store is in a technological time warp of possibly 1945. (This also may explain why the proprietor is such a nice person; all that technology makes us on edge: "My God! Only 23% battery on my phone! How will I find my way home?!") Pro tip: After you eat your dried fish... don't try and cop a kiss from that special someone you are with. Dried fish will give your breath an aroma that makes raw garlic seem like the fresh lilacs. read more

Located right behind KTA this shop is truly a special place. They carry poi from Waipi'o and a variety of dried fish. They have dried aku, dried ahi, marlin. Package of dried fish is $20 and a bag of poi is $10. I think it's cash only so make sure you have enough cash on hand. They also have sweet potato chips and taro chips. Also, don't forget to grab a bag of maebo won ton chips fresh from the factory next door! Never can go wrong when visiting Kai Sore. The uncle who works there is also a nice guy. read more

Kai store is a little shack-like structure on the side of the road in Hilo. Inside, there is not much to choose from but we only come here for specific items - the dried fish, poi and kulolo. My favorites are the dried ahi and dried marlin. I haven't tried the smoked varieties yet but fully intend to on my next Hilo trip. They also have dried aku and opelu but I haven't tried them yet either. The dried ahi is moist but firm and not too fishy tasting - its my fav!. The marlin is also moist and not too dried out but it has a little more fishy taste - very good. Don't forget to buy fresh poi to go with your dried fish. The poi is really ono! The other item we seek when going to Kai store is the kulolo. It is always slightly burnt but in a good way - kind of a burnt sugar taste or caramel. I don't usually come across this kind of kulolo and I love that it is unique and not the same as all the others. They also sell Fijian kava which I haven't tried yet personally but I have been told that it is strong and guuud :) The kulolo was only $7 and the marlin was $12 for a 1lb bag. I can't recall how much the ahi was but I am pretty sure it was $12 also. The guy who runs the register is always very very friendly. Parking can be a real bear so be prepared for a tight squeeze! And be careful because parking is very close to the road. read more

Located at the corner of Kilauea Avenue and Puainako Street (within close proximity to KTA, the main grocery store in town), this is the original homegrown "7-11" that I grew up with in the 80's and 90's. Your local convenience store owned by the same family for several generations, usually employed by the same handful of people, and typically stocked with a nice selection of drinks (soda, water, alcohol), cigarettes, candies (chocolates, gum, sugary stuff, etc.) and magazines (both the "G" and "R" rated kine ... I believe they kept the Playboys and Hustlers in the back behind the cashier, though). It's been there since small kid "hanabata" time and is still thriving and in business today. Back then, 7-11 was too far away from my house to walk to, so me and the neighborhood kids would go here to buy soda, candies and snacks (you gotta remember now, Big Island no mo' bus system like O'ahu - you either drive, know someone who drive, or you walk 'em!). If you looked old enough back then, you probably could get away with buying cigarettes or alcohol without ID. Good luck now, though, since they've come a long ways since then. Hanabata days, it was just the convenience store around the corner. Come mid 1990's, and the 'ohana (family) who also owned the land beneath the store decided to diversify their business. On a rotating schedule, they had people coming in selling sweet corn, propane, poke, etc. This apparently successful venture has continued into today, although I don't know what the current schedule of vendors is since I live in O'ahu now and can't just hop into my car and go check. Next time I'm in Hilo, though, I go check 'um out and will update this review. Some tips: - They're not 24-7 like 7-11 - at least last time I was there - so please call ahead before you go. - Their assortment of food, drinks, etc. won't be as extensive as 7-11, either, but go there because you're supporting a kama'aina locally-owned and operated business. - When they have their vendors there, parking can be pretty limited (vendors set up shop on the right hand side of the store). - Traffic at that corner can be nuts, especially in the morning before school (8 AM) and "pau hana" time (4 PM and later) when people get off of work. Both of these streets are only two-lane roads (1 lane this way, 1 lane that way). - In 2003, Maebo Noodle Factory, the same company that produces the famous One-Ton Chips in Hilo, broke ground on a new modern facility. If you're wondering what that huge metal conglomerate is situated close right next to Kai Store, now you know. REVIEW #3 read more

This is the place to buy opihi. It comes in bags with shell and frozen. Quality is very good and the price is whatever it hap0ens to be at the time. Don't remember the price but thought it was not out of line. Was a long way to buy opihi as came over from Waikoloa on the other side of the island. Very worth the drive. read more