Came by today after donating blood since they gave a discount coupon :) they're located makai side…read moreby the food court street level. Service from everyone, including the owner, was super friendly (as usual)! Definitely a perfect refreshing sweet treat on a hot summer day!!

Stopped by for a quick dessert. No topping, just plain frozen yogurt. Sweet, tart and nostalgic of…read morePink Berry. It is a popular chain from Korea and to be able to try it in Hawaii was a nice experience. It is located right by the Ala Moana food court, on the outside part. Friendly and quick service. I also tried their dubai chocolate mochi. A bit of an overspend on a little item.

Small ice cream shop with the cutest vibes. Their black…read moresesame sauce with their vanilla soft serve is literally such an amazing sweet treat. Would 100% eat a whole cup full of that sesame sauce.

I went to check out Malu after dinner nearby and was pleasantly surprised. It's a small shop in the…read moreKe'eaumoku plaza. There's a small lot in the back that's monitored but free for 20 minutes or less parking. The lot is not one of my favorites since it's very tight but it's fine in a small car. I wanted to try a variety to get an idea of what their best options are so we got one cream puff and two different cake rolls, one strawberry and one Okinawa sweet potato. When we went at 7 pm they still had about 6 options in the case, with the majority being cake rolls. The double cream cookie puff was hands down my favorite and absolutely delicious. Coco puff who? Just kidding, but both are delicious in their own way but I do prefer Malu, especially the dough on the cream puff. The cake rolls were not too sweet and very soft. We tried the strawberry and Okinawa sweet potato, the sweet potato had actual chunks of potato in it. The strawberry had one fresh strawberry and some bits in the piece. The prices were very reasonable, I think we got all 3 for under $14. The worker/owner? was sweet and got everything packed quickly. It's small but there are a couple of tables if you want to eat in, I chose to take home. I want to go back earlier in the day to try some of their other specialties. Loved the pink interior, very cute

This is located in the Royal Hawaiian Center on the upper level and it's sooo good here! The owner…read morehimself is so sweet and super down to earth. You can tell he's so proud of everything he sells (rightly so!). The Dole Whip Float is my ultimate davorite here. The passion-guava orange juice in it is so refreshing out in the heat. On a random side note, when we told the owner we struggled with snorkeling, he gave us great tips on what to do and where to go. So don't be afraid to ask the owner for local recommendations.

I've romanticized Hawaii for years. Not because of the perpetual sunshine or the beaches or the…read moreunbelievably fresh seafood. But because of the humble but magical Dole Whip. I had dreamed about visiting the Dole Plantation on Oahu and getting "Hawaii's complete pineapple experience" (according to their Google SEO result), whatever that might be. But little did I know that I'd be getting another sort of bona fide pineapple experience in Hawaii instead... in the Royal Hawaiian Center, a beautiful outdoor mall in Waikiki. I almost walked past Kokoro Cafe on the second floor. If you've ever gotten dessert in a mall food court, you know the drill. Atmosphere is what it is, but the service was super fast and there was no line by the time we were heading out after dinner. They offer a few different Dole Whip options: you can get it in a cup, a shaka-shaped waffle cone, or float form with POG (pineapple, orange, and guava) juice. Since I had been waiting for so long, I wanted to taste the Dole Whip in its purest form, so I got it in a cup. The pineapple soft serve was creamy and soft, flavorful without being saccharine.

Very decadent…read more Everything delicious, you have to take your time and enjoy this fancy, pricey dessert. These would make a perfect special giveaway, I'm sure would be appreciated. I got an assortment, tastes more like delicious candy. Professional, clean store. They were unfamiliar with desserts sold in Japan, so don't ask or try to compare. Delicious, but expensive.

My go-to omiyage store, especially during special Asian holidays like Girls Day, Boys Day, Harvest…read moreFestival and more. Perhaps they have done it in previous years, but this is the first time I recall mooncakes being offered. I came to the Ala Moana store to check them out, and was immediately offered a taste of the black sesame mochi, which was freaking amazing. Based on that sample alone, I got the black sesame moon cake for my friend. My favorite hostess gift is when they offer bundles in beautifully decorated bags. Unfortunately, you cannot customize the bundle, it's whatever they offer. Also new to me were the mini cupcakes and tropical cookies. They are just way too many tempting pastries in the shop, it's so hard to choose! Pro tip: Be sure to sign up for their rewards, it is very easy to rack up points. At 98 points, I'm 2 points away from getting $10 off my next purchase.

Best mochi! So soft and delicious and not too sweet. Love all the different flavors. Service was…read moregreat!

Ok, I don't have to fly to Hilo to get mochi anymore. Someone shared this little shop with me and I…read morehad a craving for some peanut butter mochi. To my surprise, it was crunchy PB! That had me at the first bite. Then I tried the chocolate PB and I'm sold! The shop is tiny, and not much room to move around in, but you can watch the ladies making their magic behind the plexiglass. There are premade sets but you can also ask them to make something that isn't already wrapped. In my case, 2 of each of those PB and chocolate mochi. I was actually considering being a piggy and thinking about the other mochi in the refrigerator, but I decided to be strategic and just stick to those for this session. I decided that this is just a reason to come back and try something different the next time.

I had no idea Fujiya Hawaii is still open for business. I was gifted these Pure Peanut Butter Mochi…read morefrom one of my students during Teachers appreciation week. It was sooo delicious! Soft, fresh mochi filled with crunchy peanut butter. Yum! I remember when they were on Waikamilo Road in Kalihi. If you didn't know, like me. They've relocated to the McCully area. Where mochi is continued to be made fresh and a window to see the making of it. The bright and colorful painted wall caught my attention. Great for taking selfies or pictures your purchases. There's three benches outside decorated with stickers that's available for purchase. Too cute! Fujiya Hawaii offers much more than delicious mochi. Such as iced cold drinks, locally made snacks, mochi leis, T-Shirts and the cutest stickers, to name a few things available for purchase. I asked a few questions and the pleasant lady that answered my questions was very helpful and offered me samples of the different flavors of Senbei & Japanese Okoshi- crispy puffed brown rice with macadamia nuts. That was really yummy! I had to add a bag to my order. By Supporting a locally and family owned business, that's been in business since in 1953. Fujiya Hawaii is one of the many locally owned businesses that's teamed up with American savings bank. When using your debit card, you'll save $5 off $35 and $10 off $70 purchase. Definitely stop by & you'll be happy that you did.

This charming little shop is very clean and offers a variety of mochi to choose from…read more We were greeted as soon as we walked in and was assisted right away. There was one employee working at the register and another in the back. The service was attentive and efficient although there was only one person on the floor. They carry a great assortment of mochi and manju, including some varieties that need to be refrigerated. In addition, they offer local favorites like li-hing gummy bears and assorted flavored sembei, giving you plenty of sweet and savory options to choose from. The employee at the register was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, happily sharing information about the different mochi flavors and offerings. Most importantly, the mochi here is absolutely delicious. During this visit, we ordered a Girls' Day pack and tried the chocolate ganache Oreo flavor which was amazing. The mochi was perfectly soft and paired beautifully with the rich chocolate ganache filling. My friend loved it so much that she went back the very next day to order more! If you love mochi, you really need to stop by. I highly recommended this shop.

"Rice Ball that rolled pork!"…read more Love the Engrish slogan. This little stand just opened September 1st of this year, next to Sam's Kitchen in Waikiki, off Royal Hawaiian next to DFS. They sell a variety of little snack food. We had the "Pork Wrapped Rice Ball", basically bacon wrapped riceball flavored with Miso mayo sauce garnished with green onions. Very good. This stand appealed to my cravings of having fresh taiyaki (Japanese fish shaped cake filled with red bean). I could never get to catch the taiyaki workers at Shirokiya (a large Japanese department store in Oahu) to make me a fresh one rather than the prepackaged ones. Perfect timing. It was delicious. Nice and somewhat crispy in some areas. Warm and yummy. The guy working the stand was really friendly. We couldn't decide what to get as this stuff looks like some fusion stuff some Japanese person made up, and he had some Top Four hits he wrote out. Definitely helped. Stop by if you're walking around the International Market craving a little snack.

Tiny little window next to Sam's kitchen. Umm... miso soup and taiyaki was microwaved... How would…read moreI know? There's a cupboard, a counter, a fridge, a hot water dispenser, a girl, her laptop, and a microwave.

It is a holiday today Happy Birthday America - 250 years on the 4th. Line seemed longer than last…read moreyear. Once the doors opened we waited for people to shop. The box was nice but kind of flimsy. Everything is tasty but some items were out when it was my turn. I tried items I do not usually get. Friendly service.

We've tried a little bit of everything from Brug. They have a wide variety of Japanese style baked…read moregoods both sweet and savory. Brug has always been a reliably consistent and delicious alternative to the typical options offered for breakfast and lunch. We typically grab a couple of items per person because one item, depending on what it is, doesn't fill us up. The ambiance is warm and inviting and the prices are reasonable for the most part. They were selling specialty strawberries for $46ish (or more?) but I couldn't bring myself to buy them.