“Are you talking about the cookies?” asks Thaddeus Pham as I enthusiastically chat with Raquel Curtis at Anh Chị Em Bakery’s weekly pop-up at Fishcake about an unrelated topic (Labubus).

“No, but what cookies?” I ask, and Thaddeus puts me on to Lovejoy Confections, another Fishcake vendor on Thursdays. Since he and I both adore his sister’s jasmine tea cake, I figure we have similar tastes in sweets. His recommendation goes on my to-try list.

Photo: Andrea Lee

On a Saturday morning, I track down these cookies at Try Coffee, when the shop is busy but not packed. Lovejoy Confections is set up at a table beside the counter with neat stacks of cookies and pastries on rustic wooden boards, each with a handwritten label. Jonny Kimbro, the owner, is there to take my order.

Kimbro is a familiar name on the baking scene. He made arguably the city’s best chocolate chip cookies at The Curb in Kaimukī, and before that cooked at Senia, The Pig & the Lady, Fête and Kapa Hale. Frolic editor Mari Taketa still gets rhapsodic about the natto Stroopwafel that Kimbro made one year for Natto Day.

SEE ALSO: The Curb’s Cookies and Toasts Are Worth A Drive to Kaimukī

Here’s what I try:

Photo: Andrea Lee

Miso soba cookie, $4.50

Looking at Lovejoy’s menu, this catches my eye. With buckwheat groats and cacao nibs in the mix, this cookie looks like a mineral deposit and is about as big as my hand. One bite, and I’m hooked. It has the perfect balance of not too sweet and a touch of salty with a soft, chewy body peppered with crunchy bits. If you try only one cookie, this would be my recommendation.

Photos: Andrea Lee

Chai sugar cookie sandwich, $6.50

At first sniff, I’m not sure if I’ll like this since it has a strong cinnamon smell, but the chai flavor in the cookie is actually not strong. The brown butter maple crème filling makes it for me; it’s richly flavored yet almost fluffy in texture and addictive. Keep in mind that it’s a messy eating experience. You’ll get sugar all over your mouth and fingers, and crumbs will fall everywhere, and you’ll want to eat them all up.

Sablé butter cookie, left, and Stroopwafel. Photo: Andrea Lee

Stroopwafel, $4.50

The Stroopwafel is the only cookie made fresh when you order it. Kimbro pops a couple of balls of batter into a little waffle iron, then cuts the cookies into circles, squeezes the shoyu caramel filling between them and puts a finishing shake of black sesame sugar. It only takes a few minutes and is well worth the wait when you get to enjoy a warm, crisp Stroopwafel with oozing caramel. It also walks the line of sweet and salty in the best way.

Sablé butter cookie, $3

This dense, chewy cookie is mildly sweet and reminds me of the kind that comes in a tin. I don’t quite get the makrut lime sugar flavor, though it might be too subtle to taste after eating all the other cookies. It’s nice, but I probably won’t get it again given the other more tantalizing options.

I also try the lup cheong kolache bun ($8), which is good but doesn’t stand out compared to the sweets.

Photo: Andrea Lee

Lovejoy is only about a month old, born from Kimbro’s desire to strike out with his own creations. At The Curb, he made savory pastries but wanted to branch out more.

To come up with such unique flavors, Kimbro credits reading and trial and error. “How do you make a dessert that’s craveable and not just sweet?” he asked himself, which led to the mash-ups of sweet and savory, drawing from Southeast Asian culinary influences and his experience at Asian restaurants.

In April, Lovejoy Confections will continue to pop up at Fishcake and Try Coffee.

Tips:

• All the cookies are big enough to share and pair well with coffee.
• Since the Stroopwafel is made fresh, its filling is drippy—watch out for your clothes!
• Kimbro accepts private custom orders. DM him on Instagram to discuss the details.

What: Cookies with Asian ingredients and flavors
Cost: $3 to $6.50 for a cookie (most are $4.50)
Where:

• Pop-up at Try Coffee, Ward Centre 2nd floor, 1200 Ala Moana Blvd.
• Pop-up at Fishcake, 307 Kamani St.

When:

• Try Coffee: Every Saturday in April, 8 a.m. til sold out
• Fishcake: April 10, 23 and 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Payment: Cash, card, Venmo
Contact: DM on Instagram
Follow: @lovejoy.confections

SEE MORE SWEET TREATS:

Sweet Treats: Where to Find Hawai‘i’s Only Snowthies
Sweet Treats: Don’t Sleep on the Hojicha Frappé at Matcha Café Maiko
Sweet Treats: Kailua’s New Ice Cream Parlor Has One Request

Itadakimasu! National Ramen Day is April 4, and Frolic Hawai‘i has a special Awesome Eats pop-up in store for you. Join us on Friday, April 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1000 Bishop Street outside of 24 Hour Fitness, where Kapa Hale chef Keaka Lee will be cooking up two exclusive, one-day-only ramen dishes just for Awesome Eats.

The Kalo Laksa will feature Sun Noodle’s uber delicious kalo noodles. The Ginger Chicken Ramen will feature Sun Noodle’s 15-second instant noodles, which take—you guessed it—only 15 seconds to cook to perfection, which for retailers are only found at ChefZone.

Order your ramen online for pickup on April 4. A very limited number of orders will be available for day-of purchase.

Presale ends on Thursday, April 3. Click here to order.

On the Menu:

Photo: Andrea Lee

Ginger Chicken Ramen, $19

Ludovico Farm Chicken, Sun Noodles, Ginger Scallion, Wakame, Choy Sum

Photo: Andrea Lee

Kalo Laksa (Vegan), $19

Malaysian Style Curry, Roasted Kalo, Kalo Sun Noodles, Chili, Lime, Coconut

Tomorrow I’ll be strolling the cobblestone streets of a medieval French village in search of a crusty baguette, some ham and a block of salty butter to make myself a jambon beurre. I am finally heading off to live, eat and drink my best life with special people in Europe, but before I go, I made a rendezvous with some friends at Fishcake to try the new French-inspired pop-up aptly named Baton a Manger. I figured I’d go before I really ruin myself.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Topher Jacob and Courtney Heim, who have been in the café biz (I miss Brue Bar) for the better part of the last decade or more, bring a taste of trendy Paris to our corner of the world in the form of trés chic pastry sandwiches. Baton a Manger, which sounds like a play on the sandwich chain Prêt à Manger, roughly translates to “stick to eat,” and describes the slender profile of their sandwiches that slide perfectly into a skinny macaron box. The bread isn’t a baguette, but rather buttery choux pastry crust moulded with a well to hold various toppings.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

This past weekend, you could choose between three savory options: jambon beurre with Swiss cheese ($18), kim chee kamaboko salad ($20) and a vadouvan curry chicken ($18). The lone sweet version was a spin on turon, banana lumpia. Additionally, Jacob and Heim also have black truffle potato chips, luxe chocolate candy bars and two bottled beverages, all beautifully packaged to go.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

I will admit, leaving Fishcake with a white Baton tote feels like leaving the Hermès boutique with a quota bag: it’s kinda special. My friends and I joked that if we were bag ladies, the Baton bag would be our next “it” bag to carry around town.

SEE ALSO: My 8 Favorite Sandwiches on O‘ahu

Inspired by famed pastry chef François Perret’s sandwiches at the Ritz Paris Le Comptoir, his bakery café in the esteemed Parisian hotel, Baton are not your average sandwich experience. They look petite, but do not be fooled as they are not easily scarfable. The buttery choux pastry crust flakes into oblivion with each bite, and with it being taco-shaped, you’ll want to eat it over a table with two hands, not in your car over your lap.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

The jambon beurre is an interpretation of the classic French sandwich, only dialed on the luxe scale. The vadouvan chicken curry baton is rich with a subtly sweet French curry flavor over chopped herb-roasted chicken, celery and cranberries. The pieces of slivered almonds and pops of sweet acidic pickled onions help cut the curry’s richness a little bit.

You could share one baton if you want to keep it light. The kim chee kamaboko baton, a Fishcake exclusive because it’s fishcake, hints at Topher and Heim’s goals of branching out to other pop-up spaces in the near future.

SEE ALSO: All the Reasons Why Anh Chị Em Is My New Favorite Bakery

The only change I would make would be to make them h’ors d’oeuvres-sized and create a sample box to try all the fillings. After a while, the curried chicken hits the same notes, so I take my time finishing the sandwich to not overwhelm my palate. Otherwise, the textures and flavors are good and different from what we normally see.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

A combo meal option includes a cello bag of their kettle-cooked truffle French onion potato chips and a choice between their bottled blueberry lemonade or a hibiscus berry tea for $6 more, a savings of $5 versus if purchased a la carte. Jacob’s Dubai chocolate bars with ube coconut or pistachio and kataifi ($15 each), often with samples freely available, are a treat too.

Follow Baton a Manger on Instagram for details of their next pop-up menu and location, which is most likely at Fishcake on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. They are also working on other pop-up locations.

Select Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or sold out), 307 Kamani St., @batonamanger

Our Kaka‘ako’s Keiki Street Festival presented by American Savings Bank returns this year just in time for spring. Explore, dance, snack and play at this vibrant playground for keiki from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the blocked-off streets spanning from Keawe St. down Auahi St. and Coral St. Think Honolulu Night Market, but specifically designed for children ages 5 to 15 and their families, with food vendors, retailers, live entertainment and hands-on activities like face-painting, henna and more.

Click to the information you want to explore:

• Where to Park
• What to Do
• Shopping & Dining
• Entertainment Schedule
• Giveaways
• Tips

SEE ALSO: HONOLULU Family’s 2025 Hawai‘i Summer Programs Guide

Photo: Courtesy of Our Kaka‘ako

Where to Park

Because of the expected turnout, families are encouraged to use rideshare options or public transportation. However, there will be plenty of paid parking options.

Salt at Our Kaka‘ako parking structure at 333 Keawe St.

Shops at Keauhou Lane parking structure at 555 South St.

At these three locations, you can park for free for the first hour with no validation needed. After that, with validation from any of the shops or restaurants within each shopping complex, it’s $2 for the second hour, $3 for the third hour, $4 for the fourth hour and $3 per half hour or fraction thereof after the fourth hour. Note that Keiki Street Festival organizers and vendors will not be providing validations.

Waterfront Plaza parking garage at 500 Ala Moana Blvd.

$6 validated event parking is available at Waterfront Plaza, just a block away at 500 Ala Moana Blvd. To access the parking garage, enter on South St. or Pohukaina St. Validation stickers are available at the Our Kaka‘ako pop-up tent at the corner of Keawe St. and Auahi St. Remember to pay at a parking payment machine before returning to your vehicle or leaving the garage. Only credit and debit cards are accepted.

Coin-operated metered parking is also available.

Photo: Courtesy of Our Kaka‘ako

What to Do

Keiki Street Festival will follow a similar format to last year with local retailers, kid-friendly food vendors and lots of interactive activities. This year, keiki and their families are invited to participate in an art exhibit in The Barn at Salt at Our Kaka‘ako, create their own ‘ohe kāpala (bamboo stamp) bookmarks on Auahi Street and burn some energy with free keiki programmed fitness classes from Orangetheory Fitness.

Little fashionistas won’t want to miss the keiki fashion show from Alikaleo Park featuring the new kids’ wear brand’s vibrant designs and super-soft fabric with UPF 40+ sun protection built in. Items from the collection will be available for purchase at the Alikaleo Park booth.

Even the pickiest eaters will find something from the wide variety of food vendors, and there will be no shortage of treats on hand, including local flavors of frozen popsicles, cupcakes, small-batch ice cream and Noms gummy candy. Cue the sugar high! Savory fans can enjoy Hawai‘i-style elotes, huli-huli chicken, plate lunches and many other local favorites.

SEE ALSO: New Things to Eat at Sweet Land Farm

Photo: Courtesy of Our Kaka‘ako

Shopping & Dining

Here are the vendors confirmed so far.

Food & Beverage

• Celine’s Best
• Corn Onoz Hawai‘i
• Crepe Haven LLC
• Da Bald Guy
• Da Hub Truck
• Drincup Cafe LLC
• Fig & Ginger Honolulu
• Halo-Halo Craze LLC
• HanaPa‘a Market
• Hawai‘i Candy Factory (Noms)
• Hawaiian Pie Company
• Hokulani Bake Shop
• Huli-Huli Chicken, LLC
• Jamba Hawai‘i
• Jay’s Sushi
• Jrs Jamaican Jerk
• Kababa Mama LLC
• Kapa Hale
• Ken’s Korner LLC
• Little Sparrow
• MainSqueezeLemonade
• Middle Eats
• Mixed by Mare
• Olay’s Thai Lao Express
• Pop Culture Artisan Pops
• Reecie B’s Onolicious Local Food
• Sage Creamery LLC
• Str’Eats Of Aloha
• Sugar Mami
• Taqueria Hawai‘i
• Teapresso Bar
• The Sweet Retreat
• These Stuffed Cookies DBA Anastacia’s Pizza

Retail

• Alikaleo Park
• Aloha Charms
• Ava + Oliver
• Human Design Studios
• Resi Resins

Activities & Services

• Cornerstone Community Chiropractic
• Mia Migita Insurance & Financial Services, INC
• Orangetheory Fitness
• The Henna Shack

Photo: Courtesy of Our Kaka‘ako

Entertainment Schedule

The main stage will be at Coral St. and Auahi St. Here’s the tentative lineup:

10:10 a.m. Hālau Hula ‘O Hokulani

10:50 a.m. Kūkalahale (Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Hawaiian Music Group)

11:20 a.m. Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Hawaiian Ensemble

12 p.m. Alikaleo Park Fashion Show

12:40 pm. Hawai‘i Dance Bomb

1:10 p.m. Kailua Music School – DJ Jacobi & Acoustic Band

Photo: Courtesy of Our Kaka‘ako

Giveaways

The first 100 keiki to visit the American Savings Bank booth on Coral St. will receive a surprise treat, and you can charge up their brain power with financial education, word scrambles, scavenger hunts and more. Use any ASB debit card to get exclusive savings at 10 ASB Buy Local Program merchants.

Other vendors may also be announcing giveaways in the upcoming weeks, so be sure to check the Our Kaka‘ako website and Instagram page for event updates.

Photo: Courtesy of Our Kaka‘ako

Tips

• Sign up for updates. Text KEIKI to (808) 545-4835 to receive SMS text updates with the latest event news, entertainment lineup, vendor announcements and to vote for your favorite activity.
• Make a plan. Check the entertainment schedule and map in advance so you don’t miss your must-dos.
• Safety first. There is a designated safe meet-up spot at the corner of Keawe St. and Auahi St. in case you get separated from your keiki.
• Bring bikes or scooters. To participate in the keiki bike zone, you’ll need your own set of wheels and a helmet.
• Use a stroller or wagon. They’ll come in handy when keiki get tired and to stash your purchases. Note there is no stroller parking.
• Find the bathrooms. Keiki don’t give you much warning, so you’ll find a portable bathroom trailer on the corner of Auahi St. and Cooke St. Public restrooms in Our Kaka‘ako shopping centers will also be available for use.
• Seek shade. If it’s sunny or rainy, your best bet for taking cover is under the large, tented seating area in front of the main stage or in The Barn.

Keiki Street Festival, Saturday, March 29, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Auahi, Coral and Keawe St., ourkakaako.com, @ourkakaako

Photo: Courtesy of Chinatown 808

Celebrate Lunar New Year at the Chinatown Festival & Parade presented by American Savings Bank on Saturday, Jan. 25. The festivities include a parade, live entertainment across three stages, an appearance by a 150-foot dragon, food vendors, local retail pop-ups and keiki bounce houses.

This year’s festival focuses on welcoming the Year of the Snake, which officially starts on Wednesday, Jan. 29. You’ll experience traditional activities, demonstrations and foods to help usher in good luck and prosperity for the new year.

Formerly called the Night in Chinatown Festival & Parade, the 49th annual celebration is hosted by Chinatown 808, a volunteer group best known for organizing signature events that highlight O‘ahu’s unique Chinese culture and heritage as well as the historic Chinatown district.

Click to the info you want to explore:

• When and Where
• What to Do
• Schedule
• What to Eat & Buy
• Tips

SEE ALSO: Ring in the Year of the Snake With Lion Dances, Firecrackers, Parades and More

Photo: Courtesy of Chinatown 808

When and Where

The Chinatown Festival & Parade will take place on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. along Beretania Street between Maunakea and ‘A‘ala Streets as well as in ‘A‘ala Park.

How Much It Costs

Admission is free. Most vendors will accept both cash and credit card payments.

Where to Park

Parking is available in the Chinatown Cultural Plaza lot (100 N. Beretania St., entrance on Maunakea St.) for $1 for the first hour and $1 for each additional 30 minutes, before 6 p.m. The evening rate is $1 for the first hour and $1 for each additional hour. There are additional municipal lots nearby as well as street parking.

American Savings Bank Visa® Debit Card holders get access to exclusive parking at the American Savings Bank Campus from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

From 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., Hawai‘i Bicycling League will provide free valet service if you ride your bike to the event. They will watch over your wheels during the festival, so you don’t need to bring a lock.

Photo: Courtesy of Chinatown 808

What to Do

Throughout the day and night, watch a packed schedule of live entertainment, including lion dance troupes, martial arts demonstrations, taiko drum performances, hula hālau, tai chi clubs and a K-pop act. At 1 p.m., tune in for a cultural talk about Lunar New Year to learn the traditional customs, symbolism behind lion and dragon dances and the significance of certain foods.

Families will enjoy free bounce houses, crafts and activities in the Keiki Fun Zone at ‘A‘ala Park from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Local nonprofits Kids Hurt Too Hawai‘i and the Kukui Center will offer hands-on coloring and rock painting. Stop by the American Savings Bank, Hawai‘i Literacy and Trust for Public Land booths for more activities and giveaways.

Photo: Courtesy of Chinatown 808

Watch the highly anticipated parade that kicks off at 4:30 p.m. at the Hawai‘i State Capitol and continues along Hotel Street down to River Street. You can expect lion and dragon dance troupes, pageant queens and courts, cultural organizations, kung fu martial arts groups and local dignitaries.

Photo: Courtesy of Chinatown 808

Schedule

9 a.m. Opening Lion Dance

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Keiki Fun Zone at ‘A‘ala Park

11 a.m. Live Entertainment Begins

4:30 p.m. Parade

6 p.m. Evening Ceremonies

9 p.m. Closing Lion Dances

Note: Times are subject to change.

Photo: Courtesy of Chinatown 808

What to Eat & Buy

Snack on popular new year’s dishes such as jai, jin dui and nian gao served by Chinatown vendors, including Legend Seafood Restaurant. There will also be modern cultural mash-ups, such as Philly cheese steak-stuffed spring rolls, as well as a wide variety of local food establishments, including Kapa Hale, KC Waffle Dogs and Sage Creamery.

Shop for jade good luck charms, lucky red paper messages, Year of the Snake calendars and shirts. Keiki will love the lion and dragon puppets so they can perform their own dances. Local retailers will sell jewelry, clothing and crafts too. More than 60 vendors are confirmed.

Food & Drink Vendors

• Battery Bill’s Solar Powered Shaved Ice
• Belly Rub Kitchen
• Bing Bros
• Blue Truck Teppanyaki
• Cafe Julia Hawai‘i
• Chick & Brisket
• Chillex Pops
• Corn Onoz Hawai‘i
• Da Hub Truck
• Da Ultimate Grindz Hawai‘i
• Donnie’s Barbeque Smokehouse
• HanaPa‘a Market
• Hawaiian Cane Juice
• Hawaiian Honey Cones
• Honolulu Rose Cake Shop
• HottPotstickers
• Jay’s Sushi
• Khao and Papas
• Kapa Hale
• KC Waffle Dogs
• LaoWaiian Style Creations
• Legend Seafood Restaurant
• Local Poke Bowl
• Nabeya Maido
• Nicki’s Sweet Treats
• Olay’s Thai Lao Express
• Pop Culture Artisan Pops
• ReecieB’s Onolicious Local Food & Olomana Bros
• Roselani Ice Cream
• Sage Creamery
• Sama Sama
• Shaka Shaka Tea Fruit Plantation
• Smoked.
• Str’Eats Of Aloha
• Street Eats
• Sugah Daddeh’s Kane Juice
• Sugar Mami
• TA⋅MA⋅DA⋅ SWEETS
• Teapresso Bar
• Thai Lao Restaurant
• The Corner Rolls
• Waialua BBQ
• Wrap and Roll Lunchwagon
• Yomie’s Rice & Yogurt Drinks

Craft & Retail Vendors

• Ben Franklin Crafts
• Diamond Heart Foundation
• Falun Dafa
• Flower Fair
• Fortune Telling
• Grace Trading
• Hannah Jo
• Happy Wahine
• HomeStreet Bank
• Honolulu Chinese Jaycees
• JM Boutique
• Stay Golden HI Jewelry
• T-Shirt Outlet
• Tag Aloha Co.
• The OldTaku
• Yeung’s Arts & Crafts

Photo: Courtesy of Chinatown 808

Tips

• Wear casual, comfortable clothing suitable for walking and enjoying the festivities. You can also dress up in festive attire, red or other bright colors to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
• Bring cash for vendors and to feed the Chinese lions for good luck, plus reusable bags for purchases.
• To secure a good parade viewing spot along Hotel Street, arrive early (at least by 4:10 p.m.).
• Find a quiet, shady spot in ‘A‘ala Park to enjoy your food purchased from the vendors.
• Make sure to snap a selfie in front of the Year of the Snake display!

Chinatown Festival & Parade, Saturday, Jan. 25, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Beretania St. between Maunakea St. and ‘A‘ala St., chinatown808.com, @chinatown808hi

Sri Lankan black pork curry with kale and coconut mellam on Breadshop ciabatta. Photo: Thomas Obungen

I recently discovered that Sri Lankan black pork curry with kale and coconut mellum are as at home on griddled Breadshop ciabatta as they are with fragrant long-grain rice. Although I’m no stranger to bold Indonesian curries and chile-flecked sambals, the handheld versions have made Bada Gini, Fishcake’s newest popup, an exciting change to my Thursday lunch routine.

But just fast as my new obsession took hold, it’s been put on pause: After today, I learned, Bada Gini is taking a hiatus until sometime next year. Huge bummer (what will I eat on Thursdays?), but I’m still excited. Here’s why:

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Badagini translates to “I’m hungry” in Sinhala, the language of Sri Lanka. After owner Sara Uduwela tells me this, on my first visit, I tell her I was the exact opposite of badagini after inhaling half of my pork curry sandwich ($18). The pillowy ciabatta is an ideal vessel for the tender pieces of pork shoulder in a smoky curry tamed by coconut milk and pieces of stir-fried kale and coconut flakes.

But it is Uduwela’s sambal belacan Kewpie mayo that steals the show. Belacan is a Malay shrimp paste; this is an infinitely better, more complex version of mayo made with Sriracha. Even after downing a cold can of Yeo’s soy milk ($3), sweat beads under my eyes. On the side, fried bitternut chips offer more solace from the heat. I take my leftovers home to enjoy the next day.

SEE ALSO: Rotating Pop-Up Vendors at Fishcake Hook Us With New Delights

I’m back the following Thursday, and with a new week come two new sandwiches. The chicken curry grilled cheese ($18) is the hot seller because when you put curry and cheese together, it practically sells itself. I wasn’t lucky enough to nab one, so I got the alternative: a fried tofu sandwich with green bean urap (a salad with spiced coconut) and sambal matah ($18). Uduwela’s vegetarian option is thick enough to stand on its own. I especially love the crunch of the green beans and the refreshing notes of shallots, makrut lime leaves and chiles in the sambal. The sandwich takes inspiration from the plethora of side dishes and toppings that define Balinese cuisine. I might have finished this one too, but I had a big dinner to save room for.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

To play your cards right, bring a friend, buy both sandwiches and trade halves. If I could peel my boyfriend away from work, that’s what I would do.

SEE ALSO: Shioketh Lights Up Pālolo With Fiery Indo-Singaporean Flavors

Uduwela is a total third-culture kid. Born in Singapore to a Chinese mother and Sri Lankan father, she grew up there and in San Diego. A commercial photographer by trade, she most recently lived in Australia, which has a strong sandwich culture. That, along with the cuisines of her upbringing, merged into the catalyst for Bada Gini. Uduwela has no formal culinary training, but her flavors tastes true and genuine, not contrived or gimmicky. The sandwiches are solidly delicious. Finally, someone is shaking up the world of sammies, sandos and banh mis, which, in the Islands, don’t get as much love as plate lunch and bento.

Bada Gini joins a growing list of Southeast Asian pop-up restaurants and farmers market vendors that have found a footing on O‘ahu. Andrew Pressler’s Nasi Lemak serves up the national dish of Malaysia with spiced proteins and traditional garnishes at farmers markets. Shioketh launched in September with Peranakan and Indonesian dishes at Hapa Market in Pālolo. This microtrend of spicy vendors follows the brick-and-mortar openings of Straits, Café Kopi and SingMaTei in recent years, all of which have expanded the presence of this region’s famously bold flavors.

This Thursday will be Uduwela’s final popup, at least until next year, and she’s going out with a bang: three sandwiches including the spicy pork curry ciabatta, an eggplant motu pita and a spicy sardine salad on Japanese milk bread. If you’re willing to endure the torture of eating your first and last Bada Gini sandwich, plan on lunch at Fishcake. Then you can join me as we wait for her next update.

Thursday, Oct. 31, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or until sold out, 307c Kamani St., @badagini.hi

You already know ‘ono and you’ve probably heard oishii, but what about shiok? I just added the Malay slang for delightful or tasty, pronounced “shi-ōk,” to my vocabulary this weekend. It just might become part of my daily vernacular if I can eat the beef rendang at Shioketh, a new Indonesian-Singaporean street food pop-up at Hapa Market in Pālolo, on the regular.

Indonesian, Malay and Singaporean cultures converge in an ethnic group known as Peranakan or Nyonya who are descendants of the first waves of Chinese immigrants who settled in areas around the Strait of Malacca. Peranakan cuisine is unique for its hybridization of Chinese techniques with local flavors as a result of the cross-cultural and multi-ethnic marriages common in the region.

Even before work took me to Kuala Lumpur in 2018, I’ve been a fan of Peranakan cuisine’s myriad flavors. Malay and Indonesian friends in college, and later in Los Angeles, would invite me to seek out nasi lemak rice bundles, rendang curries, kaya toasts and laksa noodle soups wherever they made surprise appearances. Although none quite came close to what I had in KL, they kept me satisfied. Enter Shioketh, which soft-launched Saturday with the flavors I’ve been missing in six dishes and drinks. A grand opening is set for Sep. 7, after which they will regularly open on Mondays and Saturdays.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Start with the beef rendang ($18.95), an Indonesian dry curry made with chunks of beef rendered soft after braising for four hours in spices and coconut milk. The liquid is reduced until it caramelizes around the beef, imparting a unique sweetness. The spiced aroma when you open the plate is intoxicating. Served with jasmine rice garnished with crispy onions, sliced cucumber batons and grape tomatoes, it is a comforting taste of the region.

SEE ALSO: New SingMaTei’s Curry Laksa is a Malaysian Delight

Between the hot, spicy food and the non-air-conditioned space at Hapa Market, you’re going to want a cold drink to sip on as you sweat from every pore. It wouldn’t be a proper Singaporean experience otherwise. The pandan coffee ($5.75) is the way to go. Cold-brew coffee flavored with pandan-infused coconut milk cream supplemented with whole or oat milk and sweetened with gula melaka palm sugar: It’s rich, creamy and everything you want in a pandan drink.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

The ayam penyet ($16.95), twice-cooked smashed chicken, is an entrée worth waiting for. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are boiled in a broth with a paste of garlic, galangal, ginger and shallots. The thighs are deep-fried until the skin is golden-crispy and, before serving, get a proper whack to crack the skin and meat. Shioketh serves the chicken with perfumed jasmine rice and a spicy chile sambal-infused kecap manis, a thick sweet soy sauce, that is both painful and addictive.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

The pandan waffle ($8.95) is the sweet savior amid all the spice. Flavored with the subtly floral vanilla cream-like extract, this waffle also gets a side of gula melaka palm sugar whipped cream and peanut butter or Nutella. Although the texture is softer than I like, the flavors more than make up for it. You can order it with a scoop of ice cream (add $4) if the plain waffle isn’t sweet enough for you.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Side dishes also skew Peranakan like the sambal goreng ($3.95), a vegetarian dish of tofu, tempeh and long beans stir-fried in a paste made with garlic, chiles, shallots, galangal, lemongrass and kecap manis. I’ll be the first to warn you about the spicy kick hidden a few bites in. Blooming eggs ($5.95) are interesting, in a good way. In a hot wok, the omelet blooms into a fluffy, eggy cloud garnished with pork floss, crispy shallots and sweet soy sauce. I’d order this with rice and be happy.

SEE ALSO: New Windward Café Has Singaporean Flair and Weekend Laksa

Emily Terukina is the Singaporean expat who brings these fiery recipes to life, while her husband Gavin runs the behind-the-scenes, including the shop’s graphics and web design. Emily arrived in Hawai‘i in 2014 and spent the last decade working in Waikīkī and more recently as a host and kitchen helper at The Pig and the Lady. She left those jobs in February to open Shioketh after missing the food from her native Singapore. My hope is that this leads to something more permanent for food that’s both exciting and shiok for a lot of us in Hawai‘i.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Shioketh pops up at the Hapa Market Grill space in Pālolo on Mondays and Saturdays. There are a few tables for dine-in, though plating is all for takeout. Follow Shioketh on Instagram for schedule updates and events they’re participating in.

Open Monday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 1720 Pālolo Ave, shioketh.com, @shioketh

As someone in his mid-thirties, there hasn’t been a club I’ve been more excited about than a new pop-up coming to The Lei Stand in Chinatown. The Prime Rib Club isn’t your standard bar-type club, nor is it membership-based. What started as a fun way to entertain by four friends who met while working at Vintage Cave Club is now their dream prime rib service: a three-course prix fixe dinner for $128, including tax, tip and ticketing fees.

The four—David Lukela, Sang Mun, Neale Asato and Sean Walsh—all have deep backgrounds in the local food and beverage industry, which may have something to do with why tickets for their first pop-up dinner in August sold out within minutes (two more are scheduled for September). While the price may change depending on the venue, the pop-ups at The Lei Stand will have a limited beverage menu of a couple of wines, cocktails and beers that range from $11 to $20. To match the Mad Men vibes, I order their take on a Manhattan ($20).

Waipoli greens salad. Photo: Thomas Obungen

Our hosted media preview starts with Lukela wheeling out a service cart. On it is a steel bowl of baby Waipoli greens, which he tosses with an alluring house-made shallot and papaya seed dressing. No matter how rudimentary, tableside preparations are rare, and with Lukela explaining the components of each course, the service and face time give the Prime Rib Club a personal feel.

Carving cart. Photo: Thomas Obungen

You’ll want to get your cameras ready when Lukela and Mun wheel out the main event. The roast, coated with herbs and salt and cured for three days to let the flavors soak in, is cooked low and slow at 250 degrees for three hours before it’s broiled at 500 degrees to form the crust. Inside the gorgeous crusty bark, the roast is cooked to a juicy pink.

The full plate. Photo: Thomas Obungen

Next to the prime rib are a buttery potato purée, classic creamed spinach and hurricane corn, a local spin on creamed corn with furikake and bubu arare. You can add au jus and creamy horseradish (and you really should), and you get a house-made shokupan bun to soak up every drop.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

While all this adds up to more than a pound of food, it’s more than the sum of its parts. This is the type of meal you treat yourself to as a reward for living another year or earning that promotion.

Frozen custard sundae. Photo: Thomas Obungen

As rewarding is Asato’s frozen custard sundae. Inspired by an Old Fashioned, his Asato Family frozen custard gets a quenelle of orange-scented whipped cream, “Old Fashioned” 10-year Knob Creek whiskey caramel, crunchy toffee bits and a maraschino cherry. If the meal wasn’t decadent enough, this finale puts you over the edge.

SEE ALSO: Affordable Splurge: Basalt’s $50 3-Course Prix Fixe

Lukela has led the kitchens of the Beachhouse at the Moana and ‘Alohilani Resort and taught culinary classes at Kapi‘olani Community College; now, he helps manage HB Baking, his wife Heather’s dessert shop. Mun was a certified sommelier at Basalt at Duke’s Lane and serves wine on call at The Pacific Club. Walsh worked under chefs including Alan Wong before becoming executive sous chef at Top of Waikīkī. He helped open Mister Jiu’s in San Francisco and works part-time at Hamada General Store.

The four plan to expand the offerings at future dinners with supplemental items to add to your plate or different choices of sides, and possibly a dessert cart in collaboration with Heather Lukela.

The next time my parents are in town, I’ll take them to the Prime Rib Club. It will require some vigilance: According to its social media, both seatings for the Aug. 18 pop-up sold out in two minutes. The team announces when tickets will go on sale on their website, so follow them on social media or sign up for email announcements for the best chance at getting seats. Either way, you’ll have to be quick.

Next dates Aug. 18 (sold out), Sept. 1 and Sept. 15. 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. 1115 Bethel St., theprimeribclub.com, @theprimeribclub

THE GLOBAL MENU

Neha’s Kitchen | Aloha German Bakery | Khao & Papas

If you think Honolulu’s food scene is still defined by poke, loco moco and Asian food, think again. The rise of farmers markets and food truck gatherings has spawned vendors serving up Argentinian barbecued meats, Lebanese zaatar flatbreads, Sri Lankan curries and more. Here’s a closer look at three of them—for their latest schedules, check their Instagrams.

Juan Ching, a Chinese-Peruvian from Lima, was raised on his grandmother’s aji de gallino spicy chicken stew and saucy lomo saltado stir-fry of beef and vegetables atop french fries. Kim Thepsenavong grew up on the Lao cooking of her mother. Two years ago, their food truck, Khao and Papas, brought together the sum of their lives—their combined food memories with his 20 years in the kitchens of Alan Wong’s Pineapple Room, Limone, Basalt and Aulani resort and her front-of-house work at the Moana Surfrider and Kaua‘i’s former St. Regis Princeville.

Served up in Waimānalo on Sundays and at What the Truck in Waikele and the roving Mālama Hawai‘i Makers Market monthly, the pairings taste seamless. Like salchipapas loaded fries, the usual beef sausages swapped out for chunky pork sausages flecked with galangal and garnished with Laotian pickles. Or lemongrass short ribs over Peruvian pesto pasta. Or fusion ceviche, its leche de tigre replaced with a different chile-lime base of fish sauce, garlic and sugar.

“We thought we were gonna clash. But surprisingly, they marry well together.”

— Juan Ching

Kim Thepsenavong and Juan Ching. Photo: Olivier Koning

When I ask about the food, the couple’s sentences intersperse and stack up on each other.

“Khao in Lao means food or rice. Papas is potatoes in Spanish, and it’s one of the main starches in Peru,” Kim says. “We both love food. We both love our culture. We create dishes that remind us of childhood and incorporate both of our flavors into it.”

Juan chimes in. “In Peru, there’s a lot of Asian ethnicities that fuse their cuisines. Their flavors are pretty similar and not overpowering. Versus Lao food—it can be pretty strong,” he says. “We thought we were gonna clash. But surprisingly, they marry well together. We keep the essence of the cuisines but make the food more approachable.”

Khao and Papas’ Lao-style salchipapas, left, and Peruvian anticucho beef skewers, right. Photo: Olivier Koning

As with Gurung and Koch, who cook to keep flavors of their home countries close, menus at Khao and Papas are driven by the deepest food memories. “That’s my comfort food growing up—sticky rice, a type of jaew, a type of fried veggies, barbecued meat, papaya salad,” Kim says. “We were so excited to introduce our anticucho skewers plate because it has sticky rice, pickled vegetables and jaew maklen,” spicy tomato dipping sauce.

Perched on the purple rice, the beef threaded onto the skewers is soft and fragrant from Juan’s marinade and light grilling. Notes of garlic, cumin and Peruvian chiles are an easy match for the savory-sweet spiciness of Kim’s mother’s jaew maklen. It’s “what I grew up with,” Juan says. “When I cook now in the food truck, that all brings back memories.”

@khaoandpapas

The scene at ‘Ono Grindz and Mākeke in ‘Ewa Beach on Thursday evenings. Photo: Olivier Koning

These vendors bring dishes found rarely, if at all, at Honolulu’s brick-and-mortar restaurants. Check each one’s Instagram for latest details about where to find them and what they’re serving.

ASIAN 

A-Ma’s Gua Bao—Taiwanese steamed buns with pork belly, seasoned chicken, tofu and other fillings. @amas_gua_bao 

Nasi Lemak HI—Coconut rice with galangal fried chicken, beef rendang and vegan curry. @nasilemakhi

EUROPEAN

Little Sparrow—German spaetzle noodles sautéed with savory sauces including cheese or garlic shrimp; and jägerschnitzel pork cutlets. @littlesparrowhnl

Pelmeshki—Eastern European pelmeshki and pierogi street food dumplings. @pelmeshki_hi

INDIAN

Curry Guru—Sri Lankan/South Indian dishes including turmeric rice meatball curry, curry-filled Naan-wiches and kuttu roti flatbreads. @curryguruhawaii

Simply Indulge—Pani puri, dosas and other South Indian food. @simplyindulge808

LATIN

Aloha Alfajores—Argentine cookies made with honey, nuts and dulce de leche. alohalfajoresllc.com, @alohaalfajores

El Gallo—Anticuchos, salchipapas, picarones butternut squash doughnuts and other Peruvian street food. @elgallo.hawaii

Guaiqueri Empanadas—Venezuelan empanadas with cheesy fillings including chorizo. @guaiqueri_empanadas

Guaya—Cubano sandwiches. @guaya.emp

Mar del Plata—Argentine grilled steak sandwiches and sausage sandwiches with chimichurri. @mardelplatabbq

Nosh—Brazilian pão de queijo cheese bread. @nosh_hawaii

Papi’s Empanadas—Argentine empanadas with fillings including crab, chicken and corn. @papisempanadas

Rico Rico Chicken—Peruvian rotisserie chicken. @ricoricochicken

MIDDLE EAST

Māla-Be—Middle Eastern rose water cup desserts. @malabe_life

Saj Beirut—Lebanese desserts and flatbreads topped or rolled with zaatar or minced lamb. @sajbeiruthawaii

PACIFIC

4rm Skrach—Pagipopo, puligi, pisupo and other Samoan dishes. @4rmskrach

Perefoti Island Fixx—Vaifala, poi fa‘i, panikeke and other Samoan drinks and dishes. @perefotiislandfixx

THE GLOBAL MENU

Neha’s Kitchen | Aloha German Bakery | Khao & Papas

If you think Honolulu’s food scene is still defined by poke, loco moco and Asian food, think again. The rise of farmers markets and food truck gatherings has spawned vendors serving up Argentinian barbecued meats, Lebanese zaatar flatbreads, Sri Lankan curries and more. Here’s a closer look at three of them—for their latest schedules, check their Instagrams.

Born in Wahiawā to a German mother and Native Hawaiian father, Cecilia Tanya Koch grew up in Germany and stayed close to her father after her parents split. In early 2023, a visit with him in ‘Ewa Beach revealed what he hadn’t wanted to tell her: He had two kinds of cancer. Koch was 58, married with two grown sons and a corporate law practice in Baden-Baden, Germany. She was also her father’s only child. Two months later, she moved to O‘ahu. “He’s my father. He grew me up. He deserves now that I help him too,” she says. “We are Hawaiian. So family is everything.”

“My mom always said when you return back to Hawai‘i, open up a German bakery.”

— Cecilia Tanya Koch

Cecilia Tanya Koch and her husband, Ralf Koch. Photo: Olivier Koning

That’s the origin of Aloha German Bakery and its improbably complete line of breads, cakes, German pretzels and jams that Koch sets up at farmers markets—Makiki on Thursdays, Kaka‘ako on Saturdays and Kailua (next to Adventist Health Castle) on Sundays. After the immediacies of medical appointments and Veterans Administration paperwork came the realization that she needed a way to make a living—fast.

“We were at the point of what can we do?” she says. Then she recalled what her mother told her. “My mom always said when you return back to Hawai‘i, open up a German bakery. She said a lot of people will love German pastries and it will be a good business.”

Assorted jams and sourdough bread, apple crumble cake. Photos: Olivier Koning

So that’s what Koch did. And with the same clarity she brought to her father’s situation—he needed his family, and everything had to line up behind that—she decided Aloha German Bakery would be true to the flavors from her grandmother’s oven, no matter what. After four months of trying to bake her sourdough with American flours, she asked her husband, Ralf, to find a way to import German flour. (He did, from an organic mill near Baden-Baden.) Unable to get German quark for her cheesecake, Koch experimented with sour cream and low-fat Greek yogurt until she got the right balance. Polish fresh yeast for her apple cake comes from her best friend’s in-laws’ store in New Hampshire.

Photo: Olivier Koning

Ralf, by the way, shuttles between Honolulu and his tax accountancy in Germany. The Kochs’ younger son has enrolled at UH Mānoa. And their older son brought his daughter to meet her great-grandfather, who’s doing better, Koch says. “They played together. That was enormous to see how happy he was. That’s the most important moments.”

alohagermanbakery.us, @alohagermanbakery 

The scene at ‘Ono Grindz and Mākeke in ‘Ewa Beach on Thursday evenings. Photo: Olivier Koning

These vendors bring dishes found rarely, if at all, at Honolulu’s brick-and-mortar restaurants. Check each one’s Instagram for latest details about where to find them and what they’re serving.

ASIAN 

A-Ma’s Gua Bao—Taiwanese steamed buns with pork belly, seasoned chicken, tofu and other fillings. @amas_gua_bao 

Nasi Lemak HI—Coconut rice with galangal fried chicken, beef rendang and vegan curry. @nasilemakhi

EUROPEAN

Little Sparrow—German spaetzle noodles sautéed with savory sauces including cheese or garlic shrimp; and jägerschnitzel pork cutlets. @littlesparrowhnl

Pelmeshki—Eastern European pelmeshki and pierogi street food dumplings. @pelmeshki_hi

INDIAN

Curry Guru—Sri Lankan/South Indian dishes including turmeric rice meatball curry, curry-filled Naan-wiches and kuttu roti flatbreads. @curryguruhawaii

Simply Indulge—Pani puri, dosas and other South Indian food. @simplyindulge808

LATIN

Aloha Alfajores—Argentine cookies made with honey, nuts and dulce de leche. alohalfajoresllc.com, @alohaalfajores

El Gallo—Anticuchos, salchipapas, picarones butternut squash doughnuts and other Peruvian street food. @elgallo.hawaii

Guaiqueri Empanadas—Venezuelan empanadas with cheesy fillings including chorizo. @guaiqueri_empanadas

Guaya—Cubano sandwiches. @guaya.emp

Mar del Plata—Argentine grilled steak sandwiches and sausage sandwiches with chimichurri. @mardelplatabbq

Nosh—Brazilian pão de queijo cheese bread. @nosh_hawaii

Papi’s Empanadas—Argentine empanadas with fillings including crab, chicken and corn. @papisempanadas

Rico Rico Chicken—Peruvian rotisserie chicken. @ricoricochicken

MIDDLE EAST

Māla-Be—Middle Eastern rose water cup desserts. @malabe_life

Saj Beirut—Lebanese desserts and flatbreads topped or rolled with zaatar or minced lamb. @sajbeiruthawaii

PACIFIC

4rm Skrach—Pagipopo, puligi, pisupo and other Samoan dishes. @4rmskrach

Perefoti Island Fixx—Vaifala, poi fa‘i, panikeke and other Samoan drinks and dishes. @perefotiislandfixx