Growing up in Hawaii means afterschool trips to the manapua man, getting Spam musubi with friends before going to the beach and buying shave ice to cool down on those exceptionally hot days. Here are a few places where you can indulge in your favorite Hawaii goodies for National Snack Food Month.
Agnes’ bakery Hawaii
Agnes’ Bakery Hawaii (5 Hoolai St.) has been serving traditional Portuguese malasadas since 1973. The treats are made fresh every day and feature a pleasant, crispy sugar-coated exterior and a soft and fluffy interior.
Order the malasadas — which come in either sugar or cinnamon sugar — individually, or by half a dozen or a dozen.
The biz is open from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. Pro tip: The food truck often sells out before 10 a.m. so be sure to go early! Place preorders 20 minutes prior to pickup.
Call 808-284-4963 or follow @agnesbakeryhawaii on Instagram.
Da porkhash man
Da Porkhash Man, which was founded by cook and owner Jimmy Ignacio in May 2020, can be found at Ono Grindz & Makeke farmers market at Wai Kai on Thursdays.
The biz’s steamed pork hash — which comes from a 20-year-old recipe Igancio made himself — comes in regular or spicy flavors; the latter has Sriracha mixed into it, but according to Igancio, “It ain’t that spicy at all.”
Da Porkhash Man also carries fried pork hash.
A bestselling item is Da Spesho pork hash, which is available steamed or fried and boasts green onions, furikake, Kewpie Mayonnaise and unagi sauce, and is served atop a bed of bonito flakes.
Visit @da_porkhash_man on Instagram or call 808-979-5221.
Island popper gourmet popcorn
Island Popper Gourmet Popcorn (1549 Colburn St.) has been serving Hawaii gourmet popcorn since 2012. It started as a food truck but opened its brick-and-mortar in July 2019.
Popular items include its Tsunami Mix — which features furikake glazed in shoyu with organic butter and kakimochi — and its Aloha Mix. The latter comprises furikake and real cheddar cheese.
And, the biz has created another flavor in collaboration with Rainbow Drive-in. Its chili cheese popcorn is next level as it combines Rainbow Drive-In’s chili with Island Popper’s real cheddar cheese.
Call 808-888-0101 or visit islandpopper.net for pickup and shop.islandpopper.com for shipping.
L&L Hawaiian barbecue
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue (multiple locations) is known for its gamut of ono local plate lunches and also offers one of the Aloha State’s most beloved snacks — the Spam musubi. It even has a whole day dedicated to it — National Spam Musubi Day is Aug. 8.
In fact, L&L is the nation’s top-selling Spam musubi maker, selling more than 6.2 million Spam musubi annually. And now, L&L musubi sauce is available in various retail locations throughout the state, including Long’s Drugs.
Visit hawaiianbarbecue.com.
Niu soft serve
Located in Old Stadium Square, Niu Soft Serve (2320 S. King St.) is Hawaii’s favorite dairy-free and plant-based ice cream. The biz is locally owned and creates Hawaii-inspired soft serve and baked goods.
The handcrafted soft serve comes in several delicious flavors: niu (coconut), ube, sweet cream and creamy lilikoi. The biz also offers sundaes, like its hot kulolo (choice of soft serve, hot kulolo sauce and roasted mac nuts) and Kanaks (malt, peanut butter and salted fudge sauce).
Visit niusoftserve.com or call 808-436-3739.
Matsumoto shave ice
A beloved Hawaii snack is shave ice — and no one does it quite like Matsumoto Shave Ice (66-111 Kamehameha Hwy. Ste. 605). The family-owned shop has been operating out of its location in the small historic town of Haleiwa since 1951.
Customers can first pick their size — small or large — add toppings like vanilla ice cream, azuki beans, condensed milk or mochi balls, then choose up to three flavors or go for a pre-set flavor combination. Popular shave ice flavors are strawberry, blue vanilla, green river and lilikoi. Meanwhile, bestselling combinations include the rainbow (strawberry, lemon and blue pineapple), Hawaiian (blue pineapple, coconut and banana) or Matsumoto’s (lemon, blue pineapple and coconut).
Call 808-637-4827 or visit matsumotoshaveice.com.
Rainbow crack seed
Located in Windward City Shopping Center, Rainbow Crack Seed (45-480 Kaneohe Bay Drive No. B5) carries ono shave ice, snacks, candies, popcorn, crack seed, ice cream and more.
Popular options include crack seed, dehydrated mango, sweet li hing ginger and lemon rings. Customers can also stock up on their favorite candies as the biz carries watermelon slices, gummy worms, strawberry sour belts, li hing rainbow sour belts and li hing mango. Meanwhile, bestselling snacks include its ono sweet Chex Mix, honey deluxe arare, li hing mixed arare, shoyu iso peanuts and furikake puff rice cake.
Visit rainbowcrackseed.com or call 808-235-5553.
Ulu mana
Ulu Mana (1933 Republican St.) offers a unique take on a traditional beloved snack. Its housemade products include ulu (breadfruit) chips, cassava chips and sweet potato chips.
The fresh ulu chips are thinly sliced before being dipped into coconut oil and fried. They come in a variety of flavors, including regular salt, garlic salt, cool lime, churro chip and ranch.
To accompany the chips, the biz offers its Hawaiian hummus; it’s made from locally grown ulu and is legume-, bean- and gluten-free. It comes in an assortment of flavors, including Totally Turmeric, Hop-in’ Jalapeño, Bangin’ Beet and Fun-dried Tomato.
Call 808-892-1250 or visit ulumanahawaii.com.
