In Tokyo, there are countless towns with completely different personalities, such as Ginza, Shibuya, Aoyama, Daikanyama, and Okubo ……, to name a few. Hawaii, on the other hand, has flourishing towns centered around shopping centers in each residential area, including Waikiki, Ala Moana, Ward & Kakaako.
Among these small towns, there is one that does not have a large shopping center, but instead has a high concentration of small stores and a vibrant small town. Kaimuki is about a 15-minute drive from Waikiki. People who were born and raised in the area or who have a connection to the area set up store here, and the town is built on a deep bond of local love, with residents going to the stores on a daily basis. Let’s take a walk through Kaimuki.
This year’s “Keep It Kaimuki Saturday” will be held this weekend, November 29 (local time), with more than 30 participating stores offering special promotions and sales, live entertainment, free trolley rides, and more. The entire city will be in festive mode with live entertainment, free trolley rides, and more.
Waialae Avenue, the main street, is the basis for walking around town. Small stores line the gently sloping street. Cafes, international dining, craft beer bars, bakeries, malasada stores, B-grade gourmet and bento stores, grocery stores, apparel, yoga studios, and thrift stores. …… More stores are squeezed together as you enter the small street.
First up is The Pig and the Lady, which just relocated and opened in October along Waialae Ave. The Pig and the Lady is a very popular Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown, and owner-chef Andrew Ray has returned to Kaimuki, where his father’s restaurant once stood. The Pig and the Lady offers modern Vietnamese cuisine that incorporates French techniques and Hawaiian ingredients in a casual atmosphere.
Our next stop was Honolulu Piercing Company, a jewelry store located down the hill on the right. We were greeted by the store’s owner, who was both impactful and affable. The showcase was filled with delicate and diverse earring designs, with prices ranging from “$65 to $6,000! She told me. They also offer piercing holes.
Continue down the hill and you will see a coffee shop called “Bean About Town”. There is also a store at DFS in Waikiki, but this is the main store in Kaimuki. They are planning to expand next year. The store actually originated in London in 2005, and after expanding to seven stores, the owner, Olivier, moved to his wife’s hometown in Hawaii with his passion for coffee, and opened a store in Kaimuki in 2018. Under the slogan of “from bean to cup,” the shop offers freshly roasted coffee from green coffee beans and food with a European sensibility. Coffee beans in tubular paper boxes, T-shirts with their logo, and eco-friendly bags are standard items that make great souvenirs.
From there, take a short walk to the cozy entrance of Island Boy. With the concept of “carefully selecting and selling items that make everyday life more enjoyable,” this diversity store sells luxury leather goods, high-quality apparel, cosmetics, jewelry, tableware, stationery, and other miscellaneous items, as well as lei orders and workshops.
Since we have gone down the hill quite a bit, we crossed the street at this point and went to the other side. This time, while walking up the hill, I took a break at the cafe “Plant M” on the right. Personally, I often come to Kaimuki for the healing space surrounded by tropical plants at this cafe.
Upon entering, you are first greeted by a jungle. The store sells these plants and also conducts workshops, and as you go further in, a café appears.
Cappuccinos ($5), lattes ($5.50), honey matcha lattes and savory hojicha maple lattes ($6.50 each) are all at great Kaimuki prices. For a more relaxing experience, try the Herbal Teapot ($9).
After tea, a little further up the hill, on the right, you will see Brick Fire Tavern, a pizza specialty restaurant. Originally located downtown, it moved to Kaimuki a few years ago. The owner, Matthew, who is from New York, was fascinated by Neapolitan pizza, and after training in Naples, he brought in a pizza oven from Naples. When I passed by the restaurant on the day I visited, I found Matthew sitting at the counter alongside a customer. The atmosphere was that of a Kaimuki man.
The attention to detail that I heard about when I interviewed them in the past, from flour selection to dough making and baking, is still alive and well. I think their pizza is one of the best in Hawaii. I ordered one just the other day and brought it home.
Finally, one more cafe. Long known as “Coffee Talk,” it was renamed “Talk” a few years ago and has evolved into a place to enjoy coffee by day and cocktails by night. What has not changed is that it is still the “place to chat” in town. Many of my acquaintances are also regulars.
Kaimuki is somewhat nostalgic with its old-fashioned, laid-back atmosphere. Why not enjoy a leisurely stroll?
© Source travel watch