Best of Food Stuffs Honolulu

[tooearly]

I wonder if such a thread exists already....

I would love to know where every goes for their favourite: produce, meats, fish, specialty items, etc etc.....

The one thing I hate about living here is the need to chase all over town to make a meal....wish we had a Berkeley Bowl look alike.... dreaming.....

[glossyp]

Okay, I'll bite on this one.

I like Kalihi Super Meats for beef and pork (warning: this place is not for you if run down and seedy turns your stomach) but they will cut meat to order and it is excellent quality at a good price.

I buy some produce at the Farmers' Markets but I buy most of it at Times. They have a great produce section with plenty of local produce which is clearly marked as such. I also get fresh chicken there.

Check out Y. Hata for unique cheeses, olive oils, vinegars and other stuff. It's the only place I know to get veal demi glace (frozen) for stock. They are also the only place I can find the Dutch licorice I like. They also carry a wide range of dried pastas.

Palama Market or Ranch 99 is where I get most of my Korean food stuffs.

[SuzySushi]

I do shop all over town!!!

Most of my staples come from Foodland or Safeway. We can *sometimes* get the local branch to stock products we want by speaking to the managers. We shop Daiei and Marukai for Asian (mostly Japanese) foods, 99 Ranch for Chinese foods, the Asian Market on Beretania for Southeast Asian foods, and Chinatown whenever we're nearby.

Bread, we buy at St. Germain, Foodland (LaBrea Bakery), Safeway (Safeway Select Artisan breads), and the Gros Bonnet Culinary Academy on Beretania (Friday mornings only -- call first).

Safeway in Manoa has a fairly good selection of cheese, as does Fujioka's wine shop in Market City Shopping Center. Duck Lee, a Chinese take-out shop in Market City also has the best char shu in town!

Produce, I get wherever it looks good, and I shop the farmers' markets and City Open Markets whenever I can.

Fish, Daiei or Tamashiro's on North King Street in Kalihi. Meat, I buy mostly at Costco.

Have I left anything out??

[PakePorkChop]

(post FINALLY deleted for technology-challenged foodie)

Edited June 23, 2005 by PakePorkChop (log)

[PakePorkChop]

I do shop all over town!!!

Most of my staples come from Foodland or Safeway. We can *sometimes* get the local branch to stock products we want by speaking to the managers. We shop Daiei and Marukai for Asian (mostly Japanese) foods, 99 Ranch for Chinese foods, the Asian Market on Beretania for Southeast Asian foods, and Chinatown whenever we're nearby.

Bread, we buy at St. Germain, Foodland (LaBrea Bakery), Safeway (Safeway Select Artisan breads), and the Gros Bonnet Culinary Academy on Beretania (Friday mornings only -- call first).

Safeway in Manoa has a fairly good selection of cheese, as does Fujioka's wine shop in Market City Shopping Center. Duck Lee, a Chinese take-out shop in Market City also has the best char shu in town!

Produce, I get wherever it looks good, and I shop the farmers' markets and City Open Markets whenever I can.

Fish, Daiei or Tamashiro's on North King Street in Kalihi. Meat, I buy mostly at Costco.

Have I left anything out??

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Well, I'm not getting it here. Too many postings without messages, but I'll get it.

This is a big question. Very difficult to answer. For instance, certain high-end beef

products, high-quality fish, and rare sake are available only at Marukai. You need to create a table of vegetable, seafood, protein, and specialty product to answer your question.

Prime Harris beef; American Wagyu flatiron steak; kurobuta pork. Donut peach.

Suzie, you may as well set up an on-line where-to-get-it service.

[SuzySushi]

Prime Harris beef; American Wagyu flatiron steak; kurobuta pork.  Donut peach.

Suzie, you may as well set up an on-line where-to-get-it service.

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Haven't seen any of the prime meats here.... yet. Donut peaches were at Safeway the other day (but not ripe yet... it's too early in the season for good peaches).

[SuzySushi]

Oh, yes. I forgot:

Bagels at Lox of Bagels (I think that's the name of the bakery) on Sand Island Access Road. My husband picked up a baker's dozen this morning. Smoked salmon at Costco.

Middle Eastern products and grains at Down to Earth and Kokua Market. I still haven't checked out the kosher/Jewish/Israeli food mart on Dillingham & King.

[oneidaone]

I am devoted to the Saturday farmer's market at KCC, unlike the open markets I am assured that

the produce is from here not re-boxed from Costco which is often the case. We pretty much get

everything we need there for the week including the North Shore Cattle co. beef for us and the dogs. My other shopping like the rest of you might be to Costco for fish and maybe some blueberries in those big boxes but only if they are from the U.S. and not Chile or somewhere like that. The Times near me is dreary like I always think of them to be and the parking is terrible. So

I go to Safeway for certain things (garlic for example) and Foodland in Kailua which is a very nice

Foodland. I wanted some Sinai 48's and they did not have them nor do they carry that outrageously

delicious bacon from Canada Dailey's which is peppercoated and awesome. I should get to some of these places you all have mentioned besides Y. Hata on Sand Island Access Rd. which I enjoy

shopping at, never know what they'll have and I like shopping the restaurant supply area too.

[tooearly]

this is just the thread I wanted. Thanks and keep it up.

I like Tamuras for specialty items and wine. i like Chinatown for somme Asian produce. For Japanese Marukai. Produce can be a good at Daei

I would love better bread readily available.

[oneidaone]

this is just the thread I wanted. Thanks and keep it up.

I like Tamuras for specialty items and wine. i like Chinatown for somme Asian produce. For Japanese Marukai. Produce can be a good at Daei

I would love better bread readily available.

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Yes, how could I forget - Tamura's. They have great great prices on specialty foods and a consistent selection if you find something to be a favorite. I like the Mexican market on Beretania

across from Times for specialty items as well.

[tooearly]

any idea why we dont have a trader joes yet?

[glossyp]

I'd guess it might be the high cost of doing business here from the price of real estate to the general challenges associated with permitting, taxes, adequate supply of employees, etc. Then there's the cost of getting the goods here and I suspect their margins are pretty low. It would be great to have a place like that here though.

[SuzySushi]

I seem to remember reading that stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods haven't opened in Hawaii because of the high cost of shipping food here... Though that doesn't seem to have fazed Costco and Sam's Club!