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Churro Borough


What once started out as a food truck, Churro Borough is now brick and mortar in downtown Los Angeles. There is about a 30 minute wait but once you bite into this, you forget about it.

The concept is simple, ice cream sandwiched by churros, but mind blowing. The churros are made fresh so they stay crunchy with every bite.

You can sample from all the ice cream varieties before selecting one to go with your churro. They also offer a large selection of sorbet for those that are lactose intolerant, like me. I got the browned butter cookie sorbet and was very pleased.

For $4, it is pricey for its size (about the size of a palm) but makes it the perfect personal snack.

Can’t wait to go back for another bite!

Churros and ice cream. What a concept!

(1726 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027)

Leonard’s Bakery

A popular Hawaiian treat is malasadas from Leonard’s Bakery. Malasadas are Portuguese versions of a sugar donut filled with creams. They were invented in Madeira to use up the lard and sugar before Lent and are generally eaten on Fat Tuesday. The concept traveled to Hawaii for Shrove Tuesday, which is also known as Malasada Day. 

Leonard’s Bakery offers a variety of seasonal fillings such as guava, macadamia nut, pineapple, and original (with no filling). They reminded me of a dense sugar donut. I recommend eating them while they’re fresh. They don’t sit well overnight.

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The pineapple dole whip was delicious but eat it quickly. The intense Hawaiian sun will melt it in a heartbeat.

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(933 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816)

Yama’s Fish Market


When in Hawaii, kalua pork is a must try. Generally, they are served at a luau, where they unearth the pig from the ground. If you want to skip the expensive luau price but try kalua pork, visit Yama’s Fish Market to get a taste of the delicious pork.

Above is order #7 which comes with kalua pork, laulau, lomi lomi salmon, and rice. Kalua in Hawaiian means to cook in an underground oven (imu). The imu is created by digging a deep pit, lining it with hot rocks and a layer of veggies. Then te pig is placed on top of veggies, covered with a wet burlack sack, and another layer of hot rocks. After hours of smoking, the pig comes out super tender and smoky.

Laulau is pork wrapped in taro leaf that has been cooked for many hours. Today’s modern method steams them on a stovetop. The classical method cooks them in an imu. The laulau at Yama’s Fish Market is tender and juicy.

Lomi-lomi is raw salted, diced salmon, tomato, and onion salad that is mixed by massaging. It’s a side dish that is sold all around Hawaii. The name of this dish comes from the method of preparation. Lomi-lomi in Hawaiian means massage. Lomi-lomi salmon reminds me of salsa with salmon.

(2332 Young Street, Honolulu, HI 96826)

Musubi Cafe Iyasume

I stopped by Musubi Cafe Iyasume every morning to pick up fresh musubis before starting my day. These lightweight snacks kept well throughout the day whether I went hiking or snorkeling at the beach. My favorites were the double salmon onigiri and egg and spam musubi. The perfectly cooked sweet egg balances out the saltiness of the spam. They also offer a bacon, spam, and egg musubi and a egg, avocado, and spam musubi.

Below are all the Musubi Cafe Iyasume locations in Oahu.

Pineapple & Coconut Hut aka Zangu


If you’re in search of some pineapple dole whip and Yelp tells you to check out Pineapple & Coconut Hut, be prepared to be a chicken with it’s head cut off. First, it’s located in the Maikai food court of Ala Moana Center. People don’t know the name of this place. I asked a girl for help two stalls down and she said she had never heard of it. Second, it’s also named Zangu.

The pineapple dole whip was tangier than expected but it definitely was soft!

(1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814)

Ono Seafood


In search of poke, this place kept popping up in recommendations, but I didn’t try it until I attempted to go to Haili’s Hawaiian Food. To our dismay, they were closed. Ono Seafood was across the street so I decided to give it a shot.

I ordered the super bowl with an additional poke flavor for 50 cents more. The super bowl comes with rice, extra poke and a drink. I chose the Shoyu Ahi Poke and Haw’n Style Tako Poke. The Shoyu Ahi has tuna, shoyu (soy sauce), green and white onion, limu (algae), kikul, chili pepper, and sesame oil. The Haw’n Style Tako has octopus, sea salt, green and white onion, limu (algae), kikul, and chili pepper. Overall, I found the pokes to be mediocre. Nothing was outstanding.

(747 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816)

Matsumoto’s Shaved Ice 

Hawaii is well known for it’s shaved ice. Having never tried the famous summer snack, I decided to give it a go. Above is strawberry, guava, and lilikoi (passion fruit). The flavors were strong and tasty but when melted down, it tasted like syrup water.

At Matsumoto’s you can order a large or small, above is the small, with up to three flavors. Extras include condensed milk, ice cream or mochi. 

(66-087 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712)

Manoa Falls

Nestled among Oahu’s suburbia is the rainforest Manoa Falls.

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You will experience many ecosystems in this arborous rainforest. It rained on and off throughout the 0.8 mile hike to the waterfall. Note: Bring an umbrella and wear appropriate clothes. 

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Despite the stairs, the incline is gradual and the hike is an easy one.

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The trail does get muddy so wear appropriate shoes.

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It took about 45 minutes to reach the 150 feet waterfall.

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(Manoa Rd, Honolulu, HI 96822)

KoJa Kitchen

Move out of the way ramen burger, rice patty burgers are in town. Koja Kitchen features a fusion of Korean and Japanese rice patty burgers. My favorites are the marinated kalbi (short rib), which is pictured above, or bulgolgi (brisket) sandwiches. The rice patties keep you full, and it keeps its shape throughout your enjoyment.

Normally sold in a food truck parked at the Truck Stop in the alley between Mission and First, they now have a brick and mortar shop in Berkeley. You can also pre order online for the Berkeley location. Below is a map of all their locations.

Taylor Maid Farms

After the sad attempt at the Sonoma Hot Air Balloon Classic, I was in dire need of coffee having been up since 3:30 am. Taylor Maid Farms hit the spot with their lavender latte made from organic coffee. It had just the right amount of lavender to pair with your morning punch.

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I loved the decor of this place and was enchanted by the light fixtures.

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I do plan on going back to try their ginormous maple bacon donut.

(6790 McKinley Street, Suite 130, Sebastopol, California 95472)