It's one thing to stumble upon here looking for a quick bite to eat, but it's another thing to intentionally come here to find out that they're popular with the poke, when you're shopping in here for one or a party of 20. Either way, it's how it is. 21 Mart seems to be the place to shop for your party needs.
Or is it?
21 Mart is basically within walking distance of my work place, so walked here to get food and drinks from time to time. It's definitely NOT a 7-Eleven convenience store and it's far from it actually. It's your typical Asian market place ambiance. Everything crowded into a small space, but there is some room to walk through the aisles to get what you need. They pretty much have your essentials, from sodas and alcohol, to party foods: chips, candy, and all the comforts of what a real party needs. The first thing to point out that this place is pretty much a hole in the wall type of store. If you do not know where this place is, you just need to GPS to find it. The bright side of this place is that there's good parking options here, since it doesn't get too crowded or traffic isn't that bad up and down North School Street on any given day. It does makes you appreciate these small mom and pop operations who still keep it going. Gotta admire their stamina and dedication to their small business!
The second thing to point out is the glaringly obvious. There's no air condition here - at least the times I had come through here looking for food and workday snacks. I guess anywhere to save money. I've read that they do a superb job with the poke here. While I did find that their poke was kind of pricey, I opted to try and see what the rage was all about. The verdict was that it was rather good, but average to say the least. Delicately prepared and expertly hand crafted, but the taste was just okay to me. Sorry about the lukewarm response, or maybe that's just the no air conditioning not coming from anywhere in the store that's probably contributing to the problem here. I didn't think it was all that, but for the price, it kind of turned me off. It is what it is. 21 Mart accepts credit cards, so that's always a plus. I believe they have a minimum dollar amount for credit card purchases, so best bring cash, if you know you aren't planning on buying too much at any given time. The lady at the counter can be mean and ornery, but I guess she can be harmless. She really eyes you out from the moment you come in the store till you leave, just to make sure you don't steal anything. I don't blame her though.
You're in Kalihi, for cryin' out loud!!!
The service is very quick and I can get in and out of here within 20 minutes, assuming that I remember what I want to buy and eat that day. I love the fact that I can get musubi's and hard boiled eggs here for cheap, as well as chips and sodas too. They have an ATM machine inside the store, which makes getting money pretty sweet. 21 Mart also accepts EBT transactions as well. The experience here was pretty good, although being looked at like a would-be criminal before shelling out $$ for my purchases was quite nerve racking for sure. She really watches you, as well as other staff there to make sure you don't run off without paying. Still, it's near where I work, so chances are, I will be coming here a lot whenever I need that quick fix that's nearby. They should fix the air conditioning system though sometime, but for what it's worth, they're doing an excellent job here at 21 Mart. Its not where I'd usually go to get my groceries and what not, but when in the area, you can check this place out. If not, Kamehameha Shopping Center is right up the road. Shop local is best here.
They offer plate lunches here too, which is pretty cool too. I probably need to ask them next time.
Support local!
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