In a pickle... Get…read morethese cuties in a jar which is exactly what I did as anyone who knows me...I don't like pickles and never did BUT seriously love pickled cucumbers o_O ya I'm word like that but who can't resist these crafted delight that are done in so many different flavors. I've seen them at various markets but here at the Lōkahi Kailua Market which goes on Sunday 9am-1pm it just was a snack I guess I was looking for and these that could be used for that and so much more got me drooling as I do love tart and sour pickled veggies as well along with samples of all items does help with the decision making and sold me instantly. There's nothing like handmade items and with the various pickling flavors supporting local places like this with a jar of Garlic Jalapeno Dill that's $15 is no big "Dill" at all. Thank you!

Walked into the Waipahu Festival Marketplace to check out all the fresh produce vendors here…read more Nice cool air conditioning is a welcoming experience from the hot and humid Hawaiian summer temperatures outside. As I walked through the marketplace, I came upon Sonia's Market. The fresh green long beans caught my attention. I enjoy fresh long green beans with a little pork or chicken stir fry and black bean sauce. I grabbed a bag at $1.00 a bag! Reasonably priced and great friendly service too! Support our local markets!

Bargain treats…read more.. It's so nice to CU in the Pagoda Hotel as this newest addition the the CU Hawaii family has expanded to this newest location which benefits not just the hotel guests but us locals as well with hours from 6am to 11pm daily you're able to get chips from $1.99 or a freshly blended smoothie for this hot summer days or how about a bowl of ramyun of your choice as I did just that along with a seaweed snack for later. The down side is probably the parking though there are some in the back it can get filled if the hotel is busy and once you cook your noodles there aren't any designated tables due to the size of this spot but you do get just about everything offered like any other location...no hot items at the moment as well. With specials like BOGO Musubi or Gimbap or just something to drink where you'll able grab something all chilled and cool for your adventure they have it all right here and in such a super tiny spot they sure made it work. The staff is so nice and friendly and just knowing that there is a spot to grab something bento, Musubi or just a snack they have it here for you and all at a great convenience. Thank you!

Shopping in Honolulu, Hawaii…read more.. This location of CU Hawaii is inside of the Pagoda Hotel. Entrance is on the Rycroft Street side for regular customers who are not hotel guests. Service was efficient, helpful and friendly! The interior was cozy, clean, and bright! We got the refrigerated kimbap because it was on sale: buy one, get one free! It was okay... maybe it would be better if it was heated up? It's not as good as a fresh kimbap, but it was convenient and the price was right!

DEALAGES Yo! While…read moreeating lunch with my friend - Mark C., he mentioned to me about an open market that sold fresh produce for dirt cheap. Shoot den'! We go check 'em out I told him. After we pau eat lunch at Lucky Box Restaurant, the open market was just a hop, skip, & jump away, as the open market was located at City Square Shopping Center. Ung Farm was the business my friend was telling me about. Looks like this business promotes fresh produce from farm, straight to the market and as the sign says - I guess most of the fresh farm items are from Kuhuku & Laie. After looking around, I ended up picking up a few giant carrots, ginger, bitter melon, & celery (see pic). And the best part of it all? I paid just $5 bucks! Can we say DEALAGES Yo!!! Looking for a great deal on some fresh vegetables or fruit? Give Ung Farm a try!

Farm fresh... As I…read morewaited for my knives to be sharpened at Aframes-Tokyo it's a great opportunity to browse around and took mom along as we both had quite a bit of errands to do and coming early is nice as there was a lot of selections here fresh veggies all bright and beautiful arranged. We went for the seasonal persimmons as they just brought out cases of them while I eyed a few other greens I noticed that they had a discounted dollar sections for items that are dated is a nice and cost effective. The vibe here is busy but the staff is nice and friendly and is great to have alternative to support small local biz. Thank you!

Grocery shopping in Chinatown, Honolulu, Hawaii…read more.. My friend, Mrs. Wong, wanted to buy Won Bok (Chinese cabbage) to use as an ingredient in her Jai (Monk's Food - a vegetarian dish that's eaten especially at Lunar New Year). She kept saying that she wanted the "small kind". I have no idea why... Easier to cut up? We ended up at U & M Produce because she used to come here with her late husband (RIP Mr. Wong). U & M Produce is located on King Street where we had parked for free on an early Sunday morning. Mrs. Wong found a pre-packaged bag of three Chinese cabbage and was really happy. She paid cash because it was a reasonable price. The cashier was very nice and let me take a photo of the cabbages on the scale. LOL! The store was so crowded - UHG! I didn't want to go inside. I just waited on the sidewalk! I'll go back and browse later...

When you go to certain produce stores in Chinatown, usually each one of them has something unique…read morethat others do not have, and U&M fits that bill. This store is located next to the Yat Tung Noodle Factory, across Oahu Market. The store doesn't have the brightest of lighting, but it's pretty well organized and you can tell it wants to showcase the produce. U&M offers a lot of vegetables, produce, and dry and packaged goods that you won't find at other stores. They also prepackaged a lot of its vegetables and even precut some of the big squashes or pineapples so customers don't need to purchase a giant size squash. The owner is a really nice man, and he picks up fresh produce almost everyday that's flown here directly from California. His staff are very hardworking and they're all friendly. You know, I've never asked him for U&M stands for. I just always think "you and me" lol. I'll ask him next time.

Shopping in Pearlridge Center, Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i…read more.. Strolling around the Kawaii Friends Fair on the upper level of the mall, along the Dunkin Donuts and Planet Fitness wing (Downtown Pearlridge), we came across: kj's kreations There were so many bins of cute things! I thought that I should get some for party favors for a lunch next week with my female cousins. There were Hello Kitty keyrings, Stitch notebooks, hand sanitizer holders ($8), Labubu topped pens ($2), and more! I liked the items that were priced 4 for $10. What a deal! Service was very friendly and helpful. The sweet gal was just laughing along as I added more items to my bill. She offered me another stamp card - one stamp per vendor per $10 spent - for the Kawaii Friends Fair. I'll be back!

The express store was right there next to subway on Alakea Street. Very open concept. It looked…read moreempty. They do have hot foods in the warmer food case with for fair prices. Portions are fair. Food was good! I love Korean food. Satisfied for price, taste of food, nothing special about the Korean food, and so convenient for those who work in the area.

My internal monologue acts up sometimes. Today, as I crossed Alakea street it went, "wait, do you…read moresee people in there? THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THERE! Let's go where the people are!"  Okay, it didn't say/sing that last part because my internal monologue isn't that of a Disney fan waiting for the little mermaid live action to come out. Not sure where was I going with that because that definitely went sideways. Any who, Palama Express looks like it has finally opened with temporary hours of Monday to Friday, 7 am to 4 PM. They're still clearly setting up as not all of the display cases and shelfs are completed and there's plenty of empty shelves. They do have a wide assortment of snacks, baked goods, and drinks. More importantly, they have kimbap, the various type of mini bentos such as spicy pork, bbq chicken, tofu, chicken katsu, and fried mandoo among others. They do seem more expensive than their other locations with a 50 cent increase likely due to downtown rent. Where's that NYC guy when you need him yelling "THE KIMBAP PRICES ARE TOO DARN HIGH!" They also have banchan, seeweed salad, pickled vegetables, Teagu, and more. The store is clean, newly renovated and well lit, which is a stark contrast to the darkness that was the former tenant, Starbucks. So if you're looking for an affordable and relatively healthy lunch that isn't a sandwich, stop by Palama Express's newest location.

Convenience shop in Ali'i Place in Downtown, Honolulu, Hawaii…read more.. When you arrive in the lobby via elevator, you will see this Mini Mart in the corner. There's a table outside the door for a grab-and-go snack. Inside, there's a warmer with spam musubi, a refrigerator with beverages, and other odds and ends. The female worker was rhythmically strumming a ukulele without changing a note. It was amusing, but she was not. She made it known that this is private property and that too many photos are not welcomed. She asked if I was going to buy something and I said yes... that beverage. I just felt like I needed to leave. LOL!

Cereal-eater…read more.. Ali'i Place is one of the best place to park when you're in this area of downtown as the other municipal parking is quite far and here it's $0.75 per half hour makes it very cost friendly and is the place I park for Capitol Modern and other nearby locations. It's usually at night that I do park and on this occasion going to a nearby biz this was the best option and noticed that they had this cute little mini mart just right beside the elevators. Mini puts it mildly as it's very small and cozy just one aisle filled mostly with snacks and drinks with a warm box for some Musubi though that's basically it. The shop staff there wasn't that friendly but allowed us to browse and saw a cup of cereal that I usually like to snack on though that it was a good option to purchase just a single pack as everything compact in here was nice and organized though not sure if anyone is able to know or see this spot as it's quite hidden. Thank you!