I've enjoyed going to 1-2 Buy since they were in their old, warehouse-like location. Now they're in…read morea shiny new space that is more like a normal store with shelves. I always come here "just to look," but end up with a gigantic, branded reusable bag filled to the brim with imported Asian snacks. Many Chinese products, but also Korean, Japanese, Thai, etc. Snacks range from exotic chip flavors to candies and sodas. Further back you'll find more substantial instant noodle meals. The Chinese ones are actually great and are way more complex ingredients-wise than your standard instant noodle. Also in the back are Chinese cooking ingredients such as sauces and dry goods, but my favorite is the super thick, wide glass noodles that I use for hot pot. There's also a small section with Asian toiletry products that I've personally never tried. I must say it feels like there is less variety of items since they moved locations. Some snacks are repeated in different spots on the shelves to make it look like there's more variety. My favorite latiao that I used to get at their old location is no longer available. :( I'll keep coming back regularly because they're always getting new items in stock.

I've been to both locations. The Ala Moana one, it's a hit and miss for me. A few times I went,…read morethey were closed with a wait sign - will be back in 10 mins. Then the other time I went and the store was supposed to be open and no one was there yet. Because all these snacks come in internationally, the goods need to go through customs. So if you go in on the day when they just received shipment, bingo! You're lucky to find a lot of good things (I think). I haven't had any of those days. It's a pretty clean and big store. You can find a lot of foreign type of snacks. Chips, cookies and candies. I'm not a big risk taker at trying to eat something i don't know, but all the seaweed chips are delish!

Located at Fort Street Mall area in the Executive center building. That's where we parked. We also…read morehappened to come upon this store when we were in the way to 24 hour fitness. There is more ramen than I've seen in one place. Different flavors and non-spicy to extra extra spicy Snacks galore and drinks galore. Both alcohol and non- alcohol. Service is cheerful and friendly. They accept tap. Cash. Card. There's a security guard outside of the store. That was interesting.

CU is the first Korean-based convenience store to establish itself in Downtown Honolulu, located…read morenear where Ross used to be. I walked in since I was in the area and it is a very well-kept store, with items frequently restocked. They have the iconic ramyeon station, where instant noodles can be immediately made for consumption after purchasing. There was also K-pop Demon Hunters collab shin noodles and displays of HUNTR/X and Saja Boys. Overall, I liked the vibe and would have been down to try food if I wasn't full from a matcha latte I had earlier. Would visit again for Korean products!

Don Don Don Donki, is that how the song goes? hehe.. didn't hear song during this shopping trip but…read morethat always get stuck in my head when I am here. Small kid time I remember use to be Holiday Mart, then Daiei and now Don Quijote. I use to love shopping here with my parents for the dipped yogurt ice cream, I think they use to have an ice crem shop at the front of the store. During middle school days we would come here for Sanrio & Leigh's Wishing Well when laminated, personalized cards were popular. Now darn I try to avoid this shop, as much as I LOVE all the products, my wallet doesn't, hehe. I have a habit of buying every single thing. Lets talk about this recent visit, I only need 3 item which is mentaiko to make mentaiko pasta, bread to make garlic bread and natto since I needed a natto fix. I had to get out there quick and try not to stop at every section, hehe. Ended getting extra stuff but all good, I was happy with the extra goodies! Don Quijote does get crazy with parking, lines, feeling of clutter here but despite that I LOVE shopping here & the prices are low, if you can catch it on sale, even better! For someone that hasn't been to Japan, I am grateful that I can stock up on my Japanese products here. Also, I love that they have different fairs/theme every month, they carry products from specific city in Japan and even have samples too.

Donki is not a store. It is a side-quest…read more After dinner one evening, my twinsie, "Auntie" Nadine C., turned to me, whispering almost conspiratory, "Have you heard about Don Quijote?" Don Quixote? The titular protagonist of Miguel de Cervantes' 17th-century Spanish novel, often considered the first modern novel? No, not him. Side-quest unlocked: Go to Don Quijote to looks at Trader Joe's-like bags and peruse affordable macadamia nuts. Imagine if a Japanese convenience store, Costco, Walmart, Japanese pop culture, and a late-night snack gremlin all moved into one building and decided to co-habilitate. That's Don Quijote, or as locals lovingly know it: Donki. Don Quijote is Japanese discount megastore in Honolulu where you walk in for one bottle of water and somehow leave an hour later with Japanese cheesecake, body wash, a rice cooker, novelty socks, a plush penguin, Spam musubi, an ankle brace, and at least one item that made you say, "Well, I've never seen that before." Every aisle is an adventure. It's part grocery store, part pharmacy, part souvenir shop, part beauty supply, part snack paradise, and part "why are they selling this and why do I suddenly need it?" The shelves are packed to the ceiling, the signage is loud, the deals are good, and the whole place feels like a treasure hunt designed by someone who drank three Red Bull Kyoho Grapes and said, "More products! More fun! No empty shelf space!" The Honolulu location is also gloriously open 24 hours, which means it serves a very specific and beautiful type of chaos: jet-lagged tourists like myself, night owls craving Japanese curry, and people making questionable but spiritually necessary 1:11 a.m. purchases. TL;DR, Don Quijote is less of a store and more of an experience. A slightly overwhelming and delightfully unhinged retail adventure.

The second location of One 2 Buy in the Pearl Kai Shopping Center. It's on the west end of the…read morecenter, near McDonalds. Plenty of parking on that side. This store is spacious, bright, and new. Everything is very organized and easy spot the price. Compared to the main store, this one has mainly snacks and edible items, but a lot of more fragrance and cosmetic items. We even found some items cheaper at this store. The weird thing about this store is the flooring is not level. About 8 feet from the windows toward the parking lot, the floor slants down, so your cart will run away or you might feel a little dizzy from the imbalance. Overall, a nice spacious and clean store with a good amount of Asian snacks and food items. A nice addition to the neighborhood. No need to go into town now for these things. Cashiers were nice and friendly. Besides the unleveled floor, this is a more comfortable place to shop compared to the main store.

1-2-buy has a couple locations now. So far, I have shopped at their pop-up in Pearlridge, the…read moreoriginal location warehouse in Kakaako, and the Pearl Kai locations. I heard the Waipahu location has gachapon games too. Fun!! I wanna check it out! The Pearl Kai location I frequent the most has a variety of snacks from all over the world, and the workers there gave me some samples to try. I took my friend there to shop and they also gave her samples. My only problem is I buy too many yummy snacks! Lol! I always leave with a box! Hahaa. Please check them out. I think this location also has a beverage drink place inside now. Yum yum for my tum tum!

Probs one of the best places for grab and go bentos. Reasonably priced, tasty food and pretty…read morehealthy. And of course a good variety of other stuff ... when things are on sale, got good prices.

You come to Ala Moana and the food courts are always busy…read more You want something quick like Japan 7/11, Family Mart, or any コンビニ in Japan. Go to Nijiya and go over to their Bentos shelf. Fresh as they come, and discounts (if you know the time to go). Just like Marukai and Donki, come here if you need Japanese products. I go here for a quick lunch fix with AC, away from the crowd, and / or cool down. No alcohol on the tables though! You go to Foodland Farms or DnBs that is next door.

Marukai is that spot where you can find products from Japan that aren't mainstream, but are…read moreabsolutely delicious. I enjoy the seafood and the meats are absolutely prime cuts. I haven't tried their hot and ready foods, but the foods that we get to cook with are top notch in quality and value. Hubs is one of those guys who will drive the cart and add what he sees and wants to try, so when I just need one or two things, I leave him home. What can I say, sometimes willy nilly shopping can get expensive! The staff are all friendly and helpful and they have spotlighted areas in Japan which rotate regularly. If you want to know what area they are spotlighting, I suggest getting on the digital mailer so you can see the sales and specials. If you are a fan of wagyu and kurobota pork, this is your spot. When I make sweet and sour spare ribs, this is the only place that I can find the ribs cut long way (makes for more meat and easier eating). If you are a fan of hot pot, they have soups ready to go. They also have veggies and noodles premade and all the cuts of meat for that shabu shabu experience. The construction on the rail makes the entrance a little tricky depending on what side of the island you are coming from, just know there is a back entrance behind the gas station.

This store has a lot of products, food, and drinks to choose from. So much great food and…read moredrinks...my goodness! The hot foods and cold foods like the sushi...amazing! I really enjoy the hot food line they have. Everyday there's different dishes they have you can purchase for plate lunches. The store is pretty clean. The only thing is that the store needs to have the floor fixed and redone. The floor has cracks all over the store. Plus the floors are uneven. If you leave your shopping cart unattended, you may see your cart rolling off in different directions due to the uneven floor. The staff is friendly and helpful.

I like a hole in the wall, but this market is a hot mess. I don't understand the high rating. The…read moreshelves are way too close together and there is no logical order. Glass jars are stacked high. There is food on the floor. The clerks, while friendly, don't know where stuff is. My daughter asked for canned garbanzo beans and they said they didn't have them, but they did (I found them). They couldn't find a mix that we asked for, but we later did. I was looking for fresh naan, but they only had frozen. So, I'm guessing they have the corner on Indian ingredients in Honolulu. The positive is that they carry a lot of the necessities for Indian cooking. They staff is friendly and they have a private parking lot.

We pass by this India Market everyday going to work and home. My daughter loves cooking and loves…read moreethnic foods. She told me one day let's go check it out and we finally did. Its a super small market with so many options & seasoning. They also had samosas so of course we had to try it and it really hit the spot! We will definitely be back.

My go to place to buy quick lunch / eats nearby…read more I love japanese eats and for something quick and priced reasonably this is the best spot to grab something. I have enjoyed buying the black cod bento rice plates here because for the price and the amount you pay its a deal to enjoy black cod fish that is grilled with sushi rice, along with sides of mac salad, pickles. The fish is tender and cooked perfectly with the soft rice and the mac salad is delicious as well. They are priced the same so I usually pic the 2 slabs of fish that are larger than others. LOL Quick snacks of buying ice cream cones from japan costing $9 and you get 6 cones with 2 different flavors. Also tapioca bowls, and japanese custard cups also fresh sushi rolls are available. They charge for a bag here so you are better off grabbing a "vegetable produce" bag nearby the sushi roll area and bagging your items and eating your food in their food court area where I hear the ramen spot there is delicious. The food court has a microwave to reheat bento plates and also they offer a hot water pot for ramen bowls to be eaten. You have to hunt down napkins and utensils so its best to ask the cashier for these items before you leave the cash register. Across this store is the Magnolia halo halo ice cream shop. A filipino shave ice / ice cream eatery.

Cute Japanese convenience store with a nice selection of drinks, food, and groceries. I stopped by…read morefor a quick lunch and grabbed some sushi. Sushi was just ok, 7-11 taste better. While browsing, I noticed a very small section of face masks, and surprisingly they had the exact masks I'd been desperately looking for. I couldn't find them anywhere else, not even Don Don Donki or Don Quijote have them. So I immediately bought three packs, which should last me for the next several months. Definitely a convenient stop with some unexpected gems!

It's a small Lao store located in China town, close to maunakea marketplace. It was my 2nd time…read morecoming by. The prices they have in this store is cheaper than I've seen in DonQ. They also have a small fridge filled with homemade Laos items like fermented pork sausage, jeow bong, etc. The workers are so friendly here, easily making conversation with us and the regulars here. Worth stopping by!

LOVE this store! I love Thai/Lao food and it's so hard these days to find a restaurant that you can…read morejust buy from so instead..I try to make them IF I can find the ingredients. I've been here a few times and each time I come in , the aunty behind the register and the other aunty who hangs out there (not sure if she just hangs out there or works there) but those 2 have ALWAYS been so helpful in finding and suggesting ingredients that I need. If they didn't have it, they always had another place in mind where I might find it. Once I was looking for fresh wide noodles to make Pad Kee Maw ..they didn't have but they suggested the restaurant on the corner had! They assured they sold the noodles plain in plastic bags..and yes, the restaurant sold the noodles! Cheap too! Today's visit I walked in and told them I going to make Tripe Laab.. the aunty behind the register pointed it out and the other aunty told me to follow her ..not only did they show me, but explained what it does and other alternatives that were available just in case the more specific ones weren't available. There was another customer in there at the same time..I'm assuming she was a regular ..she looked at what I put down on the counter ..started talking in Thai to the worker....she then turned and looked at me and already knew what I was going to make .. she ended up telling me to put back when I got and instead told me to follow her and showed me the "homemade better version" of what I first got.. I was so impressed at the help even by a random person who didn't even work there! I'm definately looking forward to making Tripe Laab this long weekend. Fur future Thai/Lao dishes, I will definately be coming back here for the items I need. A must store for Thai/Lao and SE Asian ingredients!

Don't be confused that it says Palama and it's near Ala Moana!…read more What can I say except I have been visiting this market for really forever. My family has been shopping this market as at one point in time, there weren't a lot of Korean grocery options. (Our mom is Korean btw.) I love that they mix goods sourced from Korea as well as local produce! Also, their prepared foods are tough to beat and their food counters inside are amazing! Check online for weekly sales and hours of operation for the different locations. They also have social media which features new/trendy food and product! So easy, convenient, and nostalgic! Forever a Palama Supermarket stan.

Palama market is a small Korean grocer that has a bit of everything. It's not as big as the one in…read moreKakaako, but it's closer to where I live and I don't need to park inside a structure that makes it slightly easier (although the park can be just as busy and as tight). I've been here many times, and there are a few items I come here for - sliced beef for shabu, their kimchi, their banchan like mushroom and tripe are delicious. I also like their snacks as well, also the instant noodles. Parking can be a little crazy as the lot is tight and many cars come in and out, but there's also upstairs parking up the ramp if you really need it. On the left side of the parking lot is a locksmith / key guy. He can copy any key you need, even if it's the bigger key that Home Depot can't work on. Also, there's a little food court inside. Don't forget to order some fried chicken at Von's too, and check out the other food stalls as well! For these many reasons, I like to go to Palama market 2-3 times a month.