I went to check out Malu after dinner nearby and was pleasantly surprised. It's a small shop in the Ke'eaumoku plaza. There's a small lot in the back that's monitored but free for 20 minutes or less parking. The lot is not one of my favorites since it's very tight but it's fine in a small car. I wanted to try a variety to get an idea of what their best options are so we got one cream puff and two different cake rolls, one strawberry and one Okinawa sweet potato. When we went at 7 pm they still had about 6 options in the case, with the majority being cake rolls. The double cream cookie puff was hands down my favorite and absolutely delicious. Coco puff who? Just kidding, but both are delicious in their own way but I do prefer Malu, especially the dough on the cream puff. The cake rolls were not too sweet and very soft. We tried the strawberry and Okinawa sweet potato, the sweet potato had actual chunks of potato in it. The strawberry had one fresh strawberry and some bits in the piece. The prices were very reasonable, I think we got all 3 for under $14. The worker/owner? was sweet and got everything packed quickly. It's small but there are a couple of tables if you want to eat in, I chose to take home. I want to go back earlier in the day to try some of their other specialties. Loved the pink interior, very cute read more

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Small ice cream shop with the cutest vibes. Their black sesame sauce with their vanilla soft serve is literally such an amazing sweet treat. Would 100% eat a whole cup full of that sesame sauce. read more

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Suuuuuper cute cafe where dessert lovers and people who love pink unite! They sell different kind of jelly drinks, roll cakes, kimbap, and more! After eating a single portion of one of their many desserts, your dessert cravings will surely subside. I thought I had a sweet tooth but I almost couldn't finish my cream puff. The prices that they sell these sweet treats are similar to bakeries/pastry shops that are similar. If you like Kulu Kulu, I think you'll also like Malu! Coffee Jelly drink: Jelly is soft and drinkable. If you've ever had a coffee jelly drink at Kulu Kulu or at Patisserie La Palme D'Or, they all have the same consistency. The one thing I really like better at Malu is the fact that the jelly has a more subtle sweet taste. Double cream cookie puff: Softer than expected but I actually thought the soft texture combined well with the fluffy cold cream. After finishing 75% of it, it did feel like I was getting a little tired of the sweetness of the puff though. It's a good cream puff but I could personally do with a little less cream. Side note: Don't forget to get your parking validated after purchase! Also, there are only two tables inside so I would not recommend eating in with a group bigger than 4 - opt for takeout instead! read more

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Ordered a custom cake to celebrate me and my twin sister's birthday and it was exactly what we wanted. We're big grand sumo fans and we had requested a cake shaped like a dohyo (the ring that sumo wrestlers fight in). He even got the salt and water buckets we wanted! He was also kind enough to let us borrow his plastic container for transport! read more

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Their cream puffs are really good. I much prefer the Japanese style cream puffs over more local versions like from Lilliha. This cream puff is more similar to kulu kulu or aloha state bakeshop. The chocolate cake wa pretty dry and I won't order it again. The cheesecake was just ok, I've had tastier Japanese cheesecake. Service was fast and polite. There's paid parking in the lot in the plaza or free parking in the Sky Ala Moana second level. read more

Malu is a nice dessert place they have soft serve ice cream and the roll cakes are delicious. Also tried the sesame jelly drink that was so refreshing too. The owner was really nice and friendly. The place is small and has a few seats if you want to eat in. read more

Malu - Desserts Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We had soft serve with chocolate sauce, With Oreo and with Haji-cha. They were all so ono and refreshing!! The service was fast and friendly! What a way to cool off, the interior was cool and quiet and clean! Nice music to soothe us! Thank you! Will definitely return! read more

Kids loved the soft serve with all the toppings (got Oreos and Strawberries). The "one person" helping us did a great job with the three kids. While small (hidden in the back of Samsung Plaza) we parked at Walmart and crossed the street. read more

What a nice treat after dinner! We tried the strawberry jelly drink. Don't forget to mix it before drinking! It tastes just like strawberry milk with jelly pieces (kind of like boba). We also had the vanilla soft serve topped with fresh mango sauce, and it was delicious! It felt like eating fresh cut mango with your ice cream. They're generous with the sauce too, which we enjoyed. Just a reminder: make sure to get your parking validated! read more

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It's always good to see Taka. I've been coming to him for years. Today, he opened the door for us and remembered me after months of being away. I got a new job, so I haven't been around as much. But his quality is as good as ever. Today, all of the items were winners. I think he is getting used to the American palate more. I loved the Halloween decorations, and the bright pick paint always lifts my spirits. Inside the case is the special of the week along with some of the staple items. On the wall is the rest of his menu. If you want, he can make speciality cakes for you. He really is fun to see. I love his hojicha soft serve! read more

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First time visit. Met the owner Taka. Nice guy. He makes the cakes and goodies here. Ordered the original beef Kimbap, Coffee jello drink, Candied Pear and newly featured Pistachio pie. I parked on Makaloa Street metered parking per yelp tips. 75 cents for 30 minutes. Owner Taka makes the Kimbap when you order it! Great tasting. Coffee jello was a little sweet for me, but still delectable. The pistachio cake and Candied Pear were recommended by owner Taka. Great recommendations! Update: The candied pear was perfectly ripe. However the candied cover was sweet and ended up cutting up my mouth. Maybe a thinner layer? I ended up pulling off the candied cover and ate up the delicious pear. read more

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Where to go after dinner in Honolulu, Hawaii... This is a common question which the Yelp app can answer. I searched for "dessert" and found Malu. I had seen it at the Ke'eaumoku Plaza (the building next to Sam Sung Plaza). It was time to check it out! Because I strongly dislike paying for parking, we parked elsewhere and walked over. Malu is between King of Thai Boat Noodles and next to Wen's Tea. It shares the parking lot with Cafe Gangnam and Kickin' Kajun. Inside, the cozy fuschia-colored shop is ready for Instagram photos. The bright pink decor is quite memorable! There's bench seats with a few tables and chairs for indoor dining. Service was very polite and friendly. My friend asked a lot of questions and the gentleman was so nice. We learned that "Malu" has many meanings. In Hawaiian, it's protection. In other cultures, it's peace or conversation. My friend asked - what's the Korean word for "pink"? The gentleman laughed and said that he didn't know because he's Japanese! LOL! My friends got fancy desserts - a cream puff cookie and a yuzu mousse - and strawberry jelly milk drinks. They really enjoyed the quality and flavors! I can't do dairy, so, I got Kimbap - Korean sushi. It was made fresh - it was delicious! The beef was tender and tasty! The rice was chewy and the takuan was crunchy! Yum! I wouldn't mind returning - especially since Malu stays open until 8pm. Note: closed on Wednesdays read more

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Cute little dessert shop located in Samsung plaza. There are a few table and chairs for dining I tried the soft serve with matcha sauce which was amazing. The owner is so friendly and once you try any of his desserts, you know it's made with so much love and passion. Highly recommend! read more

A buddy brought kimbap and their roll cake desserts to our house. The roll cakes were moist and pretty tasty. The kimbap, however, was very average. The kimbap was not rolled very well and started coming apart in the container. The taste was also just okay. In my opinion I would get dessert from here and skip the kimbap. read more

This place is our go to place for desserts! From everyday desserts to the Holiday season desserts, they are very recommended! All their desserts are very high quality and can tell that the baker takes pride in his craft! If you are looking for a Japanese type of dessert, where it is not overly sweet, check this place out. Small place with a few seats, I usually take out. read more

Teeny mega pink shop. Usually it is quiet and peaceful, but the pink is always bright and welcoming. No matter what day you stop by to have a dessert, this place always has something for you (different selections often from the creative chef) and the nice man there who makes everything! Sometimes there are seasonal/themed desserts available too, and you can also order custom cakes for special occasions. I have no pictures of the taiyakis but they were delicious each time. All of the cakes, soft serves, and kimbap are delicious as well! Every bite is flavorful (and not too sweet or overdone). Parking is not the best in that plaza, but it has always been a good time on slow days. I like coming when I'd like a treat to myself. read more

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M: Let's go get dessert... Me: I have to work... M: Let's go get dessert!! Me: I'm busy now... M: LET'S GO GET DESSERT!! Me: ok... I should be working but Mink wanted to get dessert so we went to check out Malu. She insisted we go but at least we went during off hours. Samsung Plaza had lots of open stalls and the place was empty. You can't miss this place because it's bright pink. Inside is cozy and they validate for 30 minutes if you dine in. She knew she wanted the soft serve with Oreos and chocolate. Mink ordered me the soft serve with fresh strawberry sauce and Fruity Pebbles. I think she got me one so that she could have two lol. It was pretty good and the Fruity Pebbles offered the soft serve a nice textural component to each bite. Mink was satisfied and got her pics for the Gram. Main thing is she's happy and had a good experience there. Glad I was able to come and give this spot a try. It was nice break from everything and the soft serve was quite good. Definitely worth trying and solid spot near the Ala Moana Center area. 4.5 stars read more

Malu - Soft Serve w/Oreos & Chocolate (L) and Soft Serve w/Fresh Strawberry Sauce & Fruity Pebbles (R) - Desserts Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

It was my first time trying this place! I have seen the advertisements for this business and follow them on IG as well but never actually had the time to go there to try it! It used to be a soft serve place and I've been there once before it changed establishment! The boyfriend was the one who said we should go. I think he may have seen it online or something. But I was so glad we did! We got there and no one was in the shop! There was only one person working and I am assuming that's the owner of the shop. He was very nice and made our order all by himself! We had ordered the 5 taiyaki, 1 kimbap, and 3 desserts! We got the spicy tuna and cheese kimbap and that was soooo good!! It's very cute that the top was sprinkled with rainbow sesame seeds! The egg was like a tamagoyaki egg versus the actual pan fried egg so it gave the kimbap a slightly sweeter taste! For the taiyaki we ordered two spicy tuna melt and one of each of the beef, chocolate, and custard! Omg!!! It was all sooo good!!! I don't eat beef so the bf had that and he said that it's realllllyyyy good!!! The spicy tuna melt was so good too!! But the sweet taiyaki...omg!! Chef's hand kiss! The chocolate was soo good!! It's like chocolatey but minus the extra sweet flavor! It's like actual dark chocolate!! The custard was amazing as well! Like I don't usually like custard but this custard is like the ones I've had in Korea! It's not the super heavy cream or pudding like custard it's the more transparent and not so sweet kind!!!! All of it was sooo good!!! For the desserts we got the Mont Blanc, nama Choco, and the cookie cream puff! They were alll really delicious but my favorite has got to be the nama choco!! It's like a dense mousse cake but when you take a bite of it, it's like this velvety chocolate that just melts in your mouth! The Mont Blanc has this really nice layer of chestnut and cream and the crust is nice and crispy/flakey!! The cookie cream puff was probably the best cream puff I've had! Like the puff itself was crispy on the outside with the cream on the inside! But the shell itself doesn't break down and make the cream gush out when you cut into it. Like the shell stays in tact when you cut and doesn't crumble!! That's a miracle!! Like I've never had anything like that!!! If you haven't tried Malu, I would definitely recommend you try them out!! Definitely will not regret it!! The price is pretty reasonable as well! I mean we ordered all of that and it was about $40 something! We will definitely be back to try the other items he has as well!! read more

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Met Taka, one of the owners. Super nice guy. We shared the soft vanilla ice cream with half Hojicha and half Black Sesame topping sprinkled with color sprinkles. So yummy! Will return. They also have beautiful cakes! read more

Malu - Ice cream with half Hojicha and Black Sesame topping sprinkled with color sprinkles! So yummy! - Desserts Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Cute little boutique dessert and snack shop. One man show. Boy does the owner work tho; And he creates the cutest snacks and things. Check them out on their IG page or website to see some of his creations. First time I stopped by the shop was to buy a few dessert items for my friend's kids and kimbap for me. It was fun to choose! Saw that they also had taiyaki in sweet and savory choices and my favorite...jelly drinks! They had coffee jelly, matcha jelly, and mango jelly that day. Had to stop in later that evening with friend to try the coffee jelly! So delicious! Today I came back for the taiyaki and of course a jelly drink. Taiyaki choices include tuna, spicy tuna, beef, red bean, chocolate, and custard. Bought three to get the discount price. Ohhh swoon...I want more I WANT MORE!! Choices on jelly drinks today are coffee, matcha, and strawberry. Ohh boy, choices...such hard choices! Got the matcha jelly. Yumm so delicious! Looking forward to returning. Located in the Sam Sung Plaza on Keeamoku Street. Only the owner runs the space so if there is a line, expect to wait. I arrived first so my order was quick. The lady who arrived 4th while I was still waiting was not happy to be quoted 30 minutes for Taiyaki and Kimbap made to order. Taka, the owner, mentioned customers can order online at their website and he will start to work on your order before you get there. Small shop. Slightly small portions still, love the selection. Look for the bright cute pink shop. Thank you so much Taka, again, for your good service and delicious treats! Arigatoo ne, ja mata! read more

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Located off Keeaumoku St, Honolulu, Parking you have the option to pay for parking in the main lot or opt to look for street parking. The place is small a few tables. The desserts go pretty fast throughout the day we got there about a hour before closing and we had only 3 choices of desserts I got the double cream cookie puff and a bag of Chex style mix. Overall a cool place for desserts. read more

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Where do I start.‍ Taka is one of the most talented Patissier on the island. Super nice & easy to work with. I had a custom cake done for my other half which was "Chanel" inspired. I sent a few pics of what Im trying to do & towards the end, I put my full truest into Taka with his creativity. I had no clue what the cake was going to look like. The day I licked it up is the day I saw it, It blew my mind how beautiful a cake can be. Not only did it look good, IT WAS DELICIOUS! My other half was amazed on the look and taste of this amazing cake! Malu is very fortunate to have Taka and his talent. Their daily pastries are also super Oishiiiii read more

Malu - Chanel inspired Chocolate Mousse cake - Desserts Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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A cute little Japanese dessert shop tucked away off Keeaumoku. They specialize in custom cakes, pastries, soft serve and even kimbap. I've come to Malu to get cakes for a special occasion, once for a custom birthday cake and just recently for their Valentine's special chocolate heart. Both 5 star experiences, especially the custom cake. They were able to perfectly capture what I was going for and were very responsive via email. My frog cake turned out great! The only thing was the cake needed to be buttercream based (instead of whipped cream) to accommodate my request for decoration. The inner cake ended up being like 60% buttercream and 40% cake and was a bit hard to eat. Their pastries are very delicious and are Japanese style so not that sweet. The nama choco is one of my favorites because it tastes just like Royce chocolate from Japan. Aside from the sweets, I've come here twice so far wanting to try their kimbap...but they were out of rice both times :( I don't want to give up on trying the kimbap because I hear it's really good! In general, I find that many items sell out by the afternoon, so come early. Every time I've come, only Taka (the owner) was working. He can only help one group at a time, resulting in long wait times even if there's only 2-3 people in line. Major props to him though for managing all that by himself. read more

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Craving something a lil'sweet and/or need a snack? Try Malu on Ke'eamoku in the Samsung Plaza on the same side as Hi Blend. They have a parking attendant for parking or you can do street parking... a lil'birdie told me she saw people walking from the Walmart parking lot over too. The parking lot here though can get a lil'busy and keeps me from thinking of returning to this plaza. Inside the shop, is narrow and long, and not really a place to sit down and mingle in large groups or if the place is busy, but they do have a few stools and benches to sit on. The entire inside is mainly PINK. Walls, floor, chairs, tables, the A/C?, everything... PINK! It's cute and matches the personality of the offerings here. Came here in the evening snack huntin' and found their Dorayaki... Japanese style cream sandwich in the Strawberry cream flavor... was soft, chewy and pretty tasty! For $4 at that time, seemed like deal fo' how ono the Dorayaki tasted. They also had Azuki and Green Tea Creams for other options. Sadly, haven't been back to try their kimbap or other desserts, but if I do return will be to try their kimbap next... till then, Grind On, Pau! read more

We really enjoyed our first time at Malu! Super cute pink interior, lots of selection for wonderful dessert and snacks, sandwiches too! The gentleman was super friendly, and Yelp gives you a free topping on your vanilla soft serve with lots of different options to choose from. Definitely will go back. I really like that the soft serve was not super sweet like American establishments usually serve. This felt good in my tummy! Will go back! read more

Malu - Malu owner with my yummy vanilla frozen treat and chocolate! - Desserts Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I really wanted to like this place and the gentleman at the front was so nice, but we nothing we came for was in stock! I wanted to try the taiyaki and the crepe cheesecakes but both were discontinued items. We just got a kimbap and a cream puff. Both were very cute and my gf loved the cream puff, but we both thought the kimbap was just ok. At least the interior was super cute, bright pink everything and we got some cute pictures together. Did I just go at a bad time? I'll try this place once theres more desserts to try on the menu. read more

Malu - Rainbow sesame!! - Desserts Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Ugh! Such a cute little place. I bought a soft server with strawberry sauce and fruity pebble toppings! I also got my friend a adorable red bunny dessert for lunar new year! the owner creates the cutest designs! Everything was so fresh and delicious! read more

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Strangely enough, this yummy dessert spot also happens to be my favorite place to go for gimbap. Of course, it is nice to be able to get some freshly made-to-order taiyaki or other beautifully created, delicious treats when I'm picking up my order, but I would still come here even if the gimbap was the only thing on the menu. Just like the taiyaki, the gimbap is made-to-order so the rice has that perfect chewiness and the flavors of the veggies and other toppings really pop. I really appreciate the attention to detail, care, and love that this gentlemen puts in to his food. Plus, he is super nice! Being that he runs the shop solo, you may have to wait a bit for your food. Also, he sometimes runs out of rice, but he usually has a pot cooking and is always happy to take your order if you don't mind waiting (or coming back after you have your tea from Wen's). Support a creative and passionate business owner and give this place a try! read more

Malu - Gimbap - Desserts Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The space was small but cute. Owner was very nice. Plating was unexpectedly elegant. I think this would be a good spot for friends and for a grab and go, but would not recommend for a date. In terms of food, get the soft serve with the lilikoi sauce. Omg that was DIVINE. Perfect combo of sweet and sour, with a bit of crunch from the seed for texture. Others were meh. The chiffon cake didn't live up to expectations. Pistachio flan is great concept but I don't think it delivered. TL;DL -- get there soft serve with lilikoi or any sauce that catches your eye. maybe the regular flan too. The pistachio might've been too creative but I think the texture and technique were on point read more

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Cute tiny place with limited parking. Yummy and beautiful desserts. Wonderful service. read more

Malu - Coffee jelly drinks - Desserts Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I finally found a place that makes delicious and not too sweet desserts. From going to pastry school in Italy to working at different shops and restaurants, I finally found one that I can say is way above average. I got a soft serve ice cream with a strawberry topping. The soft serve is delicate but not watery. It has a nice cream flavor and the strawberry topping tastes so good. It is not too sweet but the strawberries have the right amount of sweetness to them and taste very natural. The Mont Blanc that I had was delicately made. I think the only criticism I have is that if the desserts don't get bought, sitting in the refrigerator the baked tart and the crumble in the back start to taste stale. I enjoyed the mont blanc a lot but I do have a little aftertaste of it being not so fresh. It's ok though for me. The whole flavors of the cake were perfect. I love Japanese desserts because they are not too sweet and they taste like what they're supposed to taste like. I think I will go back and see and try a different dessert next time. I know they deserve 5 stars so I will have to go back and try other stuff. read more

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This tiny shop in the Samsung Plaza has the best looking and best tasting desserts. My friend told me about this place during the pandemic so I went to check it out. The chef comes up with a new dessert each week and if it's popular, he keeps it on the menu. So far, my favorites are the double cookie cream puff, Malu cheese, chocolate pudding, and chocolate roll cake. I buy the whole roll cake and I get 5 pieces out of it. It's a great dessert for the family to enjoy after dinner because it's not too sweet and the cake is very light. The desserts are about $5 to $7 each and the whole roll cake is $20. I recommend calling in your order so the chef has time to prepare it. For all of the individual desserts, he "finishes" them when you order it so he'll add toppings/garnish before boxing it up. I went with a couple of friends and it took about 15 minutes to get all 3 of our orders ready so calling definitely helps. I've been too focused on the pastries and cakes to try other items like the taiyaki, soft serve, and kimbap. You can park in the Samsung Plaza and if you stay for more than 20 minutes, you can ask for validation. If you preorder, you should be able to get in and out in under 5 minutes. read more

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Hoji Cha! Great service and a nice atmosphere. Great spot for a date. The Black sesame with chocolate sauce was also nice. They have kimbap and a nice showcase dessert menu. Would love to try the Taiyaki as well. read more

Malu - Desserts Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Awesome little cafe! The owner/ chef is incredible! King of multitasker- he bakes, makes coffee, cooks, and makes kimbab- all by himself! We frequent this place so much that it's kinda our happy place. Food is consistent - and service is courteous. Valet parking is available although takes a bit of wait sometimes depending on the time of the day. read more

Malu is a small pink dessert shop in Honolulu. They sell bentos, kimbaps, and taiyakis too. I bought a soft serve with black sesame chocolate and fruity pebbles. The soft serve was a nice ice cream delight. The desserts are pricy for how small they are, but it takes skill to make these that make me think it's worth it. Malu posts on their Instagram the "dessert of the day" which only lasts for 3 or 4 days. I would suggest checking out their "dessert of the day" posts and if one does catch your interest; Go for it! I recently tried their 'White Dress or Wedding Dress' which is sweet potato pound cake coated with mascarpone cream ribbons. This small dessert was sooo good, that my friend and I had to buy a few more. I didn't know sweet potato and mascarpone flavors would combo well together. The "dessert of the day" is different now, so keep your eye out for their desserts if you're interested. I also requested a custom cake from Malu. You can fill out a request cake form on their website: www.maluhonolulu.com Their cakes are limited, for example Basque cheesecakes, flavored moose cakes, cakes for dogs, and others, but the chef is open to designs. I picked a mango mousse cake which was $50 and the design I found on social media. I asked for it, with the manga pages from the anime Haikyuu. After you submit the cake request form, Malu will let you know the total price. Since, I asked for a custom detail on my cake. The extra charge was $30, so total was $80. The mango mousse cake looked amazing and my family & myself enjoyed eating it. read more

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My friend and I stumbled across this place actually by accident when we were on our way to get boba next door lol. But let me tell you I do not regret it at all! My friend and I both had spicy tuna rolls which were absolutely amazing! Korean style sushi. While we waited they gave us the little cups of ice cream. (I should mention this was before the pandemic hit) After that it's been take out but this place is amazing! I love how friendly the staff are, and how clean this place is! The cute creations match the atmosphere! Definitely worth checking this place out. read more

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Decided to stop by after grabbing lunch at HiBlend- Malu's just a few doors down. Right on Keeaumoku in the same strip mall as Kickin Kajun. This place is a gem! Such a cute little storefront. There are a couple seats you can sit at if you wanna try your goodies. I took mine on the go. It was Easter weekend so I got the Easter Dessert Cup- it has a white chocolate shell with mango mousse, a coconut cream core & the chick is banana/ lilikoi cream. So cute & fun! The double cookie cream puff took the cake for us!! It's probably the best cream puff we've had on island. Nice crispy outside & filling is delicious. I believe it was sugar cubes on top and that added so much to it. So tasty & I will definitely be back if I'm around the area! read more

Malu - Easter Dessert Cup, Double Cookie Cream Puff - Desserts Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Seriously so good. Matcha sauce and strawberry sauce are incredible. Service is extremely friendly. Not overpriced!! read more

Malu - Desserts Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

WHY would I get anything else here? The kimbap was SOOOO GOOD. Tottemo Oishii desu! Forget about the desserts, I'm always ordering the kimbap. It was possibly the best one I've had, and I told him no takuan since I don't like that in my sushi so it was PERFECT. FOR ME. The rainbow sesame seeds were so extra. Never seen those before! I guess I gotta come back and try the desserts next time. So random, kimbap and dessert. read more

Malu - Seriously. It's the best. - Desserts Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Revisited and the cakes are delicious! we bought four of them to try and they were fluffy, light, not-to-sweet, and overall very high quality. I'm not sure if the cashier was the owner (again?) but he was very nice. The chiffon cake and taiyaki wasn't around anymore - must be a seasonal thing or they up-leveled! I avoided the soft serve but it's a bakery and not an ice cream shop and I love to revisit places to give them second chances. read more