Crack seed. For us…read morelocals in Hawai'i, these snacks were childhood staples. The crack seed store, a classic place where vibes of nostalgia are generated every time I walk into one. 'Cause I grew-up with li hing mui and arare. There's a small number of locally-owned crack seed shops on the Big Island of Hawai'i and in Hawai'i in general. This is one of them, the "local-style candy store" for an island boy like me. I enter 5-Spice, located in East Hawai'i after the intersection of Kilauea Ave and W Puainako St, heading south. I remember frequenting this business when it used to be at Puainako Town Center. Their popularity over the years gave them the ability to move to a larger space. Now independently located in their own building with ample parking. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Would I be able to control myself, holding onto what's desired without adding anything extra? It's always impossible for me to do so. Everytime. Yummy preserved items in large display jars, others placed in vacuum sealed bags. All priced by-the-ounce. I become curious, wanting to taste it again. I go to my favorites, seeking them first while browsing through the visual display of many others. Cracked seed goodness on one side, bagged candies and sweets on the other. I've seen this all before yet, I stand still with the desire to place it all in my hands. And I sure do, my hands are full. I mail them to the U.S. mainland in care packages, travel to the neighbor-islands as omiyage, and personally enjoy them at work or at home as snacks. They make great gifts for friends and coworkers too. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Let's talk about food, where mouth-watering plates and yummy burgers are prepared. Bentos are packed to-go on the countertop. Offering an extensive menu for a take-out, all made to enjoy outside on picnic tables or elsewhere. Daily specials are available along with catering + platters too. Front service by the team at the counter is pleasant, attentive. Gratitude is always extended for every purchase. Comfortable, courteous, welcoming. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "Meat Jun Plate" A light egg batter and thinly sliced beef served in an upscale fashion due to care in preparation and quality of flavor. The soft and indulgent texture of each meat jun piece, perfectly seasoned + cooked. Your choice of tossed greens, purple sweet potato or macaroni salad. "Honey Chicken Plate" Featuring a crazy yummy sweet and savory glaze, sticky and glossy. This sauce, this recipe creation is glorious. Chicken pieces are tender yet slightly crispy on the exterior. "Bibimbap" Freshly made Korean banchan, thinly sliced seasoned beef over white rice. I pour the gochujang over everything and mix-in the sunny side egg, bringing forward a creamy texture along with heat + depth. Choose the sweet potato salad as your side. "Gravy Burger Combo w/ French Fries" This massive burger patty is filling, satisfying. Charred and smothered in rich brown gravy served with lettuce and mayo. Choose the sweet bread bun, the seasoned salt on their fries makes all the difference. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Delicious food to-go with generous portions, sealed bags of cracked seed items + sweet treats at 5-Spice. For enjoyment at home, to share at work, gifts or omiyage. Find this charm, this unique and tasty experience on the Big Island of Hawai'i - East side. Locally owned and operated.

Everything is amazing! Parking - awesome…read moreStaff - super friendly Food - omg, delish And while you wait, browse the crack seed area and buy some snacks! Love this place!!!

"You can die anytime, but living takes true courage." -- Kenshin Himura…read more What a wonderful health food store & gift shop. If you're wondering: "Locavore" is a person whose diet consists only or principally of locally grown or produced food. Add a bunch of uniques gift ideas by Big Island artists and life is complete. Located in the heart of old town Hilo on Kilauea Avenue is where you'll find Locavore or as locals will know it's next to Ben Franklin. The staff of Sam and Audrey were genuinely kind and welcoming. I was most impressed with their knowledge of products and pride in what they had to offer. My sister (who I was visiting) purchased fresh non-GMO produce and pickled namasu. Since I was visiting Hilo I chose unique stickers and postcards to take home with me. I really felt a warm peaceful vibe while browsing around The Locavore Store. On a Sunday afternoon it was filled with curious customers. Health conscience hippies, those looking for island arts & crafts, and a few locals living la viva Locavore lifestyle. What a fab gem in old town Hilo. Til next time... Pls follow my adventures IG: @eric_travel_guru

They offer local products from smaller businesses which is a really nice touch. Staff is friendly…read moreas well.

Great outdoor (covered) market. Highly recommend for anyone visiting Hilo. Best on Saturdays and…read moreWednesdays. Clothes, food, decorations, knickknacks, souvenirs, etc. great produce from local farmers. A must for anyone touring Hilo.

So many ch fun an, beautiful arts and crafts and lots of local fruit , vegetables and food to…read moresample.

My go-to grocery store. They cater to the local community and support the local community. I love…read morebeing able to make it my first stop in the morning to get breakfast, lunch and groceries for home later. Sometimes prices are a bit high for certain items, but if you watch for sales, they aren't too bad! I shop at KTA at least 3-4 times a week.

Way bigger than the downtown location, plus they have a selection of Two Ladies mochi just like…read moredowntown. Checkout was a little backed up but not bad. Plenty parking. Big selection. Decent prices. Everything you need in a market. Also got some perfectly yellow local bananas - back on Oahu, it seems like all the apple bananas are greener-than-green and take 10+ days to ripen. We were able to tear into these in the car!

New owners just took over and they are the best! So kind and friendly! One of the best Açaí…read morebowls I've had! So fresh and delicious!!! Highly, highly recommend!!! You will not be disappointed!!!

Ice cream was great as expected which this place is known for. I prefer the ube one…read more The staff was really nice and she helped adjust a coffee that we ordered. I'd recommend getting coffee elsewhere- the cold brew is a bit watered down. Small seating inside but super close to other stores so a great stop after a meal!

Obviously Foodland not a paid Yelper so they are getting hatchet job here. this is a pretty good…read morestore. I have bought meat here probably 150 times over last 4 years. NEVER A PROBLEM. Same with the poke. Staff is very nice too, especially on senior discount Thursdays. My Subaru dealer in Syracuse NY got same type of treatment from Yelp because they were not paying Yelp review fees. Foodland in Keaau is a nice place.

Kinda bum this foodland did not have the assortment of poke as previously foodlabd this one was by…read morethe volcano so maybe not that many people eat seafood was a bummer but ok we go to another

Totally worth the short, scenic drive! So close to Hilo town!…read more A beautiful working farm- and lovely curated items from crafts, to chocolates, coffee and home-grown fruits. I brought some chocolate home and it is the most amazing chocolate! Also got some fresh fruits we ate while on the island. Wish I had one of those caviar limes right now!! Go here for your souvenirs and support local farmers.

We stopped at this gift store on the way back from the chocolate farm. The gift shop features their…read moreown macadamia nuts that they grow on their 700+ acre farm. (The nuts are processed off site). I bought some and they were delicious. The owner was super friendly. It is worth a stop if you are in the area.

In the town of Hilo, Kilauea Market fills the niche role of Asian grocery store. Granted, we are a…read moreplace that is densely inhabited by peoples of Asian descent, that's a pretty big niche! They certainly serve it well, though. Kilauea Market carries such a wide variety of foods, it'd be tough to actually name them all. To give you an idea, all of the ingredients that your old Chinese grandma put in her vast repertoire of soups when you were a kid, they have that stuff. They also carry other odds and ends you'd expect in an Asian specialty store. Personally, I appreciate the variety of instant noodles that they have. I am a simple person. But really, if you're in need of an obscure ingredient, this is the place I'd look for it. Other things of note with Kilauea Market, the staff have always been friendly and helpful, you'll never have a hard time finding parking, and they're located quite conveniently a little ways down the road from Hilo Shopping Center.

The produce was not fresh, very wilted. There were expired things on the shelves. Sticky floors and…read morerusty shelves. They have most of the Filipino and Chinese stuff, not so much Korean or Japanese. There is also some Vietnamese and Thai stuff. Considering that it's like the only place in Hilo to get Asian stuff for cooking at home, it's okay