Malasadas, My One True Love

I’m suddenly wishing we had chosen the GPS option at the rental car desk. Maybe then we would have some idea of where we were going. Still feeling the jetlag from a flight back in time, from Sydney to Honolulu, I just needed some sugar in my system. If I could only find this damn bakery…

But sure enough, the directions led us to a dodgy strip mall near Pearl Harbor where I was more likely to find a drug deal than culinary delights. Suspiciously, I entered the bakery and by the time I inhaled the scent of deep fried dough and sugar, I knew I was in the right place.

Leonard’s Jr., the little brother of the original bakery on Kapahulu Avenue, reminded me of the adage my mother always told me: “Never judge a book by it’s cover.” The little shop that could barely has enough room for it’s staff, let alone sweet-toothed customers, but that doesn’t stop them from lining up and down the street.

The dessert in question is the malasada, a round doughnut-type pastry with fillings and toppings that is Portuguese in origin. My comrades ordered the banana variety, but I chose cinnamon. I’m not sure if I can say it’s better than you-know-what, but I would be willing to give up all sorts of earthly delights for just a bite of the doughy goodness.

In total, I made three stops to Leonard’s in my two weeks on the islands, including once at the original. They open at 5:30 a.m., so they’re the ideal breakfast before your flight back home to the depressing existence without malasadas.

View Leonard’s Bakery Locations in a larger map

Find the malasadas yourself on your next trip to Honolulu!