Can You Guess How Many Pies Lee’s Bakery and Kitchen in Chinatown Sells on Thanksgiving Day in Honolulu?

A good day to pie hard.

Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Close to 3,000. That’s how many custard and pumpkin-custard pies Lee’s Bakery and Kitchen sells on Thanksgiving Day. The Chinatown pastry shop began with custard tarts (yes, like the ones on a dim sum cart) more than 30 years ago. Now, folks at the second-generation-owned bakery say people start lining up three hours before the doors open at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving for their dreamy, creamy, still-jiggly pies, which sometimes sell out by 1 p.m. According to the owner, no preorders are allowed, so there’s a lady who comes the night before Thanksgiving every year and camps out for 11 hours to get first dibs on the custardy confections. Her family should be very thankful.

Lee’s Bakery, 125 N. King St., (808) 521-6261

This story originally appeared in the November 2019 issue of HONOLULU Magazine. Get your copy at shop.honolulumagazine.com and subscribe to the print and digital editions now.