14 Cool Things You’ll Find IRL at the New Hō‘ili‘ili by Farm Link

Hō‘ili‘ili, Farm Link’s first brick-and-mortar grocery store, is a foodie treasure chest. Its walls and shelves are lined with locally sourced produce, meats and drinks with prices comparable to Whole Foods or Foodland Farms. Cookies, snacks, honeys, jams, coffee, tea and other easy-to-pack items from all over Hawai‘i also make it a good place to shop for omiyage. Best of all, supporting local here means exactly that: 100% of groceries and about 70% of deli ingredients are from the Islands.

Anything you see on the Farm Link website is at the store—which means the selection at Hō‘ili‘ili can change every day. Follow @farmlinkhawaii for the latest specials. Here are things we spotted that are worth coming down for.

SEE ALSO: Farm Link Opens Its First Storefront Today—and It Will Have ‘Ili‘ili Pizzas and Subs

1. Local, Seasonal Produce

The range may surprise you, given the store’s small footprint. Popular items include humongous Mālama avocados, curly kale, microgreens, lion’s mane mushrooms and a variety of bananas and sweet potatoes. Look out for limited seasonal produce like the Maru persimmons from Hashimoto Persimmon Farm on Maui. Something I’d never seen before: roselles, which are edible parts of a hibiscus plant that can be used to make tea or jams.

2. ‘Ili‘ili Pizzas and Sandwiches

‘Ili‘ili Cash & Carry lives on as the in-house deli serving up pizza, sandwiches and Choke Garlic Balls. The menu changes from day to day, though the Italian and Mortadella sandwiches are constant. We are happy to report the Choke Garlic Balls ($18) continue to deliver on their name with big garlic flavor (pictured is a half order for $9 by special request), though our batch comes out quite oily. The kitchen is open from Tuesday to Saturday, with grab-n-go options on the days it’s closed.

3. Grab-n-Go Foods

Speaking of, don’t sleep on the grab-n-go items, which change daily. These are by the register: On one visit, we see farm salads; on another, ‘ulu spaghetti mac and papaya boats filled with mozzarella, prosciutto and basil. The latter we scoop up immediately—it’s a delicious mix of sweet and salty.

4. Grass-Fed Meats

Meats at Hō‘ili‘ili are processed in house. While you can only order frozen meats online, the stock in the store is fresh and vacuum-sealed. Alongside steaks, beef patties and sausages are venison and Daguzan Charcuterie pâtés.

5. Duck Egg Salad Sandwich

Look for this popular sandwich ($8) in the refrigerated section with the meats. It’s soft, creamy and comforting, tasting pretty much like a sandwich made with chicken eggs. You can also buy duck eggs by the dozen; they’re next to the chicken eggs.

6. Breadshop Bread

Normally, you need to preorder and pick up at Breadshop, but at Hō‘ili‘ili, you can choose from what’s available on the shelf. When we visit, there are original slab loaves and baguettes.

7. Neko Koneko Drinks

Neko Koneko lattes, cold brews and other specialty drinks are in the drink fridge, saving you a trip to the café in Liliha. Looks like the pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin matcha latte are here for fall. Call Hō‘ili‘ili if you want to know which drinks are in stock.

8. Motherwit Frozen Soups

It’s a chilly, rainy day when we visit, so the Motherwit soups sound really good. With pork and palula jook, kabocha ginger bisque and tinolang manok (a Filipino chicken soup) as the options, it’s hard to pick just one. These frozen soups were created as easy, wholesome meals for postpartum parents; they’re equally nourishing for everyone else.

9. Mille Fête Ice Cream

If you didn’t know Chinatown bakery Mille Fête also makes ice cream, now you do. Four flavors are available in pints. Mille Fête cookies also show up here but are sold out when we visit, testament to their popularity.

10. Onda Pastas and Sauces

Our pick for best fresh pasta, Onda makes meal prep a breeze with a variety of pasta shapes and sauces to mix and match. We spot six different pastas and three sauces in separate fridges, so this is a good option if you don’t want to hunt for parking in Kaimukī.

11. Fresh Poi and Kūlolo

Fresh poi and kūlolo from He‘eia farm Kāko‘o ‘Ōiwi arrive on Mondays. After that, you’ll find them in the freezer section.

12. Atebara Chips

Old-school Hilo chip company Atebara’s isn’t easy to find on O‘ahu, so we’re pleasantly surprised to see them here, with more than just the original potato chips.

13. Seaweeds

Where else can you get fresh seaweed from Kona Limu? Vibrant in color and flavor, these limu will add just the right pop to poke or salads.

14. Aloha Alfajores

This one is Frolic editor Mari Taketa’s buzziest pick (along with the Hashimoto persimmons, which otherwise have to be ordered from the farm in boxes of 7 or 8 pounds). These dulce de leche sandwich cookies, incredibly soft and buttery when brought to room temp, are handmade in Wahiawā. They’re her current favorite mahalo gift.

There’s a good amount of parking next to Hō‘ili‘ili in a lot shared with neighbors Tane Vegan Izakaya and Mini Garden. If you’re lucky, you might find street parking on Beretania right in front of the store.

Open daily 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., kitchen open Tuesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., 2065 S. Beretania St., Mō‘ili‘ili, (808) 367-0606, farmlinkhawaii.com, @farmlinkhawaii

SEE ALSO: Local Online Grocer Farm Link Builds Up Hawai‘i’s Food Systems

Andrea Lee is the digital editor of HONOLULU Magazine.

Mari Taketa is the editor of Frolic Hawai‘i and dining editor of HONOLULU Magazine.