Field Guide: Waimalu
This Aiea mini-city’s plethora of interesting shops and restaurants may surprise you.
(Rollover Map for Locations)
(Rollover Map for Locations)
Photo by David Croxford |
For more than 20 years, this family-owned business has supplied the area’s families with everything baby. Peg Perego strollers, Recaro car seats and Mustela skincare products for mom and baby are among some of the most popular finds. Recently, manager Brian Oshiro has focused on bringing harder-to-find, high-quality baby wares to Waimalu, including organic clothing and mattresses. 92-029 Hekaha St., #11, 486-9000.
Photo by David Croxford |
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Crazy Canine
It’s easy to spoil your favorite furry friend at this store. With everything from organic dog food and doggy bikinis to peanut butter cookies and lavender-mint shampoo, any dog whose owner shops here should consider himself one lucky puppy. Crazy Canine’s unusual inventory also features gourmet goodies such as chicken jerky, which the store owners make themselves, and treats from Kauai’s Barkaroo Bakery. 98-027 Hekaha St., #33, 485-9663.
Photo by David Croxford |
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Customers don’t mind taking a number at this often-packed restaurant. It gives them extra time to browse the extensive menu of manapua, dim sum, noodles, vegetables and entrées. There are nearly two dozen manapua flavors alone and “char siu is definitely the local favorite,” says owner Steven Wong. “We open at 7:30 just to handle the morning manapua rush.” For lunch, a two-entrée plate with your choice of starch—there were three kinds of fried rice when we visited—is more than enough for two people. Don’t blame us if you can’t decide what to pick. 98-040 Kamehameha Hwy., 485-1107.
Photo by David Croxford
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Xtreme Soccer is a shopping experience. But in addition to a large selection of apparel, footwear and more, the store is the only place in Hawaii to offer SoccerTots, a fun physical development program for kids ages 18 months to six years old. Budding soccer stars develop their motor skills, physical fitness and confidence on a kid-size field right inside the store. 98-025 Hekaha St., #14, 485-0540.
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Photo by David Croxford |
From the looks of it, owner Roxanne Kaahaina may have put it mildly when she told us “paper crafting has gained popularity in the past five years.” Stamps & Memories is more than popular. The store is constantly abuzz with die-hard scrapbookers and general paper crafters. A serious selection of specialty papers, stickers, ribbons and a wall of more than 1,000 rubber stamps keep inspired customers coming back. QuicKutz, a portable personal die-cutting system, is especially popular for making professional-looking custom cards and invitations. If you want help, Stamps & Memories can work with you to create the perfect look. 98-029 Hekaha St., #16, 484-9107.
