While We Weren’t Looking, a New Bakeshop and Deli Appeared in Mō‘ili‘ili

Pastry chef Minaka Urquidi. Photo: Courtesy of Hō‘ili‘ili Market

Most days, if you hit the timing right, aromas of fresh baking fill the parking lot at Hō‘ili‘ili Market. It might be Lā‘ie vanilla bean pound cake, or Maui strawberry shortcake or chocolate chai spice ginger cookies. Other days, there’s coconut cake with strawberry-papaya glaze, sour poi mochi or makrut lime unicorn cookies.

Every day presents a different lineup of sweets at Farm Link’s grocery store in Mō‘ili‘ili, where a new bakeshop has emerged. Minaka Urquidi—formerly of Ethel’s Grill in Kalihi and before that, pastry chef at Roy’s—has been crafting baked goods and desserts using Farm Link’s 100% locally grown produce since earlier this year. “One day, we get all these blueberries coming in” from Maui, Urquidi says, “so I make blueberry compote. The next day, no blueberries, it’s all pineapple. So I think of something else.”

• Blueberry compote
• Blueberry polenta cake
• Blueberries and cream frozen ice candy

Photo: Mari Taketa

Urquidi’s repertoire is driven not just by what’s on Hō‘ili‘ili’s shelves, but by her curiosity and love of comfort food (remember Ethel’s?). Gochujang Snickerdoodles, a weird combination until you try it, came about after an intrigued Urquidi tried Drip Studio’s gochujang cookie. And when there is no ripe papaya for papaya tres leches or fresh mint for mint and honey ice cakes, there might be chocolate butter mochi cupcakes studded with chunky Valrhona.

SEE ALSO: Ethel’s Grill: Why It Closed and What Lies Ahead for the Longtime Kalihi Hole-in-the-Wall

• Pickled blueberries
• Bread and butter pickles
• Tortang talong eggplant omelets
• Guava barbecue chicken salad
• Summer corn succotash
• Citrus-cured beets
• Taco rice bowls with local beef
• Local egg salad sandwiches
• Local corned beef sandwiches with gruyere and slaw
• Local chicken stew with kim chee gravy

Urquidi shares the market’s kitchen with her husband, Robert Urquidi, and Jade Kapua Stevens-Poire, which means Hō‘ili‘ili’s deli game is strong. Urquidi cooked at Alan Wong’s Pineapple Room and The Pig & the Lady before taking over chef duties from his father-in-law at Ethel’s Grill. Stevens-Poire, who worked alongside Monique Cadavona at Mama Guava and crafted Pig & the Lady’s exceptional vegan pho, is a hammer among plant-based chefs. Both have had to adapt to cooking with whatever ingredients are in abundance that day, sometimes making up recipes on the spot.

Robert Urquidi. Photo: Courtesy of Hō‘ili‘ili Market

So grab-and-go items at Ho‘ili‘ili switch up as often as the sweets. When near-shore fishers bring in ‘ahi from Hawaiian waters, Urquidi breaks down whole fish for ‘ahi tataki plates, à la Ethel’s Grill, and grilled tuna melt sandwiches. On Fridays, there’s roasted Ludovico Farm chicken and an improbable but popular natto flavor of the week.

• Caccio e pepe natto
• Ratatouille natto with garlic, tomato, onion, eggplant and zucchini
• Shoyu sugar shiitake natto
• Ginger scallion natto

Photo: Courtesy of Hō‘ili‘ili Market

A back-corner freezer case holds 32-ounce containers of Robert Urquidi’s Moroccan lamb stew, Big Island brisket chili, chicken tortilla soup, kabocha coconut bisque and other items. If you find something you like, tell the staff—and hope Urquidi remembers to make it again (lamb stew, please).

All this shares space in the 450-square-foot store with local produce, meats, eggs, dairy, bread, alcohol, snacks and gifts by other Hawai‘i purveyors, every item also available for delivery on Farm Link’s website. It’s Hō‘ili‘ili Market’s one-year anniversary today, by the way, and the market is capping off a weekend of promotions with a Meet Pastry Chef Minaka event from 1 to 3 p.m. this afternoon, Tuesday, Oct. 20. Go if you can, it’ll be sweet.

Daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., 2065 S. Beretania St., Mō‘ili‘ili,  farmlinkhawaii.com, @hoiliilimarket

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