New Haawi Toast & Tea is a hit at the Kakaako market

Inspired toast elevates the popular snack

Four weeks ago, I strolled through the Saturday Kakaako Farm Lover’s Market and was surprised to see longtime Alan Wong’s Wine Director Mark Shishido working a booth. At first I thought it might be a fancy new booth from the restaurant, but he was actually there to help his wife, Bonnie. She had been laid off from the paper and, faced with the need to start anew, drew inspiration from the movie “Julie & Julia,” where the blogger Julie makes delicious bruschetta.

Well, Bonnie’s toast is very delicious. She currently offers three toppings: eggplant, kalua pig, and the most popular avocado with corn salsa. They’re instagrammable, and each is just $5. She also sells iced green tea infused with local ginger, lemon, lime, honey and mint for $3.75. It’s so good that I’ve seen people come back for seconds while I was still eating my one slice of toast

Now, if you know me, you know I love it when a phoenix rises from the ashes. It was one thing to try Hā’awi Toast & Tea’s toast on their first day, but it was so great to return two weeks later and find a big crowd in front of their booth ordering toast. The best I could do was sneak around the back of the booth to say hello to a very busy Mark Shishido, engrossed in cranking out multiple toast orders. I guess this toast thing was a good idea, huh?

You can find Hā’awi Toast & Tea every Saturday at the Farm Lovers Market at 1050 Ala Moana Blvd. (the old Ward Warehouse spot) from 8 a.m. to noon. They’ve also started selling two kinds of croutons.

Hā’awi Toast & Tea
1050 Ala Moana Blvd.
Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon