36 O‘ahu Foodie Omiyage to Take to Neighbor Islands and Beyond

Afew days ago we got an email from a reader who goes by the name hwn girl: “Do you have a feature about O‘ahu omiyage? If so, could you please send me the link(s)?”

The last time the Frolic team named their best local foodie picks was for our Christmas gift guide last December. It’s a mouthwatering collection, but omiyage is a different game. Not only do these food gifts have to represent O‘ahu, they have to be packable or worth hand-carrying. In some cases, especially if you’re traveling to parts of Asia, the presentation has to impress. So while we sent hwn girl the Christmas link, at the same time we threw her question out to the team.

Within hours, we had something like three dozen picks. So here you go, hwn girl: our bigger, even more ‘onolicious collection of sweet and savory omiyage recs for these last days of summer travel or any time of the year.

Andrea Lee’s picks

Photo: Courtesy of La Tour Café

• La Tour Café macarons
• Mikey’s Favorites Golden Flakes cookies
• Honolulu Crispy Beef Jerky Co. crispy beef jerky

Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Diane Seo’s picks

• Prune mui from the Crack Seed Store
• Noms Gushers from Hawai‘i Candy Factory

Eric Baranda’s pick

Photo: Courtesy of Honolulu Cookie Co.

• Honolulu Cookie Co.

Gregg Hoshida’s picks

• Hawaiian Host Maui Caramacs
• Coconut syrup from Eggs ‘n Things
• Whole bean Kona coffee from Honolulu Coffee
• 3D pineapple gummies from Enjoy Snacks
• Li hing anything

Mari Taketa’s picks

Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

• Assorted manapua from Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery or Royal Kitchen. Requested by neighbor island relatives who otherwise buy the frozen kind from Costco.
• Mochi and chichi dango from Nisshodo Mochi. A California friend’s Lahaina-born great-grandfather ate these one in each hand.
• Ube crinkle cookies from UBAE. A 4-year-old in Humboldt County is addicted; also a hit with senior citizens in Virginia. Even better, the four-packs are at 7-Eleven.
• Mānoa Honey with cacao nibs. Everybody likes crunchy coffee honey.
• Sea Salts of Hawai‘i’s Uahi Black Hawaiian Sea Salt. Lots of drama in the look of this charcoal-activated finishing salt.

Melissa Chang’s picks

Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

If interisland:

• Manapua from Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery unless it’s a deathly early flight, then Royal Kitchen
• Hawaiian Chip Co. chips (the fresh ones from the factory in the box)
• Poi glazed malasadas or poi haupia rolls from Kamehameha Bakery or Coco Puffs from Liliha Bakery

Photo: Christi Young

If mainland or Asia:

• Big Island Candies cookies
• Li hing powder—any brand
• Lemon peel gummies—any brand, but Aloha Gourmet has the softest
• Kona or Ka‘u coffee—Lion Coffee for Kona, Ka‘u Coffee Mill for Ka‘u
• Reusable totes from any local companies
• Noh Foods of Hawai‘i brand mixes
• Hawaiian Sun powdered drink packets
• If I really love them and have time, a Meli Kalima cream pineapple from Frankie’s Nursery is one of the ultimate O‘ahu food gifts. But I have to really love them.

If taking to my cousin in Iowa or niece in Minnesota:

• Sun Noodles (the Foodland 75th anniversary dry mein is shelf-stable)
• Mochi from the Mochi Bar, Nisshodo, Maui Specialty Chocolates
• Mochi waffle mix from Mochi Foods

Robbie Dingeman’s picks

Photo: Robbie Dingeman

• Mānoa Chocolate bars, especially the Hawai‘i flavors—mango, coconut, liliko‘i and so on—with the Punky Aloha artwork. They now come in small size as well as regular. Or the Hawai‘i Grown ones where I match the flavor to where expats grew up: Mililani, Ko‘olaupoko, Waimānalo.
• JerkyLabs thin beef jerky, especially lemongrass and adobo. If I don’t have time to order, then Snack Addicted also great.
• Echoing Mari, love Nisshodo chichi dango original and other mochi.
• Sea Salts of Hawai‘i, the flaky Kona in the grinder is kind of a local Maldon; or the small Hawaiian Chili Pepper flavor. These food gifts don’t squish, spill or take up a lot of room.
• For cookies, The Cookie Lady or OG Betty’s Best at Wholesale Unlimited.

Cookie Lady cookies. Photo: Martha Cheng

Thomas Obungen’s picks

Photo: Thomas Obungen

• Sun Chong Grocery lemon peel gummies and reusable tote bags

Tracy Chan’s picks

• Dried li hing mango, iso peanuts and li hing pineapple from Lin’s Hawaiian Snacks or C-Mui Center