Hotel Molokai is the island’s major accommodation – it’s down to earth and cozy. Hula Shores, the hotel’s open air restaurant, right on a narrow beach, where I watched local cats hunting (or running from, the direction of chase was unclear) the local crabs, and the sun fade from pale watercolor to a palate that would make a parrot blush. (See the photo, above.) Hula Shore is a true local hang out, not just a place for tourists. On Friday nights around sunset, town elders sing Hawaiian songs in an event called na kupuna -- authentic sounds I savored while eating my fill of coconut shrimp and tuna poke. Taken all together, it's an experience that had me rethinking the traditional definition of luxury.
At 8:30 p.m., it was time to head to Kanemitsu Bakery. It was totally dark and locked, but I was not deterred. What I wanted was not the storefront, but the alley behind the bakery, where what’s called “hot bread” is served through a modest window.
Hot bread is often compared to a doughnut, although it's not quite that -- it’s more like a frothy pizza dough than anything resembling a cake.
The first thing to know about this pastry is that is giant. I hope sensitive readers will forgive me when I say it resembles nothing more than a pair of double-D cup breasts, minus the nipples. To these twinned mounds of dough you can add an array of toppings, many of the fruit variety. The helpful window staff will give you advice if you are flummoxed, as will the jovial crowd eagerly waiting on line.
I planned to share this hot bread with a friend, and we thought that toppings cinnamon-sugar and cream cheese sounded promising, but the lady who took our order made a face. I immediately asked for her advice and she suggested adding butter. I have never refused such a suggested, and so we retreated with our bosomy treat to devour it. This is the sort of thing that is so rich that it tastes nothing short of incredible when you’re eating it and makes you feel slightly sick when you’ve finished it. I've decided that the sick feeling was well worth it -- but it would have been better if I'd known it was coming. Word to the wise: stop at the nearby supermarket and buy a really big bottle of water. And plan to be prone soon after finishing your hot bread.
The next day, I was still well off the sweet stuff, but found coffee highly necessary. The wide veranda of Coffees of Hawaii is situated to catch the breeze, and the coffee is just about as local as it gets – much of it is harvested across the street. There are not many places in the United States where you can have farm-to-cup coffee. But all of them are certainly in Hawaii, and this is one of them.
My experience with hot bread also gave me the urge to get some fresh produce into my system, stat. It's convenient that Kumu Farms is not far from the airport. This organic farm grows some of the finest Sunrise Papayas around, as well as exotic produce like red scallions, apple bananas, and a variety of fine herbs.
