Omiyage From Hawaii: What Travels Home, and What to Eat Before You Fly
100% Kona coffee beans for the suitcase, fresh mochi donuts and malasadas for the last morning — all on Kalākaua Avenue.
Omiyage — the Japanese custom of bringing gifts home from a trip for family and coworkers — has a few unwritten rules: it should be local, easy to share and still good when you unpack it a week later. That rules out most fresh pastries and points straight at coffee. Kona Coffee Donut at 2142 Kalākaua Ave sells 7 oz bags of 100% Kona coffee ($44.95) and a lower-priced Lokahi blend ($18.95), a few minutes' walk from Waikiki Beach and open 7 AM to 9 PM. The fresh stuff — mochi donuts and malasadas made in-house every morning — is still worth buying; just eat it before the flight instead of packing it.
100% Kona Coffee Beans: $44.95
A 7 oz bag of 100% Kona, or our Lokahi blend for $18.95. Taste it first: a cup of 100% Kona is $7.00. 2142 Kalākaua Ave, open 7 AM to 9 PM daily.
What Makes Good Omiyage
The best omiyage checks four boxes:
- •Local — something that says Hawaii, not airport duty-free
- •Shelf-stable — fine after a week in a suitcase
- •Light and flat enough to pack
- •Easy to share, or a clear "special" gift for one person
100% Kona Coffee Beans ($44.95, 7 oz)
Kona coffee is grown only on the slopes of Hawaii Island's Kona district, which is why a bag of the real thing costs more than supermarket coffee — and why it lands well as a gift. Look for the words "100% Kona" on the bag; a "Kona blend" can contain as little as 10% Kona. Not sure you'll like it? Order a cup of 100% Kona ($7.00) at the counter before you buy the bag.
A Lower-Priced Coffee Gift: Lokahi Blend ($18.95)
Buying for a whole office? Our Lokahi blend comes in the same 7 oz size for $18.95. It is a blend, not 100% Kona — ask at the counter what's in it and pick the one that fits the person you're buying for.
Fresh Treats Are for Today, Not the Suitcase
Mochi donuts ($3.95 each, $22.50 for 6, $45.00 for 12) and malasadas ($3.95 classic, $4.95 cream; dozens $45.00 and $57.00) are made in-house every morning and taste best the day you buy them. Pick up a box for the hotel on your last night or the morning of your flight, and share it before you board. If you are carrying food across a border, check your home country's customs rules first.
Packing Coffee for the Flight
Keep the bag sealed until you are home, store it away from heat in your luggage and give it within a few weeks while the aroma is at its best.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Pick Up Your Omiyage on Kalākaua
100% Kona beans $44.95, Lokahi blend $18.95, a cup of Kona $7.00. Open 7 AM – 9 PM daily.