I must have seen Liliha Bakery on almost everyone’s list of must-eat places for when you’re in Honolulu. Apparently, they are very well known for their creme and coco puffs. I never really paid much attention to this place since I’m not a big sweets or pastries person. What I didn’t know was that Liliha Bakery actually has a full diner attached to it. You can actually go, sit, and have an authentic Hawaiian meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. So, one of the days that we had a hike planned, we decided that we would treat ourselves to Liliha Bakery afterward.
Related Article: Top 15 Honolulu Restaurants That I Would Actually Eat at Again
Liliha Bakery Locations
There are currently four Liliha Bakery locations. We opted to go to the original location located at 515 N. Kuakini St. Honolulu, HI 96817 since we had a car this time around. If we didn’t have a car, we would have gone to the new Waikiki location that’s on the 3rd floor of the International Market Place.
What Time Should We Go To Liliha Bakery
This was my first time going to Liliha Bakery so I don’t really know when the optimal time to go is. If you are planning to visit the original location and want to eat at the diner, we came in on a Tuesday around 2:00 pm and there was almost no one at the counter. I assume if you come during the normal lunch and dinner times, there might be a wait since the only seating I saw was the counter. If you are just coming to pop by and get some pastries, I think you can pretty much come at whatever time.
If you are going to the Waikiki location, it’s a full-service restaurant and bar with a huge amount of indoor and outdoor dining. So, there is a way better chance for you to get seated right away versus the original location if you are short on time.
COVID Rules
At the time of this post, they were checking IDs and vaccination cards for you to dine inside. As an added precaution, they also have hung clear partitions between the kitchen and the guests.
Liliha Diner
As mentioned before, we decided to stop by Liliha Bakery, not just for their famous creme puffs but to actually sit down and have lunch. I already read a bunch of reviews on Eater and Yelp so I had a pretty good idea what we were going to order. We got the loco moco with a 5 oz. patty ($11.50) and the oxtail soup ($22.95). Usually, we would order more than this but knowing that it was going to be Hawaiian-sized portions, we thought we better just stick to two items.
My best friend has never tried loco moco so this was the perfect chance for her to have a taste. For the oxtail soup, I usually would never order something like this but so many people were raving about it that I wanted to try it too! Also, the soup comes with their famous butter rolls which is what I REALLY wanted to try. I can never say no to butter and bread!
I would say the loco moco and the oxtail soup were a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Don’t get me wrong, both dishes were delicious, but it has to be mind-blowing for me to give it 5 stars. The butter rolls were a solid 4.5 out of 5 but I might just be biased (lol). Also, insider tip, it’s SUPER COLD inside the diner so make sure you bring a jacket or something because we were sitting there shivering.
Liliha Bakery
Here is where I’m giving my 5 stars! If this is your first time coming here, you HAVE to get the creme puffs. I’m kind of upset I hadn’t come sooner because I have been missing out on these creme puffs on all of my past trips! I didn’t think creme puffs could get any better but Liliha Bakery somehow made it happen. The creme is super cold on the inside and feels amazing to eat especially on a hot day. The creme puff is also STUFF with filling so you don’t have to worry about them skimping out. Also, just so you are aware, these creme puffs are more like a custard consistently rather than whipping creme.
I ended up ordering one of each (for research purposes of course) and taste-tested every single one of them. The flavors are creme puff, green tea puff, chocolate creme puff, and coco puff (from the top going clockwise). My favorite is the creme puff and the coco puff but that’s just because I tend to like those flavors. Everyone has to go seriously go and try them out. TRUST ME! You can thank me later.
Other Pictures
Kasey
I don’t like cream puffs, but the ones from this bakery are incredibly delicious! Your description made me want to try them on my visit to Honolulu. Thanks for spotlighting Liliha, as it never would’ve been on my radar otherwise. I only wish I had ordered more from them!
Luxury Lowdown
Omg… I’m so glad you got to try them! They are so good aren’t they?!?! I can’t wait until I go back so I can have some more lol.