Island Fresh Produce

This little mom and pop business is in the heart of Kaimuki. They have a daily supply of fresh fruits and vegetables and other cooking goods. They also sell some Asian goods that you can’t find in a regular supermarket! Service is great and fast! Great store overall!

Maybe the produce is good but DO NOT GET SHAVE ICE here. We should have realized when there’s no flavors listed. Or when she couldn’t remember the flavors she did have. Or when she forgot that I ordered banana and gave me vanilla and strawberry. But we finally realized when, mid way through eating it we found ants that must have been in the syrup. Delicious.
Of course, she didn’t seem bothered when we told her.

I love working in Kaimuki. Heck I really, really enjoyed living here too. Except the housing situation got to expensive, so moved on. (Sigh…)
This little market place is just a step above my old workplace, and a step below my new workplace. I love working in Kaimuki. So, I just continue to shop here.
My clients call this the papaya store. Papayas are so easily bruised, damaged by buggies, or smashed. So choose wisely. I also question the sanitation standards when the clerks cut fruit and accept cash payments at the same time.
I buy bananas because they don’t need precutting, and they come with their natural wrapper. (And I love to eat bananas).
flowers are usually pricey, but I will buy a bunch of red ginger for 6 dollars once in a while.
People drive right onto the sidewalk here, act like pedestrians are random targets, so be careful when you are ducking under the homemade shredded bed sheet curtains.
Unilocal 365 Challenge: ⁹⁰⁄₃₆₅

CONVENIENCE! That’s the main reason I stop by here on my way home. While I know that the don’t have the wide variety and selection that a true grocery store does or even a regular open market. This is sort of the half sister of both. It has a small section of Asian spices/​seasonings, vegetables and fruits, and even some prepared food. I do like their tapioca and Chinese pretzels (although I think they’re like Thai pretzels but I can’t taste the difference).
It is sort of cash or check only but you can use your debit/​credit card if it’s over I think $ 15. You should just bring cash in case since everything’s fairly cheap and it would be quite hard to spend $ 15 even when you buy two taro tapiocas… yummy! ATM’s are all over Kaimuki… I think there’s two within hobbling distance of the store. The ladies who run it are really nice too. They’re always smiling and willing to help you.
Not sure of their hours since it’s kinda a «ghetto» market but still loveable and cheaper than say Safeway or Times. You should probably find street parking wherever you can since there’s no lot for them.

Island Fresh Produce is a great random market stand/​shop. They have a variety of fresh produce like bok choy, won bok, mustard cabbage, bananas, etc.
I live pretty close to Island Fresh Produce, so this place definitely comes in handy when I’m running low on something random like garlic chili sauce or bean sprouts.
They also sell summer rolls, tapioca, banana bread, and assorted drinks. I’m surprised at how tasty the summer rolls and banana bread are. :)
I appreciate that Island Fresh Produce also sells island fresh flowers and leis. It’s a life saver when I’ve procrastinated my lei-​buying to the very last hour that I possibly could.
Island Fresh Produce is not an enclosed shop with a door or anything. It’s open-​market-​esque… sort of like a produce stand but bigger. So there’s no A/​C. Anyway, you definitely can’t miss this place… ESPECIALLY when the sun is out (like in the afternoon) because they hang these sheets from the roof to block the sun. It’s kind of ghetto-​cute.
As for parking, I see most people just pull up right in front of the place.

The fresh produce is nothing to shout about, however, how’s this for convenience? Attached to the produce section is a meat/​seafood store and attached to that is a florist!
I bought some marinated lemongrass chicken and some black tiger shrimp. Very convenient location and one wouldn’t know it was there if one didn’t venture over to look at the produce.