Leonard's (it's a bakery specializing in malasadas), Honolulu and Oahu
Address 933 Kapahulu Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii Map, Tel 808 737 5591 Call, Website
Malasadas are a uniquely Hawaiian bakery treat, adapted from a well-loved Portuguese recipe.
Malasadas are more than just a donut. When made the best way (the only way Leonard's does it), the dough is light and almost melts in your mouth. The golden brown crust is a bit crunchy, giving way to chewy dough inside.
Leonards offers plain malasadas coated in sugar or cinnamon sugar--but kids will enjoy the filled malasadas, too. Chocolate, custard, haupia (coconutty), lilikoi (passion fruit), pineapple and guava are among the possibilities.
The lines are sometimes long--arrive early in the day for best selection. There's no place to "sit" and eat--plan on snagging your box or bag of malasadas and taking them back to your room, to the beach or a visit to nearby Kapiolani Park.
If you have some extra "dough" (the green kind), Leonards even has stuffed malasada characters for sale; these little chef-capped creatures are certainly not a toy you'll find in any chain toy store back home!