Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center Farmer's Market

Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center Farmer's Market

 August 7, 2012

Where to park...that's always a problem when going to Waikiki.  It'll cost you some dough even with validation.  So to visit the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center's Farmer's Market, I parked in the free parking by the zoo.  Yes, it's a trek but Waikiki is always full of interesting sites along the way.

The market is on the 4th floor of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, building A, every Tuesday from 3:30-7pm.   It's small.  The space isn't the largest but tables and tents find their way around the upper lanai of the building.  Most of the products were baked goods.  A few of the 'usuals' were there - fancy local frozen treats, jams and jellies, abalone.  My pick of the market was a beef jerky.  The owner/producer was really friendly, gave samples, and makes great tastes!  He even designed a rub for pork out of coffee, jerky, and salt/pepper.  Interesting.

You'd expect to see lots of fruit and vegetables at a farmer's market.  Not so at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center.  By my count there was only one fruit and veggie and it was crowded!  My mom bought a batch of apple bananas and I got a bag of grape tomatoes.  Both good prices and tasty to boot! 

Folks attending the market were mostly Japanese tourists - lots of tables called out to tourists in Japanese.  Smart.  A Japanese camera crew of some sort was taking photos and asking questions.  Maybe they have a blog, too!   Others mainland tourists were looking at jams to send home as gifts.  There weren't too many dinner options.  A tent was making take-out trays.  Looked pretty good.

If you buy something at a store in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, your parking will be validated but it'll still cost you a few bucks.  Go early for the market and stay to eat at one of the fine dining establishments.  At center stage you can also catch some terrific singers and dancers.  And since you're in Waikiki, take a walk and check out the creative folks on the street - a man dressed as an arbor, a man with a guinea pig, painters and performers.  Gotta love Waikiki.

Want to check their calendar to yours?
http://www.royalhawaiiancenter.com/events