Coco Puffs on the left, Cream Puffs on the right
We stopped by Liliha Bakery the other day and grabbed some of their famous Coco Puffs, along with some Cream Puffs.
The Coco Puff uses a Choux pastry shell, injected with a chocolate pudding filling and a Chantilly frosting on top that’s very buttery and sweet, with a sort of granular texture to it. Because they’re made in advance then refrigerated, the Choux pastry’s outer crust is a bit on the soft side. I’d prefer it more crispy, but they’re still good.
Coco Puff cut-away view
That buttery-sweet frosting is so rich, I could only eat one, but I’m sure there’s folks out there who could easily put a dozen of these bad boys away. While each one is a bit smaller than the Cream Puffs served at Beard Papa, they’re also considerably cheaper at 80 cents each, vs. $1.50 at BP. They also have them pre-boxed by the dozen if you’re looking for a treat to give that prospective business client or to share with coworkers.
The Cream Puff uses the same Choux pastry as the Coco Puff, except it’s filled with a custard and topped with Chocolate shell glaze. While they’re good, the Coco Puff certainly wins the taste contest.
Cream Puff cut-away view
My buddy also is very fond of what’s called Palm Leaves…
Palm Leaves
As you can see, the name comes from its shape. This pastry has an interesting combination of texture, being sort of chewy and sort of crunchy. Very buttery, with a sweet glaze covering it. It’s hard to describe the exact flavor, but I liked it. This would go great with a cup ‘o joe.
They’re located almost near the corner of Kuakina and Liliha st., across Pizza Hut
While the Coco Puffs may be their claim to fame, there’s also a very large selection of other delicious looking, fresh-made pastries, cakes and pies to choose here. They also have a full-service diner including everything from pancakes ‘n eggs to steak and potatoes.The bakery was very busy when we arrived. If you go, make sure you pull a number to be served.
I plan to return here and sit down at their diner for breakfast or lunch. The menu looked good and priced right.
Liliha Bakery
515 N. Kuakini Street
Honolulu, HI
(808) 531-1651
20 comments
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May 7, 2007 at 7:21 am
Hilo artist
Holy Shirt!!!!
Totally sinfull! Totally bliss!!! I will soon be sinking my teeth into these and taking some home in two weeks!
May 7, 2007 at 6:53 pm
pomai
Howzit Layne. O.K., you can have one. Just one. No more than that, or you won’t be able to fit into that Kikaida suit! lol
Thanks for stopping by!
May 7, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Hilo artist
LOL!
Pomai
Looks so ono and I can just taste it through my computer screen!
You should do a TV show spin off of this website on OC 16!
Just looking at your pictures makes my boring diet food taste so much more better! I can see the light at the end of this long and strenous dieting tunnel.
Keep on posting those ono pictures!
Aloha Layne
May 9, 2007 at 3:58 pm
mary ann
Knock Knock!! I’ve heard about these CocoPuffs but never had it yet…I love the palms though!! Had it since small time!!
hi^^ I was looking for McD’s haupia and taro pie…and landed here!!!
Thank you, thank you , thank you for the onolicious photo’s!!! I was drooling at every page!! Dang–been away from the island too long…
I miss those plate lunch, McD’s fruit punch and kalbi with the bones…
But now I can come here just to have a look and remember what it looked like!!
Love all the info’s you have!! Spam musubi—I wouldn’t be able to open it either!!!
May 10, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Anuhea
*grumble grumble gurgle* Did you hear that? you awoke my stomach! I am now craving some coco puffs, and that is NOT a good thing since they are about 3 minutes away down the road. Oh god, must resist!
May 11, 2007 at 4:39 am
Hilo artist
Eh Sistah,
Three minutes away! spoiled honolulu people! I have to fly over just for my fix.
But that makes da buggah moa bettah!
May 11, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Chubbypanda
I can see why they’re famous.
May 13, 2007 at 1:47 am
Robyn
ohh… i can’t wait to have some!
i’ve also had a couple late night breakfasts at liliha. the best part is the toast with fluorescent pink jam. it’s really good! the rest is pretty standard diner breakfast food, nothing special, but i love the liliha environment.
November 29, 2007 at 3:18 am
Natalie
We are from Honolulu and we live in Oregon, we need a recipe to make custard, so we can make coco puff. Please email me back if you can give me the recipe. Thank you!
April 11, 2008 at 11:21 pm
kathy
Is there a recipe for your coco puffs if so please send to my email logantylorwyatt@hawaiiantel.net thank you
April 28, 2008 at 2:40 am
kepola
aloha….Do you make your own creme fraiche? I was hoping to get your recipe for making Chantilly for topping. I love them coco puffs…it so special you know. When I am visiting Honolulu, I always buy at the most 3 dozen frozen puffs and am excited to share with my family and friends back home. I have my relatives and friends buy them for me when they visit us here. We are so deprived. Your prompt response is greatly appreciated. Malamapono………O wau iho no, Kepola-lanai city, hawaii
May 31, 2008 at 6:23 am
pomai
Hi Kepola, sorry about this late (over a month!) response.
Anyhow, I’m the last person you want in the kitchen to bake ANYTHING, unless it’s something already prepared (like a Holy’s Apple Pie!) and only requires turning the oven on. lol
If you’re directing your question towards Liliha Bakery’s pastry chefs, I highly doubt they’d be able to share their Chantilly recipe. Surely that’s one of their trade “secrets”.
A wiki article explains how to make your own Creme Fraiche…
“Crème fraîche can be made at home by adding a small amount of cultured buttermilk or sour cream to normal heavy cream, and allowing to stand for several hours at room temperature until the bacterial cultures act on the cream.”
May 31, 2008 at 7:07 am
Kai
Aue, e Pomai – now I stay soooo ‘ono for dis stuff (sigh). Do you have any idea on how I can get a recipe that would make a reasonable facsimile of the bakery’s butter rolls? They seem to be a very light, yeast roll that looks like it was baked in a muffin pan because they have a “hat” that forms after the dough expands to fill each muffin “cup”. I’ve tried numerous recipes found on the web and in some cookbooks but haven’t had any luck. Anybody willing to help this homesick gal? Mahalo in advance :0)
May 31, 2008 at 8:12 pm
pomai
Kai, let me get back to you on that. I’ll have to go buy some and dissect it. Tough job, but someone has to do it. lol
Besides, I wanna’ see what changes have been made (if any) since Peter Kam – the man behind the Yummy’s Korean Barbecue restaurant chain – recently purchased the bakery from the Takakuwa family.
November 7, 2008 at 6:59 pm
KoloheBoy
I miss coco puffs!!!!!
January 2, 2009 at 8:38 am
johmbolaya
Coco puffs, chantilly puffs, eclairs, Long John’s, man oh man, my family made it a tradition to go here every weekend, and it was my dad’s tradition growing up in Nu’uanu. That and the pancake mix you can get (or used to be able to get).
I did eat at their diner once as a kid, but never as an adult. I will change that some day.
February 26, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Maria
The banana cake with chantilly frosting is the best. Fantastic Cake Ever.
April 7, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Ohana Means Family « Girl Who Knits
[...] cake and/or–if you don’t have the space to store a whole cake–a Coco Puff (great blog about the tasty treats here.) The topper of this divine pastry is a nice portion of their famous Chantilly icing (yum, yum, [...]
April 8, 2009 at 11:10 am
sleepingdog
Coco puff an’ palm leave stay good, but da bes’ stuff at Liliha Bakery is da cinnamon twis’. Get jus’ da right combination of crunchiness an’ chewiness (if you can imagine dat contradiction), toogedda wit’ one explosive taste.
April 30, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Pam Weaver
You guys..stop it aredde. I now live in LV. Cocopuffs my weakness. And their Mahimahi. I sat next to the jungle boy Brandon Lee one morning. Good fun. I miss home and secondly Liliha Bakery. I used to work for the phone company. Every morning my girlfren and I used to eat 2 cocopuff, 1 long john and coffee. A hui hou.