Gastronome
Lemon Blueberry, The Chocoholic and Madagascar Vanilla cupcakes
FLOUR + BUTTER BAKERY
Imperial Plaza
725 Kapiolani Blvd.
Phone number (808) 593-0566
Website flourplusbutter.com
In a perfect world, there exists a perfect cupcake. It is light and airy, and not so dense that it becomes impossible to finish. The icing is not too thick and only subtly sweet — and there’s just enough of it to go with every bite, but not too much.
There’s obviously no such thing as perfect, but I think I’ve found something that comes incredibly close.
Earlier this week, I journeyed not far from Metro‘s office in Kakaako to Imperial Plaza, where Flour + Butter Bakery recently opened. It’s a charming little spot; one of those cutesy boutiques that draws people in on looks alone — though this one has an equally attractive selection to choose from. My eyes immediately were drawn to delicately decorated cup-cakes and colorful macarons. Before I knew it, I was merrily on my way back to the office, purchases in tow.
Let’s start first with what appears to be the most prevalent item available: cupcakes. The Chocoholic was a good choice to kick things off. It was everything I described about a perfect cupcake, with a rich chocolate frosting in just the right amount that didn’t overwhelm.
Lilikoi, Cotton Candy and Psychedelic Vanilla macarons
JAIMIE KIM PHOTOS
It’s when I moved on to the Madagascar Vanilla that I felt a little stumped. Again, the cake was perfect, but the frosting’s consistency reminded me of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. It was too smooth, leaving a peculiar mouth-feel. Personally, I like when icing has some firmness and sugary grit so that it adds texture to every bite.
As always, though, things like this boil down to preference. Metro staff writer Paige Takeya also sampled a cupcake and decidedly loved it, even though it’s not her preferred dessert.
“The frosting was unexpectedly delicious because it was so light and fluffy,” she tells me. “It was a great change of pace from the usual dense, sugary buttercream.”
What I really appreciated about Flour + Butter Bakery were its macarons. They were eye-catching creations, with marbled colors swirled in pretty pastels or vibrant, darker shades — and they tasted pretty damn good, too.
Biting into a Cotton Candy macaron was almost like digging into a plume of the real thing, minus sticky fingers. The cookie was soft and chewy, and the filling was perfectly creamy. The Lilikoi and Psychedelic Vanilla also were favorites of mine, both with such bold flavors.
Initially, I thought maybe I could do without a return visit to Flour + Butter Bakery. But after writing this, I’ve realized the error of my ways, only purchasing one Cotton Candy macaron. So…
JAIMIE SAYS:
PARKING Easy breezy, and Flour + Butter provides validation
EAT IT QUICK As I discovered, chilling the cupcakes resulted in pretty hard frosting
PRICE POINT Cupcakes and macarons cost $3.25 and $2.25, respectively
DRINK WITH Tea
FOOD FOR YOUR EYES…
AND TO QUENCH YOUR THIRST
It seems as though bubble tea is here to stay, at least for now — something I can get behind, 100 percent. The latest fad (does that make me sound old?) seems to be layered teas, where colors are stacked and the end result looks like something a unicorn regularly drinks.
Earlier this month, I stopped in at Momo Tea Hawaii, and would you just look at that photo? It’s called the Purple Butterfly Lemon (right), and as sweet as you’d expect something as colorful as that to be, it was light and citrusy. (The one next to it is the Blue Butterfly Milk.) You have to mix it or shake it up before drinking, and I can’t begin to tell you how difficult it was for me to ruin those layers.
Momo Tea is a little hard to find, innocuously sandwiched between smaller stores on the street. There is parking right in front, some stalls in the back that share a space with Fabric Mart, or you can do what I did and park at Palama Market. Just be sure to buy something inside — you know, an excellent excuse for a Korean snack run.
MOMO TEA HAWAII
1665 Kalakaua Ave.
(808) 382-7488
momoteahawaii.com
