When it comes to flavorful pasteles, Grandma’s Pasteles offers a version stemming from a family recipe.
“Our business started back in 2016, when my mom wanted to open her own food truck,” says owner Mahealani Cornwell Cabais. “She wanted to keep her mom — my grandma’s — pastele recipe going. My grandmother started making and selling pasteles in Waianae when I was a young girl. She passed on the recipe to my mom, who, in turn, passed it on to me. It’s a four-generation recipe.
“My late mom wanted to name it (the business) after her mother,” Cornwell Cabais adds. “Her mom, Nola, was a mom and grandma to many, so she named it Grandma’s Pasteles.”
One of the business’s bestsellers is Gram’s Best ($20), which includes one pastele, one empanadilla, pastele stew, and gandules or white rice.
“It’s a little bit of everything that most customers enjoy,” Cornwell Cabais says.
Other popular dishes include the Special plate ($17) — gandules, pastele and pastele stew — and the bento ($12), which features a pastele and gandules. Customers can also opt for the bacalao salad ($12).
“It’s cod fish cooked to perfection and served with organic lettuce, tomatoes and Maui onions topped with Brada Kaips’s sauce,” Cornwell Cabais says of the salad.
You can find Grandma’s Pasteles at various events around Oahu, including Ono Grindz & Makeke. For updates, follow the business on Instagram (@grandmaspasteles).
“Come down and give us a chance,” Cornwell Cabais says. “Help keep my mom’s dream and my grandma’s legacy alive.”
Grandma’s Pasteles
Call: 808-726-7447
Email: grandmaspasteles@gmail.com
Instagram: @grandmaspasteles
How to order: Via phone or in person
How to pay: Venmo, Apple Pay, credit cards and cash accepted
