Chinatown has always been like a second home to me. I practically grew up there, as my mom opened up her business, Ester’s Flower Shop & Boutique, in Maunakea Marketplace in 2002. Weekends and summers were spent helping her open and close-up shop, selling phone cards, orchids and miscellaneous items. They were also spent shopping at all the other mom-and-pop stores selling a wide array of items, playing Dance Dance Revolution and Photo Hunt at the nearby arcade, and discovering new places to eat each day. Then, it would seem that I was growing up with Chinatown as I attended Hawaii Pacific University when it was still located at Fort Street Mall, and I got to see even more businesses and restaurants open up in this ever-changing, revamped neighborhood. It seemed like a new one would pop up every day — and that still seems to be the case now.
Enter Mille Fête, Fête’s brand-new seasonal gourmet bakery, which held its grand opening on Feb. 20, in the former Little Village Noodle House location. James Beard Award-winning chef Robynne Maii and her husband, Chuck Bussler, collaborated with pastry chef and Gigi Blue founder Katherine Yang to open Mille Fête, which is known for its sweet and savory treats that are inspired by things they love to eat and their travels to Paris.
On a recent trip to Chinatown, I was finally able to visit Mille Fête and indulge in some of its signature treats. Stepping into the eatery, my eyes immediately were drawn to the display case filled with delectable items — especially the slice of POG layer cake ($16).
This dessert looked almost too beautiful to be eaten. Almost. You better believe I dove right into this delectable dessert (after I took a bajillion photos of it, of course). It gave the exact flavors it’s named after — passion fruit, orange and guava — and did remind me of the beloved local drink but in dessert form. The confection, which boasts layers of lilikoi, guava and mandarin oranges with a vanilla buttercream, was not overly sweet and any sweetness it did have came from the fruits. One bite and it felt like I was at a wedding. It’s definitely the kind of cake I would pick up for any type of celebration.
Mille Fête employees Justina and Amira were helpful enough to provide recommendations, as everything looked so tempting and delicious.
The first thing to catch my eye was the baked Spam bao ($8). They assured me that this was one of Mille Fête’s signature items, and rightfully so. It was reminiscent of the traditional Spam manapua that I loved eating from the manapua man and other bakeries I visited as a child. (I was quite the picky eater but could always count on Spam to satisfy my hunger.) The next time I order this item, I think I’ll wait to pop it in the microwave and warm it up just a bit before enjoying it.
The kimchi reuben hand pie ($10) was my favorite savory item. The bread had the perfect crispiness/flakiness to it on the outside but was so soft and fluffy on the inside. If you’re worried about the spice level, you needn’t be, as it had just a slight kick to it.
The Ludovico curry chicken sando ($14) came jam-packed with a curry chicken salad that was very light and refreshing. This version tasted sweet to me and didn’t have the usual spiciness I sometimes get with other curry chicken sandwiches.
The ulu chocolate cake ($9) is what I was most looking forward to as it was based off of Maii’s favorite chocolate — rum raisin. This was such a decadent confection. It burst with flavors from the breadfruit and rum raisin — neither of which overpowered the other. It was the perfect balance. Just like the POG cake, this dessert was also not overly sweet but was very filling.
Mille Fête was everything I expected and more. But, I should’ve known it would be an amazing experience as I’ve dined at Fête several times, and each time was a pleasure. Loyal Fête patrons will be happy to know that several of its popular desserts can be found at the bakery, including its citrus olive oil bundt cake ($33, whole), frozen kulolo ($21, 24 ounces) and Rocky Road ($22, 24 ounces).
The biz also has an assortment of handcrafted breads, cakes, cookies and more.
As if I wasn’t already going to come back, I hear Mille Fête is also planning to expand its hours and transform into a wine bar by night.
Now, that, is definitely a reason to celebrate. Time to order another slice of that POG layer cake — or maybe even a whole one!
Mille Fête
Address
1113 Smith St.,
Honolulu
Phone
808-888-0608
Hours
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Thursdays-Sundays
(expanded hours coming soon)
Website
millefete.com
Food: 4/5
Drinks 4/5
Price: $$$/$$$$
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Parking: Street parking or municipal garage parking
