Lois Shimabukuro’s family business legacy reaches back through generations of providing local homes and restaurants with fresh, local Ka Lei brand eggs.
The former Ka Lei Marketplace in Kaimuki is now the site of Shimabukuro’s new shop, The Medley, a place to grab a quick cup of gourmet coffee, grab a sandwich, or even pick up freshly made Onda Pasta and sauce to whip up into a dinner at home.
In keeping with her long-standing efforts to support local businessfolk, she also stocks made-in- Hawaii items that are either exclusive to her shop or may otherwise be hard to find.
THE MEDLEY
Formerly Ka Lei Marketplace, 3585 Waialae Ave.
>> Phone: 265-2487
>> Online: facebook.com/themedleykaimuki
>> Hours: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays
>> Prices: $2.50 to $10.75
>> Parking: Municipal lot
>> Seating: Variable, 28 maximum
About the business: Shimabukuro is exclusive retailer of Onda Pasta, the farmers market sweetheart and gourmet enterprise. The Medley also carries a variety of granolas by The Stick and the Ball; Makai Coffee from Kau on Hawaii island; dehydrated apple bananas from Shogo’s Banana Patch, also Big Island-based; and more.
So many owners of small local businesses have regular full-time jobs, then spend hours after work and on weekends creating products and transacting business one-on-one with customers, Shimabukuro said. They cart their products from home to farmers markets or craft fairs, hoping to sell enough to make their time and effort worthwhile.
She said she created The Medley not just as a place to serve food and drink, but to provide retail opportunities for those kinds of small businesses.
What to order: Options include made-to-order sandwiches, ready-to-go salads, pastas and plates. Beverages run from unique juice drinks to a coffee program also created by manager Jamie Choi, a certified Illy coffee barista.
Soups of the day are $4 for 8 ounces to $7 for 12 ounces; Onda Pasta of the day choices include a 6-ounce portion of pasta and a choice of sauces for $8.95; sandwiches and plates range in price. A roasted turkey panini sandwich with tomato-bacon jam, arugula and provolone is $9, while a prosciutto sandwich tops the menu at $9.75.
Take it to make it: Ready-to-heat Onda Pasta lasagna can be taken home for a super-quick meal. Fresh pasta in the refrigerated case is $6 per container with choices that can include tagliatelle, pappardelle, lasagnette, penne, rigatoni or spaghetti. If big appetites await you at home, two containers might be required.
Fresh pasta sauces include traditional choices such as pomodoro (tomato sauce) and puttanesca (spicy tomato sauce) for $6, or the decidedly untraditional corn pesto, for $7. Italians might not eat corn with pasta, but locals do, and the corn pesto is a top seller, Shimabukuro said.
Grab and go: Parking is plentiful in the municipal lot right behind the shop and there’s a 20-minute grace period, so commuters can dash in and out without having to pay for parking. Those with a bit more time can park, order and take out or dine in. In that case, weekday parking is 75 cents an hour for the first two hours; $1.50 an hour after that. On weekends and state holidays, parking is 75 cents an hour for any length of time.
“Grab and Go” focuses on takeout food, convenience meals and other quick bites. Email ideas to crave@staradvertiser.com.