Are you in the mood for truly delightful European-style pastries, specialty cakes, and more? If so, you need to get on over to Moonstruck Patisserie in downtown Hilo. All their treats promise to exceed your every expectation with their rich flavors, luscious textures, and stunningly good looks. Although sweets are the name of the game, they do have a few savory concoctions onboard as well, like their Quiche Florentine.
Although they’re a definite island favorite, their little shop only opens up for business three days a week. So, you’ll need to time your visit just right to get your fill of all their exquisite offerings. You should get through the doors early, too, because the team closes up shop well before the afternoon goes into full swing. Beyond that, it’s quite common for their most popular items to sell out early in the day, leaving noontime visitors scrambling to get what’s left.
If you don’t want to leave anything to chance, call well ahead of your visit to have your selections reserved just for you. They will take your order over the phone, and then prepare your items for pickup at your convenience. With that move, you just have to swing by during their open hours to get your order in an instant.
When you prefer to fly by the seat of your pants, just stop by to see what’s available. You’ll likely need to stand in line before getting the chance to order. But that just gives you time to explore all the items in the bakery case. Upon getting up to the front, expect to get plenty of alohas sent your way as you put in your order and make your payment. Once that’s done, the cashier will grab all your selections, and then box them up for the road if you prefer.
Whenever you’re just getting a couple of items to enjoy right away, just let them know you want to eat in-house. They’ll put your items on a colorful plate, and then direct you over to the table with an invitation to make yourself right at home. You can then dig in and savor all the decadent flavors before you at your leisure. Want to take even more decadence on the road? Get right back in line to grab a few items to go.
Come by to try the:
Rock Bun
If you love scones, you’re going to want to try the Rock Bun. They take the traditional recipe to the next level by making their take on scones even more buttery and twice the size. They have both sweet and savory varieties available at any given time, including the ultra-tasty crystallized ginger.
Curry Puff
Whenever you’re looking to hold a heartwarmingly delicious meal in the palm of your hand, get the Curry Puff. To create this fan favorite, they sauté ground beef with potatoes, peas, and carrots. Then, they add curry spices to the mixture before putting it in the center of a puff pastry. The whole lot goes into the oven until piping hot and golden brown.
Chocolate Croissant
When you want buttery, chocolatey deliciousness in every last morsel, treat yourself to the Chocolate Croissant. Also known as Pain Au Chocolat, this 100% butter croissant comes filled with Belgian Couverture chocolate. A drizzle of chocolate goes over the top at the end, beautifully elevating the decadent flavors even more.
If you’re throwing a big bash any time soon, you have your choice of classic and specialty cakes plus cheesecakes galore. From Italian Cassata sponge cake to Lilikoi Cheesecake, they truly have it all. Each of the cakes on their menu comes out of the oven each morning, but they sell out fast. So, keep an open mind on which ones you’d like for your party – unless you call-in your order ahead of time, that is.
Insider Tip:
Even though they already run short hours, you can expect to find the shop randomly closed at any given time. So, it’s often well worth calling ahead just to see if they’re open before stopping by.