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#CatTravels: A visit to King’s Hawaiian Bakery

By Catherine Toth Fox • October 13, 2013 • #CatTravels, Food

photo-40 copyOn my first date with Derek — we went hiking with my dog, Sunny, and another I was dog-sitting — he told me about his family.

And the only thing that stuck was the name, “King’s Bakery.”

His grandfather was the brother of Robert Taira, who founded the popular — and still missed — Robert’s Bakery in Hilo on the Big Island. Like the rest of the family, Derek’s dad worked in the bakery, too, until he left Hawaii for college, then moved to Kona to work as a teacher.

Derek didn’t grow up like his cousins, working at what was later called King’s Bakery. (Robert had had moved his shop to Honolulu on King Street.) But he did have fond memories of visiting the bakery when his family was in town, seeing his Uncle Robert at work there, and eating ice-box cookies and custard-filled eclairs.

Production of the bakery’s popular sweet breads moved to California in 1977. And King’s Hawaiian Bakery, as it’s called now, opened a full-service bakery and restaurant in Torrance, Calif. in 1988. Four years later, the King Street location closed for good and the entire operation — including the Taira family — moved to Southern California.

The Torrance location took off, serving both locals who had moved to California and folks who loved local-style food. In 2002, it opened its second location, a casual bakery and cafe called The Local Place. It’s in Torrance, too.

And all this time — despite three trips to Southern California since then — I had never been to King’s Bakery. I’ve never even driven by.

Well, that was going to change on this trip to Los Angeles.

I got in touch with Eric Chang, a local boy who moved to California to work for King’s Bakery as its brand manager about 10 years ago. He, along with his wife, Jessica, planned to meet me for lunch on Saturday. I was curious to see the bakery I had often visited when it was open in Honolulu — and I really wanted to try the famous Paradise Cake I had heard. so much about.

I didn’t even eat breakfast that morning.

Here’s what my lunch at King’s Hawaiian Bakery looked like:

King's Hawaiian Bakery

King's Hawaiian Bakery
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This location opened in 1988, and though I had been here three times since, I never made it down to Torrance to stop in.

King’s Hawaiian Bakery & Restaurant, 2808 Sepulveda Blvd. in Torrance, Calif. Hours: 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday. Phone: (310) 530-0050.

Follow my adventures — with my Mom! — in LA on Twitter @thedailydish and on Instagram @catherinetoth.

CaliforniaCatTravelsEric ChangHawaiiHawaiian foodJessica ChangKing's Hawaiian BakeryLos AngelesRobert TairaRobert's Bakerysweet breadTorrance
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About the Author

Catherine Toth Fox

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11 Comments

  • Reply Miss Em October 13, 2013 at 9:40 pm

    Chicken curry kabocha stew? OMGolly, that sounds good. I have to try and make that.

    • Reply Catherine Toth October 15, 2013 at 2:19 pm

      Yeah, the specials looked really good!

  • Reply Dennis October 14, 2013 at 6:01 am

    OMG! Kings Bakery! I miss their sweet bread! Thanks for the memories. I need to make a special trip to Torrance.

    • Reply Catherine Toth October 15, 2013 at 2:18 pm

      I miss this place, too. Really missed the ice box cookies. Brought home six bags!

  • Reply Glenn D October 14, 2013 at 8:20 am

    Hi CAT and e komo mai to my neck of the woods.
    I have not been to that place in a very long time but glad to see that it is doing a brisk business. BTW, that Paradise Cake did look real ono…

    • Reply Catherine Toth October 15, 2013 at 2:18 pm

      It sure was! You gotta go back and check it out!

  • Reply Pomai October 14, 2013 at 9:19 pm

    I don’t know what it is about this post that I feel jealous. lol

  • Reply ao October 14, 2013 at 11:30 pm

    What’s the story with their building? Was it designed to be a restaurant, and why are there two phallic towers gracing the facade?

    • Reply Catherine Toth October 15, 2013 at 2:18 pm

      It used to be the Sepulveda Boulevard nightclub Ichabod Crane’s until the city approved its transformation into a family restaurant.

  • Reply jaydee October 15, 2013 at 5:04 am

    I live not too far from there and have eaten there several times. I love the Dobash and Haupia cake. And that Paradise cake is not too bad either!

    • Reply Catherine Toth October 15, 2013 at 2:17 pm

      The Paradise Cake was such a surprise! It was light and so colorful. Definitely a “wow” factor if you brought this to a party!

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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