The Great Molokai Hot Bread Run! Are You Experienced?

Growing up I wasn’t the biggest fan of doughnuts. Don’t get me wrong, I never turned down a Boston Cream as kid, but I didn’t develop a true love for the doughnut until I moved to San Diego in the late 90s. It was there that I discovered independent doughnut makers who dedicate their early mornings to a holy ringed goodness that could warm even the Grinch’s cold soul.

It’s been years since I’ve had a fresh, warm doughnut to start my day. Its absence in my life didn’t hit me until earlier this year when we were in Molokai and I tasted Kanemitsu Bakery’s famous hot bread. To be clear, hot bread isn’t a doughnut in the traditional sense and it’s served at night instead of the morning. But when I bit into its piping hot layers for the first time, it was as if I was 21 again driving down Highway 101 at dawn armed with a surfboard, black coffee, Howard Stern on the FM, and a fresh doughnut in my hand.

Kanemitsu Bakery is the stuff of legend on Molokai and, I suspect, throughout the Hawaiian Islands. For nearly 80 years its ovens have been firing up delicious baked goods on Kaunakakai’s main street. It’s what happens in the alley behind the bakery after hours, though, that has earned the bakery its legendary status. Around 8:30 p.m. every day (except Monday), the night shift baker serves up fresh bread slathered with your choice of fillings to locals and curious visitors at the shops backdoor.

This nightly ritual, known around Molokai as a hot bread run, is a lot more welcoming than it once was. Our friend said that her first run several years ago reminded her of a scene ripped from an after school special drug deal. Her instructions were simple: walk through the dimly lit alley, knock on a door, tell the guy what you want, exchange money…wait…wait… wait…take the brown paper bag and quickly walkaway.

These days the alley is not nearly as dim as it once was, largely because Christmas lights lead the way now, and the bakery opens a little earlier than it used to. Despite the changes, though, the bakery still has a cool, speakeasy feel and the hot bread is as delicious as ever, which at end of the day is all that really matters anyways, right?

Know Before You Go

Kanemitsu’s Bakery

79 Ala Malama Ave.
Kaunakakai, HI 96748
(808) 553-5855

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The 411

• The bakery is open from 8:30 p.m. to approximately 3 a.m. everyday except Monday.
• Depending on the filling you choose, the hot bread can be very sweet.
• We geeked out when it was our turn to order and got two, but one would have been enough.
• Fresh hot bread is better than cold, so eat it while it’s hot.

Disclosure: Our stay on the island was hosted by the Destination Molokai Visitors Bureau; however, our thoughts and opinions are entirely our own. And, as always, we maintain complete editorial control over our content.