Leonard's on Kapahulu

The Leonard's sign on Kapahulu Ave. is a Honolulu landmark, beckoning visitors and locals alike as they travel in and out of Waikiki.

The neon sign on the corner is as familiar as the decadent aroma of the bakery's signature pastry. Its old, fading predecessor was quietly replaced in 2005 with a brighter, shinier model, but its character remains... as does its spelling error.

Yes, the malasada — a hot, sweet, and unique local pastry treat — as locals have come to know it is, in fact, a Hawaii interpretation of a traditional, ethnic pastry from Portugal. When founder Frank Leonard Rego decided to open a bakery, his wife Mary suggested they would be a hit in Hawaii. She was right. They're known to the rest of the world as 'malassadas,' though the Leonard's recipe is lighter and the name is short an 's.'

Mary and Frank's youngest son, Frank Leonard Rego Jr., now runs the bakery, and its malasadas still draw a crowd. There are a few varieties - a fruit filling, or coated in cinnamon - and other baked goods are available, but the classic malasada is still the best seller. A soft, light ball of dough fried and coated in sugar, cooked in small batches and served perfectly hot, crisp and yet also perfectly soft.

And the flagship shop on Kapahulu Avenue isn't the only place to enjoy Leonard's unmatched malasada recipe. There's a smaller shop in Waimalu, and a couple of Leonard's wagons that are a mainstay of carnivals and community fairs. Indeed, the malasada wagons' red and white stripes are no less familiar than the neon sign near Waikiki. And the malasadas are as tasty as ever.