For those of you who have had the original experience seen in the video below, the red door still marks one of the hottest nightspots on sleepy Molokai. It rises to the occasion with yeast. You can take some dough with you and get some dough in return. The nightly Hot Bread Run is where locals and visitors intersect every night except Monday.
When your Hawaii vacation doesn’t call for travel to sleepy Molokai, you still can have a form of this iconic Hawaii experience. Read on for details of their uber-successful Hawaii location.
Molokai Hot Bread Run is New York Times, Anthony Bourdain and James Beard Approved.
If you didn’t think that the bread run was seriously famous, and for good reason, it is. The late Anthony Bourdain featured it once on Parts Unknown, it’s been written about by the New York Times, and was even a semifinalist for the renowned James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Baker. The NYT said, “with a stop at the deceptively derelict-looking Kanemitsu Bakery (whose papaya bread and sweet bread made fabulous toast), we always had the makings of a feast.”
The original bakery was founded nearly 90 years ago by the Kanemitsu brothers, and is still family owned and operated. Kanemitsu Bakery is found on the main drag in Kaunakakai. The bakery in the back is always running at full speed. Park your car in front and venture down the dim-lit alley to the right. Follow your nose to the second alley and you have arrived at the Hot Bread Run.
Every so often the red door opens and bread would get handed over. This bread is like a party-size, slightly sour dough donut with your choice of filling. The night we were last there, the menu offered Strawberry, Blueberry, Cream Cheese, Cinnamon, and Butter.
Molokai Hot Bread is now found in Honolulu.
You can enjoy the hot bread run via the Molokai Hot Bread food truck that arrived in Honolulu about four years ago. We haven’t tried the new format, and, for us, is honestly more than half the fun was the original experience, rather than the soft, gooey bread. Totally unique. The truck is quite successful, however, and serves up to 1,000 loaves daily before selling out.
Baked fresh daily using the original secret recipe passed down from the Kanemitsu Bakery, the truck can be found at varying locations around the island. A monthly schedule is available on the food truck’s website or on Facebook.
When on Molokai, Kanemitsu Bakery is located at 79 Ala Malama Avenue in Kaunakakai. It’s almost reason enough to hop a flight.
Updated 4/2/22/
We visited Moloka’i & the bread was amazing!! We had it with blueberry filing & cream cheese, so yummy!!
The 🍞 run is a must-do on Molokai. It’s one of my cherished memories of my trip to this peaceful island in 2011. I can’t wait to return relive the entire experience again this year.
Ok, I gotta go. Where to stay on Molokai? Other things to do? Any places you can stay at on the West shore that looks towards Waikiki. That looks like a great beach.
Hi Alfred.
That’s an epic beach. Not sure about where to stay or current things to do. We enjoyed the Uncruise from Molokai, which is still operating. https://uncruise.com/pages/hawaiian-adventures .
Aloha.
I have never had this bread. I do love the rainbow bread in Hilo and I wish they had a website that I can have that shipped to the mainland!
How do you reheat Molokai bread? I will send a comment as soon as I taste it.
I met my husband in Honolulu 50 years ago. Shortly after that we bought a timeshare at Ke Nani Kai on Molokai, and have been visiting the Hawaiian Islands pretty much every year since.
Mahalo for taking us back to our “second home” in Molokai. So many fond memories – Greg’s cultural tour of Halawa Vealley, the plumaria farm where I picked flowers to make my mum a lei, our many trips (both mule and hiking) to Kalaupapa, spending many hours at Dixie Maru beach, the Saturday Farmers Market in Kaunakakai, loving the locals at Hotel Molokai singing and doing hula, and, of course, lots of trips to Kanemitsu Bakery (including the hot bread).
We are hoping and dreaming of returning to Molokai next February – this time taking my niece and her boyfriend. We miss Hawaii so much!
In the mean time, we love being taken back there thru “The Beat of Hawaii”.
Hi Ariel.
Thanks for that.
Aloha.
We did the midnight bread run and it was one of the highlights of our trip!! Hope to do it again some day💖
This was so much fun. Trying to figure out how to get there, going around the back of the building after dark, people coming out of nowhere and appearing, the cats all around, the experience was 1/2 the fun. As you walk towards the door, the yummy smells hit you, and you think this is gonna be interesting. You chose what you want in it, we had cinnamon for our first round! It is so good!!! We went back for another with strawberry. It was just as good!!! I found a copycat recipe when we got home, good but not Molokai bread!! We would go back just for the bread!!!
Went to Molokai many years ago but knew nothing of the bakery. What a find! However spent a great evening at the Pau Hana Inn. There was a live band that rarely took a break. At one break the waitress came over, sat down and said, “Well, how do you like our Island?” We talked story for a while. Truly the Friendly Island.
Thank you for featuring the Kanemitsi hot bread. It really is a Molokai original and fun journey into town after dark, and down the alley with a cat perched stop the fence, only to drive back to your cottage, nibbling on hot buttered bread! We visited Molokai in 20015, and have been trying to go back ever since. This was going to be our year, but alas!
I do appreciate the info you share about Hawaii. Thank you for all you do to keep us informed. 🙂
–Dianne…from Kansas
Hi Dianne.
Thank you.
Aloha.
To BOH: MAHALO for bringing back the cherished, unforgettable memory of the bread run on Molokai-a peaceful gem of an island. I can’t wait to return when it’s appropriate to do so. ALOHA to you all!!!!
Hi Sudesh.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Aaah, thank you for this delicious story and for bringing back wonderful memories of our honeymoon on Molokai!
Hi Brian.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Long after the streets rolled up for the night, we stood in line in the back alley. People spoke in low polite Yet excited tones. Each one before us filing away so happy to get the semi-secret package hidden in the plastic shopping bag.
Our turn at the doorway and we went for “double okoles!” That was two loaves of fluffy bread, hot and fresh. Split in the middle with cream cheese, guava jelly, butter, and cinnamon sugar.
Fond memories of the best excitement in Molokai!!
Aloha and thanks for the memory! You just never forget your first okole!
Rick
Hi Rick.
Thanks for sharing.
Aloha.
We did the bread run in 2000. It was perfect! Late at night, down the ally. We got the butter and cinnamon. We had a 1/2 hour ride back to where we were staying and the bread was almost gone. The door was not painted red then. Matter of fact, my husband knocked on the wrong door, the baker heard it, came out and said 30 minutes and slammed the dory closed. We waited, but got out of line. Before we knew it we were 3rd in line instea of first. But, it is one of our best memories. It’s a must to do on Molokai.
OMG, that hot bread was about the best thing on Molokai! Made the trip to that sleepy island worth it! Seeing the rats in the alley just added to the ambiance!😋