According to Leonard’s Hawaii, “Malasadas have their origins in Portuguese cuisine and are a sort of fried pastry dough.  Dough that has been fried until crispy and golden brown on the outside, while remaining fluffy and moist on the inside.”  This is a good description because they are sort of fried pastry dough, certainly no doughnut I’ve ever had.  

The original Malasadas are thrown into white sugar while still hot to hold as much as possible.  Cinnamon sugar is another option, both for .70 cents each!  If you want to go crazy, the puffs are filled with either custard, Dobash (chocolate), Huapia (coconut), or the flavor of the month, each for .90 cents.  We tried the FOTM which was banana, it was good, but the original was superb.  Almost addicting, we somehow found our way into  Leonard’s parking lot after a few too many meals in Oahu.  

These babies even have their own day!  Malasada Day is also known as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, the celebration of the beginning of Lent.  It doesn’t stop there, Leonard’s started a craze throughout Hawaii, you can buy official  apparel and even beanie babies!  The obsession inspired the new locations, Leonard Jr.’s and the traveling, Malasadamobile.  

If you’re in Oahu, get a Malasada or ten.  It looks like Leonard’s is THE place for these suckers since 1952 and they are unfortunately M.I.A in the Bay.  After googling, it seems that people on Chow, Yahoo Answers, and Yelp are all in search of Leonard’s delectable dessert.

Special thanks to my culinary guide of Oahu, T.

Leonard’s Hawaii                                              Leonard Jr.’s

933 Kapahulu Avenue                                      Waimalu Shopping Center

808-737-5591                                                808-484-1545