Location: Honoka'a
After a successful breakfast at the Fish Hopper, Anthony and I were eager to follow more of our cabbie Ian's restaurant suggestions during our excursion to the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. His next suggestion was to stop by Honoka'a to pick up a half dozen of the best malasadas of our lives at Tex. Actually, Ian said "Tex's," which led me into thinking he said "Texas." A malasada shop named after that monstrous state? Interesting.
Fortunately, Anthony was paying attention while driving and turned left into the parking lot of Tex Drive-In. Like all malasada shops, you stand in line, order the number and type, and wait for your box of fresh malasadas. The malasadas at Tex come with a variety of fillings, from guava to apricot. We decided to order two plains, two Bavarian creams, one apple, and one chocolate cream. You can guess who got the apple and who got the chocolate.
I was slightly disappointed when I opened the white cardboard box. Unlike the malasadas at my favorite malasadaria (yes, I'm going to make that a word), Champion's on Beretania, Tex's malasadas are pale and square. However, my disappointment faded as soon as I tasted the bavarian cream filling and felt sugar all over my chin. A few hours later I tried the chocolate cream malasada. Much better than I thought, especially after Ian's warning to avoid the chocolate (apparently no one, not even Ian, can convince me to avoid chocolate).
Tex's malasadas are definitely better than Leonard's, which I've always believed to be merely overhyped, soggier versions of Champion's. For the classic malasada (spheres of sugar-coated fried dough, crispy on the outside and warm on the inside), Champion's is still, as its name suggests, the champion. There's no point in arguing that one. But for a new spin on these Portuguese treats, Tex offers a softer, more square, cream-filled alternative. If I'm ever back on the Big Island, I'll be sure to make up any excuse I can to pick up another half dozen.
