JJ2 Bakery

Same eatery. Same good eats. Same customer service.
When I moved back here I wished there was a JJ’s. Yes, that’s what they are called in Cali. Actually, they are JJ but we called them JJ’s. I would go there early every morning to get the fresh baked curry buns. Hot and delicious. I would get a dozen or so for my crew and they got gobbled up in a jiff. It was one of their fastest selling, sold out, items of the day.
I was suspicious when I heard there was a JJ2 here and have been wanting to check it out. Reading the reviews only increased my curiosity. And now, I finally got the chance to go with Lady M.
One thing I did note is the customer service. In Cali, with the older staff working the counters, customer service was rushed. Get you in, collect your money (almost thrown at you at times) and out. Here though, it seems a little more laid back. I wonder if it is because of a younger staff that seems to be more aware of good customer service.
The flow is right. No signs necessary. You walk in, move to your right. By the front window are the buns. I see many favorites and some new ones I’ve never had before. Making a U-​turn to your left brings you to their display case where their works of art entice you with their sweetness. This is where I wanted to be and where we made our selections.
Mango Dacqaio $ 4.25
A delicate deliciousness I would come back for again. Good flavor.
Lemon Merague Tart $ 3.25
Tarty like a tart should I enjoyed it with the cookie bottom.
Tiramisu $ 4.25
okay, just not fond of tiramisu. It was Lady M’s choice and she could have it. She did like it alot.
New York Cheesecake $ 3.95
A treat for me as I just love cheesecakes and this was a good one. Consistent with good weight so you know they didn’t whip it.
Now that I’ve got a familiar bakery back, I’ve got to watch really watch myself not to go there often. Going to have to stay at the gym an extra hour now.

Been here a few times already (usually a quick run while out on errands) but finally have the time to work on a review. Finally Honolulu has a Taiwanese bakery! I really enjoyed these type of bakeries in California and happy one decided to expand here.
PARKING: My suggestion is street parking or make the walk over from Walmart or Ala Moana.
INTERIOR: The store is nicely lit, very clean and just simple. There are tables and chairs on the left side for customers to sit down and eat. The pastries are on the right side and they have a guideway toward the register to pay.
BREAD: The bread pasteries are yummy, soft, doughy and light. The prices are similar to Saint Germaine’s and Brug inside Shirokiya, ~$ 2 – 5 each (rounded up). There are a wide variety of sweet and savory bread pastries and the size of these pasteries are actually pretty big/​filling. Each time I come here I try to get a different pastry. Today I got the taro bun, pineapple bun with butter milk, crème brûlée bun, and euro walnut bun.
— The taro bun ($ 2.15)has a dash of almonds on top with a taro mash/​filling inside. I’ve had other taro buns from other places and compared to them, the filling for JJ’s one has more of a taro flavor.
— The pineapple bun ($ 2.25)with butter milk is also light, the top a little flakey, but not a very strong pineapple flavor.
— The crème brûlée bun ($ 2.15)basically has the custard on the top and cornflakes on the outside. The custard is not overly sweet but missing that glaze on top that a normal crème brûlée dessert would have. The cornflakes give the bun a nice crunch and overall it was yummy.
— The euro walnut bun ($ 3.50) is made of wheat flour with pieces of walnuts covering the top. There was walnut with each bite, and maybe because it’s made of wheat flour, it’s more of a savory-​sweet bread.
— JJ2 Bakery also sells toast if you want to buy for breakfast or to make sandwiches. I’ve bought the whole wheat and raisin ones on separate occasions and both were pretty soft.
DESSERTS: The desserts (cakes, pudding, etc. in the glass case) all look beautiful and yummy. The whole cakes are around $ 25 – 36 depending on the cake, and the slices range from $ 2.95-maybe $ 5 (don’t remember). The selection varies as I’ve seen some one day but not on another day. So far I’ve tried the following:
— watermelon cake ($ 2.75): a roll cake with a layer of green tea and a layer of strawberry cake with a butter cream in between and chocolate chip pieces. The cake was moist and the overall combination was really good, definitely a must try from here.
— caramel pudding ($ 2.95): sold in a small glass jar/​bottle with a cap, the pudding is definitely one of my favorites from here. The pudding is like a flan, with the custard on top and the caramel on the bottom. You just mix it up and dig in. The pudding is smooth and creamy and light, with just the right amount of sweetness. And I’ve kept the bottles because they’re cute and can be reused for homemade desserts.
DRINKS: They offer a variety of teas, milk tea, coffee, and smoothies. For their milk tea drinks they offer a non-​dairy creamer version as well as a fresh milk version so you can order based on preference. So far I’ve only had a chance to try the milk tea with boba and that was pretty satisfying. The flavor was good, had more of the tea flavor vs milk, which I prefer. The boba was soft but not mushy, just the right consistency.
Overall I love this place and will continue to keep coming! If you haven’t tried it yet you should stop by!

I was ecstatic when I saw an Asian bakery in Keeaumoku! Hawaii really needs more of these to quench my thirst and save me trips to Asia.
So far, I’ve tried the pork sung bun (a bun topped with sweet pork… fluff, I don’t know how to translate it) which is just as good as the ones I’ve tried from a Chinatown bakery. And then there are the pastries and cakes. I feel Hawaii has a lack of pretty fruit cakes. In Asia, there are many bakeries and shops that house intricate displays of cakes topped with fruits. I’m glad JJ2 has brought it to Hawaii.
The Tiramisu I tried was awesome, very smooth texture with a balanced coffee, cream, rum (?) ratio (no watery mess to be had here). I also tried their Mango Dasquaz and Mont Blanc. The Mango was very good whereas the Mont Blanc was a bit dry and crumbly — the chestnut cream practically crumbled apart. While I haven’t tried Mont Blanc anywhere else before, I think it’s not supposed to be like this??? They also have milk teas and coffee, I tried Hokkaido Milk Tea but I couldn’t taste any difference from regular milk tea.
One gripe I have is their lack of signage for lines. There is a long line which I think is for buying bread and pastries. Whereas the «express» line by the door is for big cakes and drinks. But it seems other people are confused too which created a bit of a mess. One time, I was standing in the express line ordering a cake but was being ignored by all the workers. Even though the workers making the drinks could clearly see me waiting there, they didn’t bother to tell anyone else to help me. Maybe I should’ve stood in the bread line.
All in all, I believe there’s certainly something for everyone here! With so much variety, I think I will keep coming back for more. I just hope they will train their workers better to provide more efficient service.

JJ2 Bakery does remind me of a Taiwanese bakery, this is a chain from the mainland with Taiwanese roots. The rousung buns, that sweet-​saltiness in the savory rolls, the beautifully decorated cakes, that Asian flair with French techniques.
I enjoyed the Mango Mousse. This is such a winner with soft sponge and sweet mango mouse surrounding a piece of mango. It’s kept from drying out with a thin gel. Light and fruity and perfect to share.
In contrast, the Mont Blanc sponge was dried out and I found the marron cream to be sugary sweet with not enough less sweet whipped cream to save either.
I would go back to JJ2 Bakery for a snack, dessert or to pick up a whole cake for a party. They also have Taiwanese drinks, and pre-​packaged items that would make nice party favors or small thank you gifts.

I’m pleased to say that I’ve found a great fix for my 85 Degree Bakery/​Café craving. Granted, JJ2 isn’t exactly the same, but the set-​up, décor and available pastries remind me of one of my favorite So Cal bakeries.
I went to JJ2 a few weeks after they first opened … once the craziness died down (in theory). A friend and I met up here for coffee in the late afternoon, but the café was still pretty busy! They had steady foot traffic, since there are a lot of businesses in the area.
Parking: There is very limited (street) parking, but since my friend and I were at Bread + Butter prior to the bakery visit, we had parked near Nordstrom and just walked over to JJ2. The seating within this bakery is pretty limited as well, but we were able to score two seats at the counter (there are a few tables as well).
Fortunately, when my friend and I went, there was a lull in the crowds so we were able to take our time, perusing the pastries and deciding what to order. My friend ordered a pastry for there, and we both got goodies to take home. Even though we met for coffee, neither of us ended up ordering coffee … but I definitely intend to during my next visit.
The café was clean and the workers were friendly. I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of pastries and drinks available, but I can’t wait to try more during my next visit.
Here’s what my friend and I ordered:
«Taro Roll»: My friend loves taro, especially because taro pastries tend to not be super sweet. Her taro roll tasted fresh and the exterior was flaky, doughy and soft. She enjoyed every bite and said she would gladly order it again.
«Raisin Bread»: I bought a loaf of the raisin bread to take home for my parents, since my mom really likes the raisin bread from 85 Degree Bakery/​Café on the mainland. But, alas, it didn’t compare … she said the 85 Degrees’ version was way better. While the bread was soft, it wasn’t as soft as that signature milk bread. However, during my visit to JJ2, one of the workers told me that they would eventually get that milk bread that I recognize and love. I’m not sure what it is about the way they make the bread, but it’s so fresh, soft and billowy … my mouth waters just thinking about it! I was disappointed that this raisin bread wasn’t as good as we had hoped, but I’ll give the milk bread loaf another chance once JJ2 starts carrying this product.
«Chocolate Chip Bread»: The moment I saw this chocolate chip roll, I knew I had to try it. My favorite pastry from 85 Degree Bakery/​Café was a chocolate chip milk bread bowl, and this was the closest I was going to get to it (for now). While that chocolate chip milk bread bowl is something I still fantasize about (the ample chocolate chips, soft bread and powdered sugar on top make it amazing), this JJ2 version was pretty good and proved to be a satisfactory breakfast the next morning. The bread was soft and there was a good amount of chocolate chips inside. I’d definitely order this again; I just wish the chocolate chips weren’t so melted when I first bought the bread, but I guess that’s evidence that it’s really fresh!
«OREO Sea Salt Creamer Milk Tea»: I like sea salt milk tea as it is, since it features a good sweet-​and-​savory blend. But, throw OREO cookies in there and it’s a complete game-​changer! I saw this on the menu and held back from getting it during my visit, since I had already ordered more pastries than I intended. But, I’m determined to try this drink during my next visit. I haven’t come across this option yet in Hawaii. During my visit, this drink was located under the «Specials» menu, so hopefully it’s still available when I return!

First off, there’s no parking so just get your butt to Ala Moana or Walmart because you definitely need to check out this bakery! I was hungry and excited to try the items in this bakery, so I ordered many things… Here we go!
Mont Blanc ($ 4.25): This is topped with spaghetti-​like chestnut cream with whipped cream underneath and a rum cake. I personally think the ratio of chestnut cream to cake was not the best (too much cake) and I prefer Patisserie La Palme D’Or’s version, but this one was good too.
Black Forest cake ($ 2.95): I didn’t like this one and I thought the cake was dry, but my sister enjoyed it. It wasn’t overly sweet, so props for that.
Earl Grey Dacquoise ($ 4.25): For those who don’t know what a dacquoise is — per Wikipedia, «A dacquoise is a dessert cake made with layers of almond and hazelnut meringue and whipped cream or buttercream.» This dessert was interesting as I’ve never tried a dacquiose before. The cream was infused with earl grey and it was delicious, full of earl grey flavor! I don’t think I cared for the almond and hazelnut meringue layer, but it was light and crispy.
Watermelon cake ($ 2.75): This was by far, my favorite. The flavors of green tea and strawberry were faint, but definitely there. The cakes were buttery and moist and filling, just how I like it. The cream between the flavors tied everything together nicely and the chocolate chips were a fun little treat.
Milk toast with oatmeal ($ 3.50): This comes in a mini loaf and it’s nice and fluffy. After biting into the bread, I got a surprise… It’s filled with azuki (red bean paste). The two pair nicely together: sweet azuki with soft, fluffy bread. Yum!
I also ordered a taro smoothie ($ 4.75) after confirming with the cashier that it was made with real taro. The flavor and textures were interesting but I think it could’ve used a little more sugar.
Yes, I’ve tried many things… But I can’t stay away from bread! It’s my favorite starch and I’m so glad to have this new bakery around. #breadlife

A delightful surprise on the corner of Kapiolani and Keeaumoku (across the street from Walgreens) in the Pacific Guardian Tower. It’s a convenient spot for me to walk over to, but I’m lucky that I don’t work in the building it’s in because I would probably get fat from coming here every single day.
This pastry/​boba tea shop carries lots of fancy and not so fancy pastry delicacies that remind me of bakeries you’d find in Japan, in the style of a Saint Germain. Most items are pre-​wrapped for self serve. Some items are more like meal/​sandwich pastries similar to BRUG at Shirokiya and Saint Germain.
For the sake of this Unilocal review I bought the cheese cake, caramel pudding, ham and cheese roll, and the tuna sandwich roll. The cheese cake tasted like a japaneses sponge cake (definitely not like american cheese cakes); very light, fluffy, and not too sweet. The caramel pudding was my favorite. It came in a glass jar with spotted gold wrapping and a cute tiny spoon to eat it. The taste was light, with a semi-​sweet layer of caramel sauce on the bottom. This dessert is very «dairy», but not heavy at all. If you are lactose intolerant it’s a good idea to stay away from this one. The rolls were both very good. I bought the ham and cheese roll only to compare to the Saint Germain ones I am used to buying over at the mall. JJ2’s rolls are a lot bigger, better quality, and less greasy. The pastries cost a little more here than they do there too. They are really filling. After barely eating one roll I was so full I couldn’t eat anything else for a while! I think these rolls would make for good breakfast pastries.
This bakery also has boba tea which after hearing my co-worker’s take on how it tasted, tastes different from most competing boba tea shops she’s had around the nearby area. I’m curious to see what the differences are. Next time I come here I’ll pick up a tea to try. This bakery seems abunai and for someone like me who has a sweet tooth, I’ll be coming back to try all of the desserts (in moderation of course).
Service: Great service from knowledgeable people. All very nice and courteous. A smile goes a long way.

Oh gosh — I love this new bakery!
The only downside: location because of parking situation. I guess next time I come I could park in Walmart. And slight language barrier when trying to order or ask questions, as many of their employees seem to not speak English that well.
Sooo much goodies to choose from, and all are individually wrapped, so no need to worry about germs and flies.
My favorite pastries so far are the strawberry sponge cake (so light and airy), the peanut bun, and the hotdog or cheese toast! I’d like to try their little finger sandwich box next time, that looked good too. They also have a ton of beautiful cakes and tiny single serve decorated desserts. Perfect to bring for a dinner party or to celebrate a birthday.
But the main reason I go there is for their drinks. Their bubble teas are excellent! Their jasmine milk tea and Hokkaido milk tea are my top picks. Very reasonably priced!

We were at the stoplight one day and noticed that this place was new! My family is always fond of pastries so my mom made sure we stopped in today when we were at Wal-​Mart.
It wasn’t so busy when we went but there was a great amount of selection. They have everything from tea drinks, smoothies I believe, cakes, pastries, desserts, etc. The store was bright, very clean, and organized. We walked around and browsed the selection then went back to pick what we wanted. Prices are definitely affordable and not too pricey. I had the crème brûlée cake/​bun thingy lol. It was good, I liked it! Definitely will come back when I’m in the area.

This is a new bakery and I’ve been hearing it’s like 85 degrees in the Bay Area so I had to come and check them out. It’s a far cry from 85 degrees but it is a new spot and there is a lot of Chinese working there like at 85 degrees. Too bad the food and drinks can’t compare.
I came here on a rainy day so I’m not sure if that made any difference on how busy they were. There wasn’t any available tables to dine in. Luckily we found a couple of stools around the counter seating area and a couple of nice people moved so we could sit. Overall the place is clean, has nice décor and spacious.
The coffee here wasn’t very strong and was relatively watered down. My lunch buddy had a taro drink that she said she didn’t care for much. We both ordered the Crème Brûlée ($ 2.75 as of Dec ’15) which was disappointing. There was a bitter taste (probably because the top was burnt) and the filling was very bland.
Both of us purchased items to go. I got the Custard Bun ($ 2.00 as of Dec ’15), Orange Chiffon Cake ($ 3.75 as of Dec ’15) and Crème Brûlée Bun ($ 2.15 as of Dec ’15). The Custard Bun was about average and didn’t have much filling to it but it was tasty. Orange Chiffon Cake was a little dry and dense, least favorite of the three. The Crème Brûlée Bun was a good mix of filling to dough. IMO, this place only has decent bakery goods that are on the pricey side. Will definitely give them another shot and hopefully they will have Custard Tarts available.

Seeing their building at the corner of Keeaumoku and Kapiolani had been such a teaser for quite a long time, until they’ve finally opened their doors to the public. I’ve had the chance to finally try some of their delicacies. I love sweets like I love shoes and accessories of all sorts. I love them super sweet with a lot of flavors that don’t over power each other. Some, I love just as settle, fluffy and fruity that melts in my mouth. What gets me the most is the texture, color and appearance of the dessert. That is what I got from my first couple visits.
My first try was their Watermelon Shaped Cake. I not only love it’s appearance but the fluffy, mouth watering sweetness of it’s flavor. It tastes just as it looks. This is a pretty filling cake! My next favorite is the Mango Mousse cake. The ultimate favorite of mine from this cake is the silkiness from the first bite to the last. However, it is super sweet and I love it!!! I’ve had to come back to it after a few hours of having the first half. My 1^st favorite is their Taiwanese Egg Tart. I’ve returned many times just for this. I am a huge fan of dun tuts and I’m so happy I’ve discovered the Taiwanese version! They have this dessert next to the register. They have a good varieties of bubble teas, milk teas, smoothies, pastries, breads, cakes for special occasions. The only thing I wish they had were a bigger variety of hot bakery foods. I love passing by here during lunch.
Although I do a lot of business around the area, I can easily walk here and park at Walmart (after shopping). If you’re only coming here for the bakery, it’s best to park at Walgreens and buy something for a $ 1 and validate your parking or street park your vehicle.

I visited JJ2 Bakery to buy some desserts for an informal dinner that I was attending. JJ is part of a Taiwanese bakery chain based in Southern California and is not related to JJ on Waialae in Kaimuki.
There’s one long counter where the beverage menu & order station is on the left, cakes are in the middle & individual desserts are on the right.
I bought Earl Grey Dacquoise, Mango Dacquoise, Tiramisu, Mango Mousse, Chiffon Cake with Strawberry & a chocolate éclair. All of the desserts were light & fluffy, to too sweet and very mild in flavor. Everyone sampled each dessert & were pleased with the lightness & flavor.
The one star loss was due to the not so great service where I had to summon someone behind the counter for my order and they weren’t too busy. They tried not to make eye contact with me, but I was vocal enough to get their attention.
Prices are very good. My total bill was under $ 30!

This bakery is very well known in Los Angeles. It’s a Taiwanese style bakery so you’ll find a lot of Asian pastries and breads such as the pineapple bun, scallion roll, taro bread, pineapple cake and of course a variety of cakes. I like how everything is individually wrapped and ready to grab. They also have milk tea. They have seating inside so you can order cake slices and eat it there. Most of their cake slices are under $ 4 so it’s reasonable compared to what you would pay in Ala Moana. The mango mousse, vanilla chiffon with strawberry, and mini roll cake with flaky center are my favorites. Their cakes are light and moist and the cream is not heavy. Their cakes only come in 8″ or «long.» I came in here before hoping for a 6″ cake but everything is 8″. I’m trying to space out my visits so I can try 1 – 2 items each time and not get overwhelmed.
The only thing I don’t like about this place is that there is no parking. If you get lucky, you might be able to find something on the street. The other options would be to shop at Ala Moana or Walmart and then walk over when you’re done shopping.

*Disclaimer…this review is not for the food or the service. The food and service is still great. This review is more for the management of the bakery.
I stopped by for lunch today. I picked up some pastries, sandwiches, and milk teas. I go to pay at the register and I’m supposed to get back $ 4.01 in change. The cashier informs me that he’s out of ones and asked if I had singles, which I didn’t. They have two registers, so I told him to get change out of the other register. He tells me that it’s out of ones also. The whole bakery was out of singles. We were just standing there looking at each other. He finally asked if he could give me all quarters instead. I said that was fine because there were no other options. Now, his register has no ones and no quarters. I left with 16 quarters and a penny.
How are you running a business with no change in your drawers? I’ve worked in retail before and you’re supposed to open with a certain amount of change. If it runs low, the supervisor is supposed to get change from the back. This business has been open for a month now. Please get it together.

Seeing the grand opening sign, I knew I had to try this place. Been here twice, and they have an assortment of packaged pastries and desserts at a decent price and they also have milk tea and coffee.
Likes: Price is pretty good for what you get. Most of the pastries I tried weren’t too sweet. I enjoyed the milk teas as well. If you need to bring a pretty cake for a birthday or something, they have a nice assortment at a reasonable price.
Dislikes: There’s no parking. However, if you’re at Ala Moana or Walmart, you can make a quick stop here. The set up of the store is a little weird, as people looking at the packaged pastries can block you from going to the dessert case.
The single serving portion of the tiramisu was really small (the cup is shallower than it looks). The «New York» cheesecake was a little light (tasted good though), and the crust is cake instead of graham crackers. The Mont Blanc wasn’t sweet enough.
Favorites: When I first went here, the cashier recommended the Earl Grey Dacquoise and I ended up eating the whole thing. I also like the French Latte. It had a nice balance of chocolate, coffee, and the right amount of sweetness.
I’d come back if I’m in the area to try some of the cakes and the packaged pastries, along with a milk tea. Their milk teas are done well, and their pastries will suit you if you like them light and not too sweet.

JJ2 Bakery is an adorable Taiwanese bakery chain from California. They recently set up shop on the first floor of the Pacific Guardian Tower. They sell cakes, pastries and boba. Yum! Some popular items are the watermelon cake (strawberry and green tea flavored) and the tuna & egg sandwiches. Personally, I love their chocolate cake and chocolate chiffon cake. Call me biased, I love chocolate!
In addition to tasty treats, another big draw for me is the price point of all their products. Most items run $.20-$.40 less than the other bakeries. High-​quality products and lower prices? No complaints here!
The only thing I would knock this store for is the layout and management of their check out. There are two checkouts, but the employees have been inconsistent about how they take customers. One time I went, they took me right away because they separated drink customers from bakery customers and I was only ordering boba. Another time, I was sent to the back of the bakery line to order boba, had to wait an extra ten minutes and when I reached the cashier, I was told they hadn’t finished making the boba yet.
Overall, a great new addition to the building. Parking is a pain, but fortunately they’re close enough to Ala Moana (just across the street) that it’s not so inaccessible. And once they decide what they want to do with their checkout, they’ll be golden!

Wow, this place has finally opened. It had been months with the sign up «we’ll be opening soon». I’ve be reading reviews of this place before I try it because I don’t want to chance anything terrible. This is a cute, Taiwanese bakery located at the PGT building across from Walgreens. When we walked in the place is neat and bright.
There were baked goods along the side. Everything looks so yummy. I looked around and decided to try a pastry that I usually don’t get. I got the oscar bun $ 2.50 (sort of like a healthy bread). I also ordered a regular wintermelon milk tea $ 3~ It gets busy, but we found seats. Took a bite of that pretty bun and it was soft. It was sweet but not too sweet. Bit more into the center of the bread, there’s a creamy custard filling. It’s sooo good. I tried a sip of the wintermelon milk tea, it was really sweet. I was craving sweet that day so it didn’t matter.
I’ll be back if I crave pastry and milk tea again. Pricing is decent for the quality. Free parking is everywhere… Ala Moana and Walmart.

Uh sweets and boba galore! Oh it reminds me of living in LA where there’s bake goods and boba everywhere! This bakery is franchise in California and similar to a Taiwanese franchise called 85 degrees bakery. Their menu ranges from teas, coffee, pastries, and baked goods. Prices are reasonably considering of the presentation. The presentation of the pastries reminds me of La Palme at Ala Moana and Kulu Kulu at Shirokiya.
We ordered of bunch of different pastures to try even though we didn’t know what we were choosing. The breads were delicious and their mango pudding is quite tasty. I ordered a Hokkaido milk tea which is a stronger tea flavor compared to regular milk tea. Warning, there is a bite after the creaminess. I also tried their sea foam salt cream with some coffee. Yum! Sounds pretty gross but it’s pretty tasty. I only wish they had their cream filled mochi with strawberries in it. However the cashier said it should be starting up soon. Fingers crossed!

I saw the signs when JJ2 Bakery was in construction advertising, «Christmas Cakes!» and chuckled because they had been in construction since forever. «Oh, what a missed opportunity for good sales!» I thought. But then they opened recently (in November, I believe) and not only did they blow me away with completing construction that I never thought would happen, but then their bakery is soooooooo nice. Definitely shocked me in a good way.
Their walls are lined with tons and tons of baked items, ALL INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED. I know other places give you tongs and whatnot, but why risk other people’s germs?
Their selection itself is quite unique. The bakery items are cute and voluminous; when you buy something, you know you’ll get quite a meal out of it. I’ve been told that one of their most popular items is the bun topped with dried shredded pork and would recommend this item.
Lastly, they offer bubble tea. As a Taiwanese shop, I guess it should be expected, right? I ordered the Hokkaido oolong milk tea. It is quite flowery and i think their «normal» sugar is too sweet for my personal taste. I’d recommend less sugar first if you’re going to try one of their drinks. The bubbles are also softer than what you’d get from other bubble tea places — you’ll notice a difference. While that may sound bad, it really isn’t — it is in no way mushy. I think they have an interesting flavor to their teas so it’s definitely something to try.

Wow! I’m so happy a new bakery has open. It’s an affordable one too!
JJ bakery is located across from Walgreen on Kapiolani and next to Verizon store. Other Unilocalers say they don’t validate so you have to park on street or park at Ala Moana and take a 5 minute walk over. That’s what I did.
I picked up variety of different buns to try. They cost about $ 2 each but it’s a pretty big size. My real reason here is milk tea. Their jasmine milk tea is quite flowery tasting but I like them. You can choose to have normal, less, or half sugar. Less sugar is more than half sugar if that makes sense. I ordered less sugar and it was perfect to my taste. Their regular milk tea is made from black tea which I don’t care for. Mango smoothie was also good.
I’m just little bummed about parking. Maybe JJ will accommodate parking validation near future.

JJ2 Bakery’s Grand Opening, with all the hoopla that has been going on at nearby Ala Moana Center, was one of the most organized and well-​staffed businesses that we’ve been to. We arrived at 10:45 AM, shortly before its 11:00 AM opening and found no one waiting. Um, not that we scratched the front of the door like begging dogs but we hung around nearby the entrance. Within a few minutes, groups of people started showing up and there were even some people who actually tried the door to enter without success while the rest of us stood patiently aside. But, hey, we did mention to them that the business wasn’t open yet.
At 11:00 AM sharp, the doors were opened as we filed in, grabbed a tray and tongs to pick our baked goods. I had previously scoped out the treats that I wanted so we made a bee-​line to a sweet pineapple bun and a hearty meat-​lovers bun. People behind us followed in on an orderly queue. Meanwhile, several servers came out with trays of free samples that ranged from their various milk teas to savory and sweet rolls to chiffon cakes. Since we were first in line, the workers even put the samples on our tray as we took a seat at one of their coffee tables. I had even eyed out their luscious and beautiful fruit-​decorated cakes while at the cashier. Their baked goods are scrumptious! The selections with Asian-​influences, textures or baked consistencies are more refined like Taiwanese-​European-​style pastry or breads.
While sitting and enjoying our pastries with our hot mocha and Hokkaido milk tea, the workers kept dropping by our table to offer us more samples. Everyone was so gracious, welcoming and friendly.
We welcome JJ2 Bakery to Hawaii and our neighborhood.