Many would probably be surprised that a small, yet strong Hawaiian influence has a presence in Japan, especially in Yokohama at the World Porter’s Mall.

There is a large section on the first floor filled with Hawaiian stores and restaurants, but since I was running short on time during my layover, my only goal was to head to Leonard’s for their famous malasadas.

The “Hawaiian Town” at World Porter’s include Honolulu Coffee, Local Motion, and Leonard’s to name a few.

It appears that they rotate some of the flavors of their “specialty” malasadas. During my visit, they had Sugar, Cinnamon Sugar, Custard Cream, Caramel Cream, and Cinnamon Sugar with Apple filling.

Since I visited in December, there were some Christmas themed decorations.

I got one of each type of malasada, but only had time to eat one before I headed to the airport. The Cinnamon Sugar with Apple filling was still warm from the fryer. It was slightly crisp on the outside, but warm and fluffy on the inside. The filling tasted like some of the best apple pie filling I’ve had in my life.

The Custard Cream tasted like a cross between a donut and cream puff. The Caramel Cream had a slightly salted caramel taste. The Sugar and Cinnamon Sugar are the standard bearers in the malasada world.

I can’t say that I had a very good idea of what the malasadas really tasted like other than the Cinnamon Sugar with Apple filling, since I tried the others once they had reached room temperature and not really “fresh”.

If you are a fan of Leonard’s in Honolulu, I would definitely recommend this location if you are in the area, and missing some Hawaiian grindz.