After touching down at LAX, I decided Hawaiian food (in California) was better than nothing and regardless, I wasn’t flying onward over the Pacific blue yonder for yet another 5.5 hours! My mom’s brother lives in Torrance, and apparently there are a lot of other island locals in this area of California. While visiting with my uncle and aunt, my first order of business was to drag everyone to King’s Hawaiian Bakery.

I greedily ordered a huge plate lunch of lau lau and kalua pork (it’s no Ono Hawaiian Foods), but I realized halfway through that I would need to save room for dessert. I have a bucket list of things I need to eat when in Hawaii. Guava Cake is on this list. One taste and it magically reminds me of my childhood summers in Honolulu. My inability to source such a cake on the East Coast has only added to its allure. It’s not a fancy dessert: 3 layers of airy guava chiffon cake nestled between layers of whipped cream, but it’s the glossy guava glaze on top that gets me every time.