The Medley

I ordered the BLT, Tomato Basil soup and the highlight for me was the awesome spinach, cheese and strawberry salad. I could not finish it all (of course) and I was excited to try the variety of their menu. I felt the portions were good and price was right for its freshness. The salad comes in a small container and looks like you could woof it down but there is a lot of green in there and that is a GOOD thing. I got another salad «to go» that day and brought it to a meeting and I shared it with a few other people. Thank you!
I met 2 young adults behind the counter and we struck a conversation. I enjoyed chatting with them and they gave me good advice and their recommendations. I am all about the «vibe» and I liked it. I will be there very soon!

Great to see new local restaurants. Soup and salad always a good combination. Unfortunately the prices are way too high for pretty small sandwiches. Over $ 9 for a veggie sandwich. The staff are nice but no real enthusiasm or people skills. The décor is a really odd mixture with no real consistency. Really hope they figure it out.

I had the Thai chicken curry soup and Turkey sandwich with bacon jam. Food taste is pretty good as I’m always looking for soup places in Hawaii. Seemed off though that combo prices were more expensive for less food than buying the individual items. When I asked the cashiers they gave a nervous laugh which was pretty awkward. When we got the food the sticker price was waaaay high for the product purchased as the panini was the smallest sandwich I have gotten in Hawaii.

I’m very excited for more soup and sandwiches places popping up near where I work! This place is still a newbie, so I’m excited to see what happens, but at the moment, I am a bit underwhelmed. The veggie Panini I ordered was very, very thin. Like credit card thin. I know it’s the type of sandwich that gets pressed in the Panini grill, but come on… There was a lot of room for improvement as far as fillings go in my opinion. $ 9.25 is STEEP for this sandwich! See below for my picture. I might stop by again in the future if I notice any pictures or reviews that show an improvement/​difference. While the Panini was thin, it did taste good, it was just remarkably small and took about 2 minutes to eat.
Veggie panini– BTW This is the entire sandwich, not a half of one.

My husband and I stopped by for lunch and we got to try a sample of the turkey bacon jam sandwich which was delicious. He ended up ordering that and I chose the veggie panini.
The prices are a little high but reasonable when you taste how fresh the ingredients are. Both sandwiches were nice and crispy without cutting up the roof of our mouths which is always nice!
I was a bit disappointed in the service. Workers didn’t seem particularly happy to have us there. Not as friendly as the other eateries in the area.
I also purchased a bottled soda which was completely flat. I asked if I could change it out for another one because of this to which the cashier replied «But it’s Sprite Zero right? «
I answered that yes it is, but it should still be carbonated. The workers then just have each other a look with some eye rolling before one of them nodded.
I love supporting my neighborhood small businesses but will likely not return somewhere we’re not welcome.

The ladies behind the counter seem more local to me, more like someone I grew up with, than at the competing Kaimuki sandwich places (competes with Earl Sandwich, Sprout, Kaimuki Suprette, Café Laufer for the just-​about-​$ 10 sandwich.)
I only see salads and things prepacked in clamshells like this at the airport… how will the veggies stay fresh and crisp all mixed into the same container all day long? I avoided the salads for this reason – airport food phobia! And for the prices, it would be nice to have the ingredients prepared to order like at the other places in the neighborhood (excluding 7 – 11).
The turkey bacon jam sam (also available at Earl Sandwich lol) was nice – sweet, Cuban style flat and grilled perfectly. The sandwich was also premade in wax paper in the fridge. The lady took it out and stuck it on the grill. I like that they actually grill the whole sandwich, unlike at Sprout, whose paninis are just grilled bread with ungrilled fixings added later.
I also got the large soup – I had them mix together the tomato basil and the butternut squash. I kind of expected them side by side, like you can get at CPK, but they were completed mixed. Ah well, it was still hearty and yummy. They pulled the woolies over me with their pricing through. A small 8 oz soup is $ 4. A large 12 oz soup is $ 7. The large is 58 cents/​oz while the small is a cheaper 50 cents/​oz. Darn I should’ve got 2 small soups instead :)
The food was perfectly tasty, but to pay $ 17.25 for a partially premade meal in takeout containers that left me only about exactly full enough, I can’t justify eating here very often. They had Molokai sweet potatoes for sale for $ 3.86/lb.
Suggestions to the owners:
1. Revise the soup pricing so it makes sense to get the larger size, make combo options (some soup/​salad, soup/​sandwich, Sandwich/​salad etc) and price them a little closer to the $ 10 range, which is what me and most of my coworkers are willing to spend for takeout lunch.
2. Put in more than one table (maybe check out Reuse Hawaii?) There is currently 1 table with 4 chairs, several more very high tables with no chairs, and a random tiny tv desk with 1 chair. It is a bit haphazard. I ate in and felt a little like I was rudely hogging up the only table, all for me and none for you!

I recently saw fellow Unilocaler Kimo post some photos and realized that Ka Lei Eggs had finally been replaced. How had I not noticed?! I decided to check it out. Minus the sign hanging above outside, the windows are pretty bare, hold the menu. I almost wouldn’t have known they were open yet had I not seen people inside. I pulled open the door & loved the vibe upon entering. I was immediately greeted by the cashier but not in that annoying in your face way but a true greeting. She must be one of the owners as she seemed super knowledgable. We chatted a bit and she informed me how they had just opened up Tuesday 10÷6÷15 — talk about brand spanking new! I looked around the open space which was airy and felt chill. Big wood panels on the wall with numbers, a type of art. There was also a corner with fresh local mangos for sale, local jams & jellies, and local sweet potatoes with some information about that farm they are from. The local farmers market booth vibe but in a storefront is an excellent idea. Prices were reasonable as well. There were only 2 little tables that I saw with one stool each so I don’t think they are quite in the sit down and eat stages but with the amount of space they have, I imagine that will change soon.
The menu is simple but I actually was having trouble choosing. I wanted to try everything. Sandwiches, soups, salads & macaroni and cheese… talk about my kind of comfort foods. Sometimes its the little things and if they are done right, they can be exactly what you need. The mac & cheese comes simple, with bacon or with roasted corn and peas. The salads were lovely twists like Hawaiian Cobb and Kale Caesar. Sandwiches ranged from a simple grilled cheese to a Kalua Pig Cuban or the Veggie which sounded lovely & fresh. NOTE: sandwiches/​paninis take 7 – 8 minutes are they are made to order, macaroni & cheese takes 8 – 10 minute. She told me I can call ahead as well. I wound up ordering a small (8 oz) butternut squash soup [$ 4] and the roasted turkey panini which had provolone, arugula and tomato bacon jam [$ 10]. I also got an iced cold brew illy coffee for a pick me up. They had a lovely fruit iced tea selection as well as hot coffee/​tea and a fridge with soda & water.
My soup was delicious! Butternut squash shone through with its natural sweetness but there were also spicy notes of curry & Indian type spices. It was thick and quite fulfilling. My panini was also on point. The tomato bacon jam was a perfect mix of sweet & salty and added the porky and yet fresh bite the sandwich needed. It was grilled perfectly. I realized how much I miss paninis. I love the textural toasty bite! Again, super simple but super tasty. I was satisfyingly full. I do feel like the prices were a bit high. I spent $ 17 total for lunch which I cat typically do but I was pleased with my meal for sure. A lot of other items are a little more reasonable like the mac and cheese which I can’t wait to try. A cute new place to check out in the heart of Kaimuki.
*takes CC/​debit using Square or CASH friendly*

The Medley, located next to First Hawaiian Bank, replaced the old Ka Lei Eggs, just quietly opened on Tuesday (¹⁰⁄₆). When I happened to passed by the spot on one of my morning walks, I saw a new green logo sign «The Medley… Soup, Salad & More» hung neatly above the entrance. So I went in to check out the menu. I think The Medley will make a nice new addition to the Kaimuki eatery scene on Waialae Avenue. This small but cute eatery looked organic green and earth-​friendly. Hours posted: Monday to Saturday from 8:30 AM to 7 PM.
As soon as opened the doors, your eyes will be drawn to a big chalkboard menu situated in the middle of the room. What a cool business to offer fresh soups, salad, sandwiches, coffee and tea. I saw the illy coffee maker and I am there. There were fresh salads in the clear plastic take-​out containers neatly stacked in the refrigerator — definitely making it easy to «grab-​and-​go» if you’re in a hurry. After examining the selection of specialty salads, I went for the Hawaiian Cobb. The jicama and candied mac nuts in this salad has my attention at first glance. If you never had jicama, it is a wonderful addition in salads. The texture, the crunch and the natural sweetness is delicious. Finally, a business actually incorporating jicama in their food. I’ve been using jicama in salads for years.
Another menu offering I will have on my next visit will be the veggie panini since I can’t eat another bite after the salad. I am anxious to try their veggie panini with zucchini, eggplant, roasted tomato, pesto and mozzarella on telera bread. Telera bread is a Mexican bread similar to a French roll. It is usually used to make tortas (sandwiches). The lady told me the sandwiches are made to order panini-​style and according to the menu, it will be grilled for 7 – 8 minutes. Yes, I am a fan of hot, crispy tortas or sandwiches.
Overall, the prices are reasonable and the menu looks promising. They also have two daily offering of soups available in 8 oz. or 12 oz. I gotta try the butternut squash soup next time. Also, a few fresh market items are for sale — i.e. papayas, sweet potatoes, butter and jams. Very similar to the small farmer’s market concept. The Medley is small and by the looks of it, they currently have one table available for sit down. It seems like they’re still trying to put some more finishing touches on the place. The convenience factor here will work for me since I don’t mind walking up to the counter, put in my order and they are able to ring me up right away for take-​out meals.