Zsoli’s Chimney Cakes

When I first learned about Chimney Cakes, it was when they were first building their stand at Ala Moana. I didn’t get the chance to try them because I left for SF and I’m guessing they closed shortly after. I saw them at First Friday’s in Chinatown and I missed out again because they were already closing. SO. Flash forward a months later, I finally got the chance to try them at Eat the Streets. I placed by order, ($ 5.00 for a Cinnamon) and turns out it takes about 20 minutes to make. I was glad that it’s made fresh and I wouldn’t be eating something stale. All that anticipation and I was kind of disappointed. I love bread, I love cinnamon and together, I should have been a happy camper. And I wasn’t. It tasted like a pretzel covered in cinnamon sugar. But it was a dry pretzel. Don’t get me wrong, it smelled delicious but that’s all. It was just too much dough. I don’t know what I was expecting but I wasn’t a fan. At least I tried it but next time I’ll pass. Oh and the portion is pretty big so split it with friends if you do get one.

They smell amazing but they just taste kind of like poor quality cinnamon toast. Waited an hour at Eat the Street for one and kind of regret wasting that much time. There was two of us sharing one and we didn’t even bother finishing it.

I went to my first Eat the Street last night and this was the first food truck that I went to there. I didn’t even know that they were going to be there, but once I saw the truck, the memories of when I first saw them at the Blaisdell Convention Center a couple of years ago were flying at me. I had to get this again!
–Cinnamon Chimney Cake ($ 5): Doughy inside, crunchy outside with a cinnamon-​sugar coating
The chimney cake dough is wrapped around a buttered wooden stick and cooked in an oven that rotates the stick. I compare it to a cinnamon roll, but better! It combines my favorites of doughy and cinnamon. The crunch of the outside is a sub for fried food which helps me with any cravings because I have cut out fried foods from my diet.
A great thing about this food truck is that it reminds me of Christmas. I don’t really know why. It could be the wooden sides, cinnamon smell, or the chimney shape of the cake that makes me think of Santa! Both the ambiance and product make this a 5-​star business. It sucks that they only do events right now, but I’m willing to go to these events and wait for like 40 minutes just to get my chimney cake!

Woooo, some people were pretty impatient waiting for their chimney cakes! But 20 min plus??? no sweat! at eat the street, that time will just fly away while you’re at other trucks! Oh wait… it started raining! oh no! another 20 minutes tacked on XD !!!
Okay, some people ditched their orders and were kindly given refunds… oh boy they sure missed out!
Pecan and Cinnamon and sprinkled chimney cakes! om nom nom nom~
There were also original, and choco flavors.
I gotta say the pecan one was the better of my picks (although just by a little bit more only!). The inner part of the dough around the pin was nice and soft and came apart easily because it was so hot and freshhhh. That’s right, they wanted all their products to be fresh for you to enjoy! Why couldn’t you wait people??? why??? =D (more for us!)
The dough is sweet on the outside and the pecans crusted all over were caramalized with sugar, so even if it was crunchy, it wasn’t killing your gums or anything, the dough cushioned it with a nice compliment. I want more!

Finally got to try Chimney Cakes at the ⁶⁄₂₄ Eat the Street event in Kakaako. We had the Cinnamon and Rainbow Sprinkled cakes. The Rainbow sprinkles was OK, but all enjoyed the Cinnamon better. These $ 5 a piece cakes are large enough to share with a friend or two…

This thing takes freaking for-​ev-​errrr. The line was outrageous at Eat the Streets and I can’t even believe my friends wanted to wait that long! It took over an hour with the wait in line and for the actual bread.
But damn, that bread was good.

Bought the pecan and the cinnamon chimney cake at eat the street’s food truck and street food rally. The line was semi long, but it took about ½ hour to get my chimney cake. Only because they made it fresh, one at a time in their kiosk.
Cinnamon Chimney cake — 3 stars — good when it comes right out, but I don’t think this breaded dessert which tastes like a cinnamon roll is worth $ 5.
Pecan Chimney Cake — tastes similar to the cinnamon chimney cake. It’s like eating a regular cinnamon roll with sugar/​cinnamon topping. Althought it is a light dessert I’d buy it for $ 3, but not for $ 5.

There is a little log cabin kiosk located on the outskirts of Makai Food Court at Ala Moana where these delectable Hungarian treats are made. I think its wonderful since in Hawaii we don’t have much exposure to Hungarian food and Transylvania… a breath of fresh air. These treats are cooked on a spit over an open fire. It just unravels nice and easy, once you start, its kinda hard to stop. A fun little treat. I am only giving it a three because it had cooled down by the time I tried it, so I’m pretty sure it will be ⁴⁄₅ next time.
I would recommend the cinnamon flavor if its your first time. Great place to try when you wanna get something different to bring over for a potluck or get-​together!

Hungarian goodies in Hawaii? I had to check this out. I thought it was a little odd that they were the only food cart outside of the food court. It’s cooler inside, but I found out that the heat is the key to a successful chimney cake.
I asked the proprietor which chimney cake was the most popular and he said cinnamon so I ordered that one. Lucky I love cinnamon! He was making a fresh batch so he asked me to come back in 10 mins. I was able to buy a freshly made chimney cake sprinkled with a good amount of cinnamon sugar that was still nice and warm!
It’s like a really thin bread with cinnmon sugar baked on top of it. It was a little bit doughy, but not raw. I ate the whole thing, but since it’s hollow I didn’t feel overstuffed. Pretty good, but pricey at $ 6 each.
The man I spoke with was just oozing with the Aloha spirit. He seemed to really love the product he was selling. I hope this business thrives.

Truth be told I was roaming in Ala Moana Shopping Center when I turned the corner and realized there was a big wooden kiosk shaped in a form of a wood lunch wagon existing in a corner that usually was empty.
Cozy wagon setup with a simple menu selling a simple treat. The people in the wagon are really nice giving some recommendations and such. They give a few samples out so you should definitely try it if your in the area. They have a small oven so the cakes might take a bit to come out if a large order is made.
There are a few flavors to coat your cake with. They even allowed me to put multiple flavors on one cake. The cake itself has a really good texture and bite to it. If I had to base it on something, it would be like a sweet bread with the bite of a freshly baked chewy pretzel or to put bluntly, a sweet cylinder pretzel. They sell Nutella, which is a hazelnut chocolate spread that goes well with the treat. Kind of wish they had icing too or maybe they did and I didn’t ask. The bread is a genius design for putting on your arm like a bracelet so you can eat while you go and yes I am kidding on that one, but if I were a kid (ok I still am) I would definitely love this bread like no tomorrow.
Watch out Zsoli, here comes the chimney cleaner! OMNOMNOMNOM

Okay. Now that I’ve actually been here as a real customer, I can give this place a real review. There’s a cool aura about this place. They must put something in the cinnamon or something. They’ve got some cool people here working this little stand. They’re very friendly, very happy, and very patient.
I wanted to try the rainbow cake, but he said they need about five minutes to make a fresh one. I instead opted for the chocolate but I wasn’t thrilled with the way it tasted. It’s okay, because the cinnamon and regular ones are still the bomb dot com.
I’d recommend anyone who wants a simple light snack to check these guys out. Just tell em Mark from GS sent you.

I first saw their product on the morning news when they were talking about being at the new product expo and I immediately wanted to go there and try it. However, that didnt happen so I figured id have to wait for the next expo but lo and behold when I went to check out their site they said that they would be selling at ala moana early november! sweet! Once November hit I definitely made it my way to go there soon.
I went this past thurs (¹¹⁄₁₁) morning around 1030 and they had two cakes already roasting so they said it’ll be about 4 more mins. YES! fresh hot cakes =9. I chatted with the owners a little bit and theyre really nice and proud of their product as they explained what it is and how everything works. They have flavors of original, cinnamon, pecan, chocolate and rainbow sprinkles for $ 6. I chose the pecan and it was so soft and warm. The dough is really sweet and caramelized on the outside and the pecans are mixed with sugar and added a nice little crunch. Since its wrapped around something that looks like a rolling pin you just peel and eat. Overall what a great product that you def cant get anywhere else over here and with great owners.

I had never seen this chiosk here before. But it’s a really nice little place. my friend talked up the guy who was working there, and we got to try some free samples. original, cinnamon, chocolate… so good. and all just $ 6. it’s really doughy, but it’s good like that. It was really nice and warm, so it just made me feel comfy. — AKA comfort food at its best :)
the only reason i didn’t give this place 5 stars was because there’s no good place to sit — considering it’s a chiosk. But i think they should expand to a regular area. that would be so awesome.

If you’re in Ala Moana and looking for a snack, Zsoli’s is a must stop. It’s not your typical kiosk it’s a charming wood built cabin that just gives you a homey feel.
This was my first time tasting a Hungarian pastry and it was delicious. The staff was very kind. They gave me an extra one to share with my coworkers and later delivered 6 more on them.
The pastry is amazing, and they are amazing. Check them out. :)