What’s Cooking: Famous Seoul bakery bringing signature pies to Hawaii for limited pop-up

Sunrise admin September 21, 2026 0 Comments

What’s Cooking: Famous Seoul bakery bringing signature pies to Hawaii for limited pop-up

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A popular pie shop from South Korea is making its island debut this month, blending classic American comfort flavors with traditional Korean baking techniques.

Thousand Pie, a Seoul-based bakery known for drawing long lines of dessert lovers, is teaming up with DOMODOMO Hawaii for a limited pop-up run starting Sept. 23 at the Ewa Beach Golf Club.

DOMODOMO Hawaii General Manager Hoon Lim and Thousand Pie Owner Hyeongie Cheon joined Hawaii News Now Sunrise Weekends to talk about their signature flavors and what sets their pastries apart.

“We want them to know this is not just a typical American pie. It has Korean baking techniques inside,” Lim translated on behalf of Cheon. “We took this American pie concept, brought it to Korea, added our technique to make it perfect, and now we want to bring it back to the United States and Hawaii to share with everyone.”

The collaboration began during a trip to South Korea, when owners of DOMODOMO Hawaii and the golf club noticed crowds lining up outside Thousand Pie’s storefront. After sampling the pastries and connecting with Cheon, the team invited the bakery to bring its creations across the Pacific.

Unlike traditional heavy desserts, Cheon’s recipes focus on balancing an indulgent look with light, layered textures and controlled sweetness.

“It has an unexpected charm,” Cheon said. “It looks really heavy. It might look dangerous to someone on a diet but if you try it, it’s really soft and delicate. It’s not overly sweet at all.”

Lim also reflected on the broader wave of Korean cultural influence reaching island shores, from entertainment to culinary arts.

“I guess it’s everywhere in the United States now K-pop, K-beauty, K-dramas,” Lim said. “I believe it’s our soul and our skills blending into American culture, and now people recognize how delicate it is. We’re very happy to be here introducing K-desserts.”

The Hawaii pop-up will feature several signature items, including Thousand Pie’s Vanilla Cream Pie, crafted with banana creme brulee, chocolate chips, and top-tier vanilla bean custard as well as seasonal favorites like Pumpkin Pie.

The pop-up runs through Oct. 4 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. at Ewa Beach Golf Club, with additional quantities served at DOMODOMO Hawaii during regular evening restaurant hours.

Customers can purchase pies in person during the promotion or place scheduled takeout orders online at domodomohawaii.com.