Marianne Mai, has been a friendly face of Kamehameha Shopping Center since 2001. She came to Hawaii from Vietnam in the summer of ’82 and always dreamed of owning her own business. Working long hours often took her away from spending time with her family. She was able to make her dream come true when she found a way to harness her passion for cooking while making time to see her family. Marianne realized that owning a small eatery would allow her to see the delighted faces of hunger satisfied family members and guests alike while working hard to support her loved ones. Now, she gets to see the happy faces of her grandkids as they come to her shop afterschool to enjoy their favorite bowl of chicken pho. Marianne also enjoys seeing her daily and weekly regulars visit her shop to share stories and take home meals so that they too can see the joyful faces of their own family members after a delicious meal.
BaLe is a Vietnamese style sandwich shop offers a variety of banh-mi sandwiches, warm hearty bowls of pho, as well as an assortment of noodle and rice plates. There are many vegetarian options to choose from also such as the spring rolls with tofu or shrimp. Amongst the variety banh mi sandwiches are other popular dishes such as the Beef Pho with three different types of beef.
The new Combo Plate with Vietnamese style pork chop on a bed of rice with pickled vegetables, shredded fried pork, and a fried egg.
Marianne also offers her own Oxtail Soup recipe which is a personal favorite of hers along with a Seafood Crispy Noodle and the BBQ Pork. You can also satisfy your sweet tooth with a selection of tapioca pudding and jellos. Daily bread and bakery products are also available to take home.