SumSum Mediterranean Delights — Restaurant in Honolulu

Most of their tourist customer base will probably not read this before walking into this store while walking by. But, if you are reading this considering stopping by, i recommend against it. This store is intentionally taking advantage of tourists.

Details: I only tried the halva and it was not especially good. Samples were proactively offered to me when I hadn’t asked for them, to a point where I felt bad about not buying anything and decided to pick one flavor and just buy some (my own fault). When I did decide to buy one flavor, I wasn’t asked how much quantity I wanted— the woman immediately cut a huge slice, during which, I asked her how they sold by weight (again, my own fault for not asking before committing). She said that each lb was (“around $30, and each slice is typically a half lb). When she weighed the slice it was 0.89 lb and the total price was $30.87. I looked at her shocked and asked her to cut the slice in half. She said she could not do that. I felt uncomfortable and asked her why. She said her boss only allowed them to sell by slice. I stood there, gave her a long look (to which she stared back—seems like this trick is a familiar one) and then paid, but didn’t feel good about it at all. I should have just walked away.

Reading other reviews on Yelp, it sounds like I’m not the only one who experienced something to this effect. I don’t typically leave reviews but felt this tourist trap trick (to someone naive like myself) merited warning to others as well as a realistic review for...

On my walk, I stumbled upon Sum Sum, a Middle Eastern dessert shop, and decided to check it out. I was greeted by a staff member who enthusiastically explained the concept and highlighted the different items available. As I looked over at the bakery display case, I couldn’t help but notice that everything looked a bit… dry. One tray was torn apart, which, let's just say, wasn’t exactly the most appetizing sight. I was given a sample of the Halva and it was surprisingly good.

When the staff member proudly claimed everything was made fresh, I couldn’t resist and asked, “Oh really? Where are they made?” To my surprise, I was told the halva is made and shipped from Amsterdam, and the baked goods come from various other locations. So, nothing was actually made fresh on the island—or any Hawaiian island, for that matter. Disappointing, right? The baked goods looked like they’d been frozen and thawed out. If you’ve ever tried thawed Middle Eastern desserts, you know they don’t exactly hold up well. This was painfully evident in the display case.

Still, I went ahead and bought a few items just to show some support (hey, we’ve all been there). But if you're craving fresh, authentic Middle Eastern desserts, I’d recommend checking out Istanbul or Mara. At least you won’t be wondering if your baklava took a detour through a freezer on its way...

I visited your café today, hoping to enjoy some coffee with halva. I asked your staff for a halva set with a few pieces. She offered me the largest set, and when I asked for the price, she said it would be under $35. I agreed and asked for three pieces plus a complimentary one, as she had mentioned. However, the pieces were large, uneven, and crumbled a lot during cutting. I mentioned that I didn’t mind broken pieces, but the result was three uneven pieces—large, small, and tiny.

When I asked how she would determine which piece was the free one, it became clear that it’s impossible to cut identical pieces of halva. Perhaps it’s better to offer a mixed halva platter instead. At the checkout, the total was almost $100, not $35 as we had agreed. When I pointed this out, she said I could pick two pieces instead. I didn’t receive the promised gift, waited a long time, and couldn’t enjoy the halva with coffee.

This experience ruined my mood, and I have no desire to return to your café. I’m not surprised to hear other customers also have complaints about...