Hodo Kiosk Spotlight, by Emma Lutz

As I walked towards the Ferry Building amongst the gaggle of tourists and business people, the air was crisp and uncharacteristically warm. Visiting the Hodo Kiosk and blogging about it was one of my first tasks as Hodo's Summer 2011 intern. The kiosk is a great expansion for Hodo because it's Hodo's first retail location and it introduces new products different from Hodo farmers’ market and grocery store items.

I stepped into the Ferry Building and was instantly relieved by the openness and natural light that flooded the building. With the farmers market outside, the halls of the building were bustling with food enthusiasts and tourists—great people watching.

I found the Hodo Kiosk next to Gott’s Roadside and The Slanted Door. I tried the Yuba Kung Pao salad, which is a refreshing mix of yuba, brown rice noodles, carrot, cucumber, and daikon. The yuba gives the salad a sumptuous texture when mixed with the fresh crunch of the veggies. The Kung Pao dressing tops the salad off giving it a delightfully summery flavor.

I learned that the customers’ favorite is the Indian Wrap, made with spicy curry tofu nuggets, crisp lettuce, cucumber, carrot, daikon, and cilantro, seasoned with a mouth-watering mango chutney and Hodo’s homemade vegan mayonnaise, all wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.

The kiosk also carries a great variety of soy smoothies and drinks, such as Chocolate Soy Shake, Thai Tea, Strawberry Banana Smoothie, and Kale Avocado Shake. If you are already a Hodo fan or someone who simply wants to try some great new Hodo dishes, make sure to stop by the kiosk! Next time I visit, I hope to enjoy some of the decadent Scharf’s Chocolate Mousse while viewing sailboats on the bay.

Kiosk Hours:

Monday-Friday 9am – 7pm

Saturdays 8am – 6pm

Sundays 11am – 5pm

Unique and freshly-made ready-to-eat items at the kiosk:

Strawberry Banana Smoothie: Strawberry, Banana, Hodo Soy Milk, Hodo Custard, Orange Juice, Agave Syrup

Kale Avocado Smoothie: Kale, Avocado, Cucumber, Hodo Soy Milk, Hodo Soy Custard, Apple Juice, Lime Juice, Sea Salt

Thai Iced Tea: Hodo Soy Milk, Thai Tea, Organic Sugar

Chocolate Soy Milk: Hodo Soy Milk, Cocoa Powder, Organic Sugar, Vanilla, Sea Salt

Yuba Kung Pao Salad: Yuba, Brown Rice Noodles, Cucumber, Daikon, Carrot, Soynuts, Cilantro, Kung Pao Sauce (soy bean oil, rice vinegar, tamari, water, cane sugar, sesame oil, brown sugar, corn starch, spices, garlic, ginger, chilies, dried orange peel)

Scharf’s Mousse: Hodo Soy Crème, Hodo Soy Custard, Scharffen Berger 62% Semisweet Chocolate, Agave Syrup, Rice Starch, Vanilla, Sea Salt

Forbidden Rice Pudding: Hodo Soy Crème, Hodo Soy Custard, Licorice, Cinnamon, Agave Syrup, Indian Spice, Candied Ginger, Toasted Coconut

Indian Wrap: Curry Tofu Nuggets, Lettuce, Carrot, Cucumber, Daikon, Cilantro, Hodo Vegan Mayo, Mango Chutney, Whole Wheat Tortilla

Sky Is Falling! Sandwich: Hodo Firm Tofu, Hodo Vegan Mayo, Yellow Curry, Turmeric, Vital Vittles Bread

***In addition to the prepared items, the Kiosk also carries all of Hodo’s fresh tofu products (Soy Milk, Silken, Medium, and Firm Tofu, Fresh Yuba, Braised Tofu, and Tea-Infused Tofu) along with a variety of grab and go salads (Hijiki, Spicy Yuba Strips, 5-Spice and Spicy Curry Nuggets).***