A Year in Review: A Look Back and the 15 Most Popular Posts

Clockwise from top left: MW Restaurant, Blue Tree Cafe, Budnamujip, The Pig and the Lady, Marukame Udon Downtown, Agu Ramen, Kan Zaman, Rico Rico, Bevy, Arancino at The Kahala

There's a lot new in Honolulu's food and drink scene this year, from new fine dining restaurants such as Arancino at The Kahala to Rico Rico, a little Peruvian roast chicken joint on King Street. Chinatown lost two of its favorite establishments—Otto Cake and Indigo—but gained two new restaurants, the Vietnamese-inspired The Pig and the Lady and Moroccan and Lebanese Kan Zaman. Glenn Chu of Indigo observed that energy was moving to Kakaako, which has seen the opening of scrappy restaurants like Taste and sleek, glossy ones such as Chef Chai.

If you thought Honolulu was already saturated with ramen and Korean barbecue, the popularity of three new ramen joints (Santouka, Agu Ramen, Kiwami) and two new Korean restaurants (678 Hawaii and Budnamujip) proved otherwise. While both the Korean restaurants are based in Korea, they couldn't be more different: Budnamujip is high end and sublime, 678 Hawaii pure fun and high energy.

Mixed news in drinks: Two new breweries (Aloha Beer Co. and Hawaiian Islands Brewing Co.) didn't make it to one year, but Honolulu Beerworks hopes to make a go of it. What we lost in breweries, we made up in fresh-pressed juice places such as Blue Tree Cafe. And Honolulu continues to grow its love of cocktails in Bevy, also in Kakaako. 

We covered all this and more in posts online and print … here are the most popular Biting Commentary posts of 2013, in order of popularity:

• Dear Scott Caan, Places Where the Food Doesn't Suck
  I understand that you're having trouble finding places to eat. 5-0 is a big part of our economy and we want you to be well fed. Next time you're out hustling for non-sucky food, here are some places and dishes to try.
  Read more…
   
• Noodle Tuesday: First look at Marukame Udon Downtown
  After a year of anticipation, Marukame Udon Downtown is finally open. But if you were expecting a carbon-copy of the Waikiki location, you might be surprised.
  Read more…
   
• Justin Yu: The New Chef at The Whole Ox
  The Whole Ox Deli just celebrated its one-year anniversary with a new chef at the helm, Justin Yu.
  Read more…
   
• First Look: MW Restaurant
  MW Restaurant, the venture of husband-and-wife team Michelle and Wade Ueoka, officially opens today for lunch and dinner. There, you'll see Wade directing traffic in the kitchen and Michelle, despite the stunning amount of counter space, confining herself to a small square of real estate, plating desserts.
  Read more…
   
• Three Fat Pigs and Ippy's Hawaiian BBQ
  On last season's Food Network Star, Philip Aiona, aka Ippy, from Waimea, proved his likability as a laid-back 23-year-old from Hawaii. He didn't win, but in less than a year since the show ended, he's opened two restaurants in Waikoloa.
  Read more…
   
• Five Hawaii Beers You Need to Try
  Hawaii, once awash in green bottled beer, is producing a number of award-winning breweries. In the last five years, new breweries have opened up on each of the four major islands, for a total of eight active breweries and many more in the planning stages.
  Read more…
   
• Coming Soon: MW Restaurant
  Combined, Michelle Karr-Ueoka and Wade Ueoka have spent more than 30 years working alongside Alan Wong. The husband-and-wife team met at Wong's namesake restaurant, where Michelle spent most of her years as a pastry chef, Wade as chef de cuisine.
  Read more…
   
• Three New Restaurants: Ko, Rinka, Chef Chais
  Three just-opened restaurants generating some buzz…
  Read more…
   
• First Look: The Pig and the Lady
  The Pig and the Lady restaurant opened yesterday, drawing its farmer market regulars and pop-up fans to a new brick-and-mortar location in Chinatown. (Among its fans? Daniel Dae Kim, who tweeted the restaurant as a "must go.")
  Read more…
   
• Best Custard Pie: Lee's Bakery vs. Kaneohe Bakery
  It seems, if you're a custard pie lover, you're either in the Lee's Bakery or Kaneohe Bakery camp.
  Read more…
   
• Sheldon Simeon on Top Chef: Any Regrets?
  Chef Sheldon Simeon, Top Chef's first Hawaii contestant, made it all the way to the final three, by cooking local and Filipino food (He was even gutsy enough to present balut, duck embryo!).
  Read more…
   
• Chez Kenzo Bar and Grill
  The former co-owners of Genius Lounge in Waikiki have brought their eclectic, Japanese-leaning, fusion comfort food to more local, sports bar-style digs in the former Verbano space on King St.
  The menu is over 100 items long.
  Read more…
   
• Blue Tree Cafe Juice Cleanse
  You know when something sounds like a good idea but really isn't? That's a juice cleanse. I'm on day one.
  Read more…
   
• Otto Cake Moving to Kaimuki
  Otto is over it. The threats, the violence, and the "final nail in the coffin," says Otto: a man with a gun outside the bakery on First Friday.
  Read more…
   
• Glenn Chu on Indigo's Closing
  Last week, after 19 years in business, Indigo closed its doors. Things had been troublesome for chef/owner Glenn Chu, 61, for some time.
  Read more…