Cover photo courtesy of Dane Nakama The sixth annual Hawaii Food and Wine Festival announced their star-studded chef lineup and we’ve picked out our top five that you must see at this year’s festival. 5. Ivan Orkin – Ivan Ramen,…
It started with an Instagram feed that one of my coworkers flashed in front of my eyes. Heavenly-looking pics of spicy tuna bowls, sushi rolls and platters from Boa Sushi Cafe gave me a new fixation: I had to find…
We’re giving away five family 4-packs of VIP passes to the advance screening of “Queen of Katwe,” a movie based on the vibrant true story of a young girl from the streets of rural Uganda whose world rapidly changes when…
A new brunch cafe opened a couple weeks ago in Moiliili between Glazer’s Coffee and Sushi King. Koa Cafe is owned by Juno Chung, whose parents founded the local Koa Pancake House chain. Juno’s now taken over operations of both…
Frolic's CIY (Cook It Yourself) videos are for those times when eating out is not an option: They’re quick-ish how-tos for dishes that make staying in fun. We love comfort food and we love tacos. No brainer, right? Today’s CIY…
Sponsored If you haven’t heard of Hawaii City Lights by now, it’s a gathering that puts the aloha back in Fridays. This Friday the pau hana event at Makers & Tasters turns into a new album release party with Amy…
We’ve been huge fans of Choco le’a since the tiny gourmet chocolate shop opened in the back of Manoa Valley in 2014. But, yeah, they’re in the back of Manoa Valley. So Choco le’a was a natural pick for Frolic’s…
Frolic’s CIY (Cook It Yourself) videos are for those times when eating out is not an option. They’re quick-ish how-tos for dishes that make staying in fun, ranging from pretty simple to d’oh, why didn’t I think of that? Fact:…
Over 400 craft beers including very limited releases and highly allocated bottles usually available through beer clubs. When we introduced Tim Golden and Daryn Ogino’s Village Bottle Shop & Tasting Room back in January, it was a concept: A craft…
When we introduced Awesome eats, a new pop-up series bringing hard-to-get-to treats to the downtown lunch crowd, we didn’t expect to sell out. But we did — first with a custom Frolic bento from Tanioka’s and then with a four-pack…
Who says cooking has to be a chore? As much as we love to eat out, even Frolickers have to stay home sometimes. Whether we’re showing off culinary cred for the new girl or boyfriend, coughing up something amazeballs for…
Starting in August, the old Hee Hing Restaurant space on Kapahulu will become a craft beer pub with a huge selection of local and mainland beers. Growler USA’s 100-plus beers on tap will include an impressive 29 local kegs. Those…
Our first Awesome Eats, featuring a special Frolic version of Tanioka’s venerable bento choices, sold out a couple of Fridays ago, so we’re back with a second! Next up in our pop-up series bringing hard-to-get eats to the downtown lunch…
Brunch in Kailua, the nexus of the island’s brunch-iverse, is about to get even better. Over Easy, a new restaurant focusing on fresh local fare by a pair of Alan Wong alums, opens today on Kuulei Road by McDonald’s. The…
The much anticipated Pokemon Go just released to both iPhone and Android users today — and we’re already level 7. Here’s the ultimate guide to getting you started and on your way to becoming a Pokemon Master. iOS download (iTunes…
Five Guys Burgers and Fries is opening their first Hawaii restaurant in Mililani this Tuesday, June 28. This is momentous, at least to me. I love Five Guys. It’s more than just another burger spot, it’s an experience that starts…
Four years ago Seoul Sausage jumped onto the national scene when they won season three of Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race” with their Korean-inspired sausages and fried rice balls. I’ll say it again: Korean-inspired sausages and fried rice…
Upscale Hawaii’s garlic ribeye plate ($20). Cooked to a perfect medium rare, the 12 tender ounces cut easily with the plastic cutlery that comes with. A while ago my Instagram feed started showing big, juicy steaks, lobster tails and garlic…
A new cold-pressed juice shop opens Monday at Kakaako’s Salt complex, just across from Hank’s Haute Dogs and just in time for the long, warm days of summer. That means free samples of Juic’d Life’s organic juices and 10 percent…
The Hawaii Food and Wine Festival celebrates its sixth year of bringing the world’s top chefs and producers to Hawaii in the name of charity. Proceeds from the festival support local beneficiaries committed to sustainability and cultural and education programs…
There’s a new izakaya in the Pearl Kai Shopping Center down the street from Pearlridge Center. Open since April 28, Izakaya Kei is a welcome addition since the closure of Off the Wall in the same spot. You’ll find izakaya…
A few years ago, Oahu’s locally brewed beer scene was pretty much limited to Aloha Beer Company on Nimitz Highway. Luckily for beer aficionados, a small wave of home brewers-turned-entrepreneurs have since opened craft breweries across the island and started…
What the heck is miso-tchup? Until we attended the Japanese Food Trade Fair at the Japanese Cultural Center on a recent weekday, we didn’t know either. Now that we do know, we. must. have. miso-tchup. Except it’s not available in…
A couple of months ago we peeked into a vacant corner space at Hotel and Nuuanu and noticed renovations going on. It turns out a new restaurant called Fete was taking shape. Located on the corner of Hotel St. and…
As I sat parched at my desk at 3:30 p.m. on St. Paddy’s Day, news of Stewbum & Stonewall Brewing Co.’s new tasting room made it to my Facebook feed via local beer aficionado Mike Watanabe. I looked over at…
Craft beer lovers, remember when Grapefruit Sculpin hit Hawaii? The citrusy IPA from San Diego’s Ballast Point Brewing Co.? It was super good and it blew up. So when we heard Pineapple Sculpin and its cousin, Watermelon Dorado, had arrived,…
Saturday’s third annual Calabash & Cooks at Kapolei High School brought together students from six Hawaii high schools to cook alongside professional chefs and compete in an ahi poke bowl contest. Students from Campbell, Kapolei, Moanalua, Radford, Waianae and Waipahu…
If the name Taco Kabana rings a bell, yes this is the same operation as the food trailer that used to park on Kapiolani across 24 Hour Fitness. They’re back! And this time in a more permanent spot. A…
On a Friday afternoon I got a text. “Hi! This is macarons by Tiffany. I have one Froot Loops ice cream macaron available. It’s $5 for one. Let me know if you are interested. Mahalo.” Never mind that Tiffany was…
Thursday is Girls’ Day, the happy third day of the third month when it’s traditional to eat Japanese mochi. With spring in the air (in Japan at least), sakura mochi are popular (pink mochi wrapped in salted cherry leaves), as…
Andy Dalan loves ube so much, he’s created a trail of dishes featuring the purple yam. At Yogurstory he concocted ube pancakes and won the Rice Festival cooking contest with another ube creation. In 2014, instead of making a cake…
Confession: Growing up, I never really liked Chinese food. I’m not sure if it’s because I considered the options on the west side lackluster or because I just didn’t like the flavors, but Chinese was never a go-to meal. So…
Quad drive-thru burger Square Barrels You know that moment when you’re eating a cheeseburger and you get toward the end and all your chomping has pushed meat, cheese and sauce to the back for that one most perfect bite? With…
Three years after opening in West Oahu, 28 years — a full generation — after opening his namesake restaurant on the Big Island, award-winning chef Peter Merriman is finally coming to Honolulu. The new concept he’s bringing to town is…
Calling all cocktail lovers: One of Hawaii’s top mixologists, Justin Park, formerly of Manifest, has opened a cocktail bar in Topa Financial Center’s old Mezz 127 space. Park and his partner Tom Park, whose Leather Soul sells high-end men’s shoes,…
You’ve heard of ladies who lunch? Frolic’s Grant “Chuggy Bear” Shindo and Thomas Obungen are dudes who lunch — just a couple of hungry guys with appetites for everything under the sun. The midday meal is sacred to them, a…
We were first in line when the brand-new Artizen Restaurant by MW debuted in the Hawaii State Art Museum today. Aside from knowing that MW is a James Beard-nominated restaurant, two years old already in its spot across Nordstrom on…
I’ve passed this corner store at Kapiolani and Date Street hundreds, if not thousands of times, and always wrote it off as another neighborhood spot selling green bottles, cigarettes and boiled peanuts. Then Michael Watanabe, a good friend and beer…
Our hood is a series spotlighting the neighborhoods the Frolic team calls home. Here are favorite places and eats in Grant “Chuggy Bear” Shindo’s Waipahu. Waipahu is my hood. Waves of immigrant laborers have called this former plantation town home,…
Back in June, @BaoBoysHI started following me on Twitter. The logo promised bao and bowls, two things I love, so I sent a direct message to find out when they were opening. “Thank you for reaching out. Bao Boys is…
Downtown foodies, take heart: Come Dec. 1st, James Beard-nominated MW Restaurant is opening a casual eatery called Artizen at the Hawaii State Art Museum. You know the space. The HiSAM museum cafe in the former Richards Street YMCA thrived under…
Dozens of dachschunds and their friends met up at Hoalauna Park in Ewa Beach early Saturday to crown the quickest wiener on the island. Here’s a preview of the race from a dachshund’s-eye view. I woke up my sleepy…
October is National Seafood Month, so it’s a perfect time to spotlight sustainable seafood and the ocean ecosystem. After all, we want to keep eating this deliciousness for generations to come, right? The first ever Hawaii Seafood Month shows how.…
Lunch, for most of the downtown workforce, is a time to grab some food. To me, lunch is sacred. I make the time to sit down, regroup my thoughts and prepare myself for the afternoon. This 8-ounce steak plus friex…
We’re giving 10 people a pair of tickets to an advance VIP screening of “The Walk,” a biographical drama about French high-wire artist Philippe Petit’s walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. The film stars…
Yoga and cocktails? Yes, they do pair. That’s what was discovered Saturday morning as part of a new Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival event, aptly named Apres Yoga, After Savasana, There is Sake. CorePower Yoga instructor Juri Edwards, one of…
Corks & Forks, one of the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival’s most popular events, has always been a soiree suited for foodies and oenophiles. On Saturday evening, amid the rooftop garden at the Hawaii Convention Center, the sold-out crowd noshed…
Once again, the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival’s most lavish event, the Halekulani Culinary Masters Series, featured five top chefs from around the globe preparing lavish, indulgent dishes with caviar, foie gras, lobster, Wagyu beer and gold (yes, gold) that…
After events on Hawai‘i Island and Maui, the fifth annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival arrived on Oahu Wednesday evening, with an Urban Luau at the new Salt space in Our Kaka‘ako. Kamehameha Schools opened the spacious, airy venue for…
After months of anticipation, I heard a rumor that Lee Anne Wong’s long-awaited sake, shochu and whiskey bar and restaurant was soft opening over a week ago. Fanboy that I am, I gathered a few friends with the intent of…
