First look: W Bistro at 1010
First look: W Bistro ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 10 This space, the old Le Guignol space in the medical building at Victoria and King streets: W Bistro at 1010 opened here in late January. The theme is…
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Dining Editor

Dining Editor Mari Taketa spearheads coverage of the city’s dining scene for HONOLULU Magazine and its digital food blog, Frolic Hawai‘i. A 10-year veteran of traditional journalism, she traded in a career at The Associated Press in Tokyo and Hawai‘i Business Magazine for nonprofit adoption work in Ho Chi Minh City. Food brought her back to journalism, starting with Metromix Honolulu, The Honolulu Advertiser, Hana Hou and now HONOLULU. She is also excited by travel and periodically attempts to learn new languages.
First look: W Bistro ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 10 This space, the old Le Guignol space in the medical building at Victoria and King streets: W Bistro at 1010 opened here in late January. The theme is…
NOTE: Baked goods sale locations in last paragraph have been updated.—@aliyoko, who goes by the name Alison Yokouchi and makes desserts on occasion for Pig and the Lady, leaned in conspiratorially. “Three of us are getting together to do a…
Kakaako’s Taste Table ends its run on Auahi Street tonight, and any way you look at it, it’s been a remarkable run. Its beginning was as notable for its promise — a Hawaiian blessing, partners Poni and Brandon Askew, Mark…
“What time do you think we should line up?” my friend Jan said. “You think 10:30 is early enough?”“Oh please,” I said. “It’s a weekday at lunchtime. People WORK.”At 10:30 on the day of Ramen Burger’s only open-to-the-public popup in…
You know the one. The mashup food phenom of 2013, the one 1,000 people lined up for in Torrance, California, the one that sells out every week in New York, that since August has popped up in L.A., San Jose,…
Hawaii's Most Beloved Fish: A guide to finding the best, and stories from the people who catch and serve it.
It was the call I’d been waiting nearly three years for.“Mari. Durian on Maunakea Street. By Bruno’s Forno.”@harrycovair, man of few words, was cutting in and out amid traffic noises. I had one question. Harry answered it before I could…
You were the Willy Wonka of shave ice, with a heart as big as your famous cones
Ghouls, goblins and Mexican food come out this Friday for Eat the Street: Dia de Los Muertos, a.k.a. the Mexican Day of the Dead. So, many kinds of tacos, check. Horchata, check. Churros, tamales and nachos, all check. Plus a…
I have a newfound respect for saimin, thanks to the one time I publicly hated on it. Disdained it, actually, resented it even. Compared to all the noodle bowls I love in this world — ramen, pho, naengmyeon, the roast…
It’s posh, it’s chic, it’s see-and-be-seen — and it’s an eat your heart out, meet the chefs you’ve seen in magazines and on TV, swoon at every turn scene. When you go to the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival, every…
Soju mojitos, soju martinis, soju on the rocks: A new Korean rice liquor debuted in Honolulu last night, but don’t expect any $4.99 sales. Hwayo Soju ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 14 Photo by Ed Morita jQuery(function($) {…
Joy of Sake happens this week, but before we get into sake tips and food pics, did you know that 1) it was born here in Honolulu, and 2) it’s the world’s biggest sake bash outside Japan?That’s how much Honolulu…
From hole-in-the-wall eateries to multi-million-dollar restaurants, we’ve rounded up our favorite dishes and drinks around the Islands.
Natto ruled at Friday’s (belated) Natto Day dinner, but not in the way you’d expect. At Nonstop’s request, Pig and the Lady took on the latest challenge of the fermented bean, and where others brought the full funk to the…
Exploring Kakaako’s plate-lunch past, diner roots, hidden Thai and Vietnamese spots, and its new, healthy-eating corridor.
Want natto? New spots have opened up — you can RSVP here or via Twitter or Facebook.To all who are coming to Friday’s (belated) Natto Day dinner, consider this your official warning: The menu is insane. This may be the…
Tonight, finally, as the summer sunset lingers and cool breezes descend on Kakaako, we feast on cheese. Cheesy waffles, cheesy garlic shrimp, cheesecake shave ice, cheesy popcorn. And cheesy french fries, ham and cheese cupcakes, cheesy spring rolls, even deep-fried…
UPDATE: The Natto Day dinner is now full. If you were shut out this time, we’ll be back with a new all-natto feast this winter Natto lovers, never mind that Natto Day is July 10. You’re invited to…
Arancino opens at The Kahala Hotel & Resort today, but even if you know Arancino from its two Waikiki locations, this one is different. It’s the same Italian concept with light Japanese touches, and some dishes even broadly the same.…
Heads up: New layout at this week’s Honolulu Night Market Xtreme. True to the theme, Red Bull’s X-Fighters are doing a live FMX jump demo up and down Auahi — I mean, have you seen these freestyle motocross tricks? Holy…
It’s official: Sheldon Simeon, Top Chef season 10 finalist, is unleashing his bold, contemporary Filipino flavors in Honolulu for the first time at a four-night collaboration at Vintage Cave.If you watched Top Chef, you know Simeon (and why I couldn’t…
June 4: National Cheese DayHere’s your PSA for America’s most loved condiment. Seriously, what else could edge out bacon? Americans eat more than 30 pounds of cheese per person per year, our favorites being mozzarella and cheddar, of course, with…
I’m very happy. I just passed a milestone, one that brought an unexpected sense of wonderment, and it reminded me that some happinesses and yearnings long relegated to memory are worth going back and looking for again. Why not? I’m…
Before I knew where Vietnam was, before I knew I would live there, I knew what bo bay mon was. And if you remember a Vietnamese restaurant at the corner of Maunakea and Pauahi called A Little Bit of Saigon,…
An I <3 Kakaako block party? Oh hail yes. Now that Honolulu Night + Market has hit its stride, closing down a block and a half of Auahi Street on the third Saturday of every month for a celebration of…
No more roast pork with gravy, no more fresh corned beef hash sandwiches. Fifty-four years after Tetsu and Mitsuko Tsukenjo opened for business at the corner of Cooke and Queen streets in Kakaako, Tsukenjo Lunch House is closing for good…
The best izakayas, sushi, ramen, okazuyas, mochi and more.
Does Honolulu love bacon or what? The air wafted with the scent of smoky pork goodness Friday night in Kakaako, with dozens of trucks and food booths dishing up savory and sweet bacon dishes to one of the biggest crowds…
It’s Earth Day and it’s green — a dual symphonic theme of sorts for this week’s Honolulu Night + Market, starring living architecture, music with a reggae touch and, uh, green food.We’ll get back to that food. You know by…
Tickets are sold out for Thursday’s Taste of Marukai, a first ever for the eight-year-old fest. For the 800 of you who’ll show up at the wholesale chain’s Dillingham store for one of the quirkiest, most fun showcases of Japanese…
Our three favorite places for deep-fried pork cutlets
April 1, 8, 15, 22: Maui Lamb Mondays12th Avenue Grill1145C 12th Ave.Reservations: 732-9469If we eat more parts of the lamb, would raising lamb be more sustainable for local ranchers? 12AG tests the waters this month, with lamb leg roulade April…
Pig and the Lady is in my blood. I’m there Wednesday nights at the Blaisdell farmers’ market, Thursday nights in Kailua if I miss Wednesday; and every other Saturday, when they set up Noodle Bar at Taste in Kakaako, I…
Flavors of Japan hit Kakaako Friday night, with 42 food trucks and street food vendors outdoing themselves to provide Nihon-themed eats. Yakisoba hot dogs, sakura dango mochi pops, sushi, yakitori, okonomiyaki — hai! All on our favorite mega-block on South…
Yes, people, it IS the last Friday of the month already, which for the food-driven among you means one thing: It’s Eat the Street night in Kakaako. Tonight’s theme: Japan, meaning every one of the 40 food trucks and street…
It’s not just the midsummer mega-party the Joy of Sake puts on. Honolulu’s appetite for the ricey brew fuels monthly Aftertastes, samplings of 40 sake at a time at different restaurants around town, and if there were any doubts about…
Alan Wong’s puts on its Farmer Series dinners only two or three times a year, always supporting local producers, always delivering for a worthy cause. Last night’s showcased a range of microgreens and herbs from FarmRoof, the local project that…
Forgive me if I’m missing something, but dang, these popups just keep coming. I’m in the midst of confirming a spate of three choice popups this week when one more I’m keeping an eye on comes through, as in hot…