New eats: La Tour Cafe
La Tour Cafe ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 20 By Mari TaketaNonstopThree things I hear about La Tour Cafe before I ever set foot there:1. It's owned by the family that created Ba-Le, which through its 25 Vietnamese…
Mari Taketa
Articles
Eat the Street: Shut out last time, but now I’m amped
I know what you’re saying. I want it too. I want the lines to be sane. I want the food to be appetizer-size, so I can make like Melissa Chang at San Francisco’s Off the Grid street food rally and…
Human flesh and other limits
Andrew Zimmern’s off on a new adventure on his Travel Channel show tonight, but it’s last week’s episode I can’t get out of my head. Bizarre Foods: Madagascar climaxed (sorry) in one of that island nation’s poorest villages with the…
My lovely durian: The reveal
In my euphoria over acquiring a whole 7.4-pound durian over the weekend, I publicly announced my love for the stinky fruit and offered a taste to fellow durian fans. There weren’t many takers.“In Hong Kong, we’re legally allowed to chop…
New eats: Yakitori Yoshi
Yakitori Yoshi ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 32 By Mari TaketaNonstopSo it's not much to look at, easy to miss even, but the word in J-lulu is that Yakitori Yoshi — latest in a string of izakaya openings…
My sweet, lovely durian
Who loves you, durian? Gloppy yellow pods, fragrant with the promise of stinky ripeness, prized by tropical tigers, banned from Singapore subways: I love you!Durian + iced black coffee = one of my Top 3 favorite breakfasts of all time,…
Did this: Night in Chinatown
Night in Chinatown ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 22 By Mari TaketaNonstopChinatown last night, three blocks up Smith, three blocks down Maunakea, plus all of Chinese Cultural Plaza: Were you there? If you were, you know that... jQuery(function($)…
Did this: Eat the Street
Eat the Street ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 33 By Mari TaketaNonstopAn epic night, this town's first Eat the Street food truck rally, and if you were anywhere near the vicinity of Kapiolani Boulevard last night, you knew…
This week’s cupcakes
The silver car drove into my dead end again today. Official business: more cupcakes to taste-test.I take this gig seriously, so I won’t reveal today’s flavors, but I took these photos for you. Just look! Use your imagination and you…
Top picks: 72 hours in Seoul
12:45 a.m. Friday in Hawaii = 7:45 p.m. Friday in Seoul. Myeongdong’s neon canyons are freezing, about 20 degrees tonight, but not so cold really because of all the crowds laughing, eating, surging. K-pop blasts through our earmuffs; warm scents…
M&M eats: Mary’s Kitchen
Mary's Kitchen ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 12 By Mari TaketaNonstopSix p.m. on a rainy Monday. 99 Ranch food court in Mapunapuna may not be the center of the universe, but it's dinnertime! Where is everybody?Melissa: Why did…
Basement food mania: Sunday in Seoul
Basement food mania ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 27 Temperatures in Seoul today have plummeted below zero (that's right, and that's Fahrenheit), but do I know that? I'm underground. This is Lotte Department Store's Premium food basement, just…
Seoul-ful Saturday
Seoul-ful Saturday ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 26 Saturday morning. The sky is bright and clear, the wind gusting and temperatures plunging toward single-digit territory. It's a gorgeous day in Seoul.I'm meeting Ryan, Burt, Aaron and Annie for…
Seoul food: Nonstop grinds in Korea
Seoul is massive, population 11 million, fastest broadband speeds in the world, highest per capita energy consumption in Asia. In other words, ultra-developed. Going to take me a bit to get my bearings.My first taxi ride helped (I think). I…
Hello Seoul!
10:45 a.m. Friday in Seoul = 3:45 p.m. Thursday in Honolulu. Snow on the rooftops, chance of flurries, high of 34 today. Anyunghaseyo, Seoul!I haven’t been anywhere faraway and exotic in so long, I’m hyperventilating about everything. First, the flight,…
New twists: Mochi treats
Mochi treats ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 10 By Mari TaketaNonstopNew Year's may be a fading pop and sizzle in your memory, but there is a place for mochi the rest of the year. At least you hope…
OMG — going to Seoul!
I’ve been to Korea many times — but never past the airport. Never watched a K-drama, don’t know K-pop from J-pop. But I love Korean food, and in 48 hours I’ll be eating my way through Seoul!I still can’t believe…
To all readers and tweeps
Thank you for helping to turn around 2010. It got off to a bad start, with the news in February that the Honolulu Advertiser was being bought out of existence. As freelancers or full-timers, all of us at Nonstop worked…
Best mochi dishes
Best mochi dishes ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 16 By Mari TaketaNonstopHappy (almost) New Year! House cleaned, Christmas put away, now it's time to get your mochi grind on.For those lucky enough to eat in this town, options…
First look: Tokkuri Tei’s new digs
Tokkuri Tei's new digs ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 20 By Mari TaketaNonstop6 p.m. last night, Dec. 27. Scent of deep-fried soft shell crab floats down the stairs above Hee Hing. Last time here, this sleek, ginormous space…
The meaning of popcorn and cupcakes
The email is totally out of the blue. It’s from former Advertiser reporter Kawehi Haug, who’s moved on to a new gig baking cupcakes:Hi Mari,Let Them Eat Cupcakes is assembling a small group of taste testers to taste our cupcakes,…
New twists: Popcorn toppings
Popcorn toppings ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 12 By Mari TaketaNonstopPopcorn rut got you down? Tired of opening your microwaved pouch for the same synthetically flavored drudgery you've been popping for years?Not to worry — serendipity sends Nonstop…
New eats: Shinn
Shinn ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 38 By Mari TaketaNonstopI'll get to the point: Shinn is really good, already one of the best izakaya in town. The vibe is uber chic and sexy without trending too garish. Restraint:…
Killer saimin
Ever since my What is it about saimin? blog a couple months ago, life has changed in small and subtle ways. One of the better ways happened earlier in December, when frequent Nonstop commenter harrycovair DM’d on Twitter that he…
Nonstop foodie gift guide
Foodie gift guide ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 12 By Mari TaketaNonstopTwelve days left 'til Christmas, people — have you taken care of the foodies on your gift list?Not to worry, Nonstop is here for you. And we're…
New eats: Izakaya Naru
Naru ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 21 By Mari TaketaNonstopThree things I know about Naru before I set foot in the door:— Zero buzz, at least in English.— It's straight out of Tokyo, where this company already has…
Yo! Nonstop’s first unofficial crawl
Sometimes I do things without thinking first. A lot of times, actually. Which is why, after spotlighting my favorite dishes at izakaya around town, I threw out a proposition:“If you have a fave dish at a place I’ve missed, please…
Anti-shopper’s guide to holiday gift-giving
By Mari TaketaNonstopHow to tell if you’re an anti-shopper: Crowds drive you insane. Crawling around looking for parking drives you insane. You think all those people crowding shopping malls and crawling around looking for parking are insane.If you’re like me,…
Did this: Spread the Word arts & food bash
Mari Taketa and Tracy Chan both attended Saturday’s Spread the Word, a first-time event at the Hawaii Convention Center that showcased local arts and food. While Mari focused on the cuisine, Tracy captured scenes of the overall event. Here’s a…
Staff picks: Best comfort food ever
Our favorite soul-soothers ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 11 By Mari TaketaNonstopWarm childhood memories, long day pick-me-ups, solace for tummy aches and fevers. Comfort food means something different to everyone. We polled Nonstop's team of 10 for this…
What kind of foodie are you?
A comment on this site the other day got me thinking. It was from Nonstop’s Cat Toth, chiming in after her own “Great food debate” blog post when MaxCat and I called her out for not considering herself a foodie.“I…
Help! Stuck in a big food rut
OMG, we’re in a rut. Collectively, I mean, this town. I’ve had my eyes and ears open big time, but a conversation today with Nonstop editor Diane Seo drove home my suspicions. We were talking about upcoming food coverage.Me: So…
Did this: Ming Tsai @ Macy’s
Ming Tsai ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 12 By Mari TaketaNonstopYesterday morning I get a call from Ming Tsai's office in Boston. They seem to think I've asked for an interview. They're looking for a way to squeeze…
Ming Tsai: You still got it
I’m outdating myself, writing this post at 6:21 on Sunday night, because I can’t stand the suspense. Food Network’s “Next Iron Chef” airs at 7, and I haven’t found a single update on Google, Yahoo or even Bing telling me…
Did this: Off-Premise underground dinner
Off-Premise ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 14 By Mari TaketaNonstopGritty backstreet Waipahu, sun's gone down, acres of warehouses loom. Here suddenly, a beacon: the familiar Soul Patrol lunch truck, dishing up grinds on white tablecloths. I've found my…
Did this: Dessert Fantasy
Dessert fantasy ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 25 By Mari TaketaNonstopHappy, heady holiday season! Dreams of sugar plum fairies, scrumptious tarts, gooey-chewy cookies and candies and fudge...All came true yesterday, an 85-degree day, smack in the heart of…
My fave izakaya dishes
Fave izakaya dishes ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 17 By Mari TaketaNonstopTop 5 reasons why I love izakaya:No. 5. Sake rules — but your beer-, wine- and liquor-loving buds won't be left in the cold.No. 4. Cozy, dimly…
Oh nooo! GoShiGo
I hate days like yesterday. A downward spiral, triggered by a single text message from Melissa Chang: “GoShiGo closed?!”Nonononono. Plenty of room for misinterpretation with ethnic holes-in-the-wall where English isn’t the first language. Maybe the surfer dude who owns Honolulu’s…
Saimin: I get it
In the week since my I hate saimin blog, I learned something important: Saimin doesn’t have to taste good to be good. What a concept. Not one day has gone by that this lesson hasn’t been hammered home. When islandgirlinnc wrote…
New eats: Kokoro-Tei
Kokoro-Tei ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 19 By Mari TaketaNonstopDriving down Beretania one day, I spy a new sign. Kokoro-Tei, it says. Fresh bento, coming soon.Hello! Since the demise of Iga Bento on Keeaumoku, and before that Imari…
