I’m not often in the middle of conversations that include phrases like “the chocolate bacon community” and “I find I don’t care for lamb’s eyeballs.”I wish I were. It can get lonely obsessing about food: the qualities of a perfect…
Back when I worked at the Associated Press in Tokyo, we all knew the biggest news story out of Japan would be The Big One. Not the death of the World War II emperor, not even the 6.8-magnitude Kobe quake,…
Umami Cafe ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 22 By Mari TaketaNonstopThe buzz from one corner of town starts early."Umami opened today at Harbor Court," @ShawnNakamoto, who works nearby, tweets on Feb. 7.Yeah? What is it?"New sandwich/coffee shop."Ah, so.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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($)…
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…
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…
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…
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 ◄ 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 ◄ 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 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…
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,…
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…
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…
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 ◄ 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…
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 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,…
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…
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:…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
