What’s In Your Bowl? We Asked 3 Local Chefs for Their Secrets to a Perfect Poke Bowl
It was probably inevitable that poke bowls would branch off from poke’s evolving trajectory and become their own thing.
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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.
It was probably inevitable that poke bowls would branch off from poke’s evolving trajectory and become their own thing.
Switching things up, Korean style, can make your next turn at the grill so much better. Learn how to gogikui.
This couple lends a helping hand not just because times are tough, but because it’s what they’ve always done.
From funny to sad, newsy to thoughtful, these posts covered a unique dining scene in a unique year.
If ordering takeout from MW Restaurant is part of your pandemic life, or if you've missed dining at Michelle Karr-Ueoka and Wade Ueoka's posh eatery, take note: The popular restaurant is closing at the end of the year and reopening…
The Kaka‘ako hot spot just reopened with a new chef and revamped brunch and dinner lineups.
The popular eatery is closing Dec. 31 and reopening in a new space along with its recently shuttered Artizen café.
Version 2.0 of the OG Honolulu gastropub is taking shape in the Ala Moana Hotel.
This was buried near the bottom of a press release about recent updates at the Ala Moana Hotel, after the part about a new look for the pool deck and a new salon and spa: Pint + Jigger, the Moiliili…
Don’t underestimate things that come in small packages. Kathy Masunaga’s baked goods are prime examples of that. As the owner of Sweet Revenge, a bakery/food truck that sells oven-fresh, sweet and savory mini pies, Masunaga wakes up in the wee…
Curries, noodle soups, fried rice and other street food are made by a Bangkok-born chef.
Like every other restaurant, Mānoa’s Feast struggled to stay ahead of the pandemic. Then it tried out a 21 dollar lobster roll.
There’s only one thing on the menu at this ‘Ohana Hale Marketplace eatery, and it’s presented five different ways.
We sought out the best of everything—from local sake to seafood boil, bank to barbershop—and expanded our list with a finalist in every category chosen by our readers.
When the emergency order shut down dining rooms, these new restaurants—months in the planning—decided to open anyway.
What do ‘ulu, mushrooms, shrimp and pork have in common? More farms are growing and raising them locally, inspiring chefs to create innovative dishes.
Looking for more activities to do at home or just searching for that extra oomph of flavor to add to your sandwiches, salads, hot dogs, burgers … we could go on. Our team has very strong opinions about locally pickled goods and their own pickling hacks.
The 99 editorial and reader picks for the places and businesses in Honolulu that make our lives just a bit easier.
When one door shuts, the outdoors open. Here are some of our favorite restaurants in Honolulu for dining alfresco.
When one door shuts, the outdoors open. Here are some of our favorite restaurants on O‘ahu for dining alfresco.
When one door shuts, the outdoors open. Here are some of our favorite restaurants around the island for dining alfresco.
First it was hula and Hawaiian music, then garlic shrimp, loco moco and Island pancake restaurants—Japan’s fascination with all things Hawai‘i goes back decades.
When one door shuts, the outdoors open. Here are some of our favorite restaurants in Honolulu for dining alfresco.
When one door shuts, the outdoors open. Here are some of our favorite restaurants in Honolulu for dining alfresco.
Kapolei, you not only have restaurants that make townies jealous, you now have a community effort to keep them in business. Eat. Love. Kapolei is an ongoing drive through July 31 to support local eateries to help them stay open.…
Just when it seemed all hope of Hawaii's annual midsummer Natto Day feast celebrating Japan's infamous stinky bean was lost, a text message saved the day. It was from Scott Pang and Greg Sekiya, creators of the local Facebook natto…
Sushi Sho and Sushi Ginza Onodera are wooing locals back this fall with 20% discounts.
Thomas Ray, a partner at Downtown Honolulu's Square Barrels, knew he was in trouble. Business was down 80%, he'd taken no salary from the time all Hawaii restaurants closed their dining rooms in March until his emergency small business loan…
It’s not always late-night ramen and leftover mac and cheese after a long shift.
One winter dish started with a carrot.
Editor's note: Frolic is monitoring the evolving coronavirus situation as it affects our local foodscape. Now that the U.S. government has recommended not eating at restaurants for the next 15 days, we're compiling a quick list of who's doing takeout,…
Mahi’ai Table is opening with Foodland Farms at Ka Makana Ali‘i on April 8.
Sheldon Simeon has had some very public ups and downs. The lessons he’s learned from them culminate in his latest restaurant on Maui.
So not boring, this supermarket chain: Foodland just announced it's opening a second bar at Foodland Farms Ala Moana, this one in the opposite corner of the store from the R. Field wine bar and featuring cocktails and new bar…
Now, chef Jon Matsubara is in the kitchen of one of the most buzzable new eateries in town—and it’s finally his.
The sun is shining a little brighter on Mokauea Street in Kalihi this new year: Alicia's Market, the three-generation poke shop that was gutted by a fire in 2018, is finally starting its rebuild. "We're looking at summertime" for reopening…
Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean: Here are the best places to start your Lunar New Year feast.
Today was Kon Ping Young's last day at the Crack Seed Store. Young bought the shop back in 1979 from its previous owner and ran it with his wife, Fung Tang, as they raised and sent their four kids to…