Several hundred people attended the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii’s annual “Sharing the Spirit of Aloha” awards last night at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, including local dignitaries and business leaders. The event featured taiko drummers, a silent auction, and a…
Unique choices in town and country.
Búho Cocina y Cantina, the new Waikiki rooftop venue featuring south-of-the-border food and drinks, had a preview party for hundreds of media and bar/restaurant industry people last night. Attendees got to try their specialty cocktails, sponsored by Patron; cool off with…
There aren’t too many tea rooms in Honolulu, so there is certainly room for one more. The latest is The Monarch Tea Room, located in the back of Na Mea Hawaii/Native Books in the Ward Warehouse.Liza and Shakkel Yunis, who…
The Sheraton Waikiki has a new pizza restaurant facing the Infinity Pool, with chef Darren Demaya bringing classic Italian ingredients together with Hawaiian style. Thus, the name “Hapas,” which means half, but is now usually associated with a blending of…
Island Classics home appeals to first-time homebuyers.
Too bad "Chateau Sunny" isn’t for sale.
Waikiki beachgoers — locals as well as tourists — are familiar with the Australian-inspired take out place in the Park Shore Waikiki Hotel, Tucker & Bevvy. It’s known for its fresh, light fare, perfect for hot, sunny days.What you may…
Hula Grill Waikiki celebrated its 10th anniversary on Friday with a big party, featuring live entertainment by Robert Cazimero and friends and food stations with the restaurant’s specialties. All bar proceeds from the event benefitted The Wahea Foundation, an organization dedicated…
Jason Kiyota (third from left) and his crew.As you know, I’m a townie and don’t drive outside of my five-mile radius very often. I complained about driving over the Pali to get to an event for my other blog this…
Waikiki condo offers value and convenience.
I’d been hearing about this newish shave ice place on Monsarrat Avenue for a while, but whenever I drove by, I couldn’t figure out where it was. My foodie friends Sean and Lena Morris offered to show me (and some…
Buyers get rebate, sellers charged 3 percent commission.
I couldn’t believe that several years had passed since I first reviewed Pioneer Saloon for Metromix Honolulu … and had not gone back since. It wasn’t because the food was bad; in fact, the eclectic plate lunches were good. But…
People familiar with the old Geisha House on Kapiolani Boulevard have been wondering what took its place. (It’s turned over a few times over the years, so some of you may remember it as Emerald City.) Well, after looking at…
You’d never know it if you passed Hawaiian Crown Plantation on Kuhio Avenue, but the store is owned by a local farmer and most of the products come straight from his farm. If you’re looking to eat and buy local…
More than 300 relay teams — about 100 more than last year — from Hawaii and Japan participated in yesterday’s Honolulu Ekiden and Music festival, put on by travel company H.I.S. The course was the length of a marathon (26.2…
Several hundred people filled the Pagoda Hotel’s special event spaces last night at the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce’s third annual “Nijikai” event. In Japanese, nijikai means “after-party,” a time for co-workers and friends to get together to eat,…
A charming Hawaii Kai home.
Time flies when you’re having fun, so the guys at Pint & Jigger decided to go back to the future with an 80s-themed anniversary party last night to celebrate their second anniversary. Spandex, fluorescents, skinny ties, Magnum P.I., tight-permed rockers…
Own a little coffee farm on Maui.
It was a star-studded night at the annual Na Hoku Hanohano awards, the most prestigious celebration of Hawaii’s music. Some of the highlights included Hulu Lindsey winning Female Vocalist of the Year, her first Hoku award in her 55-year career;…
Interesting prices at opposite ends of Oahu.
A couple of months ago, I got to attend the first collaboration “table to farm” dinner at Moke’s Bread and Breakfast, presented by B&D Butchery and Shinsato Farm. Award-winning chef and charcuter Doug Kocol and Brett Robinson, both known for…
A lot of restaurants in Hawaii — especially those that have been around for a long time — are successful because they keep their most popular items on the menu for both regulars and those still discovering them. But all…
The more things change, the more things stay the same.
I’ve never been to State Bird Provisions in San Francisco, but Vino Italian Tapas chef Keith Endo has, and says it’s a creatively-themed, always-changing menu of little plates with a long waiting list of diners. Vino, with its regulars, doesn’t…
Convenient Kahala living that won’t break the bank.
Home ownership still a struggle in this brisk market.
Breakfast of champions in Ka’u: Rusty’s Hawaiian coffee and a box of Punalu’u malasadas.Although it’s been around for six years, this past weekend was my first time at the Ka’u Coffee Festival on the Big Island. They had hired my company…
Rare and unique lakefront unit in Kukilakila.
As mentioned in an earlier post about Mele Mei in Hawaii, this month is full of musical events throughout the state — many of them free — all featuring big names local entertainment. If you appreciate local-grown music, these free concerts…
Mele Mei kicked off on May 1, starting a monthlong celebration of Hawaii’s music that culminates with the Na Hoku Hanohano festival and awards. For the launch, various local musicians (who are also Na Hoku Hanohano Award nominees) played for a…
When I travel, I like to blog events as they happen, but sometimes the days are so jam packed with things to do, there’s no time. Such is the case with the annual Celebration of the Arts, happening this coming…
The famous Bird’s Nest stadium from the Beijing Olympics I got to spend, literally, one full day back in Beijing before heading home at midnight. Fortunately, it was a beautiful day and the pollution was low, so we could enjoy…
I debated on splitting this day’s blog entry into two, because each restaurant is notable in its own right, but in the interest of time and space, I gotta keep them together.On our last full day in Shanghai, we had…
I saw some reports on China’s “ghost towns” and was intrigued. The world’s most populated country builds gigantic cities fashioned after European destinations to house a million people each, but only a fraction of that reside in them. Many of…
Inevitably when I travel, I fall a day or two behind in my blogs due to fatigue and/or lack of time. This time, I also had to factor in spotty internet connectivity, so I am now behind four days. I…
Peek inside design firms and meet the architects.
Part of 1933 Shanghai If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I visited Shanghai last year as a detour off Hawaiian Airlines’ inaugural flight to Taipei, Taiwan. My niece Cymri lives there, so it’s natural that I would…
