When you go to a ramen restaurant, you usually have one or two alcoholic choices: usually it’s beer, or beer. But what about non-beer drinkers like me? Wines are probably not on the menu because ramen — and the variety…
I had not been to Bali Steak & Seafood in the Hilton Hawaiian Village for many years, but knew it as a good, solid place for food in an old-school setting. Nothing wrong with that, but it is good when…
“You don’t have to be rich to live in Hawaii, you just have to want it badly enough.”
Here are more behind-the-scenes snaps and video courtesy of Selena Moshell, a dancer and social media captain for “The Lion King” who will be posting exclusive photos with us through the show’s run on March 9. By the way, if…
I recently went to Maui — my first time in months — and couldn’t wait to try Ka’ana Kitchen in the brand new Andaz Maui. I’d seen so many photos from people who have gone to visit since it opened…
An outstanding dinner … in the field at Kualoa RanchYou’ve heard of the farm-to-table movement, but have you ever had dinner right on the farm, where your food is sourced? Outstanding in the Field is a national roving dinner adventure…
The Year of the Horse started on January 31, but traditionally, Chinese celebrate the new year for 14 days. The end of the lunar new year celebration is marked on the fifteenth day with a Lantern Festival. We don’t celebrate…
Then: Kabocha with ebi in shoyu sugar. Now: Roasted kabocha risotto.To celebrate our distinctive, ono grinds, food historian Arnold Hiura has a new cookbook out via Watermark Publishing: “From Kau Kau to Cuisine: An Island Cookbook, Then and Now,” featuring…
If you’re reading this blog, it’s likely that I referred you here when you asked me, “What app is that?”Two months ago, I saw Hoku Award-winning musician Mark Yamanaka post a cool slide show on Instagram. Click here to see…
Many people know 247 Danceforce as one of the top dance studios in Hawaii, more so because they’ve turned out some nationally acclaimed dancers like Mark Kanemura, Gil Duludlao, Yuri Kim, Cole Horibe, and the all-girl group 8 Flavahz, who were…
That’s right, every year I give you a primer on celebrating Chinese New Year, and since a lot of the lucky treats are already out, I thought I should give you a head start. The Year of the Wood Horse…
Hundreds of kids gather around Kendama pros for a jam session at Pearlridge.How did this happen? A little wooden toy — the one you did NOT want to get as a Christmas gift — is suddenly the hottest thing since…
Many people make In-N-Out Burger their first stop in Las Vegas, partly because we don’t have it in Hawaii, and partly because it’s so darn good. The menu is simple, the beef is fresh, and the prices are extremely reasonable.After…
I’ve been pretty open on social media about my farmer’s market preferences. The one at Kapiolani Community College — although it’s the biggest — is so overrun with tourists that it’s choked the locals out, so I haven’t been there…
People always return to Las Vegas and their favorite spots, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you about some new taste adventures that you can try.Blog reader and Hawaii transplant Carrie Azama highly recommended I try this new…
There’s more to Las Vegas than Downtown and The Strip … in fact, on my next trip to Sin City, I may spend more of my time in Chinatown because so many great food places are popping up there. One…
Zarkana trapeze artists flying through the tarantula’s web. Picture credit : Jeremy Daniel, Richard Termine; Costume credit : Alan Hranitelj ©2011 Cirque du SoleilBefore I start on our Aria experience, I want to give you some tips for shopping on…
If you’re from Hawaii, you can’t stay away from Downtown Las Vegas (even if you like to stay on The Strip). It’s got its own charm, it’s more laid back than Las Vegas Boulevard, and it’s way more walkable. Plus,…
I’m not a big fan of buffets, although I always feel compelled to eat at one while I’m in Las Vegas … and if I do, it’s going to be a good one on The Strip. If you hit a…
As you know, I go to Las Vegas every year to escape the holidays. I always travel solo because I know that I’ll always see people that I know when I get there. For the last few years, I’ve been…
A couple of weeks ago, when I was doing the preview for the Awamori Festival, I learned quite a bit about the rice-based distilled spirit that comes from Okinawa. The process and history were so interesting, that I had to…
One of the big differences between blogs and traditional articles is how we open our hearts and share our personal experiences, good and bad. All of us here at Nonstop are here because we want to be able to share…
The 12th Annual Awamori Festival — now themed “Cultural Fusion” to include a variety of ethnic spirits in Hawaii — was held at the Harbor View Center last night. Since awamori is a special Okinawan rice-based liquor, attendees were encouraged…
We’ve visited Kaulana Chang before on my blog to talk about products at Razor Concepts, but this time, I wanted to feature him to talk about Kaulana Chang. You may have seen him around town working with 24-7 DanceForce or…
I don’t normally blog about social issues, but this one was a surprisingly hot one. You know how it is: We encounter passive-aggressive people all the time, especially in Hawaii. Having grown up here, I’m kind of used to this…
The 29th annual Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau — the original one-day big wave invitational surfing event that requires waves measuring in excess of 20 feet — had a kickoff party at Quiksilver’s Waikiki store last night. The “who’s who”…
In Hawaii, we have so many Asian influences, but it seems like we’ve only started to really educate ourselves on liquors like sake, shochu, soju, and awamori. Awamori? Yup, this popular rice-based alcohol is all they drink in Okinawa, and…
You probably didn’t have time to stop and eat during this past weekend’s Black Friday frenzy, but now that people have settled into the holiday shopping groove, a meal break is easier to take (and access). If you go to…
When Sheraton Waikiki’s Joanie Matsumoto invited me and a couple of other girlfriends to Rumfire for afternoon tea, we all had visions of sitting on a veranda, sipping tea in china cups and cooling ourselves with dainty lace fans. Imagine…
Almost 1,000 people turned out for Chefs For Hope, a benefit event to raise funds for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, with 100 percent of ticket sales donated to the Salvation Army’s Haiyan Relief Fund. Chef Chai Chaowasaree spearheaded the effort…
Marc (left) and his friends with five days of growthYou’ve probably seen a lot of guys sporting new facial hair this month and posting them in updates on their social media. “What’s up with that?” I mustache. Nyuk nyuk.But seriously:…
The Kona Coffee Festival has grown and morphed in many ways over its 43-year history. What started out as a little recognition of the area’s best coffee farmers has become a 10-day celebration for the entire community. One of the…
One of the most interesting activities at the Kona Coffee Festival is their coffee farm tours. I would recommend you sign up for the formal tour, which takes you on a minibus to three working farms, because they are led…
Back in the day, most people — not even Hawaii folks — didn’t know that Kona coffee was the best in the world. We knew that Kona’s mountain slopes provided ideal growing conditions, but it’s only become a globally super…
My maternal grandmother, third child from the right (holding the baby) with the family on the Kona coffee farm. They were migrant coffee pickers.If you are a Kona Coffee fan, or just trying to learn about it, the annual Kona…
The third annual Oahu Fringe Festival starts this Thursday, November 7, with several performances at five Chinatown locations throughout the weekend. What is the Fringe Festival, anyway?Well, if you are into performing arts, this edgy series is for you. The…
Unless you just arrived in Hawaii, you’ve probably been suffering with me for the last week through excessive humidity, vog and near 90-degree weather. It’s not summer anymore, but in this town, it’s almost always a good time to get…
Every so often, Sansei Waikiki will have a BYOB wine dinner around a special menu theme in their private dining room. These are usually sold out, seasonal events, as they are limited to 22 people, and are a great way…
If you’re like me, your social media feed has been blowing up with ramen photos lately, all within the same half-mile radius, from three new ramen shops near Ala Moana. Two of them are brand new; one, Kiwami, is simply…
Like most gals, I go to a lot of spas for recharging and relaxing, and every so often I’ll post a review of them if they’re new or unique. Laka Spa, located at 320 Ward Ave., is pretty unique, but…
