Melissa Chang

Frolic Contributor

Melissa Chang graduated from the University of Hawai‘i with a degree in journalism and has been blogging since 2007, mostly on food and travel. She works primarily in social media, so you can find her on Twitter and Instagram.

 

 

Articles

Chad Owens’ Power-Up Menu

Chad Owens and Jason KimHow often do you get the chance to have a restaurant customize their menu to what you like to eat? That’s what happened for pro football player Chad Owens, who developed a special menu to fuel…

Behind the scenes of the Today Show in Hawaii

As many of you know, the Today Show kicked off its “Great American Adventure” yesterday in visiting Hawaii, Yellowstone, Chicago, Orlando and the Jersey Shore — starting with us, of course, and working their way back east. (Note to viewers,…

Women and wine: St. Francis winery

Wine for breakfast? It’s not a bad idea, especially if you’re with other women, talking business. Christa Wittmier of Young’s Market Company, the alcohol distributor, invited me to a women’s breakfast this morning at the Beach House at the Moana,…

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Hawaii: In Real Life ~ Justin Yu

A lot has been said and speculated at the Whole Ox Deli in Kakaako lately, with the changes that have taken place. How many of you have gone to see for yourself what the new menu and the new chef…

Na Hoku Hanohano all stars

As you may know, Mele Mei — the monthlong celebration of Hawaii’s music leading up to the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards — is my client. This means that, for an entire month (and a little more), I get to experience…

Hawaii: In Real Life ~ Eisa Festival

I love that Honolulu always has something going on — and always a wide range of events, as you see on our website. This weekend is the third annual Eisa Festival, taking place at Kapiolani Community College’s great lawn from…

New(ish) eats: Underdogs Sports Bar & Grill

I had been hearing good things about Underdogs Sports Bar & Grill since they opened at the end of January, but never got around to trying it. For one thing, I wasn’t sure where it was. In fact, that’s probably…

Hawaii: In Real Life ~ Wahoo’s Hawaii

There’s quite a bit going on around town for Cinco de Mayo (for Quatro de Mayo, as well), but here’s one more spot to check out if you want something a little more casual. A bunch of social media people…

Kicking off Mele Mei 2013

Mele Mei kicked off this past weekend, starting a monthlong celebration of Hawaii’s music that culminates with the Na Hoku Hanohano festival and awards. During the first event, various local musicians played for a crowd at Altitude@37 in the Hilton…

Chef shuffle: 53 By The Sea

Does it seem like a lot of chefs are shuffling in and out of Oahu’s food scene lately? There’s Wade Ueoka of Alan Wong’s, who left for Tsunami; pastry chef Elizabeth Dippong joining Chef Mavro; Cafe Julia losing its whole…

Did this: Empty Bowl 2013

Have you heard of the Empty Bowl project? It’s an international grassroots effort to fight hunger, created in the 1990s by the Imagine Render Group in Michigan. In cities around the world, potters and craftspeople make thousands of handcrafted bowls,…

Party pics: YWCA’s YWine

The YWCA of Oahu had a pau hana fundraiser last night to benefit their programs and services. Aside from tasting wine, it was a good chance for attendees to meet the new Cafe Julia chef, Almar Arcano, and tour the…

Hawaii: In Real Life ~ Happy Hour Pal

Many of you — about 1800, to be exact — already follow Happy Hour Hawaii (formerly known as @HappyHourHawaii) on Twitter and Facebook and enjoy the updates on where the best happy hours in town are. The people behind the…

Happy eggs benedict day!

I’m not sure why, but random national food holidays have been popping up on my radar in advance, so I’ve been able to plan my meals to celebrate appropriately. Today, April 16, is National Eggs Benedict Day. I can’t find…

Party pics: MDA’s Spring Soiree

The rain held back last night to make the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Hawaii’s 14th annual Spring Soiree a success. The big event took place on the Royal Hawaiian Hotel’s ocean lawn, with a dozen food and drink stations, a…

Preview: MDA Spring Soiree

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is having their 14th annual Spring Soiree this Saturday, and it’s the first time I get to attend. As it turns out, it’s a semi-formal affair, so I’m glad I bought a long dress from the…

Hawaii: In Real Life ~ Koa Chang

In 2011, Koa Chang was living in Thailand, training (and competing) as a Muy Thai kickboxer. He had been living there for a few years already, as he had been studying martial arts and fought in Korea and Thailand. But…

Did this: Maui Ag Fest 2013

Many of you Oahuans have heard of the Hawaii State Farm Fair. But have you heard of the Maui County Agricultural Festival? This past weekend was the Valley Isle’s sixth annual ag fest, and I was fortunate to get an…

Happy 100, Y. Hata

Food distributer Y. Hata & Co. celebrated its 100th year in business recently, and celebrated in style … literally. The company hired Cathy Lee of Cathy’s Marketplace and reStyle Hawaii to renovate their interior spaces to create a more vibrant…

Lamb Mondays at 12th Avenue Grill

For many people, lamb is a favorite meat, usually enjoyed in the spring. This month, 12th Avenue Grill gives patrons an additional reason to enjoy it: lamb has a role in Hawaii’s sustainability, and we should be aware of that…

Hawaii: In Real Life ~ Amanda Corby

No doubt, you’ve seen a lot of things popping up in Kakaako over the last couple of years as part of Kamehameha Schools’ revitalization of the area. One of the players in that hip new vibe is Amanda Corby (@UMUHawaii),…

Tonight: Poke fest at Roy’s

From left: Aya, Krizpin, and Pa'aIf you were suddenly left with a large amount of ahi, what would you do? If you’re executive sous chef Krizpin Oades at Roy’s in Hawaii Kai, you have a little poke festival in the…

Did this: Hawaii Foodbank’s Great Chefs Fight Hunger

The Hawaii Foodbank held its annual Great Chefs Fight Hunger this past weekend, a fundraising gala in their Mapunapuna warehouse. About 600 guests enjoyed grazing from 20 different booths with creative dishes by  renowned Oahu chefs, plus wine, beer, sake,…

Party pics: Passport to Luxury 2013

The fifth annual Passport to Luxury, presented by Modern Luxury Hawaii magazine, brought out hundreds of invited guests to Ala Moana Center Friday for a chic night of shopping, noshing, drinking and mingling. Twenty of Ala Moana’s luxury boutiques took…

Party pics: Ala Moana Center’s posh pau hana

Ala Moana Center kicked off its annual Shop a Lea, a weeklong spring fashion event with special shopping and dining offers, a large gift with purchase (this year it’s a pink umbrella), fashion shows, and in-store events. To boost awareness,…

Where to go for breakfast all day

Let’s face it, breakfast isn’t just for breakfast anymore. When I went to Chez Kenzo with my neighbors recently, we ordered the kim chee om-rice and sausages because we love breakfast for dinner. Which got me thinking: Where else can…

Party pics: SACS in the City 2013

The Junior League of Honolulu held its big fundraiser luncheon, “SACS in the City,” this past weekend at the Sheraton Waikiki. About 600 guests attended the ninth annual event, which featured a fashion show and luxury handbags (among other items)…

Nonstop Movies: ‘Hang Loose’

As mentioned in Myong Choi’s blog on Monday, three locally-produced films will be showing at Pearlridge West 16 for spring break, starting today. The premiere of “Hang Loose” kicked it off last night with red carpet festivities and a party…

The Champion(s) of pork chops

Have you heard of people being hearkened back to nostalgic childhood memories through eating a simple dish? Has it happened to you? You’ve probably seen it in the movies, like “Ratatouille,” “Cafe Seoul,” “Sukiyaki” and “The Soul of Bread”. They…