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 Instagram.

 

 

Articles

Did this: Night in Chinatown

You’ve seen the usual party, food, and parade pics from the annual Night in Chinatown on Maunakea St., so we didn’t want to post more of the same. Instead, Tracy Chan and Melissa Chang wandered the streets to show you…

Party (and food) Pics: Monkeypod Kitchen grand opening

As you know, Mari Taketa and I recently did a video review of the newly-opened Monkeypod Kitchen in Ko  Olina. Last night was their official grand opening, with about 250 people filling their second floor. Chef/owner Peter Merriman was on…

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Chinee like me: Dim sum at Yee Hong Pavilion

Chinese New Year is on February 10, but Honolulu starts celebrating this weekend with lion dances, the big Choy Cheng event, Night in Chinatown, and the big Cultural Plaza festival. It is the one time of year that I eat…

Hawaii: In Real Life ~ Isaac Bancaco

I first met Isaac Bancaco in 2010, after he had just returned home to Maui to become the chef de cuisine at the Grand Wailea’s Humuhumunukunukuapua’a. He was on Oahu for the day to met as many media as possible,…

New(ish) eats and party pics: HASR Bistro

Where has the time gone? HASR Bistro opened in October, but we haven’t had the chance to eat there until recently. With the holiday rush and all, it was always in the back of our minds to make a point…

Did This: Cakebread Cellars wine dinner at Japengo

In 1972, hobbyist wine grower (and full time garage owner) Jack Cakebread acquired 22 acres of land in Napa and started his winery. Little did he know that 40 years later, the Cakebread name would be renowned for its cabernets…

Hawaii: In Real Life ~ Sing Cheong Yuan

I’ve posted about Chinese New Year before, but for the first time since I’ve been blogging, it’s my year — the year of the snake. If you want to get technical, it’s the year of the black/water snake, in 4710…

Did this: Sony Open awards gala

While most of you were paying attention to the annual Sony Open in Hawaii (@SonyOpenHawaii) for the golf this past weekend, I — the non-golfer — checked out one of its fabulous food events … of course. The Pro-Am awards…

Hawaii: In Real Life ~ Tanioka’s

Whenever you mention Tanioka’s to local people, they get crazy and start salivating like Pavlov’s dog. Never mind that they’re all the way out in Waipahu; people seek them out for their fried chicken, poke, musubis, and assorted plate lunch…

Vegas: Downtown Cocktail Room, revisited

No trip to Vegas is complete without a spin on Megabucks, a Bellagio fountain show, or at least one drink at the Downtown Cocktail Room. As mentioned last year, the Fremont Street East district — a redeveloped area just past the…

Vegas: Drink & Drag

Kicking off Matt's birthday celebrationAs I do every year at this time, I vacationed in Las Vegas — it’s a good way to escape the holidays as a singleton, and spend time with my second family, the Yoneyamas. Just two…

Last day in Paris ~ À bientôt

I spent my last day in Paris — Christmas Day — in a similar fashion to the way my family used to always spend it: lazing around. If you are there on Christmas, don’t be afraid to venture out, as…

Christmas eve in Paris

Although it would have been nice to have a white Christmas in Paris, I was actually glad that it was unseasonally warm during our time there. The air was a crisp 50 degrees, cold enough to get you in the…

Paris: Wandering the Marais

Every time I go to Paris, I have to allot some time to wander the Marais district, which is full of unique shops and restaurants. Back in the day (and I mean far back), the king decreed it a place…

Bonjour from Paris

If you’re following me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, you already know that I’m in Paris for Christmas. My three hapa nieces —Ahnya, Cymri, and Morgen — have been traveling around Europe for the last few months, and their plan…

Product review: GLO Science

I’ve been curious about the various teeth-whitening implements out there, since I drink a lot of coffee. I’d never tried any, however, because various people who had used Crest Whitestrips mentioned that it heightened their teeth sensitivity. My teeth weren’t…

Aloha Brisbane! Our last day

We had almost one full day left in Brisbane, and it was a Sunday. What to do? We needed to do something in the city to ensure we got to the airport on time, but not too strenuous. I wanted…

Aloha Brisbane! The Gold Coast

Wow, I can’t believe it’s taking me so long to pump out my Brisbane blogs. Usually, when I travel, I blog each night, but it was difficult due to connectivity problems. For you geeks: the wifi issue is not just…