The Surf Lanai in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel recently launched a special Sunday brunch buffet for summer, so I checked it out last Sunday with my neighbor, Stacy (@_mdoridori, whom you may remember from a past Hawaii IRL episode). We…
Kalama Valley home a good value
First-time homebuyers get education and a tour
There’s no club, no yachts, and this isn’t anywhere near the water. But I was dying to try a pop-up restaurant called Liholiho Yacht Club by a local boy while in San Francisco, especially after I saw the menu. Kim…
Remember Mari Taketa’s recent blog about tonkatsu, where she claimed Ginza Bairin was moist, but I disputed it? Turns out, we may have both been right. I visited Bairin a long time ago, and she visited recently … probably since…
Italy meets Hawaii in this villa design
Last year, I got to meet chef Chris Kajioka (@Ckcuisine) while in San Francisco, when he was working at Aziza. The Iolani grad had moved to the Bay Area to spread his creative wings and continue fueling his passion for…
More than 1200 people turned out for the Hawaii music industry’s big awards gala last night, the 34th annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards. The big winners of the night — taking home multiple trophies — were Kuana Torres Kahele, Waipuna, Jake…
A couple of years ago, I was in San Francisco for the Nike Women’s Marathon and went to dim sum in the second Chinatown on Clement St. As I checked in on Foursquare, reader Turk Fontaine (@TurkFontaine) tweeted, “I’m at…
We were looking for a nice but casual place to eat for our night before the Bay to Breakers run, and one of my online friends, Phil Napsha, suggested we go to Skool. If you haven’t heard of it, you…
New, hot listing with extended open houses this weekend
No trip to San Francisco is complete without a visit to one of their Off The Grid food truck rallies. When I first blogged about it in 2010, it seemed so big, with more than a dozen trucks, carts, and…
Alii Bluffs home is a modern hideaway
I recently started working with Brasserie Du Vin (@Duvin808) in Chinatown — a restaurant that I have always enjoyed over the years for various occasions. Even when they changed chefs and pastry chefs, their food has remained consistently solid, and…
One of the wildest fun runs in the world was muted extensively last year, when longtime sponsor ING pulled out due to community complaints about drunkenness, lewd acts, and runners relieving themselves in people’s yards. Print shop Zazzle stepped up…
It’s been two years since I ran the famous Bay to Breakers fun run with my wacky friend, Brad Tada (@tadasauce). If you recall, he dressed up as Gumby, which was a big hit in itself, then stripped out of…
My travel companions, Lena Hanson (@LenaHanson) and Edwina Minglana (@Eminglana) have never been to San Francisco before, so we decided to hit some touristy spots when they landed. Here are some things a Hawaii first-timer might do in San Francisco:…
If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I’ve arrived in San Francisco for my annual trip to participate Bay to Breakers. Have you seen the craziness from this fun run? I say that I’m “participating” in the event…
If any of you are HGTV fanatics, you’ve seen the White Room Challenge, where designer contestants have to transform a boring white room into something fabulous, based on a theme of the week. Honolulu-based designer Melissa Rivera-Torres of Unleash Studio…
A Hawaii-based designer gives tips on making your space unique
You know me — I love hearing about cool new coffices around Oahu, especially if there are ideal cofficing conditions. Well, a new spot, Island Brew (@IslandBrewHI) has opened in Hawaii Kai, and it seems to have it all: Ample…
Residents encouraged to live sustainably
Spread out in this Mauna Olu Estates home
HUGS (Help, Understanding, & Group Support), a nonprofit that serves seriously ill children and their families, celebrated 30 years of service last night with its annual fundraising gala at the Kahala Hotel & Resort. The evening featured a silent and…
Did you know that Hawaii has a connection to this season’s “Survivor?” That’s right, Hawaii boy Jonas Otsuji (@SushiSurfer) — yes, of Otsuji Farms — was one of the island residents, working each week to keep his spot.Jonas has since…
Cute cottage hideaway
Media night at Menchanko Tei ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 13 Menchanko-Tei, the popular little restaurant in the Waikiki Trade Center, has opened a new spot on Keeaumoku Street (where Go Shi Go and Broadway Seafood & Oyster…
Prudential Locations assesses the market, year to date
While I was out of town, my business partner, Russ Sumida (@Parkrat) went to the grand opening of Orogold, a new skincare/cosmetics store in Waikiki, to take photos. When I came home, he said, “You gotta try this place.” Oh,…
Huge rim lot offers relaxing spaces
Inventory down = sales numbers down, but prices increase
Celebrity paddle boarders, stand-up paddlers, surf legends, sponsors and other VIPs attended the kickoff party for the Quiksilver Waterman Collection Waikiki Paddle Festival happening this weekend. Quiksilver’s Waikiki Beach Walk store pulled out all the stops with local food stations,…
When people head to Japan, most times they think of going to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka — but many don’t realize that there’s a strong Hawaii tie to Fukuoka. Gov. George Ariyoshi, one of many local residents whose family is…
Sierra Drive home offers view at a value
Here’s a new and affordable option for staging and furnishing
Kakaako is one of the hippest neighborhoods on Oahu, but it wasn’t always that way. It was always described as an industrial area, and many of the streets don’t have sidewalks. In recent years, it’s become a destination — especially…
Home featured on HGTV is up for sale
Local chefs and farmers teamed up to create exquisite dishes for the inaugural Taste the Nation Hawaii, a fundraiser focused on ending childhood hunger. The Bishop Museum’s Great Lawn provided a laid-back, island atmosphere for the event. These photos will…
Performers emulating Naruto at Canal City's Anime/Manga FestivalI apologize for being so late with my Fukuoka blogs — since I got home, it’s been nonstop for Nonstop, but there’s still so much more to show!When you get to Japan, there…
Local chefs and farmers are getting ready for the inaugural “Taste of the Nation Hawaii” (@HawaiiTaste) this Sunday, an innovative fundraiser focused on ending childhood hunger. Are you going to the event? We’re fortunate to be able to go to such…
