We live in Hawaii, a cluster of islands surrounded by a vast ocean, so you'd assume all of our seafood is fresh and local. I was shocked when chef Lee Anne Wong told me that we import 60 percent of…
It's a good sign when you see Chinese people from the motherland eating in a Chinese restaurant. It's even more legit when the comrades are smoking outside. Are we in Beijing? Actually, we're eating noodles at 808 Sheridan. Wait, what happened to…
If you know, you know: Hilo may seem like a sleepy little rural town, but it's full of ono places to eat. I was only there for a couple of days, so there was no way to go to every…
Cosmic fashion, makeup and food is the big trend now, so naturally, Shokudo created a psychedelic dessert to celebrate their anniversary month. Every year, the restaurant offers a different and unusual honey toast — since it's their signature dessert, it's…
Sponsored Most people planning a trip to Japan will invariably put Tokyo at the top of their list. But Osaka — Japan’s third most populated city — is a destination that is a feast for the senses as well as…
Pineapple pastry char siu bao, $2 The deep dive: Let's just start with the name. The pineapple bun, or bo lo bao, does not contain any pineapple! It got its name from the pineapple-looking pattern the crust makes. This extra layer of…
Now that the pursuit of culinary arts has been elevated around the world, it's neat to see talented young chefs blossom from students to industry powerhouses. If you haven't already, check out your nearest community college's student-run restaurant to see…
The weeks leading up to Chinese New Year seem to be when I spend a lot of time with my fellow Hawaii Chinese Dinner Society members. We go to our favorite Chinese restaurants, and seek out delicious new ones as chefs…
They say that if a business makes it to the three year mark, they're going to be okay. Can you believe it's only been three years since Square Barrels opened in Tamarind Park downtown? Part of what keeps them going…
Growing up, I thought it was strange that although I could handle spicy foods, I didn't like them. It seems logical that someone who can take the heat would enjoy it, right? Then, 10 years ago, I went to Singapore…
The final stop on my Calgary food adventure with Jessie Cayabo was at Anju, a popular modern Korean restaurant helmed by award-winning chef, Roy Oh. "Anju" means "food you eat with alcohol" in Korean, usually casual food shared with friends,…
On our way back in from Banff, my friend Jessie took me to a super hidden hotspot called Alloy. If you didn't know what you were looking for, you'd totally miss it; the restaurant is a converted office building in…
If you find yourself in Calgary, be sure to take a side trip to Banff. It's one of the most beautiful places in Alberta, year round, and it's just a 90 minute drive from the city. When we got there,…
You often want to end a trip on the highest note, but for me, the aria came early (and so did I). Jessie took me to a newish restaurant called Bread & Circus so she could scope out the chef…
Did you know that Canadian beef — specifically, from Alberta — is significantly different from any other beef in the world? I didn't know it until I got to Calgary. And I was completely blown away. My primary focus for this…
I had no idea Vancouver was so hipster. I knew that there would be a lot of Chinese people, since it's known as the Hong Kong Annex, but I didn't realize that the city would be an extension of San…
I hate my birthday, so every year I try to escape to another country to avoid it. This year, traveling solo, I figured I should go somewhere easy, so my friend Jessie Cayabo — who does PR for various restaurants…
Although I'm telling you about a new sushi bar in Honolulu today, the place is actually not so new. If you've been around a while, you remember Sakuraya on Beretania Street (that took the place of George's Delicatessen) during the…
Find a home for sale you like, put in an offer, buy and move in, right? Well, here in Hawai‘i, our diverse traditions and beliefs can make it more complicated.
Aletha Thomas of Monkeypod Jam. I don't know Kauai very well, but I get to fly in and out every so often and try to check out new (or newish) eats that aren't tourist traps. I was actually blown away…
Elmer Guzman with his "fish and chips" ($14.95), two kinds of ahi dip with taro chips. Everyone in Hawaii knows chef Elmer Guzman for his fresh, innovative menu at The Poke Stop ... out in Waipahu and Mililani. Now he's…
For the first time since I've been blogging, I'm writing about the moon festival well ahead of time. Maybe I'm early, because the moon festival is late this year! The Chinese moon festival — or mid-autumn festival, as many also…
Via Corner San Nicholas I’ve heard chef Lee Anne Wong say that French canelés are one of her favorite desserts, but had to ask twice when she said “cream’le” was probably one of her favorites in the world. “Canelé. Yes. I…
Last month, I got a last-minute invitation to a wine dinner at Bread + Butter. Normally, I would debate attending, but since the theme was truffles, I cancelled all my appointments and headed over. Aside from the fact that it was…
It's back! The Maui Chefs Invitational was such a hit last year, there was no question the Mill House Maui would host this three-day dining series with some of the nation's most acclaimed chefs. This event is a smaller version…
Chef Ron Simon, left, with his wife Rose and son Coby. The John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) in Kakaako is always offering fresh, healthy choices for their students and faculty, and chef Ron Simon has just stepped up…
The Foodland chefs, from left: Brian Nagai, chef de cuisine; Rick Chang, pastry chef; and Keoni Chang, corporate chef and senior director of culinary. It's already been a year since Foodland Farms opened its flagship store at Ala Moana Center,…
I’m always looking for unique, local omiyage to share with friends and family outside of Hawaii, so it was nice to meet the woman behind Maui Sweet Cakes recently after following each other on social media for a while. Heidi Cramer had come…
I gotta be honest, I don’t normally review or blog about mass-produced, convenient foodstuffs. But I am headed to the big Made In Hawaii Festival at the Blaisdell this weekend, and as part of the hype about the new Hawaiian Sun Beach n’…
Neiman Marcus Executive Chef Lawrence Nakamoto. — photo from Mariposa There’s a new chef in charge at Mariposa, but don’t worry — he’s not going to take away your favorite lobster club and crab salad. Lawrence Nakamoto has already been…
Chef Masamu Yamamoto at Toridokoro Matsumoto, showing us what he’s about to grill. I put writing this blog off for a while. Some of you may have read an earlier article about a secret yakitori restaurant in Honolulu, which actually got…
#ThrowbackThursday from my friend Ruth Academia Baker, left shown here with Leah Shimotsukasa Allen and me: “Front page of the March 4, 1991, Downtown Planet. We were 20-somethings working at Professional Communications/Starr Seigle McCombs.” Back in the day when I…
Sponsored Everyone has a good time at the Joy of Sake. Period. Unlike other food and alcohol events where one might feel intimidated, there’s almost no way to tell who is a seasoned sake drinker or a novice; everyone is discovering…
If you’ve been to Japan, you know that the rice they serve — even the musubis at convenience stores — is far superior to any rice you eat in Hawaii. Once you know the difference, it’s hard to come home…
Kapiolani Community College’s culinary program recently opened their Lē’ahi Concept Kitchen, in the former Nobu space in the Waikiki Parc Hotel. At the grand opening, everyone got a bag of KCC’s butter mochi crisps, and my instagram of it made the public go…
Some of the featured whiskies at 12th Avenue Grill on June 29. “Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” ~ Mark Twain Whiskey originated in Scotland, but Japan took the industry by storm…
Driving up Keeaumoku Street, you may have noticed a new restaurant in the space that used to be Chick & Meck, which used to be Red House, which used to be Sanji Ramen, which used to be … I can’t…
Pai Honolulu is located on the ground floor of Harbor Court, where Umami Cafe used to be. It’s been a long time coming for chef Kevin Lee … almost three years in the making, in fact. Most people in Hawaii…
Michael Mina’s innovative dining concept, The Street, now offers 13 different food and drink options on the ground floor of the International Marketplace, and the dizzying array of choices can be overwhelming. What do you eat first? What if you want to eat…
After Senia first opened, it was physically impossible to get a dinner reservation for weeks in advance (I know, I tried). But a month ago, they quietly added lunch service to their program, and that seems to have helped alleviate the pressure on…
