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…
Kan Zaman fans have been eagerly awaiting for chef-owners Kamal Jemmari and Youssef Dakroub to open their second outpost in Kaimuki. Let’s face it, you can’t always make it to Chinatown; this new location offers more options in East Honolulu, and…
Can you believe it’s been 19 years since George Mavrothalassitis opened his iconic Chef Mavro restaurant on King Street? People who have dined there know that the experience is comprised of a tasting menu, between six and 12 courses, depending on…
Most people think of Kauai as a sleepy place of simple tastes and more classic dining options, but that seems to be changing. As the Aqua Kauai Beach Resort gave their property a face lift, corporate chef Eric Faivre and the hotel’s chef…
Although 2 million tourists are expected to visit Iceland this year — heck, you probably have people in your Instagram feed there right now — there's still a big mystery on what to expect and how to prepare for travel…
Most people will tell you that Iceland is not really a dining destination, and to some extent, that’s true. It’s hard for me to say for sure unless I try some truly local spots, but tourism seems to have shaped…
One of the biggest misperceptions that people have about Iceland is that it’s a small place because it’s an island. Nothing could be further from the truth. I know it sounds a little scary and humbug to not have a…
When people think of lodging in the far north, they often envision the famous ice hotels and glamping igloos. Well, guess what? There are no ice hotels in Iceland! You can only find them in Canada, Sweden, Japan, Finland, Norway,…
As many of you know, Iceland is a (figuratively) hot destination for travel right now. Blogger Deb Aoki and I became two of the 2 million visitors to the Nordic island recently, and that was quite the adventure! I’m going to…
Could the timing be any better? On March 1, Hawaiian Airlines continued its guest chef series and rotated Maui’s Sheldon Simeon in for the next few months with a domestic first class menu that showcases his talent. Sheldon with daughter Peyton…
I can’t believe it’s been five years since the last time I visited Los Angeles! I was fortunate to be included on a recent trip to the Grammy Museum with Outrigger Resorts, who is a sponsor of Mele Mei —…
This restaurant has closed. Sponsored When you think of dim sum, it’s usually a noisy brunch crowd in Chinatown with large carts of steamer baskets lumbering past. But when you bring dim sum from a chain in London, you know…
Owner/chef Takeshi Kawasaki at the nine-seat sushi bar. Sushi fanatics have been waiting for Maru Sushi, an iconic Michelin-starred sushi bar from Sapporo, to open in Honolulu. Founding owner and executive chef Takeshi Kawasaki held a little pop-up a few months…
With Maurice Hennessy of the famous cognac company. Maurice Hennessy, the eighth-generation descendant of the cognac company founder, was in town recently to educate some special customers about the family’s premium line of spirits. I got a few minutes with…
How to eat authentic Chinese food in downtown Honolulu.
The cream team: Business partners Jeffrey Kao, left, and Bari Carroll. If you haven’t been to the ice cream pop ups, you may have at least seen Sweet Creams on social media, where staffers make ice cream from scratch, lay…
A few months ago, we put up a guide to upcoming Waikiki Yokocho eats and gradually the 16 restaurants in Waikiki’s biggest Japanese food cornucopia opened their doors to a hungry public. Well, the last five spots are now open, and it was worth…
Today marks the Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort’s 90th anniversary, and one of the celebrations includes the opening of their Royal Hawaiian Bakery. The bakery opens at 10 a.m. today, but will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 4…
Hainanese chicken rice at Flock & Fowl in Las Vegas, $8.99. Two years ago, I got hooked on chef Sheridan Su’s Hainanese chicken rice at Flock & Fowl in Las Vegas. I’d had it before in Asia, but none of…
Last week, you saw me on KHON’s morning news talking about juice cleanses for the new year — and it went off without a hitch, right? What you didn’t see was how deathly sick I was just a week prior.…
Rain Honolulu quietly opened its doors a couple of weeks ago, just around the corner from its sister bar, Scarlet Honolulu. But make no mistake, people aren’t going to be quiet about this place for very long. The guys who…
As people make their resolutions to eat better, get fit and lose weight, one of the most popular things to jump start that lifestyle change is undoubtedly a juice cleanse. And why not, right? It flushes a lot of bad…
After the rest of the group dispersed to other parts of Japan or went home to Hawaii, I headed to south Hokkaido to the famous port town of Hakodate. Since it was one of the first of only five Japanese ports…
Without a doubt, Senia — a long-awaited restaurant by chefs Chris Kajioka and Anthony Rush — has been one of the most hyped restaurants in town for a spot that hasn’t even opened yet. Well, the wait is over: Tomorrow,…
Maui children marveling at the indoor snowfall. There’s been snow storms on Mauna Kea, but did you know it’s been snowing in Kahului? I got to visit Queen Kaahumanu Center last weekend to check out their holiday snow show in…
We wrapped up the group travel part of the trip with Doko Ga TV by exploring a few historic spots in Sapporo … and, of course, getting some last bites in. Sapporo Clock Tower. Before I show you the spots near…
In the interest of time, I’m splitting my Sapporo restaurants into two posts and I believe these are more miscellaneous spots, whereas the ones I’m profiling tomorrow are close to JR Sapporo Station. When you travel with Pali Kaaihue —…
When Pali Kaaihue was working with the Hokkaido government on this trip for Doko Ga TV, he requested that we get to see the hidden gems of Japan’s northernmost island, things that many American tourists might miss for lack of information or…
The big city of Sapporo is great, but I highly recommend you take day trips to outlying areas to get a better sense of what Hokkaido is all about. There are nice, interesting spots just 30 to 60 minutes outside…
Just as various foods are symbolic of Japan, sake — their national beverage — is almost exclusively Japanese. To produce high-quality sake, you need the perfect rice and the perfect water, mixed with centuries of tradition and science. There are several…
