Singer/songwriter Aidan James had a star-studded CD release party last night at the Doris Duke Theatre, bringing celebrity musicians, the cast of Hawaii Five-0, chefs and producers together to support him in his latest project. “Echoes” drops on December 1, featuring…
You know it’s a nice day in Tokyo when you can see Mt. Fuji. The view from Hotel Metropolitan Ikebukuro. We had originally planned to visit the Yamazaki whisky distillery in Osaka, but found that it would be closed in…
It sounds kind of touristy, but you might have fun at the Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama if you have the time. Many of my friends have been through this attraction, and it is actually pretty interesting if you look…
Tokyo fanatics who geek out on the vast amount of comics, games, anime and more should head out to Nakano Broadway, a whole mall with collectible stuff from old-school classics to the current popular characters. Deb Aoki always tells me…
This home has breathtaking views of Diamond Head.
First things first when in Japan: Get some good sushi! There’s no place better for fresh raw seafood than at Tsukiji Market itself. Since Deb and I are veterans of the famous fish market, we allowed ourselves a slightly later start…
I’m back on the road again, and yes, back in Japan, but I try to get a different experience every time I return to any destination. It’s always an adventure with my classmate, manga/anime blogger Deb Aoki, so be sure…
A contemporary and spacious home in Makiki Heights.
When Gokoku Sushi opened in grand style at Koko Marina Center a year ago, it was all set to bring upscale Japanese dining to Hawaii Kai. The problem was, the upscale prices matched the real estate market projections for East…
When Bread + Butter first opened in the former Angelo Pietro spot (next to Shokudo), I was all about the breakfast and lunch offerings. I’ve become a regular there because I like to coffice, with their wifi and bright surroundings.…
It’s been about a year and a half since Angelo Pietro closed its Kapiolani Boulevard location and disappeared for a while as the owners looked for a new place. Well, as you may have heard, they finally reopened, and are…
If you’re going to have a chef take over your hotel kitchen, you might as well make it Will Chen. The MODERN Honolulu’s chef Keith Pajinag brought Will in to develop two items for the hotel’s poolside menu all weekend,…
We wouldn’t send you to a foreign country without tips! Here are some quick and useful tips to help you prep for your trip to Singapore. GETTING THERE Currently, there are no direct flights to Singapore. You have to transfer through a…
Get cozy near the fireplace in this Kailua home.
Although Singapore is an island, and we did a LOT in a week, I couldn’t help feeling that there was so much we missed, too. I don’t know about Doug and Edwina, but I started my last full day in Singapore…
Almost a year ago, Chef Chai Chaowasaree opened his Waikiki restaurant in the former Singha Thai space as a take-out plate lunch venue. At the time, I was surprised to see such a casual approach to Chai’s food, and apparently…
With just two full days left on our trip, we had to pack in whatever else we had on our itinerary to be sure we ate, saw and experienced a good balance of what Singapore had to offer. The problem…
Take time to smell the flowers: A giant living clock at the Gardens by the Bay. On my first two trips to Singapore, I was there for just one or two days on my way to somewhere else, so there…
This home has the largest lot on the tip of the Peninsula in Hawai‘i Kai.
Oh, the power of social media. I follow a blogger named SingaporeanEats on Instagram and am always drooling over her food finds in The Lion City. So of course, as I was planning this trip, I pinged her to see…
We did so much on our second day in Singapore that I had to cut some things out of my blog and split it in two. If you think you’re overwhelmed by my blog posts, just think of how our…
Ocean Villas is known to be a vacation spot for celebrities including Justin Timberlake.
I’ve finally arrived in Singapore! It’s a great time to be visiting the island nation, as 2015 marks its 50th year of independence from Malaysia. If you are planning to visit, keep in mind that there is no direct flight from…
Look for “Finding Nemo” on the bottom of the swimming pool.
The new Courtyard by Marriott North Shore Oahu in Laie. Life is full of unexpected twists … which is probably the theme of this blog post. I recently headed out to Laie with media maven Pam Davis for the grand opening…
Happy 50th, Singapore! This year marks the 50th anniversary of Singapore’s independence, when it was ejected from the Federation of Malaysia amidst social unrest. I’d say it’s done quite well for itself; in these five decades, the former British colony…
This house has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a den.
October 15 is the last special performance dinner for the year at Stage Restaurant as they gear up for the holidays, so they’re ending with a big throwback to the cruise ship era, when the Lurline sailed through Honolulu with…
There must be about 100 items on the menu at Chez Kenzo, which makes it hard for people to choose whenever they go. It made me wonder if new items would make things harder for people trying to decide on…
Yesterday was the 10th annual CANstruction® competition, put on by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honolulu, where teams of architects, designers and engineers used their talents to create gigantic structures made of canned goods to benefit the Hawaii Foodbank. If…
I don’t usually post bad news in my blog, but this one is a little different. I had just uploaded photos for an upcoming post, where my friend Pam Davis and I went out to Laie to visit various people — among…
Honolulu Coffee Company officially added its twelfth Hawaii location to its roster last night with the grand opening of its Coffee Experience Center in the former Hard Rock space across the Hawaii Convention Center. The new venue serves coffee, of…
A three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit at Windward Cove.
What comes to mind when you think of Chinese food? Orange chicken? Egg rolls? Peking duck? Well, one of those three actually hail from the Middle Kingdom. Recently Honolulu got an injection of some authentic regional Chinese cuisine, and we went to…
Three-bedroom, two-story home for $495,000.
Four legends in Hawai’i’s water sports were honored last night by the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation for their accomplishments, as well as contributions to the sport and community: surfer Duane DeSoto, paddler Walter Guild, surfer Joey Cabell, and swimmer (the…
Well, I finally got it right. After years of doing the last-minute moon cake rush, I am telling you ahead of time about the annual harvest moon celebration so you can get your treats to enjoy this weekend. That’s right,…
From left: Jim Hansen, Alvin Savella, Matt Skaletsky and Frances Mayes. As if you needed an excuse to hop over to Maui … On September 23, Pūlehu, an Italian Grill at The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort (KOR) Villas is having…
On the way home from my recent adventure at the Grand Wailea, PR maven Yvonne Biegel mentioned that there is a new pie shop in Kihei, and some people are even surmising that it could be better than Leoda’s in…
The lease on this condo goes through 2070.
