Thomas Obungen

Associate Editor

Thomas Obungen joined the Frolic Hawai‘i team in 2015 as a contributor after a two-year stint in Los Angeles where his passion for seeking out unique and delicious finds was set ablaze. In the years that followed, he rose the ranks to become the Associate Editor of Frolic Hawai‘i and HONOLULU Magazine as well as the Content Strategy Manager of aio, the magazine’s parent company.

 

Prior to Frolic, he worked for an Apple reseller that outfitted Hollywood’s top studios with custom computers, planned obscure costume parties and wrote press releases for the U.S. Navy. He is a graduate of Mililani High School and Hawai‘i Pacific University.

 

In his free time, he enjoys soaking up too many UV rays at the beach, playing with all the puppers and acquiring cute reusable tote bags only for them to stay in the trunk of his car.

 

Email Thomas

Articles

Fooki brings happy Taiwanese fusion to Aiea

Under the looming elevated railway that defines this stretch of Kamehameha Highway, a Taiwanese fusion noodle bar called Fooki opened a few weeks ago in the Pearl Kai Shopping Center. An unlikely restaurant in an unlikely part of Oahu, it begs a question: Who's…

Farmers market finds: $5 bites from Dean & DeLuca

Farmers markets are breeding grounds for food innovation and some of Hawaii's most successful restaurants. Frolic's series spotlights some of these ono finds.  What: Truffle egg salad, chicken namban and ahi melt sandwiches, antipasto pasta, caprese saladHow much: $4.95 eachWhat…

New SingMaTei’s curry laksa is a Malaysian delight

Let's be honest, food courts don't exactly set a high bar for culinary finds. However, if you've spent any time in Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia and Singapore, you know that open-air hawker centers and food markets tend to buck…

H Mart opens first Hawaii store and food hall

Hoping. Praying. Dreaming. Answering the anticipation of Asian food fans and halmonis waiting for America's largest Asian grocery chain to arrive in Hawaii, H Mart opened its doors at 9 a.m. today, May 28, to a socially distanced line that wrapped…

New Higoto brings elevated bento, musubi to Kaimuki

Higoto Japanese Eatery opened May 14, at a time when takeout is the only option for restaurants open during the pandemic. Luckily, takeout is exactly what Nobu Kurokawa, former owner of Kona Kai Sushi up the hill on the same…

New Midnight Hi delivers midnight munchies

Enormous chocolate chip cookies bigger than your head. Two pounds of assorted fries with tubs of dipping sauce. Tater tots covered with mac and cheese, sriracha aioli AND Flaming Hot Cheetos. It's clear that all inhibitions are lost when you order delivery…

New Little Joe’s Steakhouse delivers big on value

When dining at a steakhouse, you're normally confronted with three options: big portions, a diverse menu or reasonable prices. As you might have guessed, you can only pick one. At Little Joe's, which opens Friday, Mar. 13, you can have all three and…

Waikiki Food Hall grand opens at Royal Hawaiian Center

Who knew Waikiki needed a fourth food hall? This one, aptly named Waikiki Food Hall, grand opens at Royal Hawaiian Center on Saturday, Mar. 7 at 8 a.m. A mix of eight local and Japanese concepts will serve up everything from garlic shrimp plates and…

Reader poll: What’s your favorite poke shop?

People's poke preferences are about as diverse as they come. Some love it spicy while others crave it simple and tasting like the sea. Variations in texture range from crunchy to tender, chewy to crispy; each has its own merits. So which poke…

Kevin Hanney’s Chopchop Rotisserie opens in Waikiki

Without much fanfare, Kevin Hanney and his wife Denise Luke opened the doors to Chopchop Rotisserie, their third restaurant, on Monday night. It's not on 12th Avenue. It's not on Koko Head Avenue. It ain't even in Kaimuki — it's on…

Okinawa’s Potama Spam musubi sandwiches are coming to Waikiki

Okinawa shares many similarities with Hawaii including weather, gorgeous beaches and an affinity for canned comfort food. One Okinawan delicacy shop that has gained popularity in recent years is Pork Tamago Onigiri or "Potama" as it's affectionately called. A potama is…

The 22 best burgers on Oahu: Foodmap

I have been a burger fan for as long as I can remember. Ask my parents — no matter where we went, if there was a burger on the menu, that's what I was having. From palm-sized sliders to triple-deckers as big…

Reader poll: Vote for your fave crispy gau gee

Deep-fried envelopes of ground pork, crispy gau gee are a hot commodity at every potluck: Show up with a box and a bucket of hot mustard and you'll be the life of the party. Just like our inaugural poll that…

What I found at Costco: Tiramisu cake

What I found at … is a series that tests and vets intriguing store-bought foodie finds.  What: Kirkland Signature tiramisu bar cakeWhere: Bakery department refrigerated caseCost: $15.99 for a 2.37 lb cake Q: Can Kirkland's giant tiramisu stand up to a restaurant-quality dessert?…

Reader poll: Vote for your fave meat jun

Ahh, meat jun. When Jason Chin and Gregg Hoshida tried 18 meat jun plates to come up with their Top 5 choices, they didn't expect it to generate such heated discussion on Facebook. With 133 comments and a whopping 227 shares,…

Kakaako’s red hot food scene mapped: Foodmap

If you thought Kakaako's dining scene has cooled off, you'd be wrong. Things are only heating up, with cafes and local and Asian restaurants the latest adds to the scene. Here's a list of spots that have opened recently or…

Halekulani’s new bakery is popping up this Sunday

Bread, how I love thee. So much that Facebook knows and delivers targeted posts like the one I got from Halekulani Hotel a couple of weeks ago. It was a public invite to check out the soon-to-open Halekulani Bakery and Restaurant during a series of…