Ever since Zigu opened in a renovated Mission Revival on Seaside Avenue, I have been a regular. My friend and I usually sit at the bar that runs the length of the open galley kitchen and with a flight of sake…
As the highly revered father of modern Thailand, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej's Dec. 5 birthday is celebrated by Thais as Father's Day. Although it lands on Wednesday, the Thai Buddhist temple between Waipahu and Pearl City is getting the party started this Sunday,…
Seoul Kimbap's handmade rolls have spicy pork, beef, tuna and a rainbow of good stuff
What I found at … is a series that tests and vets intriguing store-bought foodie finds. What: Outsiders Pizza Company Detroit-style three-cheese pizza Where: Frozen foods aisle at Foodland and Target storesCost: $13.99 (on ad for $9.69) Q: Can this frozen pizza turn out better…
If four soft serve ice cream shops could open within a month of each other in autumn, it would be in Hawaii. Funny enough, they also happen to be within spitting distance of each other: Three are at Ala Moana Center…
What I found at … is a series that tests and vets intriguing store-bought foodie finds. What: Kirkland Signature CheeseburgerWhere: All Oahu Costco Wholesale food courtsCost: $4.99 Q: Is this $5 cheeseburger better than what you can get at a fast food…
Aloha wear designer Kahala Sportswear opened a shave ice stand at their new Salt at Our Kakaako store and flavors are outrageously good. I'm talking about organic syrups made with local fruit like guava, mountain apple and a Brazillian grape called jaboticaba. They've…
When I was a student at Hawaii Pacific University nearly 10 years ago, I didn't have any of this. I never had the luxury of dining with a waterfront view of Honolulu's bustling harbor – a fabulous spot to zone out…
If you knew Japanese Restaurant Aki when it was on Makaloa Street, you may experience deja vu upon stepping into Honolulu Skewer House. The space, largely unchanged, has the same high ceilings, modern white seats and whimsical mural depicting a swirly sun and…
Seoul Mix 2.0, the last and final spot at Ala Moana's Lanai food court, opened with a welcome dose of Korean-Mexican fusion. Right off the bat, the menu reads like a list of everything you want in life. I order one…
Kaiseki represents the highest form of Japanese cuisine – a sequence of artful dishes displaying the precise skills and techniques a chef has perfected over the course of a career. It is often cited as the inspiration for haute cuisine…
Not all sandwiches are created equal. Some sammies are meaty monsters without an ounce of veg, while others can be all about the bread. The beauty of the sandwiches at Ike's is their ability to be optimized the way you want, from the…
Two years. Delay upon construction delay set chef Yuya Yamanaka and Zetton Inc., a Tokyo-based restaurant conglomerate that's helping to change modern dining in Waikiki, back from opening Paris.Hawaii as intended in 2016. The two years turned out to be a blessing:…
Although I've waxed poetic about the smoked egg and potato salad that in my opinion is a mandatory order at Zigu, these warm nights have me craving their cold basil pesto kale udon with watercress. Every morning, the udon master incorporates…
Summers in Japan are brutal: 100-degree heatwaves coupled with 99 percent humidity. Luckily, kakigori or delicate shaved ice topped with fruit purees, espuma foam and other delights offers a reprieve, if only for a few melting moments. The Japan Kakigori Association designates…
I think we can all agree that Oahu has its fair share of ramen restaurants. From tiny Tokyo-based shops that specialize in pork and seafood tsukemen dipping noods to local chains that have cult followings for unctuous broths, ramen noodles are…
We normally don't get our undies in a bunch over announcements from chain restaurants, but this announcement has me flocking to Snopes to see if it was fake news or not. The confirmation came in a memo from Chick-fil-A corporate communications, the chicken…
In recent years I've grown very fond of Hawaii Island, especially Hilo and the towns that dot the Hamakua Coast. The mellow pace, sweeping pastures and cozy snuggle weather remind me of New Zealand, albeit with less sheep. While the harsh reality…
Fat Kid Friday is a video series spotlighting exuberant dishes across Oahu. Crazy, ginormous or over-the-top luxe, these are the broke-the-mouth dishes we push across the table and tell our friends, “Try this. TRY IT." Enamored by the desserts at…
Fat Kid Friday is a video series spotlighting exuberant dishes across Oahu. Crazy, ginormous or over-the-top luxe, these are the broke-the-mouth dishes we push across the table and tell our friends, “Try this. TRY IT.” Doing heavy lifting with the…
Eating is believing is a series spotlighting great deals on incredible food. What: Those in the know get half off Vintage Cave Cafe's food on the lunch menuWhere: Vintage Cave Cafe, Ala Moana Center, Ewa Wing, Street LevelWhen: Daily 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.Price: $9…
If Terrace House filmed a second season of Aloha State, ZIGU would be the locale for a pivotal first date episode. Its ambiance evokes the uber oshare or stylish vibe of a converted home on LA's Melrose Avenue, while its Hawaii farm-to-table menu…
Finally, oh, finally. I was fearing I wouldn't see the day The Old Spaghetti Factory would reopen at the Aloha Tower Marketplace, but it has finally arrived. Judging by the reactions and comments on my post on the Frolic Instagram last…
It's no secret that Kyushu, the southernmost island of Japan, is home to some of Japan's most celebrated foods. Tonkotsu ramen is a specialty of Fukuoka in the north. Chicken nanban, a vinegary fried dish, had its start in Miyazaki on…
Sponsored Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia, the crossroads of Southeast Asia. It is one of the most visited cities in the world and home to AirAsia, which recently celebrated flying its 500 millionth passenger. I’m smitten with KL's diversity, probably…
Getting there on AirAsia plus where to stay, go and eat.
You know what's better than a mix plate with gravy all ova? Not having to drive across town to get it! The tarps came down and lines have been growing at the spot where Kamehameha Bakery fried up their famously…
Others crave sushi and ramen. I head for Gyukatsu Motomura
At one time it was the world’s most inexpensive Michelin-starred restaurant. Now Hong Kong dim sum specialist has made its second American home in Waikiki’s Royal Hawaiian Center. The Hong Kong location was opened in 2009 by chefs Mak Kwai…
Eating is believing is a series spotlighting great deals on incredible food. What: 5th Anniversary lunch specials Where: Chogajib Korean Restaurant When: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Price: $6.99 Compare: Regular prices range from $8.95 to $14.95 Fullness factor: 8 out of 10…
Nalo Farms needs our help. After two months of heavy rain waterlogged the third-generation family farm, Friday night's torrential downpours brought disaster. By daybreak Saturday, 12 of the farm's 14 acres were under four feet of water, wiping out nearly the…
Fat Kid Friday is a video series spotlighting exuberant dishes across Oahu. Crazy, ginormous or over-the-top luxe, these are the broke-the-mouth dishes we push across the table and tell our friends, “Try this. TRY IT.” Common Kings dog ($10.99) topped…
Chris Oh, the self-proclaimed unofficial mayor of Los Angeles’ Koreatown, just expanded his California restaurant empire to the Aloha State with Chingu in the former Cafe Maru space on Kapiolani Boulevard. If the name sounds familiar, Oh was on the…
What I found at … is a series that tests and vets intriguing store-bought foodie finds. It’s the wide-angle parallel to KaSnack attack!, our series reviewing made-in-Hawaii snacks. What: Suntory Premium Morning Tea milk tea and lemon teaWhere: Refrigerated drinks case and…
A kawaii musubi shop called Ookini Onigiri opened in Waikiki on Feb. 26 with 24 different types of rice balls, various bento and a special pork miso soup. At night, the shop turns into the Waikiki branch of Moiliili's Sweet…
Is there nothing more appropriate to binge watch than a foodie docu-series? Before you sit down and get comfy, lemme gift you a word of advice — don’t catch yourself without something to munch on because I guarantee you’ll be…
What I found at … is a series that tests and vets intriguing store-bought foodie finds. It’s the wide-angle parallel to KaSnack attack!, our series reviewing made-in-Hawaii snacks. What: Kirkland Signature Acai Bowl Where: All Oahu Costco food courtsCost: $4.99 Q: Is this $5 acai bowl…
Kalua pork + poke of your choice atop crispy fried won ton chips = the best of all worlds.
Three hungry Frolickers. Three food truck-inspired sandwiches. Only one can be crowned with gold. Check out the video to see which of Jack in the Box's new food truck sandwiches earns the highest seal of approval.
There's lots of buzz about a new izakaya from a former chef and manager of Sushi Izakaya Gaku. Izakaya Uosan (it means "three fishes") has opened in Kapiolani Boulevard’s Blackfield Building with a simple, rustic menu and an emphasis on…
