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…
I consider prime rib to be a meal for special occasions. My family will make an eight-pounder for Christmas dinner or we might go to a buffet that serves it to celebrate a birthday. So when I saw The Street Social…
Until the summer of 2016, Tae's Teppanyaki was a hit with the Kaheka lunch crowd. Kevin Ahakuelo, a veteran teppan chef from Waikiki's Suntory Restaurant, served up beef and pork steak rolls with fancy julienned potatoes out of his food…
Restaurant Aki, formerly on Makaloa Street near Ala Moana, relocated to a new home on Kaimuki's 11th Avenue. The large izakaya menu is intact, with emphasis on solid yakitori skewers, sushi, small dishes and oden. However, it's their signature nabe…
Limon Rotisserie just opened at Ka Makana Alii last month and it is already my favorite dinner spot in West Oahu. With all the new competition in Honolulu's smoldering dining scene, Limon's mix of solid family-style plates, tapas-sized appetizers and fantastic…
I'm a local boy to the core, but I grew up eating and learning to love sandwiches. So, when the opportunity arises to conquer a towering behemoth with so much meat that you practically need to dislocate your jaw, I…
The plant-based Impossible Burger uses 95% less land, 74% less water, and creates 87% less greenhouse gas emissions than a beef burger -- yet it's supposed to smell, taste and feel like beef. Now that it's at The Counter - Kahala,…
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.” Livestock Tavern's Pulled Turkey "Fork…
It was a sad day when I found out Scratch Kitchen & Bake Shop was closing on Smith Street. Although sister restaurant Scratch Meatery was a 10-minute drive away in Kakaako, gone was my foolproof brunch spot for early client…
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: Nissin Raoh umami tonkotsu flavored ramenWhere: Dry goods/instant foods aisle at all Oahu Costco…
Can we live in there? We’re back in Waikiki and this round we're getting comfy with a smash burger as big as a couch. The double-wide Maui Onion Cheeseburger, as Ms. Maria describes, goes wide instead of tall so each…
“We’re here to see the mayor.” The unassuming telephone booth. We got the secret phrase right. The phone booth door opens and a flapper girl peels back heavy blackout curtains to reveal a distant era. The music flips from hardcore…
Update Oct. 10, 2017: Due to overwhelming response, Wang Chung’s has added two more Tamale Sweatshop dates: Wednesday, Nov 1 and Thursday, Nov 2, 2017. You may purchase tickets to reserve your spot here. I don’t want to scare you,…
Much to my despair, yakitori spots are few and far between in Honolulu. They often come with hour-long waits; one even requires an invite to dine. Walking in and snagging a seat at 6 p.m. is almost impossible. That is,…
Editor's note: Frolic is 5 years old! We're reprising some of our all-time top posts this month, February 2019. Here's one from September 2017. Update 09/27/17: Due to overwhelming response from this article, 88 Supermarket has changed the buffet policy…
Only a few months ago I was practically boasting that I was never home in Kapolei. I spent the bulk of my time in town, where a multitude of dining options was within a three-mile radius of my office. Where…
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 finds we push across the table and tell our friends, “Try this. TRY IT.” The black truffle roast duck,…
Hoku's has a new chef de cuisine and his fresh perspective, reflecting his Waipahu roots and passion for the ocean, has me reconsidering the 21-year old restaurant at the Kahala Hotel and Resort. While many of my friends love Hoku's,…
The donut milkshake ($7) is a double whammy. Chef Andrew Le is back in the kitchen, this time at Piggy Smalls, and his weekend brunch spread had me from the words "donut milkshake" and "oyako pho." It kicked off this…
Sponsored When the sun’s halfway between noon and 6 is when the party starts at International Market Place: happy hour. From Yauatcha on the Grand Lanai to The Street, here are some deals you can take advantage of. The Makaweli…
The Royal Purple drink has acai yoghurt, purple beni aloha potatoes and blueberries blended up and served with boba (optional). It tastes like Welch’s grape juice with a starchy finish. ($4.50/$5.50) This is SO Japanese. From the moment I saw…
Truth be told, I don’t visit Ko Olina nearly enough. I live a six-minute drive away. But now, the mere whisper of “Sunday brunch at the Four Seasons” will get me stirred like a tall Bloody Mary topped with bacon.…
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.” The 18 and Over at…
Talking to Robert Warner, you get a sense that this chef is small kine crazy. He named his former restaurant Cafe 8 1/2 — after Federico Fellini’s semi-autobiographical film about a director whose creativity is stifled — and scrawled on…
There are three essential aspects to every Helena’s Hawaiian Food experience: 1) pipikaula ribs, 2) ordering in alphabet (Menu A through Menu D), and 3) waiting in line in the blazing sun. That is, until this week: Depending on what…
Remember when that one guy warned that if his candidate didn’t win the White House, we’d have a taco truck on every corner? Well, it looks like this delicious scenario just might be happening in Honolulu. For some reason, street tacos…
For the better part of this summer, my office has been fueled by donuts. Three new donut shops with rather distinct offerings opened in Honolulu in July — on top of a fourth buzz-worthy newcomer late last year. It’s gotten…
With temperatures soaring into the high 80s this week, I could definitely use some respite. What better way to cool off than with a scoop of Suntory Hibiki whisky gelato? Well, the folks at Waikiki Yokocho have just that…
Today at 7 a.m., Dunkin’ Donuts opens the first of 15 planned statewide locations near the Honolulu airport. After a 10-year absence from Hawaii, you might say they’re going do-nuts with this rapid expansion. I’m excited, but not just for yet…
It’s pretty crazy to think that this time last year, we didn’t have a single food hall (a modern take on the food court) in Waikiki, and today there are three! The new kid on the block, Dukes Lane Market…
Consider this Part 1 of our look at the launch of Bonchon Kapolei. If you just want to read about the food, scroll to “the food,” but be warned that you’re missing a big part of the story saga: my full experience.…
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.” Big enough to be a…
King Street Tacos was on my radar since it opened in early June. I put it off until a new lede came across my desk: The Biki bikeshare program was launching and I really wanted to check it out. After…
Biki, Honolulu’s new bikeshare program, is a contentious topic on my Facebook newsfeed. With friends arguing on both sides of the debate, I decided to test it out for myself. Would Biki be a plus for my lifestyle? Riding down…
Sponsored When the sun’s halfway between noon and 6 is when the party starts at International Market Place: happy hour. From Yauatcha on the Grand Lanai to The Street, here are some deals you can take advantage of. The Makaweli…
The dining options out west are finally taking a turn in the right direction. With the addition of solid fast casual spots like La Tour Cafe and Koa Cafe and fantastic dinner options like Eating House 1849 and Noe at…
Okay, fam. It’s getting hot, real quick, and we need to chill. Time to take a dip into something refreshing. Something cool. Something delicious. These new-wave shave ice treats are just what we need! Loaded with mochi, popping boba, fruit…
2016. A year of immense tragedy and loss for many of us. Among its many casualties was Yakitori Glad – the humble grilled chicken skewer spot on Kapahulu where all items cost a mere $3.90. Oahu foodies, especially izakaya fans, let out…
It’s increasingly difficult to scope out a square meal for under 10 bucks. If you’re one of the thousands that work or play in Waikiki, it’s next to impossible. Waikiki Yokocho, the underground Japanese food mecca below Waikiki Shopping Plaza, aims…
Sponsored Many months of anticipation come to an end on Friday, May 19, when The Street Honolulu opens at Waikiki’s International Market Place. Four concepts, including one from local pastry phenom Michelle Karr-Ueoka, will be ready to serve food while…
