June 2023: Our Top 3 Most Popular Posts About the Local Food Scene
No, the natto dinner didn’t make the list. But the Top 3 held some surprises.
No. 3: Local ARMY Eats Her Way Through BTS Festa Pilgrimage
Photo: May Hoshida
Published June 26, 2023
BTS is like li hing gummy bears—you never know who around you is a super fan. Or in the case of May Hoshida, super ARMY. I had no idea May was ARMY until core Frolic freelancer Gregg Hoshida told me his wife had just returned from a two-week solo trip to celebrate BTS’ tenth anniversary in South Korea, where her meticulously planned itinerary included eateries the K-pop band loves or frequented. May is a natural and upbeat storyteller, with lines like “When Jungkook sings, ‘You are the cause of my euphoria,’ I truly believe he is singing about the Kekeke chicken at 60 Gye Chicken.” In the first couple of days after it was published, May’s debut post rose to the fourth spot on Google’s search ranking for “BTS Festa.” And it made the entire Hoshida family Frolic contributors—son Nicholas, a student at ‘Iolani School, published his first post here in 2020.
No. 2: Ultimate Guide to O‘ahu Bon Dance Food: June & July
Photo: Michael Ching
Published June 22, 2023
Bon dances have become hugely popular in Hawai‘i, driven not just by the joy of summertime festivals where anyone can join in the simple folk dances circling the musicians’ tower, but because the Japanese Buddhist temples that host them invariably sell old-school local eats. Connoisseurs can tell you which temples are known for homemade tsukemono pickles, chicken hekka plates and even oden (pictured above, at Rissho Kosei-kai). But the irony is that even as bon dances have grown to attract thousands, the congregations that organize and staff them are aging and shrinking. That’s why this guide to bon dance food lineups covers only June and most of July: HONOLULU Magazine intern Alicia Lou had trouble contacting some temples (many offices are run by part-time volunteers), while others hadn’t planned their menus yet. The fact remains that bon dances are usually the biggest money-maker for struggling temples, so we’ll keep reaching out. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our roundup in coming weeks.
No. 1: You Voted: Here’s Your Top 5 Shave Ice on Oʻahu
Photo courtesy: 6Sixty Apparel
Published June 20, 2023
Best Shave Ice on O‘ahu, our collection of staff picks spanning the island, listed nine solid shave ice spots. When we published it, Instagram followers chimed in with 17 other favorite places. So we put the question of who has the best shave to our readers, adding up all the choices and listing 26 in our poll. To our surprise, readers not only voted, they wrote in 28 more shave ice vendors, including food trucks, event caterers and a counter in a clothing boutique. It doesn’t matter how long or in how many parts of the island you’ve been eating shave ice, I guarantee this post will open your eyes and make you crave an icy bowl. Right. Now.
For the record, the next three most popular Frolic posts in June covered Bar Leather Apron’s historic James Beard Award win, a hidden gem wine shop in ‘Ewa Beach and three dozen menu options for Father’s Day.
