March 2023: Our Top 3 Most Viewed Posts About the Local Food Scene
A century-old diner, a trio of brand new eateries and the only AYCE sushi restaurant on O‘ahu.
No. 3: Old-School Diners We Love: Kaua‘i’s Tip Top Motel, Café & Bakery
Photo: Gregg Hoshida
Published March 7, 2023
There are places that hit you right in the feels. The menus might seem outdated and the facades a little worn, but you slide into a booth, tuck into a plate and know you’ve come home. Gregg Hoshida’s lunch with an old friend at Tip Top Café, an oasis in the middle of all his business day trips to Kaua‘i, reminds us of why we can’t live without Yokozuna Bentos, oxtail soup and the famous mac nut cookies.
SEE ALSO: Hawai‘i’s Oldest Restaurants Are Still ‘Ono After All These Years
No. 2: 3 New and Coming Eateries in Chinatown and Downtown Honolulu
Obake Bar. Photo: Tracy Chan
Published March 30, 2023
Tracy Chan is OG Frolic. She was creator Diane Seo’s first and only full-time hire at Metromix Honolulu, our original iteration back in 2008 when we were part of The Honolulu Advertiser. Since then she’s been a constant on Frolic’s core freelance team. Tracy lives and works in Downtown/Chinatown, knows many of its small business players and walks everywhere in the neighborhood at all hours, putting her in prime position to report on its happenings. While the area remains in flux as fallout from the pandemic continues, the appearance of a bake shop, a coffee bar, and a matcha, sushi hand roll and cocktail spot within weeks of each other is cause for optimism. Published last Thursday, this post soared to the No. 2 spot for all of March in one day.
No. 1: AYCE Nights: My Favorite All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Spot in Honolulu
Photo: Maddy Chow
Published March 17, 2023
Sushi, so ubiquitous on O‘ahu you can get it anywhere from 7-Eleven to neighborhood takeout spots to $300 omakase counters, closed out Frolic intern Maddy Chow’s AYCE Nights series with a bang. Not only did page views for her all-you-can-eat sushi article eclipse those for her AYCE Korean barbecue and AYCE hot pot posts, our Instagram reel reached more than half a million viewers—even though it covered only a single restaurant. Kats Sushi, a decades-old AYCE that’s known to older crowds, is being discovered now by the young.
That doesn’t always sit well with readers, some of whom posted Instagram comments saying the popular eatery should remain one of Honolulu’s best kept secrets. Among the 360 comments, that spurred these two: “This is my in-law’s business. We are very happy for the exposure,” @allpaulaulau wrote. “Please don’t discourage people to come here. Instead, come support us.” At Frolic, we’re known for coverage of what’s new on the dining scene. But we have equal heart for the longstanding businesses that anchor our Hawai‘i, that also need and will continue to need all the support they can get.
