Chinese people in the house, raise your hand if you had the same experience: When I was a kid, my parents used to drag me to Chinese society dinners. These were big, boring (to me) events, full of Chinese people with Chinese food, Chinese speeches and Chinese entertainment, usually at big restaurants like Empress, Wo Fat, Yong Sing, or —…
By Myong ChoiSpecial to NonstopIt’s so refreshing when Hollywood takes a chance and throws a ridiculously insane budget at a movie that’s not a toy franchise, a comic book franchise or a sequel. Last year “Inception” proved that an original idea could work. This year that movie is “Super 8.”Of course, a film directed by J.J. Abrams (“Star Trek,” “Mission:…
Kahala home spirals into fabulous
Editor’s note: Catherine Toth is back on Nonstop. Although she’ll be blogging primarily on her own site, thecatdish.com, Nonstop will run some of her posts and also her weekly Cat Chat video segment.It’s hard when guests aren’t comfortable in front of the camera. It puts a lot of pressure on me, the host, to get them talking and laughing.That wasn’t…
I recently got a chance to chat on the phone with two members of Maui-based rock/reggae band The Throwdowns. Guitarist Ola Shaw, who works as a bartender and at a professional music studio, and bassist Kimo Clark, who just started his own excavation company — have been working on a new album, “Legs of Our Own,” due to drop later…
Did you know that Kokua Market is 40 years old already? That’s right, the people who started Kokua Market were rocking the natural foods movement long before any of you were even born.In 1970, a group of Honolulu residents who wanted access to quality, minimally processed, natural foods began exploring the idea of starting a co-op. In simpler terms, a…
It’s hard, hard, hard to review a restaurant anonymously these days, when new media has reviewers blogging, tweeting, facebooking, doing video and in general all sorts of handstands to keep up with the digital age. It’s not that I mind life as a marginal media personality, but it does spawn odd and even stalker-like behavior sometimes.Like this day at Heeia…
Koko Kai home offers space and views
Nonstop Tech’s Doc Rock does a quick review on Red Bull’s BPM HD app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. We also caught up with Red Bull BPM’s DJ Manny at the BPM launch party at NextDoor for live app demonstrations with Hawaii’s top DJs. Watch a RedBull.com video on Red Bull BPM’s launch and evolution:
The summer of “No Rules” continued at last night’s First Thursday poetry slam at Fresh Cafe. Among the many talented performers was featured poet Jason Carney, who has appeared on HBO’s “Def Poetry.” Carney is a former skinhead who had a life-changing experience in his youth when he shared a room in a rehabilitation center with a gay man dying…
Area developer’s home was hand-picked
Richie Nakano and Susanna Ok of Hapa RamenI’m still catching up on my San Francisco blogs, trying to sort out all the photos of everything I ate! One of the best things I ate on the trip was a warm, comforting reminder of home, but was full of Northern California ingredients: Hapa Ramen.It’s owned by Richie Nakano, who was the…
Editor’s note: Catherine Toth is back on Nonstop. Although she’ll be blogging primarily on her own site, thecatdish.com, Nonstop will run some of her posts and also her weekly Cat Chat video segment, which resumes today with her interview with Jim Gusukuma, co-owner of Rainbow Drive-In.In 1961 Seiju and Ayako Ifuku took a risk and opened Rainbow Drive-In on the…
Bartenders Danny Chang and Henry Schneider from Wang Chung’s Karaoke Bar focus on texture in a new feature we’re calling “Nonstop Mixology.”Today’s cocktail is called the “Ho-Chi-Tini” and includes a frothy, refreshing coconut flavor, shaken with egg whites from local eggs and gum syrup for a smooth finish.It’s made with Kai Vodka‘s new Coconut Pandan Vodka, and topped with a…
Over 40,000 people came to Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park Monday evening for the annual lantern floating memorial ceremony, put on by the Shinnyo-en Buddhist order in Hawaii. It was a somber event for remembering lost loved ones, as well as those who have died this year in natural disasters. After sunset, 3,000 lanterns with candles burning brightly…
You heard, right? Tonight’s the night for Eat the Street May, THE most happening event for street food in Honolulu. ETS v5 brings to Kakaako 33 trucks and vendors, 10 of them new, with a lineup that introduces ETS’ first-ever street foods from Asia.First, your courtesy 411.When: Friday, May 27 from 4-9 p.m.Where: 555 South St. in Kaka’ako (at Halekauwila,…
Chris introducing me to Susanna Ok of Hapa Ramen at San Francisco’s Ferry Building.Hawaii foodies rejoiced when Iolani grad Chris Kajioka — who was once the chef de partie at Thomas Keller’s four-star Per Se in New York — returned home as the chef de cuisine at Roy’s Waikiki, only to mourn his departure for San Francisco at the end…
Hawaii’s biggest mixed martial arts star BJ Penn announced today he has partnered with UFC Gym to establish a cutting-edge MMA fitness facility at the old Pipeline Cafe in Kaka’ako.The training center, which will begin enrolling members this summer, will be open for workouts starting in January 2012. The 37,000-square-foot facility — owned by Kamehameha Schools — will integrate mixed…
If you’re a foodie, no trip to the Bay Area is complete without a visit to Napa. This bustling wine farm community has made its mark as an ultimate food and wine destination for people the world over, and constantly has new restaurants, wines, stores, and events to satiate people from every walk of life.I had such a great time…
A quick update with Juicies creator Laurens @Laudowicz on his Kickstarter funded venture and to deliver the first orange cable to Nonstop Tech’s @DocRock.Visit the Juicies Kickstarter page: http://nshnl.com/JuiciesKickstarter
Photo by Ricky Li, Office of the GovernorIn what was intended to be just a photo op between Gov. Neil Abercrombie and BJ Penn, the groundwork was laid for possibly bringing a UFC event to Hawaii. All local fighters, including former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion Penn helped to make MMA one of the fastest growing sports not only in…
Namespace was founded by Brian Norgard and Dan Gould, two former MySpace executives.The company mission is “to build trust through conversation. Conversations are one of the most important tools we have as humans to learn, progress and connect.”TechCrunch once described it as “the Match.com for professional opportunities.”“Namesake is a new social media tool that allows peers to recognize and ‘vote…
The iPhone is an incredibly powerful device, at once a smartphone, a hit gaming platform, a productivity powerhouse and an ideal social networking tool. But my favorite component has always been the camera, and the high-definition video capability introduced with the iPhone 4.It’s no DSLR, to be sure… but for a phone, the photos and videos are the best you’ll…
This singer-songwriter-drummer-guitarist has developed another persona—Chef Franc.
