I was really sad when HK Restaurant closed in September after more than 30 years.No more teri hamburgers, fried noodles or its popular Yum Yum Chicken.HK’s was one of my go-to spots before UH volleyball games or after the beach.…
You can’t have too many burger joints.Especially of these eateries feature 100 percent grass-fed Big Island beef, local produce and milkshakes so thick you’ll hyperventilate trying to drink them.That’s on the menu at Papa’s Burgers, a new family-owned burger spot…
Traveling is tiring.You wait in airports, you stand in security lines, you drive for miles. There’s nothing more miserable.But there’s also nothing more inspiring and exciting and completely exhilarating, either. Which is why we endure the pain and suffering and…
Finally. We have pho. A few of us living in East Honolulu have been waiting waiting waiting for Mama Pho to open in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. To the point where we’d pass by the shopping center just to…
It seems like every new restaurant popping up lately has something to do with boiling water.Shabu Shabu King recently opened near Puck’s Alley. Hot Pot Heaven recently earned an Ilima Award. And Hanaki Japanese Restaurant in Manoa ditched the typical…
When I asked readers to send me suggestions for places to eat in Las Vegas, I kept seeing one name pop up:Wicked Spoon Buffet.Now, I’m not a huge fan of buffets in general. For starters, I never eat my money’s…
Hy’s Steak House for dinner, I got the same reaction:“Man, I haven’t eaten there in years!”Yeah, me, neither.The steakhouse off Kuhio Avenue in Waikiki isn’t the hopping joint it may have been before. But it’s still one of the best-known…
Last week I had the arduous task — note the sarcasm — of staying overnight at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea (@FSMaui).If you’ve never been to this luxurious, five-star resort, put it on your bucket list. It’s an…
The other week we were on the Big Island visiting family — and decided to stop off at a resort I had only heard about.Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka’upulehu is not exactly in my price range. Standard rooms…
I grew up in Kalihi and for years have driven past the large red-and-white sign that reads, “Megs Drive-In” (@megsdrivein).And surprisingly, I never stopped by.But back in April, Melissa Chang (@melissa808) dropped by the old-fashioned drive-in that’s been serving plate…
One of my favorite things about working in downtown was the bounty of lunch options.Whatever you’re craving — pho, ahi poke, tomato bisque, carne asada burritos, crepes, vegetarian spanakopita — you can find in a four-block radius.And when you’re in the mood…
I had heard about it and I always think about trying it whenever I drive past. So when my girlfriend invited me to dinner at Bernini Honolulu, a new contemporary Italian restaurant that opened in April near Ala Moana Center,…
My friends and I have spent a lot of time Kanpai Bar & Grill. A lot. So much, in fact, we even knew the shifts of the servers. So when some of the staff left Kanpai to work in the…
There’s nothing like chicken right off the grill. And I particularly love the local-style huli-huli chicken, which you hardly see around anymore. While some places — like Koala Moa on Nimitz Highway — offer a variation of the trademarked chicken, nothing…
The other day I was craving tomato soup.But I didn’t feel like fighting the crowd — OK, the parking — at Ala Moana Center for my favorite bowl at Nordstrom Cafe. And we were in the Makiki area. So we took…
The last thing I want to think about today is taxes.I know the Internal Revenue Service has issued an extension, so technically taxes aren’t due until Monday.Still, April 15 sends electric shock down my spine.So I’ve decided, just for today,…
Well, who knew Monday’s blog would be such a talker! But then again, I shouldn’t be surprised. Hawaii has changed so much over the past few decades, it’s easy to find something to miss. Longs Drugs Stores are now owned…
Hawaii has always had great restaurants attached to bowling alleys.Consider Kapiolani Coffee Shop in Kam Bowl. Or the restaurant in Bowling City, where my grandfather used to serve his popular tripe stew.And now there’s The Alley Restaurant in the renovated…
Last year my parents debated between Waioli Tea Room and Hanaki, both in Manoa, for our annual Christmas Eve dinner.Waioli won out for two reasons: 1) My mom had always wanted to eat there and 2) Hanaki, we had heard,…
I know, I know.It’s crowded, the lines are long, there’s not enough parking, trunks ran out of food.I got it.But there are ways to avoid these potential potholes if you heed some of my advice:• Go early. That’s the easiest…
One of the must-trys on my list of things to do in Kona was, literally, “Eat malassadas at Tex Drive In.”I had never been. And being such a malassada connoisseur — OK, not really, but I do love to eat them…
The other day I listened to two Honolulu foodies argue about the pork chops at the Manago Hotel.One preferred them with gravy; the other declared that practically blasphemy.So I decided to try it for myself.Yesterday, en route to Honaunau, we…
The other day I got an e-mail from tech-geek extraordinaire Ryan Ozawa, asking if I’d like to attend a foodie meet-up at Side Street Inn.He said one of the hosts of the wildly popular podcast “The Sporkful” — Mark Garrison — was…
Last night folks lined up for eco-friendly dishes created by some of Hawaii’s top chefs at an event promoting sustainable eating.“An Evening of Sustainable Cuisine,” held at the Halekulani, featured “green” dishes prepared by chefs Roy Yamaguchi (Roy’s Restaurant), Vikram…
The home base for the 2022 Hale ‘Aina Restaurateurs of the Year is a hidden paradise that serves up the best Lao and Thai food in Honolulu.
