Entries tagged 'restaurants'
New Hawaii Foodie Website: Share Your Table, Looking Good
"Share Your Table is a splashy Web 2.0-ish site with slide shows, videos, recipes, and columns from Joan Namkoong and Wanda Adams, two of the big names in Hawaii food writing. It's clear they spent a good amount of money...
Latest Issue of Honolulu Magazine -- 18 Outdoor Adventures, North Shore Dining
The latest issue of Honolulu Magazine is out and its a good one. The editors cover 18 fun outdoor adventures (mainly on Oahu but some Outer Island) including a couple I had never even heard of, such as rock climbing...
Long Overdue Food Review Roundup
I've been lazy and busy. Here are a few. Honolulu Magazine doesn't like much to eat on Lewers Street in Waikiki. Hawaii Magazine brings us a feature on Maui's hottest green brewery Maui Time Weekly on Kahuna Kabobs in Lahaina...
Mala Lounge at Wailea Marriott: New Place, Good Vides, Good Grinds
This is one of the last Microsoft Mobile Posts. You see this logo and it means I'm posting on the go. Again, thanks to Microsoft for underwriting this Maui trip (indirectly, of course). So here we have a picture...
Aloha Air Cargo Shuts Down: One Big Loser -- Farmers and High-End Restaurants
Shocking news out today. Aloha Air, which had recently shuttered its passenger operations, on April 29 closed down its profitable air cargo operations after no buyer would bite (no surprise -- the Airline Pilots Association had threatened to strike). Aloha...
Best Vietnamese Food in Honolulu -- Or Hawaii? SuperPho
Another Microsoft Mobile Post, this time from Downtown Kaimuki. When you see the Microsoft icon, you know I'm posted on the go. I'm biased on this one. SuperPho is a hole-in-the-wall eatery located five minutes from my house in...
Hawaii Restaurants: Exit Stage Left - Two Top Dog Chefs Bolt from Honolulu's Hottest Newish Eatery
My friend John Heckathorn, editor of Hawaii Magazine, dropped a bombshell culinary scoop in his Sunday Honolulu Star-Bulletin gossip column when he disclosed that Chef Jon Matsubara and Pastry Chef Mark Okumura had left Stage Restaurant. When it opened to...
5 Hawaii Food Reviews: Finnish Tango, Doraku?
Belated food roundup. Honolulu Mag goes to Goran Streng's new smart and nicely priced joint, Tango.. Honolulu Weekly goes to Big Island for review of quasi-mex resto Pau (as in Pow!). On my plate does a Wailuku brekkie roundup of...
Honolulu Restaurants: Shokudo Review, New Wave Japanese
I'm posting from Shokudo, a Japanese restaurant right next to Ala Moana Shopping Center and five minutes from Waikiki. This mobile post, typed on the go from my laptop whilst I polish off a platter of ahi tatami atop...
Alan Wong's Honolulu: Hawaii's Only James Beard Semi-Finalist in 2008
Word in the blogosphere is that Alan Wong is in the running for Outstanding Chef (we had already reported as Best Chef in the Northwest -- We were wrong).. He won it in 1996. Would be nice to get a...
Side Street Inn: Still Delish, Not so Nutrish
I'm mobile posting from the Side Street Inn, a favorite sports bar / dive bar that is the closest thing to Momofuku Noodle Bar that Honolulu has. Food. Reminder -- this post is sponsored by Microsoft and I put...
Ono Kine Goes to Downtown at HiSAM - Euro-Island Cuisine
Ono Kine visits Downtown @ HiSAM, Ed Kenney's latest venture. Great pics. Gives you a real flavor of the place....
LA Times Honolulu Chinatown Roundup: Nice Piece, Lots More to See
LAT visits Chinatown and declares it now hip. A decent read with decent coverage. They missed, however, the newer restaurants and many of the good hangouts. No reference to Mei Sum for Dim Sum or Hank's for piano bar's or...
Hawaii Steakhouse Roundup: Honolulu Magazine
Honolulu Mag food critic rolls out his take on a number of steak joints around Honolulu and one on Maui. Unfortunately, only half are local -- the other three are parts of big chains, so a little less interesting. But...
Cassis Closed Last Saturday: Big Bummer
Holy cow, that was fast. Cassis, the (slightly) more casual restaurant in Downtown Honolulu owned and masterminded by Chef Mavro (the James Beard Award Winner) has shuttered after less than a year. And I didn't even get to eat there!...
Food & Wine Reccomends Tsukiji Fishmarket: Hawaii Local Media Beg to Differ
This is why I never trust the big travel magazines, particularly for shorter articles. In "100 Tastes to Try in '07", foodie Bible Food & Wine posts the Tsukiji Fish Market at Ala Moana as Number 59 and has this...
Happy Valentine's Day -- Bucatini Bolognese at Town in Kaimuki
(Note to readers: Microsoft has generously agreed to sponsor Hawaiirama and as part of the deal I am doing a few mobile posts for our friends in Redmond. You will begin to see the occasional “live on location” audios,...
Winez and Grindz Returns to Pineapple Room: Hawaii Foodies Rejoice
After some chef turnover and menu instability, Alan Wong's slightly more casual offshoot The Pineapple Room is returning to its signature monthly tasting events. This one looks extremely intriguing, with a chef I do not know, Robert Urquidi. Here's the...
Beachhouse at the Westin Moana Surfrider: Waikiki Steak House, New Hawaii Classic
Last week I finally got to eat at the Beachhouse. My friend John Heckathorn had told me I had to eat there. He is a picky eater, and he was right. First, let's talk about the hotel. I had...
Bone Collagen Ramen in Hawaii; Other Food Update News
Another edition of our rarely updated food update. Sorry, folks. Here we go. The Star-Bulletin chews over a chewy, gravy-like version of ramen with chicken broth sauce thickened by chicken bone and cartilage. Um, yum? Not sure I could stomach...
Real Italian Food in Waikiki from a Japanese Chef:
Two of my good foodie friends, Lesa Griffith (who blogs here for the Honolulu Academy of Arts) and Dave Choo, have recommended Taormina as solid. Dave said it was good and I trust his judgement. Lesa used to work as...
Ahi = Mercury: Hawaii Tuna Trouble
A few weeks ago the New York Times went out and sampled fresh ahi at over a dozen high-end eateries and markets in the Big Apple and tested them for levels of heavy metals. The results? Ahi is loaded with...
D.K. Steakhouse in Waikiki: I Wll Never Eat There Again
Ate there last night with two friends. Not going to tell you why -- will leave it up to an upcoming review in a local publication, in which I was a participant. But leave it at this. Do not eat...
Good Hong Kong Chinese in Waikiki at a Resto Named Beijing
Restaurant reveiwer Wanda Adams susses out a newish (or at least unheralded until now) Chinese joint in Waikiki. The verdict? It's all good, if you dig garlic. Highlight - wontons in spicy garlic and chili. BEIJING CHINESE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT Advertiser...
Another Laughably Bad Set of Hawaii Ratings from Trip Advisor: Kauai Restaurants
According to the beloved TripAdvisor.com, the Top 3 on the Garden Isle the Hukilau Lanai, Mermaids Cafe, and Shrimp Station. Say what? Roy's Poipu, Blossoming Lotus, Tidepools -- which are much better joints than the top troika - all come...
Kaneohe Field Guide from Honolulu Magazine
Honolulu Magazine's current issue has a nifty quicky tour of five local secrets in Kaneohe. Nice piece, folks. I'd also include Pake's Restaurant, a totally off the radar Chinese joint that is a fave of local chefs, and The Catwalk,...
Hawaii's New Greek in Town: Honolulu's Gets Fat and Wanda Adams Reports
Honolulu Advertiser food queen Wanda Adams is stoked on the Fat Greek, a new casual nabe spot in Kaimuki next to City Mill. We were less stoked. Fish was not as fresh as Olive Tree. Sauces were not as flavorful....
Hawaii Food Round-Up:
Much delayed. Too many projects. Here's some of the latest. Alan, the bloggermind behind M'aona reviewed Chibo Okonomiyaki, an Osaka-style pancake house -- with his auntie from Osaka! Smart read. Tasty Island visits Meg's Drive-In in blue-collar Kalihi on Oahu....
The Bay Club on Maui: Peter Merriman Will Revive It
One of my favorite Maui memories involved a supreme chocolate desert and a snifter of port at the old Bay Club in Kapalua, Maui. The restaurant is perhaps the most romantic setting in all of the islands, with an open-air...
Dave Choo Gets A Blog: Hot Monkey Love For The Masses
My good friend Dave Choo has long been a sorta populist food critic in Hawaii (aside from being a talented writer and editor of a business magazine). His straight-shooting reviews are the anti-Frank Bruni of local foodie lit. So I...
How to Say "Atsa Lotsa Pasta" On Kauai: Local Italian (Not An Oxymoron)
I was struck by the abundance of good Italian offerings on Kauai last night as I and the other members of our party at Casa di Amici reached across the table to fork from one anothers' plates bites of seafood...
Anthony Bourdain in the House: Does Honolulu Taping
Bad boy chef Anthony Bourdain airdropped into Honolulu to tape a segment of "No Reservations." The Honolulu Star-Bulletin's Betty Shimabukuro gots the goods and chatted with Big Tony as he chowed down on Colin Nishida's choice grinds at Side Street...
Kauai Gets More Good Grinds: Merriman's to Open in Poipu
The Garden Isle has some good restaurants but generally lacks fine dining. Might come with the lack of development. Whatever the case, Hawaii farm-fresh-to-table savant Peter Merriman will be opening a new joint near Poipu as part of a massive...
Latest Review from John Heckathorn -- Some Promising New Japanese Joints, Some Real Duds
John reviewed five places for this issue (whew!), all Japanese. The buffets (no, John, no!) he kinda sorta liked. Thankfully, he was into Kaiwa, a restaurant I'd been hearing very good things about. The other place he likes, Shigezo, is...
Best Dining on Maui: Maui No Ka Oi Mag's Aipono Awards
This pub serves as the hip city mag for the whole Valley Island (for the over 40s crowd, that is -- who else can afford Maui?). But I found its annual reader restaurant awards to be kinda off key. Not...
Hawaii Restaurant Roundup
Long overdue but here it is. HawaiiDiner tells us why Honolulu Magazine readers (the folks who vote on the Hale Aina Restaurant Awards) are boring, clueless or both. I tend to agree with her assessment that they mostly missed the...
Deep Fried Pickles at MAC 24-7
This is why I love Mixed Plate Special. Video food reviews. I know the Advertiser is doing video but they are mostly little snippets with no soul. The MPS crew is funky, irreverent and a lot of fun. I disagree...
Edible Hawaiian Island Illegible Online -- Major Bummer
I was really looking forward to the first edition of Hawaii's new food magazine, Edible Hawaiian Islands. The line-up looked intriguing. I love food and Hawaii (as you know) so I was really amped to get some mega-coverage of a...
Hawaiirama Food News:
Back for more tidbits. Gail over at Hawaii Diner gives us a solid roundup of where she took out-of-town guests to eat including unexpected (Bobo's BBQ in Kaawa), the worse than expected (Elua) and the so-bad-but-still-gotta-do-it (Buzz's Steakhouse in Kailua)....
Jean Marie Josselin Returns to Hawaii: Oahu Restaurant Scene Heating Up
In my first year living in Hawaii, I was working as a staff writer for Hawaii Business Magazine (making something like $20,000 per year) in 1994. Part of that gig was trips to the Neighbor Islands to cover business out...
Trip Advisor Oahu Restaurant Rankings -- More Hilarity
Oh, gotta love the hoi polloi over at TA for their wacky restaurant rankings. Compadre's Bar and Grill ranked 4th on the island of Oahu, beating out La Mer (the peerless and pricey French classic at the Halekulani) and Alan...
Diamond Head Market: Don't Go for Breakfast
After a Honolulu Advertiser article trumpeted breakfast at the Diamond Head Market & Grill on Monsarrat (the place does make really killer high-end plate lunch fare), I took the missus and kids down for some pancakes on a recent weekend,...
Gourmet Mag Sez Maui Chef James McDonald is Farm God
Gourmet Magazine has named Pacific'o and I'o, two highly regarded Lahaina, Maui eateries helmed by popular award-winning Chef James McDonald, to its list of top restaurants with farm connections. There were only nine restaurants named so major congrats to the...
Hawaii Food News: The Other Kilauea Farmer's Market, Cassis, Nobu
Here's the latest tidbits. Over at Planet Kauai, Charley Foster is doing an admirable job of eating his way around the Garden Isle. He opines on the Kilauea Farmer's Market -- no, t he store, not the weekly event --...
Hawaii Food News: Deniro Dines at Nobu, Diamond Head Market Does Breakfast
Robert Deniro made a surprise visit to Nobu Waikiki this past week, dropping in for a bite at the joint he partly owns on a pitstop back from Australia where he just opened ANOTHER Nobu outlet. Deniro is a part...
Hawaii Food Roundup: Reviews, News, Eats
Welcome to everyone who has come by for Hurricane Flossie info. Pull up a chair and join us for a virtual meal (bad cliche). Nadine Kam of the Star-Bulletin gives three stars to The Aji House at Xlyoh, an nouveau...
Hawaii Restaurants: Tony Soprano Dines at "Epic"
Apparently James Gandolfini was in Hawaii last week, in Honolulu, to be precise. Accompanying him was his lovely girlfriend Lin. Gandolfini, natch, dined on pork chops at Epic, a newish restaurant in Chinatown in Honolulu on the island of Oahu....
Hawaii Food News: Uncle's Fish, Alan Wong's, Epic, Sea Asaparagus
Alan Wong's Restaurant announced what super sous Wade Ueoka would be slinging at the next "Next Generation Dinner" on August 8. These events are killer one-of-a-kind tasting menus with wine pairings that the folks working with Alan whip up to...
Hawaii Celebrities: Harrison Ford's 65th Birthday in Hilo -- What to Feed Steve Speilberg and George Lucas for Dinner
Hilo, hole-in-the-wall, foodie Naung Mai restaurants Harrison Ford George Lucas Cate Blanchette Calista Flockhart Indiana Jones Big Island Hawaii Hawaiian
Maui Restaurants: Upcountry Bounty
Maui Time Weekly weighs in on the Kula Sandalwoods Cafe, a restaurant I have often heard mentioned as a local favorite with simple, hearty fare. It was really nice food when I went there. Plenty of local vehicles parked outside,...
Nobu Report: Is Waikiki One Nobu Too Many?
Apparently not. The latest Nobu, located at the newly hipified (as opposed to hippified) Waikiki Parc, has been hopping. My friends who have eaten there have said that the food is excellent, albeit a bit dated (meaning, we've have the...
Hawaii Restaurants: Halekulani's House Without a Key Lambasted
I personally love the House Without a Key. It's where we've gone to eat many, many nights. with guests in town. When I was drinking man, I tossed back countless potent Mai Tais mixed up at this oceanfront restaurant on...
Hawaii Restaurants: Stage, Another Choo Review
My pal Dave Choo takes a look at lunch at Stage Restaurant, the latest "IT" eatery in Honolulu (alongside Mavro's Cassis). His verdict? Mixed. This contrasts with a glowing review from the Honolulu Advertiser. "All the fixtures are beautiful, but...
Maui Restaurants: More On Why to Not Trust TripAdvisor
Pull up the list of the Top 5 recommended restaurants on Maui and you can see why TA is totally untrustworthy when it comes to food. Ferraro's Bar e Ristorante, Kihei (I've never a Hawaii local say this one is...
Hawaii Restaurants: New Eats in Makawao, Upcountry Maui
Maui Time Weekly puts forth a review of Cloud Nine Cafe, a seat-o-the-pants eatery in this erstwhile cowboy town located farm from the hotels (though you'll still rub elbows with the tourists). This is the first I've ever heard of...
Hawaii Restaurants: Manapua Mojo from Honolulu Weekly
Kawehi Haug, often a cranky, contrarian voice in the Hawaii food scene, takes us on a tour of her fave manapua joints. For the unitiated, these are essentially Chinese-style bao buns but stuffed witha wider variety of localized fillings....
Big Island: Waimea to Kapa'au Drive, Scenic Supreme
Wanda Adams, the cookbook and foodie force behind the Honolulu Advertiser's weekly "Taste" section, takes the fabled 20-mile drive upcountry on the Big Island between the hamlet of Kapa'au and the highland village of Waimea. She loves what she...
Hawaii Restaurant / Food News: Downtown, Kailua, All Around
Now, the food news. Honolulu Weekly writer Kawehi Haug gives a thumbs up to the new second location of the Kalapawai Cafe in downtown Kailua. She raves about Chef Jason Iwane's evening menu. This is an offshoot of the beachy...
Hawaii Food News Roundup : Late This Week, Better Than Never
The first review of Cassis, the downmarket Chef Mavro bistro in downtown Honolulu, paints an uneven picture, My friend Lesa Griffith did the review and I trust her judgement, which, in a nutshell, says: the foods really good but...
Hawaii Food News Roundup: Stage Review,
Here's the latest. The Star-Bulletin gives the Alan Wong's alumni at Stage Restaurant three stars but its hardly a convincing review. At blog Tasty Island, reviews of locally made Portuguese sausages. Yum, Pomai. Grand Cafe Bakery in Chinatown (Honolulu) has...
Hawaii Celebrities: "Lost" Cast Eating at Cassis: Can you Cassoulet?
The Honolulu Advertiers entertainment columnist Wayne Harada tells us that multiple "Lost" cast members have dined at Cassis, Chef Mavro's new downtown eatery helmed by his protege Ben Takahashi. Among those spotted was the popular with the worse-half Evangeline Lilly....
Hawaii Restaurants: Next Gen Dinner at Alan Wong's King Street on May 17
Better grab those tables fast. Wade Uekoa, who has helmed a number of these prix fixe tasting extravaganzas, is back at the toque. Menu highlights include Seared Furikake Crusted Ahi with Ma’o Farms Ruby Streak Greens, Fresh Myoga, Soy Mustard...
Hilo: "Hawaii's Forgotten City" Says Chicago Trib
But they mean it in a nice way. Ian Lind pointed out this Chicago Tribune piece covering the rainy (well, not as much as you think), sleepy burg on the eastern side of the Big Island. The article compares...
Hawaiirama Foodie Roundup
Here's the weekly crop of food reviews and news items. Honolulu Weekly says "Molto bene!" to Donato Loperfido's latest, Pasta et Basta located in the Restaurant Row foodie death zone. The Star-Bulletin also loves Pasta Basta (inevitably shortened) as well...
Hawaii Restaurants: A Food Miser Fellow Blogger Weighs in On Ballyhooed Cassis
Chef Mavro caters to the foodie crowd, the crazy folks who throw down serious coin for upscale chow. Ian Lind prefers dirt cheap Thai food. Which makes his review particularly interesting, as he's enticed to eat at Cassis, Mavro's new...
Hawaii Restaurants: First Look at Roy's Waikiki: Hawaii Diner has the Goods
I often don't agree with what Gail Jennings at Hawaii Diner has to say but I love reading her stuff anyway. Here she gives us a sneak peak at the new Roy's at Waikiki Beach Walk. This is a "Mock"...
Hawaii Restaurants: Nobu Hype Building
Nobu Matsuhisa is in Honolulu, whipping his crew into shape for a May 28 opening of his latest outpost at the Waikiki Parc Hotel. Local media is all lathered up about the event -- which kind of cements my suspicion...
Hawaiirama Foodie Roundup
I'll start off the foodie roundup with a mention of Wailua Wheat, a lilikoi-citrus scented wheat bear put out by Kona Brewing Company. This is the company's second limited-release custom brew, following on the heels of its stellar chocolate and...
Maui Restaurants: Vino on Maui Closing in June -- Expect High Prices for Maui High-End Rooms
D.K. Kodama's saucy wine bar / Italian rustic foodie joint on the Valley Isle will shutter in June as the Kapalua Resort undergoes massive renovations to Kapalua Village Golf Course, the Ritz-Carlton (closing for six months), and the Kapalua Bay...
Four Seasons Maui Clones BLT NYC: Can Noel Baudillio Stand the Heat?
The Wailea restaurant scene on Maui has, despite the uber poshness of the hotels on this peachy stretch of beach, remained utterly disappointing. Most of the hotel restaurants have failed to inspire widespread recognition or accolades, with patrons merrily decamping...
Hawaii Restaurants: Cheap Eats -- Coupons from Restauranteur.com
This interactive dining guide actually has some decent coupons for locals and visitors. Free, of course. Coupons are either half-off for second entree, free desert or complimentary app. Selection is limited but there are some real winners -- Hiroshi Eurasian...
Another Revolving Restaurant Post: Top of Waikiki
On the heels of the last post, I'd thought I'd bring in another post on the topic. While La Ronde is long gone, the Top of Waikiki is still spinning, quite literally. Atop the Waikiki Business Plaza, the Top of...
First Revolving Restaurant in the World: Ala Moana Flashback
Food blog SeriousEating has a nifty post on the history of revolving restaurants.Turns out the first one ever was opened in 1961 in Hawaii by Seattle architect John Graham atop the Ala Moana Office Building (where it remains today doing...
Hawaiirama Foodie Roundup
More edibles for the masses, courtesy of the roving food monkeys at Hawaiirama. Honolulu Weekly happily sails into the Holokai Grill, the new Tiki's Bar & Grill clone in the also new Waikiki Beachwalk. The word? Order mixed drinks. Lots...
Hawaii Restaurants: Book Excerpt from Dave Choo's Tome
I've long envied the life of my good friend Dave Choo. A multi-talented writer and editor who works at local magazine shop Pacific Basin Communications, Choo has somehow wangled gigs as a foodwriter for both Hawaii Business Magazine and the...
Honolulu Downhill Alert: Formaggio, Du Vin -- Wino's Lament
I remember when Formaggio opened on Oahu a number of years years ago. The decor was a bit odd. The location strange -- in a downmarket strip mall. But thanks to the inspired wine selections of local vino maestro Lyle...
Food Review Roundup: All Over Da Map
Have not done one of these in quite a while. Star-Bulletin: Atlantis Seafood & Steak in Waikiki is mediocre, good for dumb visitors Hawaii Business: Dave Choo thinks Kyoto Osho is mediocre, but good for people who eat at buffets...
Tip #5: How to Save Big Bucks on a Hawaiian Vacation -- Do Lunch
Like the rest of my saving money tips for Hawaii visits, this one is fairly obvious yet astonishingly overlooked. The quickest way to max out your meal expenditures is hit a high-end restaurant for dinner. Of course, it's a lovely...
Hawaii Restaurant News Flash: Chef Mavro Kicks It Up A Notch
Well, I guess it had to happen. After successfully running his posh, pint-sized eatery in Moiliili for a number of years, James Beard Award Winner Chef George Mavrothalassitis finally took the big step up and announced today that he'll soon...
Restaurant Closure Alerts: Yanni's, C&C Pasta
A long-running Italian casual fave in Kaimuki appears to have shuttered. C&C Pasta brought me many a good meals over the years. Am not sure what owner Carla is up to as another Italian restaurant is opening in the space....
Next Gen Dinner -- Alan Wong's King Street
Alan Wong has a reputation as a stern taskmaster. The James Beard Award winner works his people hard and in his kitchen there are only two ways to do things -- the wrong way or the Wong Way. I guess...
Lucy's Bar & Grill : When in Kailua...Do As the Locals Do
We were over at the beach in Kailua yesterday and it had been over a year since we had last eaten at Lucy's Bar and Grill. That's about a year too long. Now, I would never say Lucy's has the...
New Menu Time at Mavro: Yum Yum!
Chef Mavro does not like to sit on his laurels. The maestro, who toques up amazingly subtle and exquisite grub at his posh eatery in a blue collar district of Honolulu, revamps his menu four times a year. That's pretty...
Foodie Alert: Ono Kine Grindz Back Blogging
After a long hiatus, Ono Kine Grindz is posting again. Recently reviewed -- Tokyo Tokyo at the Kahala Hotel and Bombay, the new Indian eaterie (Hawaii could use A LOT more Indian) in Discovery Bay in Waikiki. This blog takes...
Main Street Bistro in Wailuku
We've been hearing good things about the Main Street Bistro in Wailuku, the sleepy county seat of the Valley Isle. Wailuku has been threatening a revival and it has enjoyed an influx of refugees from overpriced resort towns and Honolulu....
Overlooked Lahaina: More Fun, More Fun
All the major travel mags have written off Lahaina. It's too touristy. It's cheesy. It's crowded. True, true, true. Which clearly explains why everyone is fleeing Las Vegas. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's cover why...
New Years Eve Eats on Maui
The Maui News has a far too comprehensive rundown of New Year's Eve dinner extravaganzas on the Valley Isle. They all sound pretty good but we know that a few of them are more than pretty good. The Hawaiirama reccomendations?...
Hawaii Restaurants: Don't Ask A Local
Sifting through the most recent Honolulu Advertiser Ilima Awards for best restaurants around Hawaii, I was struck by the bizarre choices made by readers for top honors. True, Hawaii is actually a fairly blue-collar state with one of the highest...
Hawaii Restaurants: Roy's Hawaii Kai, Still Ono After All These Years
In 1989, Roy Yamaguchi opened his flagship eatery in Hawaii Kai, then a solidly middle-class newish neighborhood in East Honolulu. Roy was from California and so was his restaurant. It had a big display kitchen with flashy flames and pots...
Civilized Fireworks Venues for New Year's Eve in Hawaii
Where to watch the pyrotechnics and croon "Auld Lang Syne" in paradise? The fireworks displays in Hawaii aren't as impressive as those found in bigger metropolises. But the setting tends to make up for that, thank you very much. Here...
Where Andy Irons Grinds: North Shore Surf Pros Chow Alert
Want the low-down on some of the best eats on Oahu’s North Shore? No better sources than the world’s best surfers, who, after shredding the massive winter waves along this famed coastline stretch, surely work up the appetites to match...
Turkey Day Panic -- Slow Poached Freerange Thank You Very Much
I tend to wait until the last minute to do just about everything. Which is bad for things like booking reservations for holiday meals. However, I am certain there are many folks like me out there and booking a...
Hawaii Restaurants: Uncle Bos, Latest Honolulu Neighborhood Joint
Honoluiu Star-Bulletin Weekly Eater Nadine Kam gives a big thumbs up to new Kapahulu electic eatery Uncle Bo's. My friend Bob knows the owners, which converted the spot from a past joint into an Asian Pacific pupus and casual plates...
Hawaii Eats: Ma'o Farms Goes to Town
Living just up the hill from Ed Kenney's restaurant Town definitely has its perks. We get down there all the time for lunch and either Ed or Dave, his partner, sticks their head out of the kitchen to say hello....
Big Island Restaurants: Manago Bay Hotel
This is an excerpt from a book by Jessica Ferracane, "50 Thrifty Big Island Restaurants". Foodies trolling for blue collar grubs should dig in. And a hat tip to the folks at Watermark Publishing who agreed to the excerpts....
Hawaii Restaurants: Food Review Roundup
Am trying to continue to keep up with local food reviews. I know I like to read them so.... Long Awaited French Wine Bar (not very Hawaii, but hey!) Du Vin, From Owner of Indigo, Opens in Honolulu: Hawaii Diner...
Chef's Choice: Daryl Fujita, Orchid's at the Halekulani
Chef Darryl Fujita started out washing dishes at the Halekulani and quickly rose under the tutelage of Chef George Mavrothalassitis at La Mer. Fujita is now the chef of Orchid's and gaining considerable acclaim on his own right. Gourmet...
The Next Generation Part 3: Whither HRC or Wither HRC?
This is a piece that was killed by the new online food publication, Chow. Bummer for me but hey, it happens. And more fodder for Hawaiirama! This is part 3. Here is part 1. and part 2. That hasn't...
The Next Generation Part 2: Whither HRC or Wither HRC?
This is a piece that was killed by the new online food publication, Chow. Bummer for me but hey, it happens. And more fodder for Hawaiirama! This is part 2. If you want to read part 1, click here....
The Last, Best Comfort Food: Hawaii Eats
One of my favorite local food writers, John Heckathorn, has a phenomenal article in the current issue of Spirit of Aloha, the inflight magazine of Aloha Airlines. He covers the origins of high-end Hawaii Regional Cuising and where its going....
Book Excerpt: 50 Thrifty Eats on Maui: Da Kitchen Plate Lunch
This is part of a series of five excerpts from a book I like very much by Jessica Ferracane and Yvonne Biegel, "50 Thrifty Maui Restaurants". Foodies trolling for blue collar grubs should dig in. And a hat tip to...
Where Hawaii Chef's Eat: James McDonald
Maui chef James McDonald has three respected eateries in Lahaina. I'o and Pacific'o are upscale oceanfront Hawaii east-meets-west fusion joints with stellar fish and apetizers. Feast at Lele is actually a luau / dinner show but McDonald suppliers the...
Indigo Poke Recipe
At least once a week I get a request from someone for more poke recipes. So I am going to try to keep adding them up there, ideally pushing my readers into some sort of poke paralysis. Heh. This one...
Food Review Round Up
* Catherine Toth has a fun overview of the evolution of shave ice, everyone's favorite Hawaii desert. * Dave Choo reviews NeoNabe, a nouveau Nippon hotpot place in Hawaii Business * Leeward Community College reopens its lunch spot, Pearl, where...
Book Excerpt: 50 Thrifty Eats on Maui
This is part of a series of five excerpts from a book I like very much by Jessica Ferracane and Yvonne Biegel, "50 Thrifty Maui Restaurants". Foodies trolling for blue collar grubs should dig in. And a hat tip to...
Book Excerpt: 50 Thrifty Eats on Maui
This is the first in a series of five excerpts from a book I like very much by Jessica Ferracane and Yvonne Biegel, "50 Thrifty Maui Restaurants". Foodies trolling for blue collar grubs should dig in. And a hat tip...
Why I Love Food Reviews at Ono Kine Grindz
Food is visual and Hawaii food, due to the bright colors of the tropical palate, is more visual than most. Traditional food reviews try to paint a picture with words and perhaps add an image or two. Ono Kine Grindz...
Food Reviews and News Roundup
* Catharine Lo at Honolulu Weekly slurps 'awa, gets numb, eats kalua quesadilla at Kapahulu Kafe * Star-Bulletin reccomends Wong's "New Wave Luau: II" party * Honolulu Advertiser's Wanda Adams eats more Filipino food, whole fried akule, pancit and lechon...
Alan Wong's Opihi Shooter Off the Menu
A sad development. Due to the state ban on commercial sales of opihi, Alan Wong's Restaurant on King Street has converted its famed opihi shooter into an oyster shooter. We ate there last night. I had an oyster shooter. It...
Honolulu Weekly Annual "Best Of 2006 Issue" Online
This year's edition is finally online. I disagree with a lot of it. In a city of great ethnic and Asian restaurants, its laughable to say that middling Italian spot Auntie Pasto's is the best place to eat on...
Waikiki: Chain Restaurant Hell or Market-Driven?
In the past two weeks I've had in-depth conversations with two of Hawaii's savviest food experts, restaurateur George Mavrothalassitis and critic John Heckathorn. In both cases, they have essentially written off Waikiki as a place where mass-market chain restaurants are...
Resort Smackdown: W Honolulu-Diamond Head vs the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel
Both are on the quiet side of Waikiki in the shadow of Diamond Head and far from the crowds of Kalakaua Ave. I love the area, particularly for families into water sports and playing in neighboring Kapiolani Park. Both...
Chefs In Motion
*Note. This will be a regular feature to alert readers when chefs at restaurants they love have moved on, a key part of any serious dining decision. * Dan York moved from Haleiwa Joe's on the North Shore to the...
