Work with Me
Travel is one of my biggest passions and so far mine have taken me through 43 countries on six continents. I love to write about the people I meet, places I visit, and of course the delicious foods I find along the way. Learning about people through their recipes, ingredients and food culture is my favorite way to experience the world and its multi-layered history.
I was born and raised in Upcountry Maui and later moved to Honolulu, where I became enamored with the food scene there – writing restaurant reviews and even working as a food tour guide! These days I try to visit my family and friends often and to research new places to stay, things to do and of course to find the best new places to eat!
I love featuring small businesses to help locals staycation better and sharing kama’aina deals whenever I can find them. These days whenever I’m homesick or on deadline for a piece about Hawaii that makes me nostalgic, I turn to my collection of old spiral-bound Hawaii cookbooks (you know the type!) or my grandma’s handwritten recipe cards to cook up Hawaiian style comfort foods.
If you think your outlet or brand might be a good fit for us to work together, please drop me a line at malia@shoyusugar.com to get the ball rolling!
Contributions
Co-Author, Lonely Planet (Maui 6th edition guidebook)
Freelance Writer, HAWAII Magazine
Washington Post: The Key to Eating Like a Local Abroad? Learn Food Phrases
Contributing Writer, Hotels.com Go Guides (Hawaii)
Local Expert, Touring Bird (Honolulu)
Tripbod, TripAdvisor (Travel guides including Best Food in Oahu, Museum Guide for Honolulu, Romantic Guide to Cusco)
Restaurant reviewer & contributor, Gayot.com (Oahu – Restaurants)
Preferred Partner, Kamino Travel App (Honolulu/Oahu)
Staff Writer, WhyGo Hawaii, part of the BootsnAll.com family of travel guides
Freelance Writer, WhyGo Hong Kong & WhyGo Thailand
Freelance Writer, Viator.com (Insider’s Guides to Oahu, Maui & Kona)
Interview, Epicure & Culture: Honolulu
Interview, Vagabonding Case Study
Guest Posts, Reviews & Expert Quotes
Forbes: Best Non-Physical Souvenirs to Collect While Traveling
Jessie on a Journey: Best Beach Destinations for Solo Female Travelers
Food & Wine: How to Bring Back Food from a Vacation and Become Incredibly Popular
Epicure & Culture: Food, Culture and How to go Beyond the Tourist Trail in Honolulu, Hawaii
Viator: Quito Culinary Tour & Cooking Class
Viator: Exploring San Telmo on a Parrilla Walking Tour
Outrigger Hotels: Malia Yoshioka’s Marathon Training Secret
Vagabondish: Unusual Festivals in Hawaii
BootsnAll: Eat Your Way Around Honolulu & 10 Reasons to Visit Hawaii Now
Why Wait To See The World: Tourism vs. Voyeurism
The Daily Meal: Hawaii’s Classic to Conceptual Cocktails
Got Saga: 5 Ways to Save Money on Your Hawaii Vacation
Nomadic Foodie: Honolulu’s Best Spots for Fresh Fish
Travelated: A Tourist in my Hawaiian Hometown
The Travel Belles: Hawaii: When Home may be the Most Beautiful Place on Earth
Venere: New Year’s Eve Celebrations in New York
Opium Magazine: Perfectly Parisian
National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel: I Heart My City: Malia’s Honolulu
Venere: 5 Little Known Facts About Switzerland
Professional Memberships
Society of Professional Journalists, Hawaii chapter
Personal Blogs
Travel blog: January – July 2008 – RTW Trip through Southeast Asia & the Pacific
Travel blog: July 2008 – present – After our RTW trip, I spent time in Europe & the mainland US before heading back home to Hawaii
My 30 Before 30 List – My challenges in getting through a “bucket list” before my 30th birthday.
Runners Paradise – Each year, I participate in a half marathon in order to raise funds & awareness for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
If you think your outlet or brand might be a good fit, please drop me a line at malia@shoyusugar.com to get the ball rolling!