Last night a few friends joined me to sample some off-the-menu cuisine by Grant Kawasaki of Hawaiian Grown Kitchen. I’ve been friends with Grant for years but beyond buying his sushi at Times and bumping into him out and about, I have never really had a chance to try his cooking. I’d been drooling over…
Here we are, seven days into the new year and I’ve scrapped my resolutions already. OK, well not completely. I had a salad for lunch, knowing I’d be indulging in a chocolate-making class this evening… Kokoa Bar by Ricard Chocolat is located on the street level of the Queen Kapiolani Hotel, right across the Honolulu…
If you’re looking for an excuse to break out the high heels and your flashy new shades for Friday pau hana, let me introduce you to what may become your new Friday night tradition… Fridays at the Modern. Last week, I was invited to check out the updated menus for both the Sunrise Pool bar…
I’m really behind on getting this post up, as in the month and a half since I was lucky enough to finally eat at a Miso & Ale pop up dinner, they’ve already taken the concept and expanded it! Sake pairings complemented a recent pop up at Downtown’s new Lucky Belly, and now a ramen…
For my birthday this year, my friends and I decided to do our own version of a “Circle Island Tour”. We started out driving around the east side of the island, taking in the views of Koko Head, passing the Halona Blowhole lookout, and driving through Waimanalo on the way to Kaneohe. We stopped for…
It’s hard to believe that Honolulu’s food truck scene has grown so much over the past few years, but it’s showing no signs of slowing down! The monthly Eat the Street food truck rally continues to grow and evolve and it’s still the best way to try out the newcomers along with old favorites. Eat…
Perhaps it’s my Japanese side talking, but sushi is one of those things I could eat just about every day. There’s something about that perfect piece of nigiri – the rice with just the right vinegary tang, topped with a super fresh slice of fatty ahi, salmon, aji or mirugai… Ahhh. Bliss. If you’re a…
I read the other day that the number of fatal car crashes spike on Tax Day, which just goes to show how much we stress over this deadline. So it’s no surprise that it’s become popular for restaurants to offer deals to help you unwind and relax. This year tax day falls on Tuesday, April…
Last night a group of us got together to try out the yakitori offerings at Kohnotori. This cozy little restaurant specializes in little skewers of grilled items (yakitori) and is best experienced with a group if possible so you can try out many little plates, as you would with tapas. Ice cold pitchers of Asashi…
One of the benefits of living near the resorts and hotels of Waikiki is that we’ve got world-class spa facilities available to us when we’re up for a splurge. A great way to treat yourself is to book a spa treatment at the Mandara Spa at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The Mandara Spa Experience Check…
UPDATE (2023): You can find details of the Ohana Club program which is the current package of discounts available to Hawaii residents here. Note that the Ohana club is free to join and you’ll receive lifetime membership for signing up, including various offers and discounts. PCC still offers the Kamaaina Annual Pass (as of 2023…
While many think of beer (or sake) as the beverage of choice in Hawaii, you may be surprised to hear just how many spots there are for wine lovers in Honolulu. Wine Bars Restaurants Amuse Wine Bar – Self-service wine tastings (sold by the ounce) are accessed by a wine card purchased from the bar…