Welcome to Shoyu Sugar, your kama’aina guide to the best things to do, see and EAT in Hawaii and around the world.
AS SEEN IN
Aloha! I’m Malia Yoshioka, a freelance food and travel writer born and raised in beautiful Upcountry Maui, Hawaii.
I help Kama’aina to explore the islands through unique experiences, staycation ideas and kama’aina discounts. If you’re looking for an insider’s guide to the best places to stay, things to do and – most importantly – where to eat in Hawaii, then you’re in the right place.
Born and raised on Maui, I later moved to Oahu and fell in love with the food scene there. I was both a restaurant reviewer and at one point a food tour guide (best job ever!) so I’ve always got my eye on new restaurant openings and places that I want to visit. I use this site as my own way to keep track of my favorites and to share the best of them with you!
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Work Together
As a freelance writer, I love to share my hometown favorites with the world. I’ve written for outlets such as Lonely Planet, The Washington Post, HAWAII Magazine, TripAdvisor, The Daily Meal, BootsnAll, Viator and Hotels.com.
As a content creator, I also share stories from Hawaii and destinations around the world. Please feel free to contact me for my media kit and rate sheet.
Hawaii has such a rich culinary history thanks to the layers of migration that have happened over the years. Many families trace their roots back to the sugar plantation era, like mine! My ancestors came from western Japan in the late 1800s when the sugar plantations were booming. Even though the sugar mills have closed and industry has shifted toward tourism, you can taste the flavors of Hawaii’s multiethnic heritage through the foods of the islands today.
These days you’ll find me slowly eating my way around the world – 43 countries and counting – and sharing my tips and destination guides along the way. My goal is to help you travel deeper, to support local businesses, and to make meaningful connections with people and places around the world through food, culture and language learning.
For every place that I visit, I love to use food as my touch point for getting deeper into a destination. In my travel guides, I’ll share my research with you to help you make delicious memories from your travels.
My Travel Deeper Philosophy
Before
I love to research what foods and ingredients are indigenous to or famous in every destination – what fruits, vegetables or seafood might be in season when I visit. If there are any special food festivals, I often plan around those too. I look into local travel and food bloggers or other resources and sign up for their social media or newsletters. If Duolingo has a language course, I’ll sign up for it a month or two prior to a trip and put in 15 minutes of practice daily – it really helps with some of the basic words and phrases you might hear, and definitely helps with reading restaurant menus! At this point, I also take care of the basics – looking up visa requirements, travel insurance, SIM cards, etc.
During
At the beginning of my trip, I book a food tour or cooking class in order to learn more and also to connect with other food lovers. Food tour guides and local food bloggers are your best resource for where to go in the rest of your trip. I also leave room for flexibility and serendipity – there’s no point in trying to plan everything and it leaves out the magic of discovering your own favorites.
After
I bring home food souvenirs, both for myself and my loved ones, from every place that I visit. In Japanese (and Hawaii) culture, we call these omiyage. Bringing back omiyage from a trip is a way to extend the trip and to bring the flavors of my travels back into my daily life. I always try to find a cookbook that includes my favorite recipes from the trip and any spices, sauces or special ingredients that really stood out to me. For friends and family, I often bring back sweet treats or snack items. Grocery stores and local markets are my favorite places to find food souvenirs.