Just in time for the winter surf season, The Ritz-Carlton Oʻahu, Turtle Bay is bringing back its iconic bar. After a five-year closure, Surfer, The Bar returns as a pop-up from Dec. 5 to 13, welcoming kamaʻāina and resort guests to kick off surf season on the North Shore. While at the resort, it seems […]
*This story was originally published on Dec. 3, 2024, and updated in November 2025. A languid afternoon, a tray of desserts, maybe a glass of Champagne. That’s how I want to spend the holidays. And afternoon tea service, especially the ones on Oʻahu, offer all of that—and sometimes an ocean view. Here are six
Five years after closing his award-winning restaurant—which had been a HAWAIʻI Magazine reader favorite—local chef Alan Wong is moving to Kāhala. The Kāhala Hotel & Resort, to be exact. The James Beard Award-winning chef and pioneer of the Hawaiʻi Regional Cuisine movement will open Alan Wong’s at the luxe hotel in early 2026. The restaurant
*This article was originally published on Aug. 29, 2018. You can get a Hawaiian food plate lunch almost anywhere in the Islands, with nearly all of the required fixins (kālua pig, laulau, lomi salmon, etc.). But if we were to craft the best Hawaiian plate ever, here’s where we’d go. 1. Haupia: Yama’s Fish
Tucked on Oʻahu’s Windward Side, the charming town of Kailua is known for its laid-back vibe and picturesque beaches. But beyond Kailua Beach and Lanikai, the town is home to a variety of cozy cafés, hip eateries and top-notch restaurants. And new businesses continue to open, adding to the colorful lineup of places worth checking
People are lured to Oʻahu’s North Shore because of its famous surf breaks and beautiful beaches. And while these alone are great reasons to venture north, there are plenty of others, including dozens of local coffee shops, shave ice stands and restaurants. And lately, it seems like anytime I’m on the North Shore, an exciting
It’s pretty hard, especially in Hawaiʻi, to be wowed anymore by shave ice. But that’s what’ll happen when you try one from Chillest Shave Ice, a small shop that opened in May in Kaimukī on Oʻahu. Owner Aaron Wong crafts dreamy, cloudlike domes of snow-fine ice, soaked in syrups in unique flavors like creamy strawberry
Checking into your room and hitting the hotel bar for a mai tai has long been step one for many travelers to Hawaiʻi. And the next time they’re in town, those travelers might notice something different about their favorite watering holes. Throughout Honolulu and Waikīkī, hotels are reenvisioning basic lobby bars and swapping them for
Most afternoons you can find Faria chef and co-owner Kawehi Haug prepping in the restaurant’s kitchen alongside her family. Haug’s dad—also the restaurant’s accountant—is scooping bay leaf butter onto dishes for bread baskets while her mom—head of human relations—is making desserts, and her hānai cousins are setting up the dining room and bar. When they
Oʻahu’s Chinatown is home to dozens of markets, restaurants and shops. Packed within just a few blocks, they’re brimming with local and imported produce, fresh meats and fish, Chinese herbal medicines, authentic dim sum, and plenty of lei and libations. Here are four places that have opened within the past year that are worth visiting
Waikīkī is welcoming a new addition to the neighborhood—just in time for Hawaiʻi’s annual “May Day is Lei Day” celebration on May 1. Tucked in the Romer House Waikīkī, The Lei Stand Waikīkī pays tribute to the legacy of local lei shops and the timeless symbol of aloha, all while embodying modern Island style. From
At Waiola Shave Ice, there’s a comforting sense of nostalgia, even for first-timers. Whether it’s the familiar syrup flavors or the charm of the shop—or both—Waiola Shave Ice remains an endearing classic on Oʻahu. The family-run shop, tucked in Mōʻiliʻili about a 10-minute drive from Waikīkī, has specialized in shave ice since the late 1970s,
