It was 20 years ago when Maria Barnette decided, almost on a whim, to buy an ice cream/shave ice spot on Monsarrat Avenue just outside of Waikīkī. She saw an ad posted and thought, “I know how to make eggs.” Without any kitchen experience—Barnette learned to cook from magazines and the Food Network—she took a […]
The color red can symbolize love and passion. But it’s also the color of high-quality ahi (yellowfin tuna), which, let’s face it, poke lovers are passionate about. So Redfish Poke Bar by Foodland is the perfect name for the local grocery chain’s newest venture: a poke counter and bar located at Salt at Our Kakaako
We know the appeal of those colorful food trucks along Kamehameha Highway en route to Oahu’s fabled North Shore that serve plates with mounds of shrimp deliciously drowning in garlic and butter. We stop, too. But don’t skip these small local eateries along the way. You may wind up eating your fill before you even hit
I had only heard about the famous Lady M Mille Crêpes from New York City, with its 20 thin crêpe layers, each separated by a lightened pastry cream. While Lady M has more than 30 cake boutiques around the world, including seven in China, I would have had to travel to Los Angeles or Singapore to try
For over a year, the Waikiki Parc Hotel has been closed for a $60 million renovation. When it reopens on Oct. 25, it will have a new name—Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani—and something else we’re exctied about: a new bakery and restaurant. Simply called the Halekulani Bakery & Restaurant, it will occupy the space vacated by
(As of 2021, the bakery is permanently closed.) A few months ago, a friend posted photos on Instagram of perfect cookies and canelés wrapped in white paper from a bakery in the most unexpected place: a shipping container on the corner of an orchid farm in Waikane, a rural area in Windward Oahu. Rousselet
There’s plenty of food Hawaii is known for: saimin, kalua pig, pineapple, poke. Barbecue isn’t usually one of them. Which is why, as I walk through the doors of Sunset Smokehouse in the Central Oahu town of Wahiawa, I’m not sure what to expect. Originally started as a food truck parked in Sunset Beach in
When Oahu’s weather gets hot and humid, there’s only one thing on my mind: a nice, heaping serving of shave ice, soaked with flavorful syrup, drenched in condensed milk and topped with li hing mui powder. Today was no different, and to give my air conditioner a break, I grabbed my girlfriend and headed to
I do not have a green thumb. In fact, I pretty much have whatever is the opposite of a green thumb. I once tried planting basic herbs like basil and mint and failed miserably. I even killed a succulent my sister bought for me, in record time. So I was pleasantly surprised to find Waiahole
It’s obvious when Mark Noguchi walks into Palace Saimin in Kalihi on Oʻahu that he’s been coming here for decades. Practically his whole life. “I’m a creature of habit,” explains the gregarious chef, who greets everyone in the kitchen with a hug and kiss on the cheek. “If you had to kill me, I would
It’s been a few years since chef Vikram Garg, best known for overseeing the award-winning restaurants at the luxe Halekulani in Waikiki, has been back in the kitchen. And, honestly, foodies have missed him. Garg left the hotel in 2016 and joined the MacNaughton Group, a Honolulu-based real estate investment and development firm. (After all,
I spent my whole life in Hawaii—and I’m still not sure why Hilo calls shave ice “ice shave.” But folks on Hawaii Island do and they claim their ice shave is the best. Let’s back up here: Shave ice (not shaved ice) is a beloved frozen treat popular in the Islands. Similar to the snow
