HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Panko-Crusted ʻAhi

This popular local dish by DK Restaurants is elevated by a soy-wasabi butter sauce.

Photo: Melissa ChangIt may be an unconventional holiday dish, but sushi—especially this recipe by notable Hawaiʻi chef Dave “DK” Kodama—can turn your traditional spread into something unexpected. Folks in Hawaiʻi eat sushi all the time. There are so many variations, from simple rice rolls with pickled vegetables to unique creations stuffed with everything from avocado to shrimp tempura to spicy crab….

What You Need To Know If You’re Traveling To Hawaiʻi Now—UPDATED

On Oct. 15, the state will start its pre-arrival testing program—and it’s complicated.

Photo: Getty ImagesUpdated Nov. 20, 2020 Hawaiʻi will launch its pre-arrival testing program for trans-Pacific travelers on Oct. 15. That means, if you can provide a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure, you will not have to quarantine for 14 days when you arrive in the Islands. However, starting Nov. 24, trans-Pacific travelers to the Islands who can’t present evidence…

Aloha Friday Picks: Catch a Drive-In Movie, Support Hawaiʻi Literacy and Find Those Pre-Black Friday Deals

Indulge in the arts this weekend ... or just hunt for sales.

Aloha Friday Picks is a weekly news blog that will run every Friday and features three things we recommend you do, try or experience over the weekend. Send us tips at media@hawaiimagazine.com. It might be a cliché to say this, but it feels like Christmas comes sooner every year. Heck, we haven’t even reach Thanksgiving and holiday decorations are already decking…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Keepin’ Up With Kylie Cocktail

This is Deck Waikīkī’s take on the classic Mexican Paloma cocktail.

Photo: Melissa ChangBartender Gerard Grehan from Deck Waikīkī, located in the Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel on Oʻahu, crafts his version of the classic Paloma, a beloved Mexican cocktail that typically combines grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, tequila or mezcal and club soda. Bartender Gerard Grehan from Deck Waikīkī came up with this twist on the classic Paloma. Photo: Melissa Chang This version features a unique…

Shop for Unique Hawaiʻi Products Live Online on Friday

Listen to new entrepreneurs pitch their products at Honolulu-based Mana Up Hawaiʻi’s annual showcase—then buy them online.

Leala Humbert, owner of Ua Body, a clean, chemical-free skincare line from Waimea, Hawaiʻi Island, will share her story and products on Friday at Hawaiʻi Theatre. Photo: Courtesy of Mana Up HawaiʻiEach year Honolulu-based Mana Up Hawaiʻi hosts a 12-week accelerator program for Hawaiʻi entrepreneurs, helping them bring their products to market. The program culminates with a Product Showcase event, where participants…

6 Ways To Get Your Kids Outdoors in Hawaiʻi

Get out of the hotel room and into the reason you traveled to the Islands in the first place.

Snorkeling at Shark’s Cove on Oʻahu’s North Shore is a fun way to get your keiki (kids) exploring. Photo: Sho NiimuraYou’re in Hawai‘i! Who wants to stay indoors? Definitely not your kids. So here are six outdoorsy, sunshiney things you can do with your keiki on your next vacation to the Islands. Best part? Some of these are free! 1. Snorkel at Shark’s Cove, O‘ahu…

Aloha Friday Picks: Eat Dole Whip, Make Coconut Shrimp at Home and Visit a Farmers Market on Oʻahu

There’s more to do as more businesses reopen in Hawaiʻi.

The KCC Farmers Market on Oʻahu reopens this Saturday. Photo: David CroxfordAloha Friday Picks is a weekly news blog that will run every Friday and features three things we recommend you do, try or experience over the weekend. Send us tips at media@hawaiimagazine.com. As COVID-19 cases in Hawaiʻi are slowing down, more businesses are reopening—including some of the most popular…

Haunted Hawaiʻi: Fog Over Nuʻuanu

In this episode, master storyteller Lopaka Kapanui tells a story about blessing a Nuʻuanu home after a woman had died of cancer.

Photo: Courtesy of Lopaka KapanuiMaster storyteller Lopaka Kapanui doesn’t just tell spooky stories and lead ghost tours around Honolulu. He also blesses homes, often in attempt to rid them of lurking spirits. He shares a story about blessing a home in Nuʻuanu after the owner’s wife had died of cancer on a particularly foggy day. Find out what happens! Want more?…

Podcast Show Notes: Have Aloha Will Travel EP43

Love scary stories? Then this episode of the Have Aloha Will Travel podcast, featuring master storyteller Lopaka Kapanui, is for you.

On this especially spooky episode of the Have Aloha Will Travel podcast, your hosts Catherine Toth Fox and Kevin Allen are joined by the maestro of nightmares himself, Lopaka Kapanui. Known for his Mystery’s of Hawaiʻi walking tours, Kapanui has made a name for himself within the paranormal groups of Hawaiʻi thanks to his deep log of stories and supernatural…

Haunted Hawaiʻi: An Encounter with Menehune

In this episode, master storyteller Lopaka Kapanui talks about an East Oʻahu home frequented by the legendary race of small people.

Photo: Getty ImagesMost of have heard of Menehune—but never seen one. Menehune are a legendary race of small people—typically no taller than 3 feet—who work at night, building fish ponds, roads and temples in the Islands. They are known to be kohole (mischievous), too. (Read more about Menehune here.) In this episode of “Haunted Hawaiʻi,” master storyteller Lopaka Kapanui talks about his…

Aloha Friday Picks: Plan a Staycation and Listen to Chicken Skin Stories

Ever want to go to a woodworking exhibition? Now’s your chance.

Aloha Friday Picks is a weekly news blog that will run every Friday and features three things we recommend you do, try or experience over the weekend. Send us tips at media@hawaiimagazine.com.October is almost over already, can you believe it?With November just around the bend—hopefully bringing cooler temperatures and less muggy weather—we’ve put together a few ideas for your second-to-last…

Aloha Friday Picks: Pick Pumpkins and Hit the Beach This Weekend

It may not feel like fall yet, but there are plenty of ways to celebrate the season on Oʻahu.

Enjoy the last weekend before visitors return en masse. Photo: Catherine Toth FoxAloha Friday Picks is a weekly news blog that will run every Friday and features three things we recommend you do, try or experience over the weekend. Send us tips at media@hawaiimagazine.com. Is it fall yet? We’re still waiting for the first sighting of migrating humpback whales and maybe…

Haunted Hawaiʻi: The Un-Blessable House on Oʻahu

In this episode, Lopaka Kapanui tells the story about a flamboyant kahuna (priest) who tries to bless an un-blessable house on Oʻahu.

Photo: Courtesy of Lopaka KapanuiMany of us in Hawaiʻi have had our homes blessed by a kahuna (priest). In this episode of “Haunted Hawaiʻi,” master storyteller Lopaka Kapanui tells the story about a flamboyant kahuna who tries to bless an un-blessable house on Oʻahu. You won’t believe what happens! WATCH MORE Haunted Hawaiʻi: A Spirit-Filled House in Nuʻuanu Categories: Arts + Culture,…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Hocus Pocus Cocktail

There are no tricks—just treats—in this fall-inspired cocktail made with locally crafted whiskey.

Photo: Courtesy of Chandra LucarielloWho said Halloween was just for kids? Not us! We asked our friend—and master mixologist—Chandra Lucariello, director of mixology and spirits education at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, to concoct a fall-inspired cocktail. And she didn’t disappoint! This cocktail—called the Hocus Pocus—features locally produced craft whiskey by Koʻolau Distillery and a roasted pumpkin syrup that you make…

What You Need To Know If You’re Traveling To Hawaiʻi Now—UPDATED

On Oct. 15, the state will start its pre-arrival testing program—and it’s complicated.

Photo: Getty ImagesUpdated Oct. 14, 2020 Hawaiʻi will launch its pre-arrival testing program for trans-Pacific travelers on Oct. 15. That means, if you can provide a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure, you will not have to quarantine for 14 days when you arrive in the Islands. And with COVID-19 testing becoming more convenient and cheaper, travelers will be…

Haunted Hawaiʻi: A Spirit-Filled House in Nuʻuanu

In our new series, master storyteller Lopaka Kapanui shares short spine-chilling tales about the Islands.

Photo: Catherine Toth FoxIt’s October! And that means one thing to the HAWAIʻI Magazine staff. OK, besides pumpkin crunch. We love a good ghost story—and Hawaiʻi is full of them. From Night Marchers to haunted cemeteries, the Islands are rife with supernatural tales. SEE ALSO: 5 of Hawaiʻi’s Creepy Urban Legends and Ghost Stories We enlisted the help of master…

Aloha Friday Picks: Beat the Heat and Listen to Local Talent

The Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards is on for this weekend and everybody’s invited.

Aloha Friday Picks is a weekly news blog that will run every Friday and features three things we recommend you do, try or experience over the weekend. Send us tips at media@hawaiimagazine.com.It’s Aloha Friday, and you know what that means. No work ’til Monday! Here are three new things we recommend you do over your—hopefully—stress-free weekend. 1. Tune into the Nā Hōkū Hanohano AwardsA live…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Shrimp and Butternut Squash Risotto

Chef Adrian Solorzano of DK Restaurants takes you step-by-step on making shrimp and butternut squash risotto, the perfect autumn comfort food.

Photo: Melissa Chang/DK RestaurantsIt’s officially fall! And in Hawaiʻi, that means the seasonal ingredients of butternut squash and kabocha, a Japanese variety of winter squash. Chef Adrian Solorzano of DK Restaurants shows us how to make the popular shrimp and butternut squash risotto, available on DK Restaurants’ online ordering platform. (Click on the Sansei & DK Steakhouse Menu tab at the top. DK Restaurant…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Torched ʻAhi Dynamite Poke

Keoni Chang of Foodland Super Markets is back with a poke recipe sure to impress.

Photo: Courtesy of Keoni ChangThere’s poke—and there’s dynamite poke. Dynamite is a slightly spicy sauce that combines mayonnaise and Sriracha—and, in this case, masago (capelin roe). It can be added to anything, including chicken and shrimp. But Keoni Chang, executive corporate chef of Foodland, a locally owned grocery chain in Hawaiʻi, adds this sauce to classic shoyu ʻahi poke to elevate it…

7 Reasons You’ll Fall for Hawai‘i in the Fall

Autumn brings cooler weather, humpback whales and pumpkin patches in the Islands.

Photo: Courtesy of Kula Country FarmsAutumn in Hawai’i is a subtle season. No golden foliage or hayrides or snow days or apple-picking. (Apples don’t grow here.) But fall, which started two weeks ago, is argubly the best time to visit the Islands. The weather starts to cool—the wettest months in Hawai’i are from November to March—and, thanks to kids back…

The Eddie in Hawaiʻi is Canceled This Year, But Here Are Some of Our Favorite Past Highlights

The Eddie definitely will not go in 2020.

After enduring a chain of financial troubles, loss of sponsors and lack of sizable swells, Hawaiʻi’s premier big-wave surf event, The Eddie, has had one more hurdle to deal with—COVID-19. The Aikau ʻohana (family) officially decided to cancel The Eddie Big Wave Invitational for the 2020-2021 winter season. And although it’s sad that the event will have no chance of running—even if perfect…

Watch Hawaiʻi’s Jake Shimabukuro, Pomaika‘i Lyman and Kawika Trask Perform Live

Three of Hawaiʻi's top ʻukulele virtuosos will be performing live in this half-hour special, presented by Aloha Festivals.

Flickr/Chris SavasIf you love the sweet, plucky noise of the ʻukulele, then you won’t want to miss this free performance by Hawaiʻi’s top ʻukulele masters. Presented by Aloha Festivals, and partnering with local news affiliate KHON2, the musical showcase will be going down on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 9:30 p.m. HST. The entire event will be free to the public and live-streamed…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Pad Thai Noodles

Award-winning Hawaiʻi chef Chai Chaowasaree shares his recipe for this popular stir-fry rice noodle dish from Thailand.

Photo: Courtesy of Chai ChaowasareeIf you’ve even been to a Thai restaurant—just about anywhere—you would have seen “pad Thai noodles” on the menu. This stir-fry rice noodle dish one of the most popular Thai dishes—especially in Hawaiʻi—featuring some kind of protein (chicken, shrimp, beef, tofu), peanuts, bean sprouts and scrambled egg, all sautéed together in a wok and tossed in a pad Thai…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Green Tea Limeade

This refreshing summer drink packs a lot of flavor with just three ingredients.

Photo: Courtesy of David VivianoThree ingredients. You can do it. And this green tea limeade is perfect for these hot summer days. David Viviano, executive chef at the Fairmont Orchid on Hawaiʻi Island, walks you through this super-simple, fool-proof recipe. (By the way, he’s also a certified tea sommelier!) (To see more videos, follow us on Instagram @hawaiimagazine.) Here’s the recipe—and…