Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Share your memories of Hawaii’s first food court

Do you have memories, fond or otherwise, about the early era of food at Pearlridge Center? We see the makings for a follow-up and would love to hear from you.

Our article Dec. 7 about the early days of Pearlridge Center’s food court drew a number of email responses from readers who worked at the International Kitchen, the center’s first proper food court.

Their recollections corrected some information we had gathered about the venue — the International Kitchen originated in the current food-court space, not between the Uptown escalators as we stated — and rounded out details.

Mary Sensui, who worked at the IK hot dog counter, explained just what was going on between the escalators. “If memory serves me correctly, the restaurant … was called the Center Court Restaurant,” she said.

Bryant Miyake also remembers the disco that opened at night in the International Kitchen space.

“The disco didn’t last too long,” he recalled. “We found food missing, damages to the area and other things. … I used to open the restaurant for breakfast, and most of the time we were late in opening with all of the problems left from the night before.”

Email Joleen Oshiro at joshiro@staradvertiser.com or write her at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu, HI 96813.

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