Photo by Cassidy Apo
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Can you believe we’re already halfway through 2025? The past few months have seen the arrival of several new food establishments that have quickly made a name for themselves. Here are a few of my favorites that I’ll be retuning to time and time again.
SWEET NEW SPOT IN CHINATOWN
Chinatown has a new cheesecake spot that’s perfect for a quick pick-me-up on any occasion. Green Island Cheesecake (119 N. Hotel St.), which opened in early May, specializes in Japanese-style cheesecakes and Portuguese tarts. Some cheesecake flavors include the Berlin cheesecake, and matcha and ube varieties. Don’t miss the honeymoon cake and the signature Portuguese tart — they’re delicious as well. The shop also offers coffee, making it easy to pair their sweets with an energizing drink.
Follow @greenislandcheesecake on Instagram for its full menu and hours.
ACAI STRAIGHT FROM THE AMAZON FOREST
The first Oakberry Hawaii (4450 Kapolei Pkwy. Ste. 104) recently opened at Kapolei Commons, bringing an acai experience like no other. This global, healthy fast food chain stands out because the acai is made from 100% pure acai sourced from Oakville in the Amazon Forest. No artificial preservatives or dyes are added, ensuring an authentic taste. Choose from a variety of acai bowl combinations and enjoy the unlimited topping bar to add your favorite crunch or booster to your bowl.
Follow @oakberry.hawaii on Instagram to stay up-to-date on all the exciting offerings.
WELCOME TO KALE’S HALE
One of the most exciting openings of the year is Kale’s Hale (1339 N. School St.), founded by Kale Afong — also known as “Hawaii’s Only” on Instagram and YouTube. His new all-you-can-eat Japanese yakiniku restaurant features a variety of meat options, including ginger teri pork and boneless short ribs, but the Korean-and-Hawaiian-inspired side dishes really steal the show. By incorporating as many local ingredients as possible, Kale’s Hale offers unique banchan dishes like kalo poke, Wagyu fried rice and mac salad with Okinawa sweet potato.
Be sure to follow @kaleshale.hawaiisonly on Instagram for updates.