It's understandable that Oahu's small population size of 1 million — vs. a pre-pandemic count of 8 million in New York City or 4 million in Los Angeles — has led to little diversity in the local food scene. Read more
The pandemic set a round of restaurant musical chairs in motion, as some shut down or relocated, and new ones rushed in to take their places. Read more
Very few chefs maintain the ability to surprise diners 10 years after their debuts, much less 30-plus years, yet Chai Chaowasaree defies all norms. Read more
Among the most stable of establishments is Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka’s MW Restaurant, which rose to the various shutdown challenges by offering family and frozen meals to-go, as well as baked goods and produce straight from farms. Read more
After spending a year accustomed to the sound of silence, stepping into Bourbon Street on Alakea, with its live band and full-on party vibe, felt like venturing into a movie set in a different era. Read more
Most locals see Sandy’s as a standard, nondescript Chinese café with a handful of displaced items on the menu, but breakfasts — offered until 10 a.m. — are a reflection of its roots. Read more
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Like many people at the start of the pandemic, Tim Veling suddenly found himself out of a job. The former Hawaiian Airlines employee decided to use the downtime to pursue a hobby he'd been interested in for years — bagel making. Read more
Indian cuisine is one of my favorites. Whenever I traveled in pre-COVID times, I'd always seek it out in major cities, filling up before returning home to a limited scene where we might see one new restaurant opening every five years. Read more
Every year, spring comes and goes with little fanfare because we know the season returns. But this spring felt more meaningful, a true awakening as society — in a coronavirus slumber for a year — started coming back to life.
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There’s a feeling of relief and the ability to breathe more deeply when stepping out of the asphalt and concrete of urban Honolulu and into the courtyard oasis of Olay’s Thai-Lao Cuisine. Read more
Losses so far have affected businesses large and small, old and new. Read more
Shingen closed in Waikiki in November and has reopened in the much more casual location. Read more
Who needs business school when the past 12 months have offered a crash course in crisis and creative management, marketing on a shoestring and addressing fluctuating customer concerns and demands? Read more
Usually the appearance of a new restaurant is followed by a handful of, “Have you been there?” queries, but none to the extent of those insisting I get over to Yung Yee Kee Dim Sum restaurant. Read more
The fallout from COVID-19 may lead smaller food operations to rethink the strategy of entering a food hall. Read more
Pizza has been lauded as a recession-proof part of the food industry. That reputation is holding up under the most challenging of circumstances. Read more
Yoshoku Ginza Bairin opened early this month next door to sister restaurant Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin, and the people most likely to be drawn to this food will be Japanese expatriates with a nostalgia for the food they grew up with. Read more
The yakiniku experience in Hawaii has always been about generous slabs of meat, and lots of it. Newly open Han No Daidokoro takes a different approach, showing the evolution of yakiniku. Read more
