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
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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
SXY owner Amy Drew retired from the restaurant business and moved here with husband Sean Drew to be among family, but she couldn’t give up the biz so easily. Read more
Now is the perfect time to check out the newest Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya (no relation to Iwilei’s Tanaka Saimin). Read more
Redubbed simply Hau Tree, the restaurant is named for a tree that graced the site in the late 19th century, providing shade and a quiet space to write for author Robert Louis Stevenson. Read more
A fascination with food and fire is in our blood, dating back a million years to the first hominids who put 2 and 2 together to create the first culinary magic. Read more
Last year brought so much bad news for the dining industry that I overlooked at least one restaurant that showed second acts are possible. Read more
The 2020 pandemic was the biggest disaster to hit the food industry in recent history. Read more
It felt like the pandemic stopped most of us in our tracks this year, but in the bigger picture life went on with a continuation of trends already in place. Read more
One of the last times I saw chef Keaka Lee was at a bittersweet, fantastic farewell dinner he had cooked up at Pig & the Lady in October 2018, just before he set off to create a place of his own. Read more
During the prolonged shutdown — even as grocery stores moved toward packaging their hot bar and salad bar items — it became apparent that without similar adjustments, buffets might never return because of the risk associated with shared food situations. Read more
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