INAU
AL G
UR
THE NEW GUIDE TO CHINESE FOOD
LOCALLY OWNED SINCE 1888
APRIL 2024 | VOLUME LVIII NO. 8 | $5.99
For inquiries, contact our circulation department: Phone: (808) 534-7520 Email: circulation@pacificbasin.net
publisher
Donna Kodama-Yee (808) 534-7501 | donnaky@honolulumagazine.com
HONOLULU Magazine emerged from Paradise of the Pacific, a publication commissioned by King Kalākaua that began in 1888, making it the oldest continuously published magazine west of the Mississippi.
editorial design Editorial Director
Diane Seo | (808) 534-7105
dianes@honolulumagazine.com
jnakamura@honolulumagazine.com Senior Art Director
Dining Editor
photography
Mari Taketa
Managing Style Editor
Brie Thalmann
Associate Editor
Thomas Obungen Digital Editor
Andrea Lee
Christine Labrador Staff Photographer
Aaron K. Yoshino
marketing Marketing Director
Christy Davis | (808) 534-7503 christyd@honolulumagazine.com
Contributing Editor
Branded Content Creation Manager
Copy Editor
marisah@honolulumagazine.com
Don Wallace
Elroy Garcia Editorial Interns
Julia de Oliveira Vanessa Hathaway
Send us your comments and/or feedback: HONOLULU Magazine 1088 Bishop St., Suite LL2 Honolulu, HI 96813 Email: letters@honolulumagazine.com
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(ISSN 0441-2044) © 2024 PacificBasin Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized copying, distribution, or adaptation is strictly prohibited and will result in liability of up to $100,000. Published monthly by PacificBasin Communications. Advertising and business offices: 1088 Bishop St., Ste. LL2, Honolulu, HI, 96813-4204. Phone: (808) 537-9500. MATERIALS Publisher cannot be held responsible for care or return of manuscripts, photographs or art. Unsolicited material must be accompanied by a self-addressed envelope and return postage. Publisher reserves the right to edit letters to the editor and other material submitted. Periodicals postage paid at Honolulu, Hawai‘i, and at additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTION: one year $24.99 / two years $34.99 / three years $44.99. Foreign: one year $41.99 / two years $69.99 / three years $97.99 (US funds). For subscription inquiries, additional rates, information, notification of change of address and subscription service, please call (800) 788-4230. POSTMASTER Send address changes to HONOLULU Magazine, 1088 Bishop St., Suite LL2, Honolulu, HI 96813. Subscribers notify the same office. Please include new address and old address (mailing label preferred).
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HONOLULU MAGAZINE
Celebrate with HONOLULU Magazine at the Rosé Soirée presented by First Hawaiian Bank and Mastercard. Sip on a selection of refreshing rosé wines and bites from some of Hawai‘i’s top restaurants.
Friday, April 12 | ‘Alohilani Swell Deck | 6 p.m.
HNLTI X.COM
FROLICHAWAII.COM FOLLOW US @FROLICHAWAII
AARON K. YOSHINO
C E L E B R A T I N G H AWA I ‘ I ’ S S O U L A P R I L 2 0 2 4 | V O L . LV I I I N O. 8
FEATURES 18 The New Guide to Chinese Food Welcome to the city’s changing Chinese food scene: Once dominated by Cantonese restaurants, it’s now a mix of regional culinary styles as richly diverse as China. BY MARTHA CHENG AND M A R I TA K E TA
Chico Lee prepares noodles for jajangmyeon, a popular Korean dish that originated in China. Read more on page 25.
32 HONOLULU Book Awards We’ve been showcasing Hawai‘i writers for 136 years, but now, after a boom year in local literature, we’re inspired to recognize their achievements more formally. BY DON WALLACE
53 HONOLULU Family’s Summer Programs Guide Make the most of summer with 50 academic, enriching and inspiring options for your keiki. DEPARTMENTS 6 Editor’s Page OUR THRIVING LITERARY SCENE
There’s no better time than now to recognize the Islands’
standout books and authors. BY DIANE SEO
7 Currents Find local eggs, tropical and fun pickleball paddles, and Hawai‘i’s newest literary and film star. 15 Style Check out new digs for a fave boutique, sewing lessons from a Project Runway star and more. BY BRIE THALMANN
72 Afterthoughts LUCKY WE LIVE HAWAI‘I
There are so many ways to take advantage of living here, beyond the beach. BY K ATRINA VALCOURT
PROMOTIONS 41 Faces of Hawai‘i HONOLULU Magazine celebrates some of Hawai‘i’s prominent leaders and businesses who are making waves in their industry.
ON THE COVER: Honolulu Skewer House
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
E D I TO R’ S PAG E
Photo TK
Our Thriving Literary Scene
A Hui Hou, John Alves
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I T H T H I S I S S U E , W E ’ R E L AU N C H I N G T H E I N AU G U R A L HONOLULU BOOK AWARDS. Our magazine has long cham-
pioned Hawai‘i’s writers and books, but we’ve never formally honored the year’s best writing. It’s time. Hawai‘i writers are publishing all kinds of books and being recognized nationally. Whether in fiction, nonfiction or poetry, the stories are rich and reflective of who we are and how we live. What’s also heartening is that while many of these authors are seasoned writers, there are also younger novelists emerging with bold, unique works. The awards would not be possible without our contributing editor, Don Wallace. He founded and edits The Hawai‘i Review of Books (hawaiireviewofbooks.com), known as THROB. He writes about books with authority, drawing from a deep well of knowledge. He is a voracious and astute reader, but also truly committed to supporting local authors and our literary scene. This is the spirit behind these awards. When we informed the winners, we weren’t sure what kind of reaction we would receive. Across the board, their responses were gracious. And while they appreciate being acknowledged for their work, they more so hoped the awards would encourage our community of authors to keep writing and telling stories. Here’s what Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes, whose book Hula won Book of the Year About Hawai‘i, wrote after being told of her award: “I have a niece who is graduating from [Kamehameha Schools] this spring that used to dream of becoming a writer. … As children often do, she eventually got interested in other things, but I firmly believe that part of that fade, in her case, was due to the fact that there was nothing to encourage her to continue. Hawai‘i has expanded leaps and bounds as far as performative arts, but at least when I was growing up, there was little in regard to literary ones. … All this to say: I dare say I am even more excited of the fact of these awards than the enormous honor of winning one. Our Islands and culture and history and people and traditions have so much richness to offer in regard to storytelling, and the fact that we have this growing community of amazing writers and titles will only encourage more to strive for that I think. Awards like this bring a visibility that goes beyond those of us in the literary world and ripple outward in numerous ways, so I hope to do all I can to support everything you’re doing.”
DIANE SEO EDITORIAL DIRECTOR DIANES@HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM
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Sadly, HONOLULU recently lost a member of its longtime family. Former publisher John Alves passed away on Jan. 20 at age 79. I personally didn’t know John. His tenure as HONOLULU publisher ran from 1994 to 2002. He also served as a longtime president of PacificBasin Communications (now known as aio Media Group), our parent company. Scott Schumaker, who served as HONOLULU publisher and PacBasin president after John, describes him as having a “tremendous impact” on HONOLULU as well as in the community, pointing to the annual Hale ‘Aina Awards, which honors Hawai‘i’s top restaurants and chefs. “He greatly elevated the Hale ‘Aina Awards celebration from a somewhat sleepy event at Diamond Head Theatre to the galas it has become today,” Scott says. “He even had Doc Severinsen and his band perform one year.” Tom Mullen, president and chief operating officer at the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau, said John also was instrumental in starting up the Hale ‘Aina ‘Ohana, now called the Hawai‘i Culinary Education Foundation. “HCEF has been in existence for 25 years and has impacted over 70,000 students and hundreds of chefs in Hawai‘i,” he says. “John had an impact on a lot of people.”
COURTESY: JEFF ALVES
There’s no better time than now to recognize the Islands’ standout books and authors.
LIFE
IN
HONOLULU
ISLAND LIFE
Green Day
In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, we’re highlighting native Hawaiian plants, like this ‘awa here, shot by a HONOLULU photographer.
➸ OLIVIER KONING began shooting endemic Hawaiian plants in his garage in 2012,
as part of a HONOLULU Magazine assignment. Even after the feature was published, he carried on, deepening his understanding and appreciation of the Islands’ native greenery. Prints of his work—spare, colorful and detailed close-ups—are available at Nā Mea Hawai‘i at Ward Centre. Eventually, Koning hopes to assemble a book. “It’s become a personal interest,” he says. “I bought every book on the subject and learned that many plants are medicinal, while others were instrumental in canoe building and other things. Hawaiians closely associate plants with their culture.”—Diane Seo, photo by Olivier Koning
APRIL 2024
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HAPPENINGS
April Picks Top events this month. BY K AT R I N A VA LC O U RT
The six Big West teams converge at UH this spring, home turf of the three-time-winning ’Bows, who will be defending their title in the conference championship’s seventh year. Experience the games live at the Stan Sheriff Center’s 10,000-plus-seat SimpliFi Arena or watch live on Spectrum Sports. bigwest.org
Performance Sasha Colby: Stripped April 19 / 8 p.m. Hawai‘i Theatre / $35.50 and up The first Native Hawaiian trans woman to win RuPaul’s Drag Race ends her 22-city tour back in Hawai‘i, where you can expect to see what made her a fan favorite all along. hawaiitheatre.com, @sashacolby
Festival 2024 Science and Sustainability Festival April 20 / 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bishop Museum / $5 admission The return of this annual festival during Earth Month highlights the importance of sustainability in our Islands. Keiki-friendly activities are on tap, with presentations and vendors throughout the day. bishopmuseum.org, @bishopmuseum
Concert 2024 Waimānalo Kanikapila April 20 / 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Waimānalo Beach Park / Free Each year, this jam session featuring dozens of performers honors the late Cyril Lani Pahinui, the slack-key guitar master born on April 21, 1950. Admission is free, but you can support the event by purchasing a limited-edition T-shirt featuring a painting of Pahinui by Leohone Magno. cyrilpahinui.com, @waimanalokanikapila
JARIN KOBASHIGAWA
Sports 2024 Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship April 18–20 / SimpliFi Arena
Festival Spam Jam April 27 / 4 to 10 p.m. Kalākaua Avenue, between Seaside and Lili‘uokalani avenues / Free admission Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Spam Jam with a pop-up shop, limited-edition merch, a Spam museum and more. Creative dishes will be available throughout the street festival, with some participants offering Spam dishes at their restaurants a week before and after.
Concert Lost in Concert with the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra April 27 / 7 p.m. Hawai‘i Theatre / $19 and up It’s been 20 years since Lost, one of the greatest filmed-in-Hawai‘i TV shows, premiered. As Jack says at the end of season three, “We have to go back!” The show’s composer, Michael Giacchino, will conduct the orchestra, with appearances by special guests. hawaiitheatre.com, @hawaiitheatre
spamjamhawaii.com, @waikikispamjam
NEW IN TOWN A few places that have opened recently. PHOTOS: JIN HONG, COURTESY ME KE ALOHA , THOMAS OBUNGEN AND COURTESY WAI K AI
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HONOLULU MAGAZINE
WAI KAI AQUAVENTURE
PARIS BAGUETTE
ME KE ALOHA
SAGE CREAMERY
The global chain’s first Hawai‘i bakery/café opened in February on Bishop Street with more than 200 menu items on rotation, including pastries, cakes, sandwiches, breads and more.
Known for its chic gift sets, Me Ke Aloha has a new boutique inside the Savon co-work space in Hawai‘i Kai offering local stationery, gourmet pantry items and more.
Now a brick-and-mortar ice cream shop at Ho‘opili in ‘Ewa Beach, this luxe, handmade, locally sourced ice cream is worth the drive, no matter where you are.
Pretend you’re on American Ninja Warrior at this aquatic playground, with monkey bars, slides, bridges, balance beams and other hurdles floating in the lagoon.
parisbaguette.com, @parisbaguette_usa
mekealohagifts.com, @mekealoha_hawaii
sagecreamery.com, @sagecreamery
atthelineup.com, @waikailineup
CURRENTS
TUNE IN
Screen Time Hawai‘i homes and their talented designers shine on three national TV shows.
OUT AND ABOUT
One Paddle, Two Paddle
BY BRIE THALMANN
Score major style points with local pickleball gear. BY BRIE THALMANN
COURTESY: HGT V
A
there are currently a whopping 195 public pickleball courts at 95 city parks on O‘ahu. If that doesn’t convince you that the island has gone pickleball crazy, here’s further evidence—Hawai‘i’s fashion brands are now getting in on the action with fun, tropical paddle designs. Accessories label Aloha Collection is offering fiberglass sets featuring checkered, bird of paradise and Lē‘ahi prints in neon and black-and-tan color combos. And designer-artist Kristen Reyno of Lola Pilar Hawai‘i has partnered with the Four Seasons Resort on a set featuring her gorgeous floral photography.
Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama
@kamohaiandtristyn, @studioshaolin, @ossipoffcabin
Aloha Collection sets will be available starting April 24 at alohacollection.com. The Lola Pilar Hawai‘i set is available at the Naupaka Spa at Four Seasons Resort, O‘ahu at Ko Olina, 92-1001 Olani St., Kapolei, (844) 387-0308. PHOTOS: COURTESY ALOHA COLLECTION; A ARON K. YOSHINO
H
AWAI‘I HOME DESIGN HAS BEEN GETTING NATIONAL ATTENTION LATELY courtesy of two popular TV networks.
O‘ahu-based designer Tristyn Kalama and real estate investor Kamohai Kalama are a married duo featured in the new HGTV series Renovation Aloha, which premiered in late February and runs for eight episodes. More than just flippers out for a quick buck, the Kalamas are dedicated to uplifting their community by turning dilapidated properties into beautiful homes for local families. Kailua interior designer Shaolin Low, of Studio Shaolin, was recently tapped by Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network to film a pilot for a series called Home in Hawai‘i. In the episode, which you can stream on both Max and Discovery+, Low teams up with her father, contractor Albert Low, to transform a dated Hawai‘i Kai guesthouse into a colorful coastal-modern retreat. And fans of iconic Hawai‘i architect Vladimir Ossipoff can take a tour of his restored Japanese-style cabin at Pālehua via a season three episode of the dreamy The Cabin Chronicles series, also by Magnolia Network and available to stream on Max and Discovery+.
CCORDING TO THE O‘AHU PICKLEBALL ASSOCIATION,
APRIL 2024
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THINGS TO DO
Tooling Around A Kaka‘ako library offers members tools instead of books, along with workshops. BY ANDREA LEE
people are leveling up their skills at HNL Tool Library. As Hawai‘i’s first and only nonprofit tool-sharing community, it describes itself as “a traditional library, but with tools instead of books.” Members who sign up for either a monthly ($45) or annual ($210) membership can borrow from a large inventory that can be searched and reserved online. The unique Kaka‘ako library also offers various workshops with instructors—who include engineers, artists and DIY enthusiasts—demonstrating how to use its specialized equipment for woodworking, 3D printing and laser engraving. Attendees learn how to make everything from bottle caddies to picture frames to kukui nut keychains.
A ARON K. YOSHINO
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WITH DIY DECORATING, REPAIRING, BUILDING AND CRAFTING more popular than ever,
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS: • APRIL 6 - Woodworking Basics: Hanging Racks, $60 • APRIL 13 - Laser Engraving 101: Custom Charcuterie Boards, $60 • APRIL 27 - Woodworking Basics: Koa Chopsticks, $50 Classes are open to the public with a 20% discount offered to students, kūpuna, military and HNL Tool Library members. Keiki as young as 12 may
attend with a guardian. Have a whole party of DIYers? Private workshops can also be arranged. 200 Keawe St. (inside Re-Use Hawai‘i), hnltoollibrary.org, @hnltoollibrary
ODDS & ENDS
MANE AT T R AC T I O N Claw art is a thing— especially when it features local food. BY M A R I TA K E TA PHOTOS: JAMES NAK AMURA , MARI TAKETA , A ARON K. YOSHINO
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HONOLULU MAGAZINE
IT STARTED WITH ORGANIC dog treats, collars and poop bags. Now Coopmonsters has
branched into hair claws—for human customers. The top sellers? Spam musubi and other popular-in-Hawai‘i items. Rainbow shave ice presents the primary color palette of syrups in marbled acetate, and a new fish duo represents taiyaki red-bean pastries and the tiny shoyu dispensers you sometimes get with bentos. “There were no local-theme hair claws made in Hawai‘i,” says owner Samantha Kim, who designs the claws. “That’s how I started, and I’m still going.” Find these at pop-up markets and coopmonsters.com under “Human Stuffs.” coopmonsters.com, @coopmonsters
CURRENTS
A LOOK BACK
A Must for History Buffs The Hawaiian Historical Society has amassed a rare collection of photos and publications that document Hawai‘i’s rich past, and it’s all accessible to the public. BY DIANE SEO
I
T’S EXCITING TO STUMBLE ON A PLACE you weren’t
aware of, especially when it turns out to be a historical treasure trove. The Hawaiian Historical Society library, located on the grounds of Hawaiian Mission Houses, is a nonprofit society established in 1892. Its mission: to “preserve, present and publish on the history of Hawai‘i and the Pacific.” As such, it keeps an extraordinary archive of photos, books and other materials that document the Islands’ rich, complicated past. Among its collection are publications on early voyages, newspapers published in English and ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i, and maps. I found HHS, as it’s known, via Facebook. I had been on the hunt for historical photos, so I contacted HHS Executive Director Cynthia Engle. During our meeting at the library, she gave me an overview of the collection, photos featured here of the former Honolulu Academy of Arts, which opened in April 1927, and of Queen Lili‘uokalani, who founded the former Lili‘uokalani Elementary in Kaimukī in April 1912. “Queen Lili‘uokalani was the first patroness of HHS in 1892. She was still queen at that point,” Engle shared. Along with inviting the public to browse its reading room by appointment, the society publishes The Hawaiian Journal of History, with original articles and research on the history of Hawai‘i and the Pacific. It also organizes public lectures and prints an annual calendar identifying significant dates in Hawaiian history.
STUDIO PORTRAIT OF LILI‘UOKALANI, CIRCA 1881, PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN. PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION, HAWAIIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
560 Kawaiaha‘o St., (808) 537-6271, hawaiianhistory.org, @hawaiianhistory
HONOLULU ACADEMY OF ARTS, CIRCA 1920s, PHOTO BY L.E. EDGEWORTH. PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION, HAWAIIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
APRIL 2024
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BREAKTHROUGH
Hawai‘i’s Newest Literary and Film Star
to spend much time on social media. I don’t have it on my phone, so most of the people I feel like I’m connecting with about these projects are still here in Hawai‘i.” Eisenberg began writing at 18, while studying creative writing at the University of Lynchburg in Virginia. While Significant Others is her third completed novel, it’s the first one published—and by a major publisher. “I had a different agent maybe about 10 years ago that went out with a previous work, and we didn’t sell it,” she says. “This agency that I’m with right now is really wonderful, so I think it was a Zoë Eisenberg is winning praise for two works lot easier for me to get this sold because of the representation I had.” released early this year. In Significant Others, two roommates since college reexamine their codependent friendship while in their late 30s. The women co-own a home, co-parent a rescued dog and shape their lives around BY VA N E S S A H AT H AWAY each other. When one becomes pregnant after a one-night stand, they make plans to raise the child together, until the baby’s father resurfaces. Eisenberg’s novel was inspired by female friendships she had in her 20s, which evolved over time. She calls it a “platonic divorce story,” N HER DEBUT NOVEL, Significant delving into relationship shifts as people change. “What is my life going to look Others, Hawai‘i Island writer Zoë like if I’m not putting all my energy into a romantic relationship? What is my Eisenberg explores the complexilife going to look like if I really entice friendships as my primary relationships ties of female friendship and how it because they have the capacity to be more long standing? These were the kind shifts over time and circumstances. of questions I was asking,” she says. The book, published in early February by Originally from Connecticut, Eisenberg grew up spending summers with HarperCollins, has generated early buzz, her grandparents in Waikīkī and moved to Hawai‘i Island in 2012. The roots she with Kirkus Reviews describing it as an “acestablished in the Islands inspired the setting for her novel. “It never occurred complished first novel [that] artfully limns to me to set [Significant Others] anyromantic crosscurrents where else because this is where I in a thoroughly contemlive, where my creative community porary setting.” lives, and where I saw the story taking A month earlier, the place,” she says. 35-year-old made her solo She began screenwriting and directorial and screendirecting projects with her partner, writing debut with the rePhillips Payson, after moving to lease of Chaperone, which Hawai‘i, then ventured to her solo won the Grand Jury Prize project. She got the idea for Chaperfor Breakouts Feature one after being asked to a party by a at this year’s Slamdance 17-year-old boy who mistook her for Film Festival, known for a teenager when she was 29. Although launching breakthrough she declined, Eisenberg wondered projects. The film tells the what kind of woman would have acstory of an unambitious cepted. “Where would she have to 29-year-old connected be in her life, what would she have to an 18-year-old who to feel, for her to think a ‘yes’ was mistakes her for a high the best decision to make in the moschool student. Chaperment?” she says. one was shot in Hilo and You might think that writing novfeatures a predominantly els and directing films would more Asian American and Pathan fulfill her creative spirit, but cific Islander cast. “The Eisenberg is also a circus producer. reviews I’ve been getting During the pandemic, she cofor Chaperone and Sigproduced and livestreamed circus nificant Others have been performances out of the otherwise really encouraging and empty Hilo Palace Theater, which supportive, but it’s funny, were later distributed by PBS Hawai‘i. I still feel pretty regional,” Eisenberg says. “I try not zoeeisenberg.com, @zoeeisenberg COURTESY: HARPERCOLLINS/MIRA
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FA R M FR E S H
Where to Buy Local Eggs Find them all over the island. BY SARAH BURCHARD
J
OIN US, PLEASE, in mourn-
ing the recent demise of egg production at 114-year-old Petersons’ Upland Farm. But fear not, egg lovers: From Wai‘anae to Waimānalo to O‘ahu’s North Shore, you still have numerous options. Here’s your guide to who’s producing what kinds of eggs and where to find them.
Ka Lei Eggs Also sold under the Hawaiian Maid label, organic eggs from this family farm in Wai‘anae are at most grocery stores on O‘ahu. eggshawaii.com/brands/ka-lei-eggs
Kahumana Organic Farms This Wai‘anae farm buys chicken and duck eggs from growers and farmers in the community. Labels on each carton identify eggs by breed and what the hens ate. Find these at the Kaka‘ako Farmers Market and Wai‘anae Farmers Market, both every Saturday, and at the farm café, 86-660 Lualualei Homestead Road. kahumana.org
Full Circle Farm Vegetables aren’t the sole focus at this Waimānalo farm—it also raises chickens and produces compost. Call (808) 978-2278 to schedule an egg pickup or ask about volunteer farm days. fullcirclefarmhi.com, @full_circle_farm_hi
EKIN KIZILK AYA /ISTOCK /GETT Y IMAGES PLUS VIA GETT Y IMAGES
Golden Farms Organic eggs from free-range Leghorn, Rhode Island Red and Ameraucana hens at this North Shore farm are available at the Saturday Pearlridge Farmers Market and Sunday Kailua Farmers Market.
HoaMoa Farms Organic, free-range chicken eggs come in three sizes and are sold at Kōkua Market, 1720 Pālolo Ave.
Mā‘ili Moa Find cage-free eggs from this familyrun operation in Wai‘anae, sold under the Shaka Moa brand, at most grocery stores. You can also order through Farm Link Hawai‘i or buy fresh at the farm at 87-102 Maliona St., Monday to Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. shakamoaeggs.com
OK Poultry You need to line up early to score the popular TKG eggs (for tamago kake gohan, the homey dish of raw eggs whipped into steaming bowls of rice with a drizzle of soy) at this Waimānalo operation, at 41-656 Kakaina St. Eggs are available from 7:30 a.m. Wednesday and Friday—and they always sell out. @okpoultry
KLK Farm
Villa Rose Egg Farm
This zero-waste tropical fruit farm on the North Shore also raises chickens that sometimes lay eggs and sometimes rest. Call (808) 940-2239 to check egg availability (or schedule a fruit-picking tour) or stop by Kōkua Market in Pālolo.
Sold as Waialua Fresh eggs, these cagefree eggs from a sustainable farm are at O‘ahu grocery stores and at the farm, 65-1001 Kaukonahua Road, Friday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
klkfarm.com, @klkfarm
waialuafresheggs.com, @waialuafresheggs
APRIL 2024
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CURRENTS
From left: Chester Sebastian, Kevin Faller, Kevin Sebastian standing on flooring from UH’s Klum Gym and in front of lockers from Aloha Stadium.
PURSUITS
A LATE-1990s LES MURAKAMI BASEBALL JERSEY posted on Instagram
is what first brought Kevin Faller and Chester Sebastian together. “He kept asking to buy it,” Sebastian recalls. At the time, Faller was curating a monthly vintage market on Queen Street. He invited Sebastian to participate, and soon after added Sebastian’s brother, Kevin, to the roster. The trio realized that their wares, including old-school jerseys, aloha shirts and high school memorabilia, were actually pieces of Hawai‘i history. Thus in 2021, Old Queen
Street Stadium was born—part museum, part vintage boutique—inspired by how stadiums fostered community. “We wanted to create an environment that would bring generations together,” Kevin Sebastian says. “People generously share their stories and about their families,” Faller says. “We’ve kind of become the guardians of those stories.” —Brie Thalmann
550 Halekauwila St., Suite #301, @hawaiisportsmuseum
OLIVIER KONING
Triple Play
C U R AT E D P U R S U I T S
OPENINGS
Boy Next Door
Style
BY BRIE THALMANN
AARON K. YOSHINO
Island-Boy has moved to a spacious new storefront in Kaimukī.
Mau with shop dog Astro
AARON K. YOSHINO
AFTER THREE YEARS IN KAKA‘AKO, Andrew Mau’s
AARON K. YOSHINO
charming Island-Boy boutique finally outgrew its small nook inside Fishcake and relocated to Kaimukī late last year. Lined in neon flowers, the blink-andmiss-it entrance is nestled between The Local General Store and Keep It Simple. Inside the expansive 1,500-square-foot space with concrete floors and soaring ceilings, Mau’s artsy gift and home items, floral arrangements, clothing and vintage wares have ample room to breathe. Along with Island-Boy staples, such as Oshan Essentials skin care, Lindquist bags and Mau’s own Mau-House line, keep an eye out for recent additions, including Hawaiian Vinegar and Spice Co. shrubs, Honoka‘a Chocolate Co. treats and exquisite shibori fashions from Japanese label Eleven Eleven. 3464 Wai‘alae Ave., @islandboy.shop
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STYLE
SPOTTED
Nature Channel We’re swooning over Teri Ann Murakoshi’s lovely lei vases.
LOCAL POTTER TERI ANN MURAKOSHI is bringing a little aloha to tabletops across the island with her latest vessels. Hand-molded into swooping, lei-like silhouettes, the vases come in both smooth and speckled finishes and feature a shallow channel for hydrating cut flowers. She also makes smaller arched and linear styles. Snag one at Olive Boutique, select pop-up markets or via custom order. @madebyteriann
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STYLE
OPENINGS
COURTESY: THE SURFJACK HOTEL & SWIM CLUB
Sip & Sea Arvo at The Surfjack offers coffee with a splash of shopping. WHEN ARVO WAS TAPPED to open its second location at The Surfjack Hotel and Swim Club, the opportunity came with an added perk: a sweet little boutique space. Being just a few blocks from the ocean, the coastal assortment includes colorful Sallas shortboards, Olita’s Hawai‘imade neoprene totes, and blankets from SoCal brand Overexposed. You’ll find the latest shell jewelry from co-owner Dixie Rose’s Studio Dixie line, along with fun checkered Aloha Clay cups that pair perfectly with a bag of Arvo’s Sightglass coffee beans. arvocafe.com, @arvo_surfjack
WORKSHOPS
AM
ORA
Stitch Incoming
AARON K. YOSHINO
WHEN THEY SAY “if you’re gonna learn, learn
IN :K CO
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from the best,” we’re pretty sure that a sewing class with the one and only Kini Zamora is exactly what they had in mind. The monthly four-hour workshops are geared toward beginner and medium-level students, who’ll learn how to make everything from a blanket and pair of shorts to a pa‘ū skirt and holiday stocking. Zamora leads the classes, offering not just instruction, but also insider knowledge and easy tricks gleaned from years in the industry. And expect some interesting discussions on the cultural significance of sewing in Hawai‘i.
kinizamora.com, @kinizamoraofficial
YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH Valerie Ferguson’s modeling work—for years she’s dazzled
P R E S S P L AY
JOSIAH PATTERSON
Rise and Shine Model Valerie Ferguson shows off her musical chops as Wake Up Sleepyhead.
IZ
Sign up for fashion designer Kini Zamora’s first-ever sewing classes.
in local campaigns and editorials. Now, the mom of three and oncology nurse practitioner is getting back to her musical roots (she’s trained in violin and was in bands for much of her 20s) with the release of Six Easy Pieces, her first project as solo artist Wake Up Sleepyhead. Full of dreamy lyrics and layered instrumentals (guitars, strings and keyboard, all played by Ferguson herself), the synth pop record revolves around the concepts of eschewing dormancy, being present and finding courage, both in relationships and life. wakeupsleepyheadofficial.com, @wakeupsleepyheadofficial
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THE NEW GUIDE TO CHINESE FO OD
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HONOLULU MAGAZINE
WELCOME TO THE CIT Y’S CHANGING CHINESE FOOD SCENE: ONCE DOMINATED BY CANTONESE RESTAURANTS, IT’S NOW A MIX OF REGIONAL CULINARY STYLES AS RICHLY DIVERSE AS CHINA.
BY MARTHA CHENG AND MARI TAKETA PHOTOS BY AARON K. YOSHINO
Wu Wei Chong Qing Cuisine APRIL 2024
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IT’S
Xinjiang Spices like cumin and fennel reflect the region’s ethnic mix and Silk Road history.
NEVER BEEN A MORE EXCITING TIME for
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FLAVOR NATION ILLUSTRATION: JAMES NAK AMURA
Chinese food in Honolulu. No longer are we bound to orange chicken and cake noodle—though never ask us to give them up! A window into China’s immense regional culinary diversity has been cracked, bringing in the hot and numbing spices of Sichuan, the skewers of northern China, the thin rice noodles of Yunnan. It reflects a diversity unfolding across the country: Whereas the first Chinese immigrants came to the U.S. primarily from the southern province of Guangdong, newer waves have arrived from Fujian and other regions. The result is a heady mix of different culinary styles at eateries around the city—from the tiny, family-run Wu Wei Chong Qing to Los Angeles import Chengdu Taste to large chains like Meet Fresh, which draws on Taiwanese traditions. Even longtime restaurateurs have adjusted to the changing demographics. When former owner Kevin Li opened King Restaurant and Bar in 2019, he sensed a shift in tastes and departed from the localized Chinese food he served at his previous restaurant, the homey neighborhood spot Hung Won. Instead, he offered Sichuan dishes like mouthwatering chicken alongside honey walnut shrimp and salted egg yolk crab. King Restaurant’s repositioning is a larger trend writ small: It’s not a coincidence that the rise in diversity comes as Chinatowns across the country are struggling. Some of our longstanding Cantonese-style eateries, both inside and outside of Chinatown—Nam Fong, Golden Palace, Tasty Chop Suey (see page 31 for an ode to some of them)—are closing as the older generation calls it quits, giving way to newer restaurants with their regional specificities. And so, yes, as diners we have so many more choices and, especially in Hawai‘i, an appreciation for both the familiar and novel, so that ultimately our dining scene is like the best Chinese banquet: wonderfully textured and complex and perfectly in balance. —MC
NORTH TO SOUTH, EAST TO WEST, CULINARY STYLES OF A COUNTRY ABOUT AS LARGE AS THE U.S. NOW FEATURE AT RESTAURANTS AROUND HONOLULU.
HON0424 ono Chinese guide part 2: map of china
Northern China/ South Korea
Hed: Flavor Nation Dek: Honolulu’s Chinese restaurants (i will think of the rest of this sentence later). Illustration by James Nakamura A hybrid cuisine
of northern (graphical map of china will highlight cities/regions below, with bulleted lists of Honolulu restaurants featuring dishes with regions/dishes featured in next section of 5 deep dives into these cuisines. My yellow highlights Chinese correspond modified to suit dishes.) Korean palates.
Shaanxi
Famous for salty, Chongqing/Sichuan
sour and spicy flavors and biang Chengdu Taste and biangMian handpulled noodles.
Chong Qing Hot Pot
Tianjin
Chongqing/ Joy Cup Noodles Mean Sichuan SXY Szechuan
Tongue-numbing mala is only oneChong Qing Cuisine Wu Wei of Sichuan’s complex and varied flavor profiles.
Hong Kong Guangdong/Canton (cha chaan The mother cuisine of most longtime Chinese restaurants inteng) Honolulu
The street food capital of northern China is known for steamed buns and meaty crepes.
Guangdong/ Canton The most popular Chinese cuisine in Hawai‘i and the rest of the U.S., with fresh ingredients and modest seasoning.
A hodgepodge of Cantonese, Southeast Asian, British colonial and other influences.
Hong Kong (cha chaan teng) Yi Xin Café HK Café Sandy’s Café
Hunan Hunan Cuisine
Yunnan
Hunan
Rice and varied ethnic influences feature in dishes from a region bordering Southeast Asia.
China’s other spicy regional style features a chile heat more intense than mala.
Taiwan The island nation has a distinct food identity separate from China’s.
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Wu Wei Chong Qing Cuisine
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TASTE TOUR
CHONGQING/SICHUAN Chongqing was part of Sichuan Province until 1997, so they share similar flavors, though cooks in Chongqing are particularly famous for upping the ante in mala, or numbing-and-hot flavor. But it’s only one facet of the cuisine: Other tastes characteristic of Sichuan include “fish-fragrant” flavor—sweet, sour and generously flavored with pickled chiles, garlic and ginger—and “strange” flavor, often a blend of soy sauce, chile oil, Sichuan pepper, sesame, sugar and vinegar.
Boiled fish with pickled cabbage and chile (suancai yu) noodle At Wu Wei Chong Qing Cuisine, owner Lulu Sie melds her hometown’s xiao mian (“small noodle”) street food culture, which includes simple noodle soups of ground pork and yellow peas, with traditionally home-cooked dishes like mapo tofu, twice-cooked pork, and fish soup with pickled mustard greens. The latter isusually paired with rice, but here it’s poured over noodles. Our favorite match is the s uancai yu: tender basa fi lle ts in a hot and sour broth of Sichuan pickled mustard greens, house-made pickled ginger and xiao mi la, a small red chile. Serving it with noodles from Yat Tung Chow Noodle Factory in Chinatown ensures that little of the flavorful soup is lost. —MC Wu Wei Chong Qing Cuisine, 1738 S. King St., (808) 741-2297, @wuweicuisine
Wu Wei Chong Qing Cuisine was born as much out of love as pragmatism. Lulu Sie arrived in Honolulu with her husband six years ago and found here “not many different types of Chinese food, though it’s getting a little bit better.” Most striking to Sie, 37, was the scarcity of options from her native Chongqing—so she prepared dishes herself, covering her table with feasts and inviting friends, who suggested she open a restaurant. Wu Wei is her first. Its focused menu of noodle dishes keeps things manageable for Sie—and lets her share the flavors of her childhood with her 8-year-old son. —MT
Tea smoked duck (Zhangcha duck) “Smoked duck is one of Sichuan’s most lauded delicacies,” writes food scholar Fuschia Dunlop in The Food of Sichuan. Chengdu Taste follows the traditional, multiday method of preparing it, seasoning it with spices including Sichuan peppercorns, fennel, clove and ginger, then smoking it for 48 hours over tea and camphor leaves. The duck is steamed, and right before it arrives at the table, gets doused with hot oil to crisp and brown the skin. Only 15 ducks are available each day, so reserve yours in advance. —MC
Twice-cooked pork Twice-cooked pork is a beloved dish of the Sichuanese home kitchen—its taste is even characterized as jiachang wei, or “home-style flavor,” one of the cuisine’s most distinctive flavor profiles. At Chengdu Taste, thin-sliced boiled pork belly is stir-fried with fermented black bean; doubanjiang, a bean paste; leeks; and Shaoxing wine. It’s a xia fan cai, or “rice depleter, and makes you want to refill your bowl of rice,” says Jean Lin, marketing manager of Chengdu Taste. We couldn’t agree more. —MC
Chengdu Taste, 808 Sheridan St., (808) 589-1818, @chengdutastehonolulu
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Honolulu Skewer House
NORTHERN CHINA/SOUTH KOREA XINJIANG Locals who grew up on Cantonese flavors at Honolulu’s dim sum parlors and chop suey t akeoutsmay not recognize spicy barbecued meat skewers as part of the family of Chinese cuisines. Lamb is popular among Muslims of China’s northwest, and cumin dominates the blends of dried spices that evoke Urumqi’s place as an important trading post on the ancient Silk Road.
One of the most popular dishes among Koreans almost everywhere is jajangmyeon. The noodle dish isn’t Korean: It comes from Chinese restaurants whose founding families fled the northeast corners of that country with home-style recipes stashed in their heads. No one city in China claims ownership of this hybrid cuisine, whose other popular staples in South Korea are tangsuyuksweet-sour pork and jjamppong spicy seafood soup noodles. Common themes include wheat and often, spice.
Shaokao or chuan Minimalist and plain-looking, meat skewers in China burst with flavor. They are the polar opposite of yakitori, whose naked chicken pieces are grilled with nothing more than salt or sweetened soy sauce. Chinese skewers ripple with chiles and Silk Road spices. They come from far northwestern Xinjiang, whose long history layers in Muslim influences that not only survive, they’ve birthed a street food skewer culture all over China. Thumb-size slivers of meat are threaded onto metal sticks, marinated and grilled, the leaner bits interspersed with pockets of crisped, yielding fat. Onto these are dusted seasonings including cumin, numbing Sichuan chiles, red chile powder, salt, pepper, and sometimes fennel, sometimes sesame seeds. “For people in my hometown this is comfort food. We eat it for dinner, midnight dinner, even for lunch,” says Fiona Yang, who opened Khan Skewer Restaurant when the pandemic thwarted visits home to Xining in Qinghai Province. “My hometown is really cold, and people like meat and spice. There are Muslim people, Mongolians, people from Xinjiang, Tibet. Skewers are part of our culture because we are a mixed city.” —MT Honolulu Skewer House, 567 Kapahulu Ave., (808) 888-8680, @hnlskewerhouse
Eastern Paradise Restaurant
Chico Lee, 66, took over cooking duties at Eastern Paradise from his father, Chi Hsing Lee, 93; Chico’s brother, Steve, 70, runs the business side. The family’s restaurant career started with Chi Hsing’s father in South Korea and will end with Chico and Steve. “We’ve been in the business so many years, and we know how it takes all your time,” Steve Lee says. “We don’t want that for our kids.” When the brothers can retire depends on Chi Hsing, who buys ingredients for the restaurant daily. When Steve broaches the subject, his father’s response is “Retire? What am I going to do?” —MT
Khan Skewer Restaurant, 925 Isenberg St., (808) 955-8868, @khan_skewer Volcano Skewer House, 808 Sheridan St., (808) 398-1960, @volcanoskewerhouse APRIL 2024
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Eastern Paradise Restaurant
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HONOLULU MAGAZINE
TAIWAN
Zhajiangmian or jajangmyeon Zhajiangmian, a glossy dish of wheat noodles crowned with sauce the color of black coffee, is multicultural. Its popularity traversed the cold regions of northern China until decades of famine and war drove thousands of Chinese across the border, where the dish took root in South Korea as jajangmyeon. The story of Steve Leeand his family parallels this path: Their escape from Shandong Province and hard work in Korean cities were crowned with success when the family opened Chinese restaurants, fortifying and sweetening their zhajiangmianto suit local tastes. A generation later they would uproot again, this time settling in Hawai‘i. In 1978, in the same spot where you’ll find it today, the Lees opened Eastern Paradise Restaurant. Today it’s one of three places serving jajangmyeon in Honolulu, along with On Dong Chinese Restaurant and Dowon Chinese Restaurant. Each burnishes the dark, wokfried sauce of fermented soy beans, pork, onions and other vegetablesinits own way—one sweeter, one thicker, one or two with seafood, and so on. Housemade kim cheealways accompanies. —MT Dowon Chinese Restaurant, 510 Pi‘ikoiSt., (808) 596-0008 Eastern Paradise Restaurant, 1403 S. King St., (808) 941-5858, @easternparadise On Dong Chinese Restaurant, 1499 S. King St., (808) 947-9444
“[T]he notion that Taiwanese cuisine is its own distinct genre is extremely new,” Clarissa Wei writes in her recently released cookbook Made in Taiwan. “But it’s an increasingly common perspective that’s being adopted by many who live on the island today, especially in light of cross-strait tensions and as we look for ways to set ourselves apart from aggressors.” So while much of the U.S. associates Taiwanese food with beef noodle soup, soup dumplings and a breakfast of fan tuan and shaobing, these were brought by mainland Chinese fleeing the Chinese Civil War in 1949. These dishes evolved to be unique to Taiwan, but in addition is a cuisine with older influences, including the island’s Indigenous tribes, Japan’s colonialism, and Fujianese and Hakka immigration, which can make Taiwanese food as hard to define as modern American food.
Frost City
Yifeng Kuang, 21, took over as owner of Frost City from his Guangdongborn parents, who bought the café from Hong Kong-born Stella Tsang. Though none of these owners are from Taiwan, all fell in love with its desserts—Tsang with the fruity shaved ices at the core of the menu and Kuang’s parents, Jinghua Lin and Jiancong Kuang, with dessert soups like taro balls with grass jelly (pictured here). Kuang’s biggest challenges lie ahead: Finishing biochemistry studies at UH Mānoa and navigating Frost City’s move to a new location. —MT APRIL 2024
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Frost City
Taro balls and grass jelly The towering shaveice snags most of the attention at Frost City, but the taste of the taro balls feels particularly nostalgic for Taiwanese. Akin to gnocchi but sweet and springier, they’re made with mashed, cooked taro mixed with rice flour. Lavender in color, they’re served in milk or tea alongside Frost City’s vibrant orange kabocha balls and Okinawan sweet potato balls. I like to pair them with grass jelly, especially on hot days—it’s said to have a cooling effect. Grass jelly is made with Chinese mesona, a plant in the mint family, that’s dried and boiled and thickened with starch for a slippery, gelatinous texture. —MC Frost City, 2570 S. Beretania St., (808) 947-3328
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HONOLULU MAGAZINE
HONG KONG’S CHA C HAAN TENG Originally a byproduct of British colonialism in Hong Kong, cha chaan teng emerged in the 1950s and ’60s, fusing flavors of the East and West. In recent years, three such restaurants have opened in Honolulu. Reports from Hong Kong point to a decline in theirpopularity there, but could it be that in Hawai‘i, where food rooted in nostalgia seems to last longer, the spirit of cha c haan tengwill survive?
Baked pork chop with tomato sauce and cheese over rice Baked pork chop rice is a quintessential comfort food in Hong Kong’s “soy sauce Westerns” and cha chaan teng (literally, “tea restaurant,” and otherwise known as Hong Kong-style diners). This casserole of egg-fried rice is topped with a marinated, lightly battered and panfried pork chop, all covered in tomato sauce and melted cheese. At Sandy’s Café, the addition of red onions, fresh tomatoes and canned pineapple chunks in the sauce lightens the concoction, which arrives in a disposable aluminum tin, underscoring its unfussy and deeply soothing nature. —MC Sandy’s Café, 100 N. Beretania St., (808) 200-0468
HK Café
Hong Kong milk tea In 2014, milk tea and other cha chaan teng dishes were officially named part of Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage. This isn’t the British weak milk tea that the drink was derived from, but a potent cup that will keep you up all night. “The cure for that? Drink another one,” jokes HK Café co-owner Chris Law. Here’s why it’s so strong: 130 grams of a finely ground blend of five different black teas are brewed for each pitcher, and the tea poured through a cloth filter bag (the shape of which gives it the nickname “pantyhose” tea) 16 times over an hour. In essence, you’re drinking about 10 times the amount of tea in your average cup, steeped for way longer. Served hot, it’s mixed with evaporated milk and sugar; the cold version is served with condensed milk. (You can specify your preferences for milk and sugar.) Co-owner Man Fang’s hands are stained from preparing so many milk teas each day. —MC HK Café, multiple locations, @hkcafehawaii
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A New Dim Sum King You may not know Terry Cheung’s name, but if you’ve been to Honolulu Seafood Restaurant or Kapi‘olani Seafood Restaurant, you’ve seen his face. Cartoon images of the local contractor-turned-restaurateur are plastered on menus, tote bags and keychains, with good reason: Cheung is a new force on the food scene. Honolulu Seafood, in the former Mandalay space downtown, seats more than 300 diners on two stories. A takeout dim sum counter is slated for Kāne‘ohe in the spring, a sit-down eatery is in the works in ‘Aiea, and Cheung is eyeing another banquet-style restaurant in metro Honolulu. “There are plenty of restaurants that closed. So, we want to do the best dim sum in Hawai‘i,” he said after opening Honolulu Seafood in February. “We’re trying to make this the best restaurant for wedding parties, Chinese parties, graduation parties.” —MT Honolulu Seafood Restaurant, 1055 Alakea St., (808) 538-8788
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Once ubiquitous, Honolulu’s old-school Cantonese restaurants are dwindling— but as a former HONOLULU editor notes, they leave lasting memories. BY CHRISTI YOUNG TOMISATO
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HEN I WAS GROWING UP, events revolved around a Lazy Susan. My parents come from large Chinese families, so milestones were marked banquet-style in five-, eight- or 10-course increments. Like many locals, our rotation of Chinese restaurants became an indelible part of family traditions that I thought would last forever. We celebrated weddings at Royal Garden, where I loved the seafood in taro baskets, or Lau Yee Chai with its signature clover-shaped entrance. When we got antsy, somewhere between the shrimp chips and noodles we knew never to cut, we swung on stanchions protecting the large paintings. First birthdays and graduations sent us to Hee Hing, where doting grandparents or older cousins took little ones to gaze at fish swimming in the tanks. For a while, my Uncle Hing Chock and Auntie Bea Wong hosted Christmas lunch at Seafood Village in Waikīkī. With Gran and Grandpa, Pearl and Albert Lau, we gathered at Doong Kong Lau on River Street for birthdays, anniversaries and casual dinners, interrupting rounds of beef sin choy and pork hash to race around the T’Sung sculpture overlooking Nu‘uanu Stream. Informal lunches with Popo and Gung Gung, Dorothy and Ah Mun Young, included steaming bowls of jook topped by green onions and youtiao, the crispy deep-fried Chinese doughnuts. Sundays after church meant wun tun mein at Tasty’s in Kalihi, where we pulled bottles of Coca-Cola from an old-fashioned vending machine. Weekend trips to Chinatown with Gran and Grandpa included rolls of look fun and bags of guazi watermelon seeds that we cracked open with our teeth. We over-ordered from dim sum carts at Wo Fat—baskets of char siu bao, siu mai and my favorite, har gow. One by one, these restaurants closed. Lau Yee Chai, where my sisters celebrated their unions, was gone by the time I got married. We marked the big day at the Ala Moana Hotel just so we could cater from Royal Garden. That’s now gone, too. My older daughter’s first birthday was in that side room at Hee Hing; when my second daughter arrived, Hee Hing, too, had closed. Gone are our family parties at Pah Ke’s in Kāne‘ohe and dinner at Pauoa Chop Suey before midnight Christmas Eve services. My daughters’ Chinese food memories are more tied to the roast pork, jook and jai my mom makes, and the gau we steam to greet the Lunar New Year, using recipes handed down from my grandparents. At least my girls can still get a taste of family history, no reservations required. But I miss the restaurants that transformed meals into memories.
ISTOCK / GETT Y IMAGES PLUS, SPIHARU
GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
A REGIONAL GUIDE: HONOLULU’S CHINESE RESTAURANTS
Chongqing/ Sichuan Chengdu Taste and Mian 808 Sheridan St. (808) 589-1818 Chong Qing Hot Pot 1200 Ala Moana Blvd., Building 4, Floor 2, (808) 593-8818 Joy Cup Noodles Mean 1608 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 725-2898 SXY Szechuan 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., #2870, (808) 942-8884 Wu Wei Chong Qing Cuisine 1738 S. King St., #101, (808) 741-2297
Guangdong/Canton The mother cuisine of most longtime Chinese restaurants in Honolulu
Hong Kong (cha chaan teng) Yi Xin Café 2919 Kapi‘olani Blvd., (808) 738-0818 HK Café 1113 Maunakea St., (808) 200-5757 Sandy’s Café 100 N. Beretania St., (808) 200-0468
Hunan Hunan Cuisine 53 N. Beretania St., (808) 599-8838
Northern China/ South Korea Dowon Chinese Restaurant 510 Pi‘ikoi St., #106, (808) 596-0008 Eastern Paradise Restaurant 1403 S. King St., (808) 941-5858 On Dong Chinese Restaurant 1499 S. King St., (808) 947-9444
Shaanxi Youpo Noodles HI At various farmers markets
Taiwan A-ma’s Gua Bao 919 Ala Moana Blvd., (808) 429-7896 Aunty’s Hotpot House 91-5431 Kapolei Parkway, Kapolei, (808) 670-2813 Cloud Nine Café 1221 Kapi‘olani Blvd., (808) 739-9988 Dragon Tea Taiwanese Cuisine 1339 N. School St., #104, (808) 847-4838 Fooki 98-199 Kamehameha Highway, ‘Aiea, (808) 484-9188 Honolulu Noodle & Co. 2250 Kalākaua Ave., BSE 2, (808) 888-2868 Ice Monster 2255 Kūhiō Ave., (808) 762-3192 Meet Fresh 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., #1320, (808) 809-9034 Season’s Ice & Eatery 100 N. Beretania St., #117, (808) 538-1978 85˚ C Bakery Café Multiple locations, 85cbakerycafe.com
Tianjin Bing Bros At various farmers markets
Xinjiang Honolulu Skewer House 567 Kapahulu Ave., #1A, (808) 888-8680 Khan Skewer Restaurant 925 Isenberg St., (808) 955-8868 Volcano Skewer House 808 Sheridan St., (808) 398-1960
Yunnan Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle 98-1005 Moanalua Road, #801A, ‘Aiea, (808) 892-6888
Hybrid Dew Drop Inn 1088 S. Beretania St., (808) 526-9522 Honolulu Hotpot Hale 1440 Kapi‘olani Blvd., (808) 888-8869 King Restaurant 1340 Kapi‘olani Blvd., #101, (808) 957-9999 APRIL 2024
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Megan Kamalei Kakimoto, 30, winner of Author Under 35
We’ve been showcasing Hawai‘i writers for 136 years, but now, after a boom year in local literature we’re inspired to recognize their achievements more formally. BY DON WALLACE
A ARON K. YOSHINO
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ELCOME TO THE INAUGURAL HONOLULU BOOK AWARDS. You may ask, rightly, what took us so long? There’s a reason this celebration of Hawai‘i writers and literature is happening now. First, 2023 was a breakthrough year for Island writers. A crop of good books from local publishers is nothing new; the strength of our regional literature is in houses such as Bamboo Ridge, Bess Press, University of Hawai‘i Press, Mutual Publishing, Tinfish Press and Watermark Publishing. But our good fortune was compounded last year, when month after month, titles arrived from mainstream East Coast publishers including HarperCollins, Bloomsbury, Knopf Doubleday and Amazon’s Little A. Hawai‘i has never had a year like this—not even close. Even better, the books in this group are all-in on the rich complexity of our culture and history. No mai tais under the moonlight, no White Lotus-like resorts where visitors act out Polynesian fantasies (although several of these books definitely critique those fantasies). From its inception as Paradise of the Pacific, HONOLULU has always published short stories, poetry and creative nonfiction. In 1983, HONOLULU established the magazine’s short story contest, which instantly attracted submissions from across the country. This was still in the heyday of the magazine short story—when the likes of Kurt Vonnegut could command $10,000 for
a story in Ladies’ Home Journal—and HONOLULU paid as much as $1,000 for first prizes. Even as late as 2010, when Starbucks co-sponsored the contest, there were five runners-up and 10 honorable mentions, many of them familiar today: Lisa Linn Kanae, Alexei Melnick, Christy Passion, Cedric Yamanaka. We even made a book of our stories with Bamboo Ridge Press in 1999. And although the contest eventually ended, it was revived (appropriately enough at Halloween) with 2017’s ghost story contest. In 2018, HONOLULU published the piece, “50 Essential Hawai‘i Books” (and 37 Roll of Honor selections). Its success led to a follow-up 2022 roundup, “Essential Hawai‘i Books You Should Read: The Next 134.” Including our past summer reading issues and annual holiday lists, we’ve published some 300 book reviews in the past decade. We do this because books are our cultural repository, a reliable and survivable record of who we are. For our awards for books published in 2023, as with our “essential books” lists, our criteria was simple. We selected winners based on their quality, impact and influence. We considered reviews and awards they may have accrued, as well as overall readability. Finally, we looked for the heightened appreciation that occurs in the presence of great writing. So, here they are, the inaugural winners of the HONOLULU Book Awards. Welcome to the dance.
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BOOK OF THE YEAR (ABOUT HAWAI‘I)
Hula
BY JASMIN ‘IOLANI HAKES Ryley Higa is a machine learning engineer for California B2B tech company Civil Logic, where he builds artificial intelligence systems. The Hawai‘i local became interested in AI while studying computer engineering at the University of Illinois. After graduating in 2017, he started working in the San Francisco Bay Area, moved home during the pandemic to work remotely, and has since organized a local group that meets monthly to discuss AI tools.
“I
WANTED ONLY TO WRITE A STORY of my hometown, for my home-
HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS
A ARON K. YOSHINO
town,” Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes says. “The intended plot was relatively straightforward: The daughter of a famous hula dancer dreams of growing up and perpetuating the family legacy by becoming a famous hula dancer, complicated by the fact that she looks white and the possibility she’s adopted.” “Relatively straightforward” is an understatement about this intensely focused epic about three women: kumu matriarch Hulali; her daughter Laka, whose love for David runs up against the 50% blood quantum rule for any family determined to keep its Hawaiian homestead; and Hi‘i, the child Laka presents as her own after disappearing for years. Despite rigorous training in her grandmother’s hālau hula, famed for its Merrie Monarch performances, Hi‘i never wins Hulali’s acceptance. Set mostly in Hilo’s close-knit Hawaiian community from the late 1960s to late 1990s, Hula pulses with Hakes’ lyrical voice and that of her community chorus. But her characters live in a system built by white colonizers to turn them against their own kith and kin. It’s family drama and social history buffed to a high literary polish.
GOOD COMPANIONS B Hawai‘i has no shortage of narratives about the
conflicts between generations in families, and sometimes between races. You might say it’s our house specialty. From the Japanese plantation perspective set in the 1930s, then, Milton Murayama’s 1975 novel, All I Asking for Is My Body, is a “declaration of independence ... from unjust obligations and servitude,” wrote critic Stephen Sumida in 1991. The story’s accusative force cannot be denied.
B Lois-Ann Yamanaka’s novel of 1970s Hilo,
Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers, full of manic hormonal energy, chronicles Lovey Nariyoshi’s coming
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of age in an emotionally stunted family marinated in schoolyard and anti-Japanese prejudice.
B
Hakes herself has a pick: “I was in high school and working at the Hilo Public Library shelving books when Shark Dialogues by Kiana Davenport was released. It was the first book I had ever read that portrayed the kind of world I lived in—memories interwoven with mythology, history with magical realism, family dynamics and personal identity complicated by genealogy and politics—and it opened my eyes to the possibilities that existed within literature to reflect a nuanced, layered Hawai‘i (and the lack of it at the time).”
FAVORITE BOOK ABOUT HAWAI‘I Unwritten Literature of Hawai‘i: The Sacred Songs of the Hula by Nathaniel Bright Emerson. “Its pages have provided me a lifetime of solace during times of homesickness, its stories a link to all I grew up learning,” Hakes says.
The Lost Wife
T
HE LOST WIFE OPENS IN 1855 when Sarah, a battered
young Rhode Island wife, flees her marriage to rejoin a friend she met in an insane asylum, where she and her indigent mother were once confined. A marvelously detailed early American road trip follows: gritty, dirty, full of chaotic frontier energy and casual brutality. Sarah finally arrives in Shakopee, Minnesota, only to learn her friend is long dead. So, we’re not in Hawai‘i anymore, Toto. Resourceful Sarah quickly enters another marriage of convenience, to a Yale-educated, opium-addicted Native American reservation agent on an isolated outpost. There, she ends up preferring the company of the Native women to her coarse white counterparts and settles into middleclass comfort furnished by the Montgomery Ward catalog, which delivers as reliably as Amazon. As complications pile up, Sarah’s wit and deadpan sass almost make us forget her tragic circumstances. But soon the Department of the Interior embarks on a policy of starving the Natives, who take Sarah and other women as hostages. She becomes their intermediary and advocate. But, as in the actual events upon which the story is based, the story ends badly. Very. This slim and pared-down work is a master class in narration and historical accuracy. Yet we never feel far from the author’s foundational Island novels My Old Sweetheart, The Whiteness of Bones and Sleeping Beauties or even In the Cut, her erotic noir set in Manhattan’s West Village, the film of which broke up Middle America’s romance with Meg Ryan. As in her stunning 2020 memoir, Miss Aluminum, there’s a girl adrift, steered not always kindly by a powerful woman and abandoned to the predations of men.
COURTESY: SUSANNA MOORE
BY SUSANNA MOORE
GOOD COMPANIONS B The Echo of Our Song:
Chants and Poems of the Hawaiians by Mary Kawena Pukui and Alfons L. Korn. “The book that most influenced me and helped me to write Paradise of the Pacific,” says Moore about Queen Ka‘ahumanu and the enormous changes following the arrival of Europeans and missionaries.
B Facing the Spears of
Change: A Life of John Papa ‘Ī‘Ī by Marie Alohalani Brown is a riveting account of Hawaiian court life that spans the 19th century. Local writing mentor Ian MacMillan’s In the Time Before Light is a pounding epic novel of the lawless era after the collapse of Hawaiian society, comparable to Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian.
FAVORITE BOOK ABOUT HAWAI‘I KNOPF
A ARON K. YOSHINO
BOOK OF THE YEAR (NOT ABOUT HAWAI‘I)
Hawaiian Antiquities: Mo‘olelo Hawai‘i; Tales and Traditions of the People of Old: Nā Mo‘olelo a ka Po‘e Kahiko; and Ka Po‘e Kahiko: The People of Old by Samuel Kamakau. APRIL 2024
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AUTHOR OF THE YEAR
CHRIS MCKINNEY FOR SOHO PRESS
Eventide, Water City and Sunset, Water City
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A ARON K. YOSHINO
A
FTER 2012’S BOI NO GOOD, an epic tale of a Native Hawaiian family (and city of Honolulu) doomed by the original sin of dispossession, Chris McKinney jumped from social realist novels to filmmaking. “From 2013 to 2017,” he says, “I went full throttle trying to sell two television/streaming crime series set in contemporary Hawai‘i. I was flying to LA, meeting with agents, producers and actors.” Even after publishing a 2016 corrupt cop noir, Yakudoshi: Age of Calamity, and despite “the pathological optimism of Hollywood,” he discovered, “modern Hawai‘i is a near-impossible sell.” Instead of contorting himself trying to give Hollywood what it wanted, which he says is “a notoriously crime-riddled setting ... with murderous law enforcement and heaps of racial tension,” he started a sci-fi noir novel about Hawai‘i. “I imagined it about 120 years into the future, scarred and recolonized beyond recognition.” The Water City trilogy is the result. “It was me attempting to tether myself to a future Hawai‘i, while dipping my toes into imagined places beyond, like a post-apocalyptic Midwest, an underwater Osaka, and the moon.” The plot pairs genetic engineering and environmental catastrophe with a scientist who’s fooled the world into thinking she’s our genius-savior. How? By using a telescope on Maunakea. “Not only was it really fun to write,” McKinney says, “it was much easier to sell”— to New York indie Soho Press, which published Midnight, Water City in 2021. Eventide, Water City and Sunset, Water City followed in 2023; both received starred reviews, and the concluding volume was named a Best Speculative Fiction by CrimeReads. Two books plus McKinney’s prophetic vision of Hawai‘i’s future if we don’t get our act together equals a tour de force the likes of which we haven’t seen.
GOOD COMPANIONS B Two recent local sci-fi anthologies
make perfect bookends: Snaring New Suns, Speculative Works from Hawai‘i and Beyond and ‘Ike Pāpālua: Science Fiction & Fantasy Stories from the Hawaiian Islands. (Disclaimer: Don Wallace contributed a story to Snaring New Suns.)
B Char Siu, the third in Scott Kikkawa’s pulp noir series featuring 1950s Honolulu detective Francis “The Sheik”
Yoshikawa, arrived in 2023. The Sheik’s world-weary, cynical voice could do the Audible of McKinney’s trilogy.
B McKinney himself says the book
that most influenced him is Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. “It’s the most impressive novel I’ve ever read. This is easy to measure because it’s the book I’ve reread the most times.”
FAVORITE BOOK ABOUT HAWAI‘I “It’s a tie between Tweakerville: Life and Death in Hawai‘i’s Ice World by Alexei Melnick and Every Drop Is a Man’s Nightmare by Megan Kamalei Kakimoto.”
DEBUT AUTHOR
JESSICA MACHADO FOR
Local: A Memoir
JEN CUMBO, COURTESY JESSICA MACHADO
LITTLE A
B
EGUN AS AN ACT OF SELFPRESERVATION after squandering her 20s in a bar-centric life in Los Angeles, Local “started as a memoir about isolation,” Jessica Machado says, “mostly tied to my relationship to my mother,” a white Baptist from Louisiana whose impulsive marriage to a laid-back Hawaiian-Portuguese man ended even before he had a child by a more beachy haole girl. With her dad absent and her mother, a beloved public-school teacher in Wai‘anae, routinely coming home late and exhausted, Machado was raised by television. School friendships, MTV and boy bands filled the void. In college, she started clubbing. But while floating through party-hearty LA years later, the decline of her parents and a couple of bad mistakes led to a realization: It’s not just her life that feels empty. “The more I took space from the book, the more I realized my feelings of isolation were much deeper than any barriers between my mom and [me]; they were also about my disconnection to my Hawaiian ancestry and culture even though I grew up in Hawai‘i,” Machado says. Finding a path back didn’t happen automatically. Local grips us with honest artistry, chronicling Machado’s despairing struggle to balance caregiving, forgiveness and caring for herself. A story of grit and grace, it hits hard. And it’s touched hearts. “Most of the emails and DMs I receive are from other mixed-race people, many locals who grew up in Hawai‘i and moved away,” says Machado, now an NBC News editor and mother. “They too understand loving our home with such intensity, but never quite fitting in either here or on the continent. The ones that really get me, though, are the readers who tell me they too never felt Hawaiian enough. We have to remind ourselves that Hawaiian is not blood quantum or ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i fluency—it’s connecting with our ‘āina and community.”
GOOD COMPANIONS B Local is about the sustaining power of
friendship, especially between young women. A perfect companion volume is Significant Others, Hawai‘i Island writer Zoë Eisenberg’s novel about 30-somethings whose lives are stalling out.
B Megan Kamalei Kakimoto’s Every Drop Is a
Man’s Nightmare gives us a Honolulu perspective on the shaky lives of young women in the workplace and culture. “She did the thing (beautifully, boldly) that I was hesitant to do—reclaim our mo‘olelo, play with it, make it our literature,” Machado says.
FAVORITE BOOK ABOUT HAWAI‘I From a Native Daughter by Haunani-Kay Trask.
APRIL 2024
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AUTHOR UNDER 35
GOOD COMPANIONS B Among its other qualities, This Is
MEGAN K AMALEI K AKIMOTO FOR
Every Drop Is a Man’s Nightmare
I
B Hawai‘i short story collections of note
include: All the Love in the World by Cathy Song, winner of the Yale Series of Younger Poets; Calabash Stories by Jeffrey J. Higa, winner of the Robert C. Jones Prize; Made in Hawai‘i and In Good Company by Cedric Yamanaka; and almost every issue of Bamboo Ridge.
B Chiburu: Anthology of Hawai‘i Okinawan
Literature is editor Lee A. Tonouchi’s take on the importance and preservation of stories, culture, traditions and, of course, Pidgin.
A ARON K. YOSHINO
T USED TO BE A REGULAR THING to hear of a writer escaping an office job with a breakthrough book—from Theodore Dreiser to Joseph Heller to Vonnegut to George Saunders—but since the mid1970s, the MFA path has dominated, and some say deadened, American lit with groupthink (and soul-crushing teaching loads). So, a good reason to appreciate Kamehameha grad Megan Kamalei Kakimoto is the five years she put in working downtown before publishing Every Drop Is a Man’s Nightmare. But the real reason is even better—with one collection of short stories she put our local lit scene on notice. After finishing her preview galley before it even came out, a couple of local writers feverishly traded notes. Verdict: If books were an arcade game, we’d be in a full-on, redlight-flashing tilt. Kakimoto writes tough, yet surreally expansive tales that often blast off right where a typical short story heads for a tidy epiphany (the way they teach in workshops). They’re set here, among working people and family, but they rip the skin off the sentimental pieties and communal fictions we use to bandage our wounds. And yet the book also works as a sophisticated self-critical text, calling out the author’s impulses to make art that will meet the approval of the MFA world’s academic overlords. Who noticed? The literary establishment. Every Drop was a USA Today national bestseller after Kakimoto made the Publishers Weekly Writers to Watch list. The book also made the American Booksellers Association’s Indie Next List; received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Booklist; and made best of 2023 lists for Book Riot, the Debutiful podcast, Electric Literature, Washington Independent Review of Books and Powell’s Books.
Paradise by Kristiana Kahakauwila is a classic of diaspora Hawaiians and a Kakimoto favorite: “This exceptional story collection by a Native Hawaiian author inspired both my collection as well as my life as a writer,” she says.
“Shark Dialogues by Kiana Davenport (someone please bring this book back in print),” Kakimoto says. 38
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BLOOMSBURY
FAVORITE BOOK ABOUT HAWAI‘I
from unincorporated territory [åmot]
BEOWULF SHEEHAN, COURTESY CRAIG SANTOS PEREZ
BOOK OF POETRY
BY CRAIG SANTOS PEREZ
GOOD COMPANIONS B “Living in Hawai‘i and teaching at the University of Hawai‘i
at Mānoa gave me an appreciation of Hawaiian and local poetry and poetics, which has deeply influenced my own work,” Perez says. It all starts with the Kumulipo, he says, which, along with the many chants and origin stories, joins and braids with the other stories of the Pacific.
B “The Hawai‘i book that most influenced and impressed me
is Westlake: Poems by Wayne Kaumualii Westlake,” Perez says. Westlake wrote short, abrupt, typographically startling poems that also punched hard. “The local book that made me want to write was Lisa Linn Kanae’s Islands Linked by Ocean.”
FAVORITE BOOK ABOUT HAWAI‘I Light in the Crevice Never Seen by Haunani-Kay Trask.
OMNIDAWN PUBLISHING
C
RAIG SANTOS PEREZ STARTED AN MFA PROGRAM intending to write about his homeland, Guåhan, or Guam, and his CHamoru culture. “At the end of the two years, I still had so many more stories to tell,” he says. “That is when I decided to create a multibook series in order to create an interconnected space for other poems that I wanted to write in the future.” The first book in the series was published by Tinfish Press in 2008. Since then, four more books have followed, each titled from unincorporated territory followed by a colon and a single word in brackets: [åmot] is the latest. In CHamoru, åmot means medicinal plant. And the poems do seem to go gathering/foraging throughout Guam’s once-warshattered, still-colonized natural environment in search of new shoots and strong roots. As in the preceding volumes, the slight disorientation of the title dissolves when we embark on the poems, thin lines extended via ellipses to the margins, single words left floating, mirroring atolls of Micronesian archipelagos. This typographic device conveys our Pacific distances and connective tissue. Just as Perez replaces Western poetic cartography, he substitutes Guåhan history and interiority for the recorded history as written by the colonizers and occupiers. Overall, his bold ambition and discipline in carrying it out, as well as the expansive lines, recall Walt Whitman’s ever-expanding universe in Leaves of Grass. In November 2023, from unincorporated territory [åmot] was awarded the National Book Award in Poetry out of 295 entries submitted by publishers. The judges’ citation: “While tenderly elegizing family and homeland, Craig Santos Perez is also always aware of the forces—of colonialism, militarism, environmental destruction, and systemic sexual abuse—that devastate what is intimate and hallowed. Proudly polylingual, as lyrical as it is outraged, from unincorporated territory [åmot] is poetry as fierce medicine.”
APRIL 2024
39
FINAL WORDS
A ARON K. YOSHINO
Where is Hawai‘i Writing Headed?
Don Wallace is contributing editor of HONOLULU and editor of The Hawai‘i Review of Books, aka THROB (hawaiireviewofbooks.com), founded in 2021 as a place for writing about the Pacific. Author of The French House and other books, he has published in Harper’s, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and elsewhere.
HAWAI‘I’S DISTINCTIVE LITERATURE COMES from the conjunction of a mighty river, the Native Hawaiian oral tradition, and the numberless tributaries of different cultures that now call the Islands home. Since 1822 when the first broadsheet was pulled on a printing press in Lahaina, local writers have issued a torrent of stories, poems, plays, essays and articles, much of it in the Hawaiian language. By the late 19th century, Hawai‘i was one of the most literate nations in the world—and HONOLULU’s predecessor, Paradise of the Pacific, was there to publish the outpouring, starting in 1888. Recognition from the continent, however, has lagged. In the end this may’ve turned out for the best, because the books of 2023 display the maturity and patient growth that comes from wanting to honor, and not sell out, one’s culture. These authors read each other, avidly. And we should, too, along with our dozens of other active writers. They form a conscious cohort that is building a world-class literature, and these awards are our way of encouraging high ambitions. “I’m happy that you are recognizing writers from Hawai‘i—they are flourishing now,” says Moore, our Book of the Year (Not About Hawai‘i) winner. “When I began writing and published My Old Sweetheart in 1982 there were not very many of us. So, thank you for recognizing us.”
Supporting Hawai‘i Authors and Booksellers All of the books featured as part of our 2024 HONOLULU Book Awards are available for purchase at Da Shop: Books + Curiosities in Kaimukī.
Visit honolulumagazine.com to read Da Shop’s monthly blog with books recommended by the store’s staff.
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COURTESY: DA SHOP
3565 Harding Ave., (808) 421-9460, dashophnl.com, @dashophnl
SPE C I A L P R O M O T I O N A L S E C T I O N
PHOTO GRAPHY BY AARON K. YO SHINO
HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM April 2023 1
T H E FA C E O F
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S
ysco, a Fortune 100 company, is the global leader in selling, marketing, and distributing food and non-food products to restaurants, healthcare, and educational facilities, lodging establishments, the military, and other customers around the world. The largest foodservice distributor in the state, Sysco Hawai‘i employs over three hundred local associates, spanning five distribution centers across Hawai‘i and Guam. For over 50 years, the Sysco Hawai‘i ‘Ohana has been offering exceptional produce, custom cut meats, high-quality seafood, and global flavors to match the diverse cultures of Hawai‘i. We love living our purpose every day, “Connecting the World to Share Food and Care for One Another.”
Sitting: Phil Paragoso, Lyn Agonoy, Mayvelyn Bagasol, Nikki Henriques, Gregory Anderson, Miguel Morales III, Cindy DelleFave, Pam Grove, Lei Saromines, James Gomez Standing: Eric Butler, Domingo “Jun” Esmeralda, Zachary Dahl, Tyler Tablit, Tiana Buck, Nieves Perdido, Antoinette Mendiola, Michael Gallagher, Mariah Campbell, Julie Nolan, Wil Noye, Byron Ito, Kevin Yamasaki Driver in Cab: Clarence Hew Len III
(L-R) Dr. Andrew Inaba Dr. Adam Inaba Dr. Craig Haga Dr. Wade Nobuhara
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Endodontics ENDODONTIC ASSOCIATES, LLC HONOLULU | ALA MOANA BUILDING 1441 KAPI‘OLANI BOULEVARD, SUITE 208 | (808) 591-1515 ‘AIEA | MARY SAVIO MEDICAL PLAZA 98-1247 KA‘AHUMANU STREET, SUITE 218, ‘AIEA | (808) 455-9051 ENDODONTICASSOCIATESLLC.COM
“A
s a local, three generational family practice, we take the extra steps to treat every patient like family, and to ensure they receive comfortable, patient-centered and the most up-todate care,” says Dr. Craig Haga. Founded in 1966 by Dr. Carl Haga, Hawai‘i’s first dentist trained in endodontics, Endodontic Associates, LLC uses state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technology, including a microscope and a brand new laser, in a stress-free environment. 2024 Best Dentists Dr. Craig Haga (son of Dr. Carl Haga), nephews Dr. Adam Inaba and Dr. Andrew Inaba, and associate, Dr. Wade Nobuhara (who joined the practice in 2020 with more than 25 years of endodontic experience) are committed to staying at the forefront of the industry to provide you with the personalized treatment and excellent customer service you deserve. Endodontic Associates, LLC serves patients at two convenient locations: the Ala Moana Building and the Mary Savio Medical Plaza in ‘Aiea.
Standing (L to R): Maria Y. Wang, Alan Y. Okamoto, Lynn K. Kashiwabara, and Katya Katano; Seated (L to R): Charles T. Kleintop and Timothy Luria
T H E FA C E O F
Family Law KLEINTOP & LURIA, LLP HARBOR COURT, 55 MERCHANT STREET, SUITE 2000 HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I 96813 (808) 524-5183 HIFAMLAW.COM
K
leintop & Luria, LLP is synonymous with excellence in family law in Hawai‘i. The firm’s attorneys have more than 100 combined years of experience in family law matters, including divorces with complex financial issues and child custody disputes. Adhering to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, the firm is known throughout Hawai‘i for providing high quality, effective representation for its clients. The firm continues to receive a Tier 1 rating in the Best Law Firms® rankings. Partners Charles T. Kleintop and Timothy Luria have also again been named in Best Lawyers in America® for 2024. Mr. Kleintop has been a recipient of this prestigious annual recognition every year since 1987. Mr. Luria has been a recipient of this prestigious annual recognition every year since 2007. The firm also recognizes its other attorneys, Lynn K. Kashiwabara, Maria Y. Wang, Alan Y. Okamoto, and Katya Katano, all of whom are highly credentialed and experienced attorneys.
(L-R) Thomas S. Kosasa, M.D. Celia Dominguez, M.D. Thomas Huang, Ph.D., HCLD, ELD
T H E FA C E O F
In Vitro Fertilization PACIFIC IN VITRO FERTILIZATION INSTITUTE KAPI‘OLANI MEDICAL CENTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN 1319 PUNAHOU STREET, SUITE 980 HONOLULU | (808) 946-2226 PACIFICINVITRO.COM
A
s Hawai‘i’s first in vitro clinic, Pacific In Vitro Fertilization Institute has helped thousands of people realize their dream of starting a family. Led by a team of board-certified physicians with decades of experience in IVF, obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive endocrinology, as well as an on-site Ph.D. embryologist, Pacific In Vitro Fertilization Institute is committed to providing the highest level of care for patients. The clinic is open seven days a week to be accessible and responsive to patients’ needs. Free monthly Zoom seminars are held for those with questions about the in vitro fertilization process and other alternatives for couples and individuals with fertility concerns.
(L-R) Back row: Dara Kimhan, Sara Kimhan, Courtney Eagar, Mari Eagar, Kateryna Pesoska, Yana Novikov. Front row: Ian Tamanaha, Angel Reza, Wes Mau, Caryn Mau, Duke Kimhan, Kris Lopez, Mike Ablan. Office Dog: MochiMan.
T H E FA C E O F
Property Management HAWAII PACIFIC PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 99-209 MOANALUA RD. | AIEA (808) 487-8786 | HIPACIFICPM.COM HIPACIFICPROPERTYMANAGEMENT
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RevoluSun executive team (L-R) David Gorman, President & General Manager Josh Powell, Chief Executive Officer Eric Carlson, Chief Innovation Officer
T H E FA C E O F
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R
evoluSun POWERS HAWAII! As you navigate your daily routine, it’s highly likely that many of the businesses and products you encounter are influenced by a RevoluSun solar system, from mom-and-pop convenience stores and restaurants to large banks, hospitals, and universities. This sentiment underscores the profound influence RevoluSun has had on Hawai‘i’s sustainability and business landscape over the past 15 years. Established in 2009, locally owned and operated RevoluSun, has become the solar contractor of choice for nearly 10,000 homeowners and over 200 of Hawai‘i’s most beloved and iconic businesses. It’s not just about going solar; it’s about JOINING THE REVOLUSUN!!
T H E FA C E O F
Laser Periodontal Surgery
D PERIOCARE—THE OFFICE OF DR. BRADEN SEAMONS 615 PIIKOI STREET, SUITE 2011, HONOLULU (808) 596-7788 PERIOCAREHAWAII.COM
r. Braden Seamons is a Board Certified Periodontist who is the Pioneer of Periodontal Laser Surgery in Honolulu. This evidence based procedure—with FDA Clearance—is a minimally invasive alternative to conventional surgery utilizing the LANAP Protocol. It results in minimal, if any, discomfort and has the ability to regenerate new bone without the need for grafting. Why get cut when you can get Lasered? Dr. Seamons also offers numerous options in Dental Implant Treatment—including Non-Metal Implants and Mini-Implants. A fully digital work flow is utilized. Laser energy is incorporated to enhance the implant surface prior to placement via Photobiomodulation—a technique which improves the speed and quality of implant attachment to bone. Periocare, with its gorgeous views and non-dental feel, offers a unique atmosphere. The highly trained staff strives to provide quality service with care and compassion.
Partners (L-R) Randall M.L. Yee and Jared N. Kawashima
T H E FA C E O F
Trusts and Estates YEE & KAWASHIMA, LLLP 1000 BISHOP STREET, SUITE 908, HONOLULU (808) 524-4501 | YKLAWHAWAII.COM
W
hen it comes to planning your future, expertise and reliability are of paramount importance. Unlike larger, general practice law firms, Yee & Kawashima, LLLP concentrates in estate, trust and probate law. Yee & Kawashima, LLLP takes pride in its many long-term client relationships with individual clients and family owned businesses. The firm’s commitment to this practice area offers the assurance that the firm will continue to provide the highest level of service for future generations.
Todd K. Haruki, DDS, MD, left. Neil Oishi, DDS, MD, right.
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or most people, the removal of third molars (“wisdom teeth”) is necessary for the proper alignment and long-term health of their remaining teeth. This is ideally done in the teenage years to minimize the risks and discomfort associated with the procedure. While most patients request to be asleep for their procedure, several anesthetic options are available based on each patient’s needs and desires. As oral and maxillofacial surgeons, Dr. Todd Haruki and Dr. Neil Oishi are uniquely qualified in treating wisdom teeth. The latest digital technology enables them to provide exceptional care in a safe and comfortable environment.
2024
Summer Programs Guide
50
academic, enriching and inspiring options for your keiki.
Kaleb at Camp Mokulē‘ia
2024 2022 SUMMER PROGRAMS
Summer Programs Guide K E Y: S C H O O L FO C U S & O F F E R I N G S ACADEMIC SUPPORT math/reading/tutoring
CHILD CARE newborn to Pre-K
YEAR-ROUND ENRICHMENT sports/dance/music/etc.
SUMMER FUN/DAY CAMP daily/week-to-week/hourly enrollment
ASSETS SCHOOL
Cindy Herndon / (808) 440-3601 cherndon@assets-school.org assets-school.org
GRADES GENDER Grades K–12 Coed
SEE AD ON PAGE 57
One ‘Ohana Nui Way, Honolulu, 96818
CONTACT / PHONE EMAIL WEB
PROGRAM DATES Grades K–8 Summer School: 6/12–7/17 Ke Kula Pa‘ani Summer Camp: 6/3–7/26 High School: 6/3–6/28 High School Aviation: 6/3–6/28
HOURS
Grades K–8 Summer School: 7:40 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Morning Care is available at 6:30 a.m. Summer Camp: 9 a.m.–4 p.m. High School Summer School: 8 a.m.–noon High School Aviation: 8 a.m.–noon
TUITION DEADLINE $250–$1,500 Register by May 15.
Students are recognized and celebrated at Assets in a nurturing and caring environment. Summer programs feature an integrated curriculum like Assets’ regular school program. Enrichments allow students to learn new skills or pursue a passion, such as robotics, music, art and more. Camp Ke Kula Pa‘ani promises a fun-filled time with sports, games, art, sciences and experiments. Assets School provides premier educational services to gifted and dyslexic children through integrated learning environments.
CITY & COUNTY OF HONOLULU DEPT. OF PARKS & RECREATION JUNIOR LEADER SUMMER FUN PROGRAM
Shana Macadangdang / (808) 768-3041 s.macadangdang@honolulu.gov honolulu.gov/parks
Grades 7–12 Coed
6/10–7/26
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m., followed by Teen/Junior Leader activities
Varies Register by June 1.
CITY & COUNTY OF HONOLULU DEPT. OF PARKS & RECREATION SUMMER FUN PROGRAM
Shana Macadangdang / (808) 768-3041 s.macadangdang@honolulu.gov honolulu.gov/parks
Grades K–12 Coed
6/10–7/26, excluding 6/11 and 7/4
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
$25 registration fee + $100 activity fee Register by July 26.
HALE KEIKI SCHOOL
Jolynn Komoda / (808) 423-1727 jolynn.komoda@nhks.org halekeikischool.org
Younger than PreK–Grade 6 Coed
6/5–7/14
6 a.m.–6 p.m.
See website Register by May 31.
HANAHAU‘OLI SCHOOL
Lisa Kimsey / (808) 204-0663 lkimsey@hanahauoli.org hanahauoli.org/summerschool
Pre-K– Grade 4 Coed
Summer School: 6/10–7/12 Magical Moments Summer Camp: 7/15–7/19
Whole day: 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Half day: 8 a.m.–noon
Whole day: $2,300 Half day: $1,200 Magical Moments Summer Camp: $600 Register by April 30.
1000 Ulu‘ōhi‘a St., #309, Kapolei, 96707
1000 Ulu‘ōhi‘a St., #309, Kapolei, 96707
153 Bougainville Drive, Honolulu, 96818
1922 Makiki St., Honolulu, 96822
Hanahau‘oli Summer School welcomes students JK–4th grade to play and learn together through multidisciplinary units around the theme of “M is for Magic,” June 10 to July 12. In morning and whole-day options, children enjoy age-appropriate, engaging, hands-on experiences while practicing foundational skills. ‘Ohana Arts Musical Theatre Workshop features Seussical Kids. The Skills We Need for HIDOE 2–3rd graders is offered tuition-free to qualified students. Magical Moments Summer Camp for grades K–4 from July 15–19. Registration opens March 5.
HANALANI SCHOOLS KA IMI LOA SUMMER PROGRAM
Michelle Kaneshiro / (808) 625-0737 mkaneshiro@hanalani.org hanalani.org
Pre-K– Grade 12 Coed
6/10–7/19
Lower School (Grades K4 & K5–6): 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Before-School Care: 6:15–8 a.m. After-School Care: 2:15–5:30 p.m. Upper School (Grades 7–12): Varies by course selection
$730–$1,590 and up Register by June 5.
HAWAI‘I NATURE CENTER
Robin Chapin / (808) 792-2608 robin@hawaiinaturecenter.org hawaiinaturecenter.org
Grade K–6 Coed
6/3–8/16
8 a.m.–3 p.m.
$400 member/$475 nonmember Register by Aug. 16.
94-294 Anania Drive, Mililani, 96789
2131 Makiki Heights Drive, Honolulu, 96822
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SCHOOL/PROGRAM ADDRESS
HAWAI‘I BAPTIST ACADEMY
21 Bates St., Honolulu, 96817
CONTACT / PHONE EMAIL WEB Jonathan Wynes / (808) 545-4485 wynes@hba.net hba.net/outreach/summer-school
GRADES GENDER Grades K–12 Coed
PROGRAM DATES Entering Kindergarten: 6/12–7/3 Entering Grades 1–6: 6/5–7/9 Entering Grades 7–12: 6/12–7/3
HOURS
Entering Kindergarten: 7 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Entering Grades 1–6: 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Entering Grades 7–12: various class times
TUITION DEADLINE
FOCUS
2024 SUMMER PROGRAMS
Varies Register by April 5.
Hawai‘i Baptist Academy is a Christian, college-preparatory school serving students in grades K–12. We offer a wide variety of summer school options including STEM, robotics, creative engineering, coding, reading, writing and more. A selection of enrichment classes are also available to nurture personal growth from sports and music to life skills and art. Learning continues after school with Summer Adventures, a program for students entering K-6. Visit hba.net/summerschool for more information.
HAWAI‘I CHILDREN’S DISCOVERY CENTER
Kyra Mirikidani / (808) 524-5437 hcdccamps@gmail.com discoverycenterhawaii.org
Grade K–6 Coed
6/3–8/9* Dates may vary
9 a.m.–4 p.m. Courtesy drop-off time at 8:30–9 a.m.
$325–$425 Register by May 24.
HAWAI‘I YOUTH SYMPHONY
Hannah Watanabe / (808) 941-9706 admin@hiyouthsymphony.org hiyouthsymphony.org/summer
Grade 3–12 Coed
Summer Strings: 6/5–7/3 Super Strings: 6/17–7/19 Pacific Music Institute: 7/6–7/14
Summer Strings: Beginning: Monday– Friday, 3:15–4:15 p.m.; Intermediate: Monday– Friday, 4:30–5:30 p.m. Super Strings: Beginning: Monday–Friday, 3:15– 4:15 p.m.; Intermediate: 4:20–5:20 p.m. Pacific Music Institute: Varies
Summer Strings and Super Strings: $575
111 Ohe St., Honolulu, 96813
1350 S. King St., Suite 201, Honolulu, 96814
Pacific Music Institute: Varies
SEE AD ON PAGE 70
Register by May 24.
Hawai‘i Youth Symphony offers three programs for summer learners! Summer Strings and Super Strings, in partnership with Boys and Girls Club of Hawai‘i and Le Jardin Academy, offer Beginning and Intermediate classes for students to experience the joy of music through the violin. For 30-plus years, PMI has defined the musical experience for aspiring young musicians as Hawai‘i’s ultimate summer music camp, with opportunities for students to make new friends and learn from world-class faculty. Darlene Dela Cruz / (808) 621-1898 darlene@hoalaschool.org hoalaschool.org
Grades K–6 Coed
6/11–7/26
8 a.m.–noon
$250 per week Register by June 7.
HOLY NATIVITY SCHOOL
Jeanne Wilks / (808) 373-3232 jwilks@holynativityschool.org holynativityschool.org
Pre-K– Grade 4 Coed
Session I: 6/3–6/28 Session II: 7/1–7/26
Half Day: 8 a.m.–noon Full Day: 8 a.m.–3 p.m. After-School Care Program: 3–5 p.m.
Varies Register by April 30.
1067 A California Ave., Wahiawā, 96786
5286 Kalaniana‘ole Highway, Honolulu, 96821
SEE AD ON PAGE 67
HO‘ĀLA SCHOOL SUMMER PROGRAM
Join HNS for a summer of growth, learning and fun, where students will enjoy academic enrichment as well as structured and free play with a low student-to-teacher ratio. In Session I: Time Travelers, gain an understanding of the experiences of previous generations, and in Session II: Let The Games Begin, learn about the Olympics, different games, why we play them, and create new games. Registration opens to the public on March 1. Space is limited.
HONGWANJI MISSION SCHOOL 1728 Pali Highway, Honolulu, 96813
Jake Ausman / (808) 532-0522 jake.ausman@hongwanji.us hongwanjimissionschool.org
Younger than Pre-K– Grade 7 Coed
6/3–7/12
7 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Varies Register by May 3.
Hongwanji Mission School offers a balanced program of academics in the morning and enrichment programs in the afternoon. The six-week program runs June 3–July 12 and is open to students entering grades 1–8 this fall. Morning subjects include language arts, mathematics through pre-algebra, sports and Japanese language. In the afternoon, mini-classes such as multicultural activities, art, swimming, basketball, martial arts, yoga, etc. are offered.
HONOLULU WALDORF SCHOOL SUMMER FUN PROGRAM
Summer Fun Director / (808) 377-5471 summer@honoluluwaldorf.org honoluluwaldorf.org
Pre-K– Grade 6 Coed
6/10–7/17, excluding 6/11, 6/19 and 7/4
350 Ulua St., Honolulu, 96821
Before care: 7:30 a.m.– 8:30 a.m., offered for an additional fee Summer Fun Program: 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m.
$2,075. Weekly rates are prorated for shortened weeks. Register by April 12.
Join us for Summer Fun at Honolulu Waldorf! Your child will enjoy practical, fun activities such as: cooking, baking, water and sand play, movement and field games, nature crafts, puppetry, reading, circus arts, farming, painting and handwork, as well as free and imaginative playtime. Our trained and enthusiastic staff will care for your child the entire time. Choose individual weeks or the full 5 ½ week session. Early Bird Discount available!
INTERNATIONAL HOSPITALITY CENTER ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDY AND EXCURSION PROGRAM
224 Queen Emma Square, Honolulu, 96813
Barbara Bancel / (808) 521-3554 ihc@priory.net standrewsschools.org/ihc
Grades K–12 Coed
7/14–8/10
Junior Division (ages 5–13): Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 8 a.m.–12:15 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m.–3:45 p.m., supplemental activity program available for an additional fee Senior Division (ages 14–19): Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–3:45 p.m., limited homestays available for an additional fee
Junior Division: $2,195 Senior Division: $2,595 Register by June 30.
APRIL 2024
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SCHOOL/PROGRAM ADDRESS
CONTACT / PHONE EMAIL WEB
GRADES GENDER
PROGRAM DATES
TUITION DEADLINE
HOURS
‘IOLANI SUMMER PROGRAMS
Melissa Matsuda / (808) 943-2262 spo@iolani.org summer.iolani.org
Grades K–12 Coed
6-Week Core Program: 6/10–7/19 Auxillary Program: 7/22–8/2
7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Varies Register by May 10.
KAIMUKĪ CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Kara Takata / (808) 732-1781 ktakata@kaimukichristian.org kaimukichristianschool.org
Younger than PreK–Grade 8 Coed
6/10–7/19
7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Varies Register by April 10.
LA PIETRA’S PATHWAYS TO PURPOSE
Ben Roosevelt / (808) 922-2744 broosevelt@lapietra.edu lapietra.edu
Grades 6–12 Girls
6/12–7/3, excluding 6/19
9 a.m.–2 p.m.
Free
LE JARDIN ACADEMY
Summer School Office / (808) 261-0707 summer.school@lejardinacademy.org lejardinacademy.org
Grades K–12 Coed
6/17–7/19
8 a.m.–3 p.m., early morning care and extended day available
$540/session Register by May 15.
MARY, STAR OF THE SEA SCHOOL
Dave Eachus / (808) 734-0208 ssa@starofthesea.org starofthesea.org/ star-summer-academy
Pre-K– Grade 8 Coed
6/17–7/19
Morning care: starts at 6:45 a.m. Camp hours: 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. After care: 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Starting at $21.50 per day, up to $79.78 for a full day with meals included. Register by June 1.
563 Kamoku St., Honolulu, 96826
1117 Koko Head Ave., Honolulu, 96816
2933 Poni Moi Road, Honolulu, 96815
917 Kalaniana‘ole Highway, Kailua, 96734
SEE AD ON PAGE 68
4469 Malia St., Honolulu, 96821
STAR Summer Academy is the perfect opportunity to experience a high-quality and affordable summer program at a private school! Conveniently located in Wai‘alae-Kāhala, this program is open to the public and offers more than 30 different courses conducted in fully air-conditioned rooms and on the central main lawn. Experienced teachers will provide opportunities for your child to thrive academically and develop individual skills and talents in a super fun and safe environment. Registrations are for the whole session.
MID-PACIFIC SUMMER PROGRAMS 2445 Ka‘ala St., Honolulu, 96822
Porsche Sylvester / (808) 973-5009 globalx@midpac.edu midpac.edu/the-center/summer
Pre-K– Grade 12 Coed
Elementary/Middle School Program: 6/10–7/12 High School Program: 6/10–7/19
Varies
Varies Register by April 26.
Additional 1- and 2-week sessions and camps available. Embark on an enriching summer experience with our diverse array of Summer Programs at Mid-Pacific! We have a variety of on-campus and virtual learning opportunities tailored for learners of all ages. Enroll in our 5- and 6-week programs for students in preschool to grade 12, or opt for our new 1- and 2-week camps designed to accommodate busy summer schedules. Our High School offerings include both credit and noncredit options.
MONTESSORI COMMUNITY SCHOOL
Cari Suzuki / (808) 522-0244 admissions@montessorihawaii.org montessorihawaii.org
Younger than Pre-K– Grade 6 Coed
6/10–8/2
7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
$3,100–$4,700 Register by May 10.
MUSIKGARTEN HAWAI‘I
Aki Miyashiro / (808) 388-4838 info@musikgartenhawaii.com musikgartenhawaii.com
Younger than Pre-K– Grade 12 Coed
Year-round
94-547 Uke‘e St., #207, Waipahu, 96797
Open Mondays through Saturdays, various times
Varies Register by May 31.
‘OHANA ARTS SUMMER FESTIVAL & SCHOOL
Laurie Rubin / (808) 424-3919 laurie@ohanaarts.org ohanaarts.org
Grades 3–12 Coed
Grades 7–12: 6/10–7/28 Grades 3–6: 6/10–7/21
8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
$950–$2,850 Register by May 10.
1239 Nehoa St., Honolulu, 96822
1770 East-West Road, Honolulu, 96822
‘Ohana Arts, in partnership with the UH Mānoa Department of Theatre & Dance, presents the 2024 Summer Festival and School at Kennedy Theatre. The program provides a unique opportunity for students ages 8–18 to study with world-class faculty and guest artists from around the country in music, dance, and drama through intensive 3- through 7-week programs, culminating in a festival of fully staged musicals, recitals, and showcase performances. High School fellowships available for grades 10–12.
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CONTACT / PHONE EMAIL WEB
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PROGRAM DATES
HOURS
TUITION DEADLINE
APRIL 2024
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2024 2022 SUMMER PROGRAMS
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SCHOOL/PROGRAM ADDRESS
PROGRAM DATES
HOURS
TUITION DEADLINE
Denise Harris / (808) 944-5737 summerprograms@punahou.edu punahou.edu/extended-learning/ summer-programs
Grades K–12 Coed
Early Session: 6/10–6/14 Summer Session: 6/17–7/19 Extended Session: 7/22–7/26
Varies
Varies Register by April 17.
QUICK STARS TUTORING
Tracy Lee / (808) 375-5244 quickstarstutoring@gmail.com quickstarstutoring.com
Pre-K– Grade 12 Coed
Year-round
Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Honolulu location open as well
Varies Ongoing registration.
ROSARY PRESCHOOL
Sister Cecilia Fabular / (415) 812-0280 srmceciliafabular@gmail.com rosarypreschool.com
Pre-K Coed
6/3–7/3
Open 7 a.m.–5 p.m.
94-1249 Lumikula St., Waipahu, 96797
$1,000 Register by April 30.
ROY SAKUMA ‘UKULELE STUDIOS: KAIMUKĪ, ‘AIEA, KĀNE‘OHE, MILILANI
(808) 732-3739 lessons2@roysakuma.net roysakuma.net
Grades K–12 Coed
Summer and yearround programs
Varies
$105 per month Year-round registration.
94-1024 Waipi‘o Uka St., 201A, Waipahu, 96797
SEE AD ON PAGE 69
GRADES GENDER
PUNAHOU SCHOOL
1601 Punahou St., Honolulu, 96822
SEE AD ON PAGE 66
CONTACT / PHONE EMAIL WEB
3555 Harding Ave., Honolulu, 96816
‘Ukulele is for everyone! Celebrating 50 years of ‘ukulele joy, Roy Sakuma ‘Ukulele Studios is Hawai‘i’s foremost ‘ukulele school and authority on ‘ukulele instruction. Since 1974, the Roy Sakuma Method of ‘Ukulele Instruction has brought the joy of music to thousands of students. The system is fast, simple and, most of all, fun! 30-minute/once a week group and private lessons available at convenient locations in Kaimukī, ‘Aiea, Mililani and Kāne‘ohe.
SACRED HEARTS ACADEMY EARLY LEARNING CENTER SUMMER PROGRAM
Sandra Arnobit / (808) 734-5058 summerprograms@sacredhearts.org sacredhearts.org/summer-programs
Pre-K–K Coed
Session I: 6/12–6/28 Session II: 7/1–7/19
Varies. Starts around $450 Register by June 4.
3253 Wai‘alae Ave., Honolulu, 96816
SACRED HEARTS ACADEMY SUMMER PROGRAMS SEE AD ON PAGE 66
3253 Wai‘alae Ave., Honolulu, 96816
Morning: 7:30– 11:45 a.m. Morning and extended summer program (full day): 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Summer means sun and fun! The youngsters in the Academy’s Early Learning Center will make exciting discoveries by exploring, construct fabulous creations by doing and Inspire by sharing. Through engaging activities, the boys and girls—ages 3 to 5—will grow their knowledge and build foundational skills in reading, mathematics and more. A myriad of adventures are also on the agenda. Summer at the Academy will be an experience young learners will never forget! Tiffany Kiyabu-Nishimura (808) 734-5058 admissions@sacredhearts.org sacredhearts.org/summer-programs
Grades 1–12 Coed
Grades 1–6: 6/12–7/19 Grades 7–12: 6/10–7/12
Morning program (grades 1–6): 8–11:45 a.m., extended summer program until 5 p.m. Grades 7–12: times vary
Varies. Starts around $295 for Grades 7–12, around $750 for Grades 1–6 Register by June 8.
The Academy offers an array of quality options for boys and girls in grades 1 to 12 to try something new or build existing skills. Students in grades 1 to 6 make explorations in the morning with an afternoon option to extend the experience. Credit and noncredit courses are available for grades 7 to 12. Special camps offer more focused activities. Learn more at www.sacredhearts.org. (See Academy’s Early Learning Center for ages 3 to 5.)
SEW KAILUA
Kamuela Klemmer / (808) 492-5548 kamuela@sewkailua.com sewkailua.com
Grades 1–12 Coed
6/3–7/26
155 Pukoa St., Kailua, 96734
9:30 a.m.–2 p.m. or 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
$400–$425 Register by July 20.
ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOLS SUMMER ADVENTURE CAMP
Randi Yamauchi / (808) 532-2464 programs@standrewsschools.org standrewsschools.org/ adventurecamps
Grades K–8 Coed
7/15–8/9
Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–4 p.m.
$130–$2,180 Register by July 12.
224 Queen Emma Square, Honolulu, 96813
St. Andrew’s Schools’ Summer Adventure Camp for students from kindergarten to grade 8 offers inspired activities daily with fun skill-building exercises, team bonding, and opportunities for personal growth by exploring a different theme each week! St. Andrew’s Schools is a well-established educational institution with a rich history and a commitment to providing an excellent education. Located in beautiful downtown Honolulu, our school is dedicated to growing learners and leaders in a supportive environment.
ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOLS SUMMER SCHOOL
224 Queen Emma Square, Honolulu, 96813
Randi Yamauchi / (808) 532-2464 programs@standrewsschools.org standrewsschools.org/summer
Grades K–12 Coed
6/3–7/12
Monday–Friday (except holidays), 7 a.m.–4 p.m.
$600–$1,600 Register by May 31.
Whether you’re looking to catch up, get ahead, or explore new topics, St. Andrew’s Schools’ Summer School Program is a valuable and dynamic educational experience for students entering kindergarten through grade 12. Students can select from a variety of academic, arts and enrichment classes in a coed setting. St. Andrew’s Schools is comprised of The Priory (all-girls school, grades K–12), The Prep (all-boys school, grades K–6), and Queen Emma Preschool (coed, ages 2–5). Visit www.standrewsschools.org.
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2024 2022 SUMMER PROGRAMS
The Ultimate
SUMMER EXPERIENCE! This summer, unleash the adventure, creativity, and joy of your child while boosting their skills, building their confidence, and instilling in them a sense of community. With an array of programs for everyone from toddlers to teens, the Y is your go-to destination for the best summer ever! • Preschool & Early Learning • Summer Day Camp • Camp Erdman Overnight Weekly & Mini Camps • Before & After Summer School Care • After City & County Summer Fun Care • Swim Lessons • Teen Enrichment Leadership Programs and Camps (MS/HS Students) • Family Camp Getaways • Y Family Memberships Reserve Now with a Deposit for Best Availability & Flexible Payment Plan • Multi-week and Camp Erdman Combo Package Discounts. • Y Family Members save 20% on Camps & Programs. Not a member? Join today & save $99. • Financial aid available.
YMCA OF HONOLULU 808-678-4296 YMCAhonolulu.org
Learn More & Register Now bit.ly/49gDhHx
FREE TICKETS APRIL 27 YMCA Healthy Kids Day bit.ly/4bI5x7E
APRIL 2024
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SCHOOL/PROGRAM ADDRESS
CONTACT / PHONE EMAIL WEB
GRADES GENDER
PROGRAM DATES
HOURS
TUITION DEADLINE
ST. JOHN VIANNEY SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM
Caryn DeMello / (808) 261-4651 sjvadmin@sjvkailua.org sjvkailua.org
Pre-K– Grade 8 Coed
6/10–7/5
8 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Extended day: 11:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
$875 Register by June 10.
ST. PHILOMENA EARLY LEARNING CENTER
Tiana Kalahiki / (808) 833-8080 admin@spelc-hawaii.com stphilomenaearlylearningcenter.com
Younger than Pre-K– Pre-K Coed
Summer intersession: 6/17–6/28 Year-round school: starts on 7/15
Summer intersession: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Year-round school: 7 a.m.–6 p.m.
$800 Register by May 1.
SUMMER AT SEABURY 2024 480 Olinda Road, Makawao, 96768
Julie Whiteley / (808) 572-7235 seaburysummer@seaburyhall.org seaburyhall.org
Grades 1–12 Coed
6/3–6/28. Weekly and two-week programs are offered.
8 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Full-day and half-day options available.
$250–$750 Register by May 21.
SUMMER DAYS SUMMER SCHOOL AT ISLAND PACIFIC ACADEMY
Katie Metz / (808) 674-3523 ext. 441 auxiliaryprograms@ipahawaii.org islandpacificacademy.org/summer
Grades K–6 Coed
6/3–7/19, excluding 6/11, 6/19, 7/4 and 7/5
Monday–Friday, 7:45 a.m.–5 p.m.
Varies Register by May 3.
940 Keolu Drive, Kailua, 96734
SEE AD ON PAGE 65
3300 Ala Laulani St., Honolulu, 96818
909 Haumea St., Kapolei, 96707
Embark on an enchanting educational journey at IPA’s Summer Days Program! Dive into Creative Art & Musical Exploration or concoct experiments in Kitchen Adventures: Science & Cooking. Prepare for next year with “Entering Grade” themed classes inspired by beloved books like Magic Treehouse, The Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter. Students delve into literature while honing reading, math and STEM skills. Extend the fun with our Extended Day Program. Join us for learning, imagination, and adventure!
SUMMER HORSE CAMP
Dana Vennen / (808) 342-9036 dana@thhwaimanalo.org thhwaimanalo.org/camps
Grades K–6 Coed
6/3–6/7, 6/10–6/14, 6/17–6/21, 6/24–6/28, 7/8–7/12, 7/15–7/19, 7/22–7/26, 7/29–8/2
8:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
$450 Register by July 29.
SYLVAN LEARNING OF MILILANI
Kai Lee Awaya / (808) 632-0808 kailee@sylvanmililani.com locations.sylvanlearning.com/us/ mililani-hi
Pre-K– Grade 12 Coed
Year-round programs. Half-day programs available during summer. Create your own schedule.
Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m.–7 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Varies Ongoing registration.
P.O. Box 138, Waimānalo, 96795
95-1249 Meheula Parkway, #198, Mililani, 96789
For 40 years, Sylvan Mililani has provided the highest quality education. Conveniently located in the Town Center of Mililani, we also offer remote sessions for busy families to work with live online tutors. Half-day programs and one-hour sessions are available during the summer. Individualized instruction is provided through a maximum of 3:1 with each student working on a personalized program. As Hawai‘i’s premier provider of supplemental education, we offer instruction in math, reading, writing, test prep, study skills, college prep and coding.
TRINITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 875 Auloa Road, Kailua, 96734
Cindy Nakamura / (808) 690-9543 cnakamura@tcskailua.net tcskailua.net
Pre-K– Grade 12 Coed
Session 1: 6/3–6/28 Session 2: 7/1–7/26
Before School: 6:45 a.m.–7:30 a.m. Preschool: 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Morning only: 7:30 a.m.–noon Afternoon Discovery: noon–2:30 p.m. Afterschool: 2:30 p.m.–5:45 p.m.
Varies Register by May 15.
Trinity Christian School, in Maunawili Valley, offers both review for language/math and enrichment and fun through music, art, science, daily swim lessons, games, crafts, sports, robotics/STEM and more. Preschool covers 3s, 4s, and 5s (which is Kindergarten Readiness). First grade explores Fun Facts for First. Second through 8th will have choices of workshops in the morning. Ninth through 12th offers SAT prep. Non-TCS families can enroll starting April 1. Call (808) 690-9535 for more information.
TUTOR DOCTOR HAWAI‘I S.T.E.A.M. CAMP
Amy Yamashiro / (808) 439-6777 info-tdhawaii@tutordoctor.com tutordoctorhawaii.com
Grades 1–6 Coed
6/3–8/16
8 a.m.–2 p.m.
$499 per week Register by Aug. 5.
WINDWARD NAZARENE ACADEMY
Jovanna Aila / (808) 235-8787 jaila@windwardnazarene.com wnahawaii.com
Pre-K– Grade 7 Coed
6/12–7/3
Preschool: 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Elementary: 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Elementary Before Care: 7 a.m.–8 a.m. Elementary After Care: 3 p.m.–5 p.m.
$1,000–$1,250 Register by May 17.
2752 Woodlawn Drive, 5-204A, Honolulu, 96822
45-232 Pua‘ae Road, Kāne‘ohe, 96744
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CONTACT / PHONE EMAIL WEB
SCHOOL/PROGRAM ADDRESS
YMCA OF HONOLULU 1441 Pali Highway, Honolulu, 96813
Y Service Center / (808) 678-4296 info@ymcahonolulu.org ymcahonolulu.org
GRADES GENDER
6/3–8/2
HOURS
Hours vary by program
TUITION DEADLINE Varies. Save 20% with YMCA Family Membership. Financial assistance available. Register by Aug. 2.
SEE AD ON PAGE 59
Younger than Pre-K– Grade 12 Coed
PROGRAM DATES
FOCUS
2024 2022 SUMMER PROGRAMS
Adventure, discovery, fun, and more await your child at the YMCA this summer! From day camps and swimming to exploring the great outdoors with weekly and mini overnight camps at Camp Erdman, your child will thrive while learning new skills, making friends, and discovering their unique interests and talents. Y Family members save up to 20% on programs. Not a member? Join now and save $99. Financial aid is available. Register now for the BEST summer ever—online or at any YMCA location.
YMCA OF HONOLULU: CAMP ERDMAN
Drew Markey / (808) 637-4615 amarkey@ymcahonolulu.org camperdman.org
Grades 2–12 Coed
5/26–8/2
Day Camp: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Overnight Camp: Monday–Saturday
$772 per week for overnight camp. Additional $399 add-on for surf and horse specialties. Military, YMCA Family Membership and multiweek discounts available. Register by Aug. 2.
YMCA OF HONOLULU: KAIMUKĪ-WAI‘ALAE
Y Service Center / (808) 737-5544 info@ymcahonolulu.org ymcahonolulu.org
Younger than Pre-K– Grade 12 Coed
6/3–8/2
Hours vary by program
Varies. Save 20% with YMCA Family Membership. Financial assistance available. Register by Aug. 2.
YMCA OF HONOLULU: KALIHI
Y Service Center / (808) 848-2494 info@ymcahonolulu.org ymcahonolulu.org
Younger than Pre-K– Grade 12 Coed
6/3–8/2
Hours vary by program
Varies. Save 20% with YMCA Family Membership. Financial assistance available. Register by Aug. 2.
YMCA OF HONOLULU: LEEWARD
Y Service Center / (808) 671-6495 info@ymcahonolulu.org ymcahonolulu.org
Younger than Pre-K– Grade 12 Coed
6/3–8/2
Hours vary by program
Varies. Save 20% with YMCA Family Membership. Financial assistance available. Register by Aug. 2.
YMCA OF HONOLULU: MILILANI
Y Service Center / (808) 625-1040 info@ymcahonolulu.org ymcahonolulu.org
Younger than Pre-K– Grade 12 Coed
6/3–8/2
Hours vary by program
Varies. Save 20% with YMCA Family Membership. Financial assistance available. Register by Aug. 2.
YMCA OF HONOLULU: NU‘UANU
Y Service Center / (808) 536-3556 info@ymcahonolulu.org ymcahonolulu.org
Younger than Pre-K– Grade 12 Coed
6/3–8/2
Hours vary by program
Varies. Save 20% with YMCA Family Membership. Financial assistance available. Register by Aug. 2.
YMCA OF HONOLULU: WINDWARD
Y Service Center / (808) 261-0808 info@ymcahonolulu.org ymcahonolulu.org
Younger than Pre-K– Grade 12 Coed
6/3–8/2
Hours vary by program
Varies. Save 20% with YMCA Family Membership. Financial assistance available. Register by Aug. 2.
69-385 Farrington Highway, Waialua, 96791
4835 Kīlauea Ave., Honolulu, 96816
1335 Kalihi St., Honolulu, 96819
94-440 Mokuola St., Waipahu, 96797
95-1190 Hikikaulia St., Mililani, 96789
1441 Pali Highway, Honolulu, 96813
1200 Kailua Road, Kailua, 96734
K E Y: S C H O O L FO C U S & O F F E R I N G S ACADEMIC SUPPORT math/reading/tutoring
CHILD CARE newborn to Pre-K
YEAR-ROUND ENRICHMENT sports/dance/music/etc.
SUMMER FUN/DAY CAMP daily/week-to-week/hourly enrollment
SUMMER SCHOOL monthlong/multiple consecutive weeks
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A T E A I T E O R I O R N C N C EE RR
R RO OU UN P U ND DUP Not sure what to do with your kids this summer? Look no further than our list of the best campsites and hikes on O‘ahu for the whole family. BY VA N E S S A H AT H AWAY PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUCIEXYZ PHOTOGRAPHY
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RECREATION ROUNDUP
S
TES Spend m I rs. S a t P s ore tim e sleeping under the M A CAMP MOKULĒ‘IA
HO‘OMALUHIA BOTANICAL GARDEN
68-729 Farrington Highway, Waialua
45-680 Luluku Road, Kāne‘ohe
At Camp Mokulē‘ia, you can pitch your own tent or rent fabric and wood “tentalos” (pictured on page 62) that sleep four.
With three campsites (Kahua Kuou, Kahua Lehua and Kahua Nui-Makai), this 400-acre garden has an abundance of natural wonders for your keiki to explore.
COURTESY: CAMP MOKULĒ‘IA; ILLUSTRATIONS: SEAMARTINI AND PERFECTVECTORS/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS VIA GETTY IMAGES
LUCIEXYZ PHOTOGRAPHY
C
ummer is approaching, which means longer days, warmer weather and more quality time with the keiki. Make the most of this time by pitching a tent in nature or exploring some of O‘ahu’s best hiking trails.
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RECREATION ROUNDUP
JESSICA RUSCELLO/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS VIA GETTY IMAGES; AARON K. YOSHINO
KALANIANA‘OLE BEACH PARK (formerly Nānākuli Beach Park), 89-269 Farrington Highway, Wai‘anae This campsite opens to a large sandy beach, perfect for building sand castles and suntanning. Be sure to check the surf report before entering the water; the shore break here can be rough at times.
BELLOWS FIELD BEACH PARK 41-43 Kalaniana‘ole Highway, Waimānalo The gorgeous turquoise waters at Bellows Beach is safe for smaller ones if they stay inside the break. But keep a close eye on them anyway; even close to shore, the waters can get a bit choppy when it’s windy.
At Island Pacific Academy, we know that learning should be fun. We strive to make our summer classes and programs both engaging and meaningful, so that students can make the most of their summer.
New this summer! • Creative Art & Musical Exploration
• Kitchen Adventures: Science & Cooking
• Entering Grade 4 – Welcome to Hogwarts! For more information, scan the QR code. See you this summer!
• Extended Day Sessions
• Plus, our popular Drama Camp!
IslandPacificAcademy.org (808) 674-3523 APRIL 2024
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RECREATION ROUNDUP
AHUPUA‘A ‘O KAHANA STATE PARK
Stay in one of Hawai‘i’s only preserved ahupua‘a, where ancient Hawaiian land cultivation practices are still used.
KUALOA B REGIONAL PARK 49-479 Kamehameha Highway, Waikāne Get a front-sea view of Mokoli‘i from this site located 20 minutes from Kāne‘ohe.
Kualoa B Regional Park
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AARON K. YOSHINO; CHRISTOPHER HALL, SEAMARTINI, PERFECTVECTORS/ISTOCK/ GETTY IMAGES PLUS VIA GETTY IMAGES
52-222 Kamehameha Highway, Ka‘a‘awa
RECREATION ROUNDUP
TIPS
WHAT TO BRING:
If you’re going as a group with other families, mutual understanding is key. Create a shared document that details the address of where you’re staying, along with the check-in and check-out times, and make a spreadsheet of all items your group will need. Most campsites on the island require a permit, so remember to purchase one online. We recommend keeping both a printed and digital copy. It is important to know about any county restrictions, as some methods of fire-building or tent support, like driving stakes into trees or structures, could result in a fine. Some privately owned sites, like Camp Mokulē‘ia, have separate restrictions. Fires are prohibited unless in a county-designated fire pit. If you’re planning to cook using your own grill, make sure it’s at least 12 inches off the ground. A quick and easy meal you can make with your kids: Chop up some veggies and meat, wrap it all up in aluminum and put it directly over the fire. It requires no cookware and cleanup’s easy! Bring some books, games or other activities to keep the keiki busy. Star Walk 2 is an augmented reality app that allows you to distinguish different constellations and planets in real time.
2-4 person tent A pop-up tent, tarp or canopy Lamps or flashlights (aside from your phone) with spare batteries Toilet paper and paper towels Utensils, cups and dishes Coolers and ice Trash bags Zip-close bags Folding chairs Sleeping bags and pillows Two towels each; one for showering, one for the beach Environmentally friendly bug spray and citronella sticks/candles Reef-safe sunscreen First-aid kit Toiletries (toothpaste/brush, soap, medication, etc.) Portable charger
APRIL 2024
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BARRY WINIKER/STOCKBYTE VIA GETTY IMAGES
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S E IK e eight easy hike s, all u The s
Mānoa Falls Trail
HONOLULU MAGAZINE
for t a e nder 3 m r iles round-trip, are g
‘Ualaka‘a Trail
be
CATHERINE TOTH FOX, AARON K. YOSHINO; ILLUSTRATIONS: SEAMARTINI AND PERFECTVECTORS/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS VIA GETTY IMAGES
H
s.
RECREATION ROUNDUP
er n gin
RECREATION ROUNDUP
JUDD TRAIL near the Pali Highway, off Nu‘uanu Pali Drive
MAKIKI VALLEY LOOP TRAIL Round Top Drive
This trail takes about a half-hour to complete and leads to a swimming hole and waterfall.
This dog-friendly trail in town takes you inland to overlook Honolulu. It might be challenging for younger children but is popular among all ages.
KALĀWAHINE TRAIL off the intersection of Telephone Road and Tantalus Drive
MĀNOA FALLS Mānoa Road
Kalāwahine, the perfect trail for plant and bird lovers, takes you deep into the jungle right next to Nu‘uanu Valley.
A popular spot for tourists and locals alike, Mānoa Falls is an easy and short hike that finishes at a waterfall.
PU‘U PIA Alani Drive Hike under the shade of koa trees and see if you can spot any fresh strawberry guava on this trail in Mānoa.
‘UALAKA‘A TRAIL Round Top Drive Kids will enjoy navigating around the intertwining banyan trees and their many roots along this 2.5-mile trail route.
MAKAPU‘U LIGHTHOUSE TRAIL Kalaniana‘ole Highway A short 2-mile round-trip takes you up Makapu‘u Point, overlooking Makapu‘u Lighthouse and the deep blue ocean.
KAPA‘ELE‘ELE TRAIL Ahupua‘a ‘O Kahana State Park, Ka‘a‘awa Get a view of Kahana Bay, Huilua Fishpond and other ancient Hawaiian fishing sites.
Lessons for Keiki and Adults KAIMUKI • MILILANI • AIEA • KANEOHE
808-732-3739
Lesson Info
50 Years of Ukulele Joy • www.RoySakuma.net
Kalāwahine Trail
Pu‘u Pia
TIPS Always check the weather prior to a hike, as many trails are unpaved and can be dangerous if wet. Some trail access points are only open during certain hours, so make sure to plan your trip accordingly. The hikes in town typically get crowded by noon so plan to go early, and look up available parking before heading out. If you’re going on a more remote hike, bring a printed copy of the trail map in case there is no cell service, and let someone know where you’ll be hiking.
WHAT TO BRING:
Water Reef-safe sunscreen Bug spray Hiking shoes Sunglasses Hat Whistle Portable charger Printed map Small snack (granola bar, trail mix, etc.)
ILLUSTRATIONS: SEAMARTINI AND PERFECTVECTORS/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS VIA GETTY IMAGES
Read in our u more ltim to hikin ate guide g on O‘a hu
CATHERINE TOTH FOX
CATHERINE TOTH FOX
FPO
LEARN AN INSTRUMENT THIS SUMMER! At Hawaii Youth Symphony, every student learns an instrument and makes music in an ensemble Classes daily – no prior music experience necessary for beginners! Youth ages 7+ of all levels and backgrounds are welcome.
Learn more at hiyouthsymphony.org ‘UKULELE • MUS
I C I N TH
E C LU B
HOU SE •
STRINGS • JAZZ • BAND • SYMPHO
Follow us on social media! @hiyouthsymphony
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OMEN’s WO he W T Th
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SHAKE IT UP IN VEGAS
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AFTERTHOUGHTS
BY KATRINA VALCOURT
executive editor
Lucky We Live Hawai‘i There are so many ways to take advantage of living here, beyond the beach.
A
S I S I P P E D A N A P E RO L S P R I TZ , peering at the
GETTY IMAGES PLUS, VIADUCTK, COMPOSITE: JAMES NAKAMURA
golden stretch of Kaimana Beach below, the couple next to me on the hotel lānai pointed out that it was the dead of winter back home in Alaska. Lucky we live Hawai‘i, I thought. But it wasn’t the warm weather or picturesque setting that had me thinking this. I was there for a cooking class, learning how to make orecchiette, agnolotti and campanelle from an S.Pellegrino Best Young Chef in the U.S., before indulging in a five-course meal the team created with our handmade pastas (and my expertly chopped basil). There are many ways to take advantage of living in this city beyond the beaches we’re famous for. I never really think the things I do are out of the ordinary, until I talk to friends who spend their time mostly at work or at home. For me, it’s crucial to have hobbies and interests that include community involvement, shopping local, taking classes and making connections. I’ve been a member of the Hawai‘i Potters’ Guild for years. There, folks are quick to suggest favorite glaze combinations, to purchase each other’s work and to come to art show openings. And they’re always ready to help struggling newbies. As for me, handmade goods are my go-to gift, if only to clear out some of the hundreds of bowls, goblets, teapots, soap dishes, chip-anddip platters and candles I’ve amassed since 2018. I’ve been involved with the Hawai‘i International Film Festival since college, when I volunteered in exchange for free movie passes. Two years ago, I served as a juror for the first time, then joined the screening committee in 2023, viewing more than 100 incredible short-film submissions from local and international filmmakers. Outside of my committee duties, I make a point to
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hit the theaters as much as I can during the festival, where I often run into the friends I’ve made through years of volunteering. And speaking of local storytelling, I’ve been reading more local books lately, including a few that won some of our inaugural HONOLULU Book Awards (see page 32). They’re some of the best books I’ve read this past year. At the farmers market, I buy locally roasted coffee and centerpiece ingredients for my favorite dishes to cook: kabocha soup, fried oyster mushroom sandwiches, star-fruit apple banana bread, even veggies to pickle. You’ll often catch me with cold-pressed juice or an ice pop purchased from vendors I’ve made eye contact with. When that happens, I can’t resist saying hi and buying something. Every month I try to go to at least one new restaurant, which sometimes means a hosted 10-course meal at the latest sushi place, and other times a scoop of ice cream on the West Side. For a while, I tried a new workout class every month, too, learning to boulder, spin, shavasana and hang upside down from silks. I don’t make a habit of that anymore (my wrist hurt for weeks after incorrectly punching one of my friends in a boxing class), but I did recently go to a free women’s self-defense class at a Brazilian jiu-jitsu studio in ‘Aiea, just for fun. A few days later, I donated blood, which I’ve done regularly since I was 17. It’s just one more way to feel connected to a community that offers so much. A lot of the close friends I made in my 20s left the Islands in the past few years. We all know the spiel about the cost of living, housing prices and job opportunities, and I won’t disagree. But one friend who left—born and raised here—once told me he thought that Honolulu was boring. That is something I’ll never agree with.
Come celebrate Hawai‘i’s iconic dish at Frolic’s seventh annual Poke Fest at Ka Makana Ali‘i. Feast on a lineup of dozens of poke creations from the island’s favorite poke shops, then cast your ballot for whose poke reigns supreme!
For more information: honolulumagazine.com