HONOLULU Magazine September 2023

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I can’t function (well) without a milk frother for blending matcha and other powders into drinks.

“What’s your favorite kitchen/home gadget?”

Publisher: Donna Kodama-Yee (808) 534-7501 | donnaky@honolulumagazine.com

editorial Executive Editor

design

Katrina Valcourt Creative Director James Nakamura | (808) 534-7151 Editor at Large jnakamura@honolulumagazine.com

Robbie Dingeman

Favorite home gadget: pill remover from Daiso for $1.50 (before they raised the prices).

This neat little gadget scrapes pills off clothing without damaging the fabric.

YES!

Senior Art Director Dining Editor Christine Labrador

Mari Taketa

Managing Style Editor

Brie Thalmann marketing Senior Editor Marketing Director

Jasmine Chagnon Christy Davis | (808) 534-7503 Associate Editor

christyd@honolulumagazine.com

I use two little dragons that blow little flames to toast my bread.

Sometimes they make wry comments and there’s an audience laugh track that I still can’t locate the source of.

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Has to be my retro hot dog and bun toaster, which dropped dead last week from exhaustion.

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A fresh cup of tea paired with a book full of adventure—what could be better?

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SEPTEMBER 2023 | VOL . LVIII NO. 2

Gregg Nakamura and son Brady take a break from the sun at Mililani District Park. Find out how rising temperatures are affecting us on page 26.

FEATURES 21 Bon Appé-Chic Indulge in fall accessories that offer delicious nods to your favorite Island treats. by brie thalmann

26 Ola i ka Hā: There Is Life in the Breath Part three of our climate series looks at air: How will our community cope with increasingly

FROM THE WEB searing temperatures brought on by climate change?

by robbie dingeman

44 2023 Hale ‘Aina Awards HONOLULU readers have been naming their favorite restaurants for 40 years. We highlight some notable winners, reveal the

coveted Best New Restaurant and what makes our Restaurateurs of the Year stand out.

by kawehi haug, mari taketa and catherine toth fox

DEPARTMENTS 8 Welcome to the Issue Let’s Eat! Our readers have spoken. by katrina valcourt

11 Calabash 12 September Picks 13 Trust for Public Land turns 50 14 Three new books 15 Where meat meets sweets 16 From Our Files: Hale ‘Aina edition 64 Afterthoughts What’s in a Name?

Getting left out of the ‘ohana.

13 Things You Didn’t Know About Kimié Miner The music powerhouse gives us the scoops, from her go-to karaoke song and stint as a morning news anchor to the inspiring way she gives back. bit.ly/hn-kimie-miner

Are These the Most Wes Anderson Locations in Honolulu?

Grab your beret and binoculars. bit.ly/hn-wesanderson

by james charisma

On the Cover Photo: Olivier Koning

(ISSN 0441-2044) © 2023 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/Fax: (808) 537-6455. 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).

HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023 7

Welcome to the Issue

Let’s Eat! Our readers have spoken.

HONOLULU’s signature programs: the Hale ‘Aina Awards. You may have seen the plaques at your favorite places to eat around town; each one signals that you’re dining at one of the best restaurants in the Islands. With more than a dozen first-time winners this year, we hope you’ll discover something new.

For Best New Restaurant—one of only two Hale ‘Aina Awards not determined by online reader votes, but by HONOLULU Magazine’s editors—we unanimously selected Nami Kaze. Mari Taketa wrote this month’s feature (page 44) and Honey walnut shrimp waffle from Nami Kaze describes the restaurant, helmed by 25year veteran chef Jason Peel, as “playful and unexpected, with a culinary maturity born of decades in high-end kitchens.”

Looking at the roster of winners, the first thing that I Mari recently was named HONOLULU dining editor, thought about was how many of them I hadn’t visited although she’s hardly new to the local food scene. Her 15 recently, so I started eating my way through the list. Sitting years of writing about dining in Hawai‘i includes contributing at the sleek bar in Miro Kaimukī—which took home more award-winning ‘Ono stories for HONOLULU and spearheading awards than any other single location of a restaurant content for Frolic Hawai‘i, where she’ll continue as editor. this year—I got why it ranked high for service, cocktails We’re thrilled to have her lead HONOLULU’s digital and print (shoutout to head mixologist Michael Jensen) and tasting dining coverage at a time when local chefs are being recognized menu. Orchids’ luxurious brunch buffet presented an globally. impressive array of indulgences (Halekūlani’s public Last year, Fête’s Robynne Maii won a James Beard Award for relations manager Bonnie Bise shared a pro tip: Don’t eat Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific. This year, we named Maii and sushi first or you’ll fill up on rice). husband Chuck Bussler as our Hale ‘Aina Restaurateurs of the Read more about some of the other places that Year. The couple deserve recognition not just for their impressive surprised us, on page 54, and see the full list of winners menu offerings, but because they’ve made it a priority to support on page 56. You’ll get to try some of their dishes on Sept. 9 Hawai‘i’s food and restaurant industries. It was fitting for former when we hold a public celebration at the Hawai‘i State Art HONOLULU food and dining editor Catherine Toth Fox to pen Museum ( just make sure to get tickets before they sell out, the feature (page 48), as she wrote about the couple’s plans to which happens every year, at hnltix.com). We hope you’ll open Fête back in 2015. The story started: “Robynne Maii and join us in raising a glass. To the next 40!

Chuck Bussler aren’t names familiar to local foodies. Not yet, anyway.”

Along with these selections, this year’s Hale ‘Aina Awards honor the picks of our readers, diverse choices that we celebrate.

KATRINA VALCOURT

Executive Editor 8 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

PHOTO: LAURA LA MONACA

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HIS MONTH WE’RE C E L E B R AT I N G THE B I G 4 - 0 of one of

MARIPOSA at TM

Winner of the

2023 Hale ‘Aina Gold Award for Best Business Lunch Thank you for your vote and support! We look forward to serving you as we celebrate our 25th anniversary this fall.

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Scan here for restaurant details and to make a reservation.

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Honolulu Ala Moana Center | 808.951.3420 | NeimanMarcus.com

8/2/23 12:34 PM

➸ TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND TURNS 50 P·13 // THREE NEW BOOKS P·14 // PORK AND PASTRIES P·15 P E O P L E P L A C E S

photo: cheryl flaharty

C U L T U R E

➸ “IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE COSTUMES,” says Iona Contemporary Dance Theatre founder and costume

Great Goddess!

designer Cheryl Flaharty. Once you put them on dancers, they become “alive and ethereal.” Still, with pieces like an 8-foot diameter skirt and a 4-yard tulle cape, the costumes for the new show, Oh My Goddess! (Ola Ko‘u Akua Wahine!), are something to marvel at. The gallery-style performance is the first from Iona in eight years, and will showcase present-day representations of four Hawaiian goddesses. Flaharty, who founded Iona in 1990, says it’s her biggest project yet. Hawai‘i Convention Center, Friday, Sept. 29, through Sunday, Oct. 1, iona360.com, @iona360

HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023 11

On Sept. 30, Aloha Festivals will host the 75th Annual Floral Parade in Waikīkī.

calabash | THINGS TO DO

Kolohe Kai Summer Tour Sept. 29 / 6:30–10 p.m.

Waikīkī Shell / $29.50–$89.50 One of Hawai‘i’s most streamed reggae artists of the past decade, Kolohe Kai, will be performing at the Waikīkī Shell, inviting you to “Feel the Sunshine” and “Cool Down.” Joining the lineup will be reggae singer Matisyahu and alternative band Cydeways. blaisdellcenter.com, @kolohekaimusic

Treat yourself to an evening of dishes from Hale ‘Aina award-winning restaurants, go to a block party in Waikīkī and sign up for Hawai‘i’s largest cycling event.

BY ALICIA LOU

SHOPPING FESTIVAL

Neiman Marcus Honolulu 25th Anniversary Celebration

Sept. 15 (VIP) and 16 (street festival)

Sept. 8–9, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sept. 10, noon–4 p.m.; Sept. 15–18, various times

Festa Italiana Kaka‘ako / Free admission Hawai‘i’s only Italian festival returns for the first time since 2019, bringing together local vendors to serve up everything from pizza, pasta and wine to cheese, bread and gelato. The festival will also showcase Italian music and art, and a selection of luxury Italian cars provided by Velocity Honolulu. This year’s street festival is free, though you can purchase VIP tickets for an additional event at Velocity Honolulu. festaitalianahawaii.com, @festaitaliana FOOD & DRINK

Neiman Marcus, Ala Moana Center The luxury retailer celebrates its silver anniversary with various festivities.

Take in a Sogetsu ikebana exhibition Sept. 8–10. Then, from Sept. 15–18, enjoy trunk shows, designer appearances and special anniversary products, and savor daily treats including an exclusive Asato Family Shop ice cream flavor. neimanmarcus.com, @neimanmarcushawaii FESTIVAL

2023 Hale ‘Aina Awards Celebration

69th Annual Waikīkī Ho‘olaule‘a

Sept. 9 / 6–9 p.m.

Sept. 23 / 6–9:30 p.m.

Hawai‘i State Art Museum / $150–$225

Waikīkī / Free admission

Join us for an unforgettable evening at HONOLULU Magazine’s 40th Hale ‘Aina Awards Celebration.

Don’t miss your chance to indulge in some of the best food from this year’s winners, all in one place.

The theme for 2023 is Whimsical Wonderland, so come dressed to impress. hnltix.com, @honolulumag

Get ready for Hawai‘i’s largest block party, a beachfront street event hosted by Aloha Festivals. Kalākaua Avenue will be filled with booths with local foods and crafts. Entertainment on multiple stages will keep the party going, with performances from local artists, hālau hula and more. alohafestivals.com, @alohafestivals FILMS

Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival SPORTS

40th Annual Honolulu Century Ride Sept. 24 / 5 a.m.–5 p.m.

Kapi‘olani Park / $25–$80 Bicyclists of all ages and skill levels are welcome at Hawai‘i’s largest cycling event. You can choose your riding distance in 25-mile increments or go the full distance of 100 miles, from town all the way to Ka‘a‘awa on the Windward Side and back. When you’re done, there’ll be food and music waiting for you where you started, at Kapi‘olani Park. hbl.org, @hblridealoha

12 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

Sept. 8–10 in person, Sept. 11–18 online Doris Duke Theatre Founded by the Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation, the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival will showcase several films that educate and raise awareness of the gay and lesbian culture, arts, lifestyle and community. hglcf.org, @hrfilmfest ➸ Looking to get the word out about your upcoming event or activity?

Email info@honolulumagazine.com.

photos: courtesy of the ritz-carlton residences, waikīkī beach; asiavision/e+ via getty images; courtesy of hawai‘i bicycling league; opposite page: courtesy of the trust for public land/christina aiu

September Picks

CONCERT

For more things to do visit honolulum agazi things-to ne.com/ -do

calabash | ENVIRONMENT

To learn more, visit tpl.org/hawaii

Conservation Champions The Trust for Public Land is hoping to complete its 50th project this year to celebrate 50 years in the 50th state.

BY C AT H E R I N E TOT H FOX

M

ANY HAWAI‘I RESIDENTS HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND. Yet, we know

many of the places that this San Francisco-based national nonprofit has helped to protect over the past 50 years.

For its first project in Hawai‘i, completed in 1979, TPL saved 268.5 acres, which includes an important heiau in Kalapana on Hawai‘i Island. Before that project, the land the heiau is on was at risk of being turned into a housing development. In 1988 it helped expand the critical habitat at Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on Kaua‘i by more than 130 shoreline acres. The refuge is home to endangered Hawaiian monk seals and Laysan albatrosses. And in 2007 TPL purchased Moanalua Valley and transferred ownership to the state, preserving one of the last open spaces in urban Honolulu and ending a 30-year community struggle over threatened development in the valley.

The trust essentially does behind-the-scenes real estate work, explains Lea Hong, the organization’s Hawai‘i director, including helping to identify lands for protection and securing funding to purchase those lands. The team works with landowners on negotiating fair prices and handles the legal aspects of any deals.

To date, the Hawai‘i chapter has completed 49 projects that protect more than 77,000 acres across the state. Hong is hoping to close its 50th project this year to mark the nonprofit’s 50th anniversary in the 50th state.

The project aims to buy a 10,000-square-foot parcel of kuleana land adjacent to the Halulu Fishpond in Waipā on Kaua‘i, where it will provide access for cultural and conservation purposes. Right now, the nonprofit Waipā Foundation manages the pathway through the vacant lot so people can access the fishpond for educational purposes and farming. The plan is for TPL to buy the parcel from the Waioli Corp., which owns the land, and hand it over to the Waipā Foundation.

Absent a deal, the coveted property on Hanalei Bay will likely become the site of another oceanfront mansion.

That’s what almost happened to Pōhue Bay on Hawai‘i Island.

Hong says it took years of working with different landowners of the 16,451 acres in Ka‘ū—the last of whom wanted to build a resort on the property. Hong even flew to Beverly Hills to meet him at his office, but he refused to see her.

“One of our slogans is it takes 1,000 cups of coffee or beer to develop relationships,” Hong says. “In my case, I just wore the guy down. In the end, because of the community’s passionate opposition to the resort concept and all the cultural and natural resources that were bringing obstacle after obstacle to the landowner, it just didn’t make economic sense for him to proceed anymore.”

Last year TPL bought the land for $9.4 million. It is now part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

“The projects we do are really community driven, and they’re lasting,” Hong says.

“It’s extremely rewarding to work with community members who are so committed, so passionate, so knowledgeable, so tied to the land and its history and culture.

We’re making a lasting contribution in a small but significant way to protect that land forever.” 

In 2021 the Trust for Public Land acquired and protected 102 acres of the culturally significant Alakoko Fishpond on Kaua‘i.

HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023 13

calabash | BOOKS

Go to bit.ly/hn-books for more on these and other local stories.

Literary Lineup Three new books celebrate eclectic aspects of local culture.

Chiburu: Anthology of Hawai‘i Okinawan Literature

S Surfing Sisterhood Hawai‘i: Wāhine Reclaiming the Waves

T

HERE ARE ELEMENTS ESSENTIAL BOTH TO CATCHING A WAVE AND PUBLISHING A BOOK —

including judgment, accuracy and, above all, timing. Author and surf reporter Mindy Eun Soo Pennybacker has mastered these, in the water and with her new book.

Surfing Sisterhood Hawai‘i shares stories from more than 30 female surfers in the Islands. Pennybacker says she’s the first woman to pen a collection of surfing wāhine, who are outnumbered four to one by men. But despite their smaller numbers, things are looking up: In 2019, the World Surf League started paying equal prize money to men and women. And two years later, Carissa Moore brought home the first Olympic gold medal in women’s surfing.

“The book is called Reclaiming the Waves because I learned that women did originally surf with equal rights to men in Hawai‘i,” Pennybacker says. “I’m hoping that more women will recognize that we have each other to rely on and that we can develop this feeling of solidarity to benefit the whole community, in the water and out.” —AL

Mutual Publishing, mutualpublishing.com, $21.95, 190 pages.

14 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

PURRED BY THE LACK OF LITERARY WORKS BY HAWAI‘I-BASED OKINAWANS, local author and

playwright Lee A. Tonouchi set about compiling a modern collection. The result is Chiburu, whose more than 30 contributors explore local Okinawan identity through a wide array of artistic genres.

The book opens with Tonouchi, a longtime Frolic Hawai‘i contributor who calls himself “da Pidgin Guerilla,” examining his own experiences growing up as a yonsei or fourth-generation Chiburu (a plantation-era Pidgin term for local Okinawans). Other pieces explore what makes “Okinawan and Naichi (Japanese) diff ’rent” beyond stereotypes of country versus high-class attitudes.

Then, mixed in with poetry and prose about cosmic andagi and the U.S. occupation of Okinawa, you’ll find a blended HawaiianOkinawan chant, an illustration of a treasured “no recipe” ashitibichi pig’s feet soup recipe, a hanabata days-inspired comic strip and song lyrics calling Okinawans back home. —BT Bess Press, besspress.com, $24.95, 289 pages.

Island Wisdom: Hawaiian Traditions and Practices for a Meaningful Life

I

SLAND WISDOM MIXES GENTLE TIPS FOR NAVIGATING MODERN LIFE with inspiring stories of Na-

tive Hawaiian history and culture. The tiny hardback invites us in with embossed lettering and artwork depicting Hawaiian plants and scenery—and keeps us turning the pages as it explores the layers of meaning in Hawaiian traditions, words and practices.

The tone is at once that of a wise auntie and a hip young cousin. From hula and healing plants to patience and humility, the book manages to teach without preaching. Tucked into its essays are tips on how to make lei, ‘ulu poke and ‘ōlena (turmeric) water.

The collaboration between authors Kainoa Daines, who’s strongly rooted in his Native Hawaiian heritage, and Annie Daly, a New York City-based wellness journalist who grew up visiting Hawai‘i, would make a great gift for kama‘āina and visitor alike. —RD Chronicle Prism Books, chroniclebooks.com, $19.95, 232 pages.

photos: aaron k. yoshino

BY ROBBIE DINGEMAN, ALICIA LOU AND BRIE THALMANN

The Local General Store took over the space formerly occupied by Kaimukī Superette.

calabash | FOOD

Under One Roof At The Local General Store, locally sourced pastries meet the island’s only all-local, full-service butcher counter.

BY MARTHA CHENG

I

N THE WEEKS SINCE THE LOCAL GENERAL STORE’S NEW SHOP OPENED IN KAIMUKĪ,

I have walked out with lychee and guava jam Danishes, char siu pastries, venison salami, and the secret to the best kālua pig. The store houses O‘ahu’s only all-local, full-service butcher shop, but it is, clearly, so much more.

About seven years ago, Jason Chow had an idea to open a retail counter offering local beef, chicken, pork and other meats. He trained and worked with butchers in Chicago and Berkeley, California. In San Francisco, he met Harley Tunac (now Tunac Chow), a baker who, like him, was born and raised on O‘ahu and shared a vision of returning home to work with Hawai‘i’s farmers. And so, what started as a meat counter is now meat and sweets under one roof.

To peer into the pastry case is to glimpse Hawai‘i’s agricultural wealth.

Ka‘ū orange is folded into a hazelnut braid, mountain apple laid atop vanilla custard, ‘ulu tucked into flaky pastry. Over at the meat counter, porterhouse steaks, marrow bones, venison rib racks, pork chops, Thai curry sausages, roast beef—all from Hawai‘i-raised animals—only hint at the possibilities. I always leave with

something unexpected, like hocks for making kālua pig, or a Denver steak when I came in for a rib-eye. Because The Local General Store is a fullservice butcher, the butchers can steer you to overlooked cuts or suggest substitutions when they don’t have what you’re looking for. That’s how I end up slow-cooking pork shoulder with hocks, the skin and collagen of the latter melting into a luxuriously rich and silky kālua pig.

When the married couple returned home four years ago, they expected to open their shop right away.

But the pandemic put the brakes on that idea. In the meantime, they sold at farmers markets and built relationships with producers such as Kualoa Ranch and Griffith Livestock in West O‘ahu. So much has changed since the pandemic, since Chow left to study butchery, and in the decades since Hawai‘i began shipping most of its cows out of state. But now, with the return of an old-school neighborhood butcher and bakery, Chow says he hopes to play “a small part in the larger picture of building”—and in some ways returning to—“a better food supply in Hawai‘i.”

3458 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 777-2431, thelocalgeneralstorehi.com, @thelocalgeneralstorehi

For more on this year’s winners, turn to page 44.

calabash | FROM OUR FILES

Hale ‘Aina Through the Years As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the state’s longest-running dining awards, we look back through our archives at some notable moments.

BY CASSIDY KEOLA AND ALICIA LOU

I

T ALL STARTE D AS AN OFF IC E LOBBY POTLUC K.

In four decades, even as its reputation and guest list outgrew the office, the mission of HONOLULU Magazine’s annual Hale ‘Aina Awards has never wavered: It is and always will be a celebration of restaurants with exquisite food and delectable drinks, and the creative minds behind them.

Since the very first awards were earned in 1985, the winners have been chosen by you, our readers. This year is no exception. After 15,000 votes were tallied, the winners were revealed at an exclusive ceremony at the RitzCarlton Residences, Waikīkī Beach’s Lau‘ula Park on June 9. And on Sept. 9, everyone’s invited to celebrate at the Hawai‘i State Art Museum, where you can indulge in some of the best offerings from our winners. Buy tickets at hnltix.com.

Here we reflect on how the Hale ‘Aina Awards have evolved through the decades.

16 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

1985

Then-HONOLULU dining editor, the late John Heckathorn, is busy making calls. “By the way, ‘Hale ‘Aina’ means ‘eating place’ in Hawaiian,” he repeats to the first batch of winners in 14 categories (in 2023, we have 42 categories and almost 130 winners).

Later, when reminiscing about the ’80s, Heckathorn wrote that the HONOLULU staff tallied the results in pencil. There were 520 ballots mailed in that first year, and nearly 300 different restaurants listed among people’s favorite places to eat.

1989

HONOLULU changes up the ballot to name the top 20 restaurants in the state, rather than separating them by category. Readers vote for their favorites, but a couple of restaurants try stuffing the ballot box. One restaurant even buys nearly 200 copies of the magazine to fill out the inserted ballots.

Online voting doesn’t begin for decades.

1994

HONOLULU returns to splitting up the winners by cuisine, followed by geographic categories to accommodate the Neighbor Islands and Hawai‘i’s expanding dining scene, making Hale ‘Aina a statewide sensation. The magazine continues to tweak the categories as needed to cover restaurants that might be overlooked, such as “Little Restaurants You Love,” “Best Dessert,” “Best Bar” and “Best New.”

1999

The nonprofit Hale ‘Aina ‘Ohana releases a Hale ‘Aina cookbook dedicated to supporting the development of culinary programs in the Islands.

2014

HONOLULU Magazine debuts a special John Heckathorn Dining Excellence Award, a tribute to Heckathorn, who was an integral part of shaping Honolulu’s burgeoning dining scene in the ’80s. He passed away suddenly in 2011.

Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong are the first and only chefs to ever be awarded the John Heckathorn Dining Excellence Award. Between the two, they have won more than 150 Hale ‘Aina Awards.

2016

HONOLULU starts naming a Restaurateur of the Year, chosen by the editors. The first is Hide Sakurai, owner of Shokudo, Búho Cocina y Cantina, and Bread and Butter. His latest venture, La Bettola, opened in Waikīkī in summer 2023.

2020

The pandemic hits the food industry hard, and we debate whether or not it’s appropriate to give out awards to the best restaurants when so many are just trying to survive. Though we decide to press on, we present the awards virtually, then hold a socially distant drive-thru celebration. We don’t return to a big public celebration until 2022.

P R E S E N T E D

Y O U ' R E

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2023

Hale ‘Aina Awards Celebration

S AT U R D AY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2023

H AWA I ‘ I S TAT E ART MUSEUM

Immerse yourself in a Whimsical Wonderland with delicious bites from Hale ‘Aina award-winning chefs. Experience a magical ambiance with enchanting decorations and captivating live music. Limited tickets available for this exclusive event. Join us for an unforgettable culinary adventure in a world where wonder and flavor collide.

hnltix.com M A H A L O P R E S E N T I N G

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D I A M O N D SIN

110 YE

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ARS

B R O N Z E

HONOLULU | $2,650,000 FS This charming 3br/1.5ba Spanish mission revival style home boasts white stucco walls framed by a red, terracotta tiled roof, fresh paint, ceiling fans, avocado tree & much more.

KANEOHE | $1,650,000 FS Stunning views of the Ko’olaus from this 6br/2.2ba Kaneohe home featuring a flexible & open floor plan, kitchens on both levels & 2-car carport.

Wendy Shon Tidd (RA) 808.745.0761 | RS-85480 Tommy Kim (RA) 808.779.1416 | RS-76201

Steve Kennett (RA) 808.551.5515 | RS-82074 Nancy Nino (RA) 808.347.4747 | RS-78826

HONOLULU | $2,875,000 FS Immaculate Koko Villas home w/10’ ceilings, awardwinning renovated kitchen, luxurious soaking tub, PV w/battery storage & more!

KAILUA | $1,560,000 FS This 3br/2ba home is only 11 years old. Super charming with lots of room to grow! Add a pool or build a second story.

Douglas Shanefield (RA) 808.551.5551 | RS-54692 Adrian Yi (RA) 808.721.2504 | RS-74489

Lynn Young Soldat (RA) 808.255.3477 LynnS@cbrealty.com | RS-74656

KAILUA | $1,295,000 FS 3br/3ba in Bluestone close to the world-famous Lanikai & Kailua Beaches & all the lifestyle opportunities the area has to offer.

WAIPAHU | Price Upon Request FS This contemporary style home sits on a rim lot and includes 26-owned PV panels!

Kathy Grindle (R) 808.864.3127 kathyg@cbpacific.com | RB-20779

Hazel Unciano (R) 808.206.0799 hazel.unciano@cbrealty.com | RB-22922

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guiding you home since 1906

EWA BEACH | $1,098,000 FS 4br/3ba w/2-car garage, luxury vinyl flooring on ground level, new carpet upstairs, brand new Central A/C w/warranty & more.

HONOLULU | $1,015,000 FS 2br/2ba w/an open floor plan, floor to ceiling glass throughout & lanai w/views of Diamond Head & fireworks from Waikiki.

Edgar Cervantes (RA) 808.800.1757 edgar.cervantes@cbrealty.com | RS-82516

Peter Chessen (R) 808.551.4460 | RB-12852 Tiffany Bove Foley (RA) 808.222.6198 | RS-60144

EWA BEACH | $929,000 FS 3 Beds/2 Baths Single-Level Home in Ho’opili with Modern Features, PV System, and Upgrades Galore!

Built in 2020. No Maintenance Fees! MLS #202311554.

WAHIAWA | $865,000 FS Charming 4br/1.5ba home w/sitting patio, large workshop, 3-car covered carport & a large enclosed grassy yard perfect for gardening and pets!

Robert Jensen Garces (R) 808.351.4194 | RB-23452 Chandra Garces (R) 808.497.1772 | RB-20168

Travis L. McGaughy (R) 808.542.6540 travis.mcgaughy@cbrealty.com | RB-23698

HONOLULU | $495,000 FS 1br/1ba stunning high-floor updated furnished until with breathtaking views. One block to Waikiki Beach with ocean views from the spacious lanai.

Danielle R. Haviland (RA) 808.294.2198 danielle.haviland@cbrealty.com | RS61069

EWA BEACH | $955,000 FS 3br/2.5ba in the highly sought-after Kealohi Kai community of Ocean Pointe w/new flooring, lighting, a fenced yard & more.

AIEA | $899,999 FS 3br/1.5ba charming single-story home with old-Hawaii vintage appeal w/ample space for a garden, entertaining & hosting BBQ’s.

Tiare Kabazawa (RA) 808.398.9626 | tiare.kabazawa@cbrealty.com RS-80800

Sunny Lee-Oshiro (RA) 808.368.3699 Evelyn F Rooney (RA) 808.778.0679 RS-68661 | RS-75802

KAILUA | $2,795,000 FS 5br/3ba Ideally situated on a private lane between Kailua Beach Park & Kalama Beach Park w/high beam ceilings & oak floors.

HONOLULU | $958,000 FS 3br/2ba w/Italian cabinetry & Miele appliances, Subzero refrigerator & many resort amenities: pool, fitness center & more.

Mary Browne-Burris (R) 808.285.6642 | mburris@cbrealty.com RB-18601

Sissy Sosner (R) 808.938.5588 | sissys@cbrealty.com RB-21875

HONOLULU | $875,000 FS

WAIALUA | $850,000 FS North Shore 3br/2ba single-level, plantationstyle home w/extra convenient location, 4-car parking & potential to expand/update.

Unobstructed views from this 1 bedroom, 1 bath condo at the Ilikai Marina.

The Casey Group 808.366.4306 | karla@kcaloha.com RB-17901 | RS-85448

Sunny Lee-Oshiro (RA) 808.368.3699 Evelyn F Rooney (RA) 808.778.0679 RS-68661 | RS-75802

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EWA BEACH | $827,000 FS 4br/2.5ba Tastefully remodeled, this oasis is centrally located in Ewa by Gentry LaulaniTrades near shopping, schools and more!

HONOLULU | $750,000 FS 3br/2.5ba nestled in the prestigious community of Hawaii Ka w/open & airy floor plan, covered lanai & many amenities.

WAIANAE | $698,000 FS 4br/3ba attached home situated immediately before the entry to Pualani by the Sea with landscaped yard, open-concept living & more.

HONOLULU | $685,000 FS 1br/1ba w/expansive lanai in the Makai Tower of One Waterfront Tower, stunning ocean & sunset views & floor to ceiling windows.

Alecia L. Hardt (RA) 803.439.0727 | aleciah@cbpacific.com RS-78193

Christian Nguyen (RA) 808.366.9532 | christian.nguyen@cbrealty.com RS-84190

Cora Agliam (RA) 808.780.7226 | coraa@cbrealty.com RS-71106

Vlad Timoshchik (RA) 808.352.4101 | vladhawaii@gmail.com RS-79235

KANEOHE | $642,500 FS 2br/2ba at Puu Alii, a popular townhome in Kaneohe w/many amenities: 3 pools, hot tub, tennis courts, jogging path, BBQ area, etc.

HONOLULU | $569,000 FS 2br/1.5ba with breathtaking views of both the ocean & the Ala Wai from your lanai & 2 assigned covered parking spots.

HONOLULU | $559,000 FS 2br/2ba senior care facility in One Kalakaua Senior Living w/maid service, heated pool, jacuzzi, gym, hair salon, library & more.

MILILANI | $558,000 FS 2br/2ba ground floor unit, renovated in 2023 with new LVP flooring, custom-made cabinets, fresh paint, ceiling fans & more.

Akino Hayakawa (RA) 808.226.7645 | AkinoH@cbrealty.com RS-76595

Tiare Kabazawa (RA) 808.398.9626 Travis L. McGaughy (R) 808.542.6540 RS-80800 | RB-23698

Ken K. Kawamoto (RA) 808.230.7295 | kenk@cbrealty.com RS-74928

Kekoa Manley (RA) 808.699.1517 Fran Magbual (RA) 808.368.7386 RS-81555 | RS-78148

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Work with a Coldwell Banker ® affiliated agent to make your dream home a reality.

The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2023 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved.

Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logo are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Advisors LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

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P É P A C HIC N O B BY BRIE THALMANN

Indulge in fall accessories that offer delicious nods to your favorite Island treats.

PHOTOS BY AARON K . YOSHINO

Shave Ice, Ice Baby Instantly up a look’s cool factor with translucent hero pieces. ― Plexiglass mini hobo bag, $9,900, Gucci. Tiffany & Co. faceted sunglasses, $492, Bloomingdale’s.

See store info on page 63.

21

To Market, To Market Go from ocean to ensemble with scaly treasures and playful takes on pearls. ― Toy embroidered satin pumps, $2,200, Loewe. Marc Jacobs sequin mini shoulder bag, $375, Cult Gaia Pearl acrylic bag, $428, Neiman Marcus. Beaded glass choker, $2,875, Chanel. See store info on page 63.

Chicer by the (Half) Dozen Trendy mini bags make their return, this time with sugary, shimmery coatings. ― Cult Gaia Solene rhinestone bags, $398 each, Neiman Marcus. See store info on page 63.

23

HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023 23

Mochi-Hoo! We’re sweet on the season’s pastel sunnies and candy-colored baubles. ― Sunglasses, from left: Prada Symbole sunglasses, $517, Dolce & Gabanna rimless sunglasses, $345, Burberry cat-eye sunglasses, $335, Bulgari sunglasses, $489, Bloomingdale’s.

Jewelry, from left: Rachel Comey Elm earrings, $175, Rachel Comey Cronos Twisted Hoop earrings, $125, We Are Iconic. Dries van Noten Ball rings, $285 each, Paco Rabanne XL Link Double earring (part of set), $420, Ron Herman. See store info on page 63.

24

Plum Picks

Scoop up extras outfitted with droolworthy details, like luxe fabrics, croc embossing and gorgeous embellishments. | Top row, from left: Paco Rabanne Cage Mini leather bucket bag, $850, Ron Herman. Proenza Schouler Metallic Arc leather sandals, $795, We Are Iconic. Saint Laurent Lou Lou velvet shoulder bag, $2,850, Neiman Marcus. Bottom row, from left: Sporty Kate patent leather booties, $1,295, Christian Louboutin. Marc Jacobs leather tote, $375, Neiman Marcus. Degraqueen pumps, $1,395, Christian Louboutin. See store info on page 63.

26 26 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

PA R T T H R EE O F A M U LT I PA R T S ER I E S O N P R E S ER V I N G T H E EL EM EN T S

BY ROBBIE DINGEMAN | PHOTOS BY A ARON K. YOSHINO

Too hot. Spiking temperatures across the globe make news daily as scientists tell us that climate change may turn this into the hottest year recorded on Earth. In our state, Native Hawaiians long ago created an ahupua‘a system of sustainable land management where everyone played a role and recognized their kuleana to take care of the environment. In part three of our climate series (the first focused on water, the second on land), we examine the impact of soaring air temperatures and what our community can do.

HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023 27

Nau na ku‘i o ka niho o ka lā The teeth of the sun gnash

28 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

—Native Hawaiian proverb describing the power of the sun

Another hot day in

Honolulu HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023 29

PR E SE RV I N G T HE E L E M E NT S : AIR

A S A ARO N KU BO TE AC H E S eighth graders about

the U.S. Constitution, he’s competing with intense heat and humidity radiating through his classroom, despite 24 fans humming and blackout fabric stapled to the windows. “As soon as you walk in, you feel the intense heat envelop you, and within minutes, the sweat starts to pour out,” Kubo says, describing a typical day at Hilo Intermediate School. “It’s just so hot that (kids) are falling asleep because they’re so exhausted. This can’t be healthy.”

With climate change pushing Hawai‘i’s air temperatures higher each decade, Kubo says conditions in his second-floor social studies classroom have gone from hot to “excruciatingly miserable.” Kubo shakes his head over the juxtaposition of teaching about the Bill of Rights, guaranteed freedoms and what government should provide for its citizens, while his students swelter in often oppressive conditions at the public school. “We all do the best that we can but is that doing anyone justice?” he asks.

Hot and Getting Hotter N AT I O N A L C L I M AT E R E S E A R C H E R S esti-

mate that by 2050, the average temperature across the United States will warm by 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Climate specialists in Hawai‘i say it would be difficult to extrapolate an accurate estimate for nearly 30 years from now since work is being done to try to slow or reverse that trend. However, based on 2018 numbers, experts estimate that Hawai‘i’s average temperatures could increase by as much as 5 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, according to the state Climate Change Portal. In Hawai‘i, researchers say an increase of 2.6 degrees Fahrenheit since 1950 may not

30 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

sound dramatic but shows a progressive ascent and an accelerated pace over the past decade. Since 1990 we’ve endured more hot days, with spikes of 90 degrees or more increasingly common.

This year’s historic heat has generated headlines across the globe, alerting people about extreme weather and accelerating global warming. European Union scientists declared it the hottest June ever recorded. A sizzling Fourth of July took on new meaning as the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction dubbed it the hottest day on Earth since 1979, and perhaps one of the hottest in 125,000 years. And, combined with the return of the El Niño climate pattern, scientists say 2023 may prove to be Earth’s warmest year ever.

To see the impact of rising temperatures, weather pattern shifts and how overall climate change affects our Islands, we need only look at our state public schools.

Cooling the Kids H I LO I NTE R M E D IATE O PE N E D I N 1 9 2 9 , the year the Great Depres-

sion began, in a town renowned for rain, not heat. Statewide, 6,000 of the Hawai‘i Department of Education’s 11,000 classrooms have air conditioning, according to Randy Tanaka, assistant superintendent for the DOE’s Office of Facilities and Operations.

Many schools are currently waiting for air conditioning, but Hilo Intermediate can’t even make the waitlist because its buildings lack the modern electrical capacity needed to run a cooling system.

Kubo says that even before the added expenses of upgrading for ventilation and COVID compliance, the school was told that it could cost more than $70 million to renovate the old buildings. Tanaka acknowledges outdated buildings loom large as a problem, noting that the average age of Hawai‘i public schools is now 65. The DOE estimates the cost of installing air conditioning at all Hawai‘i public schools at $1.7 billion.

Heat Affects Learning N ATI O N A L R E S E A RC H I N D I C ATE S that learning and academic per-

formance suffer when temperatures rise. A 2018 study followed 10 million students who took the PSAT, a standardized test that measures reading, math and writing skills. The study, which included a survey of students, teachers and counselors about heat discomfort at their schools, found that students’ scores dropped about 1% for every degree at their schools that was hotter than the average. Another report showed students scoring significantly lower on a New York City high school exit exam on a 90-degree day than on a 72-degree day.

Analysts who study how temperature affects education say the ideal temperature for effective learning in reading and mathematics ranges between 68 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Penn State’s Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis.

As classroom heat intensified, Kubo asked the DOE what could be done. Officials suggested he keep a daily record, so he logged the temperature and humidity for more than seven years. Entry after entry shows his classroom’s readings in the mid-to-upper 80s. Kubo says temperatures commonly shoot up in July as teachers prepare Aaron Kubo in his classroom at Hilo Intermediate

“It’s just so hot that (kids) are falling asleep because they’re so exhausted. This can’t be healthy.”

–Aaron Kubo

HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023 31

PR E SE RV I N G T HE E L E M E NT S : AIR

to start a new academic year and remain high into November.

Even on a rainy day in June when we visited, we felt the contrast between the breezy hallway and the humid classroom, thrumming with fans. Hilo’s high humidity frequently drives the heat index into the 90s, and even above 100.

Kubo keeps his lowest classroom windows—below the already-fading blackout fabric—open for maximum ventilation.

Since the classroom doesn’t face the ocean or catch prevailing breezes, the air remains muggy even with the fans. When the heat is most stifling, he takes his class outside under the sprawling banyan trees that front the school, but he knows that’s hardly a solution. He also reminds students to drink water, eat snacks and bring extra uniform shirts so they can change rather than remain soaked in perspiration. The school tried reflective material and other coverings beyond the blackout fabric on the windows but found they fell apart in months, he says. And they experimented with powerful ventilators to suck the hot air out of the windows, but those sounded like jet engines that drowned out conversation, so they switched back to box fans. He stores another five fans so he can replace any that quit working.

“I don’t remember summer being oppressively hot,” says Kubo, 41, a graduate of Waiākea High who returned to teach in his hometown a decade ago. “When I was growing up, I feel like we used to have a lot more rain.”

Hotter Than Ever LE S S R AI N , F E WE R TR ADE WI N D DAYS and hotter temperatures

can all be linked to climate change, says Charles “Chip” Fletcher, a paleoclimatologist at UH Mānoa, who studies our state’s climate change future. He serves as interim dean of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and has emerged as one of the strongest voices calling for climate change action.

Burning fossil fuels—gas, oil and coal—releases carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Those emissions blanket the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat to create global warming. Experts say those burning fuels account for more than 75% of global greenhouse gases and almost 90% of carbon dioxide emissions. And that’s why attention has shifted to reducing emissions to slow the rise in worldwide temperatures.

Hawai‘i weather data indicates that tradewinds have decreased steadily since the 1970s, which profoundly affects the community, says state toxicologist Dr. Diana Felton. “What’s going to happen with the tradewinds is really going to influence the health impacts related to air in Hawai‘i,” she says.

Heat Wave of 2019 R E M E M B E R THAT B RUTAL H E AT four years ago? In 2019, Hawai‘i

broke more than 300 temperature records around the state. “We had over 45 days of continuous temperatures over 90 degrees,” Fletcher says. Stores sold out of fans, air conditioners, even blocks of ice to make shave ice. And we experienced one of the biggest dangers associated with heat waves when night temperatures didn’t drop to bring cooling relief. “You get this unrelenting heat, and you’ll never get a chance to cool off,” Fletcher says, putting

the very young, older adults, the ill and frail at most risk. Fletcher points to the angry red colors of a satellite map of the Pacific showing the marine heat wave from the sweltering summer of 2019.

Although air conditioning can ease the heat when temperatures surge, fueling the cooling can further stress the power system.

Fletcher recalls public service announcements going out from Hawaiian Electric in 2019 asking that people not run their air conditioners through the night “because we were threatening the grid; we were threatening a blackout.”

And, as we’ve seen across the globe, heat can be lethal: In 2003, heat waves killed 70,000 people in Europe; in 2022, another 20,000 deaths there were attributed to heat. In 2021, the National Weather Service linked hundreds of deaths to scorching heat across the Pacific Northwest. A heat wave this year in Asia that began in April took more lives. And Fletcher points to high-rises as potentially very risky.

“It’s during blackouts that you get people trapped in upper floors of apartment buildings, where they can’t use the elevator and in upper floors of apartment buildings very often you can’t open the windows. And so these become hot boxes,” Fletcher says.

How Heat Affects Health B A C K AT T H E S TAT E D E PA R T M E N T O F H E A LTH , Felton, who has worked as an ER

physician, is focused on the growing health consequences of climate change in Hawai‘i.

“I think there’s a tendency to think of climate change as melting icebergs and polar bears,” something that’s happening to the Earth’s ecosystem far from us, she says. But heatrelated illness already affects our families here at home, especially older adults, children and those who are navigating chronic medical conditions. When the temperature simmers in the 80s and 90s, “we’re the ones who are going to get sick,” Felton says, with heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and even death.

Research on the continental U.S. has shown spikes in violent crimes, as well as increases in reports of mental illness and deaths during peak heat incidents. And Felton says she expects similar spikes and increases in our state, though it’s impossible to know for sure since Hawai‘i hasn’t collected local data on heat-related illnesses and death.

To fill that gap, the Department of Health CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

32 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

PA RTN E R C ON TE N T

HAWAI‘I PATHWAYS TO NET ZERO

A

NEW STUDY COMMISSIONED BY HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC explores pathways to a net-zero carbon economy by 2045 and makes clear that major technological advances, especially in sustainable fuels and carbon-capture, and reaching consensus on land-use policy are some of what’s required for Hawai‘i to fully decarbonize over the next 22 years.

State law mandates a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2005 levels and for Hawai‘i to be net-zero by 2045. With time running short to meet these targets, the new pathways study advises that aggressive actions will need to be underway by 2030 to create a glide path to full decarbonization that is less steep than if actions are delayed.

“This study is the first of its kind for Hawai‘i and we commissioned it to understand the scale of decarbonization required in every sector of our economy and the scope of work needed to be successful over the next two decades,” said Shelee Kimura, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric.

Hawaiian Electric worked with Energy and Environmental Economics (E3), a nationally recognized consulting firm that has conducted similar studies for the California Energy Commission, the U.S. Climate Alliance and many utilities and government agencies. “Hawai‘i Pathways to Net Zero – an Initial Assessment of Decarbonization Scenarios” builds on Hawaiian Electric’s Climate Change Action Plan, which commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its operations 70% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels.

Building a future for Hawai‘i that is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable will require teamwork, discipline, imagination and thoughtful action as we meet the challenges ahead. And Hawaiian Electric is stepping up to do its part in shaping a bigger, brighter future: One that puts Hawai‘i at the forefront of clean energy, create a sustainable and growing local economy, and empower our families and communities to flourish for generations to come.

Among the key findings of the pathways study that could drive action: Renewable electricity generation is necessary but not sufficient by itself to meet Hawai‘i’s decarbonization goals.

The electrification of transportation and industry will significantly increase the amount of electricity that needs to be generated. Demand for power would at least double by 2045.

Electrification is a key driver in decarbonization of ground transportation but in aviation and marine transportation decarbonized fuels will be required.

Even with 70% electricity decarbonization and ambitious efforts in other sectors to achieve statutory greenhouse gas reduction targets, more aggressive near-term actions will likely be required to hit the state’s 2030 target of 50% GHG reductions.

Carbon dioxide removal – also called carbon sequestration – will be required to achieve net zero, either through increased natural sinks or negative emissions technologies.

Energy efficiency and conservation are crucial in supporting the net zero goal by reducing the amount of renewable electricity and fuels that must be procured.

HAWAI‘I PATHWAYS TO NET ZERO – AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF DECARBONIZATION SCENARIOS IS AVAILABLE AT HAWAIIANELECTRIC.COM/ DECARBONIZATION

PR E SE RV I N G T HE E L E M E NT S : AIR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32

HOW HEAT AFFECTS THE BODY Health officials say extreme heat stresses the human body in multiple ways, with older adults, the young, sick and those with chronic conditions most at risk.

Difficulty focusing/ learning

Reduced blood pressure may cause dizziness, fainting

Increased risk of depression, suicide

Dehydration, sweat blocked by hot humid conditions

Heat cramps

Heart rate increases Respiration rate increases

Vital kidneys, heart and liver struggle Stressed organs shut down resulting in heat stroke/ death

this summer began a study to evaluate local emergency room and urgent care visits for heat-related illness. Results weren’t available by the publication date for this article, but experts do cite heat as a health threat here.

Links to Mental Health, Violence A L R E A DY, N AT I O N A L S T U D I E S C H A R T A TR O U B LI N G TR E N D. A 1-degree increase in

average yearly temperature “would yield a 6% increase in violent crime rates or as many as 25,000 more serious and deadly assaults just in the U.S.,” Felton says. Another study in 2020 looked at mortality and temperature over 38 years. Researchers found that periods of very warm temperatures correlated with increases in suicides.

A look at O‘ahu’s census data shows that the hottest areas of the island overlap those with the fewest financial resources. “It’s in the poor neighborhoods, lower socioeconomic, and that really puts those people at really increased risk for heat-related illness,” Felton says.

To combat the health risks, officials have begun planning for community heat warnings.

“We need to at least be ready to put out warnings on particularly hot days with no trades and high humidity that maybe it’s not a good day to work outside or for kids to play sports that day,” Felton says.

At the same time, the state is looking at providing a different kind of emergency shelter: “Maybe that’s setting up some cooling centers when it gets to a certain combination: temperature, humidity, tradewinds,” Felton says. Cooling centers have proven effective in Arizona and other states this summer, she says, providing a place to escape the heat.

Greater risk to people working or playing outdoors

Heat exhaustion can cause cold, clammy skin, nausea, weakness, headaches SOURCES: WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL & PREVENTION

34 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

H AWA I ‘ I H A S LO N G B E E N C ITE D as a leader in clean energy, with ambitious goals to reach 100% renewable energy by 2045, boosted by a record of clean air and an average life span for residents that’s among the longest in the nation. To meet its renewable energy goal, Hawai‘i remains committed to weaning itself from fossil fuels that warm the planet and contribute to rising temperatures. The Hawai‘i State Energy Office says the biggest sources of emissions come from energy (gas, oil, propane,

CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

illustration: james nakamura

What’s Warming Our Community?

Physical activity increases heat risks

Many hands working together.

The companies of HEI are united by a common purpose — to create a better Hawai‘i.

One that thrives economically, environmentally, culturally, and socially, and where all in our community have access to resources and opportunities to attain their dreams.

But, this cannot be accomplished alone.

Join us as we work with the larger community to create positive change together.

READ OUR LATEST ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL & GOVERNANCE REPORT TO LEARN MORE

HEI.com

Cl i m

i

Pl e ge

CHANGE STARTS FROM WITHIN Despite our extreme vulnerability to climate change, Hawai‘i’s carbon emissions are among the highest per person in the world. The Climate Coalition believes that we have a moral obligation to do better--for our families, and for our future.

We’re not only collaborating on systemic solutions to our climate crisis, we’re helping local organizations act internally to reduce their own climate impact. By signing the Climate Pledge, local organizations are committing to measure, target, and reduce their carbon emissions.

In other words, walking the walk.

d

(CLIMATE)

Coal

on

Climate Coalition

te

ti

Hawai‘i Executive Collaborative

a

Taking Initiative on Carbon Pollution Climate Pledge participants are committed to doing their parts.

1 Measure  Understanding the source and quantity of carbon emissions is the first step in managing them. The Climate Coalition developed resources to help organizations inventory their carbon emissions and track them annually.

2 Target  Based on the organization’s current emissions, near- and long-term organizational carbon reduction goals are set. These are realistic, science-based, and publicly shared targets to demonstrate commitment to our climate-friendly future.

3 Plan  With assistance from local partnerships, organizations develop action plans to achieve emissions reduction goals. These plans consider the best opportunities for energy efficiency and renewable energy, process and business changes, and other factors.

We believe our journey to solve the global climate challenge starts at home. The Climate Coalition is helping organizations act locally on their own emissions while working collaboratively on broader climate solutions. Hawai‘i has a unique opportunity to show the world what’s possible when we choose to do our part—together.

4 Reduce The most important step—taking action.

Organizations make the changes necessary to achieve their carbon emissions reduction goals and increase their resilience against climate change.

It’s your turn.

Get started by signing the Climate Pledge: hec.org/climate

About Hawai‘i Executive Collaborative Hawai‘i Executive Collaborative (HEC) serves as a convener and provides backbone support to advance the collaborative work of CEOs and top decision makers from different sectors to help build a more resilient economy and state. Every HEC member is actively engaged and focuses their collective energy and resources where immediate and systemic changes will benefit Hawai‘i and the world.

Climate Coalition

For more information on our real-world, high-impact solutions, visit hec.org/climate

PR E SE RV I N G T HE E L E M E NT S : AIR

“Back in the day, it was way cooler than now; we could play outside all day.”

–Gregg Nakamura

Gregg Nakamura wonders how heat might affect outdoor sports for son, Brady, and other kids.

38 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

PRESERV I N G THE ELEMENTS: AIR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 34

electricity, fuel, etc.) and transportation.

At the City and County of Honolulu’s Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency, Matt Gonser is working on a climate action plan to improve energy use in buildings, transportation and waste management. His office is developing policies to reduce air heat through improved community design and by expanding transportation options, “making it safer for kids to get to school, safer for kūpuna to get off a bus and go to the grocery store,” he says.

It’s Electric G O N S E R’ S O F F I C E also supports a trans-

portation trend that’s more visible each month on O‘ahu as drivers swap their gas-powered cars and trucks for electric vehicles. In the first quarter of this year, electric and plug-in hybrids accounted for 15% of vehicles registered in Hawai‘i, the fourth-highest in the country.

Growing the charging system to support these vehicles is crucial to success, Gonser says. As the city’s chief resilience officer, he expects the federal Inflation Reduction Act to spur progress by providing incentives and rebates for clean modes of transportation such as electric vehicles. He also encourages the use of buses, bicycles and other transportation options including Skyline, O‘ahu’s new rail system. “We need the whole mix of approaches to address some of these health and safety concerns,” he says. “And the more we can buffer ourselves against wildly volatile imported fossil fuel expenses, keep money circulating on this island, across the state, that is how we will thrive into the future.”

West O‘ahu Gets Relief G R E G G N A K A M U R A B E G A N TE AC H I N G

in Hawai‘i public schools 23 years ago: six years at Nānākuli Elementary School and 17 before that at Mākaha Elementary. At age 52, Nakamura recalls a different experience when he was a public school student in Pearl City: “Back in the day, it was way cooler than now; we could play outside all day.”

At Mākaha, Nakamura says the heat forced teachers to change the way they taught. “We would try to do the heavy stuff in the morning, like the reading and the math and the writing,” he says. “After lunch, it was too hot to do anything,” so they opted for activities that required less concentration and often took students to the farm next door to learn.

Now, with air conditioning at Nānākuli as well as Mākaha, Nakamura sees students benefiting inside classrooms. Still, teachers need to remain vigilant because students spend time outside, traveling to and from school, for PE and at recess.

“Even if it’s 100 degrees, they still love to go outside,” he says, so teachers remind students to drink water and watch for signs of heat exhaustion. He’s encouraged that the DOE installed water bottle refill stations at Nānākuli that provide cool, filtered water for students who bring their water bottles.

But Nakamura frets about future conditions for his students and his son, Brady, now in first grade in Mililani. “I remember when I was growing up, 90 (degrees) was a rare thing. Now, 90 is almost the new normal, and that’s the part that makes me worried.”

Looking ahead, he wonders if baseball, football and soccer will even be possible

for his son and elementary students of tomorrow as the heat continues to climb.

“Just hydrate, I guess? It’s very scary,” Nakamura says.

Good News/Bad News B AC K AT U H , climate change policy ex-

pert Fletcher worries that big change requires broad commitment. The increased investment in clean energy ($1.4 trillion invested worldwide in renewable energy in 2022) will help the planet. And locally, this year’s closing of the last coal-burning plant in Hawai‘i marks a significant win for improving air quality here and in the fight against global warming. Felton concurs: “We needed to not be burning coal and putting carbon monoxide and mercury and all of the terrible emissions out into our air that our neighbors breathe.”

The positive news, Fletcher says, is that communities are fighting against global warming by reducing fossil fuels, shifting to cleaner energy alternatives that include solar and wind, driving electric vehicles, eating more local than imported foods, and even consuming less meat. “Studies have actually shown that the single most effective action that any individual can take is to eat more vegetables, and it also happens to be better for you,” he says. “It’s important to reduce the amount of beef in our diets because agriculture is a huge component, a huge sector of greenhouse gas emissions, and the beef agriculture produces 100 times more greenhouse gas than vegetable-based agriculture.”

The bad news, however, is that we’re already feeling the negative impact of climate change, and reversing that trend takes time.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

Registered EVs IN Hawai‘i 25,000

24,104

20,000

18,602

15,000

5,000

14,031

11,762

10,000

8,951

0 MARCH 2019

COUNTY LEVEL ADOPTION

MARCH 2020

O‘AHU 14,936

SOURCE: HAWAI‘I DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM

MARCH 2021

MAUI 2,165

MARCH 2022

HAWAI‘I ISLAND 1,934

MARCH 2023

KAUA‘I 556

HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023 39

PROTECTING HAWAI‘I FOR THE GENERATIONS TO COME

BY ALICIA MOY, PRESIDENT AND CEO, HAWAI‘I GAS

E

VERY DAY, I FEEL INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO RAISE MY YOUNG BOYS HERE IN HAWAI‘I. While I watch them enjoy the magic of childhood, I can’t help but think about the challenges they will face in the future. As CEO of Hawai‘i Gas, I’m focused on what role we play to address both climate change and the high cost of living in the Islands. I feel a deep sense of responsibility to ensure that we are providing our children with the tools to navigate the uncertain challenges of the future.

The planet is warming. The hottest average temperatures in history are being recorded this summer, oppressing millions of people across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Wildfires rage from the equator to as far north as Canada.

Storms and hurricanes are becoming more powerful and less predictable. The ice caps are melting and the sea level is rising, weakening coastal infrastructure around the world and threatening the very existence of some populated islands.

If climate change is not slowed, we’ll need massive and hugely expensive construction projects to prevent the destruction of our beaches and waterfront areas. Plant and animal life could diminish on land and in our surrounding waters.

Hurricanes will become more destructive, and tourism could decline. Housing will become even more challenging. Insurance will become more expensive or unavailable, a trend now affecting millions of California and Florida property owners at risk from wildfires and storms.

I know my concern about the environment is shared by many residents of Hawai‘i. We all live so close to nature, and we all want to preserve it for future generations. So, it’s no wonder that despite our small size, our state leads the nation in its commitment to become carbon neutral—an important step to combat global warming.

Hawai‘i was the first state to set the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. Both the state’s gas and electric utilities are at the fore-

front of innovation to reduce carbon emissions.

Hawai‘i Gas is a pioneer in the use of hydrogen blending in gas pipelines, which was introduced as part of our fuel mix nearly 50 years ago. This is remarkable when you see that mainland gas companies have yet to even begin regular usage of hydrogen, considered to hold tremendous potential as a clean energy source because its only byproduct is water.

Signaling Hawai‘i Gas’ clean energy aspirations, we recently put out a request for proposals to attract potential suppliers (preferably local) who can provide us with more renewable natural gas and renewable hydrogen to increase the amount of renewable fuel we provide to residential and business customers. We were also one of the first companies in Hawai‘i to sign on to the Hawai‘i Executive Collaborative’s Climate Coalition Pledge that aligns with our clean energy goals.

Another example of our green ambitions is Hawai‘i Gas’ contribution to the coalition organizations helping the State of Hawai‘i compete for the chance to become a U.S. Department of Energy “Hydrogen Hub” which could boost our state’s hydrogen leadership with a $1 billion infusion of federal funds.

My children and other keiki deserve a Hawai‘i as beautiful and livable as the one we inhabit today. What I and other parents can do is to teach them to respect nature, learn what they can do to preserve the environment, and encourage them to live and work in ways that reduce carbon emissions.

These are adult thoughts and concerns, and I’m a bit sad we must pass them on to our children even while they are young. Still, I believe our children need to grow up embracing the values and science that will guide them to learn new things and implement new strategies that will keep our islands vibrant and beautiful. That is what will allow them to pass along our treasured islands to the future generations.

Find tips, information on deals and rebates, and more:

PR E S E RV I N G T H E E L E M E NT S : A IR

energy.hawaiienergy.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39

Back in our steamy public schools, frustration builds when DOE officials recognize the problem with hot classrooms but say there’s little they can do.

While the Hawai‘i State Teachers Association has for years successfully advocated for relief from classroom heat, union officials worry progress has stalled. “I think that those in our public schools, those students in our classrooms are treated as second-class citizens,” says Osa Tui Jr., the union president. “Everywhere else where there are state workers in offices in buildings, you’ll have air conditioning.”

What can we do?

Tips for Coping with Heat •

Use fans, air conditioning and window coverings; stay hydrated; wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing.

•

Avoid the outdoors during the hottest times of day (10 a.m.–4 p.m.).

•

Wear sunscreen and seek out shade; be aware of the symptoms of dehydration, heat cramps, heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

•

Know where to find air conditioning nearby. Preparing for heat events can include planning to go where air conditioning is available, whether to a friend or neighbor’s house, nearby mall, library, community center or movie theater.

•

Know your neighbors and check in on kūpuna and others who may be sensitive to heat. Heat causes more deaths each year than any other weather event.

What Schools Got Cooled?

TH E S TATE I N V E S TE D $ 6 70 M I LLI O N to pro-

vide air conditioning to more than half of the classrooms in Hawai‘i’s 258 public schools, but that still leaves 5,000 classrooms without, says Tanaka, the assistant superintendent at DOE. He says the annual electricity bill for public schools is already $48 million and will increase as more schools get cooled.

The schools now use a mix of cooling methods, including solar skylights; increased insulation in roofs and walls; ceiling fans; loud solar-powered ventilators; and roofs with heat reflective coatings. But Tanaka admits more needs to be done, especially as heat relief and air conditioning dropped in priority during the pandemic. “COVID gave us the new reality,” Tanaka says. “Open the windows, fresh air is good.”

Tips for Cooling Your Home •

To upgrade to energy efficient or clean energy systems that can save you money, check out Hawai‘i Energy rebates and federal tax credits.

•

Install a cool roof, or use a cool roof coating to reflect heat and lower energy bills.

Didn’t Ige Already Do This?

TA N A K A SAYS TH E LE G I S L AT U R E has been

setting aside about $10 million annually to ease the heat at public schools, and that comes after more than $110 million was spent on heat abatement under former Gov. David Ige, who made it a top priority.

The outdated electrical systems at Hilo Intermediate and other schools will continue to be an expensive barrier to cooling, Tanaka says.

“It all comes down to funding; that’s the tough reality,” he says.

Meanwhile, Kubo keeps trying to cope with temperatures that leave students sweltering into November. “It’s a little rough when people say that there’s nothing we can do,” he says.

42 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

Find other ways to get involved: resilientoahu.org/getinvolved

Source: Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency

Kai Lenny, Big Wave Surfer

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44 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

PHOTOS: OLIVIER KONING, AARON. K. YOSHINO, MIEKO HORIKOSHI

Best New Restaurant

Best izakaya SILVER

Kampai At The Pier

PH O T O G R A PH Y BY O L I V IE R KO N IN G

BY M A R I TA K E TA

HONOLULU EDITORS UNANIMOUSLY AGREE—JASON PEEL’S NAMI KAZE IS HAWAI‘I’S BEST NEW RESTAURANT. JAS O N P E E L , C H E F A N D OW N E R O F NAMI KAZE, is talking about kalo when

the conversation veers abruptly to Iron Chefs. The original Iron Chefs from Japanese television, who waged over-thetop culinary battles in fictitious Kitchen Stadium. Peel has been experimenting with a stash of kalo in his freezer on a dim sum-inspired kalo puff. “Taro puff reminds me of my first chef I really loved, Iron Chef (Hiroyuki) Sakai. He was my fave,” he says. “He used to make a lace batter, and it would come out like a bird’s nest.” Of all the Iron Chefs, why fan-boy the Iron Chef French? “I guess because you don’t expect it,” Peel says.

“You got the Chinese guy cooking Chinese food, the Japanese guy cooking Japanese food, and here’s this other Japanese guy making French food, and he’s killing it. I was like, ‘Whoa!’”

At its core, Nami Kaze is like his conversation—playful and unexpected, with a culinary maturity born of decades in ← Jason Peel

high-end kitchens. Peel is a first-time Hale ‘Aina winner, a unanimous pick among HONOLULU editors for Best New Restaurant. Nami Kaze opened last year when he was nearly 47, an age when veteran chefs are ceding the rigors of the kitchen to younger cooks. For nearly a quarter-century before that he opened restaurants for Roy Yamaguchi and Chris Kajioka, sourced local ingredients for star chefs at the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival and taught culinary students at Kapi‘olani Community College.

During the pandemic he left all of it. He was cleaning house as he sorted out his next step, a symbolic parallel that came together in a crystallizing discovery. It was a paper Peel had written—and forgotten about—as a young culinary student. His dream, it said, was to own his own restaurant.

Peel is supremely goal-oriented: He quit Kajioka’s group the day after Valentine’s Day in 2021, after helping

to open Hau Tree. When the pandemic shut down the KCC campus, instead of suspending classes, he delivered ingredients to students’ homes and taught them to cook via Zoom. Before he found that essay, he was looking for a way to grow, both in the industry and in teaching. “How can you teach a kid and give him the right tools and direction without having one yourself ?” Peel asks. “I can’t be telling kids how to do something or why not to do something if I never did it myself.”

45

H A L E ‘ A INA AWARDS

“I don’t want that one bite to be minimal. It has to linger. If people are sharing, that one bite is one that they remember.”

— Jason Peel

When Nami Kaze opened in early 2022, it felt as if Peel’s 25-year career had been its lesson plan all along. The food reached back into nostalgia—the simply flavored nostalgia of his childhood in Kapa‘a—coupled with eclectic and unexpected touches. Ginger fried chicken at the eatery’s first incarnation as a takeout okazuya was an homage to Kaua‘i’s beloved Hanamā‘ulu Café—and you could get it with wasabi okra and taegu carrots. That summer, brunch replaced the okazuya, the menu graduating to waffles topped with honey walnut shrimp and apples drizzled with shoyu-maple syrup, and eggs Benedict translated as poached eggs cradled in bowls of buttery hollandaise with fingers of shrimp toast to dip in and scoop.

Also in bowls are omelets, not scrambled and folded but steamed Chinese style, their surfaces strewn with toppings like local mushrooms in cheesy mornay sauce, or mentaiko with ikura and Parmesan. The fried ginger chicken is there—a nod to the okazuya and its bestseller— as are hamachi kama and sushi rolls, glimpses of the izakaya-style dinner menu Peel planned to add in the fall.

For the quarter-century he worked behind the scenes, Peel’s name was widely known in the local industry, but his own style of cooking wasn’t. Dinner at Nami Kaze answered that question. As with the food at Robynne Maii’s Fête, Andrew Le’s The Pig & The Lady and Jon Matsubara’s Feast, the dishes are what the chef likes to eat, the way he likes to eat it.

In Peel’s case it’s “a bite of one thing, pass it on, have a bite of something else, pass it on. Try the whole menu if I can,” he says. “I don’t want that one bite to be minimal. It has to linger. If people are sharing, that one bite is one that they remember.”

Seafood and local vegetables dominate in small, shareable pūpū portions, with only one full-meal option combining protein, veg, sauce and starch. ‘Ulu tots are cloudlike cubes stacked atop Peel’s grandfather’s barbecue sauce and showered with curls of shaved Hamachi crudo at Nami Kaze →

46 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

tomme. Cherry tomatoes, smoked and roasted, are draped on Mrs. Cheng’s Tofu and splashed with ponzu shoyu. What’s listed as “corn” is a plate of sweet kernel-stuffed beignets with curry salt and Kewpie mayo. German potato salad, crunchycreamy and hot, is laced with tang and spice. You could stay happily in this plant-based section, but you would miss chawanmushi studded with brown-buttery, lemony lobster tinged with kochujang; and kampachi crudo with peppers and pickled ogo. Roy’s Waikīkī with Peel as executive chef was known for its sushi; at Nami Kaze, rolls like hamachi with sweet lobster, charred green onion and yuzu gel need no shoyu.

In his open kitchen, Peel is still teaching. Eight of Nami Kaze’s 16 full- and part-time cooks graduated from KCC’s culinary program, and four of them were Peel’s students. The $180 omakase sushi dinner was crafted by his sushi chefs, to give them space to create. A catering division is in the works, as are plans for a bakery. “Cooking should be fun and abstract.

Like art,” Peel says. “I like my guys to look at recipes, but at the same time I want them to taste and adapt it to their flavor profiles. They’re gonna be chefs one day.”

Maybe they’ll help him with that kalo puff.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 40 TH ANNUAL

HALE ʻAINA AWARD WINNERS

We are grateful to all of Hawaiʻi’s restaurants who work hard to make our beautiful State a world class culinary destination.

YEARS SINCE

Honolulu_Magazine_YHata_Hale_Aina_FP_Ad.indd 1

1913

7/21/23 9:02 AM

photo: olivier koning

48 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

restaurateurs of the year

The

S ec r et Ingredient

BY C AT H E R IN E T O T H FOX

IT’S NOT JUST THE FOOD—HONOLULU MAGAZINE’S RESTAURATEURS OF THE YEAR ARE COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING THE LOCAL INDUSTRY AND WORKERS. ← From left: Fête manager Erin Dinsmoor, bar manager Fabrice McCarthy, co-owners Chuck Bussler and Robynne Maii, executive chef Emily Iguchi

49 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023 49

H A L E ‘ A INA AWARDS

THE FIRST THING I NOTICE ARE THE BOOKS.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 52

50 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

“We both left the industry [in New York City] because it sucked. When we decided to open Fête, we thought about all the things we wanted.”

— Robynne Maii

↑ Steak tartare: local grass-fed beef, béarnaise aioli, crispy shallots, chives, Fête toast with anchovy butter

photo: sean marrs

Hundreds of them, neatly arranged on a giant bookshelf that takes up an entire wall of Fête’s upstairs office. Worn spines, ripped jackets, yellow Post-it notes sticking out from the pages. Books with titles like Chicken Genius, A Fistful of Lentils and A Love Affair with Southern Cooking.

“It’s organized the way Kitchen Arts & Letters is organized,” says Robynne Maii, Fête’s founding chef. When she lived in New York City, she worked at the popular specialty bookshop as a sales associate. “It was my favorite job ever.”

She points to a section. “Ethnic books here.” Then another.

“Cheffy books are here. Here are books about pastry and bread, here are cocktails.” She points to a row smack in the center, right at eye level. “These are all the ladies,” she says, smiling—books penned by such chefs as Julia Child and Alice Waters.

Maii and husband Chuck Bussler co-own and operate the Chinatown restaurant they opened in 2016. Progressive in their support of workers and of sustainable local food production, the couple have been named the Hale ‘Aina Awards Restaurateurs of the Year for 2023, one of only two awards chosen by HONOLULU Magazine editors.

“We are super, super, super proud [of it],” Maii says.

In addition to running Fête, the couple manage and develop the menus for Heyday, a retrocool restaurant and pool bar, and The Green Lady Cocktail Room.

Both are in the White Sands Hotel in Waikīkī. And Maii and Bussler are working on their next project, a bakery and provisions shop in the space vacated by Little Village Noodle House, a short walk from Fête, expected to open at the end of the year. (It’s tentatively called Mille Fêtes, or A Thousand Parties.) Maii is also one of about 80 culinary professionals in the U.S. State Department’s American Culinary

BEST ITALIAN Thank you for voting Mad Bene as “Best Italian” in the 2023 Hale ‘Aina Awards by Honolulu Magazine

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H A L E ‘ A INA AWARDS

Corps—and she’s the winner of the 2022 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific. That prize makes her the first female chef from Hawai‘i and the only Native Hawaiian to win a James Beard Best Chef Award.

Maii and Bussler’s commitment to supporting local agriculture comprises everything from sourcing whole chickens from J. Ludovico Farm on O‘ahu to specialty greens from Hirabara Farms on Hawai‘i Island. Fête alone gets ingredients from more than 20 farms, ranches and food producers across the state. It’s not easy, but for Maii and Bussler, it’s worth it: More than 80% of Hawai‘i’s food is imported, leaving Hawai‘i’s food system susceptible to natural disasters, climate change and economic shocks like dock strikes and pandemics. “I grapple with this,” Maii says. “We’re trying our best to keep thinking about food security.”

Right now she’s worried about Hawai‘i’s beef supply, after the announcement in June that beef from Parker Ranch’s Paniolo Cattle Co.—the largest statewide local beef brand— was being replaced at Hawai‘i Safeway stores by a brand owned by an Idaho billionaire. Maii is considering treating local beef the way she treats local fish, meaning use it only when she can get it locally.

“You can’t assume if you come to the restaurant there will always be rib-eye or tenderloin,” she says. “We may not have it. … We just need to ask people to trust us and bring everyone back to the reality of what the food supply is in Hawai‘i.”

The couple is also committed to creating an environment

52 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

that makes work-life balance a priority. Workers at Fête receive competitive wages and full medical coverage, paid time off and the option to participate in a 401(k) plan that the company pays 3% into regardless of any employee contributions—a rarity in restaurants. “We both left the industry [in New York City] because it sucked,” Maii says.

“When we decided to open Fête, we thought about all the things we wanted.”

“It’s not only about the right thing to do,” says Bussler, who runs front-of-house and oversees the creative in the bar program, “but it’s about taking the anxiety out of the situation so your employees can really thrive.”

When Emily Iguchi started working at Fête in December 2016, she had just found out she was pregnant. She was worried Maii and Bussler would change their minds about hiring her.

“Without hesitation, they said it was not an issue and they would adjust to make a schedule that would work out for me,” says Iguchi, who was recently promoted to executive chef. “At that moment I knew I could trust them. … Whether it’s a vacation or a time to exercise or just downtime to see friends or family, they are open to scheduling changes in order to help the staff enjoy life.”

Maii runs a more fluid kitchen than most restaurants. There’s no “this is my station” mentality. Everyone can slot in for anyone, at any time, allowing for more flexibility in scheduling.

Iguchi calls the employee benefits a game changer. “Many of these things were not offered to cooks in the past in this industry,” she says. “To not have to worry about going to see a doctor or dentist, to know there’s a small retirement fund growing, it’s been a huge relief. … Chuck and Robynne have really taken a leap to invest in the livelihood of the staff.”

The books in Maii’s office tell her story. The O‘ahu native graduated from the culinary program at Kapi‘olani Community College and worked at 3660 On the Rise and Padovani’s Bistro and Wine Bar in Honolulu, then Union Pacific and the Waldorf Astoria Hotel’s pastry banquet kitchen in New York City. She left cooking to work at Gourmet magazine, teach at Kingsborough Community College, and develop a culinary degree program for City University of New York. She’s been a cookbook judge for the James Beard Foundation Awards since 2004. Her books are a visual representation of everything she’s learned, all the food she loves, all the culinary greats who have influenced and inspired her.

Ziti, the couple’s goldendoodle, heads to the bookshelf and tugs on a cookbook. “It’s the soup book,” Maii says. “It’s the only book he wants.” She doesn’t stop him from chewing the book jacket.

Instead, she pets his furry golden head.

She’s already picked her battles.

photo: sean marrs

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 50

Mahalo for voting us Gold for Best Breakfast & Best Brunch!

We believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that is why we make it our priority to consistently deliver food from the heart and service with Aloha!

Cafe Kaila appreciates our loyal guests who have become a part of our ‘ohana throughout the years.

For those of you we have not met yet, please come on by and experience our award-winning breakfast for yourself!

Mahalo and see you all soon!

MARKET CITY SHOPPING CENTER | Open daily 7am–3:30pm | (808) 732-3330 | Cafe-Kaila-Hawaii.com |

7

H A L E ‘ A INA AWARDS

That SlaY OUT OF 42 CATEGORIES AND ALMOST 130 WINNERS, THESE SEVEN OF YOUR FAVORITES STAND OUT.

BY K AW E H I H AU G

Best Kaua‘i Restaurant

Calling itself “Kauaian kaiseki,” ‘Āina Kaua‘i uses farm-fresh ingredients to build kaiseki-style tasting menus that highlight the bounty of the Garden Island’s land and ocean. Chefs Mitch Muroff and Jabez Yohannes deftly combine their deep love of Kaua‘i flavors and food traditions with their admiration for Japanese cuisine to create daily-changing multi-course menus ($149/person) that have made this year’s gold winner one of the island’s most difficult dinner reservations to snag.

Best Italian

Think Sopranos-style spaghetti and meatballs and chicken parm: Gold winner Mad Bene slings ribsticking Italian-American classics in a casual-cool atmosphere in Kapolei. Go for the Pappardelle Bolognese ($20), hand-cut pasta swirled with a silky, meaty 12-hour ragu, and don’t leave without also getting the Mad Garlic pizza ($18), wood-fired and topped with garlic prepared six different ways. Because, while garlic bread is the indisputable best friend of big bowls of pasta, a wood-fired garlic pizza this good is a very, very close second.

Best Bar

Best Brunch

Egghead Café, this year’s bronze winner, is Stuffy Brunch’s quirkier cousin. In Kalihi, where breakfast options are otherwise a bit limited, Egghead is a surfvibey spot whose menu puts it squarely in legit brunch restaurant territory—without the trappings of a traditional restaurant. Ten kinds of pancakes, seven kinds of omelets, seven kinds of eggs Benedict and five kinds of breakfast toasts (that wisely go beyond avocado) round out the offerings, along with signature items like the uber popular peanut butter and condensed milk French toast.

← ‘Āina Kaua‘i’s sakana: sous vide ono, tangerine saikyo miso, sprouts, ogo and kukui

54 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

photos: courtesy of ‘āina kaua‘i, the seaside, frida’s mexican beach house

We’ve known it since our very first sip of Justin Park’s exquisite Flowers for You cocktail ($18): Park is a star.

HONOLULU readers agree: Bar Leather Apron, which he co-owns with businessman Tom Park (no relation), won gold in its category. The hidden gem on the mezzanine level of an office building in Downtown Honolulu also won a James Beard Award this year, so now the whole world knows about it. As well it should.

Every seat in the denlike lounge is fussed over by a small staff of bartenders trained by Park. This is inarguably the place to savor and sip the best cocktails in the city.

↑ The Seaside’s cioppino

↓ Fish burrito and ‘ahi aguachile from Frida’s Mexican Beach House

Best Filipino

The home of the famed pork adobo fried rice omelet, Elena’s Restaurant took gold this year—one year shy of its 50th anniversary. The restaurant opened in 1974 and expanded with food trucks; its popular orange truck still roams the island. The lechon special, sari sari, chicken adobo and other Filipino classics keep Elena’s bustling—even more so now that the Honolulu Skyline’s Pouhala station is just steps away.

Best Mexican

The late Mark Ellman was a force on the Maui restaurant scene. One of the 12 chefs who developed and promoted Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine, Ellman opened 18 restaurants after arriving on the island in the late ’80s to raise his family and build his restaurant empire. He was the chef and owner of Māla Ocean Tavern, Māla Wailea and Honu Seafood in Lahaina, and founder of the Maui Tacos fast-food chain. Frida’s Mexican Beach House was his last restaurant. After his death in February, his family decided to close Frida’s, but his legacy remains, and his fans have honored him and his beloved Mexican eatery with this year’s bronze award.

Best Seafood

Japanese restaurant group Zetton Inc.’s eighth restaurant on O‘ahu, The Seaside in Waikīkī, takes home the silver award with its focus on raw, fresh seafood.

Seaside is the first foray into, well, seafood for the eclectic group. Its other Hawai‘i restaurants include a steakhouse; a ramen shop; and Nature Waikīkī, whose French-inflected, locally sourced fare helped it win gold for Best New Restaurant in 2022.

HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023 55

H A L E ‘ A I N A AWA RDS

HALE ‘AINA Awards Finalist

Merriman’s Kapalua

1 Bay Club Place, Lahaina, (808) 669-6400, merrimanshawaii.com, @merrimansmaui

BEST HAWAI‘I ISLAND RESTAURANT Gold

RESTAURATEURS OF THE YEAR ROBYNNE MAII AND CHUCK BUSSLER Fête, 2 N. Hotel St., (808) 369-1390, fetehawaii.com, @fetehawaii

Merriman’s Waimea

65-1227 Opelo Road, Kamuela, (808) 885-6822, merrimanshawaii.com, @merrimanswaimea Silver

Moon & Turtle

BEST NEW RESTAURANT NAMI KAZE 1135 N. Nimitz Highway, (808) 888-6264, namikaze.com, @namikaze.hi

BEST O‘AHU RESTAURANT

BEST MAUI RESTAURANT

Gold

Gold

Merriman’s Honolulu

1108 Auahi St., #170, (808) 215-0022, merrimanshawaii.com, @merrimanshonolulu Silver

Miro Kaimukī

3446 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 379-0124, mirokaimuki.com, @mirokaimuki Bronze

Restaurant Suntory 2233 Kalākaua Ave., Suite B307, (808) 922-5511, restaurantsuntory.com, @restaurantsuntoryhnl Finalist

Lahaina Grill

127 Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina, (808) 667-5117, lahainagrill.com, @lahainagrill Silver

Mama’s Fish House

799 Poho Place, Pā‘ia, (808) 579-9248 ext. 358, mamasfishhouse.com, @mamasfishhouse Bronze

Monkeypod Kitchen, Kā‘anapali 2435 Kā‘anapali Parkway, Building I-1, (808) 878-6763, monkeypodkitchen.com, @monkeypodkitchen

Mahina & Sun’s

412 Lewers St., (808) 924-5810, mahinaandsuns.com, @mahinaandsuns

51 Kalākaua St., Hilo, (808) 961-0599, facebook.com/ moonandturtle, @moonandturtle Bronze

Hawaiian Style Café Hilo

681 Manono St., Hilo, (808) 969-9265, hawaiianstyle restaurants.com, @hawaiian_style_cafe Finalist

CanoeHouse

68-1400 Mauna Lani Drive, Kamuela, (808) 885-6622, aubergeresorts.com/ maunalani/dine/ canoe-house, @maunalaniauberge

BEST KAUA‘I RESTAURANT Gold

‘Āina Kaua‘i

4-985 Kūhiō Highway, Kapa‘a, (808) 378-4112, ainakauai.com, @ainakauai Silver

Kiawe Roots

2-3687 Kaumuali‘i Highway, Lāwa‘i, (808) 855-5055, eatatkiawe.com, @kiaweroots

Bronze

Bronze

4150 Nuhou St., Līhu‘e, (808) 977-3777, puakeagolf.com/ puakea-grill, @puakeagrill

1831 Ala Moana Blvd., #201, (808) 943-0077, goofy-honolulu.com, @goofy.hi

Puakea Grill

Finalist

RumFire Po‘ipū Beach

2440 Ho‘onani Road, Kōloa, (808) 742-4786, rumfirekauai.com, @rumfirepoipu

BEST SERVICE Gold

Lahaina Grill

127 Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina, (808) 667-5117, lahainagrill.com, @lahainagrill Silver

Miro Kaimukī

3446 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 379-0124, mirokaimuki.com, @mirokaimuki Bronze

Pai Honolulu

55 Merchant St., (808) 744-2531, paihonolulu.com, @paihonolulu Finalist

Nature Waikīkī

413 Seaside Ave., Second Floor, (808) 212-9282, naturewaikiki.com, @naturewaikiki

BEST BREAKFAST Gold

Café Kaila

2919 Kapi‘olani Blvd., (808) 732-3330 or (808) 732-3422, cafe-kaila-hawaii.com, @cafekaila Silver

Koko Head Café

1120 12th Ave., (808) 732-8920, kokoheadcafe.com, @kokoheadcafe

Goofy Café & Dine

Finalist

Over Easy

418 Ku‘ulei Road, Unit 103, (808) 260-1732, easyquehi.com, @overeasyhi

BEST BRUNCH

Bronze

Deck at Queen Kapi‘olani Hotel 150 Kapahulu Ave., (808) 556-2435, deckwaikiki.com, @deckwaikiki Finalist

Hau Tree

2863 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 923-1555, kaimana.com/dining, @thehautree

Gold

BEST BUSINESS LUNCH

2919 Kapi‘olani Blvd., (808) 732-3330 or (808) 732-3422, cafe-kaila-hawaii.com, @cafekaila

Gold

Café Kaila

Silver

Koko Head Café

Mariposa

Inside Neiman Marcus, Ala Moana Center, Third Floor, (808) 951-3420, @mariposahawaii

1120 12th Ave., (808) 732-8920, kokoheadcafe.com, @kokoheadcafe

Silver

Bronze

Bronze

Egghead Café

Multiple locations, eggheadhonolulu.com, @egghead_café Finalist

Over Easy

418 Ku‘ulei Road, Unit 103, (808) 260-1732, easyquehi.com, @overeasyhi

BEST HOTEL BRUNCH

Merriman’s

Multiple locations, merrimanshawaii.com

Ruscello

Inside Nordstrom, Ala Moana Center, Suite 2950, (808) 953-6110, @ruscellohawaii Finalist

Moku Kitchen

660 Ala Moana Blvd., (808) 591-6658, mokukitchen.com, @mokukitchen

BEST BUFFET

Gold

Gold

2199 Kālia Road, (808) 931-5302, halekulani.com/dining, @orchidsathalekulani

100 Holomoana St., (808) 944-4494, 100sails.com, @100sails

Orchids at Halekūlani

100 Sails Restaurant & Bar

Silver

Silver

5000 Kāhala Ave., (808) 739-8760, hokuskahala.com, @hokusatthekahala

2199 Kālia Road, (808) 931-5302, halekulani.com/dining, @orchidsathalekulani

Hōkū’s at The Kāhala

Orchids at Halekūlani

CONTINUED ON PAGE 58

56 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

BEST NEW RESTAURANT: GOLD

2021 BEST MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT: GOLD

2022

Hale ‘Aina Gold-Winning Istanbul is O‘ahu’s Chicest Turkish Restaurant Drawing inspiration from the Mediterranean and Anatolian history that encapsulate its namesake, and driven by passion, Istanbul Hawai‘i brings delectable craft cocktails that pair perfectly with its award-winning dishes and desserts.

Guests are introduced to the flavours and aromas of the Mediterranean through a drink list that puts indigenous ingredients front and centre. Their knowledgeable team members, able to wax lyrical about each one’s special origins, act as your guide on this culinary journey through Turkey.

Contact Info: 1108 Auahi St Ste 152, Honolulu, Hi 96814 (808) 772-4440 Info@Istanbulhawaii.com Hours: Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday 11:00 am - 2:30 pm, 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm Friday, Saturday 11:00 am - 2:30 pm, 5:00 pm - 9:30 pm Weekend Mediterranean Brunch hours Saturday & Sunday 11am to 2:30pm

H A L E ‘ A I N A AWA RDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 56

Bronze

Hōkū’s at The Kāhala

5000 Kāhala Ave., (808) 739-8760, hokuskahala.com, @hokusatthekahala Finalist

Plumeria Beach House at The Kāhala

5000 Kāhala Ave., (808) 739-8760, kahalaresort.com/dining/ plumeria-beach-house

BEST COCKTAIL PROGRAM Gold

Bar Leather Apron 745 Fort St., Suite 127A, barleatherapron.com, @barleatherapron Silver

Nature Waikīkī 413 Seaside Ave., Second Floor, (808) 212-9282, naturewaikiki.com, @naturewaikiki

Finalist

Miro Kaimukī

3446 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 379-0124, mirokaimuki.com, @mirokaimuki

BEST WINE PROGRAM Gold

Miro Kaimukī

3446 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 379-0124, mirokaimuki.com, @mirokaimuki

Finalist

Island Vintage Wine Bar

2301 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 799-9463, islandvintage winebar.com, @islandvintagewinebar

BEST BREW PUB Gold

Maui Brewing Co. Multiple locations, mauibrewingco.com, @mauibrewingco

Silver

Silver

55 Merchant St., (808) 744-2531, paihonolulu.com, @paihonolulu

Multiple locations, alohabeer.com, @alohabeerco

Pai Honolulu

Bronze

Amuse Wine Bar

1250 Kapi‘olani Blvd., Second Floor, (808) 237-5429, stagerestauranthawaii. com/location/amusewine-bar, @amusewinebar

Bronze

Monkeypod Kitchen Multiple locations, monkeypodkitchen.com, @monkeypodkitchen

58 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

Aloha Beer Co.

Bronze

Hana Koa Brewing Co.

962 Kawaiaha‘o St., (808) 591-2337, hanakoabrewing.com, @hanakoabrewing Finalist

Brew’d Craft Pub 3441 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 732-2337, brewdcraftpub.com, @brewdcraftpub

BEST BAR Gold

Bar Leather Apron 745 Fort St., Suite 127A, barleatherapron.com, @barleatherapron Silver

EP Bar

1150 Nu‘uanu Ave., Unit A, (808) 753-9720, epbar.co, @ep.bar Bronze

The Social Honolulu 1170 Auahi St., Second Floor, (808) 892-1112, wardvillage.com/ dining/restaurants-bars/ the-social-honolulu, @thesocialhnl Finalist

Pint + Jigger

Silver

Silver

1170 Auahi St., Second Floor, (808) 892-1112, wardvillage.com/dining/ restaurants-bars/ the-social-honolulu, @thesocialhnl

413 Seaside Ave., Second Floor, (808) 212-9282, naturewaikiki.com, @naturewaikiki

The Social Honolulu

Bronze

Osoyami Bar & Grill 1820 Algaroba St., (808) 200-0514, osoyami-bar-and-grill. square.site, @osoyami808 Finalist

Sidestreet Inn On Da Strip

614 Kapahulu Ave., #100, (808) 739-3939, sidestreetinn.com, @sidestreetinnkapahulu

410 Atkinson Drive, (808) 744-9593, pintandjigger.com, @pintandjigger

BEST TASTING MENU

BEST BAR FOOD

3446 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 379-0124, mirokaimuki.com, @mirokaimuki

Gold

Splash Bar

Sheraton Princess Ka‘iulani, 120 Ka‘iulani Ave., (808) 921-4600, splashbarwaikiki.com, @sheratonpk

Gold

Miro Kaimukī

Nature Waikīkī

Bronze

Pai Honolulu

55 Merchant St., (808) 744-2531, paihonolulu.com, @paihonolulu Finalist

Senia

75 N. King St., (808) 200-5412, restaurantsenia.com, @restaurantsenia

MOST ROMANTIC Gold

Michel’s at the Colony Surf

2895 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 923-6552, michelshawaii.com, @michelshawaii Silver

Merriman’s

Multiple locations, merrimanshawaii.com

CONTINUED ON PAGE 60

H A L E ‘ A I N A AWA RDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 58

Bronze

La Mer at Halekūlani

2199 Kālia Road, (808) 923-2311, halekulani.com/dining/ la-mer, @halekulanihotel Finalist

53 By The Sea

53 Ahui St., (808) 536-5353, 53bythesea.com, @53bythesea_hawaii

BEST RESTAURANT THAT CATERS Gold

Chef Chai

1009 Kapi‘olani Blvd., (808) 585-0011, chefchai.com, @chefchaipacifica Silver

Tanioka’s Seafoods & Catering

94-903 Farrington Highway, Waipahu, (808) 671-3779, taniokas.com, @taniokas Bronze

Highway Inn

Finalist

Side Street Inn Multiple locations, sidestreetinn.com, @sidestreetinn

BEST VEGETARIAN Gold

Tane Vegan Izakaya

BEST STEAK

BEST SEAFOOD

BEST DESSERT

Gold

Gold

Gold

2440 Kūhiō Ave., (808) 922-5555, hyswaikiki.com, @hyshawaii

799 Poho Place, Pā‘ia, (808) 579-9248 ext. 358, mamasfishhouse.com, @mamasfishhouse

888 Kapi‘olani Blvd., Commercial Unit, Suite 201, (808) 955-6505, mwrestaurant.com, @mwrestaurant

Hy’s Steak House

Silver

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

Mama’s Fish House

Silver

The Seaside

MW Restaurant

Silver

Multiple locations, ruthschris.com, @ruthschrishi

364 Seaside Ave., (808) 228-3352, seasidewaikiki.com, @seasidewaikiki

Liliha Bakery

Silver

Bronze

Bronze

Bronze

2239 S. King St., (808) 951-7555, peacecafehawaii.com, @peacecafehawaii

International Market Place, Third Floor, (808) 896-2545, michaelmina.net/ restaurants/stripsteak/ waikiki, @stripsteakhi

1129 N. Nimitz Highway, (808) 540-1377, nicospier38.com, @nicospier38

55 Merchant St., (808) 744-2531, paihonolulu.com, @paihonolulu

2065 S. Beretania St., (808) 888-7678, tanevegan.com, @tanevegan

Peace Café

Bronze

Nature Waikīkī

413 Seaside Ave., Second Floor, (808) 212-9282, naturewaikiki.com, @naturewaikiki Finalist

Kapa Hale

4614 Kīlauea Ave., Suite 102, (808) 888-2060, kapahale.com, @4614kapahale

Stripsteak Waikīkī

Finalist

The Signature Prime Steak and Seafood

410 Atkinson Drive, 36th Floor, (808) 949-3636, signatureprimesteak. com, @thesignature primesteak

Nico’s Pier 38

Finalist

Herringbone Waikīkī

International Market Place, Third Floor, (808) 210-2656, taogroup.com/venues/ herringbone-waikiki, @herringbonewaikiki

Multiple locations, lilihabakery.com, @lilihabakery

Pai Honolulu

Finalist

Hy’s Steak House 2440 Kūhiō Ave., (808) 922-5555, hyswaikiki.com, @hyshawaii

BEST HOT POT Gold

Silver

Nabeya Maido

2239 S. King St., (808) 739-7739, nabeyamaidohi.com, @nabeyamaido Bronze

Hot Pot Heaven Multiple locations, hotpotheaven.com, @hotpotheaven Finalist

Shabuya

Ala Moana Center, Second Floor, ‘Ewa Wing, (808) 638-4886, shabuyarestaurant.com, @_shabuya

BEST DIM SUM Gold

Jade Dynasty Seafood Restaurant Ala Moana Center, Ho‘okipa Terrace, Fourth Floor, (808) 947-8818, jadedynastyhawaii.com, @jadedynasty seafoodrestaurant

Ichiriki

Multiple locations, ichirikinabe.com, @ichirikinabe

Multiple locations, myhighwayinn.com, @myhighwayinn

DESIGNED FO R GETAWAYS EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS INCLUDING ALL THE COMFORTS OF HOME AND FIVE-STAR HOTEL AMENITIES FOR A PERFECT GETAWAY.

Oahu’s first Forbes Travel Guide 5-Star Hotel KAMA’AINA LUXURIOUS GETAWAY OFFER INCLUDES Luxurious Waikiki Accommodations | Valet Parking for One Vehicle Daily $50 – $150 Food & Beverage Credit | Waived Resort Fee | Trump Pets Waived Pet Fee

60 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

223 SARATOGA ROAD HONOLULU HI 96815 1.877.683.7401 TRUMPHOTELS.COM/WAIKIKI

MINT-4

HALE ‘AINA AWAR D S

Silver

Silver

Royal Hawaiian Center, Suite B-303, (808) 888-6088, royalhawaiiancenter. com/tim-ho-wan, @timhowanwaikiki

1960 Kapi‘olani Blvd., Suite 200, (808) 973-0168, fookyuenseafood.com

Tim Ho Wan

Bronze

Happy Days

Fook Yuen

Bronze

Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery

Bronze

Waiāhole Poi Factory

48-140 Kamehameha Highway, Kāne‘ohe, (808) 239-2222, waiaholepoifactory.com, @waiaholepoifactory Finalist

3553 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 738-8666, happydayshi.com

1027 Maunakea St., (808) 531-6688, singcheongyuan.com, @singcheongyuanbakery

Young’s Fish Market

Finalist

Finalist

BEST ITALIAN

Fook Lam Restaurant

100 N. Beretania St., (808) 523-9168

BEST CHINESE Gold

Jade Dynasty Seafood Restaurant Ala Moana Center, Ho‘okipa Terrace, Fourth Floor, (808) 947-8818, jadedynastyhawaii.com, @jadedynastyseafood restaurant

Dew Drop Inn

1088 S. Beretania St., (808) 526-9522, dewdropinnhawaii.com, @dewdropinnhawaii

BEST HAWAIIAN Gold

Helena’s Hawaiian Food 1240 N. School St., (808) 845-8044, helenashawaiianfood. com, @helenashawaiianfood Silver

Highway Inn

Multiple locations, myhighwayinn.com, @myhighwayinn

Multiple locations, youngsfishmarket.com, @youngsfishmarket

Gold

Mad Bene

4450 Kapolei Parkway, #540, Kapolei, (808) 744-7400, madbene.com, @mad.bene Silver

Arancino

Multiple locations, arancino.com, @arancinokahala, @arancinodimare, @arancinobeachwalk Bronze

Sale Pepe

878 Front St., #7, Lahaina, (808) 667-7667, salepepemaui.com, @salepepemaui

Finalist

Silver

Silver

Multiple locations, assaggiohawaii.com

383 Kalaimoku St., (808) 729-9717, ritzcarlton.com/en/ hotels/hawaii/waikiki/ dining/sushi-sho, @sushishowaikiki

Multiple locations, noodsramenbar808.com

Assaggio

BEST IZAKAYA Gold

Izakaya Torae Torae 1111 McCully St., (808) 949-5959 Silver

Nami Kaze

1135 N. Nimitz Highway, (808) 888-6264, namikaze.com, @namekaze.hi Bronze

Sushi Sho

Bronze

Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar

2552 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 931-6286, dkrestaurants.com/ sansei-waikiki, @sansei.hawaii

Sushi Izakaya Gaku

Finalist

Finalist

524 Ohohia St., (808) 837-7774, mitchssushi.com, @mitchsushihi

1329 S. King St., (808) 589-1329, @izakayagaku

Izakaya Nonbei

3108 Olu St., (808) 734-5573, izakayanonbei.com, @izakayanonbei

BEST SUSHI Gold

Yanagi Sushi

762 Kapi‘olani Blvd., (808) 597-1525, yanagisushi-hawaii.com, @yanagisushi

Mitch’s Fish Market & Sushi Bar

BEST JAPANESE NOODLES

Noods Ramen Bar

Bronze

Camado Ramen Tavern 320 Lewers St., (808) 909-8008, camadoramentavern-waikiki.com, @camado_ramen_ tavern.hi Finalist

Goma Tei

Multiple locations, gomatei.com, @gomateihawaii

BEST OVERALL JAPANESE Gold

Zigu

413 Seaside Ave., (808) 212-9252, zigu.us, @zigu.hi

Gold

Silver

611 Kapahulu Ave., (808) 425-4415, onoyaramen.com, @onoyaramen

Royal Hawaiian Center, Third Floor, (808) 922-5511, restaurantsuntory.com, @restaurantsuntoryhnl

Onoya Ramen

Restaurant Suntory

CONTINUED ON PAGE 62

Congratulations

Splash Bar Waikiki!

Hale Aina Gold, Best Bar Food

www.SplashBarWaikiki.com HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023 61 Located at Sheraton Princess Kaiulani

MINT-41255-splash-bar-h-2 mech.indd 1

8/2/23 9:21 AM

H A L E ‘ A I N A AWA RDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 61

Bronze

Bronze

Bronze

1200 Ala Moana Blvd., (808) 593-9797, ginzasushihawaii.com, @ginzasushiward

Royal Hawaiian Center, Third Floor, (808) 664-4039, honolulu.noithaicuisine. com, @noithaicuisine_hawaii

3133 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 744-4222, shaloha4u.com, @shaloha4u

Ginza Sushi

Finalist

Sushi Izakaya Gaku 1329 S. King St., (808) 589-1329, @izakayagaku

BEST THAI Gold

Olay’s Thai-Lao Cuisine

66 N. Hotel St., (808) 536-5300, olaysthaihawaii.com, @olays_thai_lao_cuisine Silver

Maile’s Thai Bistro Multiple locations, mailesthaibistro.com, @mailesthaibistro

Noi Thai Cuisine

Finalist

Thai Issan Cuisine 2921 Kapi‘olani Blvd., (808) 735-4152, thaiissancuisine.com, @thai_issan_cuisine

BEST MEDITERRANEAN Gold

Istanbul Hawai‘i

1108 Auahi St., Suite 152, (808) 772-4440, istanbulhawaii.com, @istanbulhawaii Silver

Olive Tree Café

4614 Kīlauea Ave., #107, (808) 737-0303, @olivetreecafehi

Shaloha Pita

Finalist

Greek Marina

7192 Kalaniana‘ole Highway, E126, (808) 396-8441, greekmarinahawaii.com, @greekmarinahawaii

BEST INDIAN Gold

Café Maharani

2509 S. King St., (808) 951-7447, cafemaharani.com, @cafemaharanihi Silver

Himalayan Kitchen Multiple locations, (808) 735-1122, himalayankitchen hawaii.com, @himalayankitchen hawaii

Bronze

Bronze

Bronze

1289 S. King St., Unit 101, (808) 784-0338, @spice_up1289

Multiple locations, @millionrestaurant sheridan and @millionrestaurant kapiolani

1525 Rycroft St., (808) 947-3113, sorabolhawaii.com, @sorabolhawaii

Spice Up House of Indian Cuisine

Finalist

Million Restaurant

Kamana Kitchen

Finalist

BEST KOREAN BARBECUE

1726 Kapi‘olani Blvd., #101, (808) 941-6678, surahawaii.com, @sura_hawaii

Multiple locations, kamanakitchen.com

Sura Hawai‘i

Gold

BEST OVERALL KOREAN

2494 S. Beretania St., (808) 944-1122, @yakinikukoreahouse

Gold

Yakiniku Korea House

Silver

Gen Korean BBQ House

Multiple locations, genkoreanbbq.com, @genkoreanbbq__hawaii

O’Kim’s Korean Kitchen 1028 Nu‘uanu Ave., (808) 537-3787, okimshawaii.com, @okims_honolulu Silver

Million Restaurant Multiple locations, @millionrestaurant sheridan and @millionrestaurant kapiolani

because food IS FUN 62 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

Sorabol

Finalist

Yakiniku Korea House

2494 S. Beretania St., (808) 944-1122, @yakinikukoreahouse

BEST VIETNAMESE Gold

The Pig & The Lady 83 N. King St., (808) 585-8255, thepigandthelady.com, @pigandthelady Silver

Pho Saigon

1538 Kapi‘olani Blvd., Suite #101, (808) 955-1069, @pho_saigon_808

FROLICHAWAII.COM FOLLOW US @FROLICHAWAII

HALE ‘AI N A AWARDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

Bronze

Finalist

Finalist

1140 12th Ave., (808) 735-7581, halevietnam86.com

Multiple locations, alejandrosmexicanfood. com, @alejandrostacos

590 Farrington Highway, #532, Kapolei, (808) 693-8778, shopkapolei.com/ juliez-restaurant

Hale Vietnam

Finalist

Pho One

Multiple locations

BEST MEXICAN Gold

Taqueria El Ranchero

Multiple locations, elrancherohawaii.com, @taqueria_el_ranchero Silver

Los Chaparros Mexican Restaurant 2140 S. Beretania St., (808) 951-6399, loschaparros.com, @loschaparros mexicanrestaurant Bronze

Frida’s Mexican Beach House (permanently closed)

Alejandro’s Tacos

BEST FILIPINO Gold

Elena’s

94-866 Moloalo St., Suite D4A, Waipahu, (808) 676-8005, elenasrestaurant.com, @elenasfilipino Silver

Thelma’s Filipino Restaurant

94-366 Pupupani St., Waipahu, (808) 677-0443, thelmasrestaurant.com Bronze

Max’s Restaurant

Multiple locations, maxsrestaurantna.com/ hawaii

Julie’Z Restaurant

BEST OUTDOOR DINING

Finalist

Plumeria Beach House at The Kāhala

5000 Kāhala Ave., (808) 739-8760, kahalaresort.com/ dining/plumeria-beachhouse

Gold

Hau Tree

2863 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 923-1555, kaimana.com/dining, @thehautree Silver

Deck at Queen Kapi‘olani Hotel 150 Kapahulu Ave., (808) 556-2435, deckwaikiki.com, @deckwaikiki Bronze

Queensbreak

2552 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 922-6611, queensbreak.com, @queensbreakwaikiki

APPÉ-CHIC N O B Shopping Directory Bloomingdale’s Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., (808) 664-7511, bloomingdales.com.

Chanel 2116 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 923-0255, chanel.com.

Christian Louboutin International Market Place, 2330 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 377-6533, christianlouboutin.com.

Gucci Luxury Row, 2118 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 921-1000, gucci.com.

Loewe Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., (808) 207-6554, loewe.com.

Neiman Marcus Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., (808) 951-8887, neimanmarcus.com.

Ron Herman Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikīkī Beach, 2365 Kalākaua Ave., Tower Wing Shop #1, (808) 638-3140, ronherman.com.

We Are Iconic 1108 Auahi St., (808) 462-4575, shopweareiconic.com.

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4-985 KUHIO HWY, KAPAʻA, HI HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023 63

afterthoughts

BY JAMES CHAR ISMA

contributor

What’s in a Name?

T

HERE’S A MUSIC FESTIVAL happening in California at

the end of September that I want to go to. I couldn’t believe the lineup when I first saw the flyer: Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, The Pretenders, The Killers, Father John Misty and Amos Lee, among others. But I don’t understand the name: The ‘Ohana Festival. A comment posted on the event’s Instagram page phrased it best: “Why is this called ohana fest when it has nothing to do with Hawaiians, is not in Hawaii, and has no Hawaiian bands?”

Pearl Jam frontman Vedder founded the music festival in 2016 and named it after the Hawaiian word for family. Vedder, who owns a home on Moloka‘i, has performed in Hawai‘i numerous times and once released an album of ‘ukulele covers, is not Native Hawaiian. His bandmate Boom Gaspar is; the keyboardist was born in Waimānalo and attended Kailua High School before joining the band in 2002.

But Pearl Jam isn’t performing at ‘Ohana Festival, so that’s not much of a connection, either. A portion of the festival’s proceeds will go to several nonprofits and charities in California, so maybe the ‘ohana idea exemplifies that.

Which is cool, but …

Hawai‘i has a long, long history of outsiders being “inspired” by local culture, then using it to their benefit. Sometimes, all it takes is a single word. Consider Aloha, a plantbased protein energy company whose products are made in Colorado, Georgia and New York. Austrian entrepreneur Constantin Bisanz launched the company in 2014 after spending four months meditating and doing yoga in India. Aloha initially offered whole-food powders and vitamin supplements; when current CEO Brad Charron (formerly of Chobani and Under Armour) took over as “re-founder” in 2017, the company pivoted toward protein bars and drinks.

It was only earlier this year that Aloha actually created a product with any connection to Hawai‘i: the Kona bar, made from pongamia oil, Kona coffee and macadamia nuts, with 10% 64 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023

of proceeds supporting youth programs hosted by the conservation nonprofit Kupu Hawai‘i. To its credit, Aloha also incorporated artwork created by O‘ahu-born and -raised illustrator Kelsie Dayna Kalohi. But for a company whose corporate brand identity has largely rested on its Hawaiian name for nearly a decade, this tenuous connection to Hawai‘i feels like too little, too late. According to a 2023 Food Dive article about Aloha, “Brad Charron was in a beat up rented Hyundai this time last year, driving up the sides of mountains in Hawaii looking for family farms, trying to gain inspiration for his protein bar company’s next product.” Woof.

Maybe this sounds like a lot of complaining over just a couple of words. But imagine if the situation were reversed. What if a Hawai‘i company decided to host a music event here called the Sidanelv Festival—because “sidanelv” is the Cherokee word for family? Or if a Hawai‘i health food company named itself “Nya:wëh,” in honor of the Seneca word for “hello”? People would rightfully ask, why are these Indigenous language words being used out of context?

Many places have a rich history and culture. Instead of just borrowing Hawai‘i concepts and words, organizations in California and Colorado and elsewhere would do better by using terminology that is more appropriate to the actual culture of the event itself or where it’s being held.

I’m not saying ‘Ohana and Aloha have to necessarily change their names. But if they’re capitalizing on Hawai‘i, there should be a way for Hawai‘i to be better appreciated in return. Could 10% of proceeds from all of Aloha’s products go to Kupu Hawai‘i?

Is it possible for Hawaiian bands to play at the ‘Ohana Festival?

Look at musician Jack Johnson: He and wife Kim created two organizations that incorporate Hawaiian words—the Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation and the Johnson ‘Ohana Foundation—and he regularly donates the proceeds from album sales and concerts to benefit environmental education in Hawai‘i. If he can put his money where his ‘ohana is, why can’t others?

image: midjourney

Getting left out of the ‘ohana.

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