2023 HALE ‘AINA AWARDS
FALL'S HOTTEST FASHION ACCESSORIES
SEPTEMBER 2023 | VOLUME LVIII NO. 2 | $5.99
PLUS
HONOLULU_SEPTEMBER ISSUE_147877.indd 1
7/7/23 8:04 PM
WANT THE LATEST IN NEWS, DINING AND FASHION DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX?
For inquiries, contact our circulation department: Phone: (808) 534-7520 Email: circulation@pacificbasin.net
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.
Thomas Obungen Branded Content Creation Manager Marisa Heung | (808) 534-7152 Digital Editor Andrea Lee
marisah@honolulumagazine.com
Contributing Editor Marketing & Events Coordinator
Don Wallace Janelle You | (808) 534-7533 Copy Editor
janelley@honolulumagazine.com
Elroy Garcia
Contributors advertising
representative
James Charisma Martha Cheng East Coast Kawehi Haug Jeff Greif Olivier Koning (212) 213-1155 Catherine Toth Fox jeff@freeagentmedia.com
Editorial Intern 15 Maiden Lane, Suite 1001
Alicia Lou New York, NY 10038
Has to be my retro hot dog and bun toaster, which dropped dead last week from exhaustion. Gotta get a new one.
advertising Michelle Stofle | (808) 534-7532
michelles@honolulumagazine.com Client Relationship Manager
Michelle Okada | (808) 534-7535
mokada@honolulumagazine.com
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS. honolulumagazine.com/ become-a-newslettersubscriber
Advertising Executive
Donnie Ford | (808) 534-7131 donnief@honolulumagazine.com Advertising Project Manager
Pui-Heng Tang | (808) 534-7147 puiheng@honolulumagazine.com
My Breville espresso machine is a true love affair, brewing perfection and fulfilling my daily caffeine cravings. Chairman
Duane Kurisu
Audience Development Director
Chuck Tindle
Chief Executive Officer
Susan Eichor
Brandon Kurisu
Chief Financial & Administrative Officer
Audience Development Manager
Circulation Manager
IT & Infrastructure Manager
Gaylyn Laikona
City & Regional Magazine Association
Chief Operating Officer
Kim Koki
Hawai‘i Publishers Association
Ken Miyasato
Wes Funai
Circulation Vertification Council
For subscriptions call (800) 788-4230 I fax: (808) 537-6455 honolulumagazine.com/contact-us
4 HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM September 2023
I can’t live without my electric water boiler. A fresh cup of tea paired with a book full of adventure—what could be better?
Chief Revenue Officer
Patrick Klein Staff Photographer
Aaron K. Yoshino
images: midjourney
Strategic Partnerships
Mahalo for Voting Us
Best Bank
American Savings Bank (ASB) proudly supports restaurants across the state through our Buy Local program. Unlock exclusive Buy Local offers from 30+ local businesses when using your ASB personal Visa® Debit card. 2023 Hale ‘Aina Award Finalist
GET $20 OFF
GET $20 OFF
GET $15 OFF
When you spend $100 or more*
When you spend $100 or more*
When you spend $70 or more*
Valid until October 31, 2023
Valid until December 31, 2023
Valid until December 31, 2023
Don’t have an ASB personal debit card yet? Open a checking account in minutes at asbhawaii.com. For a complete list of deals, visit asbhawaii.com/BuyLocal or scan the QR code.
*Entire purchase must be paid for using an ASB personal Visa debit card. Minimum purchase amount is before taxes and tip, when applicable. Limit of one offer per visit. Offer does not apply to gift card/certificate or prior purchases. Cannot be combined with any other promotional offer. Free or discounted item eligible while supplies last. Offer subject to change without notice. Member FDIC. © 2023 American Savings Bank, F.S.B.
VIB RANT M EMOR I E S & DE S IGNE R AC C E S S ORIE S T H E E S C A P E G A M E | G O M A T E I R A M E N | L E S P O R T S A C | L’ O C C I T A N E | W I N D S O R | Z A R A
S H O P P I N G & D I N I N G AT T H E H E A R T O F T H E PA C I F I C ALAMOANACENTER.COM
photo: aaron k. yoshino
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
T
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.
311F23-1_Hale_Aina_Award_Ad.indd 1
Scan here for restaurant details and to make a reservation.
Sun–Tues: 11am–4:30pm Wed–Thurs: 11am–6:30pm Fri–Sat: 11am–7pm
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
BY
I N V I T E D
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
TO
D I A M O N D SIN
110 YE
S I LV E R
G O L D
CE 1913
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
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
HI_Honolulu Mag_September 2023.indd 1
6/22/23 10:33 AM
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
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
HI_Honolulu Mag_September 2023.indd 2
6/22/23 10:33 AM
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
Dreaming of a place where you can pursue your passions? 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.
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
HI_Honolulu Mag_September 2023.indd 3
6/23/23 11:31 AM
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
EARN YOUR NEXT TRIP 5X FASTER.
5X PRIORITY MILES ON YOUR FIRST $6,000 OF TRAVEL PURCHASES EACH YEAR WITH THE PRIORITY DESTINATIONS WORLD ELITE MASTERCARD®.* FHB.COM/DESTINATIONS *Subject to credit approval. Earn 5x Priority Miles per $1 spent on net qualifying travel purchases for the first $6,000 per calendar year and 2x Priority Miles per $1 spent on travel purchases thereafter. Earn 2x Priority Miles per $1 spent on everyday purchases (gas, groceries, cable TV, phone, and other monthly utilities) and 1x Priority Mile per $1 spent on all other net qualifying purchases. Purchases made at department stores, superstores, discount stores, warehouse clubs, and gas purchases made outside of automotive gas stations are not eligible to earn 2x Priority Miles. Not all transactions are eligible to earn Priority Miles, such as cash advances, balance transfers, and convenience checks. See the Priority Destinations World Elite Mastercard Program Agreement and Credit Card Agreement at fhb.com/destinations for additional details, restrictions, and other types of transactions that are not eligible to earn Priority Miles.
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
4450 KAPOLEI PKWY | 808-744-7400
MADBENE.COM | @MAD.BENE
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.
― ART DIRECTION CHRISTINE LABRADOR C R E AT I V E D I R E C T I O N JAMES NAKAMURA C RE AT I VE JAPAN E SE CU I S I N E HI G HLI G HT I N G T HE FLAVO R S O F K AUA I
AINAKAUAI.COM
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.
i4 THE
WINNER OF THE 2023 AUTOTR ADER AWARD FOR
B E S T L U X U R Y C O M PA C T C A R .
BMW of Honolulu 777 Kapiolani Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96813 (808) 597-1225 | bmwhawaii.com | @bmwofhonolulu
The Ultimate Electric Driving Machine