Hawaii Mom Blog

Aloha Melt

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 25 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Aloha Melt in Waikiki offers grilled cheese sandwiches, but elevated. With multiple types of cheese, caramelized onion, bacon, or even beef patties - the melts from Aloha Melt check the boxes for comfort food and delicious.

Aloha Patty Melt

The Aloha Patty Melt consisted of a beef patty with cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, and American cheeses, plus caramelized onion, bacon, pickled jalapeno, and a sriracha aioli sauce.

Four Cheese

The Four Cheese included all of the cheeses above, and nothing else.

Classic

I had the Classic, which included the same four cheeses, plus bacon and caramelized onion. It was so cheesy, so tasty!

The sandwiches were all grilled to a nice, golden brown, and I loved that all the sandwiches come with aioli that you can dip your sandwich in or pour onto your sandwich.

Aloha Melt
355 Royal Hawaiian Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815

Summer Fun & Wellness Deals at the YMCA

noreply@blogger.com (Nat) — Fri, 22 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Sponsored Post: Mahalo to the YMCA of Honolulu for sharing their summer wellness promotions with us.

Looking for a little extra motivation to focus on your health and wellness this summer? The YMCA of Honolulu has several summer promotions happening from June 1 through July 31, 2026 that are perfect for both current members and anyone thinking about joining.

New members who join during the summer promotion period will have their joiner’s fee waived — a $99 savings! It’s a great opportunity to check out everything the Y has to offer without the added startup cost.

Current members can also take advantage of 10% off personal training packages during the promotion period. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to level up your fitness routine, this is a nice way to get some extra guidance and accountability.

The Y is also offering 10% off InBody assessments. Non-members can purchase a single assessment, while members can purchase multiple assessments to help track their progress over time.

And for those looking for a little summer fun, the Y’s Summer Bucket List Wellness Challenge will be returning this year! Details are still being finalized, but it will be similar to last year’s challenge featuring more than 50 wellness-focused activities designed to encourage participants to stay active and make the most of summer. There will also be weekly prizes and a grand prize opportunity.

Here’s to a healthy, active, and fun-filled summer at the Y!

For information on YMCA Memberships, click here.

Shige's Saimin Stand

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

When it comes to comfort food, a nice bowl of saimin always hits the spot, and Shige's Saimin Stand in Wahiawa is a go-to.

Won Ton Mein

Beef Stick

I usually get the Won Ton Mein and a Beef Stick on the side. The perfect combo!

Saimin

Cheeseburger Deluxe

Udon

The food always soothes your soul!

And the staff is always the friendliest.

We love Shige's!

Shige's Saimin Stand
70 Kukui St # 108
Wahiawa, HI 96786-1849
(808) 621-3621

Handcrafted Ready-to-Bake Cookie Dough from Dough Boi

noreply@blogger.com (nadiablogs) — Thu, 21 May 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Fresh out of the oven!

For Mother's Day, I wanted my kids to bake me cookies from a recipe I found off the internet. When I told my daughter, she enthusiastically said OK, but when I told my son, he asked for my second choice. So when I was introduced to Dough Boi, a mom who handcrafts ready-to-bake premium cookie dough, I knew this would make a great gift from non-bakers like my son.

You can see the weekly flavors on Instagram @doughboi_hi and DM your order. I picked up my order from Mililani. The dough packs of 10 ready-to-bake balls of cookie dough come neatly packaged in a cute container and can be kept in the freezer. You get 2 dough packs for $25.

I tried the chocolate chip, macnut with white chocolate, and chocolate with white chocolate. I knew I was going to love the chocolate chip, but I was surprised that I really enjoyed the other two flavors as I am usually not a fan of white chocolate. The combos are just so tasty! The cookies are soft with crispy edges and perfectly sized.

Two packs for $25

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

These dough packs are definitely a gift I would love to receive so I was happy to gift them to people that I knew would enjoy them. I love having one in my freezer so that I can enjoy freshly baked cookies with no mess anytime the sweet craving hits.

Kaimuki Shokudo

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Kaimuki Shokudo offers a lunch menu that focuses on soba, donburi, sushi, and tempura. They also have daily lunch specials from 1130am to 330pm. One of the specials is a Teishoku Lunch Set for $20 (Hot / Cold Kake Soba, half size, Okinawan Sweet Potato Salad, half size), Sashimi, Rice, and Washugyu Sukiyaki Beef or Grill Saba).

The other special is a half Donburi for $7 with any Soba order.

I took advantage of the half Donburi special.

I got the Ume Oroshi Shiso Soba (Cold), which also included nori, takuan, and bonito flakes.

It was such a huge portion, and it was very refreshing for such a warm day.

For my half donburi order, I opted for the Veggie Tempura Don, which had eggplant, maitake mushroom, and shishito pepper tempura.

It was so delicious and actually so filling - I ended up barely touching my Soba (of course I took the leftovers home)!

Half Order Veggie Tempura Don

And of course we got the Honey Toast.

Honey Toast

I know it's "Honey Toast," but I thought they put a little too much honey - it was so overpowering. My friend loved it, however, and ate nearly all of it!

We were a little disappointed in the service, however. Although the staff members were friendly, no one came to check on us / clear our dishes / take our dessert order for quite a while after getting our food, and my friend actually had to go up to the bar to ask someone if we could order dessert. We were the second table seated for the day, but other tables seated after us had already left.

Despite that, I wouldn't mind returning to try the dinner izakaya menu, and hopefully the service will be much better!

Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya - Windward Mall

noreply@blogger.com (Nat) — Thu, 21 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Mahalo to our sponsor for the complimentary meal. All opinions are my own.

We’ve been fans of Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya ever since they opened their Ala Moana location. Their original Kapolei restaurant was a little too far west for us to visit regularly, so having a more central option made us longtime supporters. So you can imagine our excitement when we spotted the signage for their newest location at Windward Mall a few weeks ago — finally, one of our favorite ramen spots right here in our own neighborhood!

This new location takes over the former Kikuya space. While we were sad to see Kikuya close, I was also excited to see Tanaka move in. It’s always nice when a restaurant space continues on instead of sitting empty.

One thing we immediately noticed is that this location offers several seating options. In addition to the indoor dining area, there’s also outdoor seating as well as tables along the mall walkway. When we arrived on a Saturday during early dinner hours, the inside seating area was already full, so we had to choose between outside seating or the mall walkway tables. We ended up choosing the outdoor area since it seemed like it would have a little less foot traffic.

Of course, outdoor dining comes with a few trade-offs. Between the nearby cars and the flies that showed up once the food arrived, it wasn’t the most peaceful setting. Still, we appreciated that they’ve added extra seating options to help accommodate the crowds because this location already seems very popular with the locals

One of the best parts about this Windward Mall location is that they offer the full menu. Some Tanaka locations have more limited offerings, but this one has a huge variety — and even some new items that aren’t available elsewhere, including yakitori sticks.

Honestly, the menu makes it too hard to decide.!They’ve got everything from salads and sashimi to ramen, donburi, curry, fried rice, and appetizers. After a lot of debating, for appetizers we ordered the pork gyoza, crab stick tempura, Brussels sprouts tempura, and a chicken yakitori stick to share.

For ramen, we tried the Tanaka Rich Garlic and the Spicy Creamy Vegan ramen.

The son customized his bowl with half-and-half broth, beef sukiyaki, and thick noodles, which made for a pretty impressive-looking bowl when it arrived at the table.

We also ordered the shrimp fried rice.

Everything was amazing — seriously, nothing was left behind by the end of the meal. 😄 My personal favorites were the shrimp fried rice and the Rich Garlic ramen.

The ramen came with thick noodles, which I absolutely love because they really hold onto the broth and make each bite extra satisfying.

We’re so excited to have Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya in Kaneohe now. Between the expanded menu, and convenient location, this spot is definitely going to become part of our regular Windward dining rotation!

TANAKA RAMEN & IZAKAYA

45-056 KAMEHAMEHA HIGHWAY

SECOND FLOOR, near HawaiiUSA FCU

La Tour Bakehouse Churro Rolls & Banana Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Every time I go to the Mililani Farmers Market, I always stop at La Tour Bakehouse for breads - specifically the Japanese Style loaves and Sourdough. On my most recent visit, I also picked up some Churro Rolls & Banana Bread.

I thought the Banana Bread was fine (I've had better), but the Churro Rolls were a surprise hit with the fam.

It's such a simple product - rolls sitting in and topped with a cinnamon, sugar, and butter mixture.

So yummy!

The Mililani Farmers Market operates 8-11am on Sundays at the Mililani High School!

Miki's

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

If you grew up in or near Pearl City, there were a few late night / early morning spots you could dine at . . . Zippy’s & Anna Miller’s used to be open for 24 hours. And then there was Miki’s — a hole in the wall that opened late and closed early the next morning.

The last time I went to Miki’s was in high school, when my friends and I would often stop in after midnight.

We recently picked up a late (for me) dinner at 10pm. It was great to see a steady crowd of customers coming and going for plates of no-frills, tasty comfort food at this Pearl City mainstay.

BBQ Pork Ribs

Pork Guisantes

Pastele Stew

Beef Stew

I had the Pork Guisantes, and it was delish (they offer a lot of Filipino dishes on the menu).

Current hours are 8pm-3am. Follow them @mikismenu for the daily specials.

Miki's
1001 Lehua Ave

Pearl City, HI 96782

Dinner at Thirty Eight

noreply@blogger.com (nadiablogs) — Mon, 18 May 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Spicy Ahi Poke Cracker

Located at Pier 38, restaurant Thirty Eight features the freshest seafood and locally sources their ingredients. In the former Nami Kaze space, the family-owned restaurant offers lunch, happy hour, dinner and a full bar.

Our group stopped by for an early dinner and had a great time and received fantastic service. Our group's favorite was the Spicy Ahi Cracker appetizer and I really loved my Ahi Steak entree. The local bigeye ahi is topped with a delicious kanzuri shoyu buttah and served on top of a watercress salad with a generous serving of confit potato. Yum!

We had a great experience and I would definitely return. I liked the food, service, and ambience. They really did a great job servicing our large group. They are open daily from 11am to 9pm.

Oysters

Cauliflower

Hamachi Crudo

Furikake King Salmon

Ahi Steak

Fried Whole Moi

Thirty Eight
1135 N Nimitz Hwy E
Honolulu, HI 96817

Ono Kuki Company

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 18 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

I have a never-ending sweet tooth, so when I saw Ono Kuki Company at the Mililani Farmers Market, I picked up a few bags.

Normally I'm team soft & chewy when it comes to cookies, but if the cookies are mini, I enjoy crispy cookies.

The Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies were crispy, with lots of chocolate chips throughout.

They have several flavors of cookies, and also have regular sized cookies as well as party mix!

I'm looking forward to trying more cookie flavors!

ONKEE

noreply@blogger.com (Nat) — Mon, 18 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

When Hawaii Mom Blog founder/owner Gem picked ONKEEfor her birthday lunch, it felt fitting that we’d be celebrating Gem at one of Honolulu’s hidden gems!

Before heading there, I had already done some research because I’d heard the restaurant could be tricky to find if you’re unfamiliar with the area. They’re located on the second floor of a residential building (Ko'ula), and the signage is pretty minimal, so it’s easy to second-guess yourself while looking for it. I parked in the parking garage below Consolidated Theatres Ward, walked out of the Ewa side of the garage - the building is across the street from that entrance/exit. Walk to the roundabout and look for the Onkee sign and the elevator.

Once I arrived, the service was very attentive throughout the meal, and the staff checked in often to make sure everything was going well.

For lunch, Gem ordered the stir-fried pork meal, Nadia chose the bibimbap, and I ordered the marinated fried chicken entrée.

Gem really enjoyed her meal:

Nadia's bibimbap was the most Instagram-able dish of the day:

As for me… once the chicken arrived at the table, I realized I probably should have paid a little closer attention to the menu. I kept offering Gem a taste, but she politely declined each time. Toward the end of the meal, she pointed out that there had also been a plain fried chicken option on the menu — which, honestly, both of us probably would have preferred over the yangnyeom-style version I ordered. The chicken itself was crispy and well prepared, but the sauce ended up being a little too spicy and heavy for my personal taste.

I also somehow missed the fact that the entrée didn’t come with sides, which left me staring sadly at my plate while everyone else had complete meals.

Thankfully, the birthday girl took pity on me and shared some of her rice and vegetables. Nothing says “happy birthday” quite like the guest of honor donating food to her friend.

But in the end, all was forgiven once dessert arrived. The mango bingsu absolutely stole the show.

It was refreshing, light, and the perfect way to end the meal. Looking back, we probably should have ordered one just for Gem instead of sharing one amongst the three of us.

Overall, the delicious bingsu and chicken mishap made the visit memorable. And thankfully, the birthday girl still seemed to enjoy her special lunch too.

Still… I may owe Gem a little birthday lunch do-over in the future.

ONKEE HAWAII

1000 AUAHI STREET, #220

808-312-3758

Mahalo May at Zippy’s: Comfort Food for a Cause

noreply@blogger.com (Nat) — Sun, 17 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Every May, Zippy's gives back to the community through its Mahalo May campaign by partnering with a local nonprofit organization. This year, they selected Special Olympics Hawaii, which provides sports programs, competitions, and opportunities for thousands of athletes and Unified partners throughout the islands. Participation is always free of charge!

The featured item supporting the campaign is the Kokua Pac — a combo packed with Portuguese sausage, half of a red hot dog, Spam, Korean fried chicken, and rice.

It has Hawaii's favorites all in one meal, and a portion of the proceeds from each Kokua Pac sold during May will go toward supporting Special Olympics Hawaii.

Customers visiting Zippy’s in person can also help Special Olympics Hawaii by rounding up their purchase to the nearest dollar at checkout, making it an easy way to give back while enjoying a meal.

And of course, no Zippy’s run is complete without drinks and dessert 😋

We paired our meal with an Orange Bang and the refreshing lilikoi drink, then finished things off with this month’s featured treats from Napoleon's Bakery — the lemon napple and pineapple coffee cake. Both were the perfect sweet ending to a meal for a good cause.

Big mahalo to Zippy’s for continuing to support local organizations!!

The Kokua Pac and round-up donations will be available from now until May 31, 2026 at all Zippy's locations in Hawaii.

Last Call for Menehune Macs at Hawaiian Chip Company

noreply@blogger.com (nadiablogs) — Sat, 16 May 2026 18:00:00 +0000

The last of the hand scooped chocolate gift boxes!

Although I have never visited the Hawaiian Chip Company's retail location, I knew that's where they sold their delicious fresh made-to-order taro and sweet potato chips. What I didn't know was that they are also home to Menehune Mac's hand-scooped chocolates. They are currently down to their last boxes and will not be restocking them.

If you want to get a last taste of Hawaii history, make sure to visit to pick up a box. The Aloha Chocolate Gift Box includes two layers of 24 individually wrapped pieces in a gift box with ribbon and bow. Customers can select an assortment of all flavors of Milk Chocolate Mac Nut, Pineapple Snow Mac Nut, and Dark Chocolate Mac Nut. The Menehune Mac 8 Count Chocolate Gift Box includes two layers of handmade chocolates in a gift box ready to share. The 8 Count Gift Box is available with one chocolate flavor per box.

Graduation season is upon us! Individually wrapped chocolates are perfect to use in a candy lei!

Retail location has many chip options!

Macadamia Nut Milk Chocolate Bars will still be available.

Thank you to the Hawaiian Chip Company for the media invite. All opinions are honest and entirely my own.

It's a Nail Story

noreply@blogger.com (nadiablogs) — Fri, 15 May 2026 17:50:35 +0000

One happy birthday girl

For my daughter's birthday she wanted to get her nails done. For weeks, she scoured the internet for inspo pics and decided on a sunrise shell design. I looked for a nail salon located close to the UH Manoa campus and came upon Nail Story.

Nail Story had great reviews on Yelp and I liked that I could make an appointment online. The prices of the services was also available when you make your appointment. We arrived a little before 5pm and had to wait awhile before a parking spot opened up in the lot.

My daughter showed her technician the design and she was quoted an additional amount of $46. The technician then went to work and when it was time to do the design, there was a lot of back and forth as the technician had not done a sunrise shell design before. My daughter wanted it just right and asked her to redo it several times. I was surprised her technician didn't take offense, but also happy that my daughter was making sure she was getting what she wanted.

The technician was great and stayed patient as she tried to replicate the design as best as she could. Finally, after what seemed like the fifth time, my daughter gave a big smile of approval. Thank goodness! | was getting hungry! My daughter loves her nails and I also had a great experience with my pedicure.

Nail Story

931 University Ave Ste 102

Honolulu, HI 96826

Bozu Japanese Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

I recently met up with some friends for a great meal at Bozu Japanese Restaurant.

Bozu Style Fried Chicken & Eggplant

Toro Takuan

Burdock Tempura

Hot Kake Udon

Beef Tongue

Seared Stingray Fin

Mentaiko Butter Pasta

Unagi Avocado

French Fries with Anchovy & Butter

What a feast! I had so many faves! The Burdock Tempura and French Fries were so addicting (I made sure to sop up all the remaining anchovy paste with the remaining fries). The Beef Tongue was tender and delish - I loved all the green onions!

The Pasta was another fave, and the Udon was just what I needed.

Definitely come with a big group so you can try all sorts of izakaya dishes!

Bozu Japanese Restaurant
McCully Shopping Center 2nd Floor #209

1960 Kapiolani Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96826

Edible Hawaii

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Edible Hawaii cookies are some of my fave cookies on the island, so if I'm at the McCully Shopping Center, I will be sure to stop in for some cookies.

I bought a 6-pack of cookies which included:

•Nutter Butter Peanut Butter
•Caramel Sea Salt Biscoff
•Cinnamon Crunch
•Chocolate Chip
•Smores
•Milk & Cereal

And of course I had to buy a bag of the Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies!

No matter if regular-sized or mini, the cookies are chewy with a nice crisp around the edges. So good!

Edible Hawaii
1960 Kapiolani Blvd Suite 115
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 947-7263

Disney Wonder 4-Night Baja Cruise — Activities

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

In addition to the food, we also loved how there was no shortage of activities aboard the Disney Wonder.

We participated in all sorts of activities like trivia, crafts, and bingo (nearly all activities were free; certain activities, like bingo, costs $ to participate).

There was dancing, karaoke, games . . . it seemed like there were endless activities

We watched movies on the pool deck (or you can watch them in the theatre), shows, and even fireworks!

We were told that Disney is the only cruise line to be able to do fireworks at sea because they are made from materials that end up as fish food.

And of course there are the pools, the slide, a sports area with ping pong tables, football, and basketball court.

The Disney Cruise Line Navigator app gives you the daily schedule so you can see what's going on and plan out your days (you can also find the activities on the in-room TV).

There are activities for all ages, all throughout the day!

Dinner at Thirty Eight

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

We had a really great media dinner at Thirty Eight.

Shrimp Toast

Spanish Octopus

Black Cod

Fried Whole Moi

Braised Short Rib

Furikake King Salmon

Desserts currently include ice cream from Please Come Again.

Shiso Mint Chocolate

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

The miso butterfish (black cod) was one of the best, if not the best, miso butterfish dishes I've ever had. The miso flavor was just amazing, and the tender fish was complemented nicely with the fried leeks and squid ink rice.

Our table raved about the Shrimp Toast and the fragrant makrut lime chili sauce.

The Short Rib was so tender, and the Octopus was cooked perfectly.

The Fried Whole Moi is a must, accompanied by an aliʻi mushroom and lup cheong stuffing.

I love that there is such a great new dinner option that I don't need to go all the way into town for!

Thirty Eight
1135 N Nimitz Hwy

Honolulu, HI 96817

Visit Mexico: La Bufadora

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

While in Ensenada, we went on a tour that took us to La Bufadora, which is said to be one of the largest marine geysers in the world.

The water erupts regularly, so you don't need to be waiting a long while to capture the water spouting (it would regularly erupt every minute or so).

Don't stand too close, or else you will get wet!

House of Intention by Aloha Elixir

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Aloha Elixir is celebrating 11 years!

To celebrate, you can visit their House of Intention shop this month for a few new limited products - the Blockbuster Candle, Sunshine Spray, Spell Breaker Oil.

Note: Owner Keoki sprayed the Sunshine Spray on me, and he immediately asked if I had pain in a certain area because of the way the spray dispersed - and he was spot on!

I am no stranger to Aloha Elixir's products, and I really find that the products help in bringing me guidance and insight. My faves are the candles and sprays.

The Releasing spray is a go-to, and I choose candles based on the intent.

In addition to a few candles and sprays, I also got some stones as well as a few gifts (thank you to Aloha Elixir for the discount!).

In my opinion, a little extra otherworldly help is always welcomed!

House of Intention by Aloha Elixir
1126 12th Ave Suite 105
Honolulu, HI 96816

MENSHO Hawaii

noreply@blogger.com (Nat) — Thu, 07 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

MENSHO recently opened at Ka Makana Aliʻi, and we were lucky enough to be invited to a special media tasting event on a Friday night. Normally, Friday nights are tough for us schedule-wise, but once I read that Mensho was a Michelin-recognized restaurant, there was no way I was passing this one up.

We arrived right as the doors opened and were immediately greeted by the cheerful staff. First impressions? The space is beautiful — modern, sleek, and energetic without feeling overwhelming. The menus were already waiting at our table, and honestly, my stomach was rumbling before we even sat down.

To kick things off, we were served a bottle of Kikusui Japanese sake. Smooth, crisp, and exactly what we needed to unwind after a long week. It paired perfectly with everything that followed.

And then… the food started coming.

First up was the A5 Wagyu Uni Ikura.

Wow. Rich wagyu, creamy uni, bursts of ikura — amazing.

Next came the enoki chips. Fried enoki mushrooms? I had never tried them before, but somehow it totally works. Crispy and dangerously addictive.

Then came the corn wings. Yes, corn wings. The presentation alone had us doing a double take, but they were delicious.

But of course, the real star of the evening was the ramen.

We first tried the Shrimp GKO ramen, and let me warn you — you really have to love garlic. The flavor was intense, and garlicky. Garlic lovers are going to appreciate this one.

The MVP of the night was the Wagyu Truffle Shoyu Ramen. And this moment felt extra special because the owner himself, Tomoharu Shono, came to our table to shave fresh truffle directly over the bowl before we dug in.

I honestly cannot describe how good this ramen was. Everything just worked together perfectly. The broth was light, the wagyu was incredible, and the noodles?

Absolute perfection — chewy, springy, perfectly al dente. Every bite made me want to keep the bowl all to myself. Sorry to my plus one… aka my husband. LOL.

MENSHO's grand opening happened just a few nights ago, and from what we heard, the line wrapped around the corner. The word is definitely out. Since they’re currently walk-ins only with no reservations and open for dinner service only, I have a feeling the hype is going to stick around for a long time… if it ever dies down at all.

If you’re a ramen lover in Hawaii, this is one spot you’ll want to experience for yourself.

Hours: 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM Daily

MENSHO HAWAII

91-5431 KAPOLEI PKWY

808-260-9300

Visit Mexico: Mini Market Anita

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

When it comes to travel, I'm all about the snacks and omiyage. While at La Bufadora market, I saw Mini Market Anita, which was full of Mexican snacks.

They had all sorts of cookies, chips, and more.

There were all sorts of flavors of familiar snack brands that were new-to-me.

Prices in this Mini Market were cheaper than the convenience store near the top of the market lane.

Definitely worth checking out if you love snacks as much as I do!

Happy Hour at Thirty Eight

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

I got to join my media pals for a super fun Happy Hour at Thirty Eight.

Having just recently launched, the Happy Hour menu is offered daily from 2p-5p, and features an array of dishes that are a reflection of Chef Daysen Masuda's Hilo home, his Honolulu career influences, and his culinary instincts.

I first met Chef Daysen in Hilo, having bought one of his highly sought after sushi omakase sets that he was (and still is) known for. He had since moved to O‘ahu, where he continued to hone his craft, and is now at the helm of Thirty Eight.

Cabbage Caesar

Poke Cracker

Edamame

Kamaboko & Crab Dip

Fresh Oysters

Calamari Katsu

Maguro Cabbage

My faves were the Kamaboko Crab Dip (our table had 3 orders because someone who shall remain nameless could not stop eating it . . . combined with Mae Bo One Ton Chips - addicting!), the Cabbage Caesar (loved the textures!), and the Calamari Katsu (I could've been happy with this for my meal!).

Go for Happy Hour, and stay for dinner (stay tuned for my dinner post!).

Thirty Eight
1135 N Nimitz Hwy

Honolulu, HI 96817

Visit Mexico: La Bufadora Market

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

On the way to La Bufadora is a market, where numerous vendors are lined up, waiting to sell you their food, drink, and wares.

They'd approach you with plates of food or beckon you into their stall to sell shirts, ponchos, blankets, tequila, designer bags, and more (for some reason, there were many phallic objects for sale - I Googled and could only find that it was a touristy thing).

It can be an unsettling experience, but you have to just hold your ground and not be swayed or intimidated, especially by the very assertive / aggressive vendors.

Most vendors were just overly friendly, simply wanting to make a sale.

While at the market, we did a tequila tasting, bought some souvenirs and snacks, ate churros, and dined at a taco stand.

Pay-per-use bathrooms are available, and they were clean!

Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya Expands to Windward Mall

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 May 2026 02:12:00 +0000

Ramen lovers, we’ve got news for you. Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya is noodling its way to Kaneohe with its seventh Hawaii location at Windward Mall. The new restaurant will bring its signature ramen, hearty rice bowls, and flavorful izakaya dishes to the Windward side when it celebrates its grand opening on Wednesday, May 13. Located near Ninja Sushi and HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union, the 2,400-square-foot space will offer seating for approximately 70 guests.

Grand Opening Specials: To celebrate its grand opening, guests can look forward to the following offers throughout the month of May:

Buy One, Get One 50% Off (May 13 only): All guests can enjoy 50% off a second ramen or rice bowl of equal or lesser value when dining in on May 13 before 5 p.m.
Lunch Combo Special (May 13-17): Guests can enjoy Tanaka’s lunch combo which includes a special lunch-sized portion izakaya dish, your choice of a lunch-sized portion of a Tanaka Classic, Tanaka Spicy, or Tanaka Combo Ramen and any soft drink at a special price during lunch hours from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. throughout the grand opening weekend.
Grand Opening Weekend Beer Special (May 15-17): Guests dining in at the Windward Mall location can enjoy a Sapporo beer for just $4, available all day.
Receipt Bounceback: Guests who bring a receipt back from opening day, May 13, within 7 days will receive a complimentary izakaya dish of their choice with any ramen or rice bowl purchase.
Giving Back: A portion of all proceeds from the month of May will benefit a local nonprofit.
Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya Gift Card Deal: Guests who purchase a $50 gift card receive a $55 gift card. Guests who purchase a $100 gift card receive a $110 gift card. Cash only.

“We are excited to continue our growth in Hawaii with the opening of our newest location at Windward Mall,” said Tina Wang, owner and founder of Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya. “Since launching in 2020, our expansion has been driven by the ongoing support of our local community. We are proud to bring our signature ramen and izakaya offerings to the Windward side and to bring new options to our loyal guests.”

The Windward Mall restaurant will be the company’s first and only location to offer a selection of yakitori sticks, including chicken thigh, chicken thigh with green onion, chicken meatball, and chicken kawa.

Windward diners will enjoy the restaurant’s signature ramen dishes including the restaurant’s Tanaka Classic – a pork broth, pork chashu, kikurage, spicy bean sprouts, green onions, fried onions, garlic oil and a seasoned egg served with thick noodles – and their popular vegan ramen, Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen – a vegan broth, green onions, spicy bean sprouts, spinach, atsuage tofu, crispy onions with garlic and chili oil served with kale noodles.

Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya also offers a variety of rice bowls like their Beef Sukiyaki Don or Karaage Don as well as Tokyo curry bowls including a Pork Katsu w/ Curry and Pork Gyoza w/ Curry. And to start off any meal, you’ll want to check out their selection of appetizers and izakaya options including their house-made Pork Gyoza.

Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya’s Windward Mall location will be open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday & Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The restaurant will also be offering its full menu of lunch and dinner items for takeout. To place an order, call 808-367-0293 or order online at www.tanakaramen.com.

All University of Hawaii system faculty and students, Windward Mall employees, and military members receive 10 percent off with proof of ID.

Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya currently operates seven locations across Hawaii, with locations at Ala Moana Center, Kailua Town, Kapolei Marketplace, Maui Mall Village, Pearlridge Center, and Town Center of Mililani, and Windward Mall. For more information on Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya, visit www.tanakaramen.com. Also be sure to follow Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at @tanakaramenhawaii to stay up-to-date on the latest information on special giveaways, promotions and much more.