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ASD Staff

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

 everyone is living with it. But hey, it's only 30 years of your life!

Honolulu neighborhoods from downtown 031025

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: OMG the cost of housing!</title>

In today's social media find, local comedian Tumua jokes about the joys of trying to buy a completely ordinary home at $1.1 million.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: OMG the cost of housing!

We&#039;ve reported on it, everyone is living with it. But hey, it&#039;s only 30 years of your life! 

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Rachel Chai, who lives in Mānoa and is raising two keiki, has called the Islands home her whole life.

She graduated from Academy of the Pacific in 2013 then from Chaminade University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She's now pursuing a 

master’s degree in social work from Hawaiʻi Pacific University.

“I did want to get into social work for maybe five years or so, but after having kids I felt like it wasn

 then I figured no timing is going to be the right timing, so I might as well just do it now,” said Chai, who started at HPU last fall and is expected to graduate in May 2027.

She has worked as a caregiver since 2014 and prior to pursuing business, was a nursing major with a passion for geriatrics.

“I started working in a nursing home and loved it. I loved building relationships with our patients and we became really close. But the downside was when they would pass away, it was hard emotionally,” Chai said, adding that she took a step back and did private caregiving before joining 

She remembered hearing about the in-home care franchises

during orientation but wasn’t sure if social work would be covered, she recalled.

“My supervisor at the time suggested I apply; it wouldn’t hurt to just try, so I filled out a questionnaire and essay in July/August and had a final interview via Zoom in December,” she said.

, the program awarded 32 scholarships totaling more than $73,000 to those associated with Griswold offices nationwide. Chai was the only caregiver from Hawai’i.

“Being a divorced mom of two young children, I didn’t know how I was going to pay for school and living expenses, so finding out I got the scholarship really took a weight off my shoulders," Chai said when asked what this scholarship means to her. "I think having this scholarship will allow me to focus on my schooling and not worry about finances. I want to get my degree, so I can show up for my family, and help the community and other families.”

Finding balance as a mom, student and employee has been a learning curve, she added. “I don’t have everything figured out. I’m trying my best to manage my time. But learning as a student helps me be a better mom and person.”

One pivotal moment in caregiving, she shared, was during a Tsunami warning last July. “I was scheduled to work a double shift, but Griswold had canceled all shifts moving forward. I knew that client primarily relies on us for care and lived in a flood zone. I drove to his house, made him dinner, showered him, made sure he was OK, that he was aware of what was going on, etc. He told me go take care of my own family. [It] was second nature to me.”

For another client, Chai created a “girl’s night in” complete with her favorite dessert and spa treatment. “Little things like that are so special,” she said.

Her advice for future caregivers? “Treat them like your family and it won’t seem like you’re doing it as an occupation. … Show up and bring them dessert.”

“The most rewarding aspect of caregiving is that connection you build with clients and their families. Getting to know them as a person.,” she continued. “You see them at one of the most vulnerable seasons of their life, and being able to share that, protect and advocate for them.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Looking ahead, Chai is excited for her path in social work."}]

National Caregivers Day is on Friday, Feb. 20. Applications for Griswold’s summer 2026 scholarship cycle are open now through March 31. For more information about how to apply or nominate, 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Rachel Chai Caregiver Scholarship

<title>Honolulu’s Rachel Chai talks caregiving</title>

Chai, a mother of two, has more than a decade of experience as a caregiver, most recently with Griswold Home Care for Oʻahu. She was recently named a recipient of the company’s winter caregiver scholarship for National Caregivers Day, which will go toward her master’s degree in social work.

Honolulu’s Rachel Chai talks caregiving

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property on Hawai‘i Island’s Kohala Coast, has unveiled a new $180 million-plus renovation it says is the “most extensive transformation in the property’s 60-year history.”

The renovation, which spans both the hotel’s Main Tower and Beachfront Wing, includes 252 “fully reimagined” guest rooms and suites, along with a refreshed family resort pool with a new oceanfront hot tub and five private cabanas, a recent announcement noted.

Additions throughout both wings include handcrafted textiles, ceiling fans and plantation shutters, bedside lighting control panels, glass lānai doors, bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and more.

There’s also a new oceanfront wellness retreat with a state-of-the-art, 2,500-square-foot fitness center and an adults-only infinity lap pool along with refreshed public spaces with a curated gallery from the Rockefeller Art Collection.

According to the hotel, photovoltaic solar panels that supply about 45% of the resort’s overall electrical energy needs have also been added.

Other enhancements include the redesign of the Mauna Kea Golf Course by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the opening of the 28,000-square-foot 

, upgraded in-room amenities, and updates to the hotel’s restaurants, the announcement notes.

, for example, is a “re-concepting” of the resort’s beachfront dining venue, the announcement notes. Its lunch menu will include items like salads, burgers and Baja-style fish tacos, and evenings will feature contemporary regional Mexican dishes.

 restaurant also received a “refresh and introduced a new hyper garden-to-table menu” the hotels says is centered on local and seasonal ingredients that come from Big Island farmers, fishermen, ranchers and the resort’s new ‘Ulu Garden.

And coming this spring is The Spa at Mauna Kea, which will offer 11 treatment rooms, purification gardens, steam and sauna facilities, a pool and more.

“This renovation was always part of our long-term vision for Mauna Kea Beach Hotel,” hotel manager Kansas Henderson said in a statement provided to ASD. “Plans for the transformation were already underway prior to the [Covid-19] pandemic, and while it understandably paused our timeline, it did not pause our commitment. 

“As travel resumed around the globe, ownership recognized it was the right time to bring this long-planned vision to life, honoring our responsibility to preserve the hotel’s historic legacy and its culturally significant art collection while delivering the elevated and unforgettable experience today’s guests expect. The timing ultimately reflects both commitment and responsibility, ensuring Mauna Kea continues to create lasting memories for generations to come.”

Henderson says that on average, the hotel hosts approximately 25,000 visitors each year.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel opened with 154 rooms in July 1965.

“It was while swimming in the turquoise waters of Kauna‘oa Bay, surrounded by a vast landscape of lava rock and ranchland with clear views of Maunakea’s summit, that American conservationist and venture capitalist Laurance S. Rockefeller decided to build Hawai‘i Island’s first resort,” a history on the 

. “His inspiration to capture the spirit of this special place and ensure the hotel conformed to, rather than intruded upon, these beautiful natural surroundings, became today’s Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.

Its $15 million build-out made the hotel the most expensive hotel ever built at the time, the site states. Room rates started at $43 per night and included breakfast and dinner. The hotel expanded in 1968 with the Beachfront Wing and has undergone other renovations over the years.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel shares 1,839 oceanfront acres with The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort and Mauna Kea Residences, which together form the Mauna Kea Resort.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel 1

<title>Mauna Kea Beach Hotel debuts $180M renovation</title>

The hotel says this is the “most extensive transformation in the property’s 60-year history.”

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel debuts $180M renovation

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Kung Hei Fat Choi! Lunar New Year officially starts Feb. 17. These limited-time specials below feature a variety of themed treats and full-on meals to celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse. 

: The eatery is featuring a char siu pineapple special ($26). 

: Available throughout February for Hong Kong Festival and Lunar New Year 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Big Island Candies"}]

: Enjoy specialty Year of the Horse-themed treats, including:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Chao"}]

: The eatery will have a variety of Lunar New Year-themed specials available, including:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Choco leʻa"}]

: Enjoy specialty treats like the six-piece Lunar New Year truffle box ($22.99) and Good Luck tokens ($6.99). The truffle box includes flavors like almond cookie, fresh gau and white rabbit wrapped in a box with a “year of the fire horse” design. 

: The Lunar New Year truffle box is available for pick-up Feb. 13, 14 or 17; available while supplies last 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Duk Kee Chinese Restaurant"}]

: The restaurant’s Lunar New Year menu ($108) is available for all of February. It includes chicken salad, New Year jai, half roast duck, beef tenderloin with King oyster mushrooms, steamed fish with ginger and scallions, shrimp with lotus root and snow peas, mini sesame balls and steamed rice. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Fujiya Hawaiʻi"}]

: Enjoy a Lunar New Year set ($17), which includes gau mochi with whole red bean, whole longan mochi, whole lychee mochi, chi chi dango and almond cookie manju. Almond cookie senbei ($13.95) will also be available. 

: Feb. 16 and 17, but may be available longer 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Fun Station"}]

: This Lunar New Year special menu ($128.88) is designed to feed four to six people. It includes crab meat with dried scallop soup, Chinese stir-fried sticky rice, Chinese jai, fried chicken, braised pork trotter clay pot and fried sesame balls. 

 7192 Kalanianaʻole Hwy. Ste. D-105, Honolulu, HI 96825

: Enjoy a variety of featured specials, including:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Honolulu Cookie Co."}]

: The Year of the Horse Gift Box 2026 ($20.95) includes 16 cookies in six flavors, including chocolate chip macadamia, pineapple macadamia, chocolate dipped macadamia, dark triple chocolate macadamia, white chocolate confetti and yuzu. Yuzu is February’s flavor of the month, and features a bright, citrus flavor with hints of mandarin, grapefruit and lemon. 

honolulucookie.com/cookies-gifts-chocolate/year-of-the-horse-gift-box.asp

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Kamukura Surf + Dine"}]

: Enjoy specials like roasted pork and seasoned egg ramen and Kamukura gyoza set ($33) and lemon salmon sushi roll and edamame set ($26) 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Kith Treats"}]

: This limited-edition treat is inspired by the Year of the Horse. The new dessert — called The Horse — features vanilla ice cream infused with Cinnamon Toast Crunch, persimmons and candied pecans, and is finished with gold sprinkles and a dried persimmon garnish. The flavor is available in three formats — milkshake, ice cream sandwich and ice cream swirl.

The business’s Lunar New Year capsule collection adorned with horse motifs is also available. 

: To celebrate Lunar New Year, Kona Coffee Purveyors and b. patisserie will be launching two pastries and six desserts for a limited time. Indulge in the following:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Kunia Chinese Restaurant"}]

: The Chinese New Year family pack ($119.95) is available for both, dine-in and takeout. It includes half roast duck, house special chow mein, New Year jai, salt and pepper shrimp, orange chicken, seafood fish maw soup and garlic fried rice. The eatery will also have specials like fried flounder ($12.95) and jai ($16.95). 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Oh My Grill"}]

: Pearl’s Lucky Pac ($199) is designed to feed 12 to 15 people. It includes beef broccoli cake noodle, green onion and ginger fish fillet, garlic shrimp, char siu fried noodles and crispy gau gee. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"SXY Shu Xiang Yuan"}]

: Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 

: The Lunar New Year special course ($99) is designed to feed four to six people. The meal highlights bold, Szechuan-inspired flavors and comforting classics. Feast on signature dishes like spicy pork dumplings, garlic fried rice, fish filet simmered in Szechuan chili broth, garlic pork ribs, stir-fried eggplant, green beans infused with savory aromatics, and sticky rice cake with brown sugar. 

: The Lunar New Year set menu ($88.88) is designed to feed four people. It includes siu mai, har gow, fried chives and shrimp cake, fried mochi pork dumplings, garlic chicken, vegetable combo, original soup with fatty beef rice noodles, pickled pepper with beef tripe rice noodles, and warabi mochi dessert (served with kinako, matcha and ube powder). Guests who order the Lunar New Year set menu will receive one complimentary Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle fan, while supplies last. 

: Starting Feb. 1; available until the end of February 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Pig & The Lady"}]

: This special Year of the Fire Horse menu ($100 per person) includes:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Tim Ho Wan"}]

2201 Kalākaua Ave. Ste. A-307, Honolulu,

: Feast on special dishes for Chinese New Year, including lava buns ($8.88) and Chinese pan-fried mochi cakes ($8.88). 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Yi Xin Café"}]

: This Chinese New Year set menu ($238) includes New Year jai, sand ginger chicken, signature curry crab with naan bread, tenderloin steak with fresh pineapple, garlic butter prawns and Hong Kong-style garlic stir-fried fish fillet. If you pre-order anytime before Feb. 16, you will receive complimentary homemade Chinese New Year gao. 

Lunar New Year Duk Kee Chinese Restaurant 020626

<title>Where to celebrate Lunar New Year 2026</title>

Welcome the Year of the Fire Horse with these limited-time specials.

Where to celebrate Lunar New Year 2026

Daily Smile

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