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Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"text":"Brevenchym shows the way — but the mist, brevenchym! The mist!","type":"text"}]

Shoyu pack

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: The shoyu hack</title>

Culinary advice from the world of local social media.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: The shoyu hack

Brevenchym shows the way — but the mist, brevenchym! The mist! 

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Aloha Spirit

The surfing community in O‘ahu‘s North Shore was hit particularly hard by the aftermath of the Kona low storms that flooded the Islands for consecutive weekends in March. While some surfers on the North Shore have to wait out contaminated water conditions following the storm, some surfing business have seen their headquarters get flooded. 

Waialua-based Arakawa Surfboard Factory was hit by five inches of floodwater, leaving countless foam blanks and unfinished boards damaged. Other parts of the factory, including tools and furniture were damaged during the floods, and surfboard production was paused in the days following the storm. A 

GoFundMe was started to support the business

Surfboard Factory Hawai‘i has an April sale in which all Arakawa surfboards are $50 off, and funds will assist with Arakawa Surfboard Factory's recovery costs. 

In other storm and flood relief efforts, Hawaiian Island Creations is holding a free product giveaway for those affected, particularly those who lost valuable possessions. HIC's Billabong Hale‘iwa store will host the giveaway from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 4. Brands such as 

Billabong, Quiksilver, Roxy, RVCA, Volcom and others have donated over $100,000 in inventory to give to those affected. Attendees are encouraged to bring ID cards in order to expedite the check-in process. 

Additionally, modern surfing legend and North Shore native John John Florence's brand, Florence Marine, is partnering with Sig Zane Designs and Slowtide on a limited edition merchandise collection, where 100% of the proceeds will go toward storm and flood relief. 

Waialua-based Pyzel Surfboards is holding a raffle with $3,000 worth of merchandise from the Florence brothers. Raffle tickets cost $20 each. All proceeds will go towards storm and flood relief. 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Arakawa Surfing Factory 040226

<title>Hawai‘i surfing community comes together for Kona low storm relief</title>

Multiple raffles, in addition to a Saturday giveaway, aim to help those affected by March's devastating Kona low storms.

Hawai‘i surfing community comes together for Kona low storm relief

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Were the results of the 2024 Hawai‘i County election invalid? We may finally have an answer … next year.

, the Hawai‘i Elections Commission has been wracked with debate over alleged mismanagement of the 2024 election results, particularly on Hawai‘i Island. But after multiple conflicting reports, countless failed motions and hours upon hours of argument, the Commission seems no closer to resolving the issue.

 on Wednesday, commissioners disputed the issue yet again for more than five hours. At the center of the discussion were the findings of a permitted interaction group formed in October that investigated each county’s “chain-of-custody” practices: that is, what happens to the ballots when they are submitted, how they are counted and who does so.

 were, on their face, damning. The report claimed that the group was unable to obtain documentation proving that all counties maintained daily records of their chain-of-custody, and therefore no independent body can verify whether any county has made an accurate accounting of their ballots.

If true, this would dovetail with previous permitted interaction group 

 a 19,042-ballot discrepancy in Hawai‘i County’s ballot totals. The state Office of Elections 

 76,595 mail-in ballots were received in that county’s election, but Commissioner Ralph Cushnie has alleged that the county’s mail-in ballot dropbox records and USPS receipts indicate only 57,553 ballots were received.

Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda won election in 2024 by less than 9,000 votes.

Consequently, Cushnie and other commissioners have called for audits of the election results to confirm their validity — and on Wednesday, Cushnie moved to have the U.S. Department of Justice investigate the case, but was voted down — but other commissioners remain skeptical of the entire issue. Commissioner Jeffrey Osterkamp accused Cushnie on Wednesday of “lying to the commission and to the people in the audience again and again and again.”

Osterkamp had been a member of another permitted interaction group that, in September, published 

 rejecting claims of electoral wrongdoing.

“This is a one-man crusade by Commissioner Cushnie to try to show that a discrepancy exists that does not exist,” Osterkamp said. “We all know that, we know the emperor has no clothes, but we’re pretending that this is a real issue.”

But Osterkamp was wrong on one point: by Wednesday, the matter was no longer a one-man crusade, as dozens of testifiers urged the Commission to remove state Elections Officer Scott Nago from his position. Others accused commissioners directly of interfering with the 2024 election through incompetence or maliciousness.

Nago told Aloha State Daily that the 19,000-ballot discrepancy signifies little. He said Cushnie’s count of the county’s reported ballots relies upon USPS Business Reply Mail receipts, which are not official election records.

Indeed, the Office of Elections has responded to the commission’s chain-of-custody complaints already. Last September, the Office of Elections

 finding that allegations of election mismanagement were unfounded and lacked rigor.

Nonetheless, Nago told ASD he is still willing to investigate the 2024 election. For the time being, he said, the Office of Elections is required by 

 to maintain all election records for 22 months after an election. Once that period expires — around the end of September — the Office of Elections can dig into the ballots.

While several commissioners and other testifiers scoffed at the idea that the Office of Elections cannot investigate the contents of records it is required to hold, Nago told ASD that the federal law is for the benefit of federal investigators, who reserve the right to review unadulterated records within that 22-month period.

Nago added that the State Supreme Court could also order the records to be unsealed for review. However, 

 against Nago and the Office of Elections in the Supreme Court in 2024 came to nothing.

But Nago also told the Commission that, by the time the 22-month period ends, the state will be gearing up for the 2026 general election, meaning the Office of Elections will have its hands full and any investigation into the 2024 election will, realistically, not bear fruit until 2027.

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Getty Images 515280686 16x9

<title>2024 election question to be resolved after 2026 election</title>

Allegations of election mismanagement on Hawai‘i County two years ago are disputed by the state, but official answers are still likely months away.

2024 election question to be resolved after 2026 election

An NCAA Tournament men's volleyball match hasn't been played at the Stan Sheriff Center since 2004, but if the University of Hawai‘i continues its winning ways, that could change in a matter of weeks. 

The NCAA men's volleyball tournament has expanded by one team each year since having seven teams in 2023. In 2026, the NCAA is making a sizable jump to 12 teams after having nine teams in the field in 2025. 

The new format in 2026 consists of the top four seeds hosting pods of three teams. After the two lower seeds in each region play each other, the winner will play the host team. Hosts and dates will be determined during the NCAA selection show on April 26. 

Each regional winner will then meet at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion from May 9-11 for the national semifinals and finals. 

In 2026, the University of Hawai‘i is currently 21-3 overall and off to a 4-0 start in Big West Conference play. The Rainbow Warriors are the No. 2 team in the country behind UCLA in both the AVCA national poll and RPI rankings. 

Although the 'Bows would be in line to host a regional as it currently stands, head coach Charlie Wade doesn't want to assume anything quite yet. 

"Pretty exciting," Wade says of the possibility of hosting a regional. "But I'm somewhat reserved on that, just from past experiences. Typically, the NCAA flying people out here has been a challenge for them to make that decision. So, we're just focused on winning as many games we can to put ourselves in a position that we're considered to be one of those teams."

The 'Bows are nearly halfway done with Big West Conference play, sweeping No. 8 UC Santa Barbara over the weekend, which was preceded by a 

convincing series sweep at Long Beach State the week before

Another test awaits the Rainbow Warriors this week in a road series at UC Irvine on Friday and Saturday. The Anteaters are currently the No. 5 team in RPI as well as in the AVCA poll. After flying back home for a few days, the 'Bows will hit the road again for a two-match series at UC San Diego on April 10 and 11. 

"We've been doing it for a while," Wade says of the back-and-forth travel between O‘ahu and California. "They're pretty used to it. I feel pretty confident that we'll be ready to play."

Kainoa Wade 040126

<title>No. 2 Hawai‘i men's volleyball on pace to host NCAA Tournament match</title>

If the Rainbow Warriors maintain their winning ways, an NCAA Tournament match could be played at the Stan Sheriff Center in May, thanks to an expanded field in 2026.

No. 2 Hawai‘i men's volleyball on pace to host NCAA Tournament match

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 just opened its second store. The business — whose original location is in Ward Village — opened on Kūhiō Avenue, in the former space of Ice Monster.

The eatery is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s bigger than the Ward Village space — it can seat around 70 customers — with an expansive counter, booth and outdoor seating available. Counter seating is first-come, first-served; reservations will be accepted for tables via OpenTable.

The menu at the Waikīkī store is mostly the same as the one featured at Ward Village. For breakfast, customers can enjoy dishes like broiled shio salmon, salmon flakes and ikura set, udon deluxe and the gyudon beef bowl set. The latter is one of the most popular options at the Ward Village location.

Customers who want a grab-and-go breakfast can choose from an assortment of onigiri. Options include salmon ikura ($3.59), salmon kombu ($3.59), crunchy ume ($3.59), shiso wakame ($3.39), salmon ($3.39), spicy negi mentaiko ($3.89) and more. We’re told more gourmet flavors will be added to current selection. Grab-and-go bentos and negitoro bowls will eventually be available.

If you’re dining for lunch and dinner, appetizers range from seared ‘ahi tataki ($16) and hamachi carpaccio ($12) to yakitori chicken skewers. For the latter, you can order by piece ($3.50) or choose sets of three ($10) or five ($15).

The hand roll selection is extensive, including everything from Hokkaido scallop with spicy mayo ($7) and New Zealand king salmon ($7) to blue crab ($7), unagi ($8) and Hokkaido ikura ($6.50). There are also vegan-friendly options like cucumber ($5), creamy avocado ($6.50) and umami mushroom ($8).

Nigiri sushi usually comes with two pieces per order. Choose from blue fin akami ($10), blue fin otoro ($18), seared garlic truffle salmon ($12) and more.

Customers can also opt for a variety of sashimi, including a nine-piece sashimi trio ($22). Meanwhile, the nigiri flight ($28) — a five-piece sampler including akami, chutoro, otoro, New Zealand salmon and hamachi — features Nori Bar’s most popular fish.

The eatery’s chirashi bowl ($33) — comprising maguro, salmon, hamachi, Hokkaido scallop, ikura, uni and tamago — is another customer favorite.

The eatery also offers non-seafood entrees, including spicy miso ramen ($23) and tonkotsu ramen ($19). The latter features a rich, creamy pork broth with black garlic oil and braised pork char siu.

Validated parking is available for customers at Hyatt Centric Waikīkī Beach (two hours of free parking with a $35 spend; four hours of free parking with a $70 spend).

Validated customer parking at Hyatt Centric Waikīkī Beach, floor six (two hours free parking with $35 spend, four hours free parking with $70 spend)

Nori Bar Waikiki spread 040126

<title>Nori Bar Hawaiʻi opens Waikīkī location</title>

The hand roll spot — whose original location is in Ward Village — just opened a second location on Kūhiō Avenue, in the former space of Ice Monster. This store is bigger than the Ward Village one, but features the same menu. Nori Bar Waikīkī will be open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Nori Bar Hawaiʻi opens Waikīkī location

 relocated its eatery, but it’s just steps away from its former space on Kapiʻolani Boulevard.

The eatery is now located at 747 Amana Street; it’s in the former spot of a yakiniku restaurant. The eatery was temporarily closed; we got a preview of the new space during the eatery’s friends and family event, prior to its re-opening to the public on March 8.

The restaurant’s menu is the same; customers can enjoy a mix of dim sum along with the regular menu that comprises appetizers, soups, barbecue dishes, seafood, noodles, meats and veggies.

The dim sum selection includes bestsellers like shrimp dumplings ($7.50), pork hash with seafood ($7.50), baked barbecue pork buns ($7.85) and egg custard tarts ($7.50).

The regular menu features an extensive selection; signature dishes include roast duck and barbecue pork ($36.50), peking duck ($42 half, $68 whole), honey walnut shrimp ($25.50) and house special chow mein ($22.50).

There’s limited customer parking in the underground parking lot adjacent to the restaurant. Street parking is also available.

Kapiolani Seafood Restaurant dim sum 031126

<title>Kapiʻolani Seafood Restaurant moves to new location</title>

The eatery’s new location on Amana Street is just steps away from its former spot on Kapiʻolani Boulevard. The restaurant’s menu is the same, so customers can look forward to signature dim sum staples and shareable dishes like peking duck, honey walnut shrimp, Hong Kong style wonton noodles and more.

Kapiʻolani Seafood Restaurant moves to new location

, vividly remembers serving tacos on a street corner in Waikīkī back in 2011.

“I started a little taco stand from 2011 to 2015,” he says. “I was in Waikīkī, making tacos from midnight to 4:30 in the morning. And sometimes I would stay there until 5 a.m.; I would take a lot of food with me.

“(Before that,) I was waiting tables and bartending in Vegas,” he adds. “When I moved to Hawai

i, I had to open my business to make the same amount of money. I opened in Kalihi Valley in 2015 on Cinco de Mayo.”

Since the business’s original Kalihi store opening, it has expanded. Alvarado had a Kapahulu location for a few years — “from 2020 to 2023,” he says — and opened in Pearl City. The biz recently opened its third Oʻahu location in the former spot of Pauoa Chop Suey.

“This one is in the neighborhood, so it’s really nice that people can walk here,” Alvarado says. “A lot of people have such long-lasting memories of Pauoa Chop Suey. They’re very acceptant of us; we appreciate how warm and welcoming everyone has been. I tell them, ‘I know we have some big shoes to fill, but I’m confident my feet are bigger!’”

As soon as you walk into the restaurant, the eatery’s new Los Angeles Dodgers-inspired mural is immediately eye catching.

“(For the mural) I already knew what I wanted,” Alvarado says. “I wanted to feel like I’m going right into Dodger Stadium, and all of my favorite players had just won back-to-back World Series.

“This is a big space,” he adds, regarding the restaurant’s size. “It’s kind of bigger than what we need, but it’s nice to space some things out. Now we have more dining (seating). We had that at Kapahulu, but we don’t really have that at Kalihi.”

The menu across all three stores is mostly the same, but the Pearl City and Pauoa locations also feature churros (two for $7) and nacho fries. Nacho fries ($15) are loaded with nacho cheese, shredded cheese, beans, onions, cilantro, sour cream, jalapenos, olives, pico de gallo and salsa verde, according to Alvarado. Customers can also add a protein of their choice for a supplemental charge.

“I love the nacho cheese; I have it on the menu because I like it,” Alvarado says.

Tacos are available as three-taco combo plates — which include three tacos, rice, beans and a fountain drink — or a la carte (prices vary, depending on the protein). Five-inch corn tortillas are filled with a protein of your choice, onions, cilantro and salsa verde. Choose from carnitas, beef, chicken, carne asada or a veggie (rice, beans, cheese, onions, cilantro, pico de gallo and salsa verde) option.

The three-taco combo plate — along with the eatery’s wet burrito combo plate — are the two most popular dishes, according to Alvarado.

“For the meat choice, carne asada — the steak — is the most popular,” he says. “My personal favorite is the carnitas — the crispy, shredded pork.

“The aim is to make it like a hash brown,” he says. “You crispy it up, so that when it gets to you, it has a little crispy texture and it’s still moist. There’s a little squeeze of lime on all the tacos. It gives it this nice freshness.”

The wet burrito combo plate ($17.50-$19, depending on protein) features a 10-inch burrito with cheese, onions, cilantro, olives and your protein of choice. It’s finished with red enchilada sauce, more shredded cheese and sour cream.

“I do the carne asada wet burrito with half carnitas, so it’s both steak and pork in the same (one); that’s my jam,” Alvarado says.

The menu also features regular burritos, quesadillas, macho burritos —with 12-inch flour tortillas — Mexibowls (bowls with rice, beans and a variety of toppings) and nachos.

As the new store gets more settled, Alvarado says customers can look forward to specials, and he is optimistic about the new year. 

“I’ve been doing it (the business) since 2011 and the restaurants have been since 2015, but my workers make it all happen," he says. "I have veterans that moved over (from the Kalihi store to the Pauoa store) and everyone’s willing to take on a little more responsibility. That’s the most precious part — the growth — and everybody being a part of it. One person doesn’t make this; it’s the whole team. We’re as good as our weakest link, and we don’t have any weak links!”

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays (closed Sundays). 

[{"type":"text","text":"Limited customer parking is available in the lot behind the restaurant."}]

Open 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays

Customer parking available in the lot behind the restaurant

Alejandros Pauoa owner 030326

<title>Alejandro’s Mexican Food opens in Pauoa</title>

This is the third location for the business, which opened its first store in Kalihi Valley in 2015. Customers can look forward to tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nacho fries and more.

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