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Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"text":"Itʻs so hard to stay on top of things!","type":"text"}]

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Curses, foiled again!</title>

Todayʻs social media find comes from jasonpolakaw, a collection of foil board fails.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Curses, foiled again!

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

A Waipahu man was sentenced this week to 30 years in federal prison for sponsoring the creation of child pornography.

Robert Silva, 52, admitted in 2025 that he had paid adults in the Philippines to sexually abuse children, believed to be between the ages of three and 13, during illicit livestreams.

According to U.S. District Court documents, in Sept. 2018, Silva, from a computer in Hawai‘i, visited a pornographic streaming website and messaged a streamer, asking if they had a “daughter” or “niece” the streamer could “play with.” The conversation continued into private chats, where the streamer — identified in documents only as “PBN” — told Silva he had a 13-year-old niece and requested a $20 tip.

The two then haggled about the price, with the streamer eventually accepting payment of $0.50 per minute of video.

Silva and PBN began a video call involving an underage girl, who undressed on camera. While documents don’t specify how long the call was, Silva reportedly sent PBN a $10 tip and ended the call, explaining to PBN that his credit card had run out.

Silva repeated this process twice more in a similar fashion. In October of 2018, he made a Skype call to another user — this one identified as “HL” — and proposed paying $10 for a “show.”

HL then called Silva via Skype, with the video call depicting an adult woman performing sex acts with an underage boy.

Another Skype call in July 2019 — with user “JCM” — went much the same, with Silva negotiating for a video call involving an adult woman and two underage girls for $3.50 in tips.

Court records indicate all the streamers and victims involved in the case were located in the Philippines, and that Silva had messaged some of them and handled financial transactions through a website for Asian camshows.

A Department of Justice sentencing report also states that Silva would, when the streamers wouldn’t comply with demands, “berate” and “threaten to ruin them.”

Silva was ultimately arrested following an FBI investigation. While few details of this investigation are publicly available, law enforcement officers first seized several computers and hard drives from his residence in June 2024, and he was formally arrested the following September.

As part of a plea agreement in Sept. 2025, Silva admitted to all of this and pled guilty to one of five charges of production of child pornography. While the other four charges were dismissed, U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmore sentenced Silva on Tuesday to 30 years in federal prison, the statutory maximum sentence possible for the charge.

During the sentencing, Gillmore highlighted the egregiousness of Silva’s actions, particularly that Silva had subsequently minimized his crimes by arguing that he had not committed a “hands-on” offense.

Silva will also face a 20-year term of supervision should he still be alive when his prison term ends in 2056.

It is unclear from court records whether the victims were ever identified.

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Courtfed

<title>Waipahu man gets 30 years for child porn streams</title>

Robert Silva, 52, tipped streamers in the Philippines to sexually abuse children on camera.

Waipahu man gets 30 years for child porn streams

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 — a brand-new condo with 972 residential units and two, 44-story towers — is also home to a new food hall.

Located on the ground floor of the Liona Tower, 

 is celebrating its grand opening from 10 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, Jan. 17. The food hall is soft opening with limited hours (11 a.m. to 8 p.m.) from Jan. 9 to 16.

[{"type":"text","text":"The food hall features both indoor and outdoor seating."}]

The space features 12 locally owned restaurants, and offers customers a variety of local and international flavors. Not all of the vendors are open yet; some have limited menus for the soft opening.

Vendors include FEAST by Jon Matsubara, King Thai Cuisine, Mangiamo Gelato, Middle Eats, Ninja Sushi, Sadie’s BBQ Honolulu, Serg’s Mexican Kitchen, Soul Chicken and more.

During today’s friends and family preview, participating vendors were serving samples and were open for business.

Serg’s Mexican Kitchen features the same menu as its Mānoa location. Meanwhile, the food hall is the first location for new vendors like Mangiamo Gelato.

On grand opening day, families are invited to enjoy keiki activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

To access Midtown Eats, customers can enter the parking garage from the building’s Liona Street entrance and park on floors 1 to 2.5. Validated parking will be available.

Midtown Eats interior 010826

<title>New Honolulu food hall is now open</title>

Midtown Eats, the new food hall at The Park on Keʻeaumoku, is celebrating its grand opening from 10 a.m. to midnight on Jan. 17. The food hall is soft opening during limited hours from Jan. 9 to 16. Aloha State Daily got a tour of the new space.

New Honolulu food hall is now open

[{"type":"text","text":"There’s a new all-you-can-eat sushi spot in Honolulu."}]

Sumo AYCE Sushi recently opened in Azure Ala Moana. It’s located in the former space of Debu (the new restaurant sign isn't up yet). The all-you-can-eat experience costs $26.95 per person during lunch (Mondays to Thursdays) and $36.95 for the all-day menu.

The eatery is originally from Las Vegas; this is its first Hawai

i store. Since it’s in its soft opening, only walk-ins are accepted (no reservations).

The restaurant is currently open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (last seating at 9 p.m.; last call for the kitchen is at 9:45 p.m.). There’s a 90-minute time limit for the all-you-can-eat experience. If customers leave leftover rice, they will be charged.

Customers also have the option to order a la carte, if they don’t feel like doing AYCE. All members of the same dining party must choose the same experience (either all-you-can-eat or a la carte). 

The menu features a variety of nigiri, appetizers, sushi rolls and all-day specials like salmon carpaccio, lobster garlic bread, poke nachos and more.

On the AYCE menu, certain dishes — like uni nigiri, ama ebi nigiri and salmon cut center steak — can only be ordered once.

Recommended appetizers include KFC — Korean fried chicken with Korean sweet and spicy sauce — chicken karaage and crispy rice. The latter features crispy rice topped with spicy tuna, jalapeno, garlic ponzu, spicy mayo and eel sauce.

Popular nigiri so far include seared salmon and yuzu yellowtail nigiri. Classic nigiri options include tuna, shrimp, yellowtail and more.

Choose from unique options like corn cheese garlic bread, bulgogi garlic bread and lobster garlic bread. The latter features soft garlic bread topped with crab, lobster, mozzarella cheese, eel sauce, spicy mayo and scallions.

While filling up on carbs is not usually recommended for AYCE experiences, these breads are trying at least once and are easy to share.

Customers can choose from a variety of four-piece and eight-piece sushi rolls; there are more than 40 options. Popular options include the Chanel roll (shrimp tempura, spicy crab and avocado topped with tuna and salmon); Lisa Lisa roll (shrimp tempura, avocado, crab and cream cheese topped with tempura crunch and eel sauce); and the lemon salmon roll (crab and avocado topped with salmon, lemon and ponzu).

End with desserts like honeydew or ube Melona bars, or vanilla mochi ice cream.

Customer parking is available at Azure Ala Moana; look for the designated retail parking stalls within the structure.

Open daily, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (last seating at 9 p.m.)

Sumo AYCE Sushi dinner spread 122925

<title>New all-you-can-eat sushi spot opens in Honolulu</title>

Sumo AYCE Sushi just opened in Azure Ala Moana. The eatery — originally from Las Vegas — offers an extensive all-you-can-eat menu, along with an a la carte menu.

New all-you-can-eat sushi spot opens in Honolulu

 — located in the former space of Nami Kaze Hawai

i at Pier 38 — executive chef Justin Inagaki likens it to a neighborhood bistro.

“I want you to think it’s comfort food, but a little more elevated,” Inagaki says. “You’re not afraid of it; it doesn’t look intimidating, like you need to wear a suit to eat it. Most of this menu is built on the concept of sustainability within our Fresh Island Fish family.”

Thirty Eight Restaurant & Bar is currently open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (lunch only) from Monday to Friday, as the eatery is still in its soft opening. It features a harbor-centric menu to showcase fresh seafood, according to restaurateur and consultant Dong Dang.

“We’re trying to serve fresh seafood at a reasonable price,” he says. “When you go to the supermarket, seafood is always a premium priced item. We’re trying to make it more available, especially to the locals.” 

Ordering is meant to be quick and simple — customers can go to the register, or order using a QR code at their table. 

“With any restaurant, your two big expenses are labor and food,” Dang says. “We wanted to use high-quality seafood, so it was on us to operate efficiently to be able to extend the value to the customer.”

All dishes on the menu are $20 or less, and pricing was an intentional decision, according to Inagaki.

“We try to keep it affordable and approachable,” he says. “We know that our local people are suffering, not just in the high cost of living, but in this economy. That’s one of our main concepts: not just providing great food and good portions, but having something that won’t break their wallet. We want to make sure they can come back again, not just one time.”

Inagaki says he’s been in the industry for more than 15 years. He’s previously worked at restaurants like Roy’s, Alan Wong’s, Hy’s Steak House and, most recently, 916 Grill St. + ShabuZen in Waipio.

“I’m a fine dining chef actually, by trade,” Inagaki says. “I’ve led Hy’s Steak House from 2015 to 2020. I launched La Vie and Quiora with the G. Lion Group. My wheelhouse is not necessarily to be fine dining, but whatever the concept might be, we try to be as true to the concept as possible. I like to add a little fun to it, and make sure it just doesn’t look good, but it also tastes good. I also to want to be different — we don’t just want to be like everybody else.”

Start with soups, salads and appetizers like lobster bisque ($10), New England clam chowder ($8), ‘ahi tataki ($16) and chef’s fresh poke bowl ($17). The bisque is garnished with a yuzu crème fraiche, while the clam chowder includes ‘Ewa sweet corn, bacon and chopped clams.

The irresistible ‘ahi tataki features sashimi-grade seared local ahi with Maui onions, cherry tomatoes and ponzu-soy vinaigrette. The chef’s choice features a rotating selection of poke.

“It’s our spicy ‘ahi today; it’s a half pound (in the bowl),” Inagaki says. “Eventually it will change. We’re able to flex our sister company’s product. I’m all about textures, colors and execution — it has to be more of a quicker turn time, given that we’re only open for four hours (for now).”

When it comes to more unique dishes, Inagaki mentions the fish & chips ($17), which is made with beer and vodka-battered ‘ahi belly instead of a white fish, like cod. It’s served with house finadene and housemade tartar sauces.

“This one (ʻahi belly) is more fatty; it’ll stay more moist when you’re eating it,” he explains. “It’s meant to travel, so it won’t dry out. I use a cake flour and rice flour ratio, our Beer Lab beer IPA, and baking powder. The reason why I went with cake flour is because cake flour tends to be lighter than your average wheat. The rice flour tends to give more of that crunch. This is a lighter version, like a tempura.

“The finadene is actually a Chamorro sauce,” he adds. “In traditional fish and chips, you would have malt vinegar. You don’t see finadene too much on menus. It’s a take on soy vinegar; it’s like a dipping sauce.”

The lobster mac and cheese ($20) features a gourmet twist on comfort food. It features a cheesy lobster cream sauce and a buttery herb crumb crust.

“We fold our lobster bisque into it to give it more of a lobster flavor,” Inagaki says. “When you hear ‘lobster mac,’ you want to make sure you taste it. You don’t want to see lobster on a plate; you want to taste that lobster flavor throughout.”

The hamburger steak ($17) — comprising two beef patties, onions and mushroom brown gravy with white rice and tossed greens — is sure to be a local favorite. Customers craving heartier dishes can opt for the Thirty Eight burger ($18) — two beef patties topped with Thirty Eight sauce, onions, mushrooms and cheese in a taro bun — and the ‘ahi burger ($17), which features a local ‘ahi patty with spicy aioli.

“The spicy ‘ahi is torched and we have a lilikoʻi slaw on the bottom,” Inagaki says. “Every plate lunch has a toss salad instead of mac salad.”

Customers can choose from packaged desserts to-go, including chocolate flourless torte ($10), New York cheesecake ($10) and brown butter cake ($12). The goal is to eventually made desserts in-house as well, according to Inagaki.

The restaurant, which has its liquor license, currently serves beers and wines, and will eventually have cocktails.

“It’s a nice space — a nice place to unwind, relax, and have a couple drinks,” says restaurateur Khang Dang. “It’s a communal gathering spot, though not necessarily a full-service restaurant.”

While the restaurant is only open for lunch during its soft opening, customers can eventually look forward to extended hours and additional menu items.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the progression of our staff,” Inagaki says. “It’s all about culture — seeing the team grow, see them being happy and being inspired.

“For me, it’s about making people smile,” he adds. “Especially in Hawaiʻi, food is something where it’s a gathering, it brings people around, you have people talking story, it’s communal. Hearing them laugh in the dining room gives me pleasure every day.”

38 Restaurant chef 122225

<title>New restaurant opens at Pier 38</title>

Thirty Eight Restaurant & Bar — located in the former space of Nami Kaze Hawaiʻi — is now open for lunch during weekdays. The new neighborhood harbor bistro strives to offer seafood — showcasing high-quality options from its sister company, Fresh Island Fish — and local plates at affordable prices.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Curses, foiled again!

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