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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!

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Jared Ursua landed his first FBS coaching job in 2022, joining 

's initial University of Hawai‘i staff as the team's new wide receivers coach. 

Up until that point, the Big Island native's entire collegiate career took place in the state of Utah — Ursua played for Southern Utah from 2008 to 2011 before joining the team's coaching staff from 2014 to 2018. He then coached receivers at Weber State from 2019 to 2021, and was also the recruiting coordinator there.

When he made his way back to Hawai‘i, he was certainly familiar with his surroundings, but he was hungry to learn more. What made the run-and-shoot offense so effective? And what does it look like when it's clicking? For that, he had the ultimate resource in little brother John. 

Following a disappointing 3-9 season in 2017, former Hawai‘i head coach Nick Rolovich decided it was in the best interest of the program to return to its roots in the run-and-shoot, an offensive system where quarterbacks and their four receivers put up large numbers on a variety of option routes.

Despite tearing his ACL in 2017, John Ursua emerged as the star of the team's revamped offense in 2018, hauling in 89 receptions for 1,343 yards and 16 touchdowns. NFL teams were tantalized by his tape, and after declaring early for the 2019 NFL Draft, he was selected in the seventh round by the Seattle Seahawks. 

While Jared Ursua would frequently question 

 about what he saw on a certain play, John was trying to get his playing career back on track. After three seasons with the Seahawks, a repeat ACL injury would go on to derail the rest of his playing career. He went to Canada and latched on with the CFL's 

Saskatchewan Roughriders and BC Lions in 2023, but saw the field for neither. 

John Ursua's post-playing career began in the Islands, first as a trainer for youth athletes who aspired to reach the heights that he did as a player. The training, which focused on speed and agility, ranged from one-on-one to group settings. A close friend of Ursua, who runs Level Up Elites in Orem, Utah, encouraged him to make the move after telling him dozens of clients where eager to learn from him. 

It is also in Utah where Ursua, 32, joined the coaching staff at Orem High School as the school's new receivers coach. It's his first full-time coaching gig on a staff, the start of a journey he hopes to turn into his new career. 

"This is something I'm going to pursue 100%," John Ursua told Aloha State Daily. "This is what I want to do. I want to stick around the game and give back to the kids. This is going to be a long journey for me, but this is just the beginning."

As fate would have it, Ursua's first game on the Orem staff took him to O‘ahu, where the Tigers opened their 2026 campaign at Kamehameha. The Aug. 14 contest was moved up a day due to 

"I couldn't have written it better. I was shocked when they said we were playing Kamehameha first," Ursua said after the game. "It was a treat to be out here. Our boys got to come and hang out for a week, and (Kamehameha) has a great team over there, and we're just glad we got to play them."

Overseeing John Ursua's hire at Orem was head coach Andy Stokes, who back in the day was the final pick of the 2005 NFL Draft but never saw action in a regular season game. 

"We love John," Stokes said. "I know John's older brother really well, Jared. John's played in the league. He's done a lot of the things that we do in our offense. He brings a great perspective to the boys. I know that he wants to grow in the coaching world, I'm grateful for the opportunity to help him out a little bit."

Four years ago, it was Jared Ursua who relied on John Ursua's advice. These days, it's only right big brother returns the favor. 

"I've been calling him, just being like, 'Hey, what do you here, what can I teach these kids on individual (drills), how can I help them grow?' It's been cool to be able to lean on him now," John Ursua said. "At first, he was asking me about the run-and-shoot and UH and all this, but now we get to feed off of each other more, so it's been really fun."

"John and I are always talking about the future, and that kid is so gifted, and I've known it since he was eight or nine years old," Jared Ursua said following a recent Hawai‘i football fall camp practice."

How often does Jared Ursua show his receivers John's UH tape? 

"All the time," Jared Ursua said. "We have a cut up kind of directed toward the '18 and '19 seasons. Those guys were excellent, and then coach (Craig) Stutzmann and (Nick) Rolovich and (Brian Smith) had an offense that we watched and followed. That group was pretty special. That's was a special time in life for him."

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<title>Former Hawai‘i star receiver John Ursua dives into coaching career</title>

Following the end of his illustrious playing career, Ursua is now the receivers coach at Orem High School in Utah.

Former Hawai‘i star receiver John Ursua dives into coaching career

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Located between “Pauoa Valley, Papakōlea and Punchbowl” — according to its 

 — Hopohni opened a few weeks ago. The biz, designed to be a casual, neighborhood spot, offers whole pizzas, along with grab-and-go slices.

We stopped by when the business had only been open for two weeks. It’s in the former space of a bakery on Lusitana Street, and is located by a laundromat.

The shop offers slices and whole pizza pies, which are 18 inches. A variety of slices are in the pizza warmer, but if you want a specific flavor, ask about it.

So far, the mushroom pizza ($5.50 slice, $27 whole pie) has been a customer favorite. It features tomato, mozzarella, Parmesan, chopped cremini mushrooms, garlic, Italian parsley, white onions, lemon zest and chives.

The pig pizza ($6 slice, $29 whole pie) has been another popular choice. It features a crème fraiche base, and is topped with mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, kalua pig, lomi medley and chives.

Other unique flavors include chimichurri ($5.50 slice, $27 whole pizza) — a crème fraiche base with mozzarella, chimichurri and extra-virgin olive oil — and pina ($6 slice, $29 whole pie). The latter is tomato-based with mozzarella, chopped pineapple, pickled red onions, jalapeno, chorizo and cilantro.

The biz also offers staples like tomato, cheese and pepperoni. Some flavors, like pepperoni, can be ordered with optional toppings like sweet peppers and date syrup, and hot peppers with Hawaiian chili-infused extra-virgin olive oil.

Hopohni’s cheese pizza — which comprises mozzarella, fontina, Pecorino Romano and Parmesan — can also be ordered with ricotta.

Customers can look forward to rotating weekly specials; for updates, follow the biz on Instagram. 

Street parking is available. So far, Hopohni has been open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays, but hours are subject to change. 

Hopohni kalua pork pizza 081226

<title>Hopohni is a new neighborhood pizza spot in Honolulu</title>

The pizza biz opened a few weeks ago in the former space of a gluten-free bakery. Customers can find thin-crust pizzas with unique toppings, including chimichurri, kalua pig, and chopped pickled red onions.

Hopohni is a new neighborhood pizza spot in Honolulu

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

A battle over water rights in East Maui boiled over Friday as the Board of Land and Natural Resources considered a proposal to auction off water rights for 30 years.

The East Maui Irrigation System delivers as much as 450 million gallons of water per day throughout thousands of acres of agricultural land in East Maui. The operation of the irrigation system is contingent upon a contract between the state and agricultural company Mahi Pono LLC, which, as of 2025, owns and operates 100% of the system.

On Friday, the BLNR considered a pair of possible futures for the EMI. On one hand, Maui County requested in April to have state-owned land and a daily average of 6.5 million gallons of surface water within the EMI to be set aside to the county’s control and management “for domestic, municipal and agriculture purposes.”

On the other hand, the BLNR could also sell via public auction a 30-year license to divert up to nearly 87 million gallons EMI waters daily.

For scores of Maui residents who testified on Friday, the choice was obvious. Testifiers spoke for more than eight hours urging the BLNR to either reject the public auction — in which Mahi Pono would be the only serious bidder — or postpone their decision.

Attendees warned against placing more of Maui’s natural resources under the control of private entities.

“Mahi Pono can purchase the water it legitimately needs for agriculture from a publicly managed system just like the rest of us small farmers here on Maui,” wrote farmer Eddy Garcia. “We already have to compete with them taking all of our sales. It does not need to control the source for the next 30 years.”

Others raised concerns about Mahi Pono’s corporate ownership: the business is a subsidiary of PSP Investments, a Canadian pension fund with substantial water holdings in Australia. Several testifiers argued that a foreign company’s chief fiduciary duty is to its shareholders, not the people of Maui.

“They are not farmers,” said testifier Tamara Lester. “They’ve squeezed out a lot of family farms and sell the water back to the people it should belong to.”

Still others pointed out that, in 2022, Maui residents voted to amend the county charter and establish the Department of the East Maui Water Authority, which came online in 2024 and is tasked with the stewardship of East Maui waters and acquiring water systems directly. Surrendering those water systems to a private entity instead would seem to contradict that charter amendment, many said.

Nonetheless, there were some voices in support of the auction. Scott Enright, former chair of the Department of Agriculture, wrote that the alternative to a 30-year water license would be repeated one-year revocable permits, which he opined would be “fundamentally mismatched” to the decades-long transition from the plantation era to more diversified agriculture.

After hours upon hours of impassioned opposition, the board voted unanimously to reject both options. Maui board member Jay Carpio introduced a motion to deny both the auction and the set-aside of land to Maui County. 

Included in that motion was a request for any further discussions on the matter to be held on Maui.

A contested case on the matter, requested by environmental group Sierra Club last December is still pending, after the state Environmental Court ruled in July that Sierra Club has standing to challenge the renewal of a revocable permit allowing Mahi Pono to divert water from the EMI.

Ditch 16x9

<title>BLNR rejects East Maui water auction decision</title>

Controversial proposal to auction East Maui water rights for 30 years rejected pending legal challenge.

BLNR rejects East Maui water auction decision

Business & Tourism

 — which has locations in Japan and California — is bringing is signature Japanese kissaten-style café experience to Honolulu for a limited time.

The pop-up will be open to the public starting at 10 a.m. Aug. 13, according to Takuma Lathrop, president of Dining Innovation West. It’s located in an enclosed section of TsuruTonTan, which is located in Royal Hawaiian Center.

“We’re friends with the owners of the brand in Japan,” says Lathrop. “They opened in California and we went to check it out; we started talking about the possibility of partnering up.”

Right now, there is no set end date for the pop-up, but Lathrop says it should be open for at least one month. To start, the pop-up will be open to the first 60 customers — no reservations accepted; first-come, first-served — but Lathrop says its hours will eventually be extended.

“As soon as we feel more comfortable to handle more people, we’ll get to a point where there won’t be a limit,” he says. “We just want to make sure we are making the best possible dishes correctly so everyone can enjoy the taste.”

Takagi Coffee is known for its handcrafted, made-to-order souffle pancakes and freshly roasted coffee. The Honolulu pop-up’s menu is more limited, compared to the brand’s California and Japan locations, but will still feature signature dishes, according to Lathrop.

The coffee menu features a house blend ($5), cold brew ($6) and lattes ($7). Customers can also choose from several hot or iced matcha lattes ($7-$9). The matcha cream ($2 add-on) comes highly recommended for the iced matcha lattes.

Souffle pancakes come with toppings like strawberry, mango and matcha (two pieces for $17, four pieces for $22). In addition to your fruit of choice, pancakes are topped with whipped cream, cookie crumbles and vanilla ice cream.

A savory option (two pieces for $18, three pieces for $23) — topped with thick-cut bacon, sunny side-up eggs and hollandaise — is also available. 

“Personally, I like savory things; the savory pancake is really good,” Lathrop says. “It’s surprisingly very hearty and good for people who aren’t super into sweets.”

The pop-up also features Yoshoku (Japanese-style Western dishes) plates, which are served with miso soup.

Choose from omurice ($19), tonkatsu with rice ($20) and wagyu hamburger steak ($22).

The omurice features a more traditional version, according to Lathrop. The Japanese tomato-flavored rice comprises bacon, onions and mushrooms, and is enrobed with a fluffy egg and topped with demi-glace sauce.

The hamburger steak features American wagyu beef and is served with rice and miso soup. The demi-glace is served on the side, so customers can add as much or as little as they want.

Customers can opt for the tonkatsu plate or the katsu sando ($16), which features pork cutlet, veggies, mustard mayonnaise and katsu sauce between pieces of Japanese bread. It’s served with wedge fries on the side.

Customers can also look forward to Japanese-style parfaits ($13), which are layered with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, cornflakes and more.

[{"type":"text","text":"Choose from matcha, fresh strawberries and coffee jelly."}]

The pop-up might add dishes to the menu as time goes on, according to Lathrop, who encourages customers to follow the business on Instagram for updates.

“It’s simple dishes, but executed with very high-quality ingredients,” he says. “Because we’re slowly rolling out, we want to make sure that we can give everybody a good experience.”

Open from 10 a.m. Aug. 13; limited to 60 customers per day (to start)

Takagi Coffee Takuma Lathrop 081026

<title>Takagi Coffee is a new Japanese-style cafe pop-up in Honolulu</title>

The pop-up is opening to the public on Thursday, Aug. 13, at 10 a.m. It’s within Royal Hawaiian Center’s TsuruTonTan, and for the first few days, the pop-up will be limited to the first 60 customers. Takagi Coffee is serving up sweet and savory Japanese souffle pancakes, omurice, wagyu hamburger steak and layered parfaits.

Takagi Coffee is a new Japanese-style cafe pop-up in Honolulu

 — centered on desserts highlighting fluffy cakes topped with colorful, round sprinkles — has taken social media by storm. The trend originated from a New York-based bakery, but business owner Ailene Lau is launching her own twist on the viral dessert this weekend. 

, an espresso and matcha bar at Bayview Golf Course in Kāneʻohe, is launching a dot cake-inspired latte ($9.50 with espresso, $11.50 with matcha), along with a dot cake dessert ($10) this weekend.

“We offer a rotating specialty latte; for this month, we will be offering the viral dot cake-inspired latte,” Lau says. “One of my favorite things is bringing fun food and drink trends to Hawaiʻi. Not everyone has the chance to try the viral trends they see online, so it’s always exciting to re-create them locally and share them with our community.”

The dot cake latte features your choice of milk and caffeine — espresso, hojicha (extra $1) or matcha (extra $2) — with birthday cake sauce, housemade cream topping, and thousands of dot sprinkles. Meanwhile, the business’s dot cake is made with Funfetti cake and vanilla ice cream, and is topped with dot sprinkles.

“The dot cake drink will be available until July, and if people really like it, I might keep it to the end of the summer,” Lau says.

Lau opened Bean on the Green at Bayview Golf Course in March. It’s currently open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays to Sundays, and it’s open to the public — not only to golfers.

“This space (for the coffee shop) has been empty for some time, and I wanted to utilize it to bring convenience not only to the golfers at Bayview, but also to the community,” Lau says. “Whether you’re charging your car at the (Tesla) Superchargers, playing mini putt, practicing at the driving range or just looking for a comforting place to have breakfast and coffee, we’ve been working to expand our menu to ensure there’s something for everyone.”

Bean on the Green offers classic coffees, blended drinks and caffeine-free options, but it’s most known for its specialty lattes. Specialty lattes come with the customer’s choice of espresso, hojicha or matcha; matcha lattes feature Ami Mei matcha and each drink includes 4 grams of matcha, according to Lau.

“I worked a few coffee shop jobs in the past; I started at Starbucks and then I worked at Aliʻi Coffee,” she says. “My menu is inspired by local flavors. For the specialty lattes, I make all the sauces myself.”

The Chantilly puff latte ($9.75) features housemade Chantilly sauce, dark chocolate sauce, a cream top, crushed roasted macadamia nuts and a dark chocolate drizzle. The Coco Puff latte ($9) is made with a dark chocolate sauce and a cream top, and is finished with Coco Puffs cereal and a dark chocolate drizzle.

“That one’s really fun because it’s inspired by the Coco Puff cold brew in Disneyland,” Lau says. “The Coco Puffs and Chantilly lattes match better with coffee; a lot of people like to get the banana bread latte with matcha.”

The banana bread latte has become a customer favorite. It includes banana puree, brown sugar cinnamon glaze, a cream top and crushed roasted macadamia nuts.

“All specialty lattes come with a cream top,” Lau says. “So far, our banana bread latte and Chantilly puff latte have been the most popular.”

Non-coffee options include Red Bull spritzers ($6.50) — which include Red Bull with Nerds Candy and a choice of Harder’s syrup — and blended drinks like frappes and frozen lemonades.

“Some flavors (for the Red Bull spritzers) include green river, melon and lychee,” Lau says. “It’s good with the Nerds candy added for a fun crunch.”

The business offers a limited food menu, which includes bagels with cream cheese ($5), breakfast bagels ($11), breakfast sandwiches ($11) and breakfast burritos ($15). The latter are stuffed with Spam or Portuguese sausage, scrambled eggs, jalapeno cheddar potatoes, cheese and aioli, and come with a side of salsa.

“Classic tots (instead of the jalapeno cheddar) are available as well,” Lau says. “It’s finished with a crispy cheese crust on the outside of the burrito, so there’s cheese on the inside and on the outside. The crispy cheese skirt is my favorite part.”

Spam musubis ($4) and walking tacos ($8) — a combo of Doritos, seasoned ground beef, cheese, lettuce and salsa — are also available as grab-and-go options.

Customers can call or text 808-941-3883 for free delivery throughout the Bayview property, according to Lau.

“This service started as free on-course delivery for the golfers, but we received a lot of delivery requests from other business patrons on the property,” Lau says.

Bean on the Green also participates in the Bayview Night Market, which is from 4 to 8 p.m. every first and third Tuesday at Bayview Golf Park.

“We sell huge dirty soda buckets with Harder’s syrups, our housemade cream top, and fun candy toppings,” Lau says. “It (the night market) features lots of food and craft vendors, as well as a card show for Pokémon, One Piece and sports card collectors and fanatics.”

Bean on the Green owner 060426

<title>Bean on the Green is launching viral dot cake-inspired lattes</title>

The coffee shop and matcha bar, located at Bayview Golf Course in Kāneʻohe, is open Fridays to Sundays. The business — which is open to the public, not only to golfers — is launching its trendy dot cake-inspired lattes and desserts this weekend; they will be available while supplies last.

Bean on the Green is launching viral dot cake-inspired lattes

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

A home high above Honolulu on the Tantalus ridgeline —  designed by and built for a local architect — has hit the market with a $3.9 million asking price.

The 2,798-square-foot house, located on a 1-acre rim lot at 228 Forest Ridge Way, was designed by and built as the personal home of architect Darrell "Buck" Welch Jr., co-founder of 

The home, which was finished in 2023, is listed by Hawai‘i Life's Noel Pietsch Shaw.

"Every once in a while in our careers, we get these dream projects that you get to work on, and I'm so honored to represent the family on this special home, especially because new construction ... is so rare," Shaw told Aloha State Daily.

Such homes are typically built for people's personal use, "and we don't get to see them on the open market," she continued.

"When you get new construction, everything's new," Shaw says. "It's all new, it's very in-style. It's working great and it's designed for modern times."

The top of Tantalus was a sought-after location for homes in the 1950s, "which is why the 

 is there, the Pauling House is there and [noted architect Vladimir] Ossipoff sought it for many of his sites," she told ASD.

[{"type":"text","text":"Shaw says the home is both modern and timeless."}]

The three-level house has three bedrooms, three full- and one half-baths, and offers panoramic views of Diamond Head, the Ko‘olau Mountains, Honolulu and the Wai‘anae Range, according to information provided by a representative of Hawai‘i Life.

According to the provided information, the home is designed to follow the "natural slope of the land, prioritizing connection to the landscape, passive cooling through trade winds, and natural light via clerestory glazing."

Additionally, dining and living areas of the main living level are connected by polished concrete floors, vaulted wood-paneled ceilings, a volcanic basalt fire place and access to covered outdoor areas, the information notes. Meanwhile, a sculptural staircase "integrates gallery niches, a window seat, and a reading nook;" the home operates with photovoltaic power and battery storage, water catchment, and septic; and the property borders conservation land.

Shaw says the home has two bedrooms on the first floor, which can allow single-level living for those aging in place, while the third bedroom is large and "almost serves as a second living room." An office on the third floor is tree level.

Shaw says, too, that there are koa trees and ginger in the yard, as well as "lots of room for planting, if someone wanted to have a garden or expand the flowers." The property also has a "flat, very usable yard."

When asked about the ideal buyer, Shaw said the top buyers for a neighborhood like this are those "whose heart has memories or nostalgia for being up on the ridge. That could be someone that's currently in the Islands or that could be someone that has been off the Islands with a yearning to come back home."

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

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

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Enter for a chance to win tickets to see Disney’s live action adaptation of the animated film ‘Moana’

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