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Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Doing chores after a wonderful weekend in Hilo for Merrie Monarch Festival...

Annie spratt 5 Tf CI4nj6 B4 unsplash

<title>Hawaiʻi Scene on Social: Check out this kāne's chore-ography</title>

sis.on.a.mish's husband's moves had us wondering if he actually competed in Merrie Monarch, or if they just watched from home.

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social: Check out this kāne's chore-ography

Doing chores after a wonderful weekend in Hilo for Merrie Monarch Festival... 

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 recently opened in Waikīkī Shopping Plaza. Located along Seaside Avenue, the new 100-seat, 3,500-square-foot eatery specializes in Italian fare with a hint of island- and Mediterranean-inspired flavors.

This restaurant is the latest concept from restaurant group Zetton Inc., the brand behind eateries like Aloha Steak House, Camado Ramen Tavern, Heavenly Island Lifestyle Waikīkī and ZIGU.

“We are creating a new concept restaurant that captures the soul of Italian cuisine, but imparts innovative infusions to differentiate ourselves from the other Italian restaurants in town,” states Makoko “MILD” Hasegawa, president and CEO of Zetton Inc. “Whether it be for a casual pau hana drink with pūpū or a festive dinner party with friends and family, we hope to serve as a comforting retreat from the hustle and bustle of Waikīkī.”

The restaurant’s executive chef Yuta Tamano is classically trained in French cuisine, but collaborates with chefs specializing in Italian fare. Tamano, trained in the culinary arts in Japan, refined his skills at acclaimed French restaurant Le Grand Table Kitamura and the two-Michelin-starred Narisawa. Tamano moved to Waikīkī in 2021 and served as sous chef at natuRe Waikīkī, and became executive chef at ZIGU last year.

At BOTANICO Waikīkī, diners can anticipate elevated Italian staples along with unique dishes.

Appetizers include a re-imagined moussaka with layers of braised beef, scalloped potatoes, roasted eggplant and sauce Mornay ($16); beet and cauliflower hummus ($14); a shareable charcuterie spread ($32); prosciutto zeppole ($16), or fluffy fried Italian dough bites topped with prosciutto; and local vegetable terrine in a dashi gelee ($18).

The charcuterie board ($32) comprises prosciutto, mortadella, salami, piccante, chicken liver mousse and brie cheese, served with housemade focaccia.

Entrees range from pastas to dishes starring meats and seafood. Signature pastas include house bolognese ($28), carbonara with housemade pancetta ($28), and spaghetti Pescatore ($35). The latter features a classic seafood spaghetti with clams, scallops and shrimp in a tomato anchovy fennel sauce.

You can look forward to entrées like the flavorful red wine-braised beef cheek ($48), pork Milanese with original katsu balsamic glaze ($39), ocean grill plate ($48) and chef's steak of the day (market price). The latter features a hand-selected cut, grilled asparagus, local oyster mushroom, Swiss chard and aligot potatoes with peppercorn sauce. 

Desserts include tiramisu ($12) and basque cheesecake ($10). The classic tiramisu features espresso-soaked ladyfingers with cocoa and mascarpone; meanwhile, the caramelized basque cheesecake is served with whipped cream and raspberry sauce. 

The restaurant’s beverage program features a diverse selection of wines, with a focus on Californian and Italian varietals. BOTANICO Waikīkī’s staff, trained by master sommelier Roberto Viernes, are able to help customers with recommendations and pairings to complement their meals.

[{"type":"text","text":"Customer parking is available at Waikīkī Shopping Plaza."}]

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Open 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. (last order 10 p.m.) Sundays-Saturdays

BOTANICO Waikiki bolognese 110325

<title>Waikīkī’s newest Italian restaurant just opened</title>

Located in Waikīkī Shopping Plaza, BOTANICO Waikīkī features Italian fare with a touch of island- and Mediterranean-inspired flavors.

Waikīkī’s newest Italian restaurant just opened

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

Located about two miles from Downtown Honolulu, the neighborhood of Mo‘ili‘ili was once primarily agricultural. Rice paddies and lo‘i kalo occupied most of the land, with houses and small businesses scattered about. By the 1960s, apartment buildings, grocery stores, and small shopping centers attracted more people seeking a quieter life while still wanting to remain close to Honolulu. The Mo‘ili‘ili community was tightly knit and soon became known as the floral capital of Honolulu as demand for lei and daily flower bouquets grew.

One gathering place for the Mo‘ili‘ili community was the Kamo‘ili‘ili Church, whose congregation was predominantly Hawaiian. Construction for the simple stone church began in 1850 and was completed three years later. Although the building was restored around 1900 and renamed Rice Memorial Chapel, many in the community continued to call it Kamo‘ili‘ili Church.

In addition to Sunday services, the hallowed building saw weddings, funerals, celebrations, and community meetings throughout its life. For a time, it even served as a Masonic hall to the Cosmopolitan Lodge of the Prince Hall Lodge of African American Freemasons in Hawaii.

A woman I know recalls time spent there as a child, waiting for her parents. With no babysitter at the time, she would have to stay in a small room by herself, where she was left to play, color, or find something else to keep herself busy. In a separate room, her father and the rest of his Prince Hall brothers would have their lodge meetings. In another room was her mother, who would attend the meetings of the Order of the Eastern Star with the other wives of Masonic husbands.

One evening, as a girl, she noticed a Hawaiian man looking in the window from outside. He had dark hair and a beard, thick eyebrows and full lips, and he wasn’t wearing a shirt. The man’s intense gaze was frightening as he pointed to the screen covering the window, indicating that he wanted her to open it. Without speaking, she shook her head, “No.”

Despite her refusal to cooperate, the hook holding the screen popped off on its own, and the man pulled the screen back. My friend said she remembers hearing a blood-curdling scream before realizing it was coming from her. She ran into the men’s lodge meeting and found the masons in a state of upset and confusion. They had apparently seen a Hawaiian man peering in at them from a window high up on the far wall. No outsider could bear witness to a solemn masonic ceremony, so the men went outside to chase the stranger away. They never found anyone hanging around outside, but did note that the window he peered into was nine feet off the ground with no crate, stone, or foothold to climb on.

As time marched on, the church fell into disuse and then disrepair, and was condemned by the city. While the building sat empty, the graveyard, too, had gone untended. In 1968, plans for a new high-rise were announced, and the land beneath the century-old cemetery was chosen for development. Newspapers cited weeds covering gravestones, some of which were broken or leaning awkwardly. Trash had gathered near several plots, more than one tomb was cracked and crumbling, and several markers had already disappeared.

Although the last burial was in the 1950s, letters to newspapers expressed mourning for the loss of history and lament for the irreversible change. One writer posed a warning to other congregations that they may not be exempt from such bittersweet progress in the future.

Work to remove gravestones began in August 1968. Reverend Abraham Akaka of Kawaiaha‘o Church acknowledged the tension between history and progress. He reminded those gathered that every civilization advances by giving up some of its past, saying that growth often demands “selling something of the soul.”

Over the following weeks, workers uncovered the remains of 466 people. Of those remains, 206 were identified, while the rest will forever be unknown. Some graves held the bones of parents and children, while others contained only ashes. The remains were placed in small containers and reburied at Kawaiahaʻo Church in a shared resting place marked by a plaque listing the known names. Above the memorial hangs the bell that once rang from the steeple at Kamoʻiliʻili Church.

[{"type":"text","text":"But that wasn’t the end of it."}]

In November, Reverend Akaka returned to the site to perform special purification rites. The special blessing was requested because workers were reluctant to enter the area. Using an ‘umeke, a Hawaiian calabash, dating back to the days of Kamehameha I, the Reverend sprinkled the ground with water from the well at Kawaiaha‘o Church while reciting his prayers. It is rumored that more bones were found during construction, including one skeleton measuring nearly nine feet long, near what is now the pool area.

Completed in 1971, the Contessa condominium stands on the old church and cemetery grounds. It boasts 37 floors, 144 units, a sauna, and a swimming pool in the vibrant Mo‘ili‘ili neighborhood. Almost from the beginning, tenants complained of hauntings in the building. One woman enlisted the help of Kahuna nui Emma de Fries to bless her apartment and the entire building after constant construction noise bothered her, even when no one else could hear it. 

More than two decades later, my mentor, Glen Grant, shared another story about the Contessa. A plumber was called to an apartment to fix a kitchen drain. The woman who lived there told him to put his ear to the sink. Although he was hesitant, he crouched and listened and heard voices speaking Hawaiian.

“They’re asking what will be done with their bones,” he said, backing away.

He hurried to the elevator and watched in shock as the doors opened before he touched the button. He stepped in and, as the doors began to close, a hand covered with red mud slid between them, opening them again automatically. Standing there was a tall woman, her body caked in red clay. She smiled and waved as the doors shut once more.

Without warning, the elevator dropped several floors before coming to a sudden stop. Shaken, the plumber took the stairs and never returned to the building.

For more than 50 years, people have passed through the Contessa’s lobby unaware of the hundreds of people that were once buried beneath their feet, and what may still be waiting below the surface.

Before the gates to Kawaiahaʻo Church’s graveyard were locked to the public, I used to stop there during my Ghosts of Old Honolulu tour. One night, as our group stood before the Kamoʻiliʻili Church memorial, an older man asked if he could speak. He said he had worked on the construction crew that built the Contessa.

“I was one of the men digging the foundation for the pool,” he said. “We uncovered a skeleton, about nine feet long. Even I knew we shouldn’t have disturbed it. Reverend Akaka came, blessed the burial, and blessed us. We covered the bones right where they were. They’re still there.”

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Contessa condominium

<title>The bones beneath the Contessa</title>

The Contessa condominium in Mo‘ili‘ili stands where Kamo‘ili‘ili Church and its mainly Hawaiian graveyard had served the community since 1850. The remains of nearly 500 people were moved for the condo, but workers and residents over the years have reported chilling tales of the spirits that remain.

The bones beneath the Contessa

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Nearly a year after its opening, Pickles at Forté is expanding, soon adding more courts for Downtown Honolulu’s pickleball enthusiasts.

The Pickle Party, a grand opening of eight new courts on the second floor, is set for 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 14, in line with the inaugural 

, taking place at the same time at Fort Street Mall.

Pickles at Forté, the first air conditioned, indoor pickleball and social club in Downtown Honolulu, opened in January on the ground floor of 1032 Fort Street Mall. The space was formerly occupied by Walmart, which had been vacant since the retailer closed that location in early 2023.

It's also part of a larger redevelopment plan in the works by Avalon Group, a Downtown-based full-service real estate development, consulting and sales company that acquired the property in February 2024 for $38.25 million.

“This was just in response to massive demand that we’ve seen,” Robby Kelley, executive vice president for Avalon, told Aloha State Daily Friday. “Since we opened nearly a year ago now, membership for Pickles has grown to really where we’re at capacity with our court utilization. We were hurrying as much as possible to get some additional courts open to alleviate that capacity. Now we have more courts available. [It] gives us the ability to host more community events, more tournaments and just [have] more times available for our members.”

According to Kelley, 1,700 people initially signed up to play in its early weeks, but Pickles at Forté now has approximately 400 members and they’re looking to expand membership to 800 to 1,000.

Some membership specials will soon be available, including an upcoming BOGO promotion where people who sign up for a month will get a second month free, he says.

“Throughout this whole year, I’ve just been continually amazed at the level of interest in pickleball,” Kelley says. “[I’m] always a little incredulous when I go there on a Tuesday at 11 a.m. and I see all the courts are packed.”

The second phase of the redevelopment initially called for approximately 10 pickleball courts on the second floor as well as a restaurant, full locker rooms and other amenities. Kelley said Friday, however, that the developer is delaying the upstairs restaurant concept for a bit, focusing on pickleball and ground-floor retail, as well as looking at plans to potentially build about 100 units of workforce rental housing on top of the existing Walmart building. That effort is still in the planning stages, he noted.

It's a “continuum of continuing to improve the building one step at a time.”

Pickles at Forté expanded upon its initial offerings 

, welcoming a sports shop, Teapresso Bar and a golf simulator.

Kelley says the golf simulator is up, running and available to both members and non-members. A special golf membership also has recently launched.

Kelley noted, too, that Aloha Creamery now has a kiosk offering ice cream within Pickles as well.

“It’s really been a success for us so far doing exactly what we’ve wanted it to [do], which was to really help build a community and bring life to Downtown,” Kelley says. “… It is starting to do what we wanted, to change the character of the block there, and that’s just going to continue as we get more and more open.”

Pickleball is a popular pastime in the Islands. A study conducted by 

, a pickleball tech company, found that Hawai‘i has the third highest density of pickleball courts in the U.S., 

Pickles at forte1 012725

<title>More pickleball courts opening in Downtown Honolulu</title>

The Pickle Party, a grand opening of eight new courts on the second floor of Pickles at Forté, is set for 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 14.

More pickleball courts opening in Downtown Honolulu

Two new tenants have recently opened up shop at Ala Moana Center, one has temporarily relocated and more are coming soon, the center announced Wednesday. Here's what you should know.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"What's new:"}]

— The second brick-and-mortar location of 

, a Honolulu-based boutique offering swimwear and activewear, can be found on Street Level 1 of the ‘Ewa wing. It also has a location at 

, which rents mobility scooters, wheelchairs and strollers, and offers secure luggage storage, can be found on Street Level 1 at Center Court.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"On the move:"}]

 has moved to a new temporary location on Mall Level 2 of the ‘Ewa Wing while its permanent store is under construction. The new permanent store is scheduled to open next year.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Coming soon:"}]

, a Hawai‘i-based jewelry brand, is set to open on Level 3 of the ‘Ewa Wing this month.

 will open on Street Level 1 of the ‘Ewa Wing in December, offering Mexican-style cabana chillers, mango twisters and fresh fruit cups.

, the flagship brand of the Portland-based Columbia Sportswear Co., will open on Level 3 of the ‘Ewa Wing in February 2026. The brand offers 

outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment.

 will soon open their second location at Ala Moana Center in the Makai Market Food Court.

 will make its debut in the Islands in July 2026. You'll find on Mall Level 2 of the ‘Ewa wing.

More new tenants were announced at the end of August. Read about those 

Ala Moana Center opened in 1959 and is the world's largest open-air shopping center with more than 2.4 million square feet of retail space. It offers more than 350 stores and 160 dining options.

Ala Moana Center provided

<title>What's new at Ala Moana Center</title>

The shopping center has welcomed a number of new tenants, with more coming soon.

What's new at Ala Moana Center

Cheryl Tsutsumi

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi

Aloha Spirit

Joanne “Cookie” Fujio can’t recall exactly when she and her husband, Gary “Black” Miyashiro, had the conversation that upended their happy life on Kaua‘i — only that it was late fall 2011.

“Black mentioned one day that he was having trouble speaking,” said Fujio, who had retired from the Department of Education the year before. “He said the words were clear in his mind, but he just couldn’t get them out of his mouth.”

After reviewing Black’s MRI in January 2012, his primary care physician referred him to a neurologist at The Queen’s Medical Center. It took four months to get an appointment, and even after additional imaging and a follow-up consultation, the couple received no answers. The neurologist referred Black, a retired supervisor at Verizon (now Hawaiian Telcom), to the University of California, San Francisco’s (UCSF’s) Memory and Aging Center.

Three months passed without any word, and days for Black and Fujio were filled with concern, frustration, anxiety and uncertainty. “By then, it was September, so I called the memory center,” Fujio said. “They said Black was still on their waiting list, and the earliest he could be seen would be spring 2013. Then, in early October, they said a spot had opened the following week. We took it and packed our bags.”

Black’s speech had continued to decline along with his ability to chew and swallow. They stayed in San Francisco for a week — two full days of which were testing — then flew home after agreeing to participate in a research project during a future visit.

Just two weeks later, however, they were asked to return to San Francisco for that study. Black completed another series of tests and was told none of the results indicated he had memory problems. He was referred to UCFS’s ALS & Neurodegenerative Disease Center whose director, Dr. Catherine Lomen-Hoerth, examined him right away.

She shared Black’s devastating diagnosis on Halloween 2012: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the New York Yankees’ star first baseman in the 1920s and 1930s. Diagnosed in 1939, Gehrig was the first celebrity to put ALS in the public eye. Other luminaries afflicted with the disease also helped raise awareness about it, including Oscar winner David Niven; Roberta Flack, who received four Grammys; Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Eddie Adams; and physicist Stephen Hawking, famed for his groundbreaking theories on black holes and the origin of the universe.

Fujio immersed herself in research about ALS and discovered that it is notoriously difficult to diagnose. No single test can confirm the disease; instead, doctors must first carefully rule out other conditions with similar symptoms such as multiple sclerosis. These symptoms include muscle weakness, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing and trouble walking. A diagnosis of ALS can take from 10 to 16 months — or even longer — depending on patients’ access to medical care.

Eventually, they can’t talk, eat, move or breathe. Although symptoms can be managed and progression can be slowed with drugs, physical therapy and breathing exercises, there is no cure. ALS strikes people of all races and ethnicities, usually between ages 40 and 70. Life expectancy is two to five years after diagnosis.

“About 75 percent of ALS patients start losing mobility first, but that wasn’t the case with Black, so the doctors initially didn’t think he had ALS,” Fujio said. “In fact, he moved pretty well until the last 10 months of his life. Then his health declined rapidly.”

Black passed away peacefully at home on August 7, 2015. He was 68 years old.

This year, a decade later, Fujio spent part of that day listening to some of the hundreds of CDs and songs Black had downloaded on the iPad he used to communicate when he could no longer speak. He enjoyed all types of music, from oldies to jazz, Hawaiian to reggae. They remind her of who he was: kind, dependable, fun-loving, always willing to help others.

“He was happiest when he was in the sun—surfing, golfing, fishing, doing yardwork,” Fujio said. “His friends called him Black because his skin had darkened from the countless hours he spent outside. That may not be a politically correct nickname today, but it fit him. He was rarely indoors.”

It still saddens her to think that Black died before their son and daughter got married and their two grandchildren were born.

“But our family’s ALS story isn’t unique,” Fujio said. “Many others have gone through the same, often even more difficult, challenges. Supporting Hawai‘i’s ALS community has allowed me to honor Black in a meaningful way and find strength in helping others.”

Fujio has served as an advisory trustee for the ALS

Network—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Woodland Hills, California—since 2013. In that unpaid role, she views herself as a relationship builder, connecting the organization with people in Hawai‘i who can further its mission to “drive the discovery of prevention strategies, treatments and cures for ALS; provide access to quality care and connection; and promote initiatives to improve health outcomes.”

Among other things, she fundraises, seeks grant opportunities, finds resources for support services, and meets with government officials and community leaders.

“There was very little help for local ALS families when our first benefit walk was held in 2013,” Fujio said. “We had to figure things out on our own. ALS doesn’t just affect patients; it also takes a toll on their caregivers and loved ones. It can leave families emotionally drained and financially burdened. I want to ensure that everyone in Hawai‘i who’s facing ALS receives the care and compassion that they need. It’s a hard, heartbreaking journey, and no one should have to walk it alone.”

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

Now in its 12th year, this fundraiser is set for Saturday, October 11, at Kapi‘olani Park. Check-in is at 8 a.m.; the walk will begin at 9 a.m.

There will be routes to accommodate all levels of ability, including those in wheelchairs. Participants should register by October 4. There is no fee, and attendees can look forward to live hula and music, food booths, an ALS resource fair, keiki activities, prizes and giveaways.

For more information, to join the walk and/or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit 

Fujio and husband Gary

<title>Uncles and Aunties: Joanne “Cookie” Fujio's fight against ALS</title>

When Gary “Black” Miyashiro was diagnosed with ALS, he and his wife, Joanne “Cookie” Fujio immediately became champions of the ALS Network. It's work Joanne has continued to do, a decade after his death. The next Hawai‘i Walk & Roll to Cure ALS is coming up on Saturday, October 11, at Kapi‘olani Park

Uncles and Aunties: Joanne “Cookie” Fujio's fight against ALS

Government & Politics

Real Estate

[{"type":"text","text":"Looking to save money on your property tax bill?"}]

The City and County of Honolulu's home exemption applications are due Sept. 30. 

But if you have questions, the Honolulu Board of Realtors and the city's Department of Budget and Fiscal Services Real Property Assessment Division, or RPAD, have free open houses planned in an effort to help O‘ahu homeowners learn more.

The first open houses were held last weekend, but more are set to take place at FarmLovers Markets in September.

"We started this last year to try and raise more awareness for the real property exemptions and dedication," Suzanne Young, CEO of the Board of Realtors, told Aloha State Daily.

Deadlines are once a year through RPAD, she said, "and we just find that every year, we meet people or hear about people who actually are homeowners who qualify for the property tax exemptions but had no idea that they didn't have one filed with their property, didn't pay attention that there's a deadline."

Last year, the program was held at the BOR offices with very little turnout, she noted.

"We shifted this year and said we need to go out to the communities, and the farmers markets are so well attended, they're out in the neighborhood," Young said. "This past weekend, we were in Kaka‘ako on Saturday and Kailua on Sunday and it blew our expectations."

They were able to find 11 homeowners out of 70 groups across both days who had not filed an exemption, she noted.

The home exemption reduces the taxable value of a home by $120,000 for homeowners under 65, and by $160,000 for homeowners 65 and older.

With the basic homeowner exemption, that means, for example, if your property is valued at $500,000, you'll only be taxed on $380,000, Young explained. 

According to Young, a $120,000 reduction in tax valuation equates to a savings of $420 on your real property tax bill each year. With a $160,000 reduction, that's a $560 annual savings.

To qualify, you have to own and occupy the property as your principal home; your ownership is recorded at the state Bureau of Conveyances in Honolulu on or before Sept. 30 the year before you'll claim the exemption; and you file a claim for home exemption on or before Sept. 30, RPAD notes. You only have to file for the exemption once.

"Our Realtors are all about housing," Young said. "We are the people who are the closest to housing issues, because our Realtors are experts and work with buyers and sellers every single day. This is just part of our community outreach."

, the first home exemption law was enacted in 1896, "to provide some tax relief, encourage homeownership and the settlement of land. In 1896, the home exemption amount was $300."

, call 808-768-3799 or contact your Realtor.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"If you go"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"italic"}],"text":"Real Property Assessment Division Open House"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"FarmLovers Markets, 8 a.m. to noon all three days"}]

— Saturday, Sept. 6, at Kaka‘ako, 919 and 1011 Ala Moana Blvd. in Honolulu

— Sunday, Sept. 7, at 640 Ulukahiki St. in Kaillua, near Adventist Health Castle

— Saturday, Sept. 13, at Pearlridge Mall Wai Makai, 98-180 Kamehameha Hwy. in ‘Aiea.

04 RPAD Open House courtesy of Honolulu Board of REALTORS

<title>Learn more about property tax savings through these open houses</title>

The Honolulu Board of Realtors and Honolulu's Department of Budget and Fiscal Services Real Property Assessment Division, or RPAD, have free open houses planned in an effort to help O‘ahu homeowners learn more about home exemptions.

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social: Check out this kāne's chore-ography

ASD Staff

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Hawaiʻi Scene on Social: Check out this kāne's chore-ography

Authors

ASD Staff

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Going big

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