ASD Staff

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

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Today's social posts come from howsdisguy: Part one and two of talking story with your roughboy philosopher relative.

Firefly funny illustration of a bald man in prison giving advice on a cell phone 125937

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: A comedy crime saga in two parts

Kveekz on Instagram is today's social media find, celebrating some pleasant surprises.

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: "A good day in Hawai‘i"

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Surfer gets dropped</title>

Glad jackakrop19 is doing OK after this big wave wipeout at Jaws, on Maui's north shore.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Surfer gets dropped

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Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Culture

Aloha Spirit

When Brigham Young University – Hawaiʻi’s Hoʻolōkahi Chamber Choir takes the stage at Carnegie Hall on May 11, they’ll be singing in eight languages to remember the people who died in disasters in six countries around the world. The last movement focuses on the devastating wildfires that destroyed most of Lahaina.  

This will be the world premiere of the 25-minute piece, called 

 which includes seven movements and spotlights Ukraine, Tonga, the Philippines, Palestine, Japan and Maui.

The group is being directed by Erica Glenn, director of choral activities and assistant professor of music at BYU - Hawaiʻi. The project started when she was asked to guest conduct a concert at Carnegie Hall and wrote this requiem so she could bring some of her students with her. 

More than 100 singers will perform the piece, including 54 members of BYU - Hawai’is Hoʻolōkahi Chamber Choir, as well as other groups that are “kind of comprised of people that I conducted in other facets of my life,” she said. One performer, for instance, was part of the Arizona State University women’s chorus, which Glenn used to conduct. Others were her students at the American International School of Utah, where she was a K-12 choir teacher for three years. 

Members of the Oʻahu Choral Society, Windward Choral Society, Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre, Timpanogos Singers, and Voices of ʻOhana will also join in the performance. Together, they will sing about hope on one of the most prestigious stages in the world.

"I think that's the thing that everybody kind of latches on to is the idea that we're performing at Carnegie Hall,” Glenn told Aloha State Daily. “That is just such an honor for us and so exciting for these students, many of whom have never had an experience like this before. For a univeristy choir from Hawaiʻi to be recognized in this way is really wonderful. But I think even more than that, what I'm excited about is taking a piece of Hawaiʻi — and what we represent — to the New York stage and introducing that to a worldwide audience.”

, the founder of MidAmerica Productions, offered Glenn a spot as a guest conductor at its series, hosted at Carnegie Hall, about two years ago. Tiboris, who has since passed away, offered the position after working with her students at a performance of 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Requiem in D minor, K. 626”

 with the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra. 

"When they first reached out to me and offered me a spot as a guest conductor, my very first thought was: can I bring my amazing multicultural choir with me?” she said. “Because we have students from all over the world — especially areas of the Pacific and Asia — but really everywhere. Then I thought: ‘I wonder if they would commission me to write a brand new piece that really represents these students so it's not just the students performing a choral master work, it's the students performing something that really represents who they are and where they come from and that still offers a nod to the traditional form of a requiem, which traditionally is a mass for the dead.’"

To write the piece, she met with students in her choir from each of the spotlighted regions, many of whom shared first-hand encounters with the disasters. For example, in the movement about the Philippines, there is a minute-and-a-half long solo where a soprano sings, which uses “the exact words that my student gave me,” Glenn said. 

Her student, Mitzi Diaz-Chou, described huddling under a desk at school as windows blew out. Some of her friends passed away. Others were buried in the rubble. Through the disaster, music was “a source of solidarity and hopefulness in the aftermath,” Glenn said. Diaz-Chou referenced music that was important at that time, including traditional Filipino songs and Michael Jackson’s “Heal the World.” Glenn weaved parts of those melodies into that movement.

“For me, it's — of course — really exciting just that we'll be on the Carnegie Hall stage and able to perform in such a storied venue,” Glenn said. “But even more than that, I'm just really excited for the New York community to meet our choir — to get a sense of who we are and what we represent — and then to come away with this message of hope that the requiem delivers, which is: despite all of the tragedies, when we come together as a human family and when we make art together, we can heal each other's wounds.”

The moment will be made extra special by the fact that the choir won’t be donning the traditional dresses and tuxedos usually associated with performances. Instead, they will wear formal outfits from around the world which represent their families’ heritage, she said. 

, which killed more than 100 people. It weaves together themes from the other movements in this “beautiful tapestry of hopefulness,” Glenn said.

One of her students, Moanahiwalani Walker, who is Native Hawaiian and dances hula, proposed leaving a lei on stage to honor the people who died in each of the regions honored in the piece. 

“She's going to be dancing during the Lahaina movement at the end,” Glenn said. 

At the end, Walker will put on each of the lei “as a symbol of unity and healing, and she'll dance hula as she does that,” she said.

“Just watching the students take ownership and in very authentic ways use their background and their culture to elevate the piece has been really rewarding,” Glenn said.

Hoʻolōkahi Chamber Choir

<title>This Oʻahu-based choir is taking a message of hope to Carnegie Hall</title>

Composer Erica Glenn wrote a requiem in eight languages for those who died in disasters in six different countries, which is now headed to one of the most famous stages in the world: Carnegie Hall. The assistant professor of music at Brigham Young University – Hawaiʻi is the guest conductor for the performance, which features the Hoʻolōkahi Chamber Choir.

This Oʻahu-based choir is taking a message of hope to Carnegie Hall

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

For Kauaʻi resident Tai Lizama, everything changed in 2023 when he found God through The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center. He had been in and out of prison, burned all his bridges – including key relationships with his girlfriend of 20 years and five children – and came into the program broken and labeled as a menace to society, he said.

“I’ll never forget where I came from,” Lizama told Aloha State Daily. “I was the ‘No way’ guy. People would say ‘No way’ Tai is sober or ‘No way’ Tai goes to church or is giving back to the community. Today, I can say ʻYes wayʻ Tai is sober, and it’s all thanks to the peace of mind I find in Jesus Christ.”

Nationwide, ARC provides drug and alcohol rehabilitation through free or subsidized housing, meals, jobs and skills training, as well as spiritual, social and emotional support, that empowers individuals to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into the community, according to the nonprofit. In Honolulu, 75 men can live in its residences at one time and participate in work therapy programs, funded by donations from 

The Salvation Army's four thrift stores located on Oʻahu

“Family reunification was big for me and that’s what stood out from any other treatments I’d heard of,” Lizama said. “I learned to add structure and good values into my life. More than a year out, I got my family back and my girlfriend and I are on the same page now about our faith.” 

Since graduating from the program, he has continued to stay involved with ARC events and its after care programs, which helps keep him accountable, he said. Lizama also landed a job in construction with Goodfellow Bros. He said he enjoys praying for and serving the community, particularly in homeless outreach.

“I do it because my community prayed for me when I was down and out. My motto is, ‘Stay blessed and be a blessing.’” 

Honolulu ARC Alumni President David Chung, who went through the program twice, has a similar story.

“I didn’t put any work into my first treatment,” he told ASD. “The Salvation Army hired me after I finished the program in 2009, but I got caught up with old friends and went back to drugs and crime. I couldn’t have it both ways, so I turned in my keys and went back to my old life. 

“In the past, it was hard to stay sober for 11 minutes. Life kept getting more real for me, so I was sent back to ARC in 2014, where my healing journey began. This time, I built a relationship with God and with the guys there, who helped me work on myself. 

“Now, my goal is to make sure my life – work, marriage, sponsoring men in the ARC program – stays balanced. I’ve witnessed unreal transformations that way.”

[{"text":"More local stories are shared here: ","type":"text"}]

Chung recently got his keys back, rejoining The Salvation Army Honolulu ARC as head of business operations. He oversees a team of about 60 employees, most of which have gone through the ARC program themselves, he noted, adding that there are more than 50 participants in the program right now. 

Chung added, "With our records and past histories, it's hard to get a job out there. So why not hire within? That’s what ARC is about – second chances."

According to the nonprofit’s most recent impact report

, more than $6 million in revenue is generated locally for ARC per year. “It’s a slow time of year for donations, so we’re working on strategies that will continue to support these men.”

“I could never picture the life I have today – and it’s only because of God and the hope he gives me that I can share with others,” he said. “Whenever I share my story, I include that I am a product of ARC, and I always carry my business cards with me to pass out. You never know who you’ll run into, but it’s common I see somebody that needs this place, needs that hope.” 

For more information about The Salvation Army – Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division, call 808-988-2136, visit 

Hope graffiti

<title>Two stories of transformation from a program within The Salvation Army</title>

Local residents Tai Lizama and David Chung share how the nonprofit’s Adult Rehabilitation Center changed their lives for the better, and how they’re still involved today.

Two stories of transformation from a program within The Salvation Army

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday, May 11. Whether mom prefers brunch, buffets or a take-out meal, check out these options:

[{"text":"100 Sails Restaurant & Bar","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: Prince Waikīkī, 100 Holomoana St., third floor, Honolulu 

: The Mother’s Day brunch buffet ($109 per adult, $54.50 for children ages 6-10) includes options like snow crab legs, seafood scampi, herb panko crusted baked salmon, smoked lamb chops, slow-roasted prime rib, porchetta, slow-roasted prime rib, smoked ‘ahi tartlets, s’mores cookies and more. 

The Mother’s Day dinner buffet ($107 per adult, $53.50 for children ages 6-10) includes similar offerings. 

: May 11, 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Mother’s Day dinner buffet is May 8-11, 5-9:30 p.m. 

[{"text":"Artizen by MW","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: 888 Kapiʻolani Blvd., Ste. 102, Honolulu 

: The eatery’s Artizen Feast ($295) is designed to enjoy at home and can feed six people. The feast includes spinach and artichoke dip with won ton chips; ‘ahi nicoise salad with confit ‘ahi, long beans, kalamata olives, tomatoes and potato; garlic shrimp scampi with campanelle pasta; bucket of jidori fried chicken; Brandt beef pot roast; Small Kine Farms mushrooms and garlic jus; roasted vegetables and garlic potatoes; and Artizen chocolate cake. 

: Feast is available May 11; preorder deadline is May 9.

[{"text":"Eleven Honolulu","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: Foodland Farms Ala Moana, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 

: Eleven Honolulu’s Mother’s Day weekend brunch buffet ($55 per person, $24 per child) includes assorted mini breakfast pastries, quiche Lorraine, a raw bar with local catch sashimi and Goose Point shucked oysters, ginger and orange glazed carrots, mochi waffle station, soft scrambled eggs, breakfast meats, carving station with herb and garlic crusted striploin roast, yuzu sake glazed salmon and assorted rotating desserts. 

: May 10-11, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (last seating) 

[{"text":"Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: Haleakalā Gardens, 3850 Wailea Alanui Drive, Wailea 

: The resort’s Mother’s Day brunch ($175 per adult, $65 per child) includes a raw seafood bar with crab claws, oysters, Hawaiian ‘ahi poke and sushi rolls; chocolate hazelnut French toast topped with crème anglaise, banana and Nutella sauce; Grand Wailea Benedict with crispy pork belly and spicy Hollandaise sauce; kimchi fried rice loco moco with Maui onion gravy; Chinese steamed dim sum, crispy Hawaiian snapper; Kona lobster mac and cheese; lilikoʻi meringue tart, mango crème brulee and fresh berries flambe on pineapple rum cake with vanilla ice cream. 

[{"text":"Hy’s Steakhouse","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: Hy’s Mother’s Day brunch buffet ($150 per adult, $75 for children ages 6-12, free admission for children ages 5 and under) includes Hy’s signature Caesar salad, eggplant spinach quiche, assorted charcuterie and cheeses, spicy and shoyu ‘ahi poke, smoked salmon with herb roasted crostini, crab cake eggs Benedict, Hy’s slow roasted prime rib, honey glazed ham, leg of lamb with mint jelly, steamed snow crab, Mediterranean baked fish, chocolate decadence brownies, strawberry crunch trifle and more. 

: May 11, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (last seating 1 p.m.) 

[{"text":"Kulu kulu Cake","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: Royal Hawaiian Center, 2233 Kalākaua Ave., Honolulu

: Mother’s Day cakes are available in two flavors: strawberry shortcake (small $45, large $55) and strawberry rare cheese roll ($17.50). Preorders are accepted in-store and online. 

[{"text":"MW Restaurant","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: 888 Kapiʻolani Blvd. Ste. 201, Honolulu 

: The eatery’s MW Feast ($695) is designed to enjoy at home and can feed six to eight people. It includes sashimi salad (‘ahi and Hamachi sashimi, crispy Asian slaw and soy wasabi vinaigrette), crab cakes with wasabi koji sauce, eggplant and tomato dip with toast points, miso honey glazed butterfish, taegu watercress salad, seafood lasagna, garlic Brandt beef prime rib with garlic au jus and wasabi sour cream, roasted vegetables and Yukon gold potatoes, and strawberry cheesecake for dessert. 

: Feast is available May 11; preorder deadline is May 9. 

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

: This Mother’s Day special menu ($150 per person) includes a mini seafood platter with lobster tail, scallop and tuna poke; braised short rib served with a truffle cream sauce; beef platter with tenderloin, Miyazaki wagyu sirloin, fresh short rib and outside skirt; choice of Doenjang (soybean paste stew) or kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew); and mango bingsu for dessert. 

[{"text":"Orchids","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: Halekūlani, 2199 Kālia Road, Honolulu 

: Orchids Sparkling Mother’s Day brunch costs $128 per adult ($68 for children ages 5-10 years). Highlights include a seafood bar with deep water snow crab legs, lobster tails and shucked oysters; assortment of sushi, nigiri and maki rolls; chef’s carving station with Waimanalo raised suckling pig, prime rib, sage-roasted turkey, roasted brisket and flank steak; housemade ice cream and sorbet station; and desserts like classic Halekulani coconut cake, red velvet cheesecake, warm chocolate bread pudding, lilikoʻi meringue tarts and more. 

[{"text":"Quiora Waikīkī","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: The Ritz Carlton Residences, Waikīkī Beach, 383 Kalaimoku St., Honolulu 

: Quiora Waikiki’s Mother’s Day brunch buffet ($125 per adult, $63 for children ages 6-12, free admission for children ages 5 and under) includes options like Hy’s famous prime rib, crispy Mountain View Farms pork belly, assorted breakfast meats, corned beef and sweet potato hash, snow crab claws, Pacific oysters, matcha mousse cake, apple banana croissant bread with crème anglaise and more. There is a two-hour dining period. 

: May 11, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (last seating 1 p.m.) 

[{"text":"Slice by HB Baking","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: Kilohana Square, 1016 Kapahulu Ave., Ste. 150, Honolulu 

: This dessert shop is featuring a fresh strawberry pie ($69) for Mother’s Day. It includes Tahitian vanilla bean pastry cream and citrus-glazed strawberries. 

[{"text":"Vintage Books","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: 3660 Waiʻalae Ave. Ste. 101, Honolulu 

: This Mother’s Day prix fixe brunch ($70 per person) includes a mini scone flight (trio of house-baked scones), dim sum remix (smoked salmon gau gee), silken tofu with POG syrup and tapioca pearls, choice of entrée (‘ahi Benedict, shrimp and grits, French toast crunch or the eatery’s version of a loco moco), and chocolate sesame roll (three mochi sesame balls filled with warm chocolate and rolled in black sesame and poppy seeds) for dessert. The Mother’s Day prix fixe dinner ($90 per person) includes ong choi and Aliʻi hamakua mushroom salad, kimchi pork belly pancake, choice of entrée (crispy crab rice cakes, wagyu flat-iron steak, crispy brined roast chicken or summer squash masa cakes), and coconut flan for dessert. 

: May 11, brunch is 10 a.m.-3 p.m., dinner is 4:30-9:30 p.m. 

[{"text":"Wolfgang’s Steakhouse","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: Royal Hawaiian Center, 2301 Kalākaua Ave., Honolulu 

: This special prix fixe menu ($79 per person) includes a glass of bubbles, choice of Beverly Hills chopped salad or Manhattan-style clam chowder, petite filet with au poivre sauce and garlic mashed potatoes, and New York cheesecake with a jumbo strawberry.

Mothers Day part 1 Wolfgangs Waikiki 041825

<title>Where to go on Mother’s Day 2025: Part 1</title>

Treat mom to unforgettable dining experiences.

Where to go on Mother’s Day 2025: Part 1

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Tiki's Grill & Bar is taking its aloha spirit to Japan, opening a sister restaurant in Honolulu's sister city of Shibuya, Tokyo, later this month.

Known for its Pacific Rim cuisine and retro South Pacific-inspired decor, Tiki's is located on the second floor of The Twin Fin hotel in Waikīkī, where it overlooks the Pacific Ocean. The Waikīkī restaurant has 300 seats and occupies about 10,000 square feet.

Tiki's Tokyo — a partnership between Tiki's Grill & Bar and Tiki's SHIBUYA Limited Liability Partnership — will be located at the new Yoyogi Park BE STAGE. It opens April 25 and will be the first Tiki's outside of the Islands.

According to a recent announcement, the new restaurant will include several concepts.

The 160-seat "Always Aloha" restaurant will offer a glimpse of the Hawai‘i lifestyle, and will serve Pacific Rim cuisine "fusing Hawai‘i and Japan food cultures," the announcement noted. Tiki's Tokyo also will have a 78-seat dog-friendly area with a menu for your pup.

“For over 20 years, we have brought the spirit of Aloha to our guests through great food, handcrafted cocktails, and warm hospitality,” Bill Tobin, co-founder and managing partner of Tiki’s Grill & Bar said in the announcement. “When a couple of my [University of Hawai‘i] buddies and I decided to open Tiki’s back in 2002, we knew we wanted to create a special place where we would want to hang out with friends and family, a place locals and visitors could gather, celebrate, and feel like part of our family — and we’re so grateful because we succeeded and have been busy from day one. We’re looking forward to Tiki’s Tokyo bringing that same kind of feeling to their guests in Japan."

Tobin told Aloha State Daily this week that Tiki's has been approached about expanding in the past, but said it was never the right time or the right people.

"This time, we felt like it was the right time and these [partners] synced with our values," Tobin said. "As we pursued it, we really felt like it was not only the right time, but a very good partnership and a really good feel about everything, so we pursued it. And though it took a long time to come to fruition, we feel fantastic about it."

When asked what he's most excited about with this venture, Tobin says he thinks the new partners "help bring credibility to us outside of Hawai‘i, but we also think that it allows us to test the brand's legs outside of Waikīkī."

"We really think that we have something exciting, and it's obviously been very successful for us for 22 years, but we don't know if that's just because [of the] location," he continued. "We feel like we do a great job, but this is going to be a good test for us."

The real goal, Tobin says, is to make sure Tiki's is "represented well," that the brand is positive and "we make sure we have a smile on our face, that we are sharing aloha to our guests, and that when people come in, they maybe get a little piece of Hawai‘i."

[{"text":"What to know about Tiki's Tokyo","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

Tobin said he and his partners built Tiki's in Hawai‘i as a "retro, South Pacific tiki restaurant," but the partners in Japan have designed the new restaurant with a more modern vibe.

"We're excited that it's kind of a newer tiki feel and a more modern tiki feel, so we're a little bit excited about that," he says.

Although the new restaurant has yet to open, "we've already heard so many things," Tobin says. "We're expecting a fantastic response."

[{"text":"Tobin says, too, that he's often asked about the menus.","type":"text"}]

The menus, he said, will be a bit different, but there will be cross-over items on both. There are some items on the Japanese menu that are more focused for people who live in Japan, but Tobin says, some of those items will likely be added to the menu in Hawai‘i, "so that the people [who] are visiting from Japan, they will recognize some of those things."

Bill tobin tikis 040925

<title>Tiki's Grill & Bar expands to Japan</title>

Tiki's Tokyo — a partnership between Tiki's Grill & Bar and Tiki's SHIBUYA Limited Liability Partnership — will open April 25. It's the restaurant's first location outside of the Islands.

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