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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

He might not be good at his job, but he is cute!

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King eventz lazy

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Lazy days</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @King.Eventz, who has a sleepy assistant.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Lazy days

He might not be good at his job, but he is cute!  Make sure you follow @King.Eventz on Instagram! For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter!

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

If you could step back in time, you’d find that this area wasn’t always a bustling urban neighborhood. Before Western contact, Kamō‘ili‘ili was a marshy, fertile land, fed by underground springs and a natural karst, a system of hidden channels, caves, and freshwater streams within its porous limestone bedrock.

Meaning “the pebble lizard,” after the battle in which Pele’s younger sister, Hi’iakaikapoliopele, destroyed a giant mo‘o, leaving the pieces of its body to turn to stone, the name was later shortened to Mō‘ili‘ili. The area was a thriving agricultural hub, with carefully maintained lo‘i kalo (taro patches) stretching across the land. Alongside kalo, people grew mai‘a (bananas), nui (coconuts), and ‘ulu (breadfruit). Early European visitors were struck by the organization and abundance of these fields.

Two hundred years of change saw the conquest of Kamehameha and the formation of a unified kingdom, the rise of Christianity, the boom of sugar and pineapple, the overthrow of Queen Lili‘uokalani, and annexation by the United States. Chinese farmers who settled in Mō‘ili‘ili introduced rice paddies. At the same time, Japanese laborers worked at places like the Mō‘ili‘ili Quarry, where stone was blasted out of the ground to be used for island construction projects.

As Honolulu modernized, streetcars and trolleys connected students to schools and families to jobs. Local taxi drivers often knew every family by name. Eventually, cars and family-run auto shops took over, and in 1953, the construction of the H-1 freeway cut through Mō‘ili‘ili, changing its landscape forever.

Today, Mō‘ili‘ili remains a place shaped by water, culture, and resilience. Beneath its busy streets, the spring-fed karst still flows quietly—a reminder of the life that first brought people here.

Tucked behind a quiet elementary school in the heart of Mō‘ili‘ili sits a solemn and storied burial ground filled with granite and marble monuments rising from concrete platforms. Approximately 10,000 souls are interred beneath 2,008 monuments in the Mō‘ili‘ili Japanese Cemetery. The graves are aligned with purpose and reverence, an asphalt pathway that leads to the farthest reaches of the silent community. But behind that serenity lies a deep, sometimes disturbing history.

In the early 1900s, stemming from a dream to establish a final resting place for the Japanese Hongwanji community, the Board of Health received a request to establish a cemetery in the Mō‘ili‘ili area. After much debate, the Board finally approved the necessary permits on the condition that the cemetery be open to the entire Japanese community, not just the Hongwanji congregation. It became known as the Kyōdō Bochi, or Japanese Community Cemetery.

By the 1930s, over 1,800 people had been buried there. The cemetery eventually expanded in 1956 and was renamed Mōʻiliʻili Shin-Bochi, the Mōʻiliʻili New Cemetery.

Among the thousands of stone monuments in the 3-acre parcel, one stands out from the rest. While every other vertical pillar is carved and polished from black or gray marble and granite, this one is quite different. Taller than almost every other grave marker in the cemetery, the rough, unpolished, reddish-colored boulder, shaped almost like a teardrop, sits upon a wide dais. Inscribed on the stone are Japanese characters which say In-ga-zu-ka or In-ga-chou—heap of misfortune.

It is the grave of Myles Yukata Fukunaga. His life was indeed one of misfortune.

In 1928, Honolulu was shaken to its core when 10-year-old George Gill Jamieson was brutally murdered.

Fukunaga, just 19 years old, impersonated a hospital orderly who was sent to Punahou School to retrieve a boy whose mother was in a serious car accident. However, there was no accident. Fukunaga drove the boy away from his school in the middle of the day, intending to ransom him to his father, Frederick Jamieson, vice president of the Hawaiian Trust Company. Then, before any money was exchanged, Fukunaga murdered Gill behind the old Seaside Hotel in Waikīkī in a fit of panic.

The brutality of the crime stunned the Islands. Outrage poured in from every direction, and Fukunaga was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. While Nippu Jiji, a Japanese-language newspaper, called for a retrial and questioned racial fairness in the proceedings, others pointed to Fukunaga’s full confession and disturbing premeditation. His execution by hanging was carried out swiftly on November 19, 1929.

[{"type":"text","text":"Decades later, I found myself standing at his grave."}]

That night, a small group of us stood there in the dark, discussing the case, recounting the trial, and the media frenzy. I remembered something Professor Dennis Ogawa once told me about Fukunaga:

“For such a small guy, he had big hands. The hands he used to strangle Gil Jamieson.”

The wind moved gently through the trees, and the stones around us seemed to lean in. I looked up at the marker... and I saw him.

[{"type":"text","text":"It was just for a second, but unmistakable."}]

The thin, straight-shouldered image of Myles Fukunaga appeared on his own headstone. Shirt sleeves rolled, tie slightly askew, face as still and blank as in those old courtroom photos. His expression wasn’t angry. It wasn’t sad. It was... expectant. Then he was gone.

At first, I said nothing, I just stared. But the others had stopped talking. They could feel it.

[{"type":"text","text":"“What’s wrong?” someone asked."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"I didn’t answer. I just pointed."}]

A few people gasped, but as the others turned and looked, the silence deepened. Some claimed they saw only stone. But others described a faint image in the rough pattern of dirt on the rock. His face. Watching. Waiting.

[{"type":"text","text":"I was convinced it was my imagination, but then the others saw it too."}]

“Pareidolia,” I muttered. “Our brains pulling shapes from shadows.”

[{"type":"text","text":"But the cemetery felt different now. Not threatening, just unsettled."}]

Some believe Gil’s ghost still lingers near the spot in Waikīkī where his life was taken. But others say he’s long gone and it’s Fukunaga who remains trapped on earth, bound to his grave by guilt, regret, or something more eternal.

If you ever visit Mōʻiliʻili Japanese Cemetery, you’ll see the care taken by the community to preserve and protect this sacred space. But when the sun goes down and you find yourself near that oddly shaped stone, don’t stare too long.

[{"type":"text","text":"You might see something staring back."}]

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Myles Fukunaga grave Moiliili

<title>Heap of Misfortune in Mō‘ili‘ili Cemetery</title>

Nearly a century ago, the Islands were stunned by the case of Myles Fukunaga, who kidnapped and murdered 10-year-old George Gill Jamieson, and was executed for his crimes. Does his guilty spirit haunt his gravesite?

Heap of Misfortune in Mō‘ili‘ili Cemetery

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Aloha Spirit

As the second anniversary of the Maui wildfires approaches, the Building Industry Association of Hawai‘i is working to build the island's construction workforce, bringing its Pre-Apprenticeship Construction Training program to the Valley Isle this fall.

PACT is a six-week, full-time workforce development program for people who are new to the construction industry. Here, you'll learn essential skills, tools and knowledge needed for a career in the building industry. The program is free for qualified residents.

 — sponsored by the Maui County Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, or WIOA, program, and the Hawai‘i Building Industry Foundation — will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Sept. 8 to Oct. 24, at the J. Walter Cameron Center, 95 Mahalani St. in Wailuku.

BIA Hawai‘i CEO Roseann Freitas recently told Aloha State Daily that the organization — a not-for-profit trade association chartered by the National Association of Home Builders in 1955 — had offered the PACT program for "a very long time." It was shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic, "and we revitalized it last September."

[{"type":"text","text":"Since then, a handful of cohorts have been offered."}]

"Once we got those first few classes under our belt — then the success rate was there, but also we saw the need," Freitas said. "We were helping underserved markets."

Some classes had members who were homeless but showing up for every class, she said. It's something that's "not easy to do, even under regular circumstances. So we realized that this was a great program [and] wanted to get it to Maui. We knew Maui needed it."

On Aug. 8, 2023, fires driven by high winds tore through Lahaina and other parts of the Valley Isle. More than 100 people died in the blaze that destroyed much of Lahaina town.

The University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization estimated in a 

 that, at its peak, "rebuilding on Maui will require 2,000 additional construction workers." 

According to Freitas, BIA Hawai‘i is working with Maui County to fund some of the students' course fees, along with the Hawai‘i Building Industry Foundation, and is partnering with nonprofit 

 to offer participants hands-on experience.

"We feel like it's a great win," she said. "They're learning and at the same time, they're helping to rebuild the community there."

[{"type":"text","text":"The construction workforce has been short for decades, Freitas says. "}]

"That was the mindset. People sent their kids to college. They did not think about the trades and we're paying that price now."

[{"type":"text","text":"But construction pays \"above average wages,\" Freitas says."}]

"People can get out of these trade schools — or our [program] is six weeks. There's other options like going on to an apprenticeship or furthering it along, but they're coming out without the debt that college students are having and they're making more money," she continued. "It's a really good answer, especially for people who want to stay and live in Hawai‘i because it's so expensive so you need to have a decent wage."

 notes that participants will learn about job site safety and earn certifications in OSHA-30 Construction Safety, adult first aid, CPR and AED; and optional certifications in lead renovation, repair and painting, and OSHA (

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

) Disaster Site Worker safety. They'll also learn technical trade skills in carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, masonry, weatherization and landscaping; construction math and blueprint reading; green building fundamentals; career readiness and professionalism; and also gain some real-world experience.

[{"type":"text","text":"Freitas says about 70% of the curriculum is hands-on."}]

"As we're doing this, we bring in experts from the industry," Freitas says. "That's who teaches these courses — people within the industry who want to give back in their way or they have a flexible schedule that they can come teach."

Freitas says PACT has a success rate of about 83%. For this program, that means completing the six-week course and getting the certifications.

There are three pathways for those who complete the training, she says: go right into the workforce, apply for an apprenticeship program or continue their education at a college.

"We're exposing them to different opportunities because when people think construction, they always think [about] the traditional construction worker, but there's every profession almost in there, and there's different avenues," Freitas says. "We're giving them options and then these three career pathways that they could continue on — and we're staying in touch with them. That's probably the big thing."

As for the importance of addressing the construction industry's workforce needs, Freitas notes future housing demands in Hawai‘i.

Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corp.'s 2024 Hawai‘i Housing Planning study, which was 

 earlier this year, found that the state will need an estimated 64,490 additional housing units by 2027 to meet demand).

"We know we have a housing crisis," Freitas says. "We have a shortage of housing and we've lost a lot of people to the Mainland. They're finding it too expensive to live here, so that is shrinking all of our talent pool — especially construction."

Without people here to build, she says people have to be brought in from the Mainland to do the work.

"They're here to do great things, but at the end of the day, when the job is done, all of that revenue goes back to the Mainland," Freitas notes. "The more we can do here on our island and keep that revenue stream here, it helps the economy overall. I think that's why it's so important."

the Maui training opportunity is targeting Maui residents — including Native Hawaiians; Pacific Islanders; Asian Americans; women; disconnected youth, typically ages 16 to 24 who are not in school or employed; and economically marginalized residents, although anyone can apply and there are no age restrictions.

PACT BIA Hawaii

<title>BIA Hawai‘i aims to build Maui's construction workforce</title>

PACT is a full-time workforce development program for people who are new to the construction industry.

BIA Hawai‘i aims to build Maui's construction workforce

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

[{"type":"text","text":"Hawai‘i drivers can win $2,500 this month for driving safely."}]

In 2016, then-governor David Ige proclaimed August as “Drive Aloha Month,” and Hawai‘i firm DTRIC Insurance has sponsored road safety awareness programs ever since.

This year, DTRIC is once again holding a month-long contest to incentivize drivers to curb their bad habits behind the wheel: the Drive Aloha Safest Driver Challenge.

, now being held for the third year in a row, uses a phone app to track drivers’ behaviors and flag certain unsafe actions, which will be used to tabulate safe driving scores.

“Many drivers don’t know how they drive,” DTRIC Vice President Wenli Lin told Aloha State Daily. “For example, I didn’t know that I accelerate too fast. I never knew I did that until I used the app.”

Lin said the free app — DriveWell Go, developed by Cambridge Mobile Telematics — scores participants based on five bad habits: speeding, phone use, rapid acceleration, aggressive braking and hard cornering.

Each trip with DriveWell Go active will be scored, and users will be able to see a map of their route that highlights the location of each instance of unsafe driving. Lin said this will give drivers a clearer picture of their habits and where they can improve.

Lin assured ASD that the data collected by the app will not be sold or result in users’ insurance rates going up.

The contest is only open to drivers over the age of 18 with valid Hawai‘i licenses. While people can sign up throughout the month of August, they must drive at least 150 miles over 30 separate trips before the end of the month for their score to be counted.

“That’s so people actually take it seriously, and don’t just download the app and never drive anywhere and get a perfect score,” Lin said.

At the end of the month, the three participants with the best cumulative scores will win cash prizes: $2,500 for first place, $1,000 for second and $500 for third.

“We actually upped the prize this year because of this year’s fatality rates,” Lin said, adding that previous contests only awarded $1,000 to first place, and nothing below that.

According to the Honolulu Police Department, there have been 48 traffic fatalities on O‘ahu this year so far. By comparison, there were 51 fatalities in all of 2024.

The DriveWell Go app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Users can register for the contest with the code 134617.

[{"type":"text","text":"ASD reached out to HPD for comment."}]

I Stock 1725528480

<title>Drive safe, win cash</title>

Third annual Drive Aloha Safest Driver Challenge promises up to $2,500 for winners in August

Drive safe, win cash

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Entertainment

Arts & Culture

Looking for fun activities this weekend? Check out a comedy showcase and beer crawl or head to the beach to set intentions under a full moon.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"FRIDAY, AUG. 8"}]

, step inside a selection of military aircraft and enjoy a car show. Organizers estimate the event will draw 100,000 people over three days.

 Also featured in the air show is the F-22 Raptor, the B-52 Stratofortress, Ospreys, Apaches and Seahawks and more. Friday is military appreciation day, which is open to active and retired military service members, as well as Department of Defense employees and first responders, plus their families. The event is open to the public on Saturday and Sunday. Free. 

 Join Ms. Hawaiʻi, a yoga instructor and founder of the tour company 6 Degree Soul, in a night of manifesting at Magic Island. The event, called Lions Gate Full Moon Magic: A Night of Manifesting with Ms. Hawaiʻi, starts at 6 p.m. and includes a yoga asana practice, a traditional yogic full moon ritual, guided meditation and intention setting, ceremonial cacao and community sharing, with a break for the fireworks show. Attendees are invited to wear white to represent purity and a clean slate. Tickets are $35.80. 

Meet the photographers who capture photos of the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational. The Ritz-Carlton Oʻahu Turtle Bay and OluKai are presenting a cocktail hour and set by big wave surfer and DJ Keala Kennelly, along with a panel discussion featuring Mike Ito, Christa Funk, Keoki Saguibo, and John Hook, among others. Prints will be for sale at the event. There will also be a raffle. All proceeds go to the Eddie Aikau Foundation. The event starts at 6 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. Free. 

 which stars Jason Momoa, and premiered Aug. 1 on Apple TV+. The series features the story of Kaʻiana, played by Momoa, as he tries to unify the Islands before Western colonization in the late 18th century. The first two episodes dropped Aug. 1, with an additional episode appearing every Friday through Sept. 19. The show was written and executive produced by Momoa and Thomas Pa‘a Sibbett (known for “Braven” in 2018, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” in 2023, and “The Last Manhunt” in 2022, which also star Momoa). The cast features Luciane Buchanan, Temuera Morrison, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Cliff Curtis, Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Siua Ikale‘o, Brandon Finn, James Udom, Mainei Kinimaka and Te Kohe Tuhaka, according to representatives of 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":" SATURDAY, AUG. 9"}]

Laugh out loud this weekend at Laughs @ Lokahi, a comedy showcase at Lokahi Brewery. The headliner is comedian Eric Patrick.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. 

Honolulu Bar Crawl: Beaches, Brews and Views on the Island. 

This self-guided scavenger hunt will take you through a series of challenges. Each one will involve taking pictures and fun activities. Earn points for taking the best photo, while visiting classic beach bars and sampling local beers. 

Dinner with Strangers Honolulu: Girls Night Out Edition. 

This series puts strangers together for dinner at 100 cities across the country. Each month, dinner is held at a new restaurant. Each dinner includes between four and six people. Attendees fill out a quick questionnaire with their age, hobbies and interests. $18.65 to sign up, plus the cost of individual food and drink purchases at the event. 

Kenny Endo’s “Ma vs. Groove” concert

To remember the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Nagasaki, there will be a commemorative film projection and taiko performance at 7 p.m. at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Kennedy Theatre. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":" SUNDAY, AUG. 10"}]

Catch this tribute to Jimmy Buffett with special guest and ʻukulele virtuoso 

The performance is part of a “Home in the Islands: It’s Summertime” livestream series. Each concert in the series can be experienced live at Duke’s Waikīkī or via the Facebook or YouTube channels of 

. This is part of the "Duke’s on Sunday" concert series which features Henry Kapono and runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in person every Sunday. The event will be live streamed from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. via Facebook and YouTube. 

Kāneʻohe Bay Air Show

<title>Blue Angels, photography and a full moon: Friday, Aug. 8 through Sunday, Aug. 10</title>

From watching the U.S. Navy Blue Angels to meeting photographers for the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, there is plenty to do on Oʻahu this weekend. Aloha State Daily rounded up a list of ideas, so you don’t have to ...

Blue Angels, photography and a full moon: Friday, Aug. 8 through Sunday, Aug. 10

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 has a new eatery in West Oʻahu. Haliʻa by Side Street Inn, located in Wai Kai (in the former Kitchen Door restaurant space) officially opened yesterday to the public.

Opening a west Oʻahu restaurant location has been in the works for years, according to Lisa Meyer, who co-owns Hali‘a by Side Street Inn, Side Street Inn on Da Strip and the original Side Street Inn on Hopaka Street with business partner Cheryl DeAngelo. (DeAngelo also co-owns Bubbly & Bleu, a Kaimukī-based charcuterie business, with her husband, chef Fred DeAngelo.)

“People have been asking for so long, ‘When are you coming to the west side?’” she says. “Colin (Nishida) always wanted to open someplace on the west side. When we came here (to Wai Kai), it felt good; it’s very family oriented. We’re just happy we’re here; everybody’s so excited.”

“We have been looking at various locations for Side Street Inn on the west side,” DeAngelo adds. “This location came at the perfect time, and we love everything about it — amazing views, perfect size and lots of parking!”

The name “Haliʻa” means “fond remembrance,” according to Meyer, who says the restaurant name was chosen to honor Nishida, who died in 2018. Prior to his passing, though, both Meyer and DeAngelo came on board to help their friend with his business.

“When we thought of the name, we wanted to honor him,” she says. “It’s Haliʻa by Side Street Inn, people will know it’s Side Street food.”

The food menu is the same as Side Street Inn’s other two locations. The ‘Ewa Beach location will eventually have seafood specials, but that’s still to come.

The fresh, island-style poke (market price) comes highly recommended; choose from options like shoyu and spicy ‘ahi, along with kimchi tako poke, limu tako poke and ocean clams poke.

We opt for the spicy ‘ahi poke, which features a spicy-mayo style with sweet onions, green onions, tobiko, Sriracha drizzle and furikake. The fish tastes fresh and the poke packs some heat, due to the generous amount of Sriracha.

If you’re craving something lighter, go for the tofu salad ($13 half portion, $20.50 full portion). It features spring mixed greens topped with tofu, bonito flakes, kizami nori, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, sesame seeds and oriental dressing. The pieces of tofu are so soft, and we enjoyed the salad’s refreshing flavors.

If you order the eatery’s boneless kalbi, it’s served on a sizzling platter, just like the sizzling rib-eye steak (market price). While I usually order bone-in kalbi when getting Korean-style short ribs, I highly recommend this boneless version because it’s buttery and boasts that melt-in-your-mouth texture. The short ribs’ tenderness, along with the marinade’s sweet-yet-savory flavor, makes this one of the most memorable dishes of the evening.

No visit to Side Street Inn is complete without its loaded fried rice. This savory staple ($25) is loaded with bacon, Portuguese sausage, char siu, green onions, peas and carrots. Its slightly smoky flavor and savoriness is just as good as I remember.

Of course, if you want to upgrade your fried rice, you could get “The Works” version ($29), which includes kimchi and lup cheong.

Side Street Inn’s famous pan-fried pork chops ($33) are a crowd pleaser. They’re thick, meaty and sure to satisfy.

If you’re dining with a group, you can also opt for Colin’s Classics prix fixe menu ($161 for 4-5 people, $317 for 8-10 people), which features a variety of the eatery’s bestsellers. The menu includes edamame with Alae salt; farmer’s salad (mixed greens topped with grape tomatoes, avocado, Maui onions, capers, and bay shrimp with red wine vinaigrette and Okinawan potato curls); signature fried rice; garlic fried chicken; famous pan-fried pork chops and sizzling boneless kalbi.

Desserts include the eatery’s signature peanut butter crunch ($15), brownie served with Roselani’s vanilla ice cream ($13), Mom’s sweet bread pudding ($13), lilikoi creme brulee ($13) and chocolate haupia puff ($14). The peanut butter crunch was something I remember ordering at Side Street Inn’s Kapahulu location, so we just had to get it.

The decadent dessert features a bread pudding-like base topped with a layer of peanut butter crunch, Roselani’s vanilla ice cream and a chocolate drizzle. It’s dense and indulgent, but that crunchy peanut buttery layer will keep you coming back for more.

Stay tuned — the eatery plans to start a weekend brunch menu and add new seafood specials to its dinner menu in the upcoming months. Customers can also enjoy live music, which will be starting soon.

“We are excited that we get to be a part of the west side,” DeAngelo says. “People travel to our locations in town, and we are excited that we can bring our food to them. In addition to dine-in, we will be doing a lot of takeout and catering. The events at Wai Kai are awesome, too.”

Open 4-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, open 4-11 p.m. Fridays-Sundays

Halia by Side Street Inn chef Fred De Angelo 080425

<title>Haliʻa by Side Street Inn is now open in ‘Ewa Beach</title>

The new eatery is in the former space of Kitchen Door at Wai Kai. You can still find Side Street Inn’s classic dishes, including that signature fried rice and pan-fried pork chops, along with new seafood dishes and brunch coming soon.

Haliʻa by Side Street Inn is now open in ‘Ewa Beach

 just got more difficult — simply because now, there are even more options to choose from.

The udon shop, which celebrated its grand opening last May, is known for its Hakata-style udon. The noodles are known for their thickness and soft, chewy texture; meanwhile, the flavorful, clear broth is made with lots of dried fish and kelp.

A la carte udon bowls range from $6.50 for the regular-sized, simple kake udon to $21 for luxe options like the tempura tsuyukake udon (which comes with a variety of tempura). Customers can also add tempura — including shrimp ($2.90), sweet potato ($2.50) and zucchini ($2.50) — to their udon.

The shop recently added new dishes to its menu. The ebi-ten don ($10 during lunch, $12 during dinner) features a mini portion of the ten-don, and is a good option if you want some tempura and rice with your bowl of noodles.

The katsutoji-curry udon is a hearty choice if you want something more filling. The flavorful curry udon is topped with pork cutlet and an egg. It reminds me of oyakodon, but with pork instead of chicken. The pork cutlet is thick and boasts a crunchy exterior. Don’t let this dish sit for too long; otherwise, the crispy crust will get soggy.

Gyudon ($17) features thinly sliced beef and onions in a savory sauce over a bowl of rice. The shredded beef boasts a slightly sweet flavor and is ultra tender.

You can still enjoy the eatery’s signature dishes, including mentai butter kamatama udon with a soft-boiled egg and mentaiko (regular $13.75, large $15), tonkotsu udon with char siu and bamboo shoots (regular $15.25, large $16.50) and ten-don ($21). The latter features a rice bowl topped with shrimp, maitake mushroom, eggplant, pumpkin, sweet potato and green bean tempura.

Customers are also encouraged to take advantage of the shop’s lunch sets, which are served daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All udon noodles can be ordered with a variety of mini-sized bowls for $10 more. Choose your favorite udon and select a rice bowl like katsudon, oyakodon and more.

Udon Gamadashi food spread 073125

<title>This affordable udon spot has a new menu</title>

Udon Gama-Dashi, known for its reasonably priced, customizable udon bowls, added a few new dishes to its menu. You can now feast on curry udon with pork cutlet, a mini ten don and more.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Lazy days

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Lazy days

Authors

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Picture day

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: South side action

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Always packin’

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