Square Kady Pascual Headshot RGZ5762

Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"I’d gladly take a bag of cone shells!"}]

RonniAllegos sand dollars

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Sand dollars</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @RonniAllegos, with a different kind of currency.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Sand dollars

I’d gladly take a bag of cone shells!  Make sure you follow @RonniAllegos on Instagram!

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Like the Hawai‘i prep football icons that came before him, Hunter Fujikawa is poised to become the next great quarterback to come out of Mililani High School. 

, Fujikawa, a junior with the Trojans, is hoping his name can be uttered in the same sentence by the time it's all said and done. 

 from schools such as Ohio State, Alabama and Oregon, Fujikawa, a 6-foot-2 four-star quarterback, is on pace to have been on the list of notable alumni regardless of the school that produced him. And prior to this summer, that school would have been Punahou. 

Fujikawa won the starting job on Punahou's varsity team as a freshman and in all likelihood would have held the role for all four years. 

"Just a great opportunity to play under coach 

 and (offensive coordinator) Samson Satele," Fujikawa told Aloha State Daily of his decision to transfer. "Being able to have that caliber of coaches to help me develop and get to the next level. God closes one door and opens another."

Fujikawa is far from the only former Punahou standout to join Mililani this offseason. Star 6-foot-4 receiver Zion White, who began his high school career with the Buffanblu, transferred to national powerhouse IMG Academy for his junior season. White returned to the Islands for his senior year and will suit up for the Trojans alongside Fujikawa. 

"It's been great so far," White said. "Over here, all the boys just have their heads down 24/7, just working super hard."

White and Fujikawa grew up playing against each other on the youth circuit — White for the ‘Ewa Beach Hammerheads and Fujikawa for Fiyah Squad. Fujikawa was a freshman when White was a sophomore racking up college offers before Fujikawa went on to do the same. 

"I knew he had potential," White said of Fujikawa. "We kind of just had to build that relationship. We spent multiple hours just throwing together and just spending time together. And the connection, honestly, hasn't gone anywhere. It feels like a brotherhood in a sense."

In addition to Fujikawa and White, the Trojans will also feature a trio of Satele brothers in linebacker Toa, and defensive linemen Trison and Tayden. Toa and Trison have already committed to Oregon, while Tayden is entering his freshman year. Their father and offensive coordinator, Samson Satele, is a former University of Hawai‘i standout offensive lineman and eight-year NFL veteran. 

"It's been great so far," Fujikawa said of the transition to Mililani. "I love the boys. This team, we should have a great year ahead of us."

White, who is entering his senior year, has already committed to California, choosing the Golden Bears over a 

. Fujikawa, meanwhile, says he's putting his recruitment "on pause" in order to focus on his junior season. 

"Recruiting is going to keep going, but I just want to continue to build relationships with coaches and focus on the season, and then see what happens after," Fujikawa said. 

Mililani's season officially begins on Aug. 14 with a home game against Liberty High School of Henderson, Nev. As a program, the Trojans have two state titles to their name: one in 2014 as the HHSAA Division I champions, their lone top-tiered state crown. Mililani won the 2016 Division I HHSAA state title, but it was the same year the state introduced a new top tier in the Open Division. 

"What everybody wants to do and everyone's vision is winning the state championship," Fujikawa said. 

Added White, when asked about his individual goals for the 2026 season: "I have personal goals, but honestly, I'm a team-first kind of guy and I just want to win states above all." 

Mililani football 080328

<title>Mililani's new dynamic duo looks to take Trojans back to HHSAA mountaintop</title>

Former Punahou teammates Zion White and Hunter Fujikawa are reunited at Mililani and have the Trojans thinking big ahead of the 2026 high school football season.

Mililani's new dynamic duo looks to take Trojans back to HHSAA mountaintop

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

[{"type":"text","text":"Kam Bowl is now open in Pearl City."}]

The restaurant opened in Times Square Shopping Center, in the former space of IHOP. The eatery 

 and re-opened in July under new ownership and under a new name, Aliʻi Diner.

At the new Pearl City restaurant, customers can expect the same signature dishes Kam Bowl was known for according to co-owner Ryder Yoshida, who says the menu is currently limited to the most popular dishes.

“It’s smaller and more simple,” Yoshida says. “We’re concentrating on getting the stuff people like before adding more things.”

Kam Bowl Pearl City did some renovations to the restaurant’s interior, such as adding new booths for seating.

“The kitchen was pretty much empty; we had to re-do the whole kitchen,” he says. “The hard part about it is the restaurant is big and the kitchen area to prepare food is small, compared to the Kalihi location.”

The menu features dishes like the eatery’s famous oxtail soup ($24.95), hamburger steak ($18.95), loco moco ($18.95) and Japanese breakfast ($18.95). The latter includes miso soup, toss salad, two eggs and a choice of mahi or salmon.

The restaurant now uses wagyu beef to make its hamburger patties, according to Yoshida.

“This is the first time we’re using wagyu beef,” he says. “We’re trying to keep prices reasonable.”

Dishes like hotcakes and sweet bread French toast are available from 7 to 11 a.m. Many plate lunch-style entrees come with white rice and a choice of toss or mac salad.

On the eatery’s opening day — Aug. 1 — regular customers from Kam Bowl’s Kalihi location were eagerly eating breakfast. Yoshida encourages diners to check out the new space.

“I was sitting in here before we opened, and people would ask, ‘Are you guys open yet?’” he says. “I kept on saying, ‘Pretty soon, pretty soon.’ Just come and try our food.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Kam Bowl Pearl City is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m."}]

98-1264 Kaahumanu St. Ste. B03, Pearl City

Kam Bowl Pearl City owner 080126

<title>Kam Bowl is open in Pearl City</title>

The eatery is now open in Times Square Shopping Center, in the former space of IHOP. Customers can look forward to signature dishes like oxtail soup, loco moco, hamburger steak and more.

Kam Bowl is open in Pearl City

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

It’s not every day that singers and songwriters get to visit the home of Simon Cowell, one of the best known judges of 

 But that is exactly what happened for Nyjah Music and Zyah Rhythm, the

North Shore brothers competing in Season 21 of the television show, who were invited to film a judges callback round at Cowell’s house in Malibu, California.

, allows each judge to pick acts to audition a second time before a panel decides who will advance to live shows. Watch the episode at 7 p.m. Central Standard Time, which is 2 p.m. in Hawai’i, on Tuesday, Aug. 4, on NBC, to see if the brothers advance. The episode will also be available on Peacock the next day.

Here is an exclusive clip of Cowell giving the brothers feedback.

Getting an invite to the judges callback round from Cowell, who is known for being a tough judge, meant a lot to the duo.

“We were pretty stoked,” Nyjah told Aloha State Daily. “Just being there was amazing.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"He was like an uncle, Zyah added."}]

“So I actually would have thought that Simon would be hard on us, just because of the videos and stuff,” he said. “He has turned down some people. But just going to his house, he made it feel like he was more of an uncle to us. It was super chill. He was super inviting and super open with his house. He told us we could jump in his pool, if we wanted.”

They did not in fact jump in the pool. They did not have swimsuits, Zyah added.

Currently, Nyjah Music and Zyah Rhythm have more than 250,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Last year, their cover of “Burning Love,” which was produced by their uncle, Bruno Mars, was featured in Disney’s live action 

 Today, that song has more than 13 million streams on Spotify.

But even with a hit like that, the auditions for “America’s Got Talent” had them nervous. Waiting backstage for 

their audition, which aired on Tuesday, June 9, on NBC

, was “pretty nerve-wracking,” Zyah said.  

“But then once we stepped on stage, we're pretty comfortable,” he added. “We did hear some people from Hawai’i in the audience. It got us pretty comfortable with the stage.”

By hearing Hawai’i, he means they heard a cheehoo.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Did they expect that? Zyah shook his head."}]

“It kind of shook the nerves away,” he said. “And it just showed that we have some people from home watching us.”

They performed their latest release, “Heartbeat,” an original single, which dropped on streaming platforms on June 15.

“It's really a universal song for people that want to show how much they love someone and how they want to be a part of someone because the lyrics are, ‘Can I be your heartbeat or the flower in your ear?’ and stuff like that,” Zyah said. “That person for us is our grandma. We dedicate it to our grandma, and it just shows how much we love our grandma, how she started it all, but she did pass away when we were little. But yeah, it's just about our grandma.”

After being off Island, Nyjah and Zyah look forward to local foods. For Nyjah, that usually involves a poke bowl at Foodland, with iced tea on the side. After flying in, Zyah likes to stop at 

"America's Got Talent"

<title>Exclusive video: North Shore brothers talk about ʻAmerica’s Got Talent’</title>

Nyjah Music & Zyah Rhythm, the North Shore brothers who are also the nephews of Bruno Mars are back on “America’s Got Talent.” Catch them singing for Simon Cowell at his house in an episode that airs Tuesday, Aug. 4. They also unpack their latest single “Heartbeat,” which was inspired by their grandmother, and the cheehoo that calmed their nerves during auditions.

Exclusive video: North Shore brothers talk about ʻAmerica’s Got Talent’

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Viewpoints

The debate between the spelling and pronunciation of Molokaʻi or Molokai (with or without the glottal stop, or ʻokina, between the “a” and “i”) has been ongoing for decades.

Shortly after Aloha State Daily launched in January 2025, we decided to use diacritics in our reporting and across our website, setting out to do so accurately and consistently. 

The house style agreed upon at the time was "Molokai," based on this article from 

We chose to use the ʻokina and kahakō because, one, because our Content Management System allowed for it (some donʻt). But mostly, to preserve the culture, history and meaning of the Native Hawaiian language, people and places we write about daily.

Among our earliest articles was ASD Reporter Stephanie Salmons' 

, a professor of Hawaiian language and Hawaiian studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, who is also known as “the godfather of the Hawaiian language revitalization movement” in the 1980s.

According to past reporting, Kimura also was a producer for Ka Leo Hawai‘i, a 

 show that ran from 1972 to 1988, where he interviewed native ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi speakers. Those recordings can be heard at Kaniʻāina (

). Naturally, he was one of our go-tos on the Molokai question.

“Those speakers, who were born and raised on Molokaʻi, all pronounced the name of their island as Molokaʻi with the ʻokina letter,” Kimura recently told ASD by email. “Also, all the Native Hawaiian speakers not from Molokaʻi who interacted in conversation with them pronounced Molokaʻi with the ʻokina. … It is too bad the missionary alphabet did not know how to deal with that phonetic letter for the Hawaiian spelling back then.” 

For Hawaiian references, our newsroom primarily uses this site, 

, or a physical copy of the revised Hawaiian Dictionary co-authored by Mary Kawena Puku’i and Samuel H. Elbert in 1961, along with the revised and expanded edition of “Place Names of Hawai’i” by Puku’i, Elbert and Esther T. Mookini.

Those resources list the island as “Molokaʻi,” the latter book defining it as being “38 miles long, 10 miles wide, 261 square-miles in area, and in 1970, a population of 5,261.” Today, its population is between 7,000 to 7,500 people, per the most recent census data.

Merriam-Webster cites the geographical name as "Molokai," varying as “Molokaʻi." 

 has entries both ways but lists “Molokaʻi” first and most often, followed by “Molokai,” citing the revised Hawaiian dictionary by Henry H. Parker from 1922.

Peter T. Young of local planning and consulting firm 

opined that this debate dates back to 1778 when Captain Cook visited the Hawaiian Islands and attempted to turn an oral language into a written one, using 

Morotoi, or Morokoi (Molokai). See how the early writers spelled and pronounced certain words 

What seems to be the biggest point of contention; however, is over its meaning.

Molokaʻi (pronunciation: Moh-loh-kah-ee) translates to twisting or turning (“mola”) leader (alakaʻi).

Molokai (pronunciation: Moh-loh-kye or (Moh-Kye) means “twisting waters (kai)” or "gathering of ocean waters.”

Molokai native Miki'ala Pescaia shared with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ Ka Wai Ola magazine in June 2021: “When you put them together, what makes more sense 

 ‘Moloka'i’, the twisting leader, or ‘Molokai’, the twisting ocean waters? The late Harriet Ne 

 a historian, hula master and one of my father's teachers 

 said it should be 'Molokai,' referring to the waterspouts often seen off the island. Old maps show spelling variations, including Molokai, Morotoi and Molotoi, but they all have three syllables, not four as there would be when you say those words with an 'okina."

Current KWO Editor Puanani Akamine told ASD, “At OHA, we use the ʻokina mainly because that is how it is spelled in UH Hilo's online Hawaiian dictionary, 

. My grandmother was from Molokaʻi and a native speaker. She always pronounced it with an ʻokina, so that is my personal default, as well.”

asked Hālawa Valley resident Anakala Pilipo Solatorio to share why he uses “Molokai,” which he learned from his grandparents and ʻohana from the island. In the interview he notes, “My kūpunahine Lilia Hale also told me the same thing and went on to say that ʻMoloka'iʻ would refer to ʻAlaka'i,ʻ the Hawaiian value of leadership, which would then change the meaning ... to ‘twisted leader.’”

One Oʻahu-based Hawaiian language teacher didn't want to go on record with their thoughts for fear of backlash from the community. Some of the folks we asked from the Friendly Isle sided with “Molokai.”

 Executive Director Alice J. Ka'ahanui told ASD, “Personally, I choose to use ʻMolokaiʻ without the ʻokina because I was born and raised on Molokai and that is the way I was taught by our kūpuna. (It almost sounds like there is an 'okina because the ‘ai’ sounds like ‘eye’ with a heavy accent on ‘i’)."

She added that during the mid-to-late ’80s, that generation of college students started learning to use the ʻokina.

“I remember one person saying they learned the term ʻMolokaiʻ was incorrect because they likened the twisting and turning in the ocean to the way a toilet bowl turns. That cast a negative view of the word, and thinking back was probably used to encourage more people to pronounce it with the ʻokina.” Ka'ahanui continued. “To me, Moloka‘i just became a more contemporary pronunciation.”

“I also remember someone saying that when Mary Kawena Pukui was working on the dictionary, she didn't ask someone from Molokai for the pronunciation. It was someone on Hawaiʻi island that gave her the pronunciation.”

Kumu Pa’a Nui Lawrence Kalainia Kamani Aki of 

 is a 50th generation Hawaiian cultural practitioner, who teaches online and in-person workshops on the island.

“I live by the oral teaching of Na Kūpuna O Hālawa Valley, Molokai,” she told ASD by email. “I understand the University of Hawaiʻi standardizing the language. I have heard all the points of views of the younger generation and Na Kūpuna agreeing with the University of Hawaiʻi due to their degrees they have received from these Western education institutions.”

, also from Hālawa Valley, said that the pronunciation is not as important as the meaning, which he acknowledged references the ocean currents surrounding the island's southern shores.

pronunciations are correct and depends on which ʻohana you are speaking with.

Keldin Calairo-Nakagawa, lead singer of Hawaiian-reggae group 

told ASD this week that he uses both and that either way works.

ASD ghost stories columnist Lopaka Kapanui

 weighed in, saying, “According to natives of the island, and our dear friend whose ʻohana is from there, it's ‘Molokai,’ or 'rolling waters due to the Ka'iwi channel.'

 from the Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society, his answer broadened to, “Guess it depends.”

While “guess it depends” seems like the best answer for colloquial conversations, as a news organization where words are the backbone of our business and meaning matters not only to us but our readers, our inclination is to stick with Molokai.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"What’s yours?"}]

Molokai map

<title>Molokaʻi or Molokai, and why? ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi speakers, community share manaʻo</title>

Aloha State Daily revisits the Molokaʻi or Molokai debate over the spelling and pronunciation of the place name — with or without an ʻokina — initially for our own house style guide used across the website. Here’s what we learned from community members statewide.

Molokaʻi or Molokai, and why? ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi speakers, community share manaʻo

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

The name Kīpapa means “paved” or “placed prone,” as in the corpses of an invading army were placed prone along the base of the gulch. This gulch is also the site of a plane crash, missing hikers, numerous car crashes, suicides, hauntings, and even a night marchers’ trail.

Before modern roads, the passage to Mililani and beyond was long and circuitous, forcing travelers to descend a steep path, cross the gulch, and then ascend another steep path to reach the other side. The route was slow and dangerous, and accidents that caused serious injuries and fatalities were common.

When the Roosevelt Bridge was finally built, travel was much faster, but not necessarily safer. With increased speed, there was also an increase in auto accidents. A 1958 newspaper article stated that the narrow section of the highway at Kīpapa and the neighboring Waikakalaua Gulch had claimed an average of one life per year since 1942. Despite road improvements, it’s gotten only slightly better since then.

Although it’s a vital artery to Honolulu, I know a few people who refuse to drive across the bridge after nightfall. Many people believe that the accidents that happen in, over, and around the gulch are the result of supernatural influence.

Some claim to have seen a ghostly woman walking along the bridge late at night. Others say she is a hitchhiker who disappears as you get closer, or that it’s the ghost of a woman who killed herself by jumping off the bridge. Many say that if you see her, your car goes out of control, causing you to crash. The most common belief is that there has been too much death in the area, and the spirits of those who died there remain, showing themselves at the most inopportune moments.

In our oral traditions, it is said that the ali‘i nui, Ma‘ilikūkahi, lived sometime around the turn of the 15th century. Prior to his reign, life on O‘ahu was full of turmoil, and land divisions were in a state of confusion. Ma‘ilikūkahi sent his ali‘i to survey the entire island, then created the ahupua‘a, or land division, system that we’re familiar with today. This created concise kuleana, or responsibilities, for both commoners and ali‘i, preventing land disputes that were once common and often ended in bloodshed.

Additionally, Ma‘ilikūkahi prohibited ali‘i from plundering the maka‘āinana, the commoners, and defying this order was punishable by death. Although his rule began a long period of peaceful leadership that lasted for generations, Ma‘ilikūkahi wasn’t a pushover. He proved to be a fierce defender of his land and people.

Some restless ali‘i from Maui and Hawai‘i Island attempted a raid on O‘ahu. They met Ma‘ilikūkahi and his forces at Waikakalaua, an upland ‘ili of Waikele, where a bloody battle ensued, moving toward Kīpapa. By the time the invading army was defeated, the casualties were so great that the floor of the valley was “paved with their bodies.”

While Kīpapa Gulch is said to be haunted by the spirits of those warriors, it is also the location of ke ala o ka huaka‘i pō, a path of the night marchers. Could the impression of the deaths of a thousand warriors still hang over the gulch, causing the numerous car crashes? And could the huaka‘i po be responsible for some of them as well? Might the spirits of the victims of these unfortunate events still be present?

One night, I hosted a caravan-style ghost tour where my guests and I piled into our own vehicles and traveled to haunted locations that couldn’t accommodate a minibus or a full-sized motorcoach. We ended up on a back road that overlooked Kīpapa Stream. There, in the darkness broken only by a few flashlights, I shared the sobering history of Kīpapa.

Nervously, the members of our group moved about, taking pictures, videos, and audio recordings. One distinct instruction I gave was that they must claim their noise, meaning they must be aware of any personal movement, talk, laughter, or bodily functions that could show up on any recording.

Afterward, guests shared the anomalies that turned up. On one recording, we could hear a woman singing. On another, was an expletive that said, “Dirty F****r!”

Everyone was overcome with chicken skin, as each person in the group was certain that those sounds were not their own. This was enough to signal that it was time to move on, and we decided to travel to our next stop in Wai‘anae. The next day, I received an email with a video link.

The message attached stated, “We didn’t hear the voice at first until we played it back. My girlfriend heard it the second time. It’s freaky. No one else was near us when this happened.”

It was a video of haole koa bushes lit by someone’s flashlight. A conversation between the boyfriend and the girlfriend can be heard. It was during the couple’s few pauses in their nervous exchange that a third voice was heard.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Don’t leave me here, don’t leave me here. Don’t leave.”"}]

I often say that when it comes to audio recordings with electronic voice phenomena, or EVP, it could be anything. However, these results seemed different. Clearer.

A few months later, an opportunity came up to bring a small group down into Kīpapa Gulch after hours. I thanked that person for thinking of me, but I graciously declined. Kīpapa is always bustling with activity, even if we can’t see it. While we are always interested in the paranormal, we also don’t want to push our luck.

Roosevelt Bridge over Kipapa

<title>Ghosts Run This Gulch</title>

From ancient battles to modern car crashes, a lot has happened around Roosevelt Bridge, where Kamehameha Highway crosses over Kīpapa Gulch. Is it any wonder it has a reputation for hauntings?

Ghosts Run This Gulch

Michelin-recognized Japanese ramen spot is opening its first Hawaiʻi location. 

 near Hampton Inn and Gen Korean BBQ, will hold 

its grand opening on Saturday, May 2, with a Hawaiian blessing at 5 p.m.

On grand opening day, the first 100 customers ages 18 years and older will receive a free MENSHO tote bag with ramen purchase.

The business was founded in 2005 by Tomoharu Shono; MENSHO now has locations in Japan, California, China, Australia, Singapore and more. The brand has also been recognized by the Michelin Guide and received numerous awards, including first place in the Shinjuku Ramen Grand Prix.

MENSHO is known for its farm-to-bowl philosophy of bringing farmers and customers together. In Hawaiʻi, the business is partnering with farms like Mari’s Gardens.

The eatery features housemade noodles and broths. Some of the broths take more than 72 hours to make, according to chef Tomoharu Shono. 

In addition to MENSHO’s grand menu, the Hawaiʻi location will feature several exclusive dishes that highlight locally sourced ingredients, including Kauaʻi shrimp.

The signature ramen is one of the eatery’s best-selling dishes. It features creamy chicken broth, A5 wagyu chashu, braised pork belly chashu, duck chashu, ajitama egg, roasted nori, blanched baby spinach, crispy burdock root, pea tendrils and fresh mochi noodles.

According to Shono, the noodles are made with a blend of local wheat and Japanese mochi flour, resulting in a distinctive chewy texture.

“We are making noodles every morning,” he says.

At the time of our preview, menu prices were not available. The eatery will open with its most popular dishes, and the full menu will be available in the upcoming months.

The wagyu truffle shoyu ramen is another dish that MENSHO is known for. It features bonito dashi broth with chicken, shellfish, shaved black truffles, A5 wagyu chashu, pea tendrils and fresh mochi noodles.

The eatery features wagyu from Japan’s Kagoshima prefecture. The shaved black truffles enhance the dish’s umami flavor.

Every MENSHO location features an exclusive dish, according to Shono. Hawaiʻi-exclusive ramens include the shrimp G.K.O. (garlic knockout) and clam butter shio ramen.

The shrimp G.K.O. consists of creamy chicken broth, garlic shrimp, baby spinach, red onions, garlic flakes, garlic chips, grilled garlic, chili powder, black garlic oil, chili oil and fresh mochi noodles. Garlic lovers will appreciate the robust garlic flavor, succulent shrimp and spice from the chili oil.

Meanwhile, the clam butter shio ramen features a bonito dashi broth, chicken, shellfish, Manila clams, braised pork belly chashu, red onions, whipped butter, black pepper, pea tendrils and fresh mochi noodles.

Other ramen options include duck matcha — creamy chicken broth, duck chashu, Tokyo negi, green onions, micro edible flowers, pea tendrils and fresh mochi noodles — and vegan-friendly dishes like yuzu garlic tomato and the V.G.K.O. (vegan garlic knockout). The latter includes porcini broth, shiitake, baby spinach, spicy burdock chips, red onions, garlic flakes, garlic chips, fresh and grilled garlic, black garlic oil, chili powder and fresh mochi noodles.

The eatery also offers sushi and appetizers. The A5 wagyu sushi with uni and ikura is a crowd favorite. The sushi rice is topped with A5 wagyu and Hokkaido uni and ikura; it’s served with pickled ginger and wasabi. The wagyu boasts a melt-in-your-mouth texture and is complemented nicely by the creamy uni and refreshing ikura.  

Other sushi options include hotate (scallop) ikura, hotate caviar, unagi (eel) negi, A5 wagyu kani (crab) ikura and more. MENSHO also features a variety of donburi (rice bowls).

Appetizers range from corn wings and karaage fried chicken with garlic chili sauce to enoki chips and teppan grilled garlic shrimps. The enoki chips are ultra-crispy and served with green onions and lemon. The teppan grilled garlic shrimps feature Kauaʻi shrimp coated in garlic and butter, and served on a sizzling skillet with Japanese white rice, green onions and toasted sesame.

The eatery’s matcha pudding is a light option after a refreshing meal. It’s topped with strawberry slices, red bean and fresh cream. The matcha flavor is subtle and the pudding features a jiggly, custard-like texture.

MENSHO’s Kapolei store can seat around 66 people. After its grand opening, it will be open daily from 5 to 9 p.m. No reservations are currently accepted; the eatery will be open for walk-ins only.  

Mensho Hawaii chef and owner 042726

<title>Michelin-recognized ramen spot is opening first Hawaiʻi location</title>

MENSHO, founded in 2005 in Japan, is opening in Kapolei’s Ka Makana Aliʻi on May 2 at 5 p.m. The business is famous for its farm-to-bowl philosophy, and will feature Hawaiʻi-exclusive bowls like butter clam and garlic shrimp ramen.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Sand dollars

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Social Media & Marketing Manager

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Kady Pascual

Social Media & Marketing Manager

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