Square Kady Pascual Headshot RGZ5762

Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

At what age do you start accepting the “aunteh”/”unko” from kids?

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WaikapuOn30

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Customer service in Hawaiʻi</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @WaikapuOn30, who has some questionable encounters while working the counter.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Customer service in Hawaiʻi

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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

I was recently driving on McCully Street and a new restaurant sign caught my eye. I made it a point to look it up and find out more.

 opened about two weeks ago on McCully Street in the former space of Izakaya Torae Torae. The eatery started by opening for dinner — its menu features udon and izakaya-style small plates — and just started its lunch service.

Lunch features counter seating only, while the entire restaurant is open for dinner.

The lunch menu is more limited, compared to the eatery’s dinner options. The lunch menu features udon sets, which all come with a mini salad, kinpira gobo and mix rice (made with hijiki seaweed).

The noodles and sauces are made in house. We’re told that the restaurant gets its flour from Sun Noodle — who imports it from Japan — and uses a special machine to make the noodles. The udon noodles here are known for their firmer, chewier texture.

This dipping-style udon is the eatery’s signature dish. We’re told this udon style is from Saitama prefecture, which is north of Tokyo. 

The noodles are served cold, separately from the broth, and customers dip the noodles into the hot broth at their leisure. This process ensures the noodles stay chewy throughout the duration of meal, instead of getting softer as they sit in the broth.

Pork or chicken can be included in the hot broth, if customers desire a more savory, meatier flavor. I enjoyed the noodles’ elasticity and chewy texture.

The shrimp tempura udon set comprises hot udon served with two pieces of shrimp tempura. This set features udon served in a more familiar way, and noodles are slightly softer, especially when sitting in the broth for some time.

Other lunch sets include curry udon, which features a curry-based soup ($21.50); tanuki udon ($18), or udon in a hot dashi broth with tempura flakes; and kitsune udon ($19). The latter features hot udon with jumbo inari.

Meanwhile, the dinner menu includes pūpū like takoyaki ($9.75), salted seaweed cabbage ($5.50), fried squid skewers ($7), inari sushi ($4), agedashi tofu ($8.50) and more. You can also choose from bowls like kake udon ($13.50), zaru udon ($13.50) and more.

Udon Yonpachi is open for dine-in only (no reservations accepted), but the eatery will eventually offer takeout. Limited customer parking is available in the restaurant’s lot.

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Open for lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, dinner 5-10 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays

Limited customer parking is available at the restaurant

Udon Yonpachi noodles 081825

<title>New udon spot open in McCully</title>

Udon Yonpachi offers firmer, chewier noodles served with a hot dipping sauce. The new eatery recently started opening for lunch with a variety of noodle sets.

New udon spot open in McCully

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

[{"type":"text","text":"The defining act of Timmy Chang's life was one of defiance. "}]

A high school All-American quarterback at Saint Louis, Chang held offers from some of the premier programs on the West Coast. Schools such as California, USC, Washington and Utah all lined up for his services. 

Levi Chang wanted to see his son spread his wings and ascend to the Mainland, but Timmy Chang wanted to be different. He wanted to stay home. 

Timmy Chang became the crown jewel of Hawai‘i's 2000 recruiting class, which remains in conversations as perhaps the school's greatest ever in local football circles. Chang spurned multiple Pac-10 opportunities for a program that went winless in 1998. 

"We shared a lot of special moments," Chang told Aloha State Daily of his father. "I don't think he necessarily wanted me to stay home, and I get that because a lot of parents are the same way. My parents were the same way, 'don't stay home, boy, go experience (something different).'"

Chang went on to become a four-year starter at UH, setting an NCAA record for career passing yards. In 2022, he returned to become the head coach of his alma mater. His fourth season at the helm begins on Saturday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex when the Rainbow Warriors take on Stanford at 1:30 p.m. in a game that will also be televised nationally on CBS.

Described as a disciplinarian, Levi Chang was a school administrator who also coached basketball and officiated college football games. A common assignment was serving as a play clock official during Hawai‘i games at Aloha Stadium. He was there when his son broke the NCAA career yardage record on Nov. 6, 2004 against Louisiana Tech. After delivering a seven-yard touchdown pass to Jason Rivers, Chang retrieved the ball and 

ran across the field to give it to his father

Although Levi Chang was present for his son's most memorable moments as a player, he suddenly passed away on Sept. 9, 2015, just as Timmy Chang's coaching career was beginning to take off. 

As the 10-year anniversary of Levi Chang's death approaches, Timmy Chang continues to try to honor his father by the way he raises his own family with his wife, Sherry, and their five children. 

"He was very loving, but very honest, upfront about what things had to be, why things had to be the certain way they did," Timmy Chang said. "I find myself having those conversations with my kids now, and it's pretty special."

The course of Timmy Chang's football career led him to multiple countries and states, a path that eventually led him back to his alma mater as head coach. Along the way, his father has remained a major influence. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Finding love"}]

Timmy Chang's professional career never quite panned out the way he had hoped. After going undrafted in 2005, he signed with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals but was cut during training camp. Although he quickly latched on with the Detroit Lions, he was cut before the regular season. 

In 2006, the Philadelphia Eagles stashed Chang away to Germany, where he played for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe. The Eagles then released him before the NFL season. 

The next year, Chang relocated to Canada, where he played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL from 2007 to 2008. Although his time in Canada was brief, it was there that he met Sherry, a Hamilton native who served Chang during a team dinner at a local restaurant. 

"He was a complete gentleman, and we just hit it off right away," said Sherry Chang.

Timmy Chang returned to the restaurant the next night to ask Sherry out on a date, and "the rest is kind of just history," she said. They've been together 17 years and married for nine. 

Noting his humility and charm, Sherry Chang said she didn't know about the type of fame Timmy Chang had on the Islands until the couple took a trip to Las Vegas. 

"I knew nothing about football when I met him," Sherry Chang says. "Didn't know what a first down was, none of that stuff. Everyone was stopping him, wanting pictures and autographs. I was like, wait a second. Who is this guy? I had no idea."

Another thing Sherry observed about Timmy? His relationship with his parents. 

"His mom and dad are Timmy's biggest fans," Sherry Chang said. "Even when we were in Canada and I hadn't met them yet, Timmy would call his parents every single day and talk to his dad about football and that was kind of their thing together."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Starting from the bottom"}]

In 2009, Timmy Chang retired from football and returned home with Sherry. He decided to pursue a career in coaching, but first, he had to graduate from UH. 

Sherry was by Timmy's side, helping him send emails to every single FBS school. None got back to him. 

"You don't realize how hard it is actually to get your foot in the door," Sherry recalled. 

The first person to take a chance on Timmy Chang as a coach was Mililani's 

. It was the spring of 2012, and York decided to bring Chang on as the team's offensive coordinator. In the interim, Chang was also a teaching assistant and substitute at the school. He also started a clinic on the side where he trained players. 

Chang never actually got to coach a game at Mililani. June Jones, Chang's coach at Hawai‘i, offered him a spot on SMU's staff as a graduate assistant. In the months before he was set to report, Chang still sat with York for hours on end. 

"All of a sudden I get the call from June, and I had to break it to Rod," Chang recalled. "Rod had no offensive coordinator at the time, but I said, 'Hey, Rod, I'm gonna stay until July.' I'm gonna give you everything I know and we're gonna sit here every day. It doesn't matter how long it takes. ... I owe so much to him for that opportunity."

Timmy and Sherry Chang then moved to Dallas, cramming their small family into a one-bedroom apartment. Chang was a GA making $1,500 a month. With one baby and another on the way, food stamps and EBT were part of how they made ends meet. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Losing Levi"}]

Later in Levi Chang's life, he began making regular visits to the hospital for dialysis as a result of his diabetes. 

After progressively losing feeling in his legs, Levi fell while walking up the stairs and hit his head. Although he was hospitalized, he was coherent and continued to have football conversations over the phone with his son. His death was sudden and unexpected. He was survived by his wife, Mary Ann, daughters Leigh Ann and Mary Elizabeth, and son Timmy.

Not having his father as a sounding board anymore made Timmy Chang wonder if he wanted to continue coaching. 

Timmy Chang, the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Jackson State at the time, decided to push forward. 

The next child Timmy and Sherry had was in October 2017, a baby boy named Levi. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Not just any gig "}]

Timmy Chang went on to run the offense at Emory & Henry before coaching receivers, tight ends and special teams under Jay Norvell at Nevada from 2017 to 2021. 

Norvell accepted the job at Colorado State following the 2021 season, taking Chang and his family with him to Fort Collins. 

Over in the Islands, the University of Hawai‘i football team was undergoing serious peril. In the midst of a mass exodus of players to the NCAA transfer portal, an impromptu Senate hearing was held to address the state of the program under then-head coach Todd Graham on Jan. 7, 2022. Former and current players, senators, attorneys and even York himself took turns airing their grievances on a virtual video call. Graham resigned a week later. 

College coaches, across all sports, have a tendency to romanticize the notion of coaching at their alma mater. Timing is everything in the industry, and suddenly Chang was getting his shot after Jones turned down a two-year offer from former UH athletics director David Matlin. 

Before accepting the position, Chang had to take a step back and consult the people in his corner. One day, he was sending out emails to schools, praying one would respond. Less than 10 years later, his alma mater came calling, a place he had never coached before. 

"Jay Norvell, he put it really simple to me. He said guys like you and me, we don't get jobs like this," Chang recalled. "And that really hit home, because you never know when you get an opportunity, and the opportunity was now."

 in July, Norvell leaned back and grinned. 

"Yeah, I love Timmy. He's like a brother to me, and he just is so loyal, so smart about the game. He's so authentic," Norvell said. "One of the most important things about coaching is that you have to be yourself or the players are not going to follow you, and players love Timmy because he's authentic. He's a great competitor. He's very smart. He understands all facets of the game, offense, defense, special teams, obviously, was a great quarterback. 

"When he was with me he never just went through the motions. He really tried to be outstanding in all those areas, and I think that helped him be a better coach. And that's why I thought he'd be such a great head coach, because I saw how he worked and how he interacted with the players and, you know, this is a hard game. You got to be hard-nosed and and tough-minded, and Timmy has that as well. Sherry, his family, they're a football family, and they're great people."

Chang also got his family to sign off on him accepting the job, and getting their permission was not something he took lightly. 

"The pressure is not just on him. It affects the entire family and if he doesn't do well, the scrutiny, it'll affect all of us — his nieces going to school, his nephews and our children in the community," Sherry Chang said. "He wanted to make sure that everyone knew what we were going to get into and if we were all on board. Right away, we were like, whatever you do, we got you."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Growing pains "}]

After moving to the Mainland and gaining 10 years of coaching experience, Chang returned home to a massive undertaking. The vast majority of players who left via the transfer portal were already enrolled at their new schools. Some recruits who had committed decided to sign with different programs. Morale was at an all-time low for the players who stayed. All the while, the team did not have a 

By the time the Rainbow Warriors opened fall camp, they had 53 newcomers enter the fold. Chang and his staff had to get creative in finding recruits, 

Local initiatives, some spearheaded by Timmy and Sherry Chang, were created in order to heal a fanbase that still had fresh wounds from the previous regime. Sherry Chang co-created the "Sistahhood Social," an event for women to learn more about the team and football in general while 

In 2022, Hawai‘i was still a program that was trying to recover from years prior in real time. The Rainbow Warriors trudged through a 3-10 season with a depleted roster. Losing, and the negativity from the public that came with it, took a toll on many around the program. 

"There's days I didn't want to get out of bed," Sherry Chang said. "We had definitely had a lot of dark days. I could just cry right now..."

[{"type":"text","text":"Sherry Chang pauses. Tears start to form. Her voice breaks. "}]

"We just love this team and these boys so much," she said. "We pour literally everything we have into this program and sacrifice so much of our family time. It just means so much to us. Trust me, it hurts us more than anybody, especially [Timmy Chang]. He's not gonna stop until it's right. I'm really proud of what he's done in three years, even though people don't necessarily see it yet. 

"But I feel like what he's done with the culture and the community, he's made huge strides, and I just know the winning's going to come."

"As a first-time head coach in the first year to now, there's so much you're processing and learning and going through," Timmy Chang said when asked about the 2022 season. "And so as you go through those things, they all make you stronger. They make you better. You know what to do now. You know how to do it. You know what's important."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Moving forward"}]

After Timmy Chang went 13-25 in his first three seasons at the helm, the growing sense around the University of Hawai‘i football team is that the hardest parts of the rebuild are over. The UH coaching staff feels as though in 2025, it finally has the team it's been painstakingly building towards. 

Some recruits the staff took a chance on, such as receivers Pofele Ashlock and Nick Cenacle, have become 

. Meanwhile, after winning the recruiting battle for quarterback 

, the lefty from Ewa Beach is set to fully take the reins behind center. While some players were lost to the transfer portal with six-figure promises, others 

"Timmy has had to build it from under ground zero," said UH defensive tackles coach Jeff Reinebold, who witnessed Jones undergo a rebuild as a member of his SMU staff in 2008. "June had to build SMU from ground zero, but he had the assets. Timmy has had to come in and not only rebuild his roster, but he's had to fine tune his coaching staff, he's had to go out in the community and raise funds for a really underfunded program. 

"What he's been able to accomplish, and now hopefully a breakthrough year, and Chris (Brown) and everybody that's contributed, we were subterranean [in 2022]. I mean, we were underneath the floor. ... This team is better, it's closer, it's tougher than it's been in a long, long time. What Timmy has done, if people see him on the street, they owe him a mahalo and a hug, because he has put this thing back in a position where we're ready to now be Hawai‘i again."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Looking back "}]

Timmy and Sherry Chang own an O‘ahu house and live in it with their five children, quite the upgrade from some previous stops. 

"When we think back, that's why I think we can appreciate so much of what we have now," Sherry Chang said. "We try to always treat everybody with kindness because we were once in those positions and it can be taken away from you so quickly. We try to really just be where our feet are right now, and just enjoy and appreciate a lot of the things. But yeah, it wasn't easy. We've moved schools countless amounts of times, and had children that we had to support, and so, I mean, it was rough for a little while, but I can't believe where we are now for sure."

The balance of raising five children while having the responsibility of resurrecting his alma mater is one Timmy Chang knows couldn't happen without his wife. 

"She does an unbelievable job. I would not be sitting here without a rock and support like Sherry, and so very grateful," Timmy Chang said. 

Although Timmy Chang's father never got to see him rise up the coaching ranks to become Hawai‘i's head coach, his presence remains. 

"His dad would have freaking loved everything about this, just seeing him and seeing what he's accomplished," Sherry Chang said. "I honestly feel like, truly, when his dad passed, he definitely had a hand in Timmy's career and where it went and the success he found. They had such a close relationship, a great relationship, and I know he was a big part of shaping who he is now." 

Timmy Chang attended the University of Hawai‘i against his father's initial wishes. He was eventually able to show him why. 

"It was something like validation," Chang recalled of 

handing the record ball off to his father

, which currently resides in his mother's home. "Like, this is why we stayed home, dad. We stayed home because we wanted this thing to be special, right? I wanted to bring value back to this state and make this place my home eventually. 

"That's why giving that ball was so special. It was countless hours and nights and days of talking, training, success, failure, crying, getting hurt, triumph. Along the way, it's just all built up for dad. Hey, man, we did it. This is why we did it."

Timmy Chang MW media days 2 082125

<title>Lessons from Levi: UH football coach Timmy Chang carries teachings from late father to…</title>

Levi Chang passed away in 2015 but continues to be an influence in his son's football journey.

Lessons from Levi: UH football coach Timmy Chang carries teachings from late father to daily life

Another football season kicked off in the fall of 2024, Micah Alejado's first at the collegiate level as a true freshman at the University of Hawai‘i. For as long as Alejado could remember, game days were an opportunity for him to shine at quarterback. Yet in Hawai‘i's season opener against Delaware State, senior Brayden Schager got the expected start and led the Rainbow Warriors to victory. Alejado didn't see the field. 

The plan for Hawai‘i's coaching staff in 2024 was to have its seasoned senior in Schager hold on to the reigns. Meanwhile, Alejado could play up to four games and preserve a redshirt season. That meant Alejado would have to do something he hasn't done much of in his football career — he would have to wait his turn. 

During his high school days at Bishop Gorman, a powerhouse in Las Vegas, Alejado was a four-year starter. After fending off a late push from UNLV, Hawai‘i successfully got Alejado to enroll early in the spring of 2024. Being the Rainbow Warriors' quarterback of the future was a hard reality for someone who was used to being the quarterback of the present. But as steps into the role on a full-time basis in 2025, Alejado is grateful for the time he got to sit and learn. 

"When I grow up and get older, I'll look back at that time and think it was probably one of the greatest lessons of my life that I had to learn," Alejado recently told Aloha State Daily. "I was still growing and graduating early and leaving early. It was hard for me, for sure, not being able to finish out high school. But when I look back, I'm gonna value that a lot. It just taught me a lot as a person and helped me grow a lot as a person, spiritually and emotionally. 

"It was tough because I've been in the spotlight, and sitting back last year and having last year go the way it went, it was tough for everybody for sure, but I trusted God's plan. That's just how I go on about my day. So, I'm just thankful for the lessons that I've learned from last year."

Born and raised on O‘ahu, Alejado trained under renowned quarterback coach Vince Passas. A native of ‘Ewa Beach, he also spent time training with fellow southpaw Tua Tagovailoa and his father, Galu, at ‘Ewa Beach Community Park. 

"I've always wanted to be my own QB, but growing up, it was always Tua," Alejado said when asked if there's any players he modeled his game after. "The things he was doing in high school, and just being able to throw with him on the weekends and become close with their family, it just made me see how humble he is as a person, and see how he carried himself, that did inspire me a lot."

Alejado would spend time throwing to his brother, Noah, who also caught touchdown passes from Tagovailoa at the varsity level at Saint Louis. After making a name for himself on the youth circuit, the Alejados made the decision to move to Las Vegas. Instead of becoming the next great Saint Louis quarterback, it was up to Alejado to create his own legacy at Gorman. 

"At first it was hard because I was young and I still wasn't matured yet and didn't know how to think about it and stuff, but I was enjoying it at the same time," Alejado said of making the move to Las Vegas as a middle schooler. "Some days would be hard, just being homesick, and Hawai‘i was all I knew. But then over time, I just got more acclimated to Vegas and fell in love with it. Went through high school, made all my new friends, met a lot of people. So, I love Vegas. It was fun, and that's my home, too."

At Bishop Gorman, Alejado went 39-2 as the starter, passing for 9,233 yards, 125 touchdowns and just four interceptions. In his senior year, the Gaels went 11-0 as Alejado didn't throw a single interception. 

"I already knew he was different," said UH quarterbacks coach Chad Kapanui, who was also Alejado's quarterbacks coach at Gorman. "He carried himself like a real professional, especially at the high school level. He always wanted to watch film. He always had questions. At the same time, when we asked him questions, he already knew, and then he also asked the right questions to us, too.

"I guess you could say he's a hidden secret right now, but I think if you know Hawai‘i football, you know the quarterbacks throughout the years, and he's one of those guys that could build his own legacy here too at the same time. We're excited about him and we're hoping for a big year for him."

Because of his 5-foot-10 frame, Alejado didn't get the Power Four offers other players with his statistics may have garnered. Alejado appeared in four games in 2024, preserving his redshirt. After a knee injury to Schager, Alejado's lone start came in the team's season finale, a 38-30 win over New Mexico on Nov. 30. His numbers looked similar to his box scores at Bishop Gorman, completing 37 of his 57 passes for 469 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. The Rainbow Warriors finished 5-7, but Alejado's performance drew intrigue to followers of the program. 

From that day forward, Alejado has been the unofficial face of the program, making appearances at local events and buying meals for teammates with NIL money. Even during spring practices, coaches on the offensive side of the ball made the claim that the team belongs to Alejado. 

On Saturday, as the Rainbow Warriors kick off their 2025 season against Stanford at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Alejado will become the first UH freshman to start a season opener at quarterback since Tyler Graunke in 2005. The game will also be televised nationally on CBS, a chance for country to get a closer look at the player that has piqued the interest of fans across the state. 

"It's not necessarily pressure, because we have everybody on the team having the same mindset and having the same goals and having the same ambitions to go win on Saturday," Alejado said. "It's more so passion that's gonna go into it when Saturdays come, because growing up, this is what I dreamed of. Being able to be a college starting quarterback and go play some games is amazing, and I'm truly blessed. And we're ready to go show out on Saturdays for the state."

Micah Alejado 082125

<title>Hawai‘i quarterback Micah Alejado steps into spotlight</title>

On Saturday, Alejado will become the first freshman to start a season opener at quarterback for UH since 2005.

Hawai‘i quarterback Micah Alejado steps into spotlight

[{"type":"text","text":"Heads up, tonkatsu lovers — there’s a new pork cutlet spot in town."}]

 — yes, that’s the restaurant’s name — recently opened in the Ala Moana neighborhood. The cozy eatery is located on Waimanu Street, across from Ala Moana Center. It’s open from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. for dinner Thursdays to Tuesdays (closed Wednesdays).

The new restaurant can seat around 32 customers. The interior features a modern yet minimalistic design, along with an open kitchen.

Founded by Nagoya native Go Oyamada, Tonkatsu @ Honolulu specializes in deep-fried pork cutlets prepared by Michelin-trained chef Keita Maeda. The cutlets are made with premium three-way crossbred American corn-fed pork. The U.S. pork has been recognized with the Superior Taste Award by the International Taste Institute (ITT).

The eatery also features high-quality ingredients like Niji No Kirameki rice and premium A5 Japanese Miyazaki wagyu. Like Koshihikari rice, this Niji No Kirameki variety features larger grains with a chewy texture and natural sweetness.

A variety of housemade dipping sauces are available at each table. Choose from spicy tonkatsu sauce, mild tonkatsu sauce, and miso tonkatsu sauce. The latter pays homage to the restaurant owner’s hometown of Nagoya.

The eatery’s dinner menu, which we previewed at a media event, consists of teishoku sets. Some of the sets offer differing portion sizes to accommodate various appetites. Choose from sets like dry-aged pork loin katsu ($28-$38), dry-aged pork tenderloin katsu ($30-$33), chicken katsu ($28-$36) and shrimp katsu ($32 for five pieces).

All teishoku include rice, tonjiru (pork-vegetable miso soup), shredded cabbage with creamy sesame dressing, three side dishes and a tsukemono (pickled vegetable) of the day. Customers can enjoy one free rice refill and unlimited cabbage refills.

Each piece of crispy katsu features housemade panko breadcrumbs, which are made using freshly baked bread from EPI-YA, a local Japanese bakery. The breadcrumbs are fried in a special blend of soybean oil mixed with pork lard, resulting in umami flavors and intricate flakiness. 

If you want try a variety of katsu, opt for one of the mix teishoku sets. We chose the pork tenderloin (2.6 ounces) and shrimp katsu set ($33) and chicken katsu (3.1 ounces) and shrimp katsu set ($33). The pieces of pork are thick yet tender, and the shrimp katsu delivered a delectable crunch.  

While the pork might appear slightly pink, rest assured that it’s fried to the exact temperature required by food safety standards. It’s cooked in such a way to ensure that it stays crispy on the outside, but juicy and tender on the inside.

The chicken katsu is a delight — tender and juicy on the inside, without sacrificing that crunchy exterior. I recommend trying the variety of dipping sauces, but the miso tonkatsu sauce was my favorite, due to its nutty flavor.

If you’re feeling bougie, you can even get a A5 Miyazaki-gyu tenderloin katsu set (120 grams $90, 180 grams $135).

If you want to supplement your teishoku set, check out the a la carte items. You can add shrimp katsu ($4), oyster katsu ($4), curry ($6) and more. The housemade curry is thick and comforting, and worth trying if you want to zhuzh up your meal.

The eatery’s lunch menu features lunch specials, which feature two- ($18) or three-choice ($24) combination sets. Sets come with rice, shredded cabbage, one small side dish and tsukemono. Entrée options include dry-aged pork loin katsu, chicken katsu, shrimp katsu and oyster katsu.

Stay tuned — the eatery’s breakfast menu is tentatively planned to start in late August or early September. It will feature a variety of onigiri (rice balls) with shrimp katsu, ume, salmon, tuna with mayo, spicy cod roe, tonkatsu with miso and more. Onigiri prices will range from $2.50 to $6.50, depending on the filling.

Self parking is available in the parking lot adjacent to the restaurant; the parking lot entrance is on Waimanu Street. Scan the QR code inside the restaurant to take advantage of one hour of free parking; each additional hour after costs $3 per hour.

Limited customer parking available in the restaurant’s lot (entrance on Waimanu Street)

Tonkatsu Atmark tenderloin mix combo 082025 jpg

<title>Honolulu’s newest tonkatsu spot features high-quality pork cutlets</title>

Tonkatsu @ Honolulu, features deep-fried pork cutlets, shrimp katsu and gyukatsu made by a Michelin-trained chef.

Honolulu’s newest tonkatsu spot features high-quality pork cutlets

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Business & Tourism

Plans are underway for the development of five new cabins at Scouting America, Aloha Council’s Camp Pupukea, designed pro bono by Honolulu-based architecture firm 

The local scouting chapter has used the 70-acre hillside property overlooking Oahu’s North Shore for overnight camping and recreation since the early 1960s. Prior to that, the site was a military training camp, according to Blake Parsons, an Eagle Scout who has served as Scout Executive and CEO of Scouting America, Aloha Council

The camp improvements aim to serve scouts, business and nonprofit organizations and community groups, as well as those seeking refuge during natural disasters.

“This is unlike any other project that we’ve done before,” Parsons told Aloha State Daily. “Most of the types of buildings and projects that we've done have been more utilitarian, and I think this project is meant to appeal to a greater audience than just scouts. And [G70 helped] envision the ability to bring more people to our property and generate revenue to support our mission, which is really commendable.”

He continued, “Our properties are being opened to greater community use year-round. We have all kinds of groups go up there that really want to get out in the great outdoors from scouts to homeschool groups to church and yoga groups.”

, which was approved by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources in 2014. Still in the planning and design phase, the Aloha Council has secured a permit and completed an Environmental Assessment for improvements to the site, with plans to complete construction by 2028, Parsons said.

On-site amenities, such as the camp’s dining hall, commercial kitchen, swimming pool, chapel, amphitheater and hiking trails, will remain open once construction begins, he noted.

“When the architect met [with us], our parameters were that we wanted something that was going to fit into the conservation use of our property,” Parsons said. “We're trying to disturb the ground as little as possible, using natural woods, yet hardy material. 

We wanted people to be able to walk into these [cabins] with their boots on, so it’s durable, but still looks and feels nice.

“Maybe shabby chic would be a good description for it,” he said with a laugh.

The new cabins, designed to “maximize airflow and connect the interior directly to the natural surroundings,” will sleep a total of 125 overnight guests, the Aloha Council noted.

The cabin design was selected from an internal competition by G70, which sought to “protect tree roots and avoid ground disturbance through an elevated design,” while also featuring deep overhangs, sliding doors and screened openings for natural airflow and “a strong connection to place,” according to the Aloha Council.

Charles Kaneshiro, G70 chairman, told ASD in emailed responses to questions, “I am most proud that Scouting America wanted to push the envelope on what these cabins could be and embraced the idea a design competition to explore potential solutions. In the past, we had built very functional, low-cost cabins that served its purpose, but this new direction represents our aspirations to create a cabin design that is deeply rooted in place.”  

, Aloha Council board member and member the Aloha Council’s Properties Committee.

“My top priority as a board member is to promote scouting, support fundraising and lend my experience and knowledge to capital projects on our properties,” he said. “The Properties Committee is made up of volunteers from the construction industry including developers, architects, engineers and contractors. We regularly discuss, coordinate and implement projects at all Scouting America properties throughout the state.

When asked what skills as a scout he still uses today, Kaneshiro said, “Many!”

“The Scout law is ingrained in how I try to [be] …Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent. As for practical skills, I often use fire starting talents when grilling and knowing how to tie a taut-line hitch comes in very handy.”

Parsons added that funding for construction will come through a capital campaign launching later this year. “We expect this project to be in excess of $5 million, including all the infrastructure work.”

He noted that “there is still some [funds] coming” coming from previous capital campaigns across Aloha Council’s properties statewide, though monies are going toward “mainly finishing up existing projects.”

“We’ve already started discussions with some of our key donors over the years,” Parsons said. “Moving forward, it’ll be filling them in on a solid schedule and budget and showing the value for the scouts, their businesses, local communities, and how this can be something for generations to come. There will likely be naming rights provided for these buildings, as well.”

The Aloha Council has diversified its funding overall through registration fees, scout shop sales, fundraising, property rentals and more, to generate revenue, he said.

“We stretch every dollar and donation that comes to us,” Parsons said. “It means the world to us when someone does donate and we make sure we use it wisely.”

To learn more about or to support the Camp Pupukea project, 

[{"type":"text","text":"Ongoing construction at other camp sites and membership updates"}]

Parsons oversees a team of 20 staff members and thousands of volunteers, managing a multimillion-dollar operating budget and 500 acres of camp properties statewide.

“Weʻre building about a $2.5 million dining hall at 

 [on Maui] and replacing five bunkhouse cabins there, and an office and medical lodge,” Parsons said.

Trading Post pavilion is being built, thanks to a state grant-in-aid received in 2022, he said, adding that on Hawaiʻi Island, the Aloha Council is currently working on a conservation district use permit and the master plan for Camp Honoka'ia.

When asked how membership is trending, Parsons said, "We

’re staying stable at about 4,000 scouts. There’s a lot of activities out there for youth to be apart of, so making sure we’re providing a great experience is what we’re focused on ... ensuring that our camps and properties are high-quality, high-adventure places people want to go see."

"One of the biggest spikes we’ve seen is girls participating in the program," he continued. "This started in 2019 and now 20% of our membership is female. Seeing that type of enthusiasm for the program is amazing. I think it has really opened up a lot of opportunities for us, and down the road, it’ll create even more opportunity for family camping.

Scouting America, Aloha Council will host its annual 

 on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Sheraton Waikīkī. This year’s fundraiser with honor Hawai‘i Community Foundation. Individual tickets are available for purchase, with proceeds directly supporting the Aloha Council’s programs serving more than 3,500 youth across Hawaiʻi, Guam and American Samoa. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Aloha Council’s Camp Pupukea rendering

<title>North Shore Scout camp reenvisioned for community use</title>

The planned improvements to Camp Pupukea aim to serve scouts, business and nonprofit organizations and community groups, as well as those seeking refuge during natural disasters, per Scouting America, Aloha Council.

North Shore Scout camp reenvisioned for community use

 is no longer only open for dinner. Earlier this month, the Kapahulu-based eatery launched a lunch menu for the first time.

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Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

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