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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Hula skirt</title>

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Food & Dining

Known for its refreshing honey slushes, Nomadic — formerly Wicked HI — recently opened a new location in Kailua.

The business still has its food truck — located in Hale

iwa (the black truck with the yellow umbrellas, next to Kokua General Store) — which serves up sourdough pizzas and honey slushes. 

The business has been searching for another location for many months, according to owner Heidi Vance.

“We wanted something that was a comfortable spot for locals and a visible spot for newcomers,” she says. “We knew the right fit would be worth the wait. We are so excited to be along Kuulei Road in Kailua, with so many other growing businesses and shops.”

Vance explains the business’s name change from Wicked HI to Nomadic was a recent one.

“We took over ownership of the business in early 2024, and as we grew and changed, we wanted a name that fit us and that connected with the local community,” she explains. “We (my husband Zach and I) were a nomadic traveling family prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and ended up here in Hawai

i while all travel shut down around the world. We loved it so much here that we decided to plant roots and call it home.

“We know so many other nomadic souls that love life here in Hawai

i, and whether you stay for a week or a decade, we know that the time here is something truly special,” she adds.

iwa food truck, Nomadic still offers its signature honey slushes and sourdough pizzas. Its honey slushes have no dairy, no dyes and no artificial sweeteners, according to Vance.

“We have simplified our menu (in Kailua) to specialize in those favorites and to respect our neighbor restaurants, who are already offering incredible coffee and sandwiches,” she says. “We have been known for our fresh ingredients, and we shop for local ingredients as much as possible.”

Honey slushes feature three main ingredients — fruit, raw local honey and water — and customers can choose their dessert size ($5 keiki, $7.50 small, $8.50 regular). Flavors include pina colada (pineapple and coconut cream); coffee (cold brew and coconut cream); liliko

i (passionfruit) and dragonfruit lemonade (lemons and pink dragonfruit). The café will also feature a seasonal slush flavor.

[{"type":"text","text":"The café offers both waffles and pizzas made from sourdough."}]

“While the art of sourdough is unique, it also preserves the importance of good, nutritious food that honors your body as much as your taste buds,” Vance says. “Our sourdough is naturally fermented, made with 100% Italian ‘00’ flour and made fresh daily.”

Waffles are served until 1 p.m., and feature both, sweet and savory options. The single ($8) comes with butter, pure maple syrup and housemade whip. If you want a brunch option, go for the B.E.C. ($14) — bacon, over easy egg and cheddar cheese — and avocado ($13). The latter features a waffle topped with avocado, tomatoes, sprouts and goat cheese, with local honey on the side.

Pizzas are served from 11 a.m. until closing, according to Vance, who says the honey goat ($22) — garlic, basil, goat cheese and cherry tomatoes, drizzled with honey — Hawaiian Lava ($23), funghi ($22) and Meat Lover ($25) are the most popular pizzas.

Hawaiian Lava is topped with local pineapple, smoked ham, mozzarella and housemade local lava honey. Funghi is a “mushroom lover’s dream,” according to Vance, as it features garlic aioli, roasted garlic, mushrooms, mozzarella, Parmesan and truffle oil. Meat Lover is a savory option with mozzarella, sausage, pepperoni and bacon.

The business is veteran-owned and the owners “love that we get to serve so many military families on O

“‘Bee kind, eat local’ is our motto, and it demonstrates the significance of caring for our community by bringing delicious food with the freshest ingredients, while spreading kindness through our customer service,” she says. “We are delighted to be joining the Kailua community.”

Customer parking is located behind the building; street parking is also available.

Open 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays (closed Sundays)

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Nomadic honey slush 011526

<title>Nomadic’s honey slushes are available in Kailua</title>

The business — formerly named Wicked HI — still has a food truck in Haleʻiwa, but now customers can enjoy its signature sourdough pizzas and waffles, and popular honey slushes, at its new Windward Oʻahu location.

Nomadic’s honey slushes are available in Kailua

[{"type":"text","text":"A new dim sum eatery recently opened in Kapolei."}]

Gyu-Masu Steak & Seafood — located within Embassy Suites Kapolei — recently changed its concept and re-branded its restaurant. The former steak and seafood eatery was centered on serving wagyu sourced from Toriyama Farm in Japan at affordable prices.

The restaurant served a la carte dishes and also featured an all-you-can-eat concept, but business owner Victor Jian took some time to re-evaluate how things were going.

“Nowadays, there’s so many all-you-can-eat places; it’s a little saturated,” he says. “Back in the day, you had places like Todai; a few years later, they all disappeared. I don’t want to be one of them, so I was like, ‘Maybe I should switch.’”

A few months ago, Jian ran into his longtime friend, who used to own Chinatown eatery Legend Seafood Restaurant. That conversation was further confirmation to Jian to change things up at his restaurant.

“He said he sold it, but still has his central kitchen,” Jian says. “He works in a central kitchen in town, so he produces everything and I purchase from him. We have a good partnership, in terms of doing this. His stuff is really good.

“I used to work in a Chinese restaurant before, but it’s very hard to open a dim sum restaurant,” Jian adds. “It’s a lot of work.”

The restaurant officially opened as re-branded 

 on Dec. 12. The current menu features many dim sum staples, including steamed har gow ($7.50), pork hash with shrimp ($6.25), soup dumplings with pork ($6.25), Hong Kong-style pork bao ($7.65), chicken feet ($7.75) and sticky rice in lotus leaf ($8.50).

So far, Jian says the egg custard tarts, Hong Kong-style pork bao and sticky rice in lotus leaf have been popular.

“At a lot of dim sum restaurants, they pre-bake it (the egg tarts), but we don’t bake it until people order them,” he says.

Jian still incorporates wagyu on the menu. Customers can enjoy dishes like steamed wagyu in black bean sauce ($19.50), wagyu fried rice ($23.50), wagyu chow funn ($24.75), wagyu chow mein ($24.75) and wagyu meatballs ($19.50).

“I look forward to getting people to try something different,” Jian says. “I want people to try the wagyu chow funn, chow mein and wagyu fried rice. The flavor is very different because we’re using wagyu tallow and A5 wagyu to cook with; it makes a huge difference."

Customers can take advantage of four-hour validated parking at Embassy Suites Kapolei when dining at the restaurant. The eatery will be open during limited hours on the upcoming holidays; Jian encourages customers to make reservations and stay updated by following the business’s social media account.

Even though his dim sum restaurant just opened, Jian is full of plans for 2026.

“I want to do a variety of stuff incorporating wagyu,” he says. “Right now, my friend and I are working on making a wagyu-filled manapua. I’m working with him in terms of using farm-to-table wagyu — ‘How do we introduce this to the Chinese cuisine? How do we do that, elevate it, and make it even better?’ I want to do something new, something that no one has ever done before.”

Jian says a dim sum express grab-and-go concept is in the works, so customers can anticipate that in the coming months.

Open 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 5-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays; closed Mondays

Free parking at Embassy Suites Kapolei with restaurant validation

West Emperor Dim Sum lunch spread 121925

<title>West Oʻahu has a new dim sum spot</title>

West Emperor Dim Sum Restaurant just opened in Embassy Suites Kapolei. It’s a re-branding of former wagyu eatery Gyu-Masu Steak & Seafood. Restaurant owner Victor Jian has teamed up with the former chef from Legend Seafood Restaurant to bring dim sum to the West side.

West Oʻahu has a new dim sum spot

Everyone’s looking to save money and get the most bang for their buck. This series will show you where you can save while still savoring a good meal.

I wouldn’t have expected to find a loco moco at a popular steakhouse in Waikīkī. Yet, that’s one of the best deals on the happy hour menu at 

Wolfgang’s Steakhouse in Royal Hawaiian Center is known for its U.S.D.A Prime steaks that are dry-aged in the eatery’s own aging box. The restaurant offers its happy hour menu from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays at the bar and lounge; first-come, first-served.

Fun fact: The eatery’s happy hour has been around since 2010. It used to be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The eatery’s housemade chips with sour cream are complimentary and a nice way to begin your dining experience. Your server should bring a basket to your table, but if not, just ask about the chips.

The seafood combo ($26) is one of my favorite dishes from the happy hour menu. It comprises six crostini topped with ‘ahi tartare, lobster and crab. Both the lobster and crab are reminiscent of a refreshing crab salad. Each crostini features a generous portion of seafood.

The ‘ahi tartare ($18) and lobster crostinis ($18) can also be ordered on their own.

At $12, this mini loco moco is cheaper than some plate lunches, and it features a good portion. The patty itself is thick and flavorful, and we can’t get enough of that savory mushroom gravy.

Other dishes on the happy hour menu include steak sliders ($24) — a customer favorite — hamburger sliders ($14) and steak tartare ($24). We held off from ordering more to save room for steak.

The Taste of New York ($83.95) is one of the most popular deals on the happy hour menu. It includes a 12-ounce, bone-in, dry-aged New York sirloin that’s brought sizzling to your table. It’s served with sides of creamed spinach and mashed potatoes, and New York-style cheesecake for dessert.

Nearly $84 sounds steep for a happy hour deal, but the eatery’s New York sirloin steak is about $110 on the a la carte menu — and that’s without any sides or dessert. It’s a nice option for a special occasion if you’re celebrating during the week.

If you order steak, just remember — the steak is still cooking slightly on the sizzling hot plate, so keep that in mind when choosing your desired level of preparation (we often go with medium rare).

Drink discounts on the happy hour include wines by the glass, martinis and cocktails ($8 each) and draft beers ($6 each).

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Hula skirt

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Hula skirt

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Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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