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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

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WaikikiBrewingCo_Street

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: The guest trap</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @WaikikiBrewingCo_Street, whose servers are switching places.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: The guest trap

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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 just opened in a bigger space. The Honolulu eatery — which used to be on the second floor of the Hee Hing Plaza — just opened in the first floor of the same plaza (in the former space of Growlers USA).

 that it would be relocating to the new space. 

The bigger space now has around 75 seats; we’re told this is 1.5 times the amount of seating the eatery’s former upstairs restaurant had.

It now also features both counter and table seating. Walk-ins only are currently accepted for April; when you get to the restaurant, sign in to join the waitlist.

Each table is given eggplant, pickled daikon and gobo. Customers can also choose a rice — seasoned mixed rice, shiso seaweed rice or Hokkaido brand Nanatsuboshi — and miso soup (red miso soup with either clam and green onions or tofu and seaweed; or white miso soup with clam and green onions or tofu and seaweed).

The menu is the same as before. Sets include premium Japanese rice, miso soup, cabbage and pickles. Signature options include the Jyukusei (aged) pork loin katsu sets ($32.50 to $38) and Jyukusei pork tenderloin katsu sets ($32.50 to $35).

The combo sets — ranging from shrimp and pork tenderloin katsu ($35) and shrimp and chicken katsu ($35) to mix katsu set ($36) — are also customer favorites.

Takeout orders are also available. Customer parking is available at Hee Hing Plaza.

Open 4 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays to Fridays; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 5 to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

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Tonkatsu Tamafuji shrimp and tenderloin katsu 041626

<title>Tonkatsu Tamafuji is now open in an expanded space</title>

The popular tonkatsu spot just opened on the first floor of Hee Hing Plaza (downstairs from its former location). The new space features 1.5 times the amount of seating, with both counter and table seating available. Tonkatsu Tamafuji is only accepting walk-ins for the month of April.

Tonkatsu Tamafuji is now open in an expanded space

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Tom Yamachika

Government & Politics

Viewpoints

From recent news, you have probably heard that the 2025 Legislature’s enactment of the “Green Fee” bill not only raised taxes on land-based transient accommodations but expanded the tax to sleeping quarters on cruise ships. This, not surprisingly, did not go over well with the cruise ship industry. Its trade group, the Cruise Line Industry Association, sued to block the tax from taking effect.

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The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Honolulu. That is unusual because there is a federal law, called the 

, prohibiting federal courts from getting involved in state tax cases if there is a “plain, speedy, and efficient” remedy in the state court system. 

Normally, state tax cases go through the state judiciary, even if it is alleged that the state tax violates the U.S. Constitution or federal law, and only after the state courts are done with the case may the parties ask the Supreme Court to review it. To get around this, the cruise lines alleged that the tax appeal system we have here is anything but plain, speedy, and efficient. 

 about some of the quirks and pitfalls in the system. The cruise lines, however, seemed to be concerned primarily because the state tax appeal process can’t be engaged without an alleged victim — someone who either has paid the tax where the Department of Taxation has made a formal administrative decision on that tax or has let six months go by without one, or who has not paid the tax and has been assessed by the Department. They complained that our laws normally allow for a “declaratory judgment,” which is where the courts rule on the legality of something where both sides are in the boxing ring staring each other down but haven’t thrown punches yet, but do not allow for a declaratory judgment when it comes to tax.

Another unusual feature of this case is the U.S. Department of Justice, which has asked our federal court if it can “intervene,” that is, join the cruise lines in suing our state. That represents a different level of involvement from merely expressing the federal government’s views as an “amicus curiae,” or friend of the court, which is what the Tax Foundation of Hawai‘i does occasionally. 

 that one of the lead attorneys representing the cruise lines is Bradley Bondi, and, if that last name sounds familiar, it is because his sister Pam happens to be the U.S. Attorney General. Having the federal government participate in the suit directly may allow the federal court to proceed despite the Tax Injunction Act, 

The industry is claiming that the Green Fee legislation violates the U.S. Constitution, 

, which prohibits States from “lay[ing] any Duty of Tonnage,” meaning any charge for the privilege of entering, trading in, or lying in a port; and the 

Rivers and Harbors Act, 33 U.S.C. section 5

, which bars state “taxes, tolls, operating charges, fees, or any other impositions whatever” on vessels operating in U.S. waters. 

The Federal Government’s position is similar, if not more strident, calling the Hawai‘i Green Fee a “scheme to extort American citizens and businesses solely to benefit Hawaiʻi.”  One wonders if the Government would be doing the same thing if the fee were to benefit other causes, or if Hawai‘i were a red state.

At press time, the Government’s motion to intervene as well as the State’s motion to dismiss the suit were still pending.  We hope that the courts are able to sort this case out reasonably and quickly.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: The guest trap

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: The guest trap

Authors

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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