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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

A keiki’s point of view sure is interesting.

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IAmShaylaTorres

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Story time</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @IAmShaylaTorres, with a lesson about drinking responsibly.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Story time

A keiki’s point of view sure is interesting.  Make sure you follow @IAmShaylaTorres on Instagram! For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter!

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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

[{"type":"text","text":"The newest Halloween pop-up opened recently in Honolulu."}]

 is located in the former Surfers Bakery space in Ala Moana Center. The Halloween-themed pop-up bar is open daily from 6 p.m. to midnight until Oct. 31. Individuals must be 21 years or older to enter.

The pop-up features a spooky, bewitching Halloween theme. It’s not as gory as its sister pop-up, 

The different sections of the pop-up have various themes. The right side features a scary pumpkin patch.

Meanwhile, the left side of the pop-up is inspired by a vampire’s lair. The middle section boasts an impressive pumpkin display.

The pictures along the wall are inspired by the 

, located at Hawaiʻi’s Plantation Village in Waipahu. The bar area features a graveyard-like set-up. If you look closely, the back wall features “poison bottles,” set up to look like an apothecary.

Ghost Bar features a variety of festive drinks, including witches’ brew ($15), slasher sour ($15), Hocus Pocus ($15), syringe shots ($12) and blood punch cauldron ($45).

Hocus Pocus ($15) features Butterbeer and Tanduay Especia with a whipped topping. The blood punch cauldron ($45) is designed to share and features a mix of passion fruit, orange and guava puree with Kōloa Kaua

Syringe shots ($12) feature Green River, Blue Vanilla or Bubble Gum with a choice of Tito’s, Jameson or Espolon Blanco.

Like the Nightmare Honolulu pop-up, Ghost Bar will have a DJ every Friday and Saturday night starting from 9 p.m.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Ghost Bar pumpkin patch 102025

<title>Ghost Bar Halloween pop-up just opened</title>

Located in Ala Moana Center — in the former Surfers Bakery space — Ghost Bar features a spooky, bewitching Halloween theme.

Ghost Bar Halloween pop-up just opened

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Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

It is spooky season and multiple haunted houses are underway. Aloha State Daily rounded up a few of the scary events happening on Oʻahu this month. Several haunted houses will host tours Friday through Sunday this month. Another hosted by the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks 

Recreation will be a free one-night-only event on Halloween Night.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"October 10+"}]

Step inside the site of the old Buca di Beppo Restaurant at 1030 Auahi Street in Kakaʻako for a Halloween experience called Trial of Fears. The haunted space is presented by Waikīkī Trolley. The event includes sinister puzzles and pitch-black corridors. 

Oct. 10-12, 17-19, 23-26 and 30-31, as well as Nov. 1 and 2.

 Tickets cost $38. Early bird tickets with promo code FEAR5 are available until Oct. 13. 

 will host its Haunted Plantation experience 

in Waipahu. The experience is recommended for attendees who are at least 13 years old. Tickets cost $21, including the reservation fee.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, Oct. 17+"}]

 will share ghost stories at Paradise Park in Mānoa. He will also share stories, accompanied by the 

, as part of a one-night-only performance called 

“Hapa Halloween: Mysteries of Hawaiʻi in Concert,”

 at Hawaiʻi Theatre. Kapanui and his wife, Tanya, started the ghost tour company 

, which was recently ranked the No. 1 ghost tour in the nation by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The duo also writes a 

 offered by Mysteries of Hawaiʻi in October.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, Oct. 24+"}]

The Hawaiian Railway Society will bring back the Spookapalooza with haunted train rides and trick or treat opportunities on 

 Costumes are encouraged. Reservations can be made by calling (808) 681-5461. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, Oct. 31"}]

The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation will host an inaugural haunted mansion from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the parking lot of the McCully District Park in Honolulu. There will be games, face painting and a haunted house suitable for all ages. There will also be opportunities to trick or treat in the parking lot. Limited parking is available at the King William C. Lunalilo Elementary School. The parking lot of the park will be closed for the event. High visibility clothes and lights are encouraged for traffic safety. Free.

Trial of Fears

<title>Haunted experiences on Oʻahu</title>

Ready to be scared? Aloha State Daily rounded up five options for haunted fun on Oʻahu at all different price points, from free to $38. Check out options in Kakaʻako, Waipahu and more.

Haunted experiences on Oʻahu

[{"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

If you’re looking for an idyllic pau hana spot, you’re in luck — 

 is launching its updated Sunset Lounge experience this week.

The Sunset Lounge at Mariposa is offered every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5 to 7:30 p.m. (last seating is at 7:30 p.m.). Customers are invited to relax and enjoy the featured live music, lounge menu and, of course, the stunning sunset views.

The Sunset Lounge debuted in 2022. For the last two months, it was closed on Thursdays — only open on Fridays and Saturdays — but this is the first week it will be open on Thursday evenings as well. Its refreshed offerings reflect the eatery’s commitment to fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Mariposa’s Sunset Lounge menu was updated by returning executive chef Marc Freiberg. Freiberg was the chef at Mariposa from 2007 to 2017, then left the restaurant to start his own catering company. He also served as a private chef for the last four years.

Prior to his initial tenure at the Neiman Marcus eatery, Freiberg was the executive chef at Sarento’s at the Top of the Ilikai and Sergio’s Italian Restaurant at Hilton Hawaiian Village. He graduated from Johnson & Wales Culinary School in Charleston and launched his career in 1991. Freiberg says a culinary experience in Milan, Italy shaped his cooking style, as he learned to cook seasonal dishes using local ingredients there.

Freiberg has been back at Mariposa for about a month. He describes the new menu as “New American, but Old World.”

“A lot of it is really simple — high-quality ingredients, and seasonal,” he says. “Nothing crazy, just highlighting the ingredients themselves.”

At a recent media preview, we tried some of the new dishes coming to the revamped Sunset Lounge’s menu. The enhanced lounge menu was created to provide an upscale happy hour experience with a curated wine list, refined selection of craft cocktails and a variety of elevated bites.

We started with two salads — farm tomato salad and spinach salad.

The farm tomato salad includes organic greens, burrata cheese, Big Island tomatoes, olive tapenade, fig balsamic and prosciutto di parma. The local greens are wrapped in the prosciutto to make a bouquet. The creamy cheese is balanced nicely by the savory flavors, especially the saltiness from the tapenade.

[{"type":"text","text":"“It’s just simple, but delicious food,” Freiberg says."}]

Meanwhile, the spinach salad features baby spinach with pipikaula, grilled onions, papaya, goat cheese, pine nuts and a balsamic-molasses vinaigrette. Freiberg likens this to a steakhouse salad, but with pipikaula instead of steak.

The pipikaula strips are nice and meaty, and the balsamic-molasses vinaigrette is addictive.

The grilled steak sliders are simple, hearty and one of my favorite dishes on the new menu. They include melted brie, caramelized onions, arugula and horseradish aioli between soft buns. Each slider boasts a generous portion of steak.

This elevated bruschetta is a fork-and-knife dish, rather than a classic finger food appetizer. Grilled ciabatta is topped with sauteed “super food” Lion’s mane mushrooms, brandy green peppercorn sauce, oyster mushrooms and truffle whipped cream.

“I wanted to highlight the lion’s mane mushrooms, which are like a superfood,” Freiberg says. “They’re really nice, fresh and spongy; kind of like an oyster mushroom. The sauce is a brandy green peppercorn sauce — almost like a steak sauce — and the truffle whipped cream on top will melt into the mushrooms.”

If you love dishes with lots of texture, this is right up your alley. The mushroom medley is delightful, but the truffle whipped cream steals the show. 

This dish features tender pork belly and scallops served with watercress, liliko

i brown butter and pickled onions. The pork belly is braised in a marinade that’s char siu-like, according to Freiberg.

“It’s seared and paired with a seared scallop, which I found to be a really nice match,” Freiberg says.

i brown butter sauce and pickled onions give the dish a nice, bright flavor.

If you’re looking for a dish that’s unique and summery, go for the grilled octopus. The Spanish octopus is served with pistachio gremolata, pickled onions, zaatar potatoes, Castelvetrano olives and heirloom tomato romesco.

“Romesco is normally heavy on the roasted peppers, but this is more on the tomato side,” Freiberg says. “It’s really nice, light and refreshing, and goes well with the octopus.”

The potatoes, garlic, lemon, parsley and pistachios pair nicely together, making this dish an explosion of flavor.

The last featured dish was a heavier one, in the form of grilled Australian lamb chops. Each order features three pieces and comes with grilled vegetables, herb yogurt, pomegranate molasses and naan bread.

The dish is inspired by Mediterranean flavors, according to Freiberg, who pairs the meat with grilled vegetables like baby carrots, eggplant, squash and zucchini.

“It comes with an herb yogurt sauce and pomegranate molasses, which is a tangy, wonderful match with the yogurt,” he says. “There’s a little bit of naan bread but no real starch, just all meat.”

1450 Ala Moana Blvd. level three, Honolulu

Sunset Lounge from 5-7 p.m., Thursdays-Saturdays 

Mariposa chef Marc 080825

<title>Mariposa’s new executive chef revamps its Sunset Lounge experience</title>

Starting this week, the Sunset Lounge is open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday with live music, a new menu and scenic sunset views. Returning executive chef Marc Freiberg shares more about the updated menu.

Mariposa’s new executive chef revamps its Sunset Lounge experience

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

Government & Politics

An ‘Ewa Beach couple is pursuing legal action against the city after one of them was allegedly beaten by police officers.

Kelei and Joseph Akana appeared at Wednesday’s meeting of the Honolulu City Council to demand answers following an incident that they claimed left Kelei unable to walk.

Joseph Akana told Aloha State Daily that, early on May 5, Kelei was in a parked car at the Pu‘uloa Beach Park in ‘Ewa Beach, when police officers approached and questioned her.

Although Kelei Akana subsequently moved the car elsewhere, the police approached her again, and cited her for having an expired vehicle registration tag.

Following this, Joseph said, officers told Kelei to leave her vehicle, which she refused. After an escalation, he said, several officers tased her four times and repeatedly punched her and struck her with batons.

“I was on the phone with her the whole time,” Joseph said. “What if that was your wife? What if you had to hear that?”

Joseph acknowledged that his car did have expired tags, and that Kelei had refused to leave the vehicle — she said she had identified herself to police as a “repatriated Hawaiian national” — but he said the officers’ alleged actions were wildly disproportionate to the situation and left Kelei in a wheelchair and with concussion-like symptoms.

Joseph called the incident “attempted murder” and said he has filed a complaint with the Honolulu Police Commission and is consulting with attorneys for further legal action.

For its part, HPD charged Kelei Akana with first-degree assault of a police officer, a Class C felony bearing a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Charging documents did not go into detail about the event; HPD did not respond to a request for comment by ASD.

[{"type":"text","text":"The Akanas declined to provide photographs."}]

Some of the councilmembers seemed perturbed by the Akanas’ report, with ‘Ewa Beach council woman Andria Tupola apologizing profusely to the couple about the incident.

Council Chair Tommy Waters called the Akanas’ testimony “disturbing,” but advised them that, if the Police Commission finds evidence of police wrongdoing, HPD will still be the agency meting out punishment rather than the Commission – “which is something that perhaps the [Honolulu] Charter Commission should look at,” he mused.

Elsewhere on Wednesday’s Council agenda, the Council approved at first reading a resolution authorizing HPD to use “overt video monitoring” in City parks for a one-year pilot program. This program will place security cameras within as-yet undetermined parks — one park per district — in an effort to deter crime.

Council member Tyler Dos Santos-Tam — representing portions of Kaka‘ako, Downtown Honolulu, Punchbowl, Kalihi and elsewhere — said the resolution stems from several incidents including break-ins at Salt Lake District Park.

“So we want to focus the cameras directly at the city facilities and at the district parks,” Santos-Tam said. “[And] I wanted to not be selfish and put it just in my district.”

The Committee on Public Safety and Customer Services will next discuss the resolution at a future meeting.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Story time

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Story time

Authors

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Dreams do come true

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Going big

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Take a trip

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Too busy vibing

Most read