Square Kady Pascual Headshot RGZ5762

Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Just let the music take control!"}]

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Hows Dis Guy AI

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Skanking 101</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @HowsDisGuy, with a lesson some of you really need to take.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Skanking 101

Just let the music take control!  Make sure you follow @HowsDisGuy on Instagram! For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter!

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

 a new talent competition launched by Hawaiian Council, has a winner: 

. The finale of the show brought contestants from four islands together to compete for the grand prize: $10,000. A fan favorite, chosen by popular vote, also received a cash prize.

The finale aired after Friday Night Football on Sunday, Dec. 14, on Hawaiʻi News Now, simulcast on K5 and KHNL.

In the finale, Tario, who represented Oʻahu, competed against four other contestants: Kaua‘i’s two finalists, 

Kumu Hula Troy Allen Lazaro with Hālau Ka Pā Hula o Hīnano

; Maui’s finalist, the Island/reggae band, 

; and Hawaiʻi Island’s finalist, singer and songwriter, 

Patrick Makuakāne; Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, also known as Kumu Hina; and Lehua Kalima

 and a special guest judge. The show was hosted by McKenna Maduli with Shawn Kekoa Pimental as music producer.

During an earlier episode where artists competed to represent Oʻahu, Tario as Laritza wowed judges with a performance of “Oli Aloha” and excerpts from Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor. The pianist won that competition, earning a spot in the finale.

Tario is a cultural practioner and a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and The Juilliard School in New York City. The classically trained pianist is also a drag queen. The artist’s film credits include “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and HBO Max’s “Generations,” as well as an appearance as a model for a national commerical of Ulta Beauty, among other projects. Tario has also performed as a guest artist for 

Tario started studying at The Julliard School as a teenager. At the time, the pianist was the only Hawaiian admitted into the pre-college division, Tario told Aloha State Daily.

, is a conservatory-style music program for students between the ages of 8 and 18 who work with faculty, many of whom are part of The Juilliard School.

“During my time in New York, it was mostly classical music that I learned up there,” Tario said. “Just having your culture always kind of there with you, but also because I'm studying all of this western music, I kind of had to —  not suppress it — but it wasn't very prevalent in my life then. I've always wanted to mix my culture — and also my passion and music.”

In the finale, Tario as Laritza performed an excerpt of the score for the documentary film, 

 which focuses on Pua Case and her daughters as they protest the construction of telescopes at Mauna Kea. Tario performed the track "Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana" with an oli chanted over it that shares the birth of the Hawaiian Islands.

“That particular piece, it came from the documentary, but also the vinyl album that I released along with it, through Lōʻihi Records,” Tario said. “A lot of my music, I would say, it stems from place — and especially with having it be tied to such an important movement within our culture and people — I definitely wanted to showcase a little bit of that. And just emphasize the fight to protect sacred wahi pana, like Mauna Kea — it's not over yet. And what better way to show it then on television?”

The pianist just released a second album, “He Kaikamahine O Kekahi Moku.”

What does Tario want listeners to take away from performances? 

“Especially for the young māhū community, I would love to just be an inspiration and just say that whatever art form that they do: just bring yourself in it, bring our culture, and just lead with an open heart,” Tario said.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

T.J. Keanu Tario

<title>“Hawaiʻi to the World” has a winner</title>

The winner of “Hawaiʻi to the World” is an Oʻahu-based artist, who is also a cultural practioner and a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and The Juilliard School. Learn more about the winner of this new talent competition.

“Hawaiʻi to the World” has a winner

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

HONOLULU — Eretria's Tsegay Weldlibanos and Great Britain's Calli Hauger-Thackery were the big winners at the 2025 Honolulu Marathon on Sunday morning, crossing the finish line at a wet Kapi‘olani Park first in their respective divisions. 

Of all 28,756 marathon entrants, Weldlibanos was the first runner to finish, zooming through the 26.2 miles with a time of 2:13.41. He overtook defending champion and fellow Eritrean Yemane Haileselassie, who finished as the runner-up less than a minute later at 2:14:30.

Meanwhile, Hauger-Thackery claimed victory in the women's division in 2:30.44. Kenya's Cynthia Limo, who entered as the two-time defending women's champion, finished in second at 2:31:35. 

When Weldlibanos and Hauger-Thackery both completed their victories, both showed signs of visible fatigue. Weldlibanos limped after the race, while Hauger-Thackery briefly got on her knees and vomited. 

"I put a lot on myself this year," Hauger-Thackery said. "There's been so many races, like the Boston Marathon, world championships, running in Chicago ... it was really hard. My only aim for today was just getting my confidence back, and then to win it was just big."

Hauger-Thackery, who calls Yorkshire her hometown, became the first British competitor to win the Honolulu Marathon in either division on Sunday. 

Despite not being training partners, Weldlibanos and Hauger-Thackery coincidentally both live in Flagstaff, Ariz. So, too, does Haileselassie, who embraced Weldlibanos after the race. The two both train under coach James McCirdy. 

"Training together, me and Yemane, it's good training with my team," Weldlibanos said. 

Added McCirdy: "They're part of our family. My wife and I have worked really hard to cultivate a really good environment in Flagstaff, and we're honored to be with these men and the women we serve. These guys are working really hard to provide for their families, to provide for their people."

Back in Flagstaff, Weldlibanos is a delivery driver for Amazon. He also has experience as a ride-share driver. 

"There's always challenges, but these men have been very patient and waiting and working really hard, working their full-time jobs on top of training full-time. They're not fully funded," McCirdy said.

Both champions on Sunday will receive a prize of $25,000, along with a solid gold medal that has significant cash value. Second-place finishers in each division will receive $10,000, while both third-place finishers won $5,000. 

Additionally, Weldibanos received a cash incentive prize of $1,500 for finishing under 2:14.00, while Hauger-Thackery also got a $1,500 bonus for crossing the finish line under 2:14.00. 

With the race beginning at 5 a.m. Sunday, both winners said they will take the time to enjoy O‘ahu before heading home. 

[{"type":"text","text":"\"Very nice blessing, good times in Hawai‘i, Weldlibanos said. "}]

Added Calli Hauger-Thackery: "It was an incredible, amazing experience. It's just so different. It's tropical. It feels like a holiday, so I wasn't nervous leading up to this race. Am I actually doing a marathon today? It felt like I was on holiday. I was loving the chill, the great vibes every day. Poke bowls every day. That's my favorite meal ever. I could live off poke bowls for the rest of my life."

Tsegay Weldlibanos 121425

<title>First-time winners take the throne at 2025 Honolulu Marathon</title>

Tsegay Weldlibanos of Eretria and Calli Hauger-Thackery of Great Britain won their respective divisions on Sunday, both finishing ahead of the defending champion for each gender.

First-time winners take the throne at 2025 Honolulu Marathon

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Crime & Courts

HART is firing back at a contractor that sued the transit company in November over delays in Honolulu’s rail project.

Hitachi Rail Honolulu is a contractor that HART selected to design, construct, operate and maintain core systems of its Skyline rail project. As that project has been plagued by delays and cost overruns, Hitachi has filed multiple suits against HART, alleging those delays have cost Hitachi millions.

While one such lawsuit, filed in 2024, was dismissed earlier this year, Hitachi filed another suit in November. This latest suit claimed $320 million in delay-related damages and accused HART of breach of contract, negligently misrepresenting its own competence and ability to manage the Skyline project and unjustly enriching itself at Hitachi’s expense.

The suit includes a litany of changes, delays and other issues that HART allegedly caused to Hitachi’s detriment. Some of these included:

• Conflicting specifications about train wheel sizes. The design criteria specified a 4.75-inch-wide wheel, which Hitachi provided only to discover, six years later, that other contractors had supplied rail infrastructure that required a wider wheel. This conflict delayed the opening of the first Skyline segment by 13 months, the suit alleges.

• Unnecessarily early mobilization. Hitachi is responsible for operations and maintenance of each Skyline segment as it opens, and HART advised Hitachi to begin its operations and maintenance hiring and training in 2019. While at the time this was thought to be 18 months before the first Skyline segment opened, that segment wouldn’t be completed until 2023, leading to extensive costs on Hitachi’s part.

• Canopies at Aloha Stadium. HART was allegedly responsible to install canopies at Skyline’s Aloha Stadium Station, and only after those installations were complete would Hitachi have access to the station. Said installations were completed only after a five-month delay, the suit alleges.

In addition to the project’s woes, Hitachi accused HART of reneging on promises and its contract with Hitachi. Among other things, HART agreed in 2019 to stop withholding 10% of payments to Hitachi if Hitachi instead posted a retaining bond; Hitachi alleges that, despite securing that bond, HART continued to withhold 10% of payments until 2023.

Other parts of the suit allege that HART underpaid Hitachi for various services rendered, did not provide necessary insurance and more.

HART disputed all of this. On Thursday, HART filed a 

 against Hitachi, alleging that the contractor is the one that violated the contract and was either responsible for many of the project’s delays or was not entitled to additional compensation.

• HART claimed that Hitachi was responsible for confirming that the train wheels were compatible with the track. Hitachi, the counterclaim alleges, had confirmed in 2017 that the wheels interfaced correctly with the track, only to discover their incompatibility three years later.

• While Hitachi claimed its early mobilization for its operations and maintenance work cost it more than $92 million, HART claimed Hitachi failed to provide any employee pay slips justifying that figure and otherwise inflated the supposed costs. HART determined that Hitachi’s cost of early mobilization was only $719,229.

• Any delays caused by the Aloha Stadium canopy installations predate the inclusion of a provision in the contract that would allow for Hitachi to be reimbursed for those delays.

HART also accused Hitachi of fudging schedules in order to justify claims for more money from HART, of double-counting various costs in order to inflate the total damages, and of seeking compensation for costs unrelated to the contract at all.

The counterclaim seeks damages to be determined at court, although, as HART has accused Hitachi of filing a false claim, HART would be entitled to triple damages under the state’s False Claim Act if succesful.

HART rail car

<title>HART hits back in Skyline lawsuit</title>

A contractor sued HART for millions last month over Skyline delays. HART filed a counterclaim Thursday accusing the contractor of filing a false claim.

HART hits back in Skyline lawsuit

Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

Columnists

on a Hawai‘i Affordability Survey, conducted by Holomua Collective.

The nonprofit organization worked with AE Consulting to survey more than 3,200 Hawai‘i residents. They found that 29% of respondents believe they’ll have to flee the Islands for economic reasons, up from 26% when the same survey was conducted in 2024. Add in the respondents who think they 

 need to flee and you’ve got 75% of respondents who either suspect, or flat-out know, they’ll have to go.

[{"type":"text","text":"Is there a word for information that is both shocking and unsurprising?"}]

 asked people about a number of related issues and one in particular stood out for me: Confidence in our local institutions. It’s the first time Holomua Collective has asked this.

Here are the percentages of respondents who said they have “a great deal or fair amount of confidence in each institution … to do right by Hawai‘i’s working families.”

[{"type":"text","text":"That’s pretty grim."}]

If you took a test and got 54 out of 100, you’d get an F. And yet that’s the highest score any sector in Hawai‘i received.

I asked Holomua Collective if it was possible to see a breakdown of respondents by the institutions in which they work. Do government workers, for example, have the same low opinion of their own sector? Do people in the business community agree that they can barely “do right by Hawai‘i’s working families?”

It wasn’t possible to break it down that way, unfortunately. I hope they repeat this question next year and sort the results by institution as well as in aggregate. It would be useful to know, for example, if government folks think they’re doing a stellar job while the rest of us disagree.

What we do know about the respondents is that they work in at least one of these sectors. “We surveyed 3,241 employees from 25 local for-profit, nonprofit, and public sector employers,” Holomua Collective explains at the survey web page.

[{"type":"text","text":"They have deep experience behind their opinions:"}]

They mostly like their jobs, with 68% of respondents somewhat or very satisfied, and only 17% somewhat or very dissatisfied.

About 61% of them have household incomes of $100,000 or more, with a median household size of three people.

The bottom line is, people are not just packing their bags because Hawai‘i is expensive. They’re packing their bags because they don’t believe any institution can do anything about that, least of all the politicians and bureaucrats who set policy.

That ought to inspire a political revolution, but it hasn't yet. Hawai‘i’s middle class looks around the Islands and thinks, “This place cannot be changed or fixed. I’m outta here.”

Yet we keep electing the same people from the same party, election after election, even though apparently no one has any faith in them to do right by working families.

[{"type":"text","text":"What does that tell the lifers in government?"}]

It tells them 20% is a passing grade after all. No need change. Just wait, the grumblers going leave.

Government can probably wring one more generation out of Hawai‘i that way. But one day, they’re going to go out into the fields to milk the middle-class for the taxes that pay their salaries and pensions, only to find the herd has vanished.

I guess we're choosing to watch the collapse from Vegas. But that isn't the only choice we could make.

A. Kam Napier is editor in chief of Aloha State Daily. His opinions in Pipikaula Corner are his own and not reflective of the ASD team.

Hawaii A2003147 2110 250m

<title>Pipikaula Corner: Hawai‘i's confidence crisis</title>

People are not just packing their bags because Hawai‘i is expensive. They’re packing their bags because they don’t believe any institution can do anything about that, least of all the politicians and bureaucrats who set policy.

Pipikaula Corner: Hawai‘i's confidence crisis

The U.S. Department of Justice has sued the state of Hawai‘i for having failed to disclose voting records.

On Thursday, the Justice Department filed a 

 in U.S. District Court against Scott Nago, Hawai‘i's Chief Elections Officer, accusing him of violating the 1960 Civil Rights Act by refusing to provide state voter registration information when requested.

The lawsuit is one of 18 suits the DOJ has filed against other states over their voter files, and one of four filed on Thursday. The other three suits filed this week — against 

 — are substantially similar to the Hawai‘i suit.

All four of the Thursday suits argue that the 

 requires that all state election officers retain and preserve all records and papers pertaining to an election for at least 22 months. Any record preserved in this way must also be presented to the Attorney General for inspection upon request.

Throughout the year, the Justice Department has sent demands to 40 U.S. states for copies of their statewide voter registration files. Harmeet Dhillon, U.S. Assistant Attorney General sent such a demand to Hawai‘i’s Chief Elections Officer, Scott Nago, on Sept. 8.

That demand called for a copy of the state’s full voter registration list, including all registered voters’ full names, addresses, driver’s license numbers or the last four digits of their Social Security numbers.

Nago refused. On Sept. 22 — exactly on the day Dhillon’s 14-day deadline ended — Nago sent a response claiming that state law prevents him from complying with the DOJ’s request.

, which states that a voter’s full name, their district or precinct and their voter status can be publicly disclosed, but all other personal information shall remain confidential save as provided by rules created by the Chief Election Officer.

 by which a request for non-public voter registration information can be granted. That process requires a sworn certification describing the purpose for which the information is sought, affirming that the information will only be used for government purposes, and that the information will not be sold, released, distributed or used for commercial purposes.

While Dhillon’s letter included assurances that the data would be subject to federal privacy protections, those assurances were not sworn certifications.

Nago’s letter also challenged the idea that DOJ was authorized to request such data by federal law. Dhillon’s letter cited the 1993 

 and the 1960 Civil Rights Act as the basis for the Attorney General’s right to inspect voter registration records.

However, Nago disagreed in his letter, concluding that neither the NVRA nor HAVA have anything in their text requiring a state to turn over personal information about voters. Meanwhile, the Civil Rights Act, he wrote, still requires the Attorney General to explain the purpose for requesting such personal data; Dhillon’s letter only states that the DOJ seeks the data to evaluate the state’s compliance with the terms of the NVRA.

Nago’s letter concludes with concerns about the ultimate purpose of this data.

“It has been reported that the Department of Justice intends to send requests like the one received by Hawai‘i to all fifty states as part of an ‘effort to essentially establish a national voting database,’” Nago’s wrote in September, quoting a 

. “This raises additional privacy concerns and appears unrelated to the stated purpose of the request, which is to ensure Hawai‘i's compliance with the NVRA and HAVA.”

The Hawai‘i lawsuit urges the court to order Nago to comply with Dhillon’s September letter and provide the data requested.

“States have the statutory duty to preserve and protect their constituents from vote dilution,” Dhillon said in a 

 Friday. “At this Department of Justice, we will not permit states to jeopardize the integrity and effectiveness of elections by refusing to abide by our federal elections laws. If states will not fulfill their duty to protect the integrity of the ballot, we will.”

 among the 40 that have received such a DOJ request — Indiana and Wyoming — are known to have turned over their full voter registration lists.

Aloha State Daily reached out to the Hawai‘i Office of Elections for comment.

Courtfed

<title>DOJ sues Hawai‘i over voter registration data</title>

The U.S. Department of Justice requested voter registration data from 40 states, including Hawai‘i, earlier this year. Hawai‘i's Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago refused.

DOJ sues Hawai‘i over voter registration data

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Still figuring out where to feast on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Looking for the perfect treat to bring to a holiday potluck? Check out these options:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"53 By the Sea"}]

: The Christmas Eve and Christmas Day course costs $120 per person; reservations are highly recommended.

[{"type":"text","text":"The set menu includes:"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"BRUG Bakery"}]

: BRUG Bakery’s festive treats include:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Dipped by Dee"}]

: Dipped by Dee recently released its holiday collection. Choose from seasonally decorated Oreos ($4.50), hot cocoa bombs ($6-$8), holiday assorted strawberry miniboxes ($18.50) and dipped apples. Designs and flavors range from peppermint ($11) and gingerbread ($11) to Grinch ($12), Olaf ($15) and Baymax ($17.50). 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"DOMODOMO Hawaiʻi"}]

: The contemporary Japanese restaurant located in Ewa Beach will offer a holiday buffet ($95 per adult, $50 for children ages 5 to 10 years old). Buffet highlights include:

: Dinner buffet (5-7:30 p.m.) Dec. 24 only; brunch buffets (10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 1-3:30 p.m.) Dec. 25 and 31 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Duk Kee Chinese Restaurant"}]

: Duk Kee Chinese Restaurant’s December special menu ($108) is available for dine-in and takeout. It includes wintermelon soup, crispy gau gee, snow peas and pumpkin (with black fungus), shrimp and asparagus, half roast duck, Mongolian beef, steamed fish with ginger and onion shoyu sauce, and steamed rice. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"El Cielo"}]

: El Cielo’s Christmas prix fixe menu costs $85 per person; minimum two orders.

: Dec. 23 to 25; limited to 20 servings per day 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Fujiya Hawaii"}]

: The dessert shop is offering a variety of boxes and platters for the holidays. Choose from six- ($25), 16- ($56), and 24-piece ($78) boxes. They include mochi flavors like chocolate candy cane, chocolate Oreo, snickerdoodle and blondie, along with sugar cookie and gingerbread manju.

The business’s 32-piece Christmas platter ($35) includes a festive assortment of red and green chi chi dango. Customers can also get 74-piece cupped chi chi dango ($78), which include 37 cups of red and green chi chi dango (two pieces per cup).

: Pick-up available 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 23, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 24 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Han No Daidokoro Kakaʻako"}]

: The Kakaʻako eatery’s Christmas special menu offers course menus for $120 and $150 per person. Both include aburi Miyazaki wagyu sushi, Han’s salt salad, seared washu beef (Japanese ceviche style), kimchi de Noel, and Miyazaki wagyu aburi sukiyaki bowl with TKG egg.

The $120 menu features three kinds of chef’s cuts (two Miyazaki wagyu and one washu beef), Miyazaki and washu tenderloin in red wine sauce, three kinds of chef’s cuts of washu beef, and a choice of the eatery’s housemade ice cream or sorbet.

The $150 menu features Miyazaki wagyu steak-cut rib-eye, served with wasabi; Miyazaki wagyu Chateaubriand in red wine sauce; three kinds of chef’s cuts (all Miyazaki wagyu); and a choice Malu Honolulu’s Christmas mousse cakes (yuzu white chocolate or mixed berry pistachio) for dessert.

A minimum of two orders (but customers can choose one at each price point) is required. 

7192 Kalanianaʻole Hwy. Ste. D-105, Honolulu

: Enjoy featured monthly specials like: Prime steak ($55; available during dinner only), Chivito steak sandwich ($24; available all day), and seafood causela ($28; available all day). 

: The eatery’s seasonal specials include:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Jejubing Dessert Café"}]

: The café’s holiday bingsu desserts ($10.95 regular, $13.95 large) are available for a limited time. Choose from:

: Through the rest of December and possibly until the end of January 2026; available while supplies last 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"La Hiki"}]

: Four Seasons Resort Oʻahu at Ko Olina, 

: The eatery’s Christas Eve dinner buffet ($135 per adult) includes a carving station (prime rib), cold pūpū (Asian somen salad, orzo salad, house-smoked fish and cheese and charcuterie), a seafood and poke bar (snow crab, oysters, sushi, sashimi and a poke bar), and hot offerings (farro risotto, roasted pork, lobster pot pie, whole fish, whole fish and roasted carrots). La Hiki will also offer a Christmas Day brunch buffet ($155 per adult) that will include a carving station (herb crusted lamb rack, prime rib and spiral ham), omelet and crepe station, seafood and poke bar, hot offerings (lobster Benedict, corn bread, Noe pasta and more), and assorted holiday desserts. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"M.A.C. 24\/7"}]

: The resort is offering a Christmas Day brunch buffet ($95 per adult, $39 for children under 13 years old) and Christmas Eve dinner buffet ($89 per adult, $44 for children under 13 years old). The Christmas Day brunch buffet includes an omlete station, waffle station, chilled seafood (cocktail shrimp, ogo poke, tako poke and ‘ahi sashimi), entrees (warmed crab legs, oven-roasted pork loin and sesame chicken), chef’s carving station (slow-roasted prime rib) and assorted holiday desserts.

The Christmas Eve dinner buffet includes many of the same offerings. 

: 5-9 p.m. Dec. 24; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 25 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Mina’s Fish House"}]

: The eatery’s Christmas Day dinner costs $135 per adult. It includes:

fourseasons.com/oahu/dining/menus/minas-christmas-day-dinner/

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Noe"}]

: The resort’s Italian eatery is offering a variety of specials on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, including:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Pier 38 Fish Market"}]

: Pre-orders are now open for Christmas and New Year’s. Customers can choose from ‘ahi sashimi trays, sashimi trio trays, blue marlin fillets, ‘ahi poke cubes, and poke kits ($18.95). Prices vary depending on the amount of fish. 

: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 24, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 31

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Roy’s Waikīkī"}]

: Roy’s Waikīkī Christmas prix fixe menu starts with rainbow crudo (maguro and yuzu dashi soy, kanpachi and caviar aioli and Kahuku sea asparagus jalapeno chimichurri), Hawaiian Earth Farm herbed flank steak bruschetta (with Ho Farms confit tomato, soy balsamic and crispy shallots), and sesame kosho glazed pork belly (miso congee, sakura zuke shimeji relish).

Customers can choose their entrees, ranging from Roy’s macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi ($103) and Hawaiian style misoyaki butterfish ($114) to honey mustard slow-braised beef short ribs ($120), ginger crusted 16-ounce striploin ($130) and surf and turf ($158). The prix fixe concludes with “Santa’s Treat,” a white chocolate cheesecake and matcha mousse tart (with black sesame butterscotch and macerated Cara Cara strawberry).

The eatery’s a la carte menu will not be available on this day. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"SERA"}]

: SERA’s Christmas set menu costs $125 per person. It includes:

The eatery is also featuring two seasonal holiday cocktails — Christmas Cheer (pumpkin spice carajillo made with Licor 43, mezcal, pumpkin-spiced agave, espresso and cardamom) and Gruber’s Last Fall (apple-infused Michter’s, fall spice syrup and bitters) 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Sushi You"}]

: Sushi You offers platters of rolls ($100), nigiri and rolls ($120 or $160) and sashimi ($120). Each platter generally serves about four people (as a meal). 

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Skanking 101

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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