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ASD Staff

Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Barbara Rasmussen on Dec. 4 in 

"December 4 was the last of three super moons in 2025 and the last full moon of the year. Taken from my lanai in Pauka’a, this was dubbed the Cold Moon but the light does seem warm reflecting on the clouds. Always pleased to see a full moon; this one was exceptional."

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Moon

<title>Hawai‘i Skies: Last full moon of 2025</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Barbara Rasmussen on Dec. 4 in Pauka’a.

Hawai‘i Skies: Last full moon of 2025

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Barbara Rasmussen on Dec. 4 in Pauka’a.  "December 4 was the last of three super moons in 2025 and the last full moon of the year. Taken from my lanai in Pauka’a, this was dubbed the Cold Moon but the light does seem warm reflecting on the clouds. Always pleased to see a full moon; this one was exceptional." To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

MĀNOA — They took their lumps early but believed in each other and stayed together until the end. Facing a situation that once seemed insurmountable, they continued to plug away for the person next to them. By the end of it, tears were shed and there we too many hugs among them to count. 

's four years as the University of Hawai‘i football program's head coach symbolized his tenure more than the team's dramatic, improbable and historic 35-31 victory over California in the Hawai‘i Bowl on Wednesday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. 

The Rainbow Warriors, down 21-0 in the second quarter, staged the biggest comeback in the existence of the Hawai‘i Bowl, a game that debuted in 2002, back when Chang was UH's quarterback. Chang won two Hawai‘i Bowl MVPs as a player and was coaching in it for the first time on Wednesday. How did he compare the two experiences? 

"I think it's better now (as a coach), because I think I'm helping raise leaders in the community and building young men to just be great fathers and husbands, and we can come out here and win games as well as do those things. I think that's the joy that I have now being older," said Chang with tears in his eyes after the game. "It's one thing to go out there and go play and have the competition, but I totally love being a coach, and I love coaching the University of Hawai‘i."

After going 3-10 in his 2022 following the fallout of the Todd Graham era, Chang and the Rainbow Warriors finished the 2025 season 9-4, their highest win total of the decade. Wednesday's contest against the Golden Bears (7-6) was the program's 

"They're gritty," Chang said of his team. "They've learned how to fight through adversity. I would say the first three years taught us the ways not to fight through adversity, and this year has taught us the ways that we can handle adversity and continue to propel ourselves. I think the game of college football, or the game of football, is not too complicated, right? You make mistakes. You know you're going to lose games. You make mistakes and you keep battling back. You keep fighting through. It's never perfect, so is life."

, it was Cal who came out blazing in the Mānoa sun on Wednesday. 

After Hawai‘i punted on the game's opening possession, Cal struck early with a 41-yard touchdown pass from freshman sensation Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, a Campbell alumnus, to Jacob De Jesus with 7:01 left in the first quarter. Sagapolutele was an efficient 5-for-5 with 64 yards on the first Cal possession. 

The Rainbow Warriors went scoreless in the first quarter as 

 missed a 50-yard field goal attempt, just his second miss of the year. 

Cal took a 14-0 lead when running back Kendrick Raphael went 19 yards to the end zone untouched in the first play of the second quarter. The onslaught appeared to be on when Anthony League put Cal ahead 21-0 with 9:38 left in the second quarter. 

Cal's early lead did not deter the sellout turnstile crowd of 14,301, the vast majority of whom stayed in their seats from the sunny 3 p.m. kickoff to the game's dramatic finish. 

Hawai‘i got on the board with a 13-yard touchdown from Micah Alejado to Pofele Ashlock with 3:57 left in the second quarter, then trimmed the lead to 21-10 after a 29-yard Kansei Matsuzawa field goal with 27 seconds left in the first half. 

A 39-yard Matsuzawa field goal cut Cal's lead to 21-13 with 5:58 left in the third quarter. The Rainbow Warriors then tied the game on Alejado's 3-yard touchdown pass to Ashlock and ensuing underhand pass to Cam Barfield on the two-point conversion, tying things at 21 with 13:50 left in the fourth quarter. 

After Chase Meyer's 22-yard chip shot put California broke the tie, Hawai‘i took its first lead of the game on a 17-yard touchdown from Alejado to Brandon White. 

Cal answered with a quarterback sneak from Sagapolutele to go back up 31-28 with 1:57 remaining. Down to one timeout, Chang says the Rainbow Warriors were more than content with getting in field goal range to give 

, an opportunity to send the game to overtime. 

Alejado, whose helmet fell off multiple times throughout the course of the contest, also took a number of big hits that caused him to stay down on the turf. The final instance saw the redshirt freshman rolling around in pain, forcing the 'Bows to use their final timeout. 

 entered the game in Alejado's place and wasn't thinking tie, floating a 22-yard touchdown to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds left. 

"It was God working through me, working through our team. Just all season, that was just God's work," Weaver said. "I said a quick little prayer before I went out there, and I feel like he took care of the rest. It's pretty surreal."

In the final play of the game, Cal desperately tried to prolong the game with laterals, only for Hawai‘i to get the final stop on its own 42 yard line. After the victory was sealed, the teams engaged in a brief skirmish. 

"I think these guys are definitely a rival now," UH senior running back 

 said. "They really thought they were Hawai‘i's team and that's the title that we hold and we're proud of."

Sims was supposed to play in his first Hawai‘i Bowl in 2021, but the game was canceled due to a Covid-19 outbreak within the team. Less than a month later, Chang was introduced as the team's new head coach following dozens of player departures and a Hawai‘i Senate hearing against Graham. 

"A lot of guys down 21 points, that's a tough spot to be in. This is just one of those memorable games that will go down in Hawai‘i history that you can never forget," Sims said. "We've always been the underdogs. I don't think you could have really written a better script than tonight. 

[{"type":"text","text":"\"Just so proud of these guys. It's just a hell of finish.\""}]

The quarterback duel between Alejado and Sagapolutele lived up to the hype, as Alejado completed 32 of his 46 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Sagapolutele went 28-for-39 with 343 yards and a touchdown. Neither team turned the ball over, a Hawai‘i Bowl first. 

Ashlock was named the Hawai‘i Bowl MVP after catching 14 passes for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns, shouldering the load at receiver following the 

"I think lately, I haven't been confident in the most ways. So, going out there was just amazing, just going out there and just playing my game, and having Micah just be right there with me and the team right there with me, and to come out here and do it in the biggest stage, in front of a whole bunch of fans, man, it was amazing," Ashlock said. 

Peter Manuma and Wynden Ho‘ohuli each had eight tackles to lead UH, while Cal safety Aiden Manutai, a Kahuku product, had three tackles. 

, who was thrust into the role after the firing of Justin Wilcox, dropped to 34-34 in his career. Rolovich was a UH quarterback from 2000 to 2001, a student assistant from 2003 to 2004, an assistant coach from 2008 to 2011 and the head coach from 2016 to 2019 before taking the Washington State job. Following the game, Rolovich is set to begin his post as Cal's quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach under new head coach Tosh Lupoi. 

"Incredible emotional ride for me this week," Rolovich said. "Not only coming back to UH. The Sheraton bowl, I don't know if there's a better bowl in the country, the experience they gave these guys. When you wear that (Hawai‘i) jersey, you know what it's gonna be like and you're gonna fight until the end and they did and they deserve credit for that."

With the 2025 season complete, the next event on the docket for the Rainbow Warriors is the upcoming NCAA Transfer Portal period, which runs from Jan. 2-16. Spring practices have yet to be announced for the 'Bows. Hawai‘i will begin its 2026 regular season at Stanford. 

, believes the win will serve as a launch pad for what figures to be a promising 2026 for the 'Bows. 

"It's a great launch pad for us. This definitely was a turnaround year for us, and just showing the state our potential, getting the state back," Alejado said. "Going into next year full steam ahead with all the momentum, we're excited to start doing it again."

Chang, meanwhile, after coaching in his first bowl game, can say with full certainty that participating in a bowl game beats watching one. 

"Ironically, a year ago, we were in one of these suites right behind us, raising NIL money to keep our program together and keep our core guys here, and that's so important for us as we develop guys like 

. I can go on and on about the guys that we have here, that we want in our program," Chang said. 

"If you guys like the product, the state of Hawai‘i likes the product that's on the field, continue to support our football team in those ways and the monetary ways that's needed in college football now."

Hawaii Bowl 122425

<title>Hawai‘i shocks California with historic comeback to win Hawai‘i Bowl</title>

The Rainbow Warriors were down 21-0 in the second quarter before their improbable rally.

Hawai‘i shocks California with historic comeback to win Hawai‘i Bowl

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Victor Kwan has always enjoyed sweets, but never thought he’d one day operate his own dessert business.

“I’ve gone out a lot; I’m a sugar guy,” he says. “I’ve tasted a lot of desserts, and sometimes, the sweetness is so overpowering and you can’t even taste what they’re saying it is.”

Kwan — who has been cooking for 20 years and currently works full time at Nanzan Giro Giro — remembers when his dream was to open a restaurant. 

“I wasn’t really focused on desserts (at first), but after a while, I thought, ‘Dessert’s kind of fun to do,’” he says. “I thought I’d give it a shot.

“I’m trained to be a cook,” he adds. “I did briefly do some pastry — some chocolate work 

at Halekulani, right before Covid. But because of the Covid-19 pandemic, that was very short lived.”

Kwan had the idea to start his own dessert business about two years ago, and soft opened it — 

 — in November. The business pops up within Nanzan Giro Giro from 12 to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and celebrated its grand opening in early December.

Nanzan Giro Giro features a Japanese course menu that changes monthly, so Kwan decided to have his dessert lounge follow the same model.

“I tried to make it more seasonal,” he says. “Right now, I have persimmon. It’s a winter fruit that’s less common here in Hawaiʻi. It’s one of my favorite fruits; I wanted to showcase that.”

The menu currently features desserts like Dubai chocolate crepe ($18), persimmon parfait ($18), vanilla Basque cheesecake ($16), homemade ice cream ($6) and chocolate mousse ($17).

The iced chocolate drink ($7.50) has been popular this month, according to Kwan. It consists of rich dark chocolate blended with milk and cream.

“I think it’s really rich, but people like that creaminess and it’s not too sweet,” he says. “It’s different from regular chocolate milk.”

He says the business’s fruity drinks — fruit matcha latte ($9), featuring a matcha latte with a fruit puree — and lounge fizz ($7.50) have also been popular, due to their refreshing nature. 

The Dubai chocolate crepe is from November’s menu, but it did so well that Kwan decided to offer it in December. The delicate French pancake is filled with silky chocolate custard, pistachio cream and crispy kataifi. It’s served with strawberry ice cream, chocolate sauce, toasted pecans and vanilla whipped cream.

He notes the Basque cheesecake has been a customer favorite. It features a buttery graham cracker crust topped with creamy Basque-style cheesecake, complete with a slightly burnt, caramelized topping.

“I think it’s (Basque cheesecake) kind of a fad right now, but I really enjoy that creaminess and the caramelized sweetness it has,” Kwan says. “It offers a nice aspect of creamy meets toasty.”

For those looking for a more decadent treat, go for the chocolate mousse ($17), which features a chocolate graham cracker crust, vanilla ganache, a red wine poached pear and candied lemon zest. While this dessert is more indulgent, Kwan notes that it’s not overly sweet.

“I want to feature desserts that are very seasonal and less sweet,” he says. “I think too much sweetness takes away from the main ingredient.”

The desserts are available for both dine-in and takeout, but they’re exclusive to Victor’s Dessert Lounge; customers can’t order them when dining at Nanzan Giro Giro.

“I try to keep them separate,” Kwan says. “I don’t want to take away from the dining experience at Nanzan Giro Giro. If the guests at Nanzan Giro Giro do come in (for the lounge), I don’t want them to be like, ‘Oh, I had this already.’”

Looking ahead to next year, Kwan is contemplating extending the dessert lounge’s hours to be open at night, but will stick to his current operating hours for now.

“I just want people to know that I’m here,” he says. “I just really want to showcase the ingredients of each dish and how it really tastes.”

Victors Dessert Lounge Victor Kwan 122225

<title>There’s a new dessert lounge at Nanzan Giro Giro</title>

Victor’s Dessert Lounge pops up at Nanzan Giro Giro on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only. The dessert menu changes monthly and is inspired by seasonal ingredients.

There’s a new dessert lounge at Nanzan Giro Giro

When a young Jackie Johnson III wasn't out fishing with his father, one could probably spot him in Pauoa with his best friend, Ka‘eo Akana, and his father, Kip. 

Johnson was essentially an extended member of the Akana family, forging a bond with Ka‘eo when the two were middle school students at St. Francis. Kip, the varsity baseball and football coach at the school, noticed Johnson's competitive spirit as an intermediate baseball player and encouraged him to come out for football. 

"I was a baseball player at first, so football took some getting used to," Johnson recently told Aloha State Daily. 

Baseball was Johnson's first love, but football grew on him each time he stepped on the gridiron. Johnson played varsity ball for Akana at St. Francis, playing fullback and linebacker.

"Jack was always enthusiastic about working hard from a young age," Kip Akana said. "He was a kid that took great pleasure in doing hard things when it would come to training. It was clear to me that he was different."

That mentality carried Johnson through the adversity that would come his way. St. Francis closed as a school, leading to a transfer to Roosevelt. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, wiping away what would have been his senior season of high school football. 

Although the HHSAA did not hold a football season in 2020, Johnson continued to hone his craft as a defensive lineman through the TrenchDawg Group, which at the time was a local football organization, specializing in offensive and defensive line play. It was created by former St. Francis offensive line coach Whitley Fehoko. Johnson earned valuable reps against future NFL offensive lineman 

, current Oregon center Poncho Laloulu and others with college offers. 

"TrenchDawgs gave me an opportunity to put the pads on and really develop, because the only way to get better is putting pads on. On top of the lifting and running, it was a great opportunity," Johnson said. 

The tape Johnson put together in TrenchDawg games and practices was enough to garner interest from Division II and III schools. Lawrence Tech, an NAIA school in Southfield, Mich., was the only school to offer Johnson a football scholarship. 

"It wasn't a full scholarship, but I just took it and ran with it," Johnson said. 

Johnson had two strong years with the Blue Devils, establishing himself as one of their best players. He was happy there, but Akana couldn't shake the feeling that he was destined for more. Akana made calls to Hawai‘i head coach Timmy Chang and associate head coach Chris Brown in the 2023 offseason, vouching for Johnson and advocating for him to join as a walk-on. After reviewing his tape, Brown offered Johnson a spot on the team. With where things were in the calendar, Johnson had to leave Lawrence Tech almost immediately. One of Johnson's coaches at Lawrence Tech warned him that moves like the one he was about to make rarely work out. 

Hawai‘i defensive ends coach Jordan Pu‘u-Robinson quickly realized that this TrenchDawg came from a different breed. 

"We were having summer workouts, and we're doing some drills for about 10, 15 minutes, and he got into a big argument with Andrew Choi, who was a senior starter and leader at the time, and Andrew basically called him out and said, 'Jackie, relax. You're a walk-on,'" Pu‘u-Robinson recalled. "That moment, it told me that this kid didn't really care about making friends or being liked. He wanted to be the best. That just shows his competitive nature. And that's really who he is. He's extremely intentional, hard-working and hyper competitive every single day."

When asked about the incident following a recent practice, Johnson said "those guys were like my older brothers. We're close. But yeah, you can't get bullied."

Johnson played in four games in 2023, preserving a redshirt. He played in all 12 games for the Rainbow Warriors in 2024, leading the team with five sacks. He saved his best for last in 2025, earning All-Mountain West first-team honors with 7.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, cementing himself as one of the most feared edge rushers on the West Coast. 

"Jackie is just a tough warrior. He's competitive, he's tough. He's hard-nosed. He gets after it," UH defensive coordinator 

 said of Johnson, who is listed at 6 feet and 245 pounds on the UH roster. "Need more like him, you know? I mean, he's not the tallest guy, he's not the fastest guy, but what he does, he brings it every single day. And when you have that and those types of players, you'll go to war with them every time."

Ka‘eo Akana, a junior defensive end for the Rainbow Warriors alongside Johnson, is doing his best to treasure the time he has left with his close friend as his teammate. 

"There's no feeling like it. That's my brother for life. Jackie Johnson, my boy. It's just a hard thing to explain," he said following a brief pause. "I love my boy, and we'll send him out the right way."

With one game left in his college career, Johnson will explore his pro options following the 

 on Wednesday. For now, he refuses to look past Cal, which will serve as another opportunity for him to showcase his his skills. 

"God willing on that situation, I have maybe a few avenues to what I'm gonna do after but right now, I'm just focusing on this game," Johnson said. "Quite frankly, I think this is the biggest game of the season. I think we should be attacking it like that. They're a good team, and I'm just extremely excited."

Jackie Johnson III 122325

<title>Sheer will vaults Jackie Johnson III into impact player for UH football team</title>

Undersized and lightly recruited, the All-Mountain West defensive end is no longer flying under the radar.

Sheer will vaults Jackie Johnson III into impact player for UH football team

[{"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

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

A lawsuit between the state and PayPal has been settled to the tune of $6 million.

The Hawai‘i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Office of Consumer Protection sued PayPal Inc. and PayPal Holdings Inc. in December 2022, accusing the companies of misleading customers about fraud protection policies and the accessibility of their funds.

On Monday, the DCCA announced that the suit has been settled out of court, with PayPal to pay $6 million to the state.

“Hawai‘i customers depend on PayPal and Venmo for critical daily tasks like paying rent, receiving wages and compensating child care providers,” said Office of Consumer Protection Executive Director Mana Moriarty in a statement Monday. “We share the same goal as the state of Hawai‘i to empower and protect consumers and are pleased to have reached an agreement on this matter.”

The suit cited complaints from Hawai‘i users of PayPal and PayPal’s mobile service app Venmo that alleged that, despite PayPal promising fast access to their money at all times, they found their Venmo accounts frozen without notice, leaving their funds inaccessible for as long as six months with no clear appeals process.

The suit called the freezes “draconian” and claimed they were carried out without any human review towards any account that was determined to have violated Venmo’s user agreement. The suit went on to call that user agreement “bloated,” with pertinent language about the freezes buried deep in the 20,000-word document.

The freezes weren’t the only complaint about PayPal’s service. The suit also accused PayPal of deceptive practices concerning its fraud protection services.

For example, PayPal offered a purchase protection service wherein, for an additional fee, users could have a transaction refunded in the event of a scam. However, this service had strings attached: it did not apply to many different types of purchases — “payments for goods that the buyer collects in person” were excluded from the service — it only entitled users to apply for a refund, and users would still be charged the fee even if the service couldn’t be applied to a given transaction.

Other concerns included Venmo’s policy of setting users’ profiles to be publicly viewable by default. According to the suit, one Hawai‘i user found a stranger’s account using his own five-year-old child’s face as a profile picture; another ended up paying $300 to a scammer posing as the user’s daughter, using information accessible through publicly viewable friends lists.

For all this and more, the suit called for $10,000 in damages for every recorded violation of the state’s unfair and deceptive practice laws; based on this, the $6 million is equivalent to 600 such violations.

[{"type":"text","text":"PayPal denied the suit’s claims throughout the process. "}]

The company said in a statement Monday: “PayPal takes our responsibility to our customers very seriously, and we continually enhance our products and communications to improve the customer experience. We share the same goal as the state of Hawai

i to empower and protect consumers, and are pleased to have reached an agreement on this matter.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Aloha State Daily reached out to DCCA for further comment."}]

Marques thomas gs9uci8 Jv Gw unsplash 16x9

<title>PayPal pays up</title>

State lawsuit against PayPal over unfair and deceptive practices settled for $6 million.

PayPal pays up

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"}]

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