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Daily Smile

It's always good to teach your dog how to let you know when he's hungry...

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<title>Daily Smile: Tuesday, February 3, 2026</title>

Daily Smile: Tuesday, February 3, 2026

 It&#039;s always good to teach your dog how to let you know when he&#039;s hungry...

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Arts & Entertainment

In the 37 years since he moved to Maui, Chuck Bergson, president, CEO and director of Pacific Media Group, says the Hawai‘i media company has grown from "a little, one-radio station you can only really hear in West Maui" to 21 stations across the Islands and a handful of other mediums and platforms.

Its evolution continues with the recent launch of 

, a new network that offers podcasts, social media shorts, YouTube shows and local documentaries, bringing new media platforms together with legacy media.

Radio has always been the core of the business, Bergson told Aloha State Daily during a recent interview at the company's Downtown Honolulu offices.

"But we saw early on that the world was changing, the media landscape is changing, so you have to change with it. You've got to evolve," he says.

Today, Bergson says PMG has four radio stations in Honolulu, six on Maui, five on Kaua‘i and six on Hawai‘i Island — including three in Hilo and three in Kona; offers the digital news sites 

, and advertising at most of Hawai‘i's airports; bought the Maui Visitor Channel and Scenic Hawai‘i; and also publishes visitor guidebooks for the state as well as Maui, Hawai‘i Island, Kaua‘i and O‘ahu.

Bergson compares the newest evolution to a rainbow: at the beginning, he says, are "these wonderful legacy media platforms, and as the world changes and you start to go over the rainbow, you get to the top of the rainbow, and that's where we're now looking to modernize and evolve into this new media environment and ecosystem."

And when you bring legacy media together with new media, "then you have something really special. That's the pot of gold at the end. So that's where we are today."

"There was a great opportunity because it's all kind of happening all around Hawai‘i in little spurts," Josh 

, head of creative content for PMG, told ASD. "You've got podcasts, which I've been a part of, ... and you've got social media, and you've got all of these influencers. It's kind of all there, but no one has really put them together in a space and led from the front. When Chuck started talking about maybe this project we could do, the idea was that there's over 30 years of experience and strength in media through Pacific Media Group. What better way than to do this new project with that grounding?"

As the tagline of its website notes, CULTURE offers content that "moves Hawai‘i forward." And 

 says it all starts with Hawai‘i itself.

"Pacific Media Group has always been about Hawai‘i. It's a company from Hawai‘i for Hawai‘i," he says. "There's no one from the Mainland calling the shots. It's Chuck from Maui. The staff here is from here. That was very interesting, where it was like 'Hey, we're here working to present to the world the stories of Hawai‘i and so the idea was [to] create content that we could produce at a high level, we could then distribute it on YouTube, all the podcasts on all platforms, and then we could create content."

 says the radio used to be the center of communication.

"It told you what was cool, who's the new artist, where's the new concert or event, and since technology has progressed, a lot of that has been dispersed, so why not have the radio stations bring that all together?"

There are three original podcasts made for the CULTURE network: Santo Loco, Sugar Caddy and TRXTR. Original podcasts are "podcasts of people, content that we believe in," 

 says, noting that PMG does the full production. There are two affiliate podcasts as well, which are partner shows carried by CULTURE: Mike Kai Podcast and Headliners Hawai‘i.

"With those five podcasts that we've started on, we feel we have a good base," 

 says. "... There's something for everyone, whether it's entertainment or its mindset, business, golf, sports, whatever it is, we feel like these five wrap a lot of that together and I'm sure we're looking to grow that shortly, as well."

One of the new YouTube shows is "Listening Party," which he compared to a "more artistic" version of NPR's 

"Back to that [idea of] breaking new artists and helping artists get their music out, we do the full production of a live, invite-only event, and the artist plays their music, and as they're playing, they're explaining the thoughts and theories behind it," 

 explains. "They bring up other songwriters, producers, engineers, and they can stop, restart, they can say, 'Hey, this is what it used to sound like.' It's really the craft behind the music so people get to know them well."

The debut episode featuring singer-songwriter 

Another is Behind the Scenes: On Tour, which will take viewers behind the scenes of local artists on tour. Featured first will be a look at tour life with Johnny Suite and the Green. 

"These are everyday local guys that's going to be at Red Rock and they're going to be in Vegas and they're going to be in Washington, and what does it look like to sell out 10,000 people, because these bands are doing that," Duhaylonsod says. "How does that feel? And it should ignite that next generation to go, 'We can do that. We're from right here.' I think that's another testament to what Pacific Media Group is doing here. When you see our content, you should be inspired and you should want to go and be bigger than yourself, and that's what CULTURE is."

Duhaylonsod says the initiative is unique in that it bridges the gap between radio and "what's happening now." The radio's distribution size can also be leveraged to promote the local acts.

"If you just do your own podcast, it's you, your mom and all your family and a couple of friends," he says. "[If] you're doing a podcast with us, it's a massive network behind you."

"Really, what we're trying to do across the board is elevate people — elevate the artists, elevate the podcasters," Bergson says. "There's a lot of talented people that can create things and where the void tends to be in a lot of cases is distribution. How do you get distribution? How do you get it seen? How do you get it heard? So we're trying to do these things with the idea of elevating people. Let's bring them up, bring them along, give them some support, and help that all feed together and complement. With all of us working together to promote things of Hawai‘i through different platforms and different mediums, and talking about different things culturally, to me it's a winning combination. I think not only will the people who live here understand and appreciate it, but the people who love Hawai‘i and value Hawai‘i will enjoy and help us perpetuate this."

CULTURE by PMG brand hero

<title>Pacific Media Group launches 'Culture'</title>

CULTURE by Pacific Media Group offers up local podcasts, social media shorts, YouTube shows and documentaries, bringing new media platforms together with legacy media.

Pacific Media Group launches 'Culture'

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Aloha Spirit

The golf course beside Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows will come alive with music from the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra and guest artists, such as Keola Beamer, 

in the Mele for Maui concert this Saturday, Sept. 19.

The concert, which is free to the public, will be HSO’s first appearance in a decade on The Valley Isle. The 

symphony was recently named the state orchestra

, which its conductor Dane Lam hopes will mean more stops on Neighbor Islands.

“It’s very significant for HSO because we haven't been to one of the Neighbor Islands for over a decade, so this is a real return for the orchestra, and we hope it's the start of really comprehensive touring around all of the Neighbor Islands as time goes on,” Dane Lam, HSO music and artistic director, told Aloha State Daily. “When this orchestra was reformed from the ashes of the old Honolulu Symphony, the name Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra was deliberately chosen to reflect the fact that we serve the whole state, and so to come in and celebrate the people of Lahaina and their courage and their resilience through music — through mele — it means a lot to us.”

Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows, operated by Highgate Hawaiʻi

Hawaiʻi Stage, which is owned and operated by a subsidiary of Hawaiian Council

, is constructing a stage and providing lights and amplification; and Hawaiian Airlines is donating the airfare to get the musicians — and their instruments — to The Valley Isle.

“They've been incredibly, incredibly generous," Lam said. 

“It's an incredible group effort to bring this together."

The concert will have seating for thousands, the conductor added.

“We're doing a range of music,” he said. “We're doing some classics. We've got some Brahms, and we've got some Hawaiian music from our own composer in residence, 

. We have a special new commission by Sean Hickey, who for many decades has spent significant time on Maui, and it's a tribute to Maui's natural world and how it's different from anywhere else on Earth. And then, of course, we've got some amazing guest artists like Keola Beamer, like Amy Hānaialiʻi, who are going to be joining us on stage to share this. It's really Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra's gift to the people of Lahaina and to Maui.”

Getting the full orchestra — which consists of more than 60 musicians, plus their instruments — on a plane to Maui is “logistically complex,” the conductor added.

“For example, when a cellist travels with their cello, string instruments are very expensive, so violinists and violas will travel with their instruments, but they normally will fit in the overhead locker. Of course, the cello is too big to fit in the overhead locker, and so it necessitates the purchase of an extra seat,” Lam said. “You get a seat for Mr. Musician, and you get a seat for Mr. Cello.”

Other instruments, including basses and percussion, are sometimes borrowed from musicians who already have the instruments on Maui.

As part of the Maui visit, Lam will also be flying over early to work with musicians at Lahainaluna High School.

“I'm really looking forward to that,” he said. “Just to meet some of the next generation of musicians.”

Lam, who conducts symphonies all over the world, is no stranger to meeting new musical groups. Whether it’s a professional symphony or a high school one, the principle is the same, he said.

“You walk in, and you start conducting whatever music you've prepared, and you analyze and you appreciate what comes back at you,” he said. “And then you just work on ways to bring the picture of the music that's in your head that you have formed from what the composer has written — you bring the picture of what you hear in your head closer to the picture of what you hear coming at you from the musicians. It's a lovely experience. I'm really looking forward to meeting all the young musicians at Lahainaluna.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Music brings people together, he added."}]

“When it’s all said and done, something that we all share in common is the ability to appreciate music, to be immersed in music, and that's what we're looking to do with this concert — to really uplift people, to celebrate the people of Lahaina, and to bring people together,” Lam said. “Because there are very few experiences in the world today where you are sitting or standing shoulder to shoulder with other people from different walks of life and experiencing something that is greater than yourself. And by that, I mean the music. It's going to be very humbling to bring that to Lahaina.”

Can’t attend in person? Watch the live stream from Hawaiʻi News Now. 

Mele for Maui

<title>Buckle up, cellos! HSO heads to Maui</title>

Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, which was recently designated the official state orchestra, will make its first appearance on Maui in 10 years with a free concert, Mele for Maui, on Saturday, Sept. 19. The outdoor performance under the stars of Kā‘anapali celebrates the resilience and courage of Lahaina, Kihei and Kula, and features guest artists such as Keola Beamer, Amy Hānaiali‘i and John Cruz.

Buckle up, cellos! HSO heads to Maui

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Adopt a Pet

Kevin Clegg, who is born and raised in Kailua and now lives in town with two dogs, recalled his first interaction with the Hawaiian Humane Society 13 years ago, when he adopted a rat to comply with his condo’s pet rules.

“It was good in its cage, but my dream was 

to have a little Pomeranian dog,” he told Aloha State Daily, noting he was later able to get a puppy from a pet owner and called her Tanuki.

That year for his birthday, Clegg asked his party guests to donate to Hawaiian Humane Society in lieu of gifts, which garnered funds, as well as pet food and supplies, and more.

“That was my first time really trying to give back,” said Clegg who works in retail management.

His second dog, Koguma, is an 8-year-old Maltese Yorkie foster. “Somebody was going to give him up and I said, ‘Oh, I’ll watch him until you find another owner.’ But then I ended up being a ‘foster fail’ because I kept him,” he said with a laugh.

But for him three years ago, being a pet parent fur-ever changed. Clegg discovered that his Pomeranian Tanuki was showing early stages of heart disease after she had a seizure at home.

“For me that was the catalyst. I thought my dog was going to die,” he told ASD. “That year was crazy for me, I felt like there was a time bomb going off and I wanted to do something to kind of prepare myself for her illness.”

That’s when he decided to retroact hard times with good intentions, he says, and became a Hawaiian Humane Society volunteer.

“It’s really given me the strength and courage to listen, learn and be a teacher,” he said. “Hawaiian Humane Society has helped me find true purpose. Now, when I’m a pet parent to animals getting older and sicker, I think to myself how lucky I am to care for them in their sickness. My commitment is to keeping all animals safe because in this life, health is wealth, which is what drives me.”

As an adoption volunteer, Clegg says he likes working with people, too, “guiding them on their journey to find their pet companion.” He also enjoys mentoring new volunteers and serving alongside like-minded, "inspiring" individuals.

There is always a need for more volunteers in varying positions and capacities 

“If you love animals, it’s a great thing to be a part of. There are even people there who love to clean up dog poop, it brings them joy,” he notes. “As a volunteer, if somebody needs help folding towels or cleaning kennels or making food, I jump right into that area and give it my all, or more at 120%, which I learned as a leader at my job.”

According to Clegg, helping the Hawaiian Humane Society's mission to shelter, protect, rescue, reunite and rehomes animals is “pure happiness.”

“If you want to do something selfless, it’s going to come back 10 times. There’s something for you here if you want to come and experience what it’s like,” he said.

Those interested in volunteering or learning more can visit the Hawaiian Humane Society’s 

 Meet available dogs and the adoptions team in-person at these upcoming events:

Animals up for adoption at Hawaiian Humane Society can also be visited daily from 11 a.m to 6 p.m. at both the Mōʻiliʻili Campus and the Kosasa Family Campus at Hoʻopili. To see pets currently up for adoption online, 

Other ways for the community to get involved include foster programs like Couch Crashers and Lap Crashers, as well as Wags & Whiskers Wednesdays, among other initiatives. Registration is open for the annual 

; the fundraiser will be held on Oct. 24 at Kapiʻolani Park.

 for updates on Flash Adoption Specials, like the one last weekend where all adoption fees were waived by VCA Animal Hospitals to make room for the animals arriving from the Kauaʻi Humane Society following Hurricane Lowell.

, president and CEO of the Hawaiian Humane Society, said at the time in a statement that pet such adoptions “opens a kennel and gives our staff and volunteers more capacity for the animals who remain, more one-on-one time for socialization, enrichment and the daily care that keeps them healthy and ready for adoption. That ripple is what lets us care for the animals already filling our campuses and step up for Kauaʻi at the same time. When one island is in need, we show up for each other, and our community makes that possible every time they choose to adopt."

To support the Kauaʻi Humane Society's relief and recovery efforts directly, go to: 

Read another volunteer perspective from the Maui Humane Society by ASD 

2024 04 27 Volunteer Services Manager Isa Cortina with Volunteer Kevin Clegg at Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast LANDSCAPE PC Hawaiian Humane Society

<title>Hawaiian Humane Society volunteer finds 'true purpose' helping animals</title>

Kevin Clegg, who first adopted a pet rat from the nonprofit 13 years ago, now volunteers at the organization’s Mōʻiliʻili campus weekly. He shares what initially prompted him to give back to the community, what he likes most about working in adoptions and why if you love animals, it’s a great cause to join.

Hawaiian Humane Society volunteer finds 'true purpose' helping animals

Ed Rampell

Columnists

According to the Hollywood industry trade publication “Deadline,” showbiz is abuzz with the news that Paramount Pictures is considering making a movie version of “Hawai‘i Five-0.” The brainchild of producer Leonard Freeman, the classic Island-set police procedural starred Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett, the straight arrow chief of an elite crimefighting task force in paradise, ran on CBS-TV 1968-1980. The proposed new version’s “package was put together by Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady [producer of HBO’s “Game of Thrones”] with the estate of series creator Leonard Freeman,” Mike Fleming Jr. 

 in “The Dish,” the insider section of “Deadline” that breaks scoops. Paramount Pictures and CBS have a corporate relationship; both are owned by the same parent company, Paramount Skydance.

It’s fitting that Destin Daniel Cretton, the director being linked to the possible “Five-0” project, is from Haiku, Maui. Cretton’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” broke box office records this summer, and the Hawai‘i-born and raised helmer is red-hot right now. According to Hawaiian actor Branscombe Richmond, who has his own connection to the legendary crime production and, he says, attended the same church as Cretton on Maui: “‘Hawai‘i Five-0’ in Cretton’s hands is a great choice. I mean, he’s an Island boy, he’s from Hawai‘i Nei, he has the soul and heart of what is ticking here,” Richmond told Aloha State Daily.

“The Dish” dishes that the proposed “Five-0” screenwriters are no strangers to crime movies: Chris Bremner co-wrote two of the Will Smith/Martin Lawrence “Bad Boys” detective buddy pictures; Noah Oppenheim penned 2016’s “Jackie,” wherein Natalie Portman depicts First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy shortly after JFK’s assassination.  

If Paramount Pictures moves ahead with the movie remake, this wouldn’t be the first time Tinseltown tried to bring “Hawai‘i Five-0” from the little to the big screen. From 1992-1997 Branscombe Richmond co-starred as Native American bounty hunter Bobby Sixkiller on the syndicated series “Renegade,” created by prolific producer Stephen J. Cannell, who, along with Kim LeMasters “were the guys who rebooted ‘Hawai‘i Five-0’ [in 1997]. The guy who was McGarrett was Gary Busey [monikered Jimmy Xavier Berk], and the guy who was Danno was Russell Wong. I played Napoleon DeCastro, who would have been known as the Wo Fat of that next generation,” said Richmond, interviewed in Maui by phone.  

The villainous Wo Fat (Khigh Dhiegh, co-star of the 1962 thriller “The Manchurian Candidate”) was McGarrett’s arch-nemesis in the original series. In the 1997 production, DeCastro is the head of the Hawai‘i underworld and suspected of shooting James MacArthur, who’d moved on from being the Five-0 unit’s Danny Williams to the 50th State’s governor.

Along with MacArthur, the 1997 shoot brought together other “Five-0” veterans who’d portrayed characters opposite Jack Lord during the 12-year-run of the crime procedural in paradise to reprise their roles. The reunion included what Richmond called “what a great gathering of people:” Kam Fong as Detective Chin Ho Kelly; Zulu as Detective Kono Kalākaua; Harry Endo as HPD forensic scientist Che Fong; Herman Wedemeyer as HPD Sergeant Duke Lukela; and actor/musician Moe Keale as Detective Truck Kealoha.      

Nevertheless, this largely forgotten Russian mob-themed production has apparently never been broadcast, theatrically released or streamed — it seems no one wanted to “Book ’em, Danno,” as McGarrett frequently told Detective Sergeant Danny Williams. Richmond believes it’s because, “Gary Busey was totally wrong for the role… After they saw it, they put it on the shelf, because you don’t want to tarnish the brand” of a legendary showbiz property.

“Deadline” surmises that another reason the 1997 film went unseen is: “They could never quite figure it out because of lawsuits with CBS and rights issues that led instead to 

 that starred Alex Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park.”

It remains to be seen whether Paramount Pictures and Destin Daniel Cretton will be able to revive the production that includes one of the greatest opening montage sequences in television history, intercutting Hawai‘i’s people, places, waves and landmarks with crimefighting images, set to the unforgettable pounding beat composed by Morton Stevens, who won two Emmys for his immortal composition.

Tania Verafield is an L.A.-based stage and screen actress who acted in two films directed by Cretton before he hit it big with the Oscar-nominated 2021 kung fu epic “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” She auditioned for and was cast, along with LaKeith Stanfield (later Oscar-nominated for 2020’s “Judas and the Black Messiah”), in Cretton’s 2008 student film “Short Term 12,” which he shot while attending film school at San Diego State University and won the Sundance Film Festival’s Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking. 

Verafield added that 2012’s “‘I Am Not a Hipster’ was Destin’s very first feature film. It was a story about his own family… It wasn’t a direct correlation, but the main character has three sisters, and Destin has three sisters… He went back and reused actors he’d already worked with, and I made that film with many of my friends I had worked with through him.”

As a director, Verafield says Cretton is “very softspoken, gentle, creative, joyful, found a way to make everybody feel comfortable and keeping it an easy and enjoyable set. He’s always smiling and very focused when he’s working. He is such a family man. He’s so close to his family in Hawai‘i, and he brings that familial way of being onto a set and creates a family.”

Interviewed by phone in L.A., Verafield added, “I know how important Hawai‘i is to him. He always wears Hawaiian shirts and a lei, he’s just really proud of where he came from. If he has the opportunity to work there, I know he’ll bring a lot of passion to” a big screen remake of “Hawai‘i Five-0.”

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

Ed Rampell and Luis Reyes are co-authors of the new book 

Hawaii Five 0 Logo 16x9

<title>Hollywood ponders movie remake of “Hawai‘i Five-0” directed by Ha‘ikū helmer Destin…</title>

If produced, this wouldn’t be the first time Tinseltown tried to bring the iconic CBS-TV crime series shot in the 50th State to the big screen.

Hollywood ponders movie remake of “Hawai‘i Five-0” directed by Ha‘ikū helmer Destin Daniel Cretton

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Like the Hawai‘i prep football icons that came before him, Hunter Fujikawa is poised to become the next great quarterback to come out of Mililani High School. 

, Fujikawa, a junior with the Trojans, is hoping his name can be uttered in the same sentence by the time it's all said and done. 

 from schools such as Ohio State, Alabama and Oregon, Fujikawa, a 6-foot-2 four-star quarterback, is on pace to have been on the list of notable alumni regardless of the school that produced him. And prior to this summer, that school would have been Punahou. 

Fujikawa won the starting job on Punahou's varsity team as a freshman and in all likelihood would have held the role for all four years. 

"Just a great opportunity to play under coach 

 and (offensive coordinator) Samson Satele," Fujikawa told Aloha State Daily of his decision to transfer. "Being able to have that caliber of coaches to help me develop and get to the next level. God closes one door and opens another."

Fujikawa is far from the only former Punahou standout to join Mililani this offseason. Star 6-foot-4 receiver Zion White, who began his high school career with the Buffanblu, transferred to national powerhouse IMG Academy for his junior season. White returned to the Islands for his senior year and will suit up for the Trojans alongside Fujikawa. 

"It's been great so far," White said. "Over here, all the boys just have their heads down 24/7, just working super hard."

White and Fujikawa grew up playing against each other on the youth circuit — White for the ‘Ewa Beach Hammerheads and Fujikawa for Fiyah Squad. Fujikawa was a freshman when White was a sophomore racking up college offers before Fujikawa went on to do the same. 

"I knew he had potential," White said of Fujikawa. "We kind of just had to build that relationship. We spent multiple hours just throwing together and just spending time together. And the connection, honestly, hasn't gone anywhere. It feels like a brotherhood in a sense."

In addition to Fujikawa and White, the Trojans will also feature a trio of Satele brothers in linebacker Toa, and defensive linemen Trison and Tayden. Toa and Trison have already committed to Oregon, while Tayden is entering his freshman year. Their father and offensive coordinator, Samson Satele, is a former University of Hawai‘i standout offensive lineman and eight-year NFL veteran. 

"It's been great so far," Fujikawa said of the transition to Mililani. "I love the boys. This team, we should have a great year ahead of us."

White, who is entering his senior year, has already committed to California, choosing the Golden Bears over a 

. Fujikawa, meanwhile, says he's putting his recruitment "on pause" in order to focus on his junior season. 

"Recruiting is going to keep going, but I just want to continue to build relationships with coaches and focus on the season, and then see what happens after," Fujikawa said. 

Mililani's season officially begins on Aug. 14 with a home game against Liberty High School of Henderson, Nev. As a program, the Trojans have two state titles to their name: one in 2014 as the HHSAA Division I champions, their lone top-tiered state crown. Mililani won the 2016 Division I HHSAA state title, but it was the same year the state introduced a new top tier in the Open Division. 

"What everybody wants to do and everyone's vision is winning the state championship," Fujikawa said. 

Added White, when asked about his individual goals for the 2026 season: "I have personal goals, but honestly, I'm a team-first kind of guy and I just want to win states above all." 

Mililani football 080328

<title>Mililani's new dynamic duo looks to take Trojans back to HHSAA mountaintop</title>

Former Punahou teammates Zion White and Hunter Fujikawa are reunited at Mililani and have the Trojans thinking big ahead of the 2026 high school football season.

Mililani's new dynamic duo looks to take Trojans back to HHSAA mountaintop

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

, known for its fresh seafood, just launched its weekend brunch.

The eatery’s new brunch menu is available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

The brunch menu features breakfast staples with a twist, along with seafood specialties and some of the eatery’s most popular dishes.

The eatery’s chicken and waffles ($21), steak and eggs ($28), local deluxe ($19) and daily teishoku ($26) are anticipated to be customer favorites.

The chicken and waffles features a mochi waffle crowned with fried chicken. The yuzu kosho maple syrup provides a blend of sweet and savory flavors.

The standard breakfast plate is represented through the local deluxe ($19), which includes Portuguese sausage, crispy Spam, soft scrambled eggs, mushroom gravy and white rice. If you want a carb overload, though, opt for the kimchi fried rice ($16) or gravy train ($18) instead. The latter is a savory bread pudding topped with an umami sausage gravy and chives.

Unique options include salmon ochazuke ($24) — served with yaki onigiri, genmaicha dashi and pickles — and the daily teishoku ($26), which has a little of everything. This Japanese-inspired option includes fresh poke, pickles, potato salad, miso soup, white rice and a chef’s entrée selection. During our visit, ‘ahi nuggets are featured, but ‘ahi belly was included the previous day.

Thirty Eight still offers a variety of seafood in its brunch entrees. The smoked salmon Benedict ($22) showcases an English muffin topped with miso gochugaru Hollandaise, salmon and spinach. Meanwhile, the shrimp and “grits” ($23) is a combo of shimeji mushrooms, ground pork, shrimp, chili oil and polenta, while the eatery’s rendition of shakshuka ($17) includes mahi mahi

and an onsen egg, serve with a baguette for dipping.

Guests can still enjoy some of the restaurant’s signature seafood options during brunch. Popular appetizers include fresh oysters ($24), poke tostadas ($11) and the poke trio ($16), which features shoyu ‘ahi, spicy ‘ahi and ginger scallion ‘ahi.

Seafood lovers can also opt for ‘ahi poke bowls ($16), misoyaki butterfish ($24) or the fisherman’s chowder ($10), a savory mix of clams, bacon, fingerling potatoes and the catch of the day.

Brunch from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Thirty Eight brunch spread 071426

<title>New weekend brunch option at Pier 38</title>

Thirty Eight Restaurant & Bar just launched a new weekend brunch menu. You can anticipate twists on brunch classics — like chicken and mochi waffles, a savory bread pudding and more — along with seafood-centric dishes.

Daily Smile: Tuesday, February 3, 2026

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