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<title>Daily Smile: Thursday, February 5, 2026</title>

Just like a cartoon...

Daily Smile: Thursday, February 5, 2026

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

Aloha Festivals marks its 80th anniversary of celebrations with three events this year. For 

co-chair of the Aloha Festivals board of directors, the festival is a chance to celebrate culture.

“Come and enjoy it, because again, only Hawaiʻi has aloha,” she told Aloha State Daily. “And it's fun.”

Aloha Festivals kicked off on Saturday, Sept. 5, with the Royal Court investiture and opening ceremony, where the 2026 Royal Court received regalia reserved for aliʻi.

This weekend, Aloha Festivals will bring the 72nd Annual Hoʻolaulea to Kalākaua Avenue from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, in Waikīkī. Featured entertainment this year takin four stages includes the Mākaha Sons, Hoʻokena, Anthony Pfluke, Kamaka Camarillo, Baba Tavares, and more.

“It's a street party, and what makes it unique is that we have stages that are sponsored, and on our stages, we have Hawaiian entertainment,” she said. “There's music and wonderful entertainment throughout the evening. We also have individual vendors. They're selling lei. They're selling jewelry. They're selling T-shirts. They're selling food.”

The free, volunteer-run event is expected to bring 

more than 10,000 participants to Waikīkī,

 according to permits filed with the Department of Transportation Services for the City and County of Honolulu

Also coming up is the Aloha Festivals’ 78th Annual Floral Parade, which will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 26. Shenkus will be part of the parade for that event, as she has been for years.

The route starts at Ala Moana Regional Park and continues along Kalākaua Avenue ending at Kapiʻolani Regional Park. Often, she sees the same families with coolers and chairs in the shade each year, she said.

“Literally, there are families and people I see every single year,” 

said. “It's kind of fun. Over the years, there's been cute couples, where I saw them on a blanket when they were dating, and then I've seen them with a baby, and then I've seen them with maybe two kids. And they're in the same spot every year to watch the parade. It’s very charming.”

As the parade moves into Waikīkī, there are more tourists, she said, adding, “They're in bathing suits. They love the parade, but they're all about getting a tan. They're not under trees.”

She is most looking forward to seeing the men and women on horseback dressed in lei, showcasing the traditional art of pāʻū riding, while wearing the colors of the different Islands.

“It’s truly an astounding level of aloha, but it's all volunteer,” she said. “There's no one getting paid to be in the parade.”

. Under Aloha Week, each Island had a festival with Oʻahu holding the grand finale celebration, she said. 

In 1991, the event became Aloha Festivals

 Shenkus joined the board of directors for Aloha Week and also serves vice president and director of marketing at Royal Hawaiian Center.

“For me, it's been a labor of love because the whole point of Aloha Festivals is to celebrate and perpetuate the culture of Hawaiʻi,” she said. “That's really the goal.”

092725 011

<title>Aloha Festivals celebrates 80 years</title>

The festival underway consists of three events this weekend, including Hoʻolaulea, with four stages and more than 100 vendors in Waikīkī­­­. Also coming up on Sept. 26 is the Aloha Festivals’ 78th Annual Floral Parade, where Sam Shenkus, co-chair of the Aloha Festivals board of directors, has watched some families grow up over time.

Aloha Festivals celebrates 80 years

De Soto 2025

DeSoto Brown

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

From the late 1950s into the 1970s, discount department stores were inescapable in Honolulu. Advertised abundantly in newspapers, and on radio and TV, everyone was definitely aware of Wigwam, Gibson’s, Holiday Mart, and GEM. Here’s the story of the last one.

GEM – which was its correct name, although nearly all of us knew it as “Gem’s” in local style – was an acronym for “Government Employees Mutual” (later changed to “Government Employees Mart”). Founded in Denver, Colorado in 1956, the business’s second location was Honolulu, which opened in July 1957. This was a large facility on Dillingham Boulevard in Kalihi which is familiar to many today as the place where we’ve gone to get, or renew, driver’s licenses, since 1997.

Only members could shop at GEM, and the requirements to join were puzzlingly restrictive: Government employees, military (including veterans), teachers, union members and clergy were the sole eligible persons. No one could even enter a store until their credentials were checked in an entry room and the door was buzzed open. Given that the majority of the population was prohibited from even setting foot inside a GEM store, the business received a surprising amount of publicity.

GEM expanded to its second retail location on Ward Avenue in Kaka‘ako in August 1962. This was an 80,000 square foot building on a 7-acre site that cost $1.3 million to construct. With 29 departments inside and a parking lot that could hold 700 vehicles, there was a lot to attract shoppers to this, the largest store in the GEM chain that by then had expanded to 16 outlets in a number of American cities. Nine thousand people were estimated to have attended the opening.

As time passed, GEM’s membership requirement was dropped. A store in Hilo came and went, two others opened on O‘ahu in Waipahu and Kaneohe and the last was located in Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i. The company merged with Parkview Drugs of Missouri in 1965 and changed its name to Parkview GEM. In 1979, the Hawai‘i stores were purchased by Seibu, a Japanese corporation.

As with many businesses that come to town in a flash of excitement, expand quickly and then settle down into just being part of the landscape, GEM gradually did the same. In December 1993 it was announced that three of the four remaining stores would close in two to three months, leaving only the Kaka‘ako location open, but this merely lasted till the following year. In late 1994 the former GEM became Sports Authority, which is how most people today will remember it. This lasted till the entire national Sports Authority chain was closed due to bankruptcy in 2016, which ended all eight of the company’s stores in the Hawaiian Islands.

This enabled multiple artists to use the now-empty building’s interior to show their works in the first Honolulu Biennial from March 8 to May 8, 2017. The Howard Hughes Corporation and Ward Village were major sponsors of this enjoyable cultural event, with art displayed throughout the entire district in addition to “The Hub” (the former GEM) which was then the largest space of what was called the Ward Gateway Center that housed various commercial tenants.

Finally came the ‘Ohana Hale Marketplace in October 2018. Based on the business model of a self-storage facility, the Marketplace contained 225 small individual vendor spaces, each available for rental. By December of that year, 162 were occupied. Over the next few years, tenants came and went, some moving out into the world into bigger commercial spaces. But by April 2022 the Marketplace ended in Kaka‘ako for – not surprisingly – the construction of a new and massive highrise condo on the site.

Don’t go looking for what was once GEM today — it’s completely vanished. In fact its former site is now bisected by a newly-opened street, to make the disappearance even more final.

1 GEM 64 16x9

<title>Changing Kaka‘ako: GEM Is The Big One!</title>

Back in the day, kama‘āina used to refer to these department stores as "Gem's." Here's the real history — and the real name — of these stores that once spanned the Islands.

Changing Kaka‘ako: GEM Is The Big One!

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Cino, known for its Italian dishes and seafood in an upscale setting, is launching a family-friendly brunch this weekend. Starting Saturday, Sept. 19, brunch will be every weekend from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Since Victoria Ward Park is a popular destination for families, the eatery’s new brunch offering also includes a keiki menu. Kid-friendly options include hamburgers ($16), chicken tenders ($14), keiki pasta ($14) and more.

The brunch menu features some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes from the dinner menu, along with brunch-only specialties.

The restaurant’s raw bar selection is popular; during brunch, diners can still opt for chilled seafood platters ($85/$135) with snow crab claws, cocktail shrimp, abalone or lobster crudo.

Oysters are also available by the half dozen ($27) or dozen ($54); they’re served with Prosecco mignonette.

Brunch-exclusive dishes range from ricotta toast ($19) and wagyu loco moco ($28) to wagyu burgers ($28) and garden omelets ($24). The ricotta toast is topped with prosciutto, apricot mostarda and arugula.

The wagyu loco moco and wagyu burgers are ideal for those craving something savory. The loco moco features an 8-ounce wagyu patty with local eggs, mushroom gravy and steamed rice. The burger also features an 8-ounce patty topped with local egg, bacon, garlic aioli and onion marmalade, and is served with fries.

Cino’s bestselling pastas from the dinner menu — rigatoni bolognese ($28) and king crab spaghetti ($38) — are also available during brunch. The latter is a favorite among seafood afficionados, since it includes uni (sea urchin).

During brunch, customers can also enjoy Cino’s new cocktails, which were added to the menu last week. New cocktails ($24 each) include basil mezcal sour, mint chocolate and matcha malt.

Brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Cino chef 091126

<title>Cino is starting weekend brunch in Kakaʻako</title>

The Ward Village restaurant, known for its Italian specialties and seafood, is starting weekend brunch on Sept. 19. Brunch will be every weekend from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; the menu features some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes. A keiki menu is also available.

Cino is starting weekend brunch in Kakaʻako

Business & Tourism

The transportation company Roberts Hawaiʻi will open Limelight Hawaiʻi, a new entertainment venue focused on the kamaʻāina market next month, Roy E. Pfund, the company’s president and CEO, told Aloha State Daily. The venue, which was once Hawaiian Hut, is located on the grounds of the Ala Moana Hotel and will soft open on March 20.

Originally, Roberts Hawai’i purchased the venue as a place for its long-running show, Magic of Polynesia, which had been at the Waikīkī Beachcomber by Outrigger hotel. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, that show closed, and Roberts Hawaiʻi decided to reimagine the space as one that could serve kama’āina.

Limelight Hawaiʻi is a 6,000-square foot space designed to accommodate weddings, corporate events, fashion shows, and high-level night club entertainment. It can fit up to 700 guests with a stage and 400 guests with table service. The space can accommodate just under 900 with no furniture, he said. The total investment — including buying the space — was about $15 million, Pfund said.

“We're really focusing on the kamaʻāina market,” he said. “And from the history part of how Covid impacted our company —  everything got shut down on the tourism side, and it took a while to build back — I think that was one of the main reasons why we looked at shifting to diversify our base, seeking a greater portion of our business outside the direct tourism industry.”

Roberts Hawaiʻi offers transportation packages to popular tourism attractions on Oʻahu, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island and Kauaʻi, including natural sites, such as 

, and events, such as Germaine’s Lūʻau and Chief’s Lūʻau in Kapolei. The company also operates 

Roberts Hawaiʻi is still in the “hiring mode” for this venue, Pfund added. Eventually, he expects between 50 and 60 employees will be working at this space.

“One of the good things is we do have a large employee base because we're an employee-owned company, an ESOP [employee stock ownership plan] company,” he said. “Hopefully, we can draw on some of the existing employee base, as well, to fill in. Because you have events when you may need a lot of people, and then other days, you're going to need less people, so I think that does help provide some staffing flexibility for us.”

has a 4K LED screen, lights and a sound system. Kalani Rodrigues of OnStage Hawaiʻi, was a consultant for lighting, he added. For audio, they brought in a person who handles sound for national touring acts.

The space can be used for parties and meetings during the day and pau hana with live entertainment in the evenings, Pfund said. On the weekends, especially Fridays and Saturdays, Roberts Hawaiʻi may also bring back some kind of nightclub entertainment, he added. There will also be brunches for special holidays, such as Mother’s Day.

The executive chef for Limelight Hawaiʻi is Jim Gillespie. He brings more than 30 years of experience across Hawaiʻi’s hospitality industry, including executive leadership roles at 3660 on the Rise, Plaza Club, and Sunset Bar & Grill. Jeff Marcello has been named the venue’s general manager. 

“Limelight Hawaiʻi brings together the highest-quality audio and production technology available in a venue of this kind in Hawaii,” said Marcello, in a written statement. “But technology is only part of the story. We set out to create a truly versatile space where live music, conferences, weddings and corporate events are not only supported — but elevated. That same philosophy carries through our menus, which fuse island-inspired flavors with modern favorites, thoughtfully extended into our culinary offerings, craft cocktails, and beverage program. The result is a gathering place designed to flex with the needs of our community, giving both locals and visitors a reason to think of Limelight first for their next celebration.”

The venue has already broadcast its first Super Bowl for an internal audience, and the halftime show; with the volume turned up, it sounded like a concert, Pfund said.

“We did our own Super Bowl preview,” Pfund said. “It works great, showing the Super Bowl on that big screen — that type of thing is what we really are looking at doing. Providing really the opportunity for more kamaʻāina events. So, our focus really is on the local market, as opposed to creating a showroom for some kind of tourist show or that type of thing.”

Limelight Hawai’i

<title>Roberts Hawaiʻi to open new entertainment venue</title>

The space is a $15 million investment, designed for weddings, corporate events, fashion shows, pau hana, nightclub entertainment, and more. Roberts Hawaiʻi plans to use the space — formerly known as Hawaiian Hut — to offer events that appeal to kamaʻāina.

Roberts Hawaiʻi to open new entertainment venue

, founded in 1950, celebrated its 75th anniversary this past year. Aloha State Daily recently got a behind-the-scenes look at the tofu-making process during a factory tour, led by Paul Uyehara, the third-generation president of Aloha Tofu Factory Inc.

The business was founded in 1950 by Kamesaburo and Tsuruko Uyehara, who acquired a small tofu factory from a friend. When an accidental fire destroyed the original factory in 1966, the facility was rebuilt. The current 1,115-square-meter plant in Kalihi produces 3,000 to 5,000 blocks of tofu a day, according to Uyehara. Aloha Tofu is currently the largest tofu manufacturer in the state. 

Aloha Tofu uses non-genetically modified soybeans sourced from the Mainland, along with nigari from Hawaiʻi and mineral-rich water to create a product that contains no preservatives, according to Uyehara.

[{"type":"text","text":"Our tour starts with observing the dried soybeans."}]

“We process at least 1 ton of soybeans per day,” says Uyehara. “People in Hawaiʻi love tofu; we grew up with it.”

“The soybeans are soaked overnight in water,” he explains. “We drain out the water, and from there, it drops down into the grinder. They are ground up; that way, it’s easier to process.”

The dried soybeans are soaked overnight for about 8 hours. After that, the tofu-making process takes about two hours, according to Uyehara. 

[{"type":"text","text":"Steam is then added to the mixture."}]

“You’re adding a little bit of steam at each step to cook the slurry (the creamy soybean mixture),” Uyehara says. “It’ll inactivate some of the chemicals that interfere with digestion. You don’t eat raw soybeans because it gives you gas.”

The mixture goes into a machine, and the solid parts are separate from the milk.

“The solid parts are being removed from the slurry,” Uyehara says. “This is the holding tank for the soy milk; it’s still very hot. It (the tank) pours the soymilk out, adds the coagulant, and mixes it up. This pipe comes down and fills up the bucket with hot soymilk; when it moves to the next step, it’s going to be mixing and adding the coagulant.”

The coagulant, or nigari, is from Kona, and helps the tofu take on a more gelled texture, according to Uyehara.

“It’s gelled up — it’s not liquid anymore — and at this point, we want to break it up by hand,” he says. “At this point, it’s still very soft. We break it up to have the curds broken up; that way, the water will come out. The more you break it up, the firmer the tofu will be.”

While the company has incorporated modern machinery to improve efficiency, tofu is still made using traditional, time-honored techniques, according to Uyehara.

Water is added to cool down the tofu before the tofu blocks are put into containers and sealed.

All of the factory’s products — soft tofu, firm tofu and deep-fried tofu — are made on the same line, according to Uyehara. An extra step is needed for deep-fried atsuage tofu and aburage.

“They will put it (the tofu) in the racks and it’ll cool off overnight,” Uyehara says. “These (here) are from the day before; they are all chilled down right now. It’ll go through the deep fryer for about four minutes. It’s very hot when it’s fried.”

Over the past few years, deep-fried tofu has become more popular, according to Uyehara. Deep-fried tofu can be used to make agedashi tofu or tofu poke.

Aburage, or deep-fried tofu pouches, feature thin layers of firm tofu blocks that are quickly deep fried. The factory makes about 2500 pieces of aburage a day and 1600 cups of natto once a week.

“We use the same process and same machines, it’s just a different texture and a different concentration of soymilk (to make aburage),” Uyehara says. “We also have baking soda to help puff it up and make it fluffy. Aburage is basically like a pita pocket; it’s hollow on the inside and that’s what they use to make cone sushi.”

“We’re the only one in Hawaiʻi who make aburage on this scale,” he adds.

The factory sells it firm and soft tofu, deep-fried tofu, aburage, natto (fermented soybeans), soy milk, okara (soybean meal that’s high in protein) and Ohana soy sauce. Customers can also find these products at various supermarkets throughout Hawaiʻi.

When it comes to firm and soft tofu, the most popular one depends on the market, according to Uyehara.

“If you’re going to Don Quijote Kaheka, soft tofu sells more than firm,” he says. “But if you go to most other supermarkets, the firm tofu is the number one seller. Firm tofu is more versatile; you can use it for a lot of different things.”

Fried tofu — which can be grilled, broiled, boiled or fried — is a popular protein source and can be easily used in soups and stir-fries.

Meanwhile, soft tofu is known for its delicate, custardy texture and is often eaten directly, according to Uyehara.

“You can eat it by itself or maybe blend it into a smoothie, or in a dessert,” he says.

There are certain products — like yudofu — that you can only get at the factory. Yudofu is known for its light, delicate texture, and is the stage of firm tofu production before the water is pressed out from the curds, according to Uyehara.

“When I tell people this is firm tofu, they are surprised because it’s so soft and custardy,” he says. “That’s what tofu does — when you let it sit, it will gradually become firmer and firmer because water is leaking out.

“To me, it’s the true taste of tofu because the curds are not broken up that much, and it has a very nice, light texture,” he adds. “Being able to only get it from the factory is special.”

When reflecting on the joys and challenges of the tofu-manufacturing business, Uyehara notes that consistency is key.

“This is our 75th year,” he says. “We’re acknowledging the hard work of the previous generations. We’re trying to express our appreciation to our customers for their support, and also to all our employees who helped make this tofu. We have a lot of gratitude for the 75 years that we have been in business.”

Factory is open from 7 a.m.-noon Sundays-Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays-Fridays; 7 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays  

Daily Smile: Thursday, February 5, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Thursday, February 5, 2026

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