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[{"type":"text","text":"I halp you, hooman..."}]

Smile 26 2 15

<title>Daily Smile: Sunday, February 15, 2026</title>

I halp you, hooman...

Daily Smile: Sunday, February 15, 2026

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

, known for its Japanese-style negitoro bowls, is opening its third O

ahu location this Sunday, Feb. 15. The business’s new location is on the second level of 

Aiea Shopping Center, next to Ice Garden and Koa Pancake House.

Aiea location is in the former space of a sandwich shop. Construction on the space started after the business’s sister restaurant, Marujuu Hawai

i will be open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and from 5 to 8:30 p.m. for dinner Thursdays to Mondays (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays). The business will be open for walk-ins only; no reservations will be accepted.

The menu at this location is the same as the ones at the business’s Kaimukī and 

Totoya’s original negitoro — which is made fresh daily with local fresh ‘ahi — is the base for the majority of its bowls. Its tokujo bowl ($38.90) — a premium option with original negitoro, salmon roe, sea urchin (Hokkaido uni) and snow crab — is the most popular order.

The eatery’s Fukuju bowl ($39.50) is the second most-popular dish. It features original negitoro with tuna and salmon, red shrimp, scallops, sea urchin, snow crab, tobiko and two pieces of nori.

The salmon bowl with salmon roe ($19.50) is a local favorite. All bowls come with your choice of miso soup — Aosa seaweed miso soup, or upgrade to shrimp head ($3.90) or crab ($4.90) miso soup — or half-size udon noodles ($4.90).

Other dishes on the menu include fresh shrimp combination bowl ($27.90); rainbow trio bowl ($25.90); matsu bowl ($26.90) with Hokkaido uni and salmon roe; and more.

Customers now have the option to add an “ikura shower” when they order Take, Matsu and Tokujo bowls. The “shower” includes a tripleamount of ikura for an additional $9.80.

Open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and from 5 to 8:30 p.m. for dinner Thursdays to Mondays

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Totoya Aiea kaisen don 021326

<title>Viral seafood rice bowl spot is opening in ʻAiea</title>

Totoya Hawaiʻi, known for its negitoro bowls, is opening in ʻAiea Shopping Center on Sunday, Feb. 15. The menu here is the same as the business’s other two locations in the Ala Moana and Kaimukī neighborhoods. Customers can now add “ikura showers” when ordering specific seafood bowls.

Viral seafood rice bowl spot is opening in ʻAiea

 recently launched its new happy hour menu — which features a few exclusive dishes.

Happy hour is available daily from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Kakaʻako eatery’s bar.

Choose from a variety of signature cocktails, including Amalfi spritz ($18), gin blossom ($18), the Revolver ($19) and an espresso martini ($22). A cocktail of the day ($24) is also available. 

During our visit, the featured cocktail of the day was made with vodka, muddled strawberries and chocolate bitters.

The happy hour menu features a variety of shareable dishes. The half dozen fresh oysters ($12) features the chef’s daily selection — such as Kusshi or Kumamoto oysters — and the platter comes with mignonette and cocktail sauce.

Bruschetta ($12) comes with a generous portion of burrata, marinated heirloom tomatoes and basil. The eatery's fritto misto ($16) has also been popular so far. It features a medley of delectably fried calamari and shrimp, served with a creamy, addictive lemon aioli for dipping.

If you have to only choose one fried dish, opt for the truffle fries ($16). Fries are smothered with seasonal, freshly shaved truffle; we loved the umami flavor.

If you’re not into truffles, the dynamite fries ($10) are another tasty option. They’re covered with the restaurant’s house spicy sauce — a dynamite aioli — Parmigiano Reggiano and sesame.

[{"type":"text","text":"Entrees include steak frites ($34) and an 8-ounce wagyu burger ($28)."}]

Steak frites include marinated beef — during our visit, flat iron is featured — and French fries. The 8-ounce wagyu burger is thick, juicy and easily shareable. The meaty patty is topped with garlic aioli and Asiago between a soft potato bun.

The restaurant’s signature dessert — papanasi ($16), or a traditional Romanian cheese doughnut — is still available on the happy hour menu.

We’re told the presentation changed a little — instead of a larger, thick doughnut, the dish now comprises four or five bite-sized fritters. The ricotta-like mini doughnuts are served with custard, sour cream foam and cherries.

[{"type":"text","text":"Customers can also enjoy live music daily."}]

Flair burger 112625

<title>This European steakhouse has a new happy hour</title>

Kakaʻako-based Flair European Steakhouse recently launched a new happy hour menu. Exclusive dishes include truffle fries, steak frites, and a must-have wagyu burger.

This European steakhouse has a new happy hour

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

The state will spend more than $350 million in developing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure across the state in the next decade.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation 

 Monday its Priority Multimodal Transportation Plan, another infrastructure plan outlining the state’s course of action to reach zero carbon emissions in the transportation industry by 2045.

The Multimodal Plan was preceded by HDOT’s Energy Security and Waste Reduction Plan 

 this year. Both plans were responses to a settlement agreement following the Navahine v. Hawai‘i Department of Transportation case, in which a group of Native Hawaiian youths had sued the state for allegedly making insufficient commitments to reach the 2045 goal.

The latest plan lists 132 upcoming or in-development projects across all islands as part of the Priority Multimodal Network, a series of projects that can fill gaps in existing pedestrian, bicycle or transit networks on each island between 2025 and 2034. All told, those projects would cost $358 million, with $261 million to be spent on pedestrian infrastructure — sidewalks, mostly — and $195 million for bike infrastructure. Pedestrian and bike infrastructure costs overlap for many of the projects.

The plan does not provide specifics for any of the projects in the network; impacts to existing vehicle traffic flows are not detailed.

HDOT announced Monday that it plans to invest $307 million to the project and invited community members to comment on the plan and discuss what projects are important for their neighborhoods. A series of local meetings will be held statewide over the next week; one has already been held on Kaua‘i.

The majority of projects on the list — and the ones with the largest price tags — are slated for O‘ahu, the biggest of which is the $27 million ongoing project developing a pedestrian bridge and bicycle path between Wahiawā and Whitmore Village. Other major projects on O‘ahu include a $21.5 million shared use path in Kahuku (planned to start construction in 2026) and a $20.6 million queue jump lane — a dedicated lane allowing for buses to enter an intersection before other traffic — on Farrington Highway in Wai‘anae.

Kaua‘i is another major beneficiary of the plan, with a dozen bus stops across the island planned for construction in 2027 — to the tune of $200,000 a pop — along with a $16.6 million sidewalk along Kūhiō Highway between Līhu‘e and Hanamā‘ulu, which has a planned start date of 2028.

Hawai‘i Island would receive a smattering of bus stops, bike lanes and sidewalks in its more rural neighborhoods including Nā‘ālehu and Ocean View.

Meanwhile, one project is slated for Moloka‘i: a $1.8 million shared use path along Farrington Avenue, with a start date in 2026.

All told, HDOT stated that the plan includes 52 miles of bike baths and 48 miles of sidewalks and walking paths, along with 32 bus projects.

Three public meetings will be held over the next week for Maui, O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island residents on Nov. 13, 17 and 18, respectively. Residents can sign up for those meetings virtually and submit comments 

Queue jump 16x9

<title>million bike and pedestrian plan unveiled</title>

Hawai‘i Department of Transportation releases plan of transit network projects to be completed across the state over next decade.

$300 million bike and pedestrian plan unveiled

ako-based Ya-Ya’s Chophouse & Seafood closed until a foodie friend sent me a photo of a restaurant opening in its place.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Flair European Steakhouse: coming soon,” the sign read."}]

That was about a month ago. The new eatery officially opened July 10, and we were invited to experience the modern European steakhouse.

“While Hawaiʻi offers an abundance of American and Asian fusion restaurants, we noticed a distinct lack of European cuisine," explains restaurant co-founder Constantin Dobrescu. "What we tried to do is bring the original recipes and offer them for everyone to understand how it’s actually made in Europe.”

The menu is more “American oriented,” though, according to Dobrescu, in order to still feel approachable to first-time customers.

“We want to slowly incorporate dishes that are more Eastern European,” he says. “It (the menu) has French and Italian influences, along with a little bit of Spanish and eastern European.”

The restaurant’s interior features a familiar layout as its predecessor — there’s still a bar, dining tables with ample space between them, and a private dining room toward the back. It feels more luxe, complete with velvet seats to match the darker vibe and jewel-toned colors.

ʻFlair’ was carefully chosen to reflect the essence of our concept — elegant, European dining with distinctive style and personality,” Dobrescu says. “We acquired the former Ya-Ya’s location and undertook a full renovation to bring our vision to life, designing the space to align with our aesthetic and culinary goals.”

To start, we order something familiar — tartare de thon ($21), a colorful twist on an ‘ahi tuna stack with fresh ‘ahi tuna, avocado, mango and citrus dressing. Both the mango and citrus dressing make this especially refreshing.

I should note that all dishes come with gold covers on them, which are expertly removed by the table servers to reveal the dishes underneath. This was the first time I went to a restaurant that did this, which made the experience even more elevated.

This dish features a trio of scallops served atop carrot, purple potato and sweet potato purees. Cooked perfectly, the scallops are succulent and juicy, while the purees add a slightly sweet flavor.

The pear alla Flair ($22) comes highly recommended by Dobrescu.

“It’s braised in wine; inside (the pear), you’re going to find goat cheese and roasted pistachios,” he explains. “The pear is wrapped in prosciutto di parma, it’s baked and glazed in honey, then baked a little more to give it that golden aspect. It’s probably one of the most unique things that you’ll try.”

While pears aren’t my favorite, I’m glad we tried this dish because of its novelty factor. The sweet, refreshing pear is enveloped in thin pieces of Prosciutto di Parma, giving it a nutty, savory aftertaste. I’m a huge fan of the creamy goat cheese filling and sticky, sweet honey dressing.

The Balkan salad ($18) might not be for everyone, but if you like pickled vegetables, chances are, you’ll like this unique offering. It comprises pickled vegetables, beets, potatoes, peas, goat cheese and dill. As its description implies, this salad boasts lots of pickled flavors, with an herbaceous flavor from the dill that’s nicely balanced by the creaminess from the cheese.

The Puglia ($19) was one of my favorites because it’s simple and light. Fresh arugula is topped with cherry tomatoes, fresh burrata and balsamic. The creamy burrata was divine, and this salad was the perfect segue to our entrees. 

If you’re craving seafood, Dobrescu recommends the Callibaud Noir ($43), but you won’t find any miso butterfish or Asian Fusion flavors here. The fish itself is flaky and moist, and without any strong (miso) sauce, its texture and flavor really shine. The capers are a nice touch and add extra savoriness and a slight bite.

Pasta choices range from spaghetti and rigatoni to tagliatelle and pappardelle. The eatery currently imports its pastas from Italy, but will eventually feature housemade pastas.

We opt for the pappardelle all’astice ($41), which features lobster and cherry tomatoes in a butter sauce. The pasta is perfectly cooked with a nice chew, and the buttery lobster chunks interspersed throughout are a seafood lover’s dream.

We share the recommended 14-ounce wagyu rib-eye ($109), which is aged for 32 days. The American wagyu rib-eye is served with a trio of sauces — horseradish aioli, chimichurri and a savory demi-glace — but the steak is so flavorful that it doesn’t really need the sauces. If I had to pick a favorite, though, it would be the chimichurri.

Other entrée choices include spiced lamb skewers ($38), Cotoletta alla burrata ($77) — the eatery’s take on a veal Parmesan — Prime NY strip with sea salt and butter ($67) and prime tenderloin with duchess potatoes and a choice of four-cheese, cherry reduction or wild mushroom ($68).

“All of the sauces are made in house,” Dobrescu says. “For our tasting, the cherry reduction had all positive opinions. Before I tried it, I thought, ‘How am I going to eat a filet mignon with something sweet, a cherry reduction?’ But it’s the best thing you’ll ever try.

“Since opening, some of our most popular offerings have included the Aperol spritz, pear alla Flair, escargot, Balkan salad, filet de boeuf, our 32-day dry-aged American wagyu rib-eye and the traditional Romanian dessert, Papanasi,” he adds.

More changes are coming soon to the restaurant, according to 

Dobrescu, who says that the eatery is aiming to launch a weekend brunch service on Saturdays and Sundays by the end of the year.

More immediately, guests can anticipate the opening of the eatery’s outdoor patio, which is scheduled for next week, to make it pet friendly.

“In line with that, we will be introducing a special pet menu featuring a few thoughtfully crafted options for our four-legged guests,” Dobrescu says. “Looking ahead, our guests can expect an evolving selection of European-inspired dishes featured as specials, a curated cocktail menu, and an elevated atmosphere with live entertainment, including saxophone performances, live vocalists and DJ sets.

“We look forward to continuing to bring a unique European dining experience to Hawaiʻi and thank our guests for their enthusiastic support,” he adds.

Daily Smile: Sunday, February 15, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Sunday, February 15, 2026

Authors

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