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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Training for the 2028 Olympics"}]

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

Training for the 2028 Olympics

Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 is heralded as one the most prestigious fine dining restaurants on O

ahu. Known for its French cuisine and refined ambiance, the eatery is Hawai

i’s longest-running AAA Five Diamond restaurant since 1990.

Executive chef Alexandre Trancher recently introduced a new menu degustation at La Mer; this eight-course menu only changes a few times a year. The dishes on this menu are also available a la carte. Everyone in the dining party must participate in the same menu experience.

Trancher — who began his career in France and boasts an extraordinary culinary background in Michelin-starred restaurants in Japan, Paris and Greece — moved to Hawai

i in 2012 and incorporates local ingredients into his cooking.

Dishes on the menu degustation ($325 per person, optional wine pairing available for $175) are also available a la carte.

The dining experience begins with an amuse bouche, which is meant to please your palate and prepare you for the culinary journey ahead. During this media dinner, it’s broccoli panna cotta with lobster remoulade, trout roe caviar, basil lemon oil and Japanese rice crackers for texture. It’s finished with a broccoli vichyssoise — or chilled soup — on top. It’s light, creamy and refreshing; the perfect start to our meal. 

Diners are also given a choice of featured breads from a basket. Choices include classic French baguette, nori bread made with seaweed, brioche, or sesame roll with carraway seeds. Diners can choose more than one roll; I’m partial to the buttery, flaky brioche.

The first course features a ballotine of foie gras, which is nestled under a cloud of cotton candy. It’s accompanied by apple calvados marmalade, cubes of chartreuse gelee and dollops of kahlua-ginger gel. Apple dust lies on the very bottom of the plate.

Our server suggests using the utensils to lift the cotton candy to access the foie gras, then eat the components together.

Foie gras is known for its rich, umami flavor. This course features a unique pairing through the cotton candy, but the combo works well. The airy cotton candy’s sweetness balances the foie gras’s savory flavor, and there’s lingering hints of apple with each bite.

The next dish was one of my favorites of the evening — a seared scallop on a bed of cauliflower puree. It’s topped with a cuttlefish leaf and served with an orange beurre blanc with caviar incorporated into the sauce.

The succulent, tender scallop is bathed in that flavorful cauliflower puree, and the briny caviar gives it the perfect amount of savoriness.

The third course features abalone, served in a Maui onion marmalade and topped with crispy onions and squid ink powder.

The abalone is poached in a broth of sake, konbu and daikon radish. It’s finished with a sauce of spinach and parsley emulsion in olive oil.

The next course features a colorful medley of poached Maine lobster with zucchini and yellow squash, served with coconut anchovy sauce and tomato chutney. The sauce contained heart of palm, red and yellow beets, daikon radish and chives. While the veggies are flavorful, the tender, slightly sweet lobster is the star of the show.

While all courses feature impressive presentations, this one is particularly exquisite.

The main entrée — a beef filet — comes next. The filet mignon is topped with shaved truffles and served with seared Hudson Valley foie gras, along with truffle mousseline potatoes. It’s finished with a French demiglace, which is made with Madeira wine, cognac, brandy and black truffles.

The filet is cooked to a perfect medium rare, and the shaved truffles enhance its umami flavor. It’s drizzled in a deeply flavorful demiglace.

Next comes a selection of cheeses from the restaurant’s cheese cart. Four cheeses — all of which are imported from France — are offered during our visit; the selection usually includes a variety of soft and hard cheeses. The camembert — a soft, creamy cow’s milk cheese — and Mimolette — a firm, orange-hued cheese — were my favorites of the ones featured. The latter has a harder texture and nutty flavor that’s similar to Parmesan, resulting in a savory finish.

Before dessert, the eatery’s version of madeleines is served. This refreshing palate cleanser features a madeleine-like dessert filled with mango, banana and pineapple curd, complete with white chocolate powder on top.

Dessert features an aesthetically pleasing pecan vanilla mousse. It features a chocolate and pecan center, almond cake, pecan cremeux, poached pear in a pear brandy, fennel foam and “leaves” made from a honey tuille.

The dessert overall is light and refreshing, a nice finish after the last few savory courses.

At the end of the menu degustation, diners are given mignardises, or petit fours — bite-sized French confections — to enjoy or take home. Our selection included Kona coffee coconut bon bons with caramel, mango pate fruit and Sakura financiers.

Open 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. (last seating 8:30 p.m.) Tuesdays to Saturdays

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

La Mer foie gras with cotton candy 031326

<title>Halekulani’s French restaurant has a new grand tasting menu</title>

La Mer, known for its Neo-Classic French cuisine served in a pristine setting, recently debuted a new menu degustation. The course menu only changes a few times a year; highlights from this version includes seared scallop with caviar, poached Maine lobster, and duck foie gras topped with cotton candy.

Halekulani’s French restaurant has a new grand tasting menu

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Aloha Spirit

The surfing community in O‘ahu‘s North Shore was hit particularly hard by the aftermath of the Kona low storms that flooded the Islands for consecutive weekends in March. While some surfers on the North Shore have to wait out contaminated water conditions following the storm, some surfing business have seen their headquarters get flooded. 

Waialua-based Arakawa Surfboard Factory was hit by five inches of floodwater, leaving countless foam blanks and unfinished boards damaged. Other parts of the factory, including tools and furniture were damaged during the floods, and surfboard production was paused in the days following the storm. A 

GoFundMe was started to support the business

Surfboard Factory Hawai‘i has an April sale in which all Arakawa surfboards are $50 off, and funds will assist with Arakawa Surfboard Factory's recovery costs. 

In other storm and flood relief efforts, Hawaiian Island Creations is holding a free product giveaway for those affected, particularly those who lost valuable possessions. HIC's Billabong Hale‘iwa store will host the giveaway from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 4. Brands such as 

Billabong, Quiksilver, Roxy, RVCA, Volcom and others have donated over $100,000 in inventory to give to those affected. Attendees are encouraged to bring ID cards in order to expedite the check-in process. 

Additionally, modern surfing legend and North Shore native John John Florence's brand, Florence Marine, is partnering with Sig Zane Designs and Slowtide on a limited edition merchandise collection, where 100% of the proceeds will go toward storm and flood relief. 

Waialua-based Pyzel Surfboards is holding a raffle with $3,000 worth of merchandise from the Florence brothers. Raffle tickets cost $20 each. All proceeds will go towards storm and flood relief. 

Arakawa Surfing Factory 040226

<title>Hawai‘i surfing community comes together for Kona low storm relief</title>

Multiple raffles, in addition to a Saturday giveaway, aim to help those affected by March's devastating Kona low storms.

Hawai‘i surfing community comes together for Kona low storm relief

 — owned by couple Zach and Stephanie Draper — started when they were in college; she was at Hawai‘i Pacific University, and he was at 

Stephanie Draper recalls how they loved experimenting with food on weekends, and how they often talked about how fun it would be to create their own unique spin on pizza.

“We spent over a year creating pizza dishes inspired by our heritage and the foods we love,” she says. “That is why our menu consists of so many Asian and Pacific-inspired dishes.”

The business — named after its two owners — started as a hobby. The Drapers created their menu based on their favorite tastes and dishes from their upbringing, which is why they offer classic pizza options, as well as Asian and Pacific-inspired flavors inspired by pho, banh mi and more.

“We began selling pizza out of our apartment in college,” Draper says. “From there, we did a few pop-up events, catering and investing into building our own food truck.

“One day, we were getting lunch on the North Shore when we overheard a family complain that all they wanted was really good pizza,” she adds. “We had been experimenting with pizza at the time, and decided that we wanted to be the ones to bring it to the North Shore.”

Classic pizza options include cheese, pepperoni, and meat lovers. Pizzas inspired by Asian cuisine include Da Pho ($19), banh mi ($21) and Steph’s curry ($19). Da Pho features hoisin sauce, mozzarella cheese, jalapenos, red onions, kalua pork, cilantro, Thai basil and a Sriracha drizzle. Meanwhile, Steph’s curry features housemade Thai green curry sauce, chicken, mozzarella, bell peppers, cilantro and Thai basil; the banh mi is topped with kalua pork, soy sesame sauce, mozzarella, fresh cucumbers, pickled veggies, cilantro and Sriracha aioli drizzle. 

Zephanie’s Pizza is known for its Hukilau pizza ($21), which is a barbecue kalua pork and pineapple pizza on a taro crust. However, any pizza can be made on a taro crust, according to Draper, who says there are no preservatives in their pizza dough, and they use real Italian flour and Hawaiian sea salt.

“Both, our traditional pizza crust and taro crust are handmade in house,” she says. “The overall dough process takes three to five days, to give it the exact taste and texture that we love. We use locally sourced produce from farms located across Hawai

“We are known for our signature taro crust, which is a Pacific-inspired take on our classic Italian pizza dough,” she adds. “We use real taro as the main ingredient to give it a nutty and sweet flavor. I’m Vietnamese, and taro plays such a prominent part in my favorite dishes, growing up.”

The banh mi pizza on taro crust is Draper’s favorite pizza on the menu. She has fond memories growing up and going to an Asian market.

“There was a sweet old lady always there, selling her signature banh mi sandwiches inside the shop,” she remembers. “My mom would always buy my siblings and me one if we were on our best behavior.

“The banh mi and Da Pho pizzas have a special space in my heart,” she adds. “Adding the taro crust to any of our pizzas elevates the taste and overall experience.”

 that it will be opening a second location soon in 

 — specifically at the Hukilau Marketplace at Polynesian Cultural Center.

While the business did not suffer as much damage from the recent Kona Low storms — “We had a bit of flooding in our house, but nothing too extreme,” Draper says — she says they have been focusing on helping some of their neighbors.

“Kahuku did not get hit as intensely, so the Sugar Mill is doing great and businesses are running as usual,” she says. “Some of our neighbors are in extreme need, so we have been working on that.

“The storm has affected many families and businesses in the North Shore, but everyone has lent a helping hand to rebuild the community,” she adds. “We are impressed by the love, effort and support that has been implemented. If you are reading this, keep an eye out for volunteer work — there are businesses and organizations conducting donations for those desperately in need, whether that’s hot food, medical help, clean beds or home kits. We are grateful for our community members and the organizations that see and hear the North Shore community.”

Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays

Zephanies Pizza owner 033126

<title>Zephanie’s Pizza is bringing its taro crust pizzas to a second location</title>

The business — which opened in October 2023 — is known for its Asian-Pacific inspired Neapolitan pizzas. It recently announced it will be opening a second location at Hukilau Marketplace at the Polynesian Cultural Center. While the business did not experience extreme damage from the Kona Low storms, its owners encourage the community to volunteer and help out the North Shore community.

Zephanie’s Pizza is bringing its taro crust pizzas to a second location

, located at Kapiʻolani Boulevard and Kalākaua Avenue on Oʻahu, opens April 2. 

This location is unique in that there is no drive-thru and is a dine-in location only. The restaurant can seat about 260 individuals, and Kurt Milne, owner/operator of Chick-fil-A Kapiʻolani & Kalākaua, is excited for customers to see the new space.

“I’m excited to invite people back in,” he says. “As you know, we have a drive-thru on Beretania Street; there’s a Chick-fil-A in Ala Moana Center. This will be the very first dining room in the greater Honolulu area.”

Milne is also the current owner-operator of Chick-fil-A Ala Moana Center. He says his experience at that store helped him to prepare for the Kapiʻolani & Kalākaua store’s opening.

“We were the first to open on Oʻahu in October 2022,” he says. “It wasn’t until eight months later that the Makiki store opened. We’re used to busy crowds; we’ve gotten good at our speed of service, making sure that people get in line fast and get out of line fast. We’re going to do the same here, but we can add a little extra touch, now that there’s a dining room, and provide some good service.”

Customers can stand in line to order; can order via the Chick-fil-A mobile app; or they can scan the QR code located on their table to order. Their orders will be brought to their tables when this “mobile dine-in” experience is used, according to Milne.

“We encourage guests to download the Chick-fil-A app; they can place their orders ahead of time,” Milne says. “Local owners and operators send out free items via the app often; usually once a week, I’ll send out a free item. So, if you have the app, you’re going to get a free item, earn points and you can order ahead.”

Free items can range from a free lemonade to a free sandwich or kid’s meal, according to Milne.

The designated event space — which can seat around 60 people — can be used for birthdays, business meetings and celebrations. It features a flexible layout, audio and visual equipment, and free wi-fi. Customers interested in reserving this space can call 808-909-3908 or ask a team member about it; there’s also a QR code they can scan for more information inside the restaurant.

The Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich is the most popular item, but other customer favorites include waffle potato fries and the spicy chicken sandwich.

Customers can enter the restaurant’s parking lot from Kalākaua Avenue or Kapiʻolani Boulevard, but we’re told Kapiʻolani Boulevard is the preferred route.

There is also a designated area in the restaurant for delivery drivers to pick up their orders.

Open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays; closed on Sundays

Chick fil A owner 040126

<title>Inside look at the largest Chick-fil-A in Hawai‘i</title>

The restaurant — located at Kapiʻolani Boulevard and Kalākaua Avenue — opens on April 2, with set hours from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays. Aloha State Daily got a preview of the new space at a media event, where we spoke with owner/operator Kurt Milne.

Inside look at the largest Chick-fil-A in Hawai‘i

An NCAA Tournament men's volleyball match hasn't been played at the Stan Sheriff Center since 2004, but if the University of Hawai‘i continues its winning ways, that could change in a matter of weeks. 

The NCAA men's volleyball tournament has expanded by one team each year since having seven teams in 2023. In 2026, the NCAA is making a sizable jump to 12 teams after having nine teams in the field in 2025. 

The new format in 2026 consists of the top four seeds hosting pods of three teams. After the two lower seeds in each region play each other, the winner will play the host team. Hosts and dates will be determined during the NCAA selection show on April 26. 

Each regional winner will then meet at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion from May 9-11 for the national semifinals and finals. 

In 2026, the University of Hawai‘i is currently 21-3 overall and off to a 4-0 start in Big West Conference play. The Rainbow Warriors are the No. 2 team in the country behind UCLA in both the AVCA national poll and RPI rankings. 

Although the 'Bows would be in line to host a regional as it currently stands, head coach Charlie Wade doesn't want to assume anything quite yet. 

"Pretty exciting," Wade says of the possibility of hosting a regional. "But I'm somewhat reserved on that, just from past experiences. Typically, the NCAA flying people out here has been a challenge for them to make that decision. So, we're just focused on winning as many games we can to put ourselves in a position that we're considered to be one of those teams."

The 'Bows are nearly halfway done with Big West Conference play, sweeping No. 8 UC Santa Barbara over the weekend, which was preceded by a 

convincing series sweep at Long Beach State the week before

Another test awaits the Rainbow Warriors this week in a road series at UC Irvine on Friday and Saturday. The Anteaters are currently the No. 5 team in RPI as well as in the AVCA poll. After flying back home for a few days, the 'Bows will hit the road again for a two-match series at UC San Diego on April 10 and 11. 

"We've been doing it for a while," Wade says of the back-and-forth travel between O‘ahu and California. "They're pretty used to it. I feel pretty confident that we'll be ready to play."

Kainoa Wade 040126

<title>No. 2 Hawai‘i men's volleyball on pace to host NCAA Tournament match</title>

If the Rainbow Warriors maintain their winning ways, an NCAA Tournament match could be played at the Stan Sheriff Center in May, thanks to an expanded field in 2026.

No. 2 Hawai‘i men's volleyball on pace to host NCAA Tournament match

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

In the 1980s, at the Hawai‘i State Capitol, one senator’s office manager was working late into the evening. With her was her young daughter, while everyone else had gone home for the day. As the manager finished up her work, she awaited a phone call from her husband to let her know he was on his way to pick them up.

As they waited, her daughter said she needed to use the restroom, and the office manager quickly brought her. She didn’t want to miss her husband’s phone call, so she told her daughter to walk back through the corridor and look for the lighted doorway to her office. Several minutes passed, and the woman’s daughter hadn’t returned. She searched both men’s and women’s restrooms on the floor and then called security when she couldn’t find the girl. While the office manager was instructed to wait in the office, the security team set about searching the rest of the building.

Suddenly, the woman’s daughter appeared in the doorway, speaking to someone just out of the woman’s sight. The girl told the person that she’d found her mommy and that she would be alright. The woman rushed to hug her daughter, and then called her husband and security to let them know her daughter had returned. After closing up the office, she left the building to meet her husband in the ‘Iolani Palace parking lot, behind the Capitol building.

As they crossed the mall, headed toward the palace gate, the girl looked up at the statue of Queen Lili‘uokalani and exclaimed, “Look, Mommy, that’s the lady who helped me!”

Queen Liliʻuokalani was the last ruling monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Born on September 2, 1838, Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Kamakaʻeha was educated at the Royal School. She was fluent in both Hawaiian and English, and from an early age, developed a profound love and talent for music, composing more than 150 songs, including the famous parting song, “Aloha ‘Oe.”

The death of her brother, King David Kalākaua, in 1891 marked a turning point for the kingdom, as the nation faced increasing pressure from foreign business interests. Upon her accession, Queen Lili‘uokalani was determined to restore authority to the Hawaiian monarchy and sought to implement a new constitution that would return power to Native Hawaiians.

In 1893, the Queen’s reign was forcibly ended during the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom by a group of American businessmen, with the assistance of the U.S. Marines from the USS Boston. Following a failed counter-revolution in 1895, she was imprisoned in ‘Iolani Palace. She was held under strict house arrest, where she spent her time composing music, quilting, and translating the Kumulipo to preserve Hawaiian culture. Despite these hardships, Lili‘uokalani carried herself with unwavering grace and dignity, writing and composing music during her confinement. She was known for her profound love for her people and showed particular concern for the welfare of Hawaiian youth.

In 1975, the State Legislature authorized "The Spirit of Lili‘uokalani

standing tall and stately between the State Capitol and ‘Iolani Palace. The sculpture, installed in 1982, is a three-dimensional portrait of Queen Lili‘uokalani, wearing a sleeveless gown, with a draped sash. Around her neck is a lei niho palaoa. This lei, made of intricately braided human hair with a large whale tooth pendant in the center, was often worn by ali‘i and symbolized their mana and status. In her left hand, she holds three documents: sheet music for "Aloha ‘Oe," a page of the 1893 Hawai‘i constitution, and the Kumulipo, the ancient creation chant. 

The legacy of Queen Liliʻuokalani endures not only in the history of her kingdom but in the deep love she held for her people; so much so that some say she is still seen walking the grounds of the State Capitol. One person saw her walking through the pond surrounding the building. Others have seen her moving across the courtyard. And others say that they have seen the Queen’s statue move.

One woman’s account claims that she was just walking along the pedestrian mall behind the palace to take pictures. Standing just to the left of the statue of Queen Liliʻuokalani, she framed her shot toward the Capitol building, adjusting her camera to capture the clean lines of the structure against the sky.

While trying to focus on the building, something kept moving at the edge of her vision. She turned to look, but saw only the Queen’s statue. She dismissed it at first, but it happened again. Each time she turned her head, the statue remained motionless, standing exactly as it should. As she tried to convince herself that nothing was there, she looked anyway, moving her way around the statue, ensuring that no person or animal was hiding nearby.

Finally, she shook her head and placed herself directly in front of the statue. The woman framed her shot with the palace behind the Queen and snapped a picture. When she looked at the picture, her breath caught.

The background was sharp and clear; she could see the crisp details of the trees and the palace beyond. But the statue… The statue was blurred as if the figure had moved the moment she pressed the shutter. It was almost as if the Queen refused to stand still, reminding anyone nearby that she was still there.

As the text on the plaque below the statue states, “Ola mau ko kākou Mō‘ī Wahine i ke aloha ‘onipa‘a ma nā pu‘uwai o kāna po‘e aloha ‘āina.” 

Our Queen lives forever with steadfast devotion in the hearts of her loyal people

Queen Liliuokalani Statue

<title>In the presence of the Queen</title>

"The Spirit of Lili‘uokalani," the bronze statue of Hawai‘i's last ruling monarch, Queen Liliʻuokalani, is a physical manifestation of the Queen beside the Hawai‘i State Capitol. But people tell stories of encountering more spiritual manifestations of her presence as well.

Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 3, 2026

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Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Authors

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