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[{"type":"text","text":"Never gets old......"}]

Smile 26 3 6

<title>Daily Smile: Friday, March 6, 2026</title>

Never gets old......

Daily Smile: Friday, March 6, 2026

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day by indulging in corned beef or simply want to toast with green beer, scroll below for fun ways to enjoy March 17.

59th annual Waikīkī St. Patrick’s Day parade

 will start at noon on March 17. The parade route includes Saratoga Avenue, Kalākaua Avenue and continues to the Honolulu Zoo.

There will also be a St. Patrick’s Day celebration (free admission) from 4 to 10 p.m. on March 17 between King and Hotel streets. Attendees are encouraged to wear their greenest gear, and can look forward to live performances and Celtic pipes and drums.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Aloha Beer Co."}]

: Customers can make any pint a green beer ($1 more) on St. Patrick's Day.

[{"type":"text","text":"Menu specials include:"}]

: Aloha Beer Co.’s St. Patrick's Day beer garden party is from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, March 13 

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

Family meal deal packs to-go are designed to serve four to five people and are available with a 24-hour notice. 

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

: The eatery will offer corned beef and cabbage sandwiches; cheese and pepperoni pizza slices; fish ‘n chips and cups ‘o fries. It will also have a corned beef and cabbage pizza, which features Guinness braised corned beef with housemade cabbage slaw and a drizzle of tangy Guinness mustard sauce. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Da Burger Wing Hub"}]

: This Wahiawa restaurant’s St. Patrick's-themed monthly specials include shepherd’s pie ($30); fish ‘n chips ($30); reuben sandwich ($22); corned beef, cabbage and potatoes ($35); and matcha float. 

: The bakery’s Irish soda bread ($10.25) will be baked every Tuesday and Saturday during March. It’s made with whole wheat and white flour, along with raisins, honey and buttermilk. 

: Irish soda bread will also be available on March 16 and 17

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Kona Brewing Co."}]

: The pub’s locations in both Kona and Hawaiʻi Kai will celebrate with food and drink specials. Guests wearing Kona Brewing Co. merch will enjoy happy hour pricing all day.

At the Kona Brewers Festival on March 14 at the Kona pub, the biz will be offering a special pairing menu to celebrate the limited release of Miss Bee-Havin’, a honey hefeweizen brewed with local honey in support of Pink Boots Society

. The nonprofit organization empowers women and non-binary professionals in the beef industry through education and scholarships. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Murphy’s Bar & Grill"}]

Takeout will not be available on St. Patrick’s Day. 

: Bar/restaurant is open from 11 a.m. on March 17

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

: The online business is offering a St. Patrick's Day sweets box ($15) and assorted sweet set ($3), which includes any two dipped pretzels, Oreos or Rice Krispies. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Piko (Hawai‘i Island)"}]

: This special Irish-themed prix fixe menu ($60 per person) includes a hearty Guinness stew in a bread bowl with beef tip, bacon and seasonal root vegetables; corned beef and cabbage with roasted cabbage, mashed potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, fried leeks and a Guinness-mustard sauce; and Grandma’s Irish soda bread with POG butter and lilikoʻi coulis. 

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

kahalaresort.com/dining/plumeria-beach-house/

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

: The matcha and coffee pop-up business’s March specials ($12 each) are St. Patrick’s Day themed. Enjoy the End of the Rainbow (iced matcha latte with organic mango puree, coconut cream top and rainbow sourbelt), Charmed & Lucky (iced cereal milk latte with toasted marshmallow cream top and Lucky Charms marshmallows) and double matcha (iced matcha latte with matcha cream top). 

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

: Customers can enjoy festive specials like:

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

: On St. Patrick’s Day, The Boardroom Kailua will feature green beers, Irish Car bombs, Jameson Irish whiskey specials, live music, and Irish food specials and flatbread pizzas.

During the week of St. Patrick’s Day, guests can look forward to signature green cocktails (emerald sour and shamrock martini),

For all of March, the eatery will feature Irish whiskey flights (Proper No. 12 Irish whiskey, The Whistler PX I Love You, and Boann Marsala Cask), fresh green cocktails and mocktails, and Guinness Stout and cold pints. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Pig & The Lady"}]

: Enjoy specials like corned beef pho, charred cabbage with egg nuoc chan and pickled mustard seeds; and an exclusive St. Patrick’s Day cocktail. The cocktail will feature Viet-Irish coffee, robusta beans, Jameson and pandan whipped cream. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Zippy’s Restaurants"}]

: Zippy’s is bringing back its corned beef cabbage plate ($20.95 in Honolulu), which includes cabbage, hearty pieces of corned beef, two scoops of rice and mac salad. Other festive specials include the Pot o’ Gold soup ($5.50 in Honolulu) — a creamy soup with chopped cabbage, heavy cream and bits of cooked corn beef with onions and potatoes — and a decorated St. Patrick’s Day donut ($2.99 in Honolulu). 

: March 17 starting at 10:30 a.m., while supplies last

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

St Patricks Day 2026 Aloha Beer Co 030426

<title>Where to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day 2026</title>

Get ready to (sham) rock and roll with green beers, corned beef and these limited-time specials.

Where to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day 2026

, vividly remembers serving tacos on a street corner in Waikīkī back in 2011.

“I started a little taco stand from 2011 to 2015,” he says. “I was in Waikīkī, making tacos from midnight to 4:30 in the morning. And sometimes I would stay there until 5 a.m.; I would take a lot of food with me.

“(Before that,) I was waiting tables and bartending in Vegas,” he adds. “When I moved to Hawai

i, I had to open my business to make the same amount of money. I opened in Kalihi Valley in 2015 on Cinco de Mayo.”

Since the business’s original Kalihi store opening, it has expanded. Alvarado had a Kapahulu location for a few years — “from 2020 to 2023,” he says — and opened in Pearl City. The biz recently opened its third Oʻahu location in the former spot of Pauoa Chop Suey.

“This one is in the neighborhood, so it’s really nice that people can walk here,” Alvarado says. “A lot of people have such long-lasting memories of Pauoa Chop Suey. They’re very acceptant of us; we appreciate how warm and welcoming everyone has been. I tell them, ‘I know we have some big shoes to fill, but I’m confident my feet are bigger!’”

As soon as you walk into the restaurant, the eatery’s new Los Angeles Dodgers-inspired mural is immediately eye catching.

“(For the mural) I already knew what I wanted,” Alvarado says. “I wanted to feel like I’m going right into Dodger Stadium, and all of my favorite players had just won back-to-back World Series.

“This is a big space,” he adds, regarding the restaurant’s size. “It’s kind of bigger than what we need, but it’s nice to space some things out. Now we have more dining (seating). We had that at Kapahulu, but we don’t really have that at Kalihi.”

The menu across all three stores is mostly the same, but the Pearl City and Pauoa locations also feature churros (two for $7) and nacho fries. Nacho fries ($15) are loaded with nacho cheese, shredded cheese, beans, onions, cilantro, sour cream, jalapenos, olives, pico de gallo and salsa verde, according to Alvarado. Customers can also add a protein of their choice for a supplemental charge.

“I love the nacho cheese; I have it on the menu because I like it,” Alvarado says.

Tacos are available as three-taco combo plates — which include three tacos, rice, beans and a fountain drink — or a la carte (prices vary, depending on the protein). Five-inch corn tortillas are filled with a protein of your choice, onions, cilantro and salsa verde. Choose from carnitas, beef, chicken, carne asada or a veggie (rice, beans, cheese, onions, cilantro, pico de gallo and salsa verde) option.

The three-taco combo plate — along with the eatery’s wet burrito combo plate — are the two most popular dishes, according to Alvarado.

“For the meat choice, carne asada — the steak — is the most popular,” he says. “My personal favorite is the carnitas — the crispy, shredded pork.

“The aim is to make it like a hash brown,” he says. “You crispy it up, so that when it gets to you, it has a little crispy texture and it’s still moist. There’s a little squeeze of lime on all the tacos. It gives it this nice freshness.”

The wet burrito combo plate ($17.50-$19, depending on protein) features a 10-inch burrito with cheese, onions, cilantro, olives and your protein of choice. It’s finished with red enchilada sauce, more shredded cheese and sour cream.

“I do the carne asada wet burrito with half carnitas, so it’s both steak and pork in the same (one); that’s my jam,” Alvarado says.

The menu also features regular burritos, quesadillas, macho burritos —with 12-inch flour tortillas — Mexibowls (bowls with rice, beans and a variety of toppings) and nachos.

As the new store gets more settled, Alvarado says customers can look forward to specials, and he is optimistic about the new year. 

“I’ve been doing it (the business) since 2011 and the restaurants have been since 2015, but my workers make it all happen," he says. "I have veterans that moved over (from the Kalihi store to the Pauoa store) and everyone’s willing to take on a little more responsibility. That’s the most precious part — the growth — and everybody being a part of it. One person doesn’t make this; it’s the whole team. We’re as good as our weakest link, and we don’t have any weak links!”

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays (closed Sundays). 

[{"type":"text","text":"Limited customer parking is available in the lot behind the restaurant."}]

Open 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays

Customer parking available in the lot behind the restaurant

Alejandros Pauoa owner 030326

<title>Alejandro’s Mexican Food opens in Pauoa</title>

This is the third location for the business, which opened its first store in Kalihi Valley in 2015. Customers can look forward to tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nacho fries and more.

Alejandro’s Mexican Food opens in Pauoa

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Kailua-Kona residents and business owners are urging Hawai‘i County to intervene amid exorbitant parking costs.

, West Hawaiʻi residents have complained that locals and visitors alike aren’t spending as much time or money in Kailua Village as they used to. Their diagnosis: paid parking providers.

, a group of citizens attempting to raise awareness of the issue, have pointed to private parking lot owners charging high and variable prices to park in town. Companies such as 

 — a Honolulu business that has bought up several Kona lots — have adopted surge pricing, whereby the cost of parking can change wildly throughout the day, with drivers often not knowing how much they’ll be charged until they arrive.

On the afternoon of March 3, for example, ParkLinq lots around Ali‘i Drive cost around $35 dollars for all-day parking, although some lots offered complimentary parking for stops below two hours or other discounts.

A bill under discussion by the Hawai‘i County Council might fix this, the committee hopes. Several residents testified Tuesday at a meeting of the Council Committee on Public Works and Mass Transit to urge the passage of Bill 132, which would allow the county Public Works Director to set mandatory parking regulations for all parking spaces within Kailua Village.

“This only impacts the community negatively,” said Noelle Lindenmann, who added that parking has become so expensive and unpredictable that people are choosing to not visit Kona or patronize Kailua Village businesses.

Chris Freed told the Council Committee Tuesday that he has been forced to close a shop he operated with his wife within Kailua Village after customers slowed to a mere trickle.

“We held on for 15 months, as long as we could,” Freed said. “For us it’s too late. You failed us already … we have a five-week-old son and I don’t know how we are going to manage these coming years. But there’s still an opportunity for you guys to do right by Kona people who are still hanging on.”

Bill 132 would prohibit hourly parking charges from accruing for the first three hours, and for the first 24 hours that a vehicle is parked at a paid parking facility, charges could not exceed $2 per hour. If a car is parked at a paid parking facility for more than 24 hours, the driver would be charged a flat daily fee of $30.

Other provisions of the bill include a prohibition on charging higher rates for parking stalls meant for people with disabilities, and a clause allowing parking fees to be waived if a driver is unable to reach a pay station due to a disability. Parking lot operators would also be required to post signs displaying their rates, hours of operation, towing charges and more.

A lot operator that fails to comply with the bill would be liability for civil fines between $1,000 and $5,000.

While the proposed bill was popular among most attendees, it did receive some pushback. One testifier warned that the measure imposes price controls on lawful enterprise, which could open the county to costly legal challenges.

Another testifier, Leilani Akona, wrote that smaller locally owned lots could be severely impacted by the regulations, while larger entities like ParkLinq could more easily absorb the costs. Meanwhile, hotels and resorts — which are explicitly not included among the bill’s regulations — would be unaffected entirely, which Akona argued raises questions about whether the bill could be considered equitable at all.

Those questions were enough to drive the Council Committee into a private executive session on Tuesday to consult with county attorneys. Ultimately, the Committee moved to make no action on the measure Tuesday, instead deferring the matter to a future meeting while the County Corporation Council continues to review its implications.

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

I Stock 182271252 16x9

<title>Kona residents urge action over parking woes</title>

County Council bill would limit parking charges in Kailua Village

Kona residents urge action over parking woes

Everyone’s looking to save money and get the most bang for their buck. This series will show you where you can save while still savoring a good meal.

 is known for its seafood boils. However, the eatery also offers $9.99 lunch specials from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays to Fridays.

The eatery’s lunch specials started in late November and have quickly become popular among customers.

Customers can choose from options like smoked chicken, salt and pepper pork ribs, chicken katsu, hamburger steak, kalua pork and cabbage, shrimp plates and more.

Bestsellers include the smoked chicken, ribs and hamburger steak. The smoked chicken features juicy chicken thighs that are smoked on-site.

The salt and pepper pork ribs are flavorful, but the hamburger steak is a local favorite. The biz doesn’t skimp on that flavorful gravy.

All plates come with garlic noodles, mac salad and rice. The garlic noodles are made with the eatery’s butter garlic sauce.

[{"type":"text","text":"The eatery’s lunch specials are available for both dine-in and takeout."}]

Lunch specials are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays to Fridays

Da Crawfish and Crab Shack lunch deals 021926

<title>Budget Bites: Da Crawfish & Crab Shack’s $10 plate lunches</title>

This Kapolei eatery is known for its seafood boils, but offers $9.99 lunch specials from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays to Fridays.

Budget Bites: Da Crawfish & Crab Shack’s $10 plate lunches

Shokudo is celebrating its 21st anniversary from March 1 to 14 with different specials across its three locations.

 will be offering a “Shokudo Throwback” menu, which features dishes from the restaurant’s early days at its original Kapiʻolani location.

“For me, this was something unique and special; it’s going to be reminiscent of the old menu from the original location,” says Ryan Ko, vice president and COO for Westman Corp

. “So many times, guests ask, ‘When are you going to bring this (a specific dish) back?,’ so maybe now is a good time to do it.”

“Throwback” dishes include fresh tofu ($12), fresh tofu salad ($16), teriyaki chicken quesadilla ($16), lobster dynamite roll ($22) and the eatery’s popular hot stone ishiyaki bowls ($22 each). Customers can choose from bibimbap, unagi rice or garlic shrimp. These dishes will be available from 3 p.m. to last call from March 1 to 14.

“We looked at whatever was the most popular (from the Kapiʻolani location) and decided to bring it back,” Ko says.

The fresh tofu salad features a sesame dressing that the restaurant makes in-house. If you miss the signature tofu, it’s also served on its own.

“The texture is really unique and different,” Ko says. “It’s going to be served with green onions, nori, salt and a little bit of soba tsuyu.”

The teriyaki chicken quesadilla ($16) comes with a flavorful cilantro herb sauce for dipping.

The lobster dynamite roll ($22) features the eatery’s creamy house dynamite sauce with baked lobster chunks, served atop a California roll.

Those who frequented Shokudo’s Kapiʻolani location will remember the hot stone ishiyaki bowls ($22 each), which were designed to mix tableside. Choose from bibimbap, unagi rice or garlic shrimp.

Customers can also enjoy the eatery’s Blushing Geisha cocktail ($13.50), which features a strawberry ume flavor (strawberry vodka and muddled ume).

Meanwhile, Waikīkī Shokudo will offer 21% off select dishes during the restaurant’s operating hours. The discount will apply to washugyu tataki, pork shabu salad, miso butterfish, hamachi carpaccio, garlic pepper rice, horumon stir-fry and mentaiko TKG.

 — will be offering $10 poke bowls from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For every poke bowl purchase, customers can get a $21 Westman Group gift card (limited to the first 21 guests each day; limit one gift card per guest).

The gift card is valid at all Westman Group’s locations, including Buho Cocina y Cantina, Kaimukī Shokudo, Waikīkī Shokudo, Poke Stand by Shokudo, Fukurou, Paris.Hawaiʻi and Westman Cafe — which will be opening soon in Ward Village.

Anniversary specials served from 3 p.m. to last call March 1 to 14

Kaimuki Shokudo dinner spread 022526

<title>This “Shokudo Throwback” menu is available for a limited time</title>

Shokudo is celebrating its 21st anniversary with different specials at its various locations from March 1 to 14. Waikīkī Shokudo will offer 21% off select dishes; Kaimukī Shokudo will feature a “throwback” menu — with favorites from the business’s original Kapiʻolani location — and Poke Stand by Shokudo will offer $10 poke bowls.

This “Shokudo Throwback” menu is available for a limited time

[{"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.

Daily Smile: Friday, March 6, 2026

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Daily Smile: Friday, March 6, 2026

Authors

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