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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"This is Summit. He is a friend to pretty much everyone he meets......."}]

Smile 26 3 28

<title>Daily Smile: Saturday, March 28, 2026</title>

This is Summit. He is a friend to pretty much everyone he meets.......

Daily Smile: Saturday, March 28, 2026

 This is Summit. He is a friend to pretty much everyone he meets.......

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Food & Dining

Francis and Charles Higa, the founders of Zippy's Restaurants, were really more than brothers.

"They were best friends growing up," says Francis' son Jason Higa. "It wasn't surprising, I think, to those that knew the two brothers that they would start a business together."

Zippy's, a popular and iconic institution in the Islands, was founded by the Higa brothers in 1966 and will celebrate its 60th anniversary this year. Aloha State Daily recently caught up with Jason Higa, CEO of Zippy's parent company, FCH Enterprises, to learn about the restaurant's origins, its legacy and more.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"In the beginning"}]

Higa says his dad and uncle were two of six siblings working at a family-owned meat market, which is still operated today by cousins.

"But at that time, Francis and Charlie knew that Higa Meat Market was not going to be big enough to sustain ... six siblings, so they decided to leave [and] start their own business," he told Aloha State Daily earlier this month.

It was the 1960s, and Higa says the pair began to look at different business options. Eventually, they started to talk to restaurant operators — more so drive-in operators, he says. Those operators, though, were quick to discourage the brothers because of their lack of experience — but the pair continued on anyway.

The Higa brothers opened the first Zippy's Restaurant in Honolulu's McCully neighborhood on Oct. 17, 1966.

They had no culinary background, Jason Higa says, so the duo hired Shiro Matsuo, a chef for then-Gov. John Burns. Matsuo, who went on to open his own restaurant called Shiro's Saimin Haven, helped Higa's father and uncle create the first menu for Zippy's.

"He was an excellent cook, came up with all the recipes for our original menu and that's how Zippy's got started."

The restaurant was open 24 hours at the start. Higa says that was unusual for the time and a lot of business in the early years came between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. "because there were no other options."

Zippy's, he says, became a destination for late night movie-goers, customers from the bars that were open until 2 a.m. and hotel workers coming from or headed to late night shifts in Waikīkī.

"We had a very robust customer base because of the 24 hours of operation, of course seven days a week."

In the early days, Higa says his uncle would work 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. or later, and his father would would 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.

"They always felt that one of them should be active at the restaurant to make sure they can support the team members and make sure the customer service was where they wanted it to be," he told ASD. "Growing up, my recollection was my father was always sleeping because he was sleeping during the daytime, preparing to go to work at 6 p.m."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Family traditions"}]

Not surprisingly, Higa — who was around 3 when the first Zippy's opened — says his first job was at Zippy's in Makiki when he was 14.

"My dad wanted me to experience working at an early age and so I worked as a utility dishwasher that first summer, and subsequently would work on the weekends during high school and summers between high school," he says. "I pretty much worked in almost every position in the company over that period before leaving to the Mainland for college."

Higa, though, says he had no desire to lead the company. In fact, after college he went to law school and subsequently spent five years working at a Hawai‘i law firm before returning to Zippy's in 1995. He went through the management training program and worked at various stores and Zippy's central kitchen before taking the leadership position in 2003.

"I had no desire to come back to the family business, but after five years working as an attorney, I realized that there was a special opportunity that I had in terms of coming back to the family business," he says. "The truth is that I think I was motivated from the standpoint of when I grew up, my father was always working, so I really didn't get a chance to get to know him as well as I wanted to. Coming back to the family business in '95 was probably, for me, an opportunity to get to know him better.

"I never worked directly under him at any point before his passing, but I definitely began to understand him as a person, pretty much through the company culture."

[{"type":"text","text":"When his father died, Higa says he didn't feel ready to take the reins."}]

"It eventually took me four years before I realized that, hey, I just got to do my best, and learned over the years how to navigate, how to build our leadership team, how to make decisions. [I] always led by the core values, which gives you a sense of direction in terms of decision-making and that has always helped us to make good decisions along the way."

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

Zippy's has long been popular with kama‘āina. Actor 

 has called it his first stop in the Islands when he visits Hawai‘i. His newest movie, '

' features select scenes filmed at Zippy's ‘Ewa Beach location, and as a tie-in with the movie, Zippy's even offered a limited-time menu item called 

. Former President Barack Obama is said to have frequented the 

 across on O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i Island and in Las Vegas. And if you're wondering, it sells more than 

When asked about Zippy's legacy, Higa says it's a byproduct of the last 60 years.

"As I was in the stores, what was clear is that there was a strong connection between our team members and customers," he says. "We still today have many customers, some of them would come in every day. We had customers that would come in for breakfast and lunch and sometimes even dinner, which is just amazing. And so they, of course, got to know the team members. The team members got to know the customers."

[{"type":"text","text":"The connections are multi-generational, too."}]

Higa says there are team members who have children whose first jobs were at Zippy's, "and then you see the multi-generational evolution of our early customers now bringing in their children and then now grandchildren coming into our locations."

"I think that's just a special part of our relationship with our community," he continued. "Francis and Charlie always understood that they were only successful because of our customers and because of the community, so we have a long history of giving back to the community."

And when he's asked about things that have contributed to the chain's 60-year success, Higa cites the core values that go back to Zippy's founders. 

The company uses the acronym CHIPS: commitment, humility, integrity, passion and supportiveness.

"It's really reflective, I think, of why we have been able to stay in business," he says. "So definitely the level of commitment, but also humility, and humility translates into being willing to learn, to evolve. We certainly have done that over our history, a lot of changes that we have to do in order to adapt."

As an example, Higa cites the Covid-19 pandemic, which he says allowed Zippy's to "make a lot of changes, which are benefiting us today."

[{"type":"text","text":"Meanwhile, integrity is \"essential\" in Hawai‘i."}]

"For Francis and Charlie, the reputation of the business was so important, and there's many examples where they didn't care about profit," Higa says. "They were looking at the long-term and making sure they always did the right thing throughout their history and that, I think, created the trust with our customer base and even internally with our team members."

Supportiveness is reflected in Zippy's growth, he told ASD, "especially in the early years, they were very encouraging of team members to advance into management or other positions of greater responsibility."

"I think what they learned early on [is that] expansion created opportunities for team members to continue to progress and grow within the company. We have many team members that have been with us for decades, and started out as a utility, a counter person ... and today they're in executive leadership or management or they're a key part of our administrative positions."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"60th anniversary"}]

How does it feel to hit this milestone and lead the company across that threshold?

"At times, it feels overwhelming, but I realize that is a privilege, for not just for me, but I know for the executive team or any of our longtime team members," Higa says. "They understand the legacy of our founders and how hard the founders worked and we continue to carry on that legacy by remaining successful, figuring out what we need to figure out, and ensure that we can continue to operate because we also realize that we are providing a living for all of our team members."

Zippy's, which will celebrate the milestone throughout the year, kicked off its anniversary celebration earlier this month with the launch of a new line of 60th anniversary merch.

, includes apparel and accessories inspired by the brand's evolving logos and design history.

Zippy's also will introduce limited-time menu offerings and a series of collaborations with Hawai‘i-based businesses throughout the year, including collabs with Kahala, Hawaiian Island Creations, FITTED Hawai‘i, Keiki Kaukau and others, a recent announcement noted. More will be announced through the year.

Higa, who spoke to ASD between back-to-back Kona Low storm systems that battered the Islands this month, shared his gratitude for Zippy's team members, its customers and the community.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Waipahu1971 01

<title>Zippy's Restaurants celebrates 60th anniversary in 2026</title>

Brothers Francis and Charles Higa opened the first Zippy's Restaurant in Honolulu's McCully neighborhood on Oct. 17, 1966. Aloha State Daily recently caught up with Jason Higa, CEO of Zippy's parent company, FCH Enterprises, to learn about the restaurant's origins, its legacy and more.

Zippy's Restaurants celebrates 60th anniversary in 2026

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

The seasonal pop-up — presented by Prince Waikīkī and The House of Suntory — soft opens today and is grand opening tomorrow. The pop-up is located on the lobby level of the hotel, and is open from 5 to 10 p.m. (last call 9:30 p.m.) Thursdays to Sundays through May 31.

Attendees can look forward to a curated selection of Beam Suntory cocktails — along with premium sakes, Japanese beers, and select wines by the glass — along with shareable dishes.

Dishes on the food menu include a seafood platter for two ($80), sando trio combo ($25), fresh ‘ahi sashimi ($20), yakitori and yaki onigiri combo ($15), and a matcha dessert combo ($12).

The seafood platter comprises a lobster tail, crab, shrimp, oysters and ‘ahi sashimi. It’s served with lemon wedges, Kona ogo and a variety of sauces (ponzu, mignonette and cocktail).

Meanwhile, the sando trio combo ($25) features Japanese-style sandwiches with fillings like tamago (egg salad), tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) and steak (grilled wagyu skirt steak). The combo features sandwich halves, making it easier for customers to try a little of each. 

The fresh ‘ahi sashimi ($20) and yakitori and yaki onigiri combo ($15) are perfect if you want a pūpū-sized snack. The latter features grilled chicken thigh skewers (three per order) served with a grilled rice ball.

Meanwhile, the matcha dessert combo ($12) features Dave’s matcha ice cream and housemade matcha warabi mochi, served with kinako powder and brown sugar syrup.

The beverage selection includes beers ($9), select wines by the glass ($10), Toki High Balls ($15) and a variety of themed cocktails ($17). Choose from shiso-spritz — shiso-infused Suntory Haku vodka, Midori, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, Bene soda water and expressed lemon peel — Pink Ryu, which is a vibrant mix of dragon fruit, Suntory Roku gin, Haiken lychee vodka, Funkin passion fruit puree and Liquid Alchemist coconut syrup; and Citrus Sanpin.

The latter features Jasmine green tea-infused Suntory Haku vodka, Jasmine green tea syrup, fresh lemon juice, Jasmine green tea and an expressed lemon peel.

Customers can order premium sakes by the glass or bottle. Sake flights ($20) are also available.

[{"type":"text","text":"Complimentary self-parking is available with validation from the pop-up."}]

Open from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursdays to Sundays

House of Sakura entrance 032626

<title>House of Sakura pop-up opens in Honolulu</title>

This spring pop-up at Prince Waikīkī opens today. It will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursdays to Sundays until May 31. Attendees can look forward to curated cocktails, premium sakes and shareable dishes in an aesthetic setting.

House of Sakura pop-up opens in Honolulu

Real Estate

Government & Politics

New research from the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization, or UHERO, looks at the ripple effect caused by new housing constructed in Hawai‘i.

The study looks at a concept called “housing filtering,” which UHERO says is “a process in which new construction sets off a chain of moves that frees up existing homes across the market. When a household moves into a newly built unit, it leaves behind a previous home, creating and opportunity for another household, and so on.”

UHERO Associate Professor Justin Tyndall traced the market effects of The Central, a 512-unit condo near Ala Moana Center that includes 202 market-rate units and 310 affordable, or income-restricted, units.

 that 180 specific addresses became vacant because of moves into The Central. However, accounting for incomplete data, he estimates that the new tower created more than 500 local housing vacancies islandwide within three years of its 2021 completion by setting off chains of moves.

Additionally, he writes that while units in The Central were “expensive on a per-square-foot basis,” homes vacated by those moving into the condominium were about 40% less expensive.

“New housing tends to be very expensive and this creates some animosity from some people about whether or not we should be building new condos at all, for example, because they tend to be quite expensive, a lot of people will never be able to afford them, so to what extent do they improve people’s lives through helping affordability?” Tyndall told reporters earlier this week. “The argument in this paper is that the way that new housing improves affordability is largely through this housing filtering process.

“When we build new housing, it typically contributes new housing because people will move into it from older, cheaper housing, freeing [those units] up for other local residents.”

Tyndall says too, that there’s evidence of downsizing, which means people often leave behind much larger units when they move into The Central —  properties with more bedrooms, single-family homes in a variety of neighborhoods, “freeing up an array of housing stock” for other households locally.

“We also find that people tend to move into socio-economically better neighborhoods,” he continued. “The neighborhoods people typically left behind when they moved to The Central tended to have lower median income, lower average home prices, lower education rates, things like this,” and that’s replicated across these other moves.

And while both the market-rate and income-restricted units both added to local housing supply, Tyndall says market-rate units created more local vacancies.

“Income-restricted units also created local vacancies, but it was much more likely that the person moving into those income-restricted units were moving out of their parents’ house or a roommate situation, so that didn’t create necessarily a previous address vacancy because Mom and Dad stayed behind and didn't leave the home,” Tyndall says.

Market-rate units, however, “tended to be the entire family vacating a prior address and moving into The Central,” he continued. “Having said that, the income-restricted units did tend to reach further down into the distribution of prices, so we find very-low-priced units are often involved in the movement chains that involve the income-restricted units that did create vacancies.”

 that the findings provide “direct evidence that new multifamily construction can influence housing affordability through mechanisms that extend beyond the immediate occupants of new units. While the direct beneficiaries of new housing are those who move into newly constructed homes, the resulting movement chains can create housing opportunities throughout the broader market.

“For policymakers and planners, the results highlight the importance of considering these broader market dynamics when evaluating housing policy,” he continues. “Expanding housing supply in high-demand areas can improve affordability not only through income-restricted units, but also through the filtering process that returns older housing stock to the market. Policies that block market-rate housing construction, because new units are expensive, can be largely counterproductive. The production of all types of housing pushes up the overall supply of homes and can contribute to greater affordability across all segments of the market.”

When asked by Aloha State Daily during a press conference Monday if there was anything particularly surprising in the findings, Tyndall said the magnitude of the price effect was larger than he expected.

“I think one narrative around building new condominiums [is] it’s a lot of rich folks moving between luxury housing, but here we find this is 40% drop in the value of units between these rounds, suggesting that pretty quickly these quote, unquote luxury units are helping relieve housing stresses in other parts of [the] market … .”

housing construction I Stock 885566710

<title>How a new condo development impacts the housing market</title>

New research from University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization highlights the ripple effects that The Central, a 512-unit condo near Ala Moana Center that was completed in 2021, had on O‘ahu's housing market.

How a new condo development impacts the housing market

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

From a fundraiser for North Shore farmers at Mohala Farms in Waialua to a rock musical at Mānoa Valley Theatre, there are lots of events happening this weekend. Get ready to make plans for this Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Oʻahu.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, March 27"}]

Help raise money for North Shore farms impacted by the recent Kona Low storms through 

. This night of food, music and rebuilding starts at 5 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. at Mohala Farms in Waialua. There will be buffet-style farm food, a raffle featuring local goods and services and live music. Donations of food, clothing, appliances and farm tools will be accepted. Tickets are $30 plus fees. 

The show is being brought to the stage at Mānoa Valley Theatre by Director 

, a recently retired professor of theatre for the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Department of Theatre and Dance. She is making her MVT debut and is joined by her daughter, Teia, the scenic designer for the production. 

Catch this theatre-in-the-round production

 where the actors and actresses are surrounded by the audience on every side. The rock musical explores societal pressures, burgeoning sexuality, repression, desire and more. Performances run Thursday to Sunday through April 5. 

. Students can secure $20 tickets with the code “Spring” at checkout, but must bring a valid student ID to the theater. 

Check out an exhibit that combines Hawaiʻi and Legos. 

Imagine humuhumunukunukuapua‘a, kalo, Hōkūleʻa and rainbows. Now, picture them formed with Legos. These are some of the items on display in “Aloha Bricks ʻ26: Stories of Hawaiʻi,” a new exhibit opened recently in the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum’s Castle Memorial Building. Also on display are Lego creations built by school children from 50 schools across Hawaiʻi. Admission to the special exhibit is included with general admission, which starts at $25.95 for youth and $33.95 for adults. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Saturday, March 28"}]

This event, which runs Saturday and Sunday, includes more than 200 vendors, many of which will offer $7 mini food plates at the Neal S. Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. Aloha State Daily is the event’s stage sponsor. Come say hi to the Aloha State Daily team at our booth! There will be games and chances to win merchandise at our table. Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. General admission is $6.50. For seniors and military, it is $4.50. Keiki who are 12 years old or younger get free admission with a paying adult. 

FoodieCon will be collecting donations for those impacted by the Kona low storms. Needed items include bandaids, hydrogen peroxide, gauze, paper towels, toothpaste, and more. Check 

Sponsored by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, this parade is expected to have about 1,000 marchers, 15 floats and 10 bands. The parade takes place in Kapolei and ends at Ka Makana Aliʻi. Roads close at 4 p.m. and reopen at about 7 p.m. Free. 

 This event is sponsored by RM Mahe Hui LLC and is expected to have about 3,000 marchers, 30 vehicles and 12 bands. The parade will travel down Kalakaua Avenue to Kapiʻolani Regional Park. Free. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Sunday, March 29"}]

“Sounds of the Ocean” at the Planetarium. 

This family-friendly film captures the sounds of whales and dolphins and immerses viewers in the world underwater. It will be showing at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum’s J. Watumull Planetarium.The planetarium can be cold, so consider a sweater. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for students, seniors, military and keiki under 12 years old. 

Did you see a rainbow? Please share the picture! Submissions may be featured in our reader submission series called Hawaiʻi Skies. Include your name, where the picture was taken and why the moment was special. 

In addition to weekend events, this Thursday, March 26, marks Prince Kūhiō Day. Check out some of the films showing at 

Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum’s J. Watumull Planetarium

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

"Spring Awakening"

<title>Kōkua Waialua, FoodieCon, and more: What to do on Oʻahu this weekend</title>

Ready to help farmers in Waialua who were impacted by floods? Want to see a humuhumunukunukuapua‘a formed entirely from Legos? Aloha State Daily rounded up a list of things to do Friday, March 27, through Sunday, March 29.

Kōkua Waialua, FoodieCon, and more: What to do on Oʻahu this weekend

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Columnists

The candidate knocked at my door. “Good afternoon, sir. My name is such and such and I’m running for so and so.” After a bit of small talk, I asked what high school he went to. He started to answer in all but a whisper: “Puh, puh, puh.”

I told him to speak up. “Don’t worry. I went to Roosevelt. I went to community college. I don’t care if you went to Punahou.”

“All I care about is what you’re going to do for our district. How are you going to lead?”

This is more common than you’d think. Put some of our private school alumni in a mixed room and they suddenly become shy about being Raiders (to be fair, Punahou alumni should be shy about pretending that the winged-O is a mascot).

Someone, somewhere taught them that privilege is something to be ashamed of. Maybe it was a college professor. Maybe the DEI director at their corporate job. Maybe they got tired of cousins giving them grief at the family potluck. However it happened, they absorbed the idea that the advantages they received were a verdict on their character.

But consider what they’re actually ashamed of. Better-resourced classrooms. Championship athletic programs. Campuses that genuinely do look like country clubs. College counselors whose entire job is getting seniors into good schools. Alumni networks that, 15 years after graduation, still open doors.

The Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy graduates are the funniest. They almost always have to preface, either admitting that they were kicked out of another school or maintaining that they were not. And you’ll occasionally meet the Punahou or ‘Iolani alum who hastens to clarify that they were on athletic scholarship, or that financial aid covered most of it. Midpac students are the least squeamish, though that’s changing as tuition rises. This year, tuition is over $30,000 at most of the elite private schools. And it’s okay, brother. I don’t care if your family is rich.

Being poor is not a virtue, and having wealth is not a sin. The most contemptuous attitudes toward the poor I’ve ever encountered came not from old money but from the man who clawed his way out of poverty. You’ve met the Horatio Alger type, who now looks back at his childhood friends and sees crabs in a bucket. Shame about wealth doesn’t produce generosity. It produces paralysis, or the bitterness that mistakes suffering for moral achievement.

Private school does not protect families from themselves. I’ve known private school students with drug problems, children of divorce, kids who came home to an empty house and a credit card on the counter. The school doesn’t sanctify the household.

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow” is not a line for people who arrived at their blessings by their own effort. It’s a line for people who received something. The apostle Paul put the same question more bluntly: “What do you have that you did not receive?” The man who buried his talent didn’t lose it because he was wicked; he lost it because he was afraid, and fear made him useless.

The candidate at my door wasn’t being asked to apologize for his education. He was being asked what he planned to do with it.

There are, of course, situations where you shouldn’t identify yourself with Punahou. When you’re bodyboarding at Sandys and you drop in on an uncle and he starts yelling, don’t bring up Obama. Don’t answer when Uncle asks what school you went to. No need to start singing 

"O‘ahu a, O‘ahu a, Punahou, our Punahou."

That’s not shame. That’s just reading the room.

Honolulu Punahou Carnival aerial 020325

<title>"Puh, Puh, Punahou"</title>

ASD columnist Sterling Higa has three words for kama‘āina who hide their private school background — cut it out!

"Puh, Puh, Punahou"

 but didn’t want to commit to a monthly prix fixe menu — now’s your chance.

The eatery closed briefly in early January to give its staff a break, and recently opened with a new format.

, “Chef Chris (Kajioka) always intended this space to be a restaurant for the neighborhood; the same place where he grew up and spent time as a kid. This space will return to be ‘Café Miro,’ featuring an a la carte menu that will be built around the ethos of just being delicious.”

Once the restaurant reopened later in January, we made reservations to check out the new a la carte dishes. A classic prix fixe menu ($135 per person, optional $65 wine pairing) is still available, and comprises crowd favorites like ‘ahi brioche, miso black cod and filet of beef.

The eatery’s sister restaurant, The Counter Miro — formerly Leila Kaimukī — will be highlighting the prix fixe concept through a multi-course tasting counter, which will be available soon.

Cafe Miro's a la carte menu offers a mix of snacks and appetizers, salads, entrees, sides and desserts.

The eatery’s signature ‘ahi brioche ($14), chive madeleines ($24) and charred cabbage salad ($20) come highly recommended.

The thick, buttery brioche is topped with a generous slab of ‘ahi, along with avocado, tare and chives.

While madeleines — small butter cakes known for their sponge cake-like interior and crispy edges — are often served in dessert form, this savory version is served warm and accompanied with Hudson Valley foie gras mousse.

The dish is like a twist on bread and butter in the best way — the madeleines are light and spongy, complemented by the savory, easily spreadable mousse. The foie gras flavor is subtle — earthy and nutty, without being overwhelming.

The Caesar salad ($22) is one of my new favorites on the menu. It features thick, spongy croutons — made from the same buttery brioche as featured in the ‘ahi brioche — and 2-year-old aged Parmesan. We appreciated the nutty, savory flavor; this is an ideal dish for cheese lovers.

We’re told the roasted garlic bone marrow ($28) was inspired by a popular restaurant in New York called Blue Ribbon Brasserie, which is known for its bone marrow served with oxtail marmalade.

Miro’s version features a beef cheek marmalade made with port wine and sherry vinegar. The topping’s acidity cuts the fat from the bone marrow, and the harmonious medley pairs perfectly with pieces of toasted shokupan bread.

Entrees range from Café burger ($30) — double wagyu patty, caramelized onion jam and green peppercorn aioli — and Ry black cod ($45) to meaty options like Westholme rib-eye ($95) and Westholme striploin ($89).

The cod is sold out during our visit, but its Hokkaido scallop substitute was a mouthwatering replacement. The succulent scallops were served in a rice porridge made with shio koji miso and topped with bubu arare and daikon. 

Meanwhile, the tender Australian wagyu rib-eye is served with garlic confit and shallots. You’re given the option to add sauces — Cognac peppercorn ($18), black truffle butter ($18) or crab Hollandaise ($22) — but the meat is so flavorful that it doesn’t need additional flair.

Sides are served a la carte; options include beef tallow fries ($10), smoked mozzarella smashed potatoes ($14) and baby spinach with garlic confit ($14). The Yukon smashed potatoes are indulgent and buttery, and the cheesy flavor isn’t overwhelming. If you order the burger, though, go for the beef tallow fries.

End with desserts like banana mochi cake ($10) and Strauss soft serve ($12). It’s difficult to choose one — you can always get both — but I’m partial to the soft serve.

Boasting a luscious, velvety texture, the soft serve is reminiscent of the creamy Hokkaido soft serve you’d find in Japan. Take your pick from three toppings — salted miso caramel, Laudemio olive oil or valrhona chocolate and candied peanut. If you want a more “classic” dessert, go for the dark chocolate and candied peanut, which provides a nice crunch. The salted miso caramel is sure to please those who prefer a balance of sweet and savory.

There’s something to be said for the banana mochi cake ($10), though. It’s like a lighter version of banana bread, complete with mochi’s signature, slightly chewy texture.

Cafe Miro entrees 012926

<title>Café Miro Kaimukī has a new a la carte menu</title>

The Kaimukī eatery recently changed its format to offer both, a prix fixe menu and an a la carte dining option. New a la carte dishes include a café burger, wagyu beef tartare, roasted garlic bone marrow and an indulgent soft serve dessert.

Daily Smile: Saturday, March 28, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Saturday, March 28, 2026

Authors

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