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Daily Smile

"You know the rules, Pablo. You stay in your lane and I'll stay in mine..."

Smile 26 5 18

<title>Daily Smile: Monday, May 18, 2026</title>

Daily Smile: Monday, May 18, 2026

 &quot;You know the rules, Pablo. You stay in your lane and I&#039;ll stay in mine...&quot;

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Prior to summer, the dessert was only available on Saturdays, but for the next few months, customers can get it from Wednesdays to Saturdays.

“Our in-house, made-from-scratch, original recipe of Hokkaido soft cream was created by our chocolatier from Hokkaido,” says business owner Erin Kanno Uehara. “It’s made fresh four days a week for the summer.”

The soft serve dessert ($6.99) is made with Hokkaido milk powder to replicate the creamy soft serve from Japan. The Choco le‘a soft cream was introduced to the public in March 2024, but it was on hiatus during the holiday season.

Customers can choose from Hokkaido cream vanilla, Choco leʻa chocolate or a swirl. The toppings bar is a new addition. For an additional $1.50, you can take your pick from the toppings bar, which includes sprinkles, Fruity Pebbles, gummy bears, Oreo crumbs, Oreo cookies and more.

The dessert shop also brought back its popular iced chocolate drink ($7.49) with cold brew coffee (additional $2), which is made in collaboration with 

, also located in Mānoa. The drink is made with housemade chocolate syrup and oat milk.

“Our in-house chocolate drink is also a summer special and a collaboration with our friends at Morning Glass and their exceptional cold brew for the perfect balance of chocolate and coffee,” Kanno Uehara says.

The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays (closed Sundays and Mondays).

Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays; closed Sundays and Mondays

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Choco lea Hokkaido soft serve and chocolate drink 061026

<title>Choco leʻa launches summer specials</title>

The Mānoa dessert shop is offering its Hokkaido-style soft serve and popular iced chocolate drink with cold brew coffee on a regular basis for the next few months. The latter is a collaboration with Morning Glass Coffee.

Choco leʻa launches summer specials

IMG 1445

Rick Hamada

Columnists

[{"type":"text","text":"There is one thing on which we can all agree."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"We have our favorites."}]

In that spirit I find it's time to take a short break from the rather heady topics we engage in each week and spend a few moments to simply embrace what Maria in "The Sound of Music" shares by singing, "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things."

[{"type":"text","text":"Here are some of mine and I'd love to hear a few of yours."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Again, we all have ours, and I'll ask again, what are yours?"}]

I love cars. And, no, I don't include electric vehicles. Sorry, just seems like a glorified golf cart. A real car is a combustion engine,6 - 8 cylinders, 300-plus horsepower and, well, I prefer European but there are just so many great vehicles.

We all have our favorites regarding entertainment. This could run the gamut from movies, TV shows, concerts and audio.

There are so many aspects in our lives that qualifies as our favorites. The beauty of it all is there are no right or wrong answers, and those who are critical of your favorites would easily make my list of non-favorites.

So, enjoy and revel in what makes your lists of favorites. It's how we can find an essential balance while we navigate this thing called life.

Martini i Stock 484787146

<title>Hamada: My favorite things</title>

There have been plenty of heavy topics to write about in recent weeks, so for this week, let's have fun. Martinis, anyone?

Hamada: My favorite things

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

More than 200 candidates are running for elected offices in Hawai‘i and will appear on ballots this year. See the candidates for city and county races, 

Tuesday marked the filing deadline for prospective political candidates to submit their nomination papers to run for office in the upcoming 2026 elections. The 2026 primary election will be held Saturday, Aug. 8, with the general election set for Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Here are the candidates for statewide races. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Governor"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Lieutenant Governor"}]

U.S. Representative candidates, District II

State Senator District 5 (Wailuku, Kahului)

State Senator District 8 (Kaua‘i, Ni‘ihau)

State Senator District 9 (Hawai‘i Kai, Diamond Head)

State Senator District 10 (Kaimukī, Kapahulu, Mō‘ili‘ili)

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"• Incumbent Les Ihara Jr., Democrat "}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"• Jackson Sayama, Democrat  "}]

State Senator District 11 (Mānoa, Makiki, Punchbowl)

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"• Incumbent Carol Fukunaga, Democrat "}]

State Senator District 13 (Liliha, Iwilei, Nu‘uanu)

State Senator District 14 (Moanalua, ‘Aiea, Fort Shafter)

State Senator District 15 (Kalihi, Māpunapuna)

State Senator District 17 (Mililani Town, Wahiawā)

State Senator District 19 (Pearl City, Waipahu)

State Senator District 20 (‘Ewa Beach, Ocean Pointe)

State Senator District 21 (Kalaeloa, Kapolei)

State Senator District 25 (Kailua, Waimānalo)

State Rep. District 3 (Hilo, Keaukaha, Kea‘au)

State Rep. District 4 (Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiian Beaches)

State Rep. District 5 (Kea‘au, Mountain View, Volcano, 

Pāhala, Punalu‘u, Nā‘ālehu, Hawaiian Ocean View

State Rep. District 6 (Captain Cook, Kailua-Kona)

State Rep. District 7 (Kailua-Kona, Honokōhau)

State Rep. District 8 (Hawi, Waimea, Waikōloa)

State Rep. District 12 (Pukalani, Makawao)

State Rep. District 13 ( Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Kaho‘olawe)

State Rep. District 15 (Hā‘ena, Hanalei)

State Rep. District 16 (Wailuā, Līhu‘e)

Kōloa, Po‘ipū, Kalāheo, Ele‘ele, Hanapēpē, Waimea

State Rep. District 18 (Portlock, Hawai‘i Kai)

State Rep. District 19 (‘Āina Haina, Niu Valley)

State Rep. District 20 (Leahi, Wai‘alae, Kaimukī)

State Rep. District 21 (Pālolo Valley, Wilhelmina Rise)

State Rep. District 23 (Mō‘ili‘ili, McCully)

State Rep. District 25 (Ala Moana, Downtown Honolulu)

State Rep. District 26 (Makiki, Punchbowl)

State Rep. District 27 (Pacific Heights, Nu‘uanu)

State Rep. District 28 (Sand Island, Chinatown)

State Rep. District 29 (Kamehameha Heights, Kalihi Valley)

State Rep. District 30 (Kalihi, Hickam Village)

State capitol 022725

<title>Here's who's running for office in 2026, part 1</title>

Tuesday marked the filing deadline for prospective political candidates. See who's running for state offices here.

Here's who's running for office in 2026, part 1

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design has a new process for releasing tickets to its oceanside center in Kāhala. Previously, the museum had released tickets quarterly through a partnership with the 

. Now, tour tickets will be released monthly, with any money raised from ticket sales going to HoMA and Bishop Museum.

Shangri La does not keep the profits of its ticket sales. Instead, after costs are met, the proceeds of tours have directly supported the arts at HoMA

ticket sales will also support Bishop Museum.

The new program launched in September. Going forward, tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on the first Thursday of each month. The next set of tickets will release 

“We've always loved our HoMA relationship, of course,” Ben Weitz, the executive director of Shangri La, told Aloha State Daily. “They've been with us from the very beginning. We've learned so much becoming a museum with them as our collaborator in crime. And I think the important thing that we were looking to do is just really increase accessibility to the entire Hawaiʻi community. ... In the sense of partnering with Bishop, we wanted to get outside of Downtown and also, at the same time, really uplift another cultural institution, so we thought: ʻWell, why not have both? We could still support HoMA. And why not bring [in] Bishop as the Native Hawaiian, kānaka maoli-focused museum, which is the culture we steward here.’”

So far, tickets for some dates have sold out in as few as 10 minutes, Weitz said.

As part of visits to Shangri La, guests arrive at the site of the hosting museum and are shuttled to Kāhala for a few hours of exploration. After, they are returned to the hosting museum, where they also have admission for the day.

Another change with the new ticketing program? 

, where kamaʻāina could reserve tours for $5, if booked a few months ahead. Under the new system, kamaʻāina pay $20 if they book Thursday or Friday tours, hosted by HoMA. Admission is $25 for Saturday tours, hosted by the Bishop Museum. Non-residents pay $45.

Under the new ticket system, tickets are now released via Shangri La’s new website, 

, which gives Shangri La, instead of HoMa, data about who is booking tours, Weitz explained

“Now we're able to know who the guests are and be able to communicate with them to tell them all the great work we're doing for Hawaiʻi,” he said.

Shangri La is a center of the Doris Duke Foundation and one of the former homes of tobacco heiress 

 of James Buchanan, who was a benefactor of 

, named after his father, Washington Duke.

Today, Shangri La is a center for residencies, exhibitions and community programs and includes 

nearly 4,500 artworks, cultural resources and architectural designs

Shangri La

<title>Your guide to Shangri La’s new ticket system</title>

The museum, which is a center of the Doris Duke Foundation, has a new ticketing system. Previously, money raised from tour tickets, after expenses were met, benefited the Honolulu Museum of Art. Now, ticket sales will benefit HoMA and Bishop Museum.

Daily Smile: Monday, May 18, 2026

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Daily Smile: Monday, May 18, 2026

Authors

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