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[{"type":"text","text":"Bad to the bone..."}]

Smile 26 6 23

<title>Daily Smile: Tuesday, June 23, 2026</title>

Bad to the bone...

Daily Smile: Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Saving for a house? A proposed City and County program might be able to help.

For more than a year, the Honolulu City Council has been fine-tuning 

, a measure that would establish a “down payment loan assistance revolving fund,” which would allow qualifying first-time homebuyers to apply for a loan from the county to help make a down payment on a home.

As currently proposed in the bill’s latest draft, people eligible to apply for a loan through the fund would need to have an annual household income no higher than 140% of the city’s area median income and would need to be able to put up at least 5% of the home’s purchase price toward the down payment or closing costs. Borrowers would also need to be approved by a mortgage lender to prove they could cover the mortgage.

All loans through the fund would be secured by a mortgage and their size would be limited by the borrower’s income: for buyers with an annual income below 120% of the area median income, the loan could be no more than 10% of the total purchase price. For those making above 120%, the loan is capped at 7% of the total price.

The bill currently does not specify how much money would be available in the fund, but the council also has a while to figure that out: on Tuesday, the council’s Budget Committee voted to amend the measure to take effect on July 1, 2027.

Andrew Kawano, director of the Department of Budget and Fiscal Services, told the committee Tuesday that the county’s budget for the 2027 fiscal year — which begins this July and ends June 30, 2027 — is already tightly constrained, and he supported putting off the program until the 2028 fiscal year.

“Initial seed funding for this kind of program, I don’t know where it’s going to come from,” Kawano said.

Kawano added that his office needs to further review the measure and determine if the Department of Budget and Fiscal Services would need to implement any new departmental rules to administer the program.

‘Ewa Beach Councilwoman Andria Tupola, co-introducer of the measure, admonished Kawano, telling him his department has had plenty of time to review the bill since its introduction in February 2025.

“You guys will need to respond to emails and give us more feedback,” Tupola said.

But Kawano’s feedback on Tuesday was that the program needs more time in the oven. He compared it to the Transit Construction Mitigation Fund, a grant program by the county providing support for businesses impacted by rail construction on Dillingham Boulevard, a program which Kawano said underperformed following its launch, but was still more developed than Bill 20 currently is.

Anton Krucky, director of the County Department of Community Services, added that he is unsure how effective Bill 20 will be at helping lower-income households buy homes: “We’re talking about a population that doesn’t qualify for loans, or they would have been getting loans.”

Nonetheless, Tupola said the proposal has had considerable support throughout its year of development. While nobody testified in support of the measure in person Tuesday, 35 people and organizations submitted written remarks urging its passage.

“I regularly hear the concerns of young families who are working hard, doing everything ‘right,’ and still finding homeownership increasingly out of reach,” wrote reverend Mark Haworth. “Many are raising children here, serving in our schools, churches, businesses, and local organizations, yet continue to face rising rents and housing instability with little opportunity to build long-term security.

“Families receive assistance, but remain trapped in rental situations where costs continue to rise faster than wages,” Haworth’s letter continued. “They are forced to return again and again seeking additional help simply to remain housed. That cycle is not sustainable for families, nor for our community as a whole.”

The committee voted unanimously Tuesday to forward the bill to the full council for third reading.

[{"type":"text","text":"Aloha State Daily reached out to Tupola for comment."}]

Honolulu Hale 05262025

<title>City loan program for first-time homebuyers nears passage</title>

A Honolulu City Council committee discussed a long-gestating program that would allow prospective homebuyers to apply for a loan from the city to help cover a down payment on a home.

City loan program for first-time homebuyers nears passage

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Columnists

A multi-billion-dollar corporation has been stalled by an insect the size of a grain of rice.

The company is Host Hotels, based in Maryland. It wants to build a 375-room resort on the North Shore of Oʻahu, at Turtle Bay. The insect is the Hawaiian yellow-faced bee. On July 2, a court takes up whether an out-of-date environmental impact study forces the developer to start over. That process can take one to three years.

 was fitted to this coastline long before any of us arrived. It forages the native shoreline plants and asks nothing of anyone. It has held on in the few pockets of habitat we left it. There is a quiet dignity in a creature so suited to its place.

But the bee is not really the point of the lawsuit. The people bringing it would mostly agree. The point is to stall the development, and their lever is 

a 13-year-old environmental impact statement

 they say is out of date. The city’s own attorneys contend that nothing is being built where the bees actually live. The bee is the sympathetic face on a procedural fight, and the fight is about delay.

Delay is a strong tool here because we have built such a fine machine for making it. Before anyone pours a foundation near the water, a project must clear a Special Management Area permit, satisfy the Coastal Zone Management law, honor shoreline setbacks, pass historic and archaeological review, and complete an environmental impact statement. Once a species is listed as endangered, the federal government joins the table too.

Each of these has its acronym, and each acronym feeds a profession. We have raised up a whole guild of planners, engineers, archaeologists, and cultural consultants. They each demand a fee from the developer. He trusts them to navigate the thicket of regulations.

The thicket is built to slow development. A single environmental study can run from a quarter-million to two million dollars and add years to a project. And time is the one thing a developer cannot buy back. He has taken money from investors or bought the land on credit. He loses money every day the work does not start.

A developer who must survive years of delay needs enough margin to justify the risk. The modest project cannot carry those costs. The luxury project can. So a system meant to restrain development does not stop the mansions — it selects for them. It clears the field of everyone else.

A few miles down the coast from Turtle Bay, another developer is already building homes that start at $5.9 million each. That project is not affected by the lawsuit. The activist fighting the resort and the seller of the luxury home are working the same machine from opposite ends, and it rewards them both.

The same pattern is visible from the stalled rebuilding of Lahaina to the Neighbor Islands. There, the only people still willing to build are the ones who can afford to wait. It is the same machinery that strangles the affordable housing everyone claims to want, though that is an argument for another day.

The bee’s fit to its coast was authored. It is a small instance of a world that was made, and made well. The thicket answers to no such wisdom. It was authored by no one in particular and is accountable to no one at all. It is a heap of law upon court ruling upon administrative rule, each layer added in good conscience. But it is always added to, never refined. One of these is design. The other is accumulation.

None of this argues for tearing the rules down. Development without restraint would be a sin of its own. The ground was given to us to keep, not to strip. The coast and its creatures are real goods, not obstacles in the way of profit. The man who treats untouched nature as the highest thing and the man who treats his return on capital as the highest thing have made the same error pointed in opposite directions. Both have set something small in the place of God.

We cannot redesign the bee, and we have no business trying. The thicket is the one thing here we did make — and what we have made, we can unmake.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Hawaiian bee

<title>Turtle Bay Resort vs. a bee: Why the rules keep choosing luxury</title>

An endangered bee could stall a Turtle Bay resort, writes ASD columnist Sterling Higa. A few miles down the coast, homes that start at $5.9 million are going up untouched.

Turtle Bay Resort vs. a bee: Why the rules keep choosing luxury

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Business & Tourism

 just celebrated its grand opening. The restaurant is located at the Outrigger Kaua

, and was part of the resort’s reopening ceremony.

The resort’s recent renovations include elevated accommodations, updated décor and refreshed gathering spaces.

The eatery is led by award-winning chef Roy Yamaguchi and executive chef Samual Taganeca. Prior to his role as executive chef at Outrigger Kaua

i Beach Resort, Taganeca most recently served as chef de cuisine at Starwood Hotels in Princeville. His previous culinary experiences include roles at Mina Group’s Stripsteak Waikīkī, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikīkī Beach, and at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea.

Ocean House is currently open daily for breakfast (7 to 10:30 a.m.) and dinner (5 to 10 p.m.). The restaurant’s menu is inspired by local farms, the surrounding ocean and Kauaʻi’s fishing community.

It was important to work closely with local farmers, fishermen and ranchers to highlight locally sourced ingredients on the menu, according to Taganeca.

“If you’ve been to a Roy’s Restaurant, you know he (chef Roy) really focuses on the locality and working with local farmers,” he says. “Ocean House is definitely hyper-focused on seafood and trying to find as many local sources as we can.”

“When we first began envisioning Ocean House, what excited me most was the opportunity to create something that truly belongs here,” states chef Roy Yamaguchi. “Kaua

i has an incredible community of farmers, fishermen and producers, and every dish is inspired by their work. We want guests to experience the flavors of this Island in a way that feels genuine, memorable and deeply connected to place.”

The eatery’s breakfast menu features dishes like avocado toast ($20), acai bowl ($24), loco moco ($26), eggs Benedict ($22), coconut macadamia nut pancakes ($19) and French Polynesian toast ($17). The latter features Hawaiian shortbread stuffed with guava cream and finished with fresh papaya. Meanwhile, the pancakes are topped with haupia cream, toasted coconut and bruleed banana.

“I love the pancakes and French toast,” Taganeca says. “Our sweet bread’s stuffed with a liliko

i guava cream; our French toast will definitely be a highlight and one of the more popular items.”

The dinner menu features a variety of chilled seafood options, shareable pūpū, entrees and desserts. Signature starters include kanpachi crudo with jabong, avocado, ponzu and crispy garlic ($25) and twice-cooked baby back ribs ($23). The latter is a customer favorite, and is known for its sticky, salty-sweet Mongolian glaze.

The pork-shrimp-crab-pillows ($38) come highly recommended, and are served with a sesame butter sauce. Other pūpū include a sashimi trio ($35), Kaua

i seafood chowder ($15), oysters on the half shell ($43), Ocean House-style poke ($22) and Kaua

i bag & boil, which features local shrimp, fresh catch, clams, Portuguese sausage and corn in a brown butter coconut sauce; crab mac nut-crusted mahi; and braised short ribs.

The light, flaky mahi is served in a shrimp cream sauce with coconut jasmine rice on the side. The braised short ribs are accompanied by potato gratin, buttered green beans, Pono Farms carrots, natural jus and lomi tomato.

“The seafood boil is a house specialty; it will definitely be popular,” Taganeca says. “It’s something different that you don’t really see. It’s a nice touch to incorporate the seafood that Kaua

“He (chef Roy) does a good job at making each restaurant identity a little different,” he adds. “Each restaurant has its own sense of personality, but is still comfortable and familiar.”

Other entrees include a smash burger with fried onions and teriyaki glaze ($33); grilled rib-eye with roasted potatoes, shishito chimichurri and Pono Farms vegetable medley ($58); daily catch beer-battered fish and chips ($28); a whole fried snapper (market price) and rigatoni with zucchini, mushrooms, tomato cream and Italian sausage ($34).

Desserts are designed to feature a variety of flavors, so there’s something for everyone. The eatery’s halo halo is a twist on the traditional Filipino shave ice dessert. This refreshing rendition features coconut panna cotta topped with azuki beans, mochi, frozen pineapple, ube ice cream and mac nut brittle.

Diners who want something more indulgent can opt for the chocolate crunch bar ($15) — a chocolate rice crispy crust topped with chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache — or the haupia bread pudding ($17), which is complete with a coconut milk custard and mac nut caramel cream.

The eatery’s signature cocktails ($18) range from the liliko

i margarita and 1944 Ocean House Mai Tai to a matcha Old Fashioned and Ocean House spritz. Diners can also enjoy live music every evening.

Taganeca says it’s exciting to welcome everyone back to the historic resort to see its renovations.

“I’m super excited to get this going,” he says. “I worked with chef Roy at a few different food and wine events when I lived on O

ahu. To actually get to work next to him in this whole launch has been pretty inspirational. You always hear and see the godfathers of Pacific Rim cuisine; it’s awesome to be a part of that.”

Open daily for breakfast (7 to 10:30 a.m.) and dinner (5 to 10 p.m.)

Ocean House chef Roy 062326

<title>Ocean House by Roy Yamaguchi is now open on Kauaʻi</title>

The new eatery, which celebrated its grand opening on June 22, is located at Outrigger Kauaʻi Beach Resort & Spa in Līhu‘e. The restaurant is currently open for breakfast and dinner and features a locally sourced menu that highlights Kauaʻi’s farms and fishing communities.

Ocean House by Roy Yamaguchi is now open on Kauaʻi

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Red Lobster, the restaurant chain known for its seafood and cheddar biscuits, has closed its doors in Hawai‘i.

The chain's only location in the state, found at 1765 Ala Moana Blvd. in Waikīkī, permanently closed on June 21, a corporate spokesperson confirmed to Aloha State Daily. 

"As part of our normal course of business, Red Lobster continuously evaluates individual restaurant performance and lease terms and may, from time to time, choose to close select restaurants," the spokesperson said in an email. "This closure reflected specific decisions tied to the unique operating conditions at this restaurant. We remain committed to making thoughtful decisions that position Red Lobster for long-term success, stability and growth. Honolulu has been a meaningful part of our story, and we truly appreciate the guests and team members who have made this restaurant special over the years."

 shows a sign on the restaurant's door that notes its closure and thanks customers for "32 years of memories."

The Orlando-based company got its start in 1968 when Bill Darden opened the first Red Lobster in Lakeland, Florida, according to a 

Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2024, days after after closing dozens of restaurants, the 

It exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection months later, when a U.S. bankruptcy judge approved a reorganization plan "which included a lender group led by asset manager Fortress Investment Group acquiring the business," AP 

RL Full Logo Full Color CMYK 1

<title>Red Lobster closes Waikīkī location</title>

The restaurant permanently closed on June 21, a company spokesperson confirmed.

Red Lobster closes Waikīkī location

Known for its hand-crafted xiao long bao, 

The business, which just opened by Shabuya in Ala Moana Center, has 14 locations in cities like Bellevue, Tacoma, San Francisco and more. The eatery offers authentic Taiwanese cuisine and soup dumplings, according to owner Brandon Ting.

“We started this restaurant’s first location in Bellevue, Washington,” he explains. “We brought the former executive chef of W Hotel Taipei from Taiwan to America; we created this menu together. We want to bring the most authentic, classic xiao long bao experience to Hawaiʻi; we are very excited to be on this island and to serve so many customers here.”

The Honolulu store opened for its friends and family event on Friday, and was soft opened over the weekend. The eatery can seat about 140 individuals.

Customers can make reservations for dine-in via 

“We encourage people to make reservations; we will occasionally accept walk-ins,” he says.

Most xiao long bao orders include six pieces. Each dumpling is folded by hand and steamed fresh to order, according to Ting. The wrappers are delicate, but designed to contain the filling and soup broth.

“The amount of soup inside is a very important standards that we value for our dumplings,” Ting says. “We always tell our customers not to bite them the regular way. If you do, the inside has a lot of soup, and you’ll squeeze it all out.”

Ting recommends that customers let the dumplings cool down, then “eat the entire dumpling in one bite” to enjoy the dumpling exterior and soup together. 

Ting explains that chef Peter Wang — former executive chef at W Hotel Taipei — helped establish the standards, recipes and techniques for Supreme Dumplings. Supreme Dumplings chef Norman Lu, the former head chef of Din Tai Fung’s original central kitchen, adds his expertise to the culinary team.

“Great xiao long bao is a game of millimeters and grams,” Lu states. “Each Supreme Dumplings xiao long bao weighs exactly 27 grams — 6 grams of wrapper, 11 grams of soup, and 10 grams of filling. Achieving that balance consistently requires tremendous discipline and craftsmanship.”

The Supreme pork xiao long bao ($13) is the eatery’s signature dish. Lu explains that choosing high-quality ingredients was essential.

“We carefully select a premium pork specifically chosen for its ideal fat ratio and fiber structure,” he states. “That’s what allows the filling to remain juicy without feeling greasy, while delivering a clean, natural pork flavor. We use premium ingredients throughout our kitchen, and even our seasonings are made from real ingredients, rather than additives." 

The Honolulu menu includes options like Szechuan spicy pork xiao long bao ($12), shrimp and pork xiao long bao ($14), black truffle and chicken xiao long bao ($19) and wagyu beef xiao long bao ($16). If you want a little bit of everything, go for the signature XLB assortment ($20), which includes spicy pork, chicken, wagyu, black truffle and crab fillings.

The menu also features Taiwanese favorites, including spicy pork wontons ($10) and Taiwanese chicken cold noodles ($13). Customer favorites include stir-fried string beans with garlic ($18), pork chop fried rice ($19), mini pan-fried pork dumplings ($15) and Supreme tan tan noodles ($15.50).

Customers can also look forward to a Hawaiʻi-exclusive dish that’s coming soon. The golden pineapple fried rice and a variety of Island-inspired cocktails will be added to the menu.

Desserts include sweet taro ($10.50), chocolate melt ($11) and matcha lava xiao long bao ($12). The latter features a matcha and white chocolate filling.

Supreme Dumplings Honolulu is currently open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays, and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Hours are subject to change.

“This is a place where people genuinely appreciate great food, family-style dining and experiences worth sharing,” Ting states. “We look forward to creating moments of joy for local residents and visitors alike.”

Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Supreme Dumplings wagyu dumplings

<title>Supreme Dumplings is now open in Ala Moana Center</title>

The business, which originated in Washington, specializes in handmade xiao long bao, or soup dumplings. Dumplings are folded by hand and are steamed fresh to order; customers can choose from fillings like pork, wagyu beef, truffle and chicken and more. Customers can currently make reservations via Yelp.

Supreme Dumplings is now open in Ala Moana Center

Kam Bowl Restaurant just announced that it will be permanently closing on Sunday, June 28, at 3 p.m. The restaurant posted its closure notice over the weekend; the notice states that it is the end of the eatery’s lease term.

The Kalihi-based restaurant will be reopening on July 1 at 10:30 a.m. under new management and name — Ali

The notice also states that Kam Bowl Pearl City will be opening in mid-July at Times Square Shopping Center.

The restaurant in Kamehameha Shopping Center has been a local favorite. It opened in its current location in 2016 — in the former Kenny’s Restaurant spot — but the original Kam Bowl opened in the 1950s. The original location included a coffee shop and bowling alley, and it closed in 2007.

Kam Bowl restaurant is famous for dishes like the hamburger steak with brown gravy ($12.50 small, $15.95 regular) — made with a homemade hamburger patty and grilled onions — and its oxtail soup.

The oxtail soup is available in small ($21.95), regular ($24.95) or extra-large ($33.95) sizes. It’s served with white rice, fresh Chinese parsley, green onions and ginger.

The menu also features favorites like adobo fried rice, loco moco with brown gravy, chop steak and more.

Breakfast is served all day and features options like a Japanese breakfast, Kam breakfast with two eggs, steak and eggs and the mini Kam breakfast (served from 7:30 to 11 a.m.)

During our visit Monday, the restaurant was facing technical difficulties, so only cash was accepted. The restaurant’s owner was not available for comment.

The restaurant is currently open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (last seating is at 8:30 p.m.)

Open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (last seating at 8:30 p.m.)

Closing at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, at 3 p.m.

Kam Bowl Restaurant sign 062226

<title>A hui hou, Kalihi's Kam Bowl Restaurant</title>

The Kalihi-based restaurant is closing this Sunday, June 28, at 3 p.m. It’s reopening on July 1 at 10:30 a.m. under new management and a new name — Aliʻi Diner. Kam Bowl Pearl City is set to open in mid-July at Times Square Shopping Center.

Daily Smile: Tuesday, June 23, 2026

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Daily Smile: Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Authors

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