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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Probably the worst game of tag ever..."}]

Smile 26 7 2

<title>Daily Smile: Thursday, July 2, 2026</title>

Probably the worst game of tag ever...

Daily Smile: Thursday, July 2, 2026

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 — known for its lobster rolls — just started a new breakfast menu. Breakfast is served from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursdays to Sundays.

“We felt like in Mānoa, there aren’t a lot of places that had a local-style breakfast, so we wanted to offer that,” says chef/owner Jon Matsubara. “We serve breakfast all day at The Park on Keʻeaumoku; we serve our loco moco and corned beef hash. A lot of people buy it for dinner, so we’re doing breakfast all day.”

While customers can still get the eatery’s signature loco moco plate ($20) — wagyu beef hamburger steak, mushroom gravy, farm eggs and rice — and chef-made corned beef hash ($20-$22) at the Mānoa store, this location has a variety of exclusive breakfast options.

No Feast experience would be complete without the eatery’s signature lobster roll. Customers can opt for the lobster roll and eggs ($35) or lobster omelet ($35).

“It’s a quarter pound of lobster (in the omelet); it’s the same size as our lobster rolls,” Matsubara says. “Our corned beef hash is 10 to 12 ounces of corned beef; our loco moco has a homemade patty and gravy.”

Of the new breakfast dishes, the Hawaiian hammah ($24) has quickly become a customer favorite. The plate includes thick-cut bacon, Portuguese sausage, kalua pig, mushroom gravy, two eggs and rice.

The eatery’s “churro” French toast ($18), topped with Alae salt, maple butter, strawberries, graham “crack” and whipped cream, has also been popular — especially for those who prefer sweeter breakfast entrees.

“Our French toast is something different,” Matsubara says. “We do a churro-style with fresh berries and a maple butter. We call it (the topping) graham ‘crack’ because it's addictive; we use brown butter, vanilla and salt (to make it).”

If you want something more unique, go for chef Jon’s salmon chazuke ($22). The dish features Misoyaki salmon with rice and dashi, pickled ginger and scallions; it’s ideal if you want something lighter, yet flavorful and filling.

The eatery’s Island breakfast wrap ($14) consists of slow-roasted kalua pig, egg, cheese and crispy potatoes. It’s served with Guajillo sauce on the side, which is known for its vibrant color and smoky flavor. 

The eatery’s lunch menu starts at 11 a.m.; Matsubara encourages the community to “come support local.”

“It’s getting tougher and tougher in this economy,” Matsubara says. “I think more than ever, all the small businesses and small restaurants, we need the support.”

Breakfast from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays to Sundays

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

FEAST chef Jon Matsubara 062626

<title>Feast by Jon Matsubara has a new local-style breakfast</title>

The Mānoa eatery — known for its lobster rolls — is offering breakfast from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays to Sundays. Customers can look forward to dishes like lobster omelets, salmon chazuke, "churro” French toast, kalua pig loco moco and more.

Feast by Jon Matsubara has a new local-style breakfast

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

Looking for things to do on Oʻahu for the three-day weekend? From ʻEwa to Waimānalo, Aloha State Daily has inspiration for ways to spend the time off. Here are some of the events happening on Oʻahu:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, July 3"}]

Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra will bring to life the music for “Top Gun: Maverick” while the movie plays on a big screen at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall. There are performances at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 2, and 2 p.m. on Friday, July 3. Tickets start at $30, plus service charges. 

Grab a lawn chair and go to the parking lot for Longs Drugs in Kailua where the nonprofit Windward Choral Society will lead a Supah Dupah Patriotic Sing-Along. Participants of all ages are welcome. The event starts at 5 p.m. No singing experience is necessary. Free. 

Capitol Modern, the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum, will be closed during the day on Friday, July 3, but opens in the evening at 5 p.m. for First Friday. This event is the Slapp Good Producer Showcase. All ages are welcome. The museum will be closed Saturday, July 4. Free. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Saturday, July 4"}]

. On Saturday, July 4, the U.S. will celebrate its 250th birthday as a nation. Aloha State Daily compiled a list of events — including fireworks shows — happening on Oʻahu. From ʻEwa Beach to Waimānalo, here are: 

25 things to do on Oʻahu to celebrate the semiquincentennial.

 Looking for an excuse to Island hop or celebrate in your neighborhood? This guide shares 

How to celebrate July 4 on Kauaʻi, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Sunday, July 5"}]

Arancino on Beach Walk has a new happy hour. 

Find gnocchi with gorgonzola, lobster bisque, mortadella paninis, and more as part of a new happy hour at Arancino Ristorante Italiano on Beach Walk. This happy hour, which launched July 1, runs from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The happy hour menu is exclusive to this location. There are also discounts for specific drinks, including prosecco, pinot grigio, pinot nero and Peroni, which are $8 each, as well as aperol spritz and Negroni, which are $10. 

The Pig & The Lady has launched its summer menu. 

Taste dishes with seasonal ingredients, including Kauaʻi shrimp, Kona Kampachi and more. Among the new summer menu items are local Oʻahu farm vegetables with hummus, swordfish with curried corn rice, squid ink linguine and the return of the eatery’s popular mango sorbet. 

After a long weekend of events, take some time to catch the sunset and recover. Want to get your photo published?

Send us your pictures of sunrises, sunsets and rainbows for our Hawaiʻi Skies series, which is submitted by readers. Tell what you saw and why it was special. 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Windward Choral Society

<title>Food and fireworks: Your guide to the weekend on Oʻahu</title>

From a patriotic sing-along to a new happy hour, there are lots of events happening on Oʻahu this weekend. Get your calendar ready to make plans for this weekend!

Food and fireworks: Your guide to the weekend on Oʻahu

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

[{"type":"text","text":"“Excellence is not an act but a habit.”"}]

 and mind, after five days spent cooking with 

and the staff at Kapi‘olani Community College’s Culinary Institute of the Pacific (CIP), with support from Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

The recent graduate from James Campbell High School said that was just one of many moments with Wong that he

“I was hesitant to join (the cohort) at first but then had that push to go for it, and seize the opportunity,” Corrales, 17, told Aloha State Daily on Friday. “It was five days of fun, stress, craziness and eating. … It felt like I knew everyone for longer than five days and we all really learned how to work together.”

The program’s summer cohort for high school students, which was sponsored by scholarships and covered culinary basics, ran from June 22 to 26, culminating Friday with final dish presentations by the young chefs for their 

Corrales told ASD that he got his first chef knife at 7 years old and will be headed to Rhode Island in the fall to major in baking and pastry at Johnson & Wales University. His goal is to return to the Islands to open a restaurant or bakery.

“I love food so much I tattooed it on my body,” he said with a smile, showing off an arm tattoo of a tamale that reads, “with all my love.”

[{"type":"text","text":"“I got it as an early graduation present,” he laughed."}]

Corrales was most proud of his final dish made alongside a small team: duck thigh with a beetroot and red wine sauce, with 

drippings from the duck. “We got to do our own thing today, and Iʻm really happy with how it turned out.”

Jaeda Solywoda, who is going into her senior year at Kealakehe High School

 in Kailua-Kona, shared with ASD her goal of opening a bakery.

“I always liked baking, my mom used to be a pastry chef,” she said. Among her favorite home creations are brown butter chocolate chip cookies.

As part of the cohort, her team’s signature dish was dessert: hand-mixed berry ice cream with nut toppings.

“I learned how to delegate, cooperate and communicate clearly when working with my cohort members,” Solywoda said, adding that from Wong, her biggest takeaway was that “a positive attitude is the most important part of the kitchen.”

On Friday, students were awarded certificates and a final meal together, featuring recipes such as pesto gnocchi, orange chicken, meat jun, blooming onions, roasted baby carrots, apple cinnamon rolls, and more.

For Wong, being back at KCC mentoring students was a “real, full circle moment,” he told ASD.

“I have to credit my mentor [the late chef] Robert Chinen, who helped shape my career path the first day of KCC to CIA to the Greenbrier [Hotel in West Virginia], and so on. He was a springboard of advice for me,” said Wong, who 

grew up in Wahiawā and is now based in California as a professor at Culinary Institute of America at Greystone

. “To come back here now and be able to share with these young kids is an honor. I don’t think of it as a job, it’s a privilege.”

He noted that there were a lot of unique qualities of this specific cohort, like their great attitudes, 

 and discipline. “Some of these things you can’t teach,” Wong said. “Cooking is just an introduction; they can use these life skills in any industry.”

Wong was also impressed by how quickly the students could sanitize CIP’s large industrial kitchen, in just 20 minute or less; that they would show up on time or early to class; and at how refined their palates were.

“In five days, I shared with them what I’d share with my (professional) students in 15 weeks. This is one of our most important programs in terms of what we deliver and who we deliver to,” Wong added.

“The goal is to teach methods versus recipes,” he continued, noting that he did not alter any recipes to pare down instruction for the age-specific group. “We focused on regional cuisines and tried to use as many local ingredients as possible.”

The overall goal, he says, is to continue to make cooking accessible across the state.

“I’m just standing on the shoulders of those who came before me,” Wong said. “Chef Roy Yamaguchi does a lot of work behind the scenes to find the funding for these scholarships, making classes free for students.”

“This collaboration with CIA all started with a connection Chef Roy had, and DBEDT [The Hawaiʻi State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism] contracted with KCC to do the work. We have a three-year timeline to do 24 cohorts,” Grant Itomitsu, KCC Culinary Arts Department chairperson, 

The most recent cohorts completed were Cohort 21 for intermediate professionals and Cohort 22 for high school students, which happens once a year. In total, KCC has offered eight cohorts per year, 

Since September 2024, the CIP x CIA Workforce Development Program has provided training “to up-skill Hawaiʻi’s workforce and inspire the next generation of culinary professionals by giving individuals access to advanced instruction and industry-recognized expertise without leaving the state,” per CIP.

KCC will soon be accepting applications for the next cohort, intended for culinary professionals interested in butchery, which will take place in September. 

CIP chef wong

Kapiʻolani Community College’s Culinary Institute of the Pacific, in partnership with Culinary Institute of America, is offering two culinary training programs at no cost for high school students and culinary professionals in June. The deadline to apply is through Friday, May 29.

CIP High School Candid

KCC’s summer culinary cohorts to get cooking

Watch Mililani High School grad Hunter Gentry on Fox’s newest season of “Next Level Chef," judged by celebrity chefs Richard Blais, Nyesha Arrington and Gordon Ramsay. Gentry shares with Aloha State Daily about the experience, his cooking journey and style, and favorite restaurants to eat at when visiting home.

Hunter Cooking NLC

Chef from Honolulu competes in cooking show

<title>Local high school students learn to cook under Chef Thomas Wong</title>

As part of a scholarship-supported summer culinary cohort at Kapi‘olani Community College’s Culinary Institute of the Pacific, Wong — who is from Oʻahu and is now based in California as a professor at Culinary Institute of America at Greystone — created this custom curriculum to challenge teens in an intensive five days of training. Teamwork, timeliness, organization and having a good attitude were among the lessons learned by students.

Local high school students learn to cook under Chef Thomas Wong

, the new Indian takeout concept by chef Vikram Garg, just launched about two weeks ago. It's a separate concept from Umi by Vikram Garg, the restaurant located at Halepuna Waikīkī; dishes featured on Masala Māya's menu cannot be ordered at Umi. 

“We don’t want to mix Umi and Masala Māya together; this (the Masala Māya menu) is something that you take to your home,” explains Vikram Garg, chef and founder of Masala Māya. “You have really fine food in the privacy (of your home).

“I cook Indian food once in a blue moon; I decided to do it for takeout,” he adds.

that ‘masala’ refers to the centuries-old art of blending spices, while ‘maya’ means ‘enigma,’ ‘mystical’ or ‘magic.’

“It’s the magic of spices; that’s what the concept is,” he says. “There are no set recipes; it’s tradition that families pass down. You learn from your grandfather or mother.”

The menu features a variety of main dishes, set meals, bread and rice, side dishes and beverages. Masala

 Māya's menu is available from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays. 

Main dishes include chicken curry ($19.95), pork vindaloo ($19.95), Daal Makhani ($19.95), Keema Matar ($19.95), Goan shrimp curry ($24.95), and lamb rogan josh ($29.95). Vegan-friendly options like palak makai ($19.95) are also available.

The chicken curry — featuring organic chicken thighs in a tomato-onion gravy with Northern spices — and lamb rogan josh are expected to be customer favorites. The latter features a 12-ounce lamb shank with Kashmiri chili, yogurt and fennel.

“That’s a whole lamb shank which is braised with fennel,” Garg says. “Chicken curry is a very subjective term when it comes to India. When you drive around the country, there are little roadside stalls; these people have their own style of cooking, a very country style of making a dish. This chicken curry is what I put on the menu instead of butter chicken or chicken tikka masala. It’s very simply made, country style, and that’s one of my favorites, in terms of what I want to eat every day.”

Dal Makhani comprises black lentils with butter, fenugreek and ginger.

“The lentils are cooked for 48 hours minimum,” Garg says. “It’s got ginger and chilies; it’s very simple.”

He explains the history behind Dal Makhani.

“There used to be community kitchens,” he says. “When men would go for war, they would come back and they were hungry. There was a big oven pot in the middle of the village; they would have these lentils, stew it for days, and keep adding to it. They would have a bowl of lentils and they would crush onions with it. Dal Makhani is a warrior food — it’s high in protein, it’s nourishing and it’s pretty heavy. It takes about 48 hours minimum to cook that; it has tomatoes, lentils, ginger and chili powder.”

Goa, located on the southwestern coast of India, is known for its seafood. Masala Maya’s Goan shrimp curry includes coconut milk, mustard seeds and Goan spices. Meanwhile, Keema Matar features ground beef with caramelized onions, green peas and garam masala.

“Keema Matar is like the Indian version of chili; ‘Keema’ means minced meat,” Garg says.

He explains that Palak Makai is a vegetarian-friendly dish, comprising spinach and corn, along with cumin, ginger-garlic masala and desi ghee.

Customers can opt for butter naan ($3.95), premium basmati rice ($3.95) or saffron-raisin pilaf ($6.95) to pair with the main dishes.

“The saffron pilaf has raisins and fried onions,” Garg says. “We buy aged basmati rice, minimum seven years of age. For basmati rice, if you don’t age it, you will not see the grains.”

He recommends eating the pork vindaloo and shrimp curry with the white basmati rice, lentils and spinach dishes with naan and saffron pilaf, and lamb rogan josh with the saffron pilaf.

Side dishes range from pickled red onions ($3.95) and pineapple chutney ($3.95) to Aloo-mint raita ($4.95) and hot sauce ($3.95).

“In Indian cuisine, when we eat, we always have something citrusy, something fresh to squeeze on (our food), like lemon or calamansi,” Garg says. “It’s just a tradition; it helps you digest the food better. Normally, we have mango chutney, but we’re in Hawaiʻi, so why not make pineapple chutney? The hot sauce is my hot sauce (recipe); if you like it spicy, you can add that.”

Māya also offers a variety of beverages. Choose from mango lassi ($7.95), Nimbu pani “lemonade” ($5.95), Madras filter Kappi ($5.95) or masala chai ($5.95).

The business’s mango lassi is made with Hayden mangoes, yogurt and honey. Its Nimbu Pani “lemonade” — comprising lemon juice, honey, Himalayan pink salt and mint — is a refreshing option, according to Garg.

“Nimbu Pani is like Indian lemonade; it’s a very common thing in India,” he says. “In summers, you go to Indian households and this is what you get. When you drink it, it replenishes your sugar and sodium. ‘Nimbu’ means lemon, ‘padi’ means water.”

The Madras filter Kappi ($5.95) features Arabica coffee with sweetened milk. The business’s Masala chai ($5.95) is a blend of milk tea, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and ginger.

“One of my favorite things is the Madras coffee,” Garg says. “We use condensed milk inside; it’s close to Vietnamese coffee.”

Whether customers pick up their orders at Umi by Vikram Garg or order for delivery, rest assured that every dish is packaged to travel and made with high-quality ingredients.

“All the food is either made with ghee or we’re using good oil,” Garg says. “It’s delivered in eco-friendly, reusable bags.”

Customers can look forward to Masala Māya’s subscription model, which will be launching soon. The program will be limited to 100 subscribers, who will have access to specialty dishes — like chicken tikka masala and tandoori chicken — that are not available on the business’s regular menu.

Open from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays

Online ordering for pick-up at Umi by Vikram Garg (2233 Helumoa Road) or for delivery via Uber Eats or DoorDash

Masala Maya chef Vikram 062826

<title>Masala Māya is a new concept featuring Indian dishes to-go</title>

Chef Vikram Garg’s new to-go concept features authentic Indian flavors, including dishes like chicken curry, pork vindaloo, Goan shrimp curry and lamb rogan josh. Masala Māya is open for online ordering from Wednesdays to Sundays; customers can pick up their orders at Umi by Vikram Garg in Waikīkī or opt for delivery.

Masala Māya is a new concept featuring Indian dishes to-go

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

 from the PGA Tour to shift away from the Islands starting in 2027, the Sony Open at 

Waiʻalae Country Club will carry on as a PGA Tour Champions event. 

The PGA Tour Champions is reserved for men over 50. In previous iterations of the Sony Open, it served as an event on the regular PGA Tour from 1965 to 2026. 

Chris Gotterup won the final edition of the Sony Open as a PGA Tour event in January

In April, the PGA Tour previously announced it was moving The Sentry away from Maui. In 2024 and 2025, the PGA Tour began its season with The Sentry before holding the Sony Open the following week. But in 2026, 

 at Maui's Kapalua Plantation Course caused the PGA to cancel the event. 

“We are excited to welcome the Sony Championship Hawaiʻi to PGA Tour Champions," PGA Tour Champions president Miller Brady said in a press release. "Sony has been an incredible PGA Tour partner since 1999, and we are looking forward to beginning this new era with the legends of the game competing on a truly iconic venue in Waiʻalae Country Club."

The newly dubbed 2027 Sony Championship Hawai‘i is set to take place from Jan. 11-16 with a purse of $3 million. 

“Welcoming the Sony Championship Hawai‘i to Waiʻalae is more than hosting a world class golf event — it’s an opportunity to showcase the spirit of aloha and strengthen the community impact that has uplifted our islands for decades,” said Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green. “We are proud to see this next chapter unfold and grateful for partners who share our commitment to Hawai‘i’s people and future. Mahalo to the PGA Tour Champions and Sony Group Corp. leadership for perpetuating professional golf in the Hawaiian Islands.”

To date, Sony has contributed more than $27 million to Hawaiʻi nonprofit organizations, thanks to charitable arm 

Friends of Hawaiʻi Charities, which has benefited "hundreds of local charities that serve vulnerable working families, seniors, under-resourced children and economically disadvantaged communities," according to 

Friends of Hawaiʻi Charities closed its offices on Tuesday, citing its contract with Sony ending in January. Aloha State Daily reached out to the Friends of Hawaiʻi Charities for additional comment.

In its 2027 debut, the PGA Tour Champions iteration of the Sony Open will feature pro-ams on Tuesday, Jan. 12 and Wednesday, Jan 13. The regular competition, featuring a field of 78, will run from Thursday to Sunday. 

“Waiʻalae Country Club is proud to continue its 61-year tradition of hosting championship golf, while beginning a new chapter with the PGA Tour Champions,” Waiʻalae Country Club president Meredith Ching said. “We look forward to continuing our valued partnership with Sony and building upon a legacy that has showcased Hawaiʻi around the world and generated meaningful local charitable contributions for decades.”

Modern golf legend Tiger Woods, who turned 50 in December, is eligible for the PGA Champions Tour but has yet to announce plans to do so. 

Sony Open 070126

<title>Sony Open rebrands as PGA Tour Champions event</title>

The PGA Tour Champions is reserved for professional men's golfers 50 and over. The Sony Open previously served as a PGA Tour event from 1965 to 2026.

Sony Open rebrands as PGA Tour Champions event

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Zippy's Kāhala location is set to reopen at 6 a.m. Tuesday, July 7, after nearly four months of renovations.

"This renovation was part of a broader effort to ensure our Kāhala location continues to provide a great experience for both our guests and team members," Jessica Yamamoto, communications and social media manager for Zippy's, told Aloha State Daily in an email. "Majority of the updates were focused on enhancing our operations and supporting our long-term commitment to the community.

"Most of the renovations won’t be super noticeable to our customers, as the majority were done back of house (i.e. upgrades to equipment). What we do think our customers will notice is the refreshed look of Kāhala’s interior, along with the installation of our 

You'll find Zippy's Kāhala at 4134 Wai‘alae Ave. The restaurant will resume regular hours of operation, open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily for dine-in and take-out.

opened the first Zippy's Restaurant in Honolulu's McCully neighborhood in 1966. 

 on O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i Island and in Las Vegas. The chain celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

ICYMI: Jason Higa, CEO of Zippy's parent company, FCH Enterprises, and Francis' son, spoke with Aloha State Daily about the restaurant's origins, legacy and more earlier this year. You can 

Zippy's, which will honor the milestone throughout the year, kicked off its anniversary celebration earlier this year with the launch of a new line of 

As part of the ongoing anniversary celebration, the restaurant has so far unveiled an exclusive 

 to create a limited release, specially marked box of Original Hawaiian Soda Crackers; and launched a 

Daily Smile: Thursday, July 2, 2026

ASD Staff

Reporter

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Daily Smile: Thursday, July 2, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

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