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ASD Staff

My Favorite Local Saying

Not quite sure when I first heard my favorite local expression: "No shame." But I’ve been hearing it since I was a keiki. 

I think it’s a great reminder to be proud of who you are and where you come from, as well as to not be afraid to ask for help. It’s also a good piece of advice to give others when there’s food around. “No shame, take the last malasada.”

, no shame also applies to my job. I take a lot of pride in my work, as well as my co-workers. No shame when asking the tough questions!

To submit your Favorite Local Saying, visit us 

Leonards Bakery airport malasada box 030226

Nancy Partika shares her favorite saying from "small-kid time."

Matthew lancaster ip1eu cw49 A unsplash 16x9 1

My favorite local saying: When 'Wot da frick!' skirts the swear jar

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Hawai’i is a melting pot of cultures, ethnicities, languages, religions, and even foods, varying to some degree island-by-island. With “My Favorite Local Sayings,” we’re eager to learn what words or phrases you grew up with that you still use today. The goal is to share part of what makes our Isle home so special.

Taro 2021

Reader Submissions: Share your ‘favorite local saying’ at Aloha State Daily

<title>My Favorite Local Saying: 'No shame, take the last malasada.'</title>

ASD's Christian Shimabuku shares his favorite expression — "No shame" — which can be used in social settings and at work.

My Favorite Local Saying: 'No shame, take the last malasada.'

Not quite sure when I first heard my favorite local expression: &quot;No shame.&quot; But I’ve been hearing it since I was a keiki. I think it’s a great reminder to be proud of who you are and where you come from, as well as to not be afraid to ask for help. It’s also a good piece of advice to give others when there’s food around. “No shame, take the last malasada.”For me, no shame also applies to my job. I take a lot of pride in my work, as well as my co-workers. No shame when asking the tough questions! To submit your Favorite Local Saying, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com.

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Outrigger Hospitality Group recently unveiled newly reimagined guest rooms at its original flagship location, Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort.

It's the first guest-facing milestone in a larger $100 million refresh that's underway to reimagine the resort as a "

design-led destination at the birthplace of modern surf culture," a recent announcement noted.

The new guest rooms were designed by PowerStrip Studio in collaboration with WCIT Architecture and DTL – a Hawaiian Strategy Studio.

According to the announcement, among other new design features, each room features "

," or "Beloved children are the plants," a custom mural of Queen Emma's lily garden by Native Hawaiian artist Kamea Hadar; room numbers are paired with surf photography by Zak Noyle; and "graphic rivulets inspired by ʻĀpuakēhau Stream" wind throughout the property.

Monica Salter, vice president of global communications and social responsibility at Outrigger, told Aloha State Daily in an emailed response to questions that the resort has 524 rooms across 17 floors, and every room is being redesigned. Room renovations began in April and all 524 rooms are expected to be finished by December, she says.

Outrigger Hospitality Group started the broader $100 million refresh of the resort 

"The guest rooms are just the first phase," Salter says. "We’ll have a grand arrival staircase that traces the path of ʻĀpuakēhau Stream, the freshwater stream that once ran from the Koʻolau Mountains to this shoreline, an open-air lobby framing Waikīkī and Diamond Head, a surfboard exhibit, cultural center and a newly expanded Voyager 47 Club Lounge, more than three times its former size. Work on our public spaces, pool and retail is ongoing. We’re now only offering newly renovated guest rooms and suites with the rest of the transformation to follow."

When asked why the hospitality group wanted to undertake the $100 million transformation now, Salter told ASD, "

This is where our story began — on the grounds of the original Outrigger Canoe Club, where Duke Kahanamoku helped introduce modern surf culture to the world. Sixty years later, we saw an opportunity to reinvest in this important place and honor that legacy while looking ahead. The transformation is grounded in the history and culture of Waikīkī, while creating a resort that reflects where Outrigger is headed."

The goal is to make the experience feel more connected to the place, she says.

"The design draws from the history of the site, from ʻĀpuakēhau Stream and Queen Emma’s garden to Waikīkī’s role in the origins of modern surfing. Those stories are reflected in details throughout the resort, from the arrival staircase and artwork to the guest room and corridor design," Salter say. "At the same time, the things that have made this resort a Waikīkī landmark remain: its beachfront location, cultural connections and longtime partners and experiences, including Faith Surf School, Blue Note Hawaiʻi and Henry Kapono’s Duke’s on Sunday performances. The physical spaces are being thoughtfully refreshed while preserving the character and sense of place that guests have long associated with Outrigger."

Outrigger got its start in 1947, when American architect Roy Kelley and his wife Estelle opened the 33-room Islander Hotel in Waikīkī, according to a 

, you'll find the Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort, Waikīkī Beach Resort, Waikīkī Beachcomber Hotel and Waikīkī Paradise Hotel; on 

 there's Outrigger Kā‘anapali Beach Resort and Honua Kai Resort & Spa; the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa is located on 

; and the Outrigger Kaua‘i Beach Resort & Spa is on the 

 across the Islands, and owns and operates resorts in Fiji, Thailand, Maldives and Mauritius. Find its portfolio of properties 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Enter to win"}]

To celebrate the new guest rooms, the resort has launched "

. The campaign asks people to share what they love about 

Share a photo or video and a short story online or by scanning QR codes on the property for a chance to win a grand prize that includes a three-night stay in a club ocean view room at Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort; round-trip airfare for two, provided by Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines; dinner for two at Duke's Waikīkī; and a canoe surf session for two with Faith Surf School. Entries are open through Nov. 16, with winners announced on Nov. 17.

OUTRIGGER Waikiki Oceanfront King

<title>Room renovations unveiled at Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort</title>

The updates are part of Outrigger Hospitality Group's $100 million refresh of the resort, which started earlier this year.

Room renovations unveiled at Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

The woman charged with murder after allegedly fatally shooting a man in Kailua last weekend was turned in by her father the day of the event, according to a Honolulu police report.

Hilinaikailimakualopali Keeno, 24, was charged on Sept. 30 with second-degree murder, carrying a firearm in the commission of a felony and improperly keeping a pistol or revolver. She is being held pending a $1 million bail.

An HPD document — which was submitted on Tuesday, Sept. 29, to the Honolulu Circuit Court to establish probable cause to detain Keeno without a warrant — states that Keeno’s father brought her to the Kailua Police Station less than an hour after 

was declared dead of a gunshot wound to the neck in the Kailua Target parking lot.

The report states that HPD special duty officers, who were working security at the Kailua Fall Festival that day, were called to assist with a group of festivalgoers involved in an argument at about 8:26 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Officers escorted the group out of the festival and watched them head toward the Target parking lot, only to hear another altercation begin among the group minutes later.

During this new altercation, a pop resembling a gunshot was heard, and officers saw two men — one of whom was Keeno’s brother — assaulting a third. Both assailants were placed under arrest for disorderly conduct, while officers discovered Malone on the ground, covered in blood.

[{"type":"text","text":"Malone was declared dead at the scene by 8:43 p.m."}]

At 9:39 p.m., Keeno was brought to the Kailua Police Station by her father, who told police she was involved in the incident and wanted to provide a statement in the presence of her attorney.

According to the HPD report, no interview was conducted with Keeno that night. Subsequently, HPD sought photographs and videos from the public to help piece together the event and identify the shooter.

On Sept. 28, another witness identified Keeno as the shooter, and HPD confirmed that Keeno has one firearm registered in her name, a Sig Sauer P365 handgun.

[{"type":"text","text":"Following this, Keeno was placed under arrest."}]

Keeno’s preliminary hearing, when she will plead guilty or not guilty to the charges, will take place Monday, Oct. 5. She remains in custody.

Hpd 16x9

<title>Woman charged in Kailua shooting turned in by father</title>

Hilinakailimakualopali Keeno faces a $1 million bail for a second-degree murder charge.

Woman charged in Kailua shooting turned in by father

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

After parting ways with previous business partners on a venture, 

Jason Kashtan wasn’t sure what his next move was. After a few weeks of decompressing, he joked to his wife, Miyu, about “going back to basics” and opening a lemonade stand on the side of the road.

“The moment I said it, I realized, ‘That’s not a bad idea,’” he says.

Kashtan has lived on Maui for about 30 years, but is originally from the East Coast. He explains their version of “shave ice” was Italian ice and frozen lemonade.

’s — and great ice cream from Roselani, but frozen lemonade wasn’t really a thing here,” he says. “I thought if I could make shave ice the way I remembered it as a kid — simply with real fruit, water and cane sugar, but use local lemons and make things a little less sweet to keep it refreshing — it could walk a different path from ice cream and shave ice.”

Inspired, Kashtan partnered with a friend to start this new business venture. He said they kept things simple — frozen lemonade, one size only, and at a community-centered price point.

In line with a simple product, Kashtan knew he wanted to keep the business name straightforward, as well. As an entrepreneur, Kashtan has had several small businesses, but acknowledges that his own concepts and designs have created brands that needed “too much explaining.” He didn’t want that to be the case for 

“I was going to use ‘Maui’ in the name — something that I always thought was an easy way out,” he says. “But I finally succumbed to the fact that it works. And since we are here first and foremost for the Maui community, it made sense.

“Although vague and presenting its own challenges, ‘frozen’ — not Italian ice, not shave ice — allows the brand to go in multiple different directions, which has been helpful.”

Kashtan planned to purchase a few ice cream carts for the lemonade concept, but immediately ran into issues.

“Some of Maui’s rules and regulations weren’t going to allow me to operate the carts in the way that I had planned,” Kashtan says. “Making adjustments required by the county was going to be costly and take too much time to get up and running.”

Kashtan pivoted and started shopping around for a food truck, but found that many were too big or pricey for his business's needs. He remembers starting to look for options on the Mainland and considered shipping a food truck here. Then, he came across a 1978 Chevy P30 StepVan that was for sale 3 miles away in Kīhei.

“I loved the look of the truck, as it fit the retro vibe I had envisioned for the brand since day one,” Kashtan says. “Although still expensive, it was much closer to my budget."

Maui Frozen’s food truck opened in December 2024. Reflecting on the business’s early days, Kashtan says that being mobile was essential in building the Maui Frozen brand. They initially gave away a lot of free product, just to get people to try it.

“People weren’t searching for ‘frozen lemonade’ — they looked for shave ice and ice cream — so being able to bring our product and service to where people were already gathered was critical," he says.

As the business started to gain traction, Kashtan realized it was time to add multiple flavors. POG was the business’s second flavor, then came a strawberry li hing topping.

“Suddenly, the mission became continue to keep things crazy simple, but add flavors that were familiar but different,” he says. “The goal was to refine the product to have a consistency different from anything else out there, and monitor the sugar to keep things refreshing.”

Kashtan says his wife — who was born and raised in Fukushima, Japan — was an important part of recipe development and the business’s R&D stage.

“She doesn’t enjoy anything too sweet,” he explains. “As we were coming up with flavors, she would always say, ‘Less sugar, less sugar.’ When she was finally happy with the amount of sugar I was using, I increased it by 7% — it was literally a guess, ‘lucky 7’ — and that became our recipe. It’s another critical piece in setting us apart from others in the industry.”

All of the business’s flavors do not feature any dyes, flavorings or extracts, or high fructose corn syrup. Keeping fruit as the star was Kashtan’s main objective.

“We aren’t always the most Instagrammable product; there’s no red or blue dye to make things pop," he says. "But we’re finding other ways to present the product in a fun way, mostly through our amazing local community, who visit and fill our world with personality.”

For the most part, the Maui Frozen food truck was usually located in Makena, according to Kashtan. The biz also opened for private parties and popped up at different events around town.

“Looking back, that’s what introduced us to the community, and that’s what sustained us,” Kashtan says.

About a year into the business, Kashtan and his business partner realized they had similar goals, but “vastly different ways of getting there,” and ultimately realized they weren’t aligned in the necessary ways to move the business forward. They decided to part ways; Kashtan started doing everything on his own. At a point, though, as the business grew more popular, Miyu and their daughter often came to help.

“At one point, it got to be too much and we weren’t really ready to hire employees, so my wife left her job and was suddenly a business owner again,” Kashtan says. “It wasn’t part of our plan, but it was part of God’s plan.

“Maui Frozen would absolutely not be the same without her … and I would have gone crazy,” he adds.

Opening a storefront was never part of Kashtan’s plan. But as the business started growing, Kashtan started looking around for a small commercial production kitchen that would allow him to produce all of the products and park the van.

“(At the time,) I was renting a production space form a friend of mine, and started to worry if I was being a burden, taking up so much space,” he explains.

When the Island Surf building in Kīhei — located across from Kalama Park and Cove Park, according to Kashtan — was nearing the completion of its renovation, Kashtan reached out to a realtor friend to see if the property owner would be open to splitting a unit and renting him the back side.

“Logistically, that didn’t really make sense for them, but she suggested I look at a space available on the side of the building facing Maui Wave Riders,” Kashtan says. “I did; I liked it a lot, but something was giving me pause. I was nervous to commit.”

A few months went by. One day, an operational challenge prompted Kashtan to contact his friend again about the Island Surf Building. She told him there was another frozen treat concept that was planned for a space in front of the building, but the plans fell through. She suggested Kashtan meet her at the space to have a look.

“The vibe was awesome, bustling with surfers paddling out at the Cove, the surf school in full swing, families crossing the street with surfboards," 

Kashtan remembers. "People were playing volleyball and enjoying the park.

“I felt so good — like I did when I first moved to Maui almost 30 years ago,” he adds. “There was something beautiful, nostalgic and very ‘Maui’ about the vibe. I had no idea how I was going to make it work, but I immediately knew Maui Frozen found its first permanent home."

Maui Frozen offers three simple desserts in multiple variations. Its Maui slush — which Kashtan describes as “light, smooth and refreshing” — is made from real fruit, purified water and cane sugar.

“Sticking to our familiar-but-different philosophy, two of our items are hybrids of multiple experiences, but done simply in a way that makes you feel like they’ve been here all along,” Kashtan says.

He explains he originally wanted to call the dessert something different, but the name “slush” stuck.

“I (originally) hated the name ‘slush;’ it sounded so cheap," he says. "But then, as I would explain what the dessert is, I would end up using the phrase ‘like slush,’ and customers understood. ‘Slush’ is something familiar, but calling it ‘Maui slush’ indicates that it was made for this environment.”

Maui slush treats come in flavors like lemonade — the original — Hami melon, mango, lychee and coconut coffee. Customers can add on toppings like strawberry li hing and OG li hing mui for 50 cents more.

“On the truck, we could only keep three flavors,” Kashtan says. “Having the shop is nice because we can do more (flavors). People always ask me, ‘What’s the most popular flavor?’ They all sell about the same; maybe lemonade is still the most popular, but everything else is close.

“My go-to is the lemonade because it’s nostalgic for me,” he adds. “That’s still my favorite, but I like the melon because it’s crazy refreshing.”

Kashtan says since real fruits are used to make the flavors, POG has bits of orange peel in it.

“We chop up the (fruit) skin and put it back inside (the flavor), so you have little bits of freshness,” he says. “Some people pull it out and wonder what it is, but it’s totally intentional.”

Usually six slush flavors are available, but customers who follow Maui Frozen’s Instagram will know when the biz has a seasonal special. The biz also has a coconut flavor (separate from the coconut coffee listed on the menu).

“We recently did a Japanese whiskey with miso caramel ribbon,” Kashtan says. “People are always asking, ‘Do you do just coconut?’ We did and it ended up being a hit. I didn’t like the way it looked on the menu — because there’s already coconut coffee, it looked redundant — but we have it here, if somebody asks for it.

“One of the things that we did turned out to be a hit — our coconut coffee slush with our pineapple scoop ice on top,” he adds. “It’s almost like pina colada style. The li hing mui syrup (on top) is super good.”

Kashtan says the pineapple ice was added to Maui Frozen’s menu about four months after the storefront opened. When the store first opened, the business was busy, since they already had a following from the truck.

“I was playing around with the idea of doing ice cream 

 sticking to what I knew from Boston, but tweaking it to fit Maui," 

Kashtan remembers. "I thought, ‘If I can do that, but play with the texture a bit and make it not so sweet …'”

The result: pineapple ice, Maui Frozen’s twist on ice cream. It’s made with pineapple, purified water, cane sugar and whole milk, according to Kashtan.

“The whole milk gives it that creamy mouthfeel, but it doesn’t sit heavy on your palate like ice cream does,” he explains. “It scoops a little like sherbet, but it’s different. You have to taste it to understand.

“Our Maui slush and scoop ice are not as sweet as shave ice, and not as heavy as ice cream,” he adds. “It’s its own thing designed for life on Maui. You can enjoy it in the middle of the day and not feel terrible after eating it.”

The pineapple ice is available in three sizes ($4.75 regular, $8.75 double scoop, $16.75 pint) and in three flavors. Choose from original, torched and berry; all three flavors start with the same base, Kashtan notes.

“For the torched flavor, I caramelize some pineapple in a pan,” he explains. “I cool it down, and once it’s cool, I hit it with a kitchen torch. It gets smoky and sweet, with little bits of pineapple. The berry has little bits of strawberry in it.”

The frozen banana was added to the menu after Kashtan was in the kitchen one day, making dessert for his wife and daughter. They suggested that he add frozen bananas to the menu; once he did, 

Kashtan realized the treats were "nostalgia on a stick." 

The bananas ($4.75 each) are currently dipped in the business’s dark and milk chocolate blend, and finished with either Maldon salt or roasted peanuts. Customers can also opt for the business’s Dubai flavor ($6), which is dipped in the business’s blend of milk and dark chocolates, then rolled in kataifi for crunch and finished with a pistachio cream.

“Nothing we do is too sweet, including our frozen bananas,” Kashtan says of the treat.

In terms of pricing, keeping the products “community forward” has been important to Kashtan from day one. A regular-size Maui Slush, scoop ice or frozen banana is $4.75 each.

“We occasionally get asked if we offer a 

 discount,” he says. “We work super hard to keep our prices where they are — a regular Maui slush is $4.75 for everybody, every day. Keeping prices affordable has always been important to us.”

Maui slush is also available in an extra-large size ($16.75), but Kashtan notes this is a 32-ounce tub portion.

Whether it’s keeping Maui Frozen accessible to everyone or maintaining a quality product, Kashtan says keeping the community as the business’s focus is essential.

“Maui Frozen is not just a frozen treat spot,” he says. “We try to be thoughtful about everything we do, and we genuinely want to create memorable moments for our guests; they are the reason we do this.”

The business’s counter is filled with photos of people and guests who “make our day brighter,” according to Kashtan, who says the biz also includes a retro arcade system for kids to enjoy.

“A guest once told us, ‘Maui Frozen is like a neighborhood bar without the booze,’” he says. “I love that.”

At the time of our visit, Maui Frozen’s store had been open for eight months. Since the business never did an official grand opening event, Kashtan says the biz might do a one-year anniversary celebration.

“Maui Frozen is truly a vibe,” he adds. “It’s about the people, the community; what we serve is secondary.”

Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (open until 6:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays)

Maui Frozen owner 092326

<title>Maui Frozen features affordable, chilled treats</title>

The business, which specializes in Maui slush and pineapple scoop ice, originated as a food truck in 2024 and recently opened its first storefront in Kīhei. According to Maui Frozen owner Jason Kashtan, all desserts do not feature any dyes, flavorings or extracts, or high fructose corn syrup, and are kept at a $4.75 price point to serve the community.

Maui Frozen features affordable, chilled treats

, which opened in 2016, now has a new home.

The cafe is still in Pearl City Plaza, but instead of facing Kamehameha Highway, the restaurant is now located in the backside of the plaza. It’s a much larger space, according to owner Brian Park, who says the cafe can now seat 64 customers (the previous location could seat 19).

“We have air conditioning,” he says. “That was probably the number one thing people wanted.”

The biz is popular for its brunch features American/Hawaiian/Korean fusion cuisine. The menu is mostly the same, but Park says new dishes will eventually be added to the menu.

“Pancakes and waffles are coming,” he says, noting that the cafe’s pork belly plate ($20.95), crab cake Benny ($21.95) and kimchi fried rice ($8.95) are newer specials.

The cafe’s eggs Benedicts, loco mocos and stuffed French toast continue to be customer favorites. Eggs Benedicts come with a choice of rice, fries, tater tots, potato hash or fried rice (additional $2.95). 

Meanwhile, loco mocos — choose from the original ($19.95), kalua pork ($17.95), braised short ribs ($20.95) or corned beef hash ($18.95) — come with two scoops of rice, one scoop of mac salad, two eggs and homemade brown gravy.

The business’s stuffed French toast feature a double stack of gourmet sweet bread with assorted fillings, ranging from strawberry cheesecake ($13.50) to ube ($13.50).

The tiramisu flavor was previously featured special, and is a new option, according to Park.

While the breakfast menu is served all day, select dishes on the lunch menu are available starting at 11 a.m. on weekdays only. Popular options include the braised short ribs plate ($21.95), meat jun ($19.95) and barbecue chicken plate ($19.95).

Other popular shareable dishes include the eatery’s poutine fries, which come with gravy, cheese, green onions and chipotle mayo, with a choice of French fries or tater tots.

The business is currently open from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays to Sundays, but Park hopes to extend its hours in the future.

[{"type":"text","text":"“We plan to open seven days, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.,” he says."}]

719 Kamehameha Hwy. Ste. B106, Pearl City

Open 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays

Button Up Cafe owner Brian Park 080826

<title>Button Up Cafe is now open in a bigger space</title>

The Pearl City brunch spot — known for dishes like strawberry cheesecake stuffed French toast, corned beef hash loco moco and Korean braised short rib eggs Benedict — has been open in Pearl City Plaza since 2016. The biz just relocated to a larger space within the same plaza, and reopened today.

My Favorite Local Saying: 'No shame, take the last malasada.'

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My Favorite Local Saying: 'No shame, take the last malasada.'

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