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Daily Smile: Sunday, April 5, 2026

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Daily Smile: Saturday, April 4, 2026

They say if your dog is smart, they will put their paw against the wall...

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Daily Smile: Friday, April 3, 2026

Baby cow making friends with a baby donkey...

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Daily Smile: Thursday, April 2, 2026

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Daily Smile: Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Now let's all enjoy a dog showing a cat how to take a bath...

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Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 31, 2026

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Daily Smile: Monday, March 30, 2026

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Daily Smile: Sunday, March 29, 2026

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

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Daily Smile: Saturday, March 28, 2026

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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Everyone’s looking to save money and get the most bang for their buck. This series will show you where you can save while still savoring a good meal.

’s Kāheka store started offering $9.99 plates every Friday. The featured plates — 

 — were available every week from 3 p.m. until sold out.

This month, Don Quijote’s Pearl City store will start offering $9.99 plates on Thursdays, starting Oct. 8. The plates will be sold by the food court area, where seating is available for customers.

The Pearl City store’s first $9.99 plate will feature tonkatsu, according to delicatessen department manager Kota Kawahara.

“Everybody likes tonkatsu, but not everybody likes to cook it because of the smell and it can get hot inside (while you’re cooking),” he says. “We use fresh — not frozen — pork loin, and after we coat and fry it in panko, each plate is more than 1 pound.”

Each plate comes with white rice, cabbage and tonkatsu. Similar to Don Quijote Kāheka, the Pearl City store will continue this deal but will feature different entrees each month.

Don Quijote Pearl City Kota 100126

<title>Budget Bites: $9.99 tonkatsu plates at Don Quijote Pearl City</title>

The Pearl City store’s first $9.99 plate will feature tonkatsu, according to delicatessen department manager Kota Kawahara. Starting this week, the plate lunch special will be available at this location from 3 p.m. until sold out, every Thursday in October.

Budget Bites: $9.99 tonkatsu plates at Don Quijote Pearl City

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

[{"type":"text","text":"MĀNOA — Steph Curry made good on his promise and then some. "}]

In 2024, the worldwide star guard made his Stan Sheriff Center debut in an exhibition game against the Los Angeles Clippers and said he was looking forward to making a 3-pointer for the local fans. Curry, the NBA's all-time 3-point leader, wasn't able to do so, going 0-for-4 from beyond the arc. It's a performance he 

Prior to Sunday's exhibition game between Curry's Golden State Warriors and the Clippers, thousands of fans entered through the Stan Sheriff Center turnstiles to get a glimpse of him warming up. Curry drew oohs and aahs when he tossed a ball in the air as high as he could near the free throw line, which went through the basket after bouncing on the ground once. 

By the time the game tipped off at 1 p.m., the crowd attendance had reached its capacity of 10,300 fans. In what was the 2026-2027 preseason opener for both teams, Curry played just 13 minutes, but delivered 10 points in 2-of-3 shooting from 3-point land. The Clippers were the designated home team in Sunday's matchup, but there were more Warriors fans in the arena, most of them clad in Curry's No. 30 jersey. 

"That's what Steph Curry does," Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after the game. "Wherever we are, we see those jerseys."

Both squads went with the same strategy of playing key starters and role players in the first half only. The second half was reserved for either benchwarmers or players trying to make the final roster, which must be cut down to 15 for all NBA teams by Oct. 19. 

On Sunday afternoon, the Clippers edged the Warriors 104-101, a 35-foot Graham Ike desperation heave off the mark for Golden State at the buzzer. The Clippers took the lead for good on Keaton Wagler's midrange jumper with 14 seconds left. Wagler, the fifth overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, scored 15 points, though in an inefficient manner. He was 3-for-15 on field goal attempts, including 1-for-11 from 3. Eight of his points were tallied via free throw. 

Japan native Rui Hachimura finished with a game-high 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, his first action in a Clipper uniform. Hachimura, entering his ninth NBA season, was most recently with the Los Angeles Lakers for the past four seasons. 

"I think offensively, we were pretty good, making the right plays," Hachimura said. "Defensively, we were really good. ... It was a pretty good overall."

After holding training camp on the Islands, both teams will head back to California in preparation for the NBA regular season, which tips off on Oct. 20. Golden State has five more preseason games before then, while the Clippers have just two. 

With Sunday's result not counting towards the NBA regular season standings, Curry and the Warriors do not plan to spend any time dwelling on the loss. 

“We had a very impressive luau at our hotel that included some fire. I don’t know the term, but the fire spinning and the tribute dances, tribal dances, and all that type of stuff, and just having everybody’s family there. That’d be the most memorable," Curry said when asked what he'll remember the most from this trip. "I’ve been in this league going on 18 years. ... We’re not going to get bogged down by the results of the game, but it was just good fun having everybody here and feeling like we got better physically and got some good chemistry amongst our team.”

While the game will not be consequential towards the season for both teams, fans in Hawai‘i were once again able to get a taste of a professional major sport in Island territory. 

"The atmosphere is great. Same as two years ago when we came here," Kerr said. "Sold out crowd. Everybody was excited to see [pro] basketball here, and it's fun to be able to to play in front of a crowd like that with that energy and just feel the joy that people will get from watching the two teams."

Blake Wesley 100426

<title>Clippers, Warriors put on a show in Hawai‘i NBA exhibition</title>

The two NBA teams held weeklong training camps on the Island, wrapping it up with an exhibition game at the Stan Sheriff Center on Sunday.

Clippers, Warriors put on a show in Hawai‘i NBA exhibition

Thailand's Atthaya "Jeeno" Thitikul won the 2026 Lotte Championship with a 21-under 267 at Hoakalei Country Club on Sunday afternoon. 

Thitikul ended up winning by three strokes, as runner-up Ina Yoon finished with a 18-under 270. 

With a two-stroke lead entering the 16th hole, Thitikul's lead evaporated when her tee shot went into the water. But she kept her composure, birdieing the 17th hole with a 20-foot putt, then closed her round with a par on 18. 

Yoon, Thitikul's playing partner, drove into the water on the 17th hole and went on to bogey the hole. 

Following the emotional swing of how her round ended, Thitikul was all laughs in her post-victory press conference. 

"My leg is so sore," she said. "I mean, words cannot describe what I'm feeling right now. I mean, it's happy. A lot of feelings going on. The roller coaster of 15, 16, 17, and 18. So, just tired right now, but a good tired."

Italy's Carolina Melgratti, who was the leader halfway through the tournament, finished in a tie for sixth with a 14-under 274. Punahou alumna Allisen Corpuz was the highest finisher among golfers with Hawai‘i connections, finishing in a tie for 25th overall at 8-under 280. 

Following the Lotte, the LPGA Tour is headed to Asia for four consecutive tournaments in China, South Korea, Malaysia and Japan, starting with the Buick LPGA Shanghai from Oct. 14-17. Thitikul is the defending champion of the LPGA Shanghai. 

Thitikul, 23, now has 11 LPGA Tour titles to her name. She is within one of tying 30-year-old 

Ariya Jutanugarn for most by a player from Thailand. 

Thitikul's Lotte victory also netted her a check of $450,000. She is now just the sixth player to surpass $20 million in LPGA career winnings, upping her total to $20,210,011. 

"I need to pay more tax," Thitikul joked when asked what the $20 million milestone meant to her. 

Jeeno Thitikul 100426

<title>Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul wins 2026 Lotte Championship</title>

Thitikul, 23, shot a 23-under 267 to claim her 11th LPGA tour victory at Hoakalei Country Club on Sunday.

Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul wins 2026 Lotte Championship

MĀNOA — As the University of Hawai‘i's offensive line left Micah Alejado scrambling one last time, the left-handed quarterback eluded San Jose State's defense for a final heave from near midfield. 

Alejado's desperation throw floated in the Mānoa air for approximately four seconds. If one of four Rainbow Warriors positioned in the end zone were to catch it, all the ugliness of the team's lack of offensive execution would have been temporarily erased. 

It was not to be. The throw caromed off Kejuan Bullard Jr.'s hands, the final play of a 20-16 loss for the Rainbow Warriors. Hawai‘i fell to 1-4 in the 2026 season, its Mountain West championship hopes taking an early fatal blow at 0-3 in conference play. 

Despite 12 penalties for 85 yards, most of which were committed by its offensive line, UH held on to a slim chance for victory until the very end. As San Jose State's team stormed the field to collect the Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy for the sixth consecutive matchup, many of Hawai‘i's players stood still on the field dejected and in disbelief. 

"Obviously, we're not in the best place right now as a team," Alejado said after the game. His return after a 9-4 season in 2025 was the basis of a 

 for the Rainbow Warriors heading into 2026. "You look at our schedule and don't expect to come out 1-4, whatever it is. For the team, it's obviously tough, but I guess it's football."

Hawai‘i had a chance to take an early lead in the first quarter, but a Cam Barfield handoff on fourth and inches was ruled short at the San Jose State 4 with 1:52 left in the first quarter. An Alejado interception set up San Jose State's first touchdown of the day, a 10-yard pass from former UH backup quarterback Luke Weaver to 

Campbell alum Kamaehu Kopa-Kaawalauole with 12:01 left in the second quarter. Weaver's throw was nearly intercepted by Matagi Thompson; instead, 

Kopa-Kaawalauole had a clear path to the end zone after securing the catch. 

San Jose State doubled its lead after Weaver found a wide open Carson Clark for 12 yards with 6:08 left in the second quarter. After seeing his team execute the play, SJSU offensive coordinator and former UH player and coach 

 was animated in his celebration. The 14-0 lead was an advantage the Spartans carried into the half. 

Hawai‘i showed signs of life in the second half, producing three straight scores and two stops. Yet the 'Bows still trailed 14-13 after that sequence, as two of those point-producing plays were 

 field goals, the other a 58-yard touchdown pass from Alejado to Devin Alves. 

Alves' score was the final touchdown of the game, as San Jose State's Trajan Sinatra hit two field goals to pad its lead, including a 30-yarder with 1:15 left. 

Following a 27-yard return by Blaze Kamoku, Hawai‘i had one minute and eight seconds with no timeouts to score, starting from its own 29. Two short passes to Barfield, as well as a Alejado rush up the middle, caused the 'Bows to spike the ball three times in their final possession. The 'Bows did not attempt a deep pass on their final possession until the failed Hail Mary. The Rainbow Warriors emulate the two-minute drill often during practices but ultimately weren't able to get the score they needed on Saturday. 

"It'll be difficult if you don't get the ball out of bounds. You got to stop the clock somewhere, somehow," Hawai‘i head coach Timmy Chang said. "There's kill situations. There's things that we do during practice that get you ready for it. But it's a difficult situation, definitely on our side. But I thought they executed as well as they could."

In the victory over his former team, Weaver completed 19 of his 28 passes for 246 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Meanwhile, Alejado was 23-for-35 with 341 yards, one touchdown and a pair of picks. 

Weaver, who showed no ill will towards the Rainbow Warriors in the wake of his departure, was seen hugging many of his former Hawai‘i teammates following the game. 

Next up for the Rainbow Warriors is a road contest at Arizona State on Saturday, Oct. 10. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. HST, and the game will be televised nationally on FS1. 

"It is really just one day at a time," Chang said of his team's outlook. "You clean up these little things, regardless of who's in there, who's playing, it comes down to to execution, discipline, all the things that we build our program off of. These are the things that we just got to truly understand. There's beating them up, but you know, they feel down already. So the message is how do we get better? How do we stop the things that hurt us?"

San Jose State 100326

<title>Hawai‘i football's Mountain West hopes dealt fatal blow with frustrating loss to San Jose…</title>

Led by those with close ties to the Islands, San Jose State earned its sixth consecutive victory over the Rainbow Warriors on Saturday night.

Hawai‘i football's Mountain West hopes dealt fatal blow with frustrating loss to San Jose State

De Soto 2025

DeSoto Brown

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

Do you remember Ward Warehouse? It was something of a landmark in Kaka‘ako once, but after being demolished nearly 10 years ago it’s now on its way to being forgotten.

The Ward family is foundational to the history of Kaka‘ako. Back in the 19th century, the clan came to own a large tract of land stretching from their private home that was just across King Street from Thomas Square, all the way down to what is now Kewalo Basin. This ownership, of course, is the origin of the name Ward Avenue for the street that formed most of the boundary of the property on its ‘Ewa side.

By the middle of the 20th century, the Ward land contained a mix of private homes and a variety of business tenants. The family-owned corporation that managed the property, Victoria Ward Ltd., started taking small steps towards more lucrative tenants in the 1950s but ramped up its redevelopment goals in the early 1960s by constructing a series of modern, low-rise structures.

A major new commitment came in early 1974 with the start of construction of Ward Warehouse on a 4.1 acre site between Ala Moana Boulevard, Ward Avenue and Auahi Street. The location had some special considerations in that it was covered by two very different types of zoning: one was for retail while the other was strictly for wholesale and industrial uses. The latter category was slightly problematic for what was intended as, essentially, a shopping center open to the public, and initially required a careful selection of tenants.

Designed by architect Steve Au, Ward Warehouse had a notably 1970s appearance. The hippie movement in the USA by this time had popularized more earthy, natural materials, so the complex’s exteriors were dark-stained wood, inspired in particular by a trend-setting development called Sea Ranch in California from the late 1960s. The only outside decorations were sections of bold painted “supergraphics” in geometric patterns. Industrial elements were not covered up but were openly displayed; on the outside, pipes and fittings were painted in bright colors to show them off, along with some oversized machine parts that were installed purely as decor. Inside the rental spaces, high ceilings showed undisguised conduits, light fixtures and air-conditioning ducts. Floors were concrete and walls were mostly unpainted wood. The effect was “honesty” in materials vs shiny synthetic surfaces.

Ward Warehouse opened with 87 tenant spaces; some interiors had the potential for the construction of mezzanines. Parking on the ground level accommodated 250 vehicles while the four-level concrete garage had 400 more spots. A soft opening for some businesses took place in time for Christmas 1974. By April 1975 the complex was placing large display ads in the Honolulu newspapers.

Those who are old enough to have patronized Ward Warehouse will undoubtedly remember particular stores or restaurants they regularly visited. For many people, the Old Spaghetti Factory at the far ‘Ewa end, with its two-story interior spaces, was surely a favorite (it has since moved to Aloha Tower). Embellished by numerous antique light fixtures and other old-time props which the company had been able to accumulate when such items were mostly inexpensive salvage goods from the demolition of 80- or 90-year-old structures in the USA, the low-cost restaurant had a unique feeling in its diverse seating areas.

Of course many other businesses came and went through Ward Warehouse over the years. There was the Liquor Collection which was filled with limited-edition figural ceramic specialty bottles, stores just for outdoor furniture, kitchenware, and flags, and the Nohea Gallery for local artwork of all kinds.

Ward Warehouse was never intended to last throughout the ages. A 1969 newspaper article quoted a statement from Victoria Ward Ltd that said offices and high-rise structures were eventually planned along Ala Moana Boulevard. Closure of the shopping center came on July 31, 2017 followed by demolition that began in November.

Howard Hughes Corporation, by then the owner of the site, first announced that two “ultraluxury” towers would soon rise here, the Ward Village Gateway. One of these was to be the 

 with units offered for prices ranging from $1.3 million to $23 million; these were first put on sale in 2015. But in 2018 the entire project was dropped, even after Howard Hughes had spent $29 million on it, and 28 of the 125 apartments in the Cylinder had been sold. In 2019 Victoria Place was approved for construction on the Waikīkī end of the property. Next to it was the start of the new Victoria Ward Park which would eventually occupy what had been the center part of Ward Warehouse.

However, it wouldn’t be until 2025 that one of the familiar construction cranes would finally be erected on the rest of the former Ward Warehouse, signaling yet another of the Kaka‘ako condominiums to come: Kalae.

1 Ward ad 1 16x9

<title>Changing Kaka‘ako: Remembering Ward Warehouse</title>

Ward Warehouse was never meant to last — even the previous owners who built it, Victoria Ward Ltd, always intended for offices and high-rises to take its place. But it had a four-decade run from its 1975 opening to its 2017 demolition, featuring such businesses as Old Spaghetti Factory, Orson's, The Liquor Collection, Nohea Gallery and more. Here's a look back at the shopping center, including a glimpse of the neighborhood before Ward Warehouse came along and fishing, rather than shopping, was the area's industry.

Changing Kaka‘ako: Remembering Ward Warehouse

, a Michelin-recognized Japanese ramen spot, 

opened its first Hawaiʻi location about four months ago

. Upon its grand opening, the eatery was only open for dinner; it started lunch service last month.

The restaurant opens for lunch every day starting at 12 p.m. No reservations are accepted; walk-ins only.

The lunch menu is smaller than the dinner menu, but features the restaurant’s signature dishes.

Customers can start with popular appetizers like enoki mushroom chips with shichimi chili pepper ($12) and karaage fried chicken ($14-$15). The latter features a choice of two sauces — black vinegar glaze or garlic chili sauce.

Other appetizers include corn wings ($12), mentaiko takoyaki ($14) and nori calamari ($16).

Six noodle entrees are available during lunch. The signature ramen ($28) — which is the most popular order — comprises creamy chicken broth with A5 wagyu chashu, braised pork belly chashu, ajitama, blanched baby spinach, burdock root, pea tendrils, fresh mochi noodles and truffle sauce.

Since the eatery’s opening, the shrimp G.K.O. ($25) — which stands for “shrimp garlic knockout,” a Hawai

i-exclusive dish — has quickly become a local favorite. This dish features creamy chicken broth with garlic shrimp, baby spinach, red onions, garlic flakes, garlic chips, grilled garlic, black garlic oil, chili oil and fresh mochi noodles.

Customers can enhance their ramen by adding toppings like garlic shrimp ($8), ajitama egg ($3), spicy chili oil ($2), OG truffle sauce ($3) and more.

Mensho lunch ramen bowls 092326

<title>This Michelin-recognized ramen restaurant is now open for lunch</title>

Mensho, which opened in Kapolei in May, started lunch service last month. The lunch menu is more limited compared to the eatery’s dinner menu, but features a variety of the restaurant’s bestsellers.