Food & Dining
Hawai‘i Cuisine: Food, Flavors, and Local Favorites
Exploring all your favorite Island dining, from cheap eats to high-end. Craving omakase? We’ve got you covered. Shave ice? Sure thing! Loco moco? Like we’d forget! We’ve got heaping bowls of poke, and acai. You’ll find pau hana deals, foodie cocktails and delicious mocktails. Of course, none of that would be possible without the chefs, bakers, and mixologists you’ll meet here. We also take you to the Hawai‘i farms that fuel our farm-to-table movement.
News
Save the date for The Best of Hawaiʻi’s Best Kitchens event
The 11th annual event is coming up Saturday, Aug. 29, at Hyatt Regency Waikīkī Beach Resort & Spa. Attendees can look forward to specialty dishes from restaurants like Adez Steakhouse & Lounge, Arancino Ristorante Italiano, The Buffet at Hyatt, Solera Waikīkī and more.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaAugust 12, 2026
Līhu‘e-based Melrose is reopen for business
The business is known for its signature beverages, fresh-baked pastries and aesthetic ambiance. Following the Kona Low storms this spring, the café’s ceiling caved in, forcing the business to close for almost two months. Melrose reopened to the public this summer with its signature offerings, along with new products.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaAugust 12, 2026
Marujuu is launching sizzling skillet washugyu burgers
The Kaimukī eatery, known for its Japanese-style hamburger steaks, is launching its new sizzling skillet washugyu burgers this Friday, Aug. 14. Burgers are made with 100% washugyu patties and come in flavors like classic, teriyaki, wasabi mayo and Gorgonzola.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaAugust 12, 2026
Dean & Deluca Hawaiʻi has a new afternoon tea menu
The Artisan Loft, located upstairs in Dean & Deluca Hawaiʻi at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikīkī Beach, recently launched a new afternoon tea menu. The urban picnic-style afternoon tea menu debuted last month, and features savory and sweet options like furikake-seared ‘ahi, ube mont blanc tarts, mango cheesecakes and more.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaAugust 11, 2026
Takagi Coffee is a new Japanese-style cafe pop-up in Honolulu
The pop-up is opening to the public on Thursday, Aug. 13, at 10 a.m. It’s within Royal Hawaiian Center’s TsuruTonTan, and for the first few days, the pop-up will be limited to the first 60 customers. Takagi Coffee is serving up sweet and savory Japanese souffle pancakes, omurice, wagyu hamburger steak and layered parfaits.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaAugust 11, 2026
Oʻahu-based family business is 'on a roll'
Hele Rolls, known for its homemade cinnamon rolls, started its business last June. The biz regularly pops up at events across Oʻahu and accepts pre-orders. Hele Rolls is also competing on the new season of Food Network’s "The Great Food Truck Race," which premiered on July 26.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaAugust 10, 2026
This Kakaʻako brunch spot is now open for dinner
Westman Cafe, which opened in March in Kōʻula at Ward Village, recently started opening for dinner. Diners can look forward to dishes like mahi mahi loco moco, oxtail soup, ʻahi tataki and more.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaAugust 10, 2026
Button Up Cafe is now open in a bigger space
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.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaAugust 09, 2026
We Heart Cake Co. has a new Honolulu store
The dessert shop — which used to be in Kaimukī — is now open in McCully. The biz is celebrating its grand opening on Saturday, Aug. 8, with free cake pops for the first 102 customers from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaAugust 07, 2026
Specialty Okinawa soba pop-up coming to The Kāhala Hotel & Resort
Chef Eibun Nakamura, known for his specialty soba, is bringing his Okinawa soba to The Kāhala Hotel & Resort’s Plumeria Beach House. Soba will be available as part of the restaurant's seafood dinner buffet on Aug. 14 and 15, and as part of the a la carte dinner menu on Aug. 13 and 16.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaAugust 07, 2026
Rigo has a new happy hour
The Spanish Italian restaurant on Kapahulu Avenue launched a happy hour for the first time. Happy hour is available daily from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.; the eatery also has a lunch happy hour from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Enjoy discounted drinks and tapas, including seafood platters, fresh oysters, and Rigo’s popular jamon serrano.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaAugust 07, 2026
Naks Cafe offers gourmet takeout meals in Pearl City
The business, which is located next to the Don Quijote Pearl City Food Court, has been open for one year. Business owner Nathan Wu strives to provide the community with affordable, high-quality meals for takeout.
Kelli Shiroma BraiottaAugust 06, 2026