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Columnist: Lisa Eller

Lisa Eller

Hina Keala

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Sterling Higa

Adam manalo camp

Adam Keawe Manalo-Camp

Kaipu Keala

Kuu Hiraishi

Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi 

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Corey Idleburg

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Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

A proposal that would allow public unions to negotiate with employers for better retirement benefits is still alive despite strong opposition by state agencies.

Current state collective bargaining statutes dictate that certain things are beyond the scope of negotiations between the state and the 

 representing state and county workers. While “all matters affecting employee relations” are up for debate during negotiations, other matters such as employee recruitment and jobs classifications are not.

 would make a small but significant change to those statutes: retirement benefits would no longer be one of the prohibited topics.

This proposal has, predictably, been popular among many of the bargaining units, which have urged lawmakers to pass the measure. Randy Perreira, executive director of the Hawai‘i Government Employees Association, told the House Labor Committee earlier this month that the measure will help attract much-needed new workers to the state.

“Our state’s retirement benefits used to be one of the primary reasons why individuals sought a career in public service,” Perreira wrote. “For the state to become a competitive employer, they must take a holistic approach in respect to an employee’s retirement plan, particularly for future employees and generations.”

However, state agencies have warned that the bill will unnecessarily complicate management of the Employees’ Retirement System, the system by which retirement benefits are disbursed to state and county employees.

The state Department of Budget and Finance predicted that allowing the 15 public bargaining units to negotiate their own unique benefits package would “essentially create 15 different pools of employees.”

“That would be an administrative nightmare,” Kalbert Young, executive director of the Employees’ Retirement System, told Aloha State Daily. “I think that would be financially fatal.”

Young said the ERS has 118 employees statewide to administer a system that directly impacts some 140,000 people — about 55,000 public workers, 50,000 retirees, and some 30,000 other pensioners, along with beneficiaries and households.

Beyond the administrative overload, Young explained that the state’s pension and collective bargaining statutes are relatively delicate and can’t easily be altered without potential side effects. For example, he said, any change that could cut promised payments to public pension programs would likely result in legal challenges.

Lawmakers can still alter state pension laws, Young said, such as in 2011 when the state adopted a tiered system, whereby people who become enrolled in the pension system before or after specific dates receive different benefits.

“But that applies to everyone in the system,” Young said. 

“We’re not saying that Bargaining Unit 8 gets their own unique benefits.”

And if any significant changes are made to the state’s retirement laws, Young said that could draw the ire of the Internal Revenue Service.

The IRS has certified the state pension system and granted it tax qualified status, which allows beneficiaries to receive certain tax breaks on their pensions, Young explained. Should the IRS determine a change to the system violates its own rules, it could rescind that tax qualified status, which would lead to ripple effects throughout the entire system.

The Hawai‘i State Constitution guarantees public pension payments, Young said. In a worst-case scenario where the state pension fund is no longer sufficient to pay out the necessary benefits, then the state is obligated to find those funds elsewhere.

“And then, that affects every taxpayer in the state,” Young said. “So, I think it’s worth keeping an eye on.”

While Young said he understands why the state’s bargaining units are attracted to the proposal, he said he hopes the bill fails.

“But I do have to acknowledge that it has continued to move,” Young said. The bill passed second reading in the House on Feb. 17 and has been referred to the House Finance Committee.

On the other hand, a corresponding Senate measure is officially dead, with the Senate Committee on Labor and Technology voting in January to defer it.  

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State capitol 022725

<title>State pensions up for negotiation under proposed law</title>

State agencies are concerned about a bill that allows government workers' unions to negotiate new retirement benefits.

State pensions up for negotiation under proposed law

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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Business & Tourism

The business’s second store is located in Kāhala — specifically Kāhala Korner, the same plaza where 

The new store — which is in the former Subway space — will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Due to its size, this location is more conducive to takeout.

While this store is smaller than the business’s Downtown Honolulu location, it includes some of its most popular features.

Customers can take advantage of the store’s smoothie machine and DIY ramen machine. Smoothies ($4.99 each) come in flavors like acai; strawberry and banana; and blueberry, strawberry and banana.

Customers can also choose from the extensive ramen selection, then use the machines to cook their ramen.

The store also features a large selection of grab-and-go hot and cold foods.

Hot foods include fried mandoo ($3.39), potato corndogs ($3.49), and tornado potatoes ($3.49). The latter — which features a crispy, spiral-cut potato on a stick — is a customer favorite.

Cold options include sweet and savory sandwiches, musubi, and kimbap.

Similar to its Downtown Honolulu location, this store offers a variety of assorted snacks and customizable drinks.

Customers can also find CU Hawaiʻi  x Sig Zane merch, along with popular Korean skincare products.

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CU Hawaii Kahala sign 022526

<title>CU Hawaiʻi opens in Kāhala</title>

The Korean convenience store just opened its second location in Kāhala Korner, the same plaza as Kapa Hale and Olive Tree Café. The store opened in the former Subway space, and while not as big as the brand’s Downtown Honolulu location, it includes some of its most popular features.

CU Hawaiʻi opens in Kāhala

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

A pair of historic rivals in Hawai‘i and BYU took the floor on an eerie March night in 2020, thrilling a sold-out Stan Sheriff Center crowd with five sets of elite volleyball. The Rainbow Warriors prevailed that night, sending fans home eager for the next home match. 

Days later, the season was called off due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 'Bows went on to win the program's first national championship in 2021, sweeping BYU in the NCAA finals, but played their entire home slate without fans in attendance due to local laws at the time. 

For the first time since March 2020, UH is set to host BYU at the Stan Sheriff Center for a pair of matches on Wednesday and Friday. Both contests begin at 7 p.m., and 

Asked about what he remembers from the last time the Cougars were in town, Hawai‘i head coach Charlie Wade recalls the whirlwind that followed. He was also appreciative of the fan atmosphere and hopes to replicate that this week.

"We didn't know it was going to be it for a while. They handed it to us pretty good on the first night, and then we got them back in five the second night," Wade said. "It's always a big rivalry when we play BYU, whether it's at our place or their place. That was an odd time (in 2020), and they shut down the whole season. We kept thinking, maybe we play later that year, but just thrilled to have a quality opponent back in here, and hopefully we can show them another sold-out crowd."

The first time the 'Bows and Cougars met since the 2021 national title match was a series in Provo in 2025. UH took both matches, led by the efforts of 

. As Titriyski continues to bounce back from an injury, Kainoa Wade, Charlie's son, has emerged as the team's leading attacker. 

Kainoa Wade, who estimates he was a 5-foot-10 middle schooler when BYU was in town in 2020, is now a towering 6-foot-10 sophomore opposite who has a team-high 123 kills for the Rainbow Warriors in 2026. 

"Obviously I'm excited," he said. "I think the last time BYU played here is right before COVID, with (former college men's volleyball stars) Gabi (Garcia Fernandez) and Rado (Parapunov) and those guys. I was a little chubby kid in the stands, so now being able to play in those matches, I'm stoked."

BYU was initially not on Hawai‘i's schedule in 2026, but the 

cancellation of an NIL tournament set to feature the 'Bows caused UH to pivot

. Despite not playing in the NIL tournament this year, a portion of the ticket sales this week will go toward the program's NIL fund. Another initial feature of Hawai‘i's 2026 schedule was zero home matches in February, which changes with BYU in town on Wednesday and Friday. 

"Obviously we're bummed to not be able to play against the USCs, the UCLAs, the Long Beaches, but BYU is up to par with those teams," Kainoa Wade said. "We're excited, especially getting to play in the the Stan Sheriff again."

The latest AVCA national collegiate men's volleyball poll has the Rainbow Warriors (12-1) ranked third in the country, while BYU (13-2) is ranked No. 6. Both teams will enter Wednesday's match winners of nine straight. Instead of scheduling another bye week, the 'Bows decided it would be best to challenge themselves and are now set to play for nine consecutive weeks, starting on Wednesday. 

"Definitely an exciting time of the year and this week kicks it off," Charlie Wade said. "BYU is playing at a really high level. They've won nine straight matches without dropping a set, and it'll be a big challenge. Every week going forward, it's going to be more of the same."

A lot has changed for Wade and his program since 2020. Back then, Hawai‘i didn't have a national title to its name but went on to win in 2021 and 2022. In evaluating his 2026 squad, Wade sees a team that's hungry to get back to the top of the sport. 

"That team was destined to win. I think we would have won in '20 and obviously won again in '21 and '22. I think this team's on the same kind of trajectory," he said. "They got to go out and prove it as all teams do. But I think they're recognizing that we literally are not just one of the best teams, but could be the best team."

Hawaii MVB 022426

<title>Hawai‘i men's volleyball reignites BYU rivalry on short notice</title>

The Rainbow Warriors will play at the Stan Sheriff Center for the first time in over a month, welcoming back a historic rival to the Islands.

Hawai‘i men's volleyball reignites BYU rivalry on short notice

Pua headshot

Puanani Fernandez-Akamine

Aloha Spirit

[{"type":"text","text":"Tom Pōhaku Stone says he was born to the ocean."}]

A renowned big wave surfer and waterman, Stone is a superb athlete and a self-avowed thrill-seeker with the scars to prove it and countless stories of danger and near-death experiences.

He is also a cultural practitioner, a master carver, an educator, and a Ph.D. candidate credited with almost single-handedly reviving heʻe hōlua (land sledding) and is considered to be Hawaiʻi’s foremost expert in the sport.

[{"type":"text","text":"The practice of heʻe hōlua"}]

Heʻe Hōlua as practiced by our ancestors was an extreme sport unique to Hawaiʻi.

Slides varied tremendously in terms of length, incline, and difficulty. Some were grass slides used for training or recreation. Others were slides built with stones and then covered with hard-packed cinder for more serious competition by aliʻi. The slides were often strewn with pili grass or sugar cane tassels to decrease friction.

Many of the longer slides started up ma uka and ended at the coastline – some at ocean cliffs. The longest and best-preserved rock slide is Kāneaka at Keauhou on Hawaiʻi Island, which, when first constructed, extended about a mile from the hillside to Heʻeia Bay.

Papa hōlua (sleds) range from 12- to 18-feet-long, but are only about six inches wide. They consist of two runners (kāmaʻaloa) made with native hardwoods like kauila lashed to crosspieces (keʻa) made from ʻohe (bamboo). Smaller rails (papa) lashed to the crosspieces served as a platform and hand rails. The kāmaʻaloa were often lubricated with kukui nut oil to make them slide even faster.

Marvels of engineering and design, the aerodynamically constructed sleds can be ridden prone on one’s belly, kneeling, or standing upright, and can travel at speeds in excess of 75 mph.

The practice of hōlua served many purposes. For most people, most of the time, it was purely a fun and thrilling amusement. It was a favorite Makahiki pastime, and spectators would bet on their favorite riders.

Hōlua was also used ritualistically by aliʻi, as portrayed in Apple TV’s "Chief of War." “The aliʻi nui had to perform, to show they’re willing to die if they wanted to lead,” Stone said. “Even though it’s Hollywood style, 'Chief of War' is a great visual of who we were as a people and how we dealt with things.”

Once believed to be a sport reserved for male aliʻi, traditional accounts of the sport describe both male and female riders – commoners and aliʻi alike – prior to western influence. In fact, the best known moʻolelo about hōlua features Pele who rode her papa hōlua on a wave of lava to defeat Kahawali, a prideful young chief from Puna, in a race that nearly killed him.

[{"type":"text","text":"A life of preparation"}]

Growing up, Stone spent a lot of time in Waikīkī where his tūtū made and sold lei. After helping her, he would go down to the beach and hang out around the beach boys. It was Duke Kahanamoku who helped Stone catch his first wave when he was just 5 years old.

Stone was hooked. Whenever he was in Waikīkī, after helping to sell lei, he was at the beach raking the sand until one of the beach boys put a board into the water for him to surf. A young beach boy, Joey Gerard, was one of his greatest influences, “that’s how I started surfing bigger waves – it’s because of Joey Gerard,” Stone recalled.

Having been pegged by his kūpuna as “athletic,” at the age of 4 Stone was sent to live with his great uncle John Solomon, a Kohala rancher. Solomon had no children so the plan was to hānai Stone and have him take over the ranch. “I was being raised to be a cowboy but Uncle John found me very difficult because I was always drawn to the ocean,” he laughed. Stone lived primarily with Solomon for two years.

Whenever he was on Oʻahu, Stone also spent a lot of time with his maternal grandfather, David Kahanu, in Kāneʻohe. “And that’s how we get to hōlua,” Stone explained. “He was training me to learn about it.”

Kahanu told stories about hōlua riding and took young Stone ti-leaf sliding on grassy Kāneʻohe hillsides and mud sliding in Nuʻuanu Valley. He also took him to a grove of mango trees above Pālolo Valley and challenged Stone to jump from tree to tree all the way down into the valley. “He was teaching me to commit; to focus on what I was doing and not to hesitate,” Stone reflected.

Kahanu was one of Stone’s most significant relationships as a child. “I loved being with him whenever I had a chance because that was where he would tell me the stories over a cup of tea and crackers. And then he left, you know, he passed away. So that was that.”

[{"type":"text","text":"A cultural and political awakening"}]

Like many young Hawaiians coming of age in the late 1960s, Stone was increasingly dissatisfied and angry about things he couldn’t quite articulate. Outside of surfing and his interest in ocean sports, he was unfocused and got in trouble with the law.

He dropped out of high school and later joined the military. After being discharged, Stone worked for the City & County of Honolulu as an ocean safety officer and spent his free time surfing and windsurfing.

Then, on Jan. 17, 1993, Stone participated in the ʻOnipaʻa March marking 100 years since the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. At ʻIolani Palace, he heard the late Haunani Kay Trask’s now-famous speech in which she asserted “We are not Americans! We will never be Americans!”

Hearing those words in that moment was transformational for Stone. He completed his GED, enrolled at Windward Community College (WCC), and never looked back.

[{"type":"text","text":"Reviving the art and practice of heʻe hōlua"}]

A research assignment for a Hawaiian culture class at WCC with Kumu Kalani Meinecke, inspired Stone to learn more about hōlua. “Everyone was focusing on voyaging. But I wanted to focus on what my tūtūkāne had been teaching me and research something nobody knew anything about. That’s how it all began.”

So in 1994, with Meinecke’s support, Stone began learning everything he could about hōlua.

He not only wrote a research paper, but built a papa hōlua (sled) that he named Keahiokekai.

His sled was constructed based on descriptions found in 

 by Māori anthropologist Sir Peter H. Buck (Te Rangi Hīroa). The description lacked details on how to lash the runners to the crosspieces, so Stone improvised and used canoe lashing techniques.

Stone is quick to point out that reviving hōlua wasn’t his accomplishment alone. His WCC classmates, the late Kilohana Duarte and Anne Campbell (now his wife), were his partners. “They were with me almost from day one. The three of us were on this journey.”

Already in his 40s, Stone channeled his talent for big wave riding and began teaching himself to heʻe hōlua. He took his papa hōlua to Maui to ride an ancient slide at ʻUlupalakua, but the tips of his runners broke off in transit. He was still able to ride it, but later took his papa hōlua to Hawaiʻi Island intending to burn it since it was damaged.

Stone went down to Kīholo Bay and left his papa hōlua on the shore while he gathered wood for a fire. When he returned, there were six large honu (turtles) resting on it. Stone took this as a hōʻailona (sign). He did not burn his papa hōlua that day. In fact, he still rides it.

By 1997, Stone had already built several papa hōlua and so was allowed access to the only surviving pre-contact papa hōlua which was housed at Bishop Museum. Stone spent years studying its construction.

“The engineering that goes into hōlua construction is ancient. It’s about balance and flexibility. It’s both scientific and symbolic. If you make the papa hōlua rigid it’s going to break at high speed. You have to build that sense of unified flexibility into it. That’s the most important thing.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Divine inspiration and the role of women in hōlua"}]

Between 1994 and 1998 Stone had a series of vivid dreams. In his dreams he walked the land with a woman he did not know. Eventually, they ended up at Halemaʻumaʻu in Kīlauea and he recognized the woman as Pele. In his dream, Pele explained the proper technique for lashing hōlua.

“I woke up at like 1:00 in the morning, went outside, took it apart, and re-lashed it traditionally,” Stone said.

Hōlua lashing requires a circular double wrap – a pattern that allows the sled’s runners to open slightly and flex forward and backwards. It takes about 375 consecutive feet of sennit.

But Stone learned more than hōlua lashing techniques from his dreams. He also came to understand the important role that women played in hōlua. “My mom always told me when a kupuna visits you, be open and go on the journey. So I did. And I learned more within those moeʻuhane than I learned from my research.”

He learned that the papa hōlua he studied at Bishop Museum was named Lonoikamakahiki and had belonged to Kanemuna, a woman from Hoʻokena. “And then I started to realize, as I searched for hōlua slides, they all have wāhine names.”

According to Stone, the prominence of women in the sport – and it’s connection to female deities like Pele – made hōlua a target of missionaries who not only wanted to suppress traditional religion, but also the prominence of women in Hawaiian society to align with western notions of male dominance and female subservience.

He believes that this is why so little is known about hōlua, and why so few hōlua slides remain.

“In Hawaiian culture, wāhine are more important [than men] because they carry the moʻokūʻauhau,” said Stone. “Hawaiian women had more political, social and spiritual capital than their western counterparts, which clashes with the conventional western Judeo-Christian world view.”

Stone said that what the missionaries “saw” was a dangerous sport that women actively participated in, with slides named after female deities. “They needed to eliminate the worship of females,” he said, noting that erasure of hōlua from Hawaiian consciousness included dismantling many of the slides. And in more than one instance, the stones that formed the slides were reused to build churches.

[{"type":"text","text":"The future of heʻe hōlua"}]

Now in his 70s, Stone is concerned that outsiders will co-opt heʻe hōlua, monetize it, and profit off of Hawaiian intellectual and cultural property the way surfing – Hawaiʻi’s most famous export – was co-opted in the mid-20th century.

“The reason I’m very choosy about who maintains the knowledge is because I’ve had offers from skateboarding and snowboarding companies. But it’s not for sale,” Stone said adamantly.

Stone is not currently mentoring any hōlua makers or riders outside his own family, although he has previously served as kumu to a handful of cultural practitioners who are now perpetuating ʻike pertaining to hōlua and fabrication of papa hōlua: Kumulāʻau Sing, ʻIliahi Doo, Kunāne Wooton, and Mahi La Pierre.

[{"type":"text","text":"However, Stone is arguably Hawaiʻi’s most active hōlua rider."}]

In his experience, few people want to commit. “It’s a process of pain to make a papa hōlua,” said Stone. “Your hands will be bleeding and your whole body aches because you learn to lash with your fingers, toes, teeth – whatever.”

Reflecting on his twin passions for heʻe hōlua and heʻe nalu (surfing), Stone said that at their essence they are the same.

“Look at it from a cultural point of view. Pele is on one side and Nāmakaokahaʻi (sea goddess and sister to Pele) is on the other. Although the legend is about them battling their way across the islands, I see it as a harmonizing. They go hand in hand,” Stone said.

“Hōlua and surfing are one and the same. If no more waves, ride the mountains.”

This article is reprinted with permission from 

OHA's Ka Wai Ola newspaper: "Reviving Hawaʻi's Extreme Sport: He'e Hōlua" by Puanani Fernandez-Akamine, in its February 2026 issue, Vol. 43 No. 2. Read more at 

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Ka Hee Holua 15

<title>Community Voices: Reviving Hawaiʻi’s extreme sport</title>

Tom Pōhaku Stone, a waterman, cultural practitioner and educator, brought back heʻe hōlua, or land sledding, and is considered to be Hawaiʻi’s foremost expert in the sport. For the last 30 years, Stone has ridden his papa hōlua (sled) on ancient hōlua slides and grassy hills across the pae‘āina.

Community Voices: Reviving Hawaiʻi’s extreme sport

[{"type":"text","text":"Caleb \"C-Bo\" Brown says he left his heart in the Islands."}]

The standout cornerback initially thought his collegiate football career was over with the University of Hawai‘i football team following the 2024 season. Following a ruling that allowed an extended year of eligibility for former junior college players such as Brown, he decided to spend the additional year in the Eastern time zone in order to give family members from Alabama more access to watch him play. 

Entering the NCAA transfer portal last spring was a bittersweet experience for the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Brown, who had interest from a bevy of schools. He ultimately signed with Virginia Tech, breaking fall camp with a starting spot for the Hokies. 

The 2025 season did not go as planned for Brown or the Hokies. Brown received season-ending shoulder surgery after playing just three games, while head coach Brent Pry was fired on Sept. 14. Brown received a medical hardship redshirt and was granted another year of eligibility. This time around, there was barely a choice to make. He knew he had unfinished business in Hawai‘i. 

While still recovering from surgery, Brown was one of a handful of players sidelined to 

begin spring practice for the Rainbow Warriors

 earlier in the month. He recently started joining the team in on-field drills as he continues to heal. All the while, he's been all smiles knowing he's back where he belongs. 

"It's just like I never left, for real. Just being back on the Island, talking with the guys again, it feels great to be back," Brown told Aloha State Daily following a recent practice. "The main reason to come back here was just the relationships I had with the coaches and them coming off a big season last year, I was really not wanting to leave in the first place, but just to be close to my family and hoping for them to just see me play my last year. 

"It was kind of tough, but just being back here, just enjoying the atmosphere, enjoying the environment, it's one of a kind. It's really nothing like it. So, I'm just happy to be here."

In Brown's first stint in Mānoa, the 'Bows won five games in both 2023 and 2024. Their breakthrough under 

 came in the 2025 season, where the team went 

. Brown was cheering the Rainbow Warriors on from afar all year. 

"I would call some of the guys after the game," Brown said. "If they lost, 

, I would call some of the guys. I was like, bro, y'all know you should have won that game. But, nah, I was tuned in the whole year. Like I said, it was like I never left. I never lost love for Hawai‘i, and they never lost love for me. So, I just feel like it was right to come back. I feel like I didn't need to be in that portal too long. I had a conversation with coach Chang and 

, and it was like we just started where we left off."

Brown was one of the foundational pieces for a program that was rebuilding for years under Chang. The narrative has flipped surrounding the Rainbow Warriors, who are now viewed as Mountain West contenders in 2026. 

Upon returning to the team, Brown was asked if he sees more confidence among his teammates now that they've seen what they're capable of. 

"Most definitely. You see the coaches walking around with their shoulders up, chest out, players feeding off of that, too. They got a chip on their shoulder," Brown said. "It's good to see guys who were the young guys when I was here but now they're the old guys. It's cool seeing them grow up and take ownership of the team and be accountable for everybody."

As the Rainbow Warriors enter their final two weeks of spring practice, Brown's recovery has continued to progress. Hawai‘i cornerbacks coach PJ Minaya says he's "a month or two" away from returning to full activity. 

[{"type":"text","text":"\"He should be good to go by the season,\" Minaya said. "}]

When Brown makes his full return, Minaya doesn't expect much of a learning curve. Most of all, he'll be fulfilled to be around someone he considers more than just a player he coaches. 

"Me and him are real close. Before he left, I always considered him one of my guys and someone that I leaned on during the season," Minaya said. "I'm not gonna lie, it did hurt when he left, but I understand the business of college football, and then when there was the opportunity for him to come back, I think it was just kind of an easy transition, which made it a good thing.

"I think he really elevates (the secondary) because we know what type of player C-Bo is. We know what we're getting, and we know that he's a very high-caliber player. I mean, he started games in the (Power Four). Obviously, started a bunch of games for us here, so we know that he's going to bring exactly what we need going into the fall."

Brown can hardly wait to become a full practice participant in fall camp. By then, the start of a 2026 season the Rainbow Warriors feel can be a historic one will inch closer by the day. 

"All the buzz going around in the nation, not just the city, not just the state, in the nation, I feel like they put the whole world on notice in that last game. But this year, I mean, we coming for it all," Brown said. "Mountain West championship, College Football Playoffs, we're just gonna bring that confidence, that experience from last year. And then we're just gonna keep on going. Level up, day in, day out, 1% better every day."

C-Bo Brown 1 022326

<title>Hawai‘i cornerback Caleb "C-Bo" Brown is back like he never left</title>

Brown played for the Rainbow Warriors from 2023 to 2024 before transferring to Virginia Tech in 2025. In 2026, he's back where his heart belongs.

Hawai‘i cornerback Caleb "C-Bo" Brown is back like he never left

A new Vietnamese cafe recently opened in Kakaʻako.

 — behind Down to Earth Kakaʻako — in the former space of Hibachi Honolulu, 

 offers a variety of Vietnamese dishes designed for easy grab-and-go.

“We have different types of rolls, and ‘roll’ is ‘on the go,’” says business owner Tam Tran, of the new cafe’s name.

The menu features Vietnamese coffees, spring and summer rolls, banh mi sandwiches and various plates. Most of the drinks feature a Vietnamese coffee base, according to Tran, who says customers can choose from different flavors of foam. Options include ube foam, salted foam and pandan latte ($7.50 each).

Non-caffeinated options, like choco cloud milk and Oreo pink cloud milk ($6.25 each) are designed for kids.

As part of its opening special, the cafe is currently offering 50% off any drink with the purchase of any food item.

Customers can choose from a variety of summer rolls (featuring a rice paper wrap) and deep-fried spring rolls. Spring rolls are usually filled with vermicelli, carrots, taro, onions and a protein of your choice, while summer rolls are stuffed with vermicelli, lettuce, basil, chives and a protein of choice.

A unique option is the cafe’s hidden crunch rolls (12 pieces for $17), which are spring rolls wrapped in summer rolls. They come with a sweet n’ chili sauce for dipping.

“You get everything in one bite; a lot of people tried it (during our first day of soft opening) and liked it,” Tran says.

Of the various sandwiches the cafe offers, Tran recommends the special banh mi ($13.25). It’s stuffed with pork, mayo, veggies and housemade pate.

“Our homemade pate is made from scratch,” she says.

The cafe is currently open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays to Mondays (closed Tuesdays). Customer parking is available at Shops at Keauhou Lane.

Open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays to Mondays

Rollin Rolls Cafe owner 021926

<title>New Vietnamese cafe opens in Kakaʻako</title>

Rollin’ Rolls Cafe opened recently in the former space of Hibachi Honolulu, next to Mad Pie in Kakaʻako. The biz offers a variety of spring and summer rolls, banh mi sandwiches and Vietnamese coffees.

New Vietnamese cafe opens in Kakaʻako

Davianna Mc Gregor 2

[{"type":"text","text":"Member of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana"}]

Davianna Pōmaikaʻi McGregor

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