Photo: Courtesy of Ward Village

With a variety of local, national and global boutiques, you’re sure to find something for everyone on your list. During Black Friday, November 29th, shop the seasonal offers happening throughout the neighborhood. On Small Business Saturday, spread aloha and show your support for the local businesses that contribute to making Ward Village a special place to visit, play, shop, and above all, live.

Photo: Courtesy of Ward Village

Then, from December 1st to the 15th, you can participate in the Elf Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win a $100 gift card to a Ward Village store or restaurant of your choice. The more you find, the greater your chance of winning! Fifteen winners will be announced and featured on Instagram the week of December 16th.

Photo: Courtesy of Ward Village

At Ward Village, you can shop unique boutiques for one-of-a-kind gifts, fuel your shopping trip at a grab and go eatery, gather for an unforgettable meal at an award-winning restaurant, and get in the spirit with a variety of festive events and activities—all in one vibrant neighborhood.

Discover all that awaits this holiday season in the Holiday Guide.

430 PKWY

Kaka‘ako

A speakeasy cocktail bar and lounge from Chris Kajioka is planned for the Waimanu-Pi‘ikoi corner of Kaka‘ako, already home to Tempura Ichika, Sushi Gyoshin and Hangang Korean Grill House. Look out for opening details in December.

430 Pi‘ikoi St., @430_pkwy

Amaterasu

Ala Moana

Frolic’s editors have been fond of Hideo Ohmiya’s thoughtful sushi omakase since he opened his first counter at Artizen inside the Velocity luxury car showroom. Since Amaterasu closed in April, we’ve kept our ears to the ground for when and where it would reappear. Amaterasu’s first brick-and-mortar opened yesterday, Nov. 20, one floor below Ala Moana Center’s Lanai food court near Macy’s. Soft-opening price is $100 a person; reserve on OpenTable.

1450 Ala Moana Blvd., @amaterasushi808

SEE ALSO: Amaterasu, the City’s Newest Sushi Omakase, Is in a Car Showroom

Big Island Burger

Waikīkī

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Jeff Carzino’s Big Island beef burgers are now in Waikīkī. Carzino’s Ultimate Burger in Kailua-Kona is popular for its commitment to local ingredients, 100% grass-fed Big Island beef and fresh-cut fries. On O‘ahu, I’m told there will be plant-based options, a 10% kama‘āina discount and parking validation with a minimum spend. Find this in Waikīkī Shopping Plaza on the street level.

2250 Kalākaua Ave. #102, @bigisland.burger

Faria

Kailua

Photo: Courtesy of Faria

Faria bills itself as a Pasifika Portuguese restaurant that, when it opens in early December, will pay homage to Hawai‘i’s Portuguese immigrants and their descendants. Recipes from co-owner Kawehi Haug’s family include alcatra con purê de batata, an Azorean pot roast stew; and pulvo á lagareiro, seared octopus with potatoes and sausage. I’m looking forward to the Butter Mochi Amendoa, Haug’s riff on bolo de arroz (rice flour cake) and butter mochi with an almond float topping.

305 Ku‘ulei Road, fariahawaii.com, @fariahawaii

Favorite Son

Waikīkī

Favorite Son has a lot going for it. Offerings at this deli-meets-diner on the ground floor of the Romer Waikīkī start with breakfast and continue through the day with toasted hoagies, Detroit-style pizza, salads, protein bowls and cocktails too. The bright, airy space is on the quieter ‘Ewa end of Waikīkī.

2040 Kūhiō Ave., romerhotels.com, @favoritesonwaikiki

Gecko Girlz Shave Ice

Diamond Head

Photo: Thomas Obungen

There can never be too many shave ice shops in Hawai‘i. Gecko Girlz proves my point, bringing its vibrantly hued creations and syrups from Kona to a location near Diamond Head. The Kona Sunset with vanilla ice cream, liliko‘i and lychee syrups, liliko‘i puree, coconut cream snow cap and mochi is an especially sweet signature item, but you can also craft your own.

3045 Monsarrat Ave., geckogirlz.com, @geckogirlzshaveice

Honolulu Bagel Co.

Downtown

With the recipes and baker from now-shuttered Lox of Bagels on board, Honolulu Bagel has opened Downtown on the Pauahi Street portion of Fort Street Mall. Daily bagel selections, schmears and a roster of sandwiches round out a menu that will also bring back the schmear-stuffed Bagel Bombs.

73 S. Pauahi St., @honolulubagelcompany

Gohan

Makiki

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Honolulu’s first made-to-order musubi and hand roll bar brings new excitement to this stretch of South King Street. Gohan pairs fluffy, freshly milled Tsuyahime rice with crisp Ariake nori to make excellent rice balls and hand rolls with classic and inspired toppings. The tonjiru pork miso soup and tsukemono pickles are also worth trying. Grab-and-go options are available, but dine at the counter for the best experience.

1314 S. King St., @gohan.hawaii

SEE ALSO: Gohan Is Honolulu’s First Craft Musubi Bar, and It Just Opened in Makiki

Harumi

Waikīkī

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Waikīkī’s newest izakaya offers a broad menu of Japanese classics: sushi rolls, nigiri, yakitori and tempura. Menu items that stand out: fava bean tempura ($6.95), beef and pineapple kushiyaki ($3.95) and Hawaiian-style oxtail soup ($11.95). If you’re game to brave Waikīkī parking, Harumi looks like it might be a fun joint to start the night.

339 Royal Hawaiian Ave., @harumi_waikiki

SEE ALSO: Where to Park in Waikīkī

Lady Elaine

Mānoa

Lady Elaine, the second Mānoa Marketplace restaurant by Dusty Grable’s Lovers + Fighters group, is expected to open in December. Grable says menu items will range from Southern Italian and Sicilian to dishes with Moroccan, Provençal and Lebanese influences. The restaurant will have indoor and outdoor seating and a large by-the-glass wine program, which I am especially looking forward to.

2752 Woodlawn Dr.

SEE ALSO: The Hospitalitarian: Dusty Grable Is the 2024 Restaurateur of the Year

Mille Fête

Chinatown

Photo: Sean Marrs

James Beard Award-winning chef Robynne Maii is putting the final touches on her new Chinatown bakery-café with pastry chef Katherine Yang of Gigi Blue in New York. Expect sandwiches, ice cream, baked goods, cakes and other confections from these two powerhouse chefs. The opening was planned for December but it’s looking more like January 2025.

1113 Smith St., @millefete

Please Come Again

Kailua

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Ube crunch. Rose lychee. Shiso mint chip. These are some of the 16 ice cream flavors lingering on the brain after a visit to Please Come Again, a craft parlor that opened in early November in Kailua. As the name suggests, we will be coming again and again to try more whimsical ice creams and sorbets.

322 Ku‘ulei Road, @pleasecomeagainhawaii

SEE ALSO: Sweet Treats: Kailua’s New Ice Cream Parlor Has One Request

Tonkatsu Kuro

Kaka‘ako

Expect cold soba and premium kurobuta pork tonkatsu combination sets from Tonkatsu Kuro, which is slated to open in coming weeks in the space on the corner of Halekauwila Street and Robinson Lane, kitty corner from Rinka.

1000 Auahi St., @tonkatsu.kuro.hi

Youpo Noodles

Chinatown

Photo: Thomas Obungen

After a brief experiment with Nasi Lemak, a farmers market stall with a focus on Malaysia’s national dish, Andrew Pressler is bringing back the hand-pulled biang biang mien that was the original star of his operation. The super chewy, spicy noodles get their flavoring from scalding hot oil hitting the herbs and spices in an aromatic flash. This time, however, Youpo Noodles has graduated from the farmers markets to its first brick-and-mortar spot in Chinatown. It’ll be closed Thanksgiving week and back in operation the first week of December.

1109 Maunakea St., @youponoodleshi

SEE ALSO: Find Fresh, Spicy, Hand-Pulled Noodle Bowls at These O‘ahu Farmers Markets

Photo: Maria Burke

Just as I’m bemoaning the dearth of local craft ice cream parlors in Kailua, I drive past a door on Ku‘ulei Road newly painted with a trio of ice creams. Could it be? It is! Despite its unlikely name, Please Come Again opened in early November as if in answer to my craving.

Photo: Maria Burke

In the former Double Three location, the new shop by Jo and Kyle Wailyn, a couple from the Bay Area, feels like a hip boutique that happens to sell ice cream. The 16 flavors are just as cool, with many ingredients sourced locally. Different-size scoops are available in a cup, sugar cone, handmade waffle cone, four-flavor flight and an affogato topped with freshly pulled Tradition Coffee Roasters espresso.

SEE ALSO: Ultimate Guide to 11 Luscious Local Ice Cream Shops

My favorites so far:

• Ube Crush—a yammy blend for true ube lovers, with zero purple extract. Real ube flavor and crunchy bits of polverone form a combo that keeps me going back for more.
• Shiso Mint Chip—expertly blended flavors of mint and aromatic shiso with bold shards of Mānoa Chocolate.
• Only in the Darkness Can You See the Stars—a unique twist on cookies and cream that starts with a super fragrant base of Lā‘ie Vanilla ice cream (I’m not a vanilla girl, but the finesse of this one has me swooning). Activated charcoal and Oreo cookies are blended in, resulting in a jet-black mixture with a subtle flavor and an extra toothsome mouthfeel.

Only in Darkness Can You See the Stars, keiki scoop in a sugar cone. Photo: Maria Burke

Most of the other flavors showcase local ingredients. Like the Tropical Rainbow Sherbet made entirely of local fruits, Cinnamon Malasada featuring Agnes’ Portuguese Bake Shop goods, Guava Lava swirled with Aloha Bites guava jam, and Kona Snow, a mind-bending concoction of cream infused with Tradition Coffee Roasters 100% whole Kona beans.

Although Please Come Again hasn’t been crafting ice cream for very long, the flavors and textures show staying power. Stay tuned for grab-and-go pints and cakes. And a little birdie told me to look out for a poha berry and basil combo coming soon. See you there.

Tips:

• Want to taste as many flavors as possible? Bring a friend and get a flight (or two).
• The fresh waffle cones can be ordered on the side, so you can have your cone and eat it too.
• Bring a cooler and ice if you’re getting ice cream to go—the stuff melts quickly.
• Parking is available on Ku‘ulei Road and behind the shop in Kailua Square.
• Keep an eye on their IG for seasonal flavor change ups.

What: Craft ice cream
Where: 322 Ku‘ulei Road (across from Kailua Elementary School)
When: Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday noon to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 8 p.m.
Cost: From $4.50 for a keiki scoop in a sugar cone to $16 for a four-flavor flight
Payment: Card or phone payment, no cash
Contact: pleasecomeagainhawaii.com
Follow: @pleasecomeagainhawaii

SEE MORE SWEET TREATS:

Sweet Treats: Don’t Sleep on the Hojicha Frappé at Matcha Café Maiko
Sweet Treats: Where to Find Hawai‘i’s Only Snowthies

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Team Rice, assemble! Two years ago, you couldn’t find a single hand roll bar in Honolulu. While Los Angeles, New York and Miami each had a few, somehow sushi-loving, musubi-obsessed Honolulu had none. Then Obake opened in April and Nori Bar in December—and on Nov. 1, Gohan opened in the Interstate Building on King Street. Its made-to-order musubi edges Gohan ahead of the pack.

SEE ALSO: Fresh, Crackling-Crisp Hand Rolls Make Nori Bar Worth a Visit

A warm rice ball made to order in front of you has very little competition. For this experience, dining at the bar at Gohan is necessary. It doesn’t hurt that it’s a beautiful space to boot, a complete transformation from the former Annabel Snack. The cooks start with fluffy, aromatic and slightly sweet Tsuyahime rice steamed in one of five induction rice cookers that line a wall of the kitchen. They form the rice into a triangle musubi, a loaded temaki wrapped in nori from the Ariake Sea off Kyushu, or a grilled (yaki) onigiri.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Classic musubi choices include shio salmon ($3.50), tuna mayo ($3.50) and yuzu ikura ($5.50). Specialty hand rolls consist of shrimp tempura ($4.95), chicken karaage ($4.25), pork kakuni ($4.50) and grilled unagi ($5.95). Grilled onigiri, which take 10 minutes to prepare, are worth the wait. Three of them are stuffed with cream cheese and toppings of shoyu, mentaiko or bonito flakes ($3.95 to $4.50). Daily specials have included overflowing hand rolls topped with spicy ‘ahi ($6.75), tonkatsu ($5.95), seared o-toro ($9.99) and other luxe toppings. Yes, there’s a Spam and egg musubi ($4.25). No, I did not order it.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Gohan lacks a full kitchen, so many of the fried and braised toppings are made at Golden Pork and Sushi Que, its sister restaurants across the street. These are reheated in the air fryer to match the warmth of the rice, a nice touch that makes the rolls that much more tasty.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

For a fulfilling meal, start with two nori musubi like tuna mayo or salmon ($3.50 each). Add a bowl of pork miso soup ($4.95) and a side of tsukemono pickles ($2.50) to round it out. This reminds me of my meal at Misojyu, a cozy shop in Asakusa, Tokyo, that serves essentially the same combination as a breakfast set for less than a cup of coffee. The tuna mayo musubi has a slight hint of citrus while the salmon hits all the right salty notes. The tonjiru, brimming with daikon, carrots, gobo and pork belly, is deliciously hearty.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Hand rolls arrive like folded tacos in stands that give them an aesthetic look while preserving the nori’s crisp texture. Eat them immediately. If you know me well, it’s no surprise that the pork kakuni hand roll, based off Golden Pork’s chashu, is my favorite; the chicken karaage roll is a close second. These are substantial: three can easily cure those lunchtime hunger pangs.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

It’s difficult to pinpoint why a lunch of warm rice balls, crunchy pickles and steaming soup is so soul-soothing. But it’s why I’ve already returned and will continue to return to Gohan.

Open Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 1314 S. King St., @gohan.hawaii

Sri Lankan black pork curry with kale and coconut mellam on Breadshop ciabatta. Photo: Thomas Obungen

I recently discovered that Sri Lankan black pork curry with kale and coconut mellum are as at home on griddled Breadshop ciabatta as they are with fragrant long-grain rice. Although I’m no stranger to bold Indonesian curries and chile-flecked sambals, the handheld versions have made Bada Gini, Fishcake’s newest popup, an exciting change to my Thursday lunch routine.

But just fast as my new obsession took hold, it’s been put on pause: After today, I learned, Bada Gini is taking a hiatus until sometime next year. Huge bummer (what will I eat on Thursdays?), but I’m still excited. Here’s why:

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Badagini translates to “I’m hungry” in Sinhala, the language of Sri Lanka. After owner Sara Uduwela tells me this, on my first visit, I tell her I was the exact opposite of badagini after inhaling half of my pork curry sandwich ($18). The pillowy ciabatta is an ideal vessel for the tender pieces of pork shoulder in a smoky curry tamed by coconut milk and pieces of stir-fried kale and coconut flakes.

But it is Uduwela’s sambal belacan Kewpie mayo that steals the show. Belacan is a Malay shrimp paste; this is an infinitely better, more complex version of mayo made with Sriracha. Even after downing a cold can of Yeo’s soy milk ($3), sweat beads under my eyes. On the side, fried bitternut chips offer more solace from the heat. I take my leftovers home to enjoy the next day.

SEE ALSO: Rotating Pop-Up Vendors at Fishcake Hook Us With New Delights

I’m back the following Thursday, and with a new week come two new sandwiches. The chicken curry grilled cheese ($18) is the hot seller because when you put curry and cheese together, it practically sells itself. I wasn’t lucky enough to nab one, so I got the alternative: a fried tofu sandwich with green bean urap (a salad with spiced coconut) and sambal matah ($18). Uduwela’s vegetarian option is thick enough to stand on its own. I especially love the crunch of the green beans and the refreshing notes of shallots, makrut lime leaves and chiles in the sambal. The sandwich takes inspiration from the plethora of side dishes and toppings that define Balinese cuisine. I might have finished this one too, but I had a big dinner to save room for.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

To play your cards right, bring a friend, buy both sandwiches and trade halves. If I could peel my boyfriend away from work, that’s what I would do.

SEE ALSO: Shioketh Lights Up Pālolo With Fiery Indo-Singaporean Flavors

Uduwela is a total third-culture kid. Born in Singapore to a Chinese mother and Sri Lankan father, she grew up there and in San Diego. A commercial photographer by trade, she most recently lived in Australia, which has a strong sandwich culture. That, along with the cuisines of her upbringing, merged into the catalyst for Bada Gini. Uduwela has no formal culinary training, but her flavors tastes true and genuine, not contrived or gimmicky. The sandwiches are solidly delicious. Finally, someone is shaking up the world of sammies, sandos and banh mis, which, in the Islands, don’t get as much love as plate lunch and bento.

Bada Gini joins a growing list of Southeast Asian pop-up restaurants and farmers market vendors that have found a footing on O‘ahu. Andrew Pressler’s Nasi Lemak serves up the national dish of Malaysia with spiced proteins and traditional garnishes at farmers markets. Shioketh launched in September with Peranakan and Indonesian dishes at Hapa Market in Pālolo. This microtrend of spicy vendors follows the brick-and-mortar openings of Straits, Café Kopi and SingMaTei in recent years, all of which have expanded the presence of this region’s famously bold flavors.

This Thursday will be Uduwela’s final popup, at least until next year, and she’s going out with a bang: three sandwiches including the spicy pork curry ciabatta, an eggplant motu pita and a spicy sardine salad on Japanese milk bread. If you’re willing to endure the torture of eating your first and last Bada Gini sandwich, plan on lunch at Fishcake. Then you can join me as we wait for her next update.

Thursday, Oct. 31, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or until sold out, 307c Kamani St., @badagini.hi

Chicken wings stand out as a beloved classic in the vibrant scene of Puck’s Alley. I set out to explore two bars with two totally different approaches to wings. With this mission, I venture to Beer Lab HI and RB Sports Bar & Grill, a.k.a Rock Bottoms, to see which spot delivers the better wing. 

SEE ALSO: Beer Lab Opens a Fun Bar and Lounge with Food at Puck’s Alley

First up is Beer Lab, where the six-piece Truffle Parm Wings and Chinese Salt Pep Wings are both $14. The atmosphere here is a mix of laid-back vibes with wooden chairs and tables and colorful murals on the walls. Our Truffle Parm Wings are an absolute treat for the senses. Each warm wing wafts aromas of cheese and is perfectly seasoned, tender and juicy. The truffle butter, paired with rich parmesan, elevates this dish to something truly special. I savor each bite and leave the bar with a smile, feeling satisfied yet curious about what’s next.

First up: Chicken wings at Beer Lab. Photo: Lucas Kamata

Then comes Rock Bottoms. What could possibly top those heavenly truffle wings? I soon find out. The 15-piece battered wings, priced at $21.95, come in a selection of flavors that have my taste buds dancing in anticipation. With 15 pieces, you can choose three sauces: OG is a garlic soy, Home Sauce is oyster sauce-based with sesame oil, SPV is salt and pepper with vinegar, Hawaiian Brah-BQ has liliko‘i, there’s Bomb Buffalo, and Green Dragon has light salt with wasabi mayo and cilantro. We opt for Yuzu Buttah, Calamansi Chili, and Gochujang Honnay. The wings arrive piping hot from the fryer.

Chicken wings at RB Sports Bar. Photo: Lucas Kamata

The Calamansi Chili wings are crisp on the outside with a punchy tang and heat that leaves a lingering warmth. The Gochujang Honnay is good, but doesn’t stand out as much. It’s not that spicy, and the flavors are OK. Yuzu Buttah, on the other hand, truly steals the show. The flavor transports me back to childhood, reminiscent of Snyder’s honey mustard pretzels but with a twist of yuzu tang. Each bite is a harmonious blend of savory and sweet, enveloping the wing in a golden sauce that keeps me going back for more.

SEE ALSO: My 7 Favorite Fried Chicken Wings on O‘ahu That Aren’t KFC

I reflect on my wing adventure. Beer Lab sets a high bar with its Truffle Parm wings, but Rock Bottoms takes my palate on a rollercoaster of flavor that I won’t soon forget. If I have to choose, the wings from Rock Bottoms win me over—each bite is a revelation, a reminder of why I adore food so much. But if you find yourself seeking memorable wings, you have two very good choices at Puck’s Alley.

Beer Lab, 2600 S. King St., beerlabhi.com, @beerlabhi
RB Sports Bar & Grill, 1019 University Ave., rbhawaii.com, @rbsportsbar808

I ate my first Indian meal in college, back when I was landlocked by cornfields in Ohio. On Friday nights my friends and I would pile into a beat-up sedan and hit up Bombay Garden & Greek Eats. Their mashup menu came with nine spice levels and nine more secret levels for masochists. One night, I tried the chicken masala in an urgent shade of red, and an outpouring of flavors and heat went off like a bomb on my tongue.

I’m pretty sure that bite rewrote my neural pathways. Why skydive when I can just eat Indian food? Its potent blend of spices arouses my sense of smell and fires up my curiosity. The curries are a musical alchemy, their heat levels ranging from gentle grace notes to daredevil crescendoes. It’s always exciting.

SEE ALSO: 5 New Indian Restaurants Have Opened in Honolulu This Year

After I moved home to Honolulu, I tried the city’s handful of old and new Indian restaurants. One hit just right. I need you to understand how much I love Kamana Kitchen. I celebrated my birthday there. My next birthday is a tossup between Kamana Kitchen on Bishop Street and the new one in Kapahulu. If you’re looking for an unbiased writeup, I suggest you find an almanac.

Kamana Kitchen opened its doors in Kona in 2013, expanded to Hilo, jumped to Kīhei, Maui, and finally set up shop in Downtown Honolulu in 2018 as New Kamana Kitchen (which I will refer to as KK1). If you don’t work or live Downtown, KK1 can be a tough location. Parking is limited to the curb, which is a gamble on Bishop Street, or municipal garages a couple blocks away. Plus, KK1’s setup of small tables and metal chairs works for the in-and-out lunch crowd, but it’s a bit cramped for groups.

Photo: Alexander Pang

This is a main reason why Kamana Kitchen 2 exists, according to its gentlemanly manager, Bipin Jung Khadka. KK1 customers frequently asked for a more accessible dine-in spot, so the owners spent the last couple of years looking. Set in the old Haili’s Hawaiian Restaurant space on the corner of Winam and Palani avenues, KK2 is nearly twice the size of KK1, with booth-style seating for larger groups. Directly behind on Palani are 10 parking spots in front of a two-floor apartment building.

Photo: Alexander Pang

That’s good news, but I was already parking by ʻIolani Palace and walking through rain, hail and sleet to get to KK1. What I really care about at Kamana Kitchen 2 is whether the food is as good as KK1. So let’s cut to the chase: Everything I ate tastes almost exactly as it does at KK1. That may be because the head chef commutes between both spots, Khadka tells me.

Though nearly identical, KK2’s menu lacks lunch specials. That’s a shame. If you find yourself Downtown, I recommend the lunch special for its healthy serving of an entrée, such as tikka masala or vindaloo, as well as rice, naan and sides. You will need a desk to crawl under for the kanak attack that will follow.

SEE ALSO: What to Order at Tadka: Eat Like a Chef

Both Kamana Kitchens offer a fairly standard menu, with a variety of chicken, lamb, vegetarian, vegan, seafood and rice options. You’ll find chicken tandoori, samosas, daal soup and chana masala, as well as biryani and naans. Many curries and other entrées offer a choice of proteins. For example, vindalu is a garlic-based curry with a punchy vinegar tang that pairs with chicken or lamb; smooth, yogurt-based korma curry pairs with chicken, lamb, shrimp or vegetables; and creamy, tomato-based masala can be ordered with chicken, lamb, shrimp or paneer.

You can choose a spice level: mild, mild plus, medium, medium plus, hot and hot plus. The higher levels are certainly hot, but not painful. I would schedule a nice long walk afterward to let your guts settle. KK2 is also BYOB with a $10 corkage fee.

Photo: Alexander Pang

Our exploratory dinner here consists of lamb saag ($19.95), coconut fish curry ($20.95) and chicken tikka masala ($19.45), each accompanied by basmati rice; and a basket of peshwari naan ($5.95). Kamana Kitchen makes a mean mango lassi ($6.45), which we sip alongside the salt lassi ($5.25).

Lamb saag can be described as a kind of spinach curry. Soft chunks of lamb complement and infuse the darkly delicious spinach. Each spoonful is like a walk through a spinach-canopied forest. You can trade out meat for palak paneer, a lightly milky house-made cottage cheese blended with spinach and spices.

Coconut fish curry. Photo: Alexander Pang

The dancing, creamy coconut fish curry may be my favorite dish of the night. In other cuisines, the fish, tender and juicy, might be the star; here, it’s a vessel for uplifting flavor.

Chicken tikka masala is a creamy, tomato-based curry. Buttery and sweet with a slight tang and vibrant spices, it’s an addictive crowd-pleaser. The cubes of chicken, slightly overcooked and chewy, provide more texture than headline. After the spinach forest and sunny coconut fish curry, the tikka masala is a bustling marketplace. I’ll stop with the metaphors.

Naan is great and garlic naan even better, but for something different, I highly recommend the peshwari naan, which is stuffed with almonds and raisins. At KK2, it’s crisp with a chewy heft that makes it excellent for dollops of curry. I associate raisins with the Sun-Maid boxes that you get from disappointing houses on Halloween. Here, their softness and jam-like flavor, combined with the crunch of almonds, make the peshwari naan a good pairing with our entrées.

Photo: Alexander Pang

KK2 serves lassi in goblets that can easily be shared between two people. The salt lassi is interesting—salty and yogurty, as you’d expect, with a slightly bitter undercurrent of mint, cumin and black pepper, which dots the bottom of the glass. If the ocean were made of yogurt, maybe it would taste kind of like this. The mango lassi is an outright winner. Creamy and not too sweet, it’s a palate-cleansing comma between flavor-packed bites.

We are stuffed to the gills, with leftovers in tow. I’m always deceived by the portions at KK1, and Kamana Kitchen 2 is no different.

Food is sometimes described as an experience, which I think is apt here. In my little corner of the world, I eat delicious curry and think about how much experience is out there and how many incredible flavors and permutations I have yet to try. Just like my first mind-blowing masala in Ohio.

So anyway, I really like Kamana Kitchen 2. Maybe I’ll see you there for my birthday?

Open daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., 760 Palani Ave., (808) 734-3160, @newkamanakitchen

Last week, Sean Morris texted me asking if I’ve tried the gumbo at Nola Café, the New Orleans-inspired café that took over the corner of St. Louis Drive and Wai‘alae Avenue this summer. I have not, but I’m all ears. Sean is not just a local marketing wiz (he helped the café open), he’s also a gourmand. Funny enough, it’s not the gumbo that he can’t stop talking about, it’s the shrimp étouffée, another creole dish you rarely find in these parts. I agree to meet him for a hosted lunch the next day.

We split the jambalaya ($13 a bowl, $16 a plate), chicken and sausage gumbo ($15 bowl, $18 plate) and shrimp étouffée ($15 bowl, $18 plate). I order an iced coffee drink to cool off. Nola’s air conditioner struggles against the humidity, so it feels like you’re in the South.

SEE ALSO: Leila Brings a Refined Taste of Morocco to Kaimukī

Three bowls arrive with varying degrees of spice and heft. Jambalaya, the Cajun answer to paella, combines shrimp, chicken and andouille sausage with rice, tomatoes, broth and aromatic spices in one of my favorite dishes. With Spanish, African and French influences, this dish brings a lot to the table. Nola’s version is on the softer end of the texture spectrum but isn’t lacking in flavor. It’s got a decent note of spice without being too hot. I’d order a bowl again.

Jambalaya. Photo: Thomas Obungen

Nola’s recipes come from co-owner Courtney Aczon’s family, whose hometown is New Orleans. The gumbo is thinner than the gumbos I’ve had elsewhere that incorporate a dark roux. Served with two scoops of rice, it is closer to a light gravy with shredded chicken and pieces of andouille sausage than it is a stew. If you’re used to thicker Creole gumbo, mix in the rice to soak up the broth so it becomes thicker and more comforting. Plates, which are $3 more, come with extra rice and/or a side salad.

Chicken and sausage gumbo. Photo: Thomas Obungen

Shrimp étouffée is elusive, so when Sean could not stop talking about it, I knew I needed to try it. It lives up to my expectations with a velvety texture that smothers the bouncy shrimp tossed in just before finishing. If you’ve ever had pan roast at the Oyster Bar in Las Vegas, this is close, except without tomato. It’s served with rice, but I think a crusty baguette would do a fine job mopping up every drop.

Shrimp étoufée, foreground. Photo: Thomas Obungen

To make it a full lunch, I sip on a sweet Café Nola, espresso balanced with milk and chocolate, cinnamon and caramel syrups over ice. A completely different experience from the New Orleans iced coffee at Blue Bottle Coffee, but same in that the details make it stand out. Row Aczon, who co-owns Nola Café with his wife, Courtney, comes from the world of specialty coffee and knows a lot about pouring amazing lattes. Previously an operations manager at Kai Coffee, Aczon set off to make his own space with the added flair of Creole and Cajun food.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

But what would a New Orleans-inspired café be without beignets? Nola’s beignets are on the smaller side, which means they won’t leave you feeling like you need to run a marathon. In addition to the classic, non-filled version (4 pieces for $7), you can also have vanilla, chocolate or ube custard-filled beignets (4 pieces for $10). And yes, they are covered with a dangerous amount of powdered sugar, so be careful when inhaling.

Nola Café may not have the best parking situation, but don’t let that stand in your way. This menu is served all day, every day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3040 Wai‘alae Ave, nolacafehnl.com, @nolacafehnl

If I pointed at an auto body garage and said you could try more than 100 wines by the glass there, would you believe me? I promise it’s for real. Silver Lining Wine Bar hides inside Unibody Autotech on Waimanu Street in industrial Kaka‘ako. And there’s no way you would know from the street, not even a sign.

Head toward Unibody and enter the tinted glass door. Act like you know where you’re going. Don’t go up the stairs—that’s the cigar lounge Brix and Stones—and instead, walk past them to the unmarked diamond-plated door. Do this only after you’ve made reservations. Then prepare to dive into the world of natural wine with Silver Lining’s owner, Rick Lilley.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Lilley brings a jovial educational approach to low-intervention wines. Previously 12^th Avenue Grill’s wine and beverage director and currently wine curator at Nature Waikīkī, he opened Brix and Stones with his wife, Elaine Lilley, during the pandemic. Lilley’s affinity for natural wine began when he was a buyer at Kermit Lynch, the country’s most important wine importer and merchant. In Europe, Lilley learned about biodynamic wines from producers who have continued the tradition of making wine without intervention for generations.

SEE ALSO: O‘ahu’s New Self-Serve Wine Bar Takes You From Brunch to Dinner

On the counter at Silver Lining are two books. One has the food menu and an abbreviated list of wines by the glass or bottle, along with spirits and cocktails from Brix and Stones’ barrel program. Book two is an exhaustive bottle list divided by wine type. It also lists wines available by the glass when you order a minimum of four glasses. Smaller pours of 2.5 ounces mean you can try a lot more than if you committed to a full 4- or 5-ounce glass.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

We split two small plates: Chef Nae’s chicken liver mousse with Breadshop toast ($16) and the 12-slice charcuterie board ($27) with speck, mortadella and spicy soppressata. Other food options include a spinach, chicken and mushroom salad ($18), a brisket patty burger by Goodfellas ($22) and a selection of popular panini and pinsa (pizza) from Bocconcino next door. The charcuterie also comes from Bocconcino and is sliced fresh to order at Silver Lining.

SEE ALSO: Donato’s Fresh Cheese-Centric Bocconcino Café Opens in Kaka‘ako

Chef Nae is Nature Waikīkī’s Nae Ogawa, who gives her chicken liver mousse to Lilley as thanks for curating the wine pairings for her menus. A glass of Chavost Blanc d’Assemblage Brut Nature ($15), an organic Champagne made with a blend of chardonnay and pinot meunier grapes, is dry with high acid, making it ideal with the rich liver mousse. A more interesting pairing is the off-dry Champalou Les Fondraux Vouvray, one of the best examples of chenin blanc from the Loire Valley in France. Its mild sweetness acts like a berry compote that lifts the delicious liver mousse to new heights.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

As we nibble on the charcuterie, we ask for more recommendations from Lilley. Although it’s too early for this year’s Beaujolais nouveau, he has a bottle from last year’s crop that he’s been liking lately. I ask to try a glass. It might have been a little past its prime, but I still taste the fruitiness and youth that make Beaujolais so easy to gulp. We also try an orange wine from Meinklang, an iconic biodynamic Austrian farm, and a red wine blend by a micro producer called 4 Mono Viticultores from Madrid, Spain.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Conversations about how each of the wines lift or accentuate the different flavors of our bites are the beginnings of lessons about similar grapes and other wines that could work. Now the fun part: trying new pairings that buck the trend, especially when it comes to natural wines.

Otherwise known as low-intervention wines, natural wines have been around forever, but they’ve become mainstream in the last decade. They differ from most commercially available wines in that they start with organic grapes and use no artificial additives. The process is close to the way wine was traditionally made. Most winemakers use additives, sulfates or stabilizers to alter the taste, color, clarity or shelf life. These additives are usually imperceptible on the palate and are widely accepted and legal in many producing regions.

Natural wines may sound great on paper, but they also have shortcomings. Since they do not contain sulfites, they are unstable and have a lifespan of about a year. They are often described as funky or yeasty and contain impurities or have a cloudy appearance. Natural wines typically go against conventional standards for what makes a good wine, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be outstanding.

Whether you’re deep into wine or just scratching the surface, Silver Lining Wine Bar is an ideal springboard to a sea of wines you might not see in grocery stores or wine shops on the island.

Reservations only, Wednesday to Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m., 999 Waimanu St., brixandstones.com, Resy, @silverlininghawaii

Photo: Heidi Anderson/Hallowbaloo

Hallowbaloo Music & Arts Festival, Honolulu’s signature Halloween street fest, is looking like a no-go for the second year in a row. The event had been planned for Chinatown on Oct. 26, but “The Hallowbaloo permit is still in flux. That said, people should plan on Hallowbaloo not happening,” organizer Mark Tarone says. “We will advise otherwise if something promising develops.”

The massive party typically took over Chinatown streets from Bishop to Smith, from just above Nimitz Highway to just below Beretania Street. Stages provided live entertainment, 16 bars took part and vendors and a craft beer village set up amid other features. Launched in 2008, Hallowbaloo became a tradition that took place every year except the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The 2022 crowd of around 10,000 was a record, with event-goers parading through the district in elaborate costumes, and the onstage costume contest with its $1,000 grand prize was always a huge draw.

Photo: Heidi Anderson/Hallowbaloo

After failing to resolve differences with the city over the event’s permit application last year, Tarone this year applied early. The problem, he says, is a bill working its way through the Honolulu City Council that would require street festivals to limit the sale and consumption of alcohol to areas “demarcated by barriers or fencing,” like a beer garden.

“It’s important to note that there are not problems with alcohol, the behavior of attendees or cleanup. The City is focused on ensuring free access to street festivals,” says Tarone, adding that verbal reports from Chinatown police immediately following the events have not mentioned these problems. “There are reasonable, reliable and cost-effective ways to guarantee free access without requiring beer gardens.”

Photo: Mike Vidales/Hallowbaloo

The same bill would force Hallowbaloo and other for-profit street festivals to hand over some profits to the Waikīkī Business Improvement District and the Waikīkī Beach Special Improvement District Association. It was the increasing frequency of street closures for events in Waikīkī that prompted Bill 50, which is still going through hearings and has yet to become law.

SEE ALSO: All the Spooky, Scary, Tricksy Halloween Fun on O‘ahu

So what is happening? As she did last year, Proof Social Club owner Jasmine Mancos is stepping up. She’s organizing bars for “Halloween in Chinatown: The Crawl of the Undead” on Saturday, Oct. 26. Proof, NextDoor, The Underground Lounge, The Dragon Upstairs and The Manifest will have live music or deejays and are offering access to all for one cover wristband available online starting today, Mancos says. More bars are expected to sign on.

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Wristbands are $20 presale, $30 at the door. Presale wristbands can be picked up at Proof Social Club from 4 p.m. on Oct. 26, “and if anyone has already bought passes from Pubcrawls.com, all of the participating bars have agreed to honor those badges as well, but we really encourage anyone who hasn’t yet to support our local crawl,” Mancos says. “You’re also more than welcome to come check out Black Shamrock, J. Dolan’s, Smith and Kings, EP Bar, Nighthawk, Hank’s Café Honolulu and Skull & Crown Trading Co.,” which will all be open with no entertainment or cover charge.

Photo: Mike Vidales/Hallowbaloo

Last year, NextDoor hosted a midnight costume contest. This year, the event moves to Proof, where the top prize for the midnight costume contest will be $100 plus a $100 gift card.

“It feels like tradition at this point to come celebrate Halloween in Chinatown. We want to keep that going even without the street festival,” Mancos says. “So go big. Go as big as if it were still a street fest. We want to see your costumes, we want to see your holiday spirit, and we want to have a lot of fun.”

Halloween in Chinatown: The Crawl of the Undead

Saturday, Oct. 26, from 6 p.m.

Online tickets: $20 presale, $30 at the door
All-in-one ticket includes access to all bars with live entertainment: @proofsocialclub, @nextdoorhi, @undergroundlounge, @dragonupstairs and @themanifest
Also open with no cover: @blackshamrocktavern, @jdolanshnl, @smithandkings, @ep.bar, @thenighthawkhi, @ilovechinatown808 (Hank’s Café Honolulu), and @skullandcrowntradingco

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