The first class at CookSpace 2.0: Learn how to make tortillas on Oct. 6 with Raíz Tortillas. Photo: Courtesy of Raíz Tortillas

The final issue of Honolulu Weekly in June 2013 was all about food. I was on the editorial team that spent weeks hunting down 100-plus dishes, experiences and tidbits. Among them was a story by my friend Jamie Noguchi about a new 1,000-square-foot kitchen space at Ward Warehouse. CookSpace had just launched, offering classes that taught basic culinary skills and how to cook things like less-stress brunch and plant-based and gluten-free dishes.

Four years later CookSpace closed ahead of the warehouse’s demolition, and I regretted never having signed up for a class. So when I got an email last week announcing its return at nearby Ala Moana Center, I hopped on a call with co-founder Melanie Kosaka to find out more.

“We wanted to start doing this sooner than later. Part of the thinking was people now seem so divided, and we thought cooking is something that brings people together, and people can celebrate cultural differences,” says Kosaka, a passionate home cook with a background in food media. “So we need to do this now.”

CookSpace relaunches this weekend with Simmer Sundays, focusing on slow and easy meals. The first one is with chef Ramón Germán of Raíz Tortillas at the former Forty Carrots space in Bloomingdale’s at Ala Moana Center. A $90 ticket includes a welcome drink and appetizer, a lesson in making tortillas, then eating them with carnitas, guac and salsa. Participants will take home Raíz tortillas and get 25% off Le Creuset products at Bloomingdale’s that day. Classes will continue there through the end of the year and are geared toward anyone age 14 and up.

Photo: Courtesy of Raíz Tortillas

SEE ALSO: Hecho Con Aloha: Corn Transforms at Raíz Tortillas

Kosaka’s partner in the new CookSpace is Megan Tomino, a culinary producer and food stylist who helped start original CookSpace and returned home after spending time on the mainland. (Jason Kim, also involved in the beginning, has since moved to Los Angeles.)

“I think when we started, there was definitely an interest in cooking, but coming out of the pandemic, so many people have now gotten into cooking and really see it as something that they want to do, like an everyday activity,” Kosaka says. Plus, it’s a fun way to make friends and support small businesses and diverse food traditions. “The more that we can service that and bring that to life is a good thing.”

Follow CookSpace on Instagram or sign up for its newsletter for updates on the class schedule and other events. The next class will be with Istanbul Hawai‘i on Nov. 3.

Simmer Sundays with Raíz Tortillas, Oct. 6, 1­–3 p.m., Bloomingdale’s Ala Moana, third floor, $90, cookspacehi.com, @cookspacehawaii

Indian food in Honolulu? Hardly new. Eateries like Café Maharani and Himalayan Kitchen are longtime favorites, but the scene remained sparse and little changed—until recently. Spice Up House of Cuisine opened on South King Street in 2021, followed by Curry Guru’s Sri Lankan and South Indian specialties at farmers markets, then Tadka Indian Cuisine last year. And then the floodgates opened.

Five Indian spots have opened across the city this year. Most are expansions, one is new and the last is exclusively at farmers markets. The fact that some offer Nepalese momo dumplings reflects the owners’ heritage and broadens choices beyond masalas and vindaloos. Here’s a look at the newcomers.

New Kamana Kitchen Kapahulu

Photo: Mari Taketa

The Kapahulu spot that was home to Haili’s Hawaiian Foods reopened in late September under a familiar name. New Kamana Kitchen, which has been slinging up naan breads, tandoor skewers and butter chicken, Goan shrimp and other curries from a vast menu on Bishop Street since 2017, transported the same menu across town, minus the lunch specials. Spice levels are customizable—choose level 2 if you like your heat to be noticeable but not building to an unbearable crescendo. The dining area is triple the size of Kamana’s Downtown restaurant, and there’s a small lot with free parking in the back.

760 Palani Ave., (808) 734-3160, newkamanakitchen.com, @newkamanakitchen

SEE ALSO: Why I’m Obsessed With Kamana Kitchen 2, Honolulu’s Newest Indian Restaurant

Namaste Indian & Nepali Cuisine

In the space of the former Bombay Palace, Namaste opened in late summer in Discovery Bay across from the Ilikai Hotel. Among the vindaloos, biryanis and assorted styles of curry, Nepali chicken or vegetable momo dumplings come three ways here: steamed, fried with chile sauce or in sesame-tomato jhol broth. Menu sections list seven vegan and seven vegetarian dishes. Desserts include house-made pista kulfi pistachio ice cream, and there’s masala chai of Darjeeling tea and warm spices. The restaurant validates parking behind the building—enter from Kaio‘o Drive.

1778 Ala Moana Blvd. #213, (808) 941-5111, namasterestauranthi.com, @namastehnl

Café Tadka (temporarily closed for renovation)

An offshoot of McCully Shopping Center’s Tadka, itself an offshoot of Spice Up (Tadka’s chef, Ganesh Shrestha, is former chef and partner at Spice Up), Café Tadka opened at 808 Center in May with a small, wide-ranging menu. Momos are here, along with South Indian dosas, classic desserts and a smattering of dishes that lean into the Indo-Chinese side of the cuisine, including Hakka noodles and Sichuan fried rice. Food comes on disposable plates or packaged for takeout, though there are some dine-in tables.

808 Sheridan St., (808) 888-0216, @cafetadka808

SEE ALSO: Tadka: Where Indian Food Comes Alive

Lasoon Nepali & Indian Cuisine

Photo: Mari Taketa

Lasoon, a fast casual Indian counter at UH Mānoa since 2018, expanded to its own space at Pearlridge Center’s Wai Makai this past spring. Look for the same menu of curries and sides as at UH, except that prices are a tad higher in the mall. And unlike UH, where all side dishes including chana masala and fiery hot eggplant are vegan, the new location’s palak paneer and butter mix vegetables aren’t. Chicken momos, a nod to the owners’ Nepali heritage, are on offer daily; small containers of chutney and piquant, earthy pickles are for sale near the drinks, and the space has a few tables for dine-in. Word is Lasoon hopes to expand to Kapolei next.

98-1005 Moanalua Road, 2nd floor, (808) 744-0400, @lasoonpearlridgecenter

Simply Indulge

A farmers market specialist, Simply Indulge debuted in January with a plant-based menu of Indian favorites and specials. There’s pani puri, crispy shells filled with curry, fresh tomatoes and cilantro and an herby sauce; plus dosas, salads, curries, lassi and house-made masala chai. Many dishes are vegetarian; some are vegan. Find this one at the Kaiser High School PTSA farmers market on Tuesdays and the Farm Lovers Saturday morning market in Kaka‘ako and Sunday morning market in Kailua next to Adventist Castle Health Hospital.

Multiple locations, @simplyindulge808

Photo: Thomas Obungen

In a city where sushi shops have dominated the lineup of new Japanese restaurants, a tempura omakase stands out. It’s not the sort of fried mound of waning crispiness served all at once on a platter. Tempura Ichika presents a chef’s choice meal where each seasonal ingredient is meticulously fried and coursed out one at a time.

Kiyoshi Chikano came to Honolulu to be closer to his native Japan. After spending 16 years rising through the ranks to executive tempura chef at Nadaman Restaurants in Sapporo, he joined the team at Tempura Matsui in New York in 2015. For eight straight years, he helped that restaurant earn a Michelin star. In April, Chikano became the executive chef of Tempura Ichika, bringing his Michelin pedigree to Honolulu. Other than Matsui, Tempura Endo in Los Angeles is the only comparable restaurant stateside.

SEE ALSO: Honolulu’s Omakase Obsession

What feels like a portal to a restaurant in Tokyo’s Ebisu neighborhood, Ichika’s blonde oak interior frames an eight-seat counter that surrounds an open space where Chikano works at a copper-clad frying station. Two tables are tucked out of view for private dining. The warm aromas of sesame and cottonseed oils add to an ambiance that concentrates your focus on the food.

Executive chef Kiyoshi Chikano (left) and sushi chef Ken Kawakami (right). Photo: Thomas Obungen

As of Aug. 1, that food is not just tempura. That’s the day Tempura Ichika debuted the city’s newest sushi omakase. Both offerings are $160 before tax and an 18% service fee. The tempura progression includes sashimi, a starter course, 10 pieces of seasonal tempura, a starch and a dessert finale. The Edomae sushi omakase features a sashimi starter, 12 to 13 nigiri, hot food items and a sweet ending.

I’ve now dined here three times—twice as a media guest and the third time for tempura on my own dime.

SEE ALSO: Best of HONOLULU 2024: Food and Drinks on O‘ahu

The journey to tempura nirvana begins with sashimi, which recently was local ‘ahi and buttery hamachi. This is followed by a warm chawanmushi with sweet Hokkaido murasaki uni and edamame over snow crab ankake sauce with anago suspended in the delicately savory custard. This is a wonderful hint at a meal of more highs.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

You’ll know the main event is about to start when servers place sea and kombu salts, lemon and daikon oroshi in tempura sauce on your lacquer tray. As each piece of tempura arrives, servers relay Chikano’s instructions on which salt or sauce pairs best.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Two sets of kuruma ebi legs fried into the crispiest shrimp chips are always the first course. If you’re drinking, start with something dry and effervescent like a brut Champagne with high acid to counter the tempura. Next comes the actual shrimp, also two times, so you can dip the first in sea salt and second in daikon oroshi with tempura sauce. Shrimp is often one of the coveted pieces in a tempura assortment, but served first at Ichika, it’s a sign that it’s only up from here.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

At a media preview, I try tempura of abalone, snow crab wrapped in shiso leaf, Hokkaido uni wrapped in nori, Okinawan sweet potato batons and chrysanthemum greens. Other pieces that stand out from my most recent visit include delicate belt fish topped with lobes of Hokkaido uni with yuzu kosho, eggplant garnished with the tiniest knob of minced ginger, sansho-pepper-dusted red snapper and luscious Hokkaido scallops with kizami wasabi. Each piece has a veil of batter, just enough to protect it from the dunk in bubbling oil.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

We progress through a parade of fried bites with sips of 2010 Le Montrachet white Burgundy, one of the most coveted and ideal expressions of chardonnay, and a 1999 vintage Chinon Clos Du Chêne Vert from Charles Joguet. These may have been more celebratory wines, but they paired incredibly well with our equally celebratory meal. If you have reservations before Sept. 6, you are welcome to bring your own bottles, corkage-free.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

The two-hour meal concludes with a tendon of tempura over rice, miso soup and pickles. If you were not yet at the edge of contentment, this course gets you there. Dessert, a tiny ball of yuzu sorbet or matcha ice cream, follows, with hot tea. If you want to enjoy each course at your own pace, book the later of the two seatings.

If Chikano’s tempura isn’t your fancy, there’s now the Edomae sushi omakase. Ken Kawakami, an 18-year sushi veteran from Osaka, spent some time in Ginza, Tokyo before coming to Hawai‘i where he spent much of his career behind the counters at Hatsuhana Japanese Restaurant and more recently, Restaurant Suntory.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

His seared nodoguro with yuzu zest and sea salt, ishigaki gai giant clam, amadai snapper and local amaebi all made me sink into my seat. Kawakami blends his own red and rice vinegar to season rice to a darker hue, a hallmark of Edomae sushi. I appreciate Kawakami’s amiable personality; it’s easy to interact with him. Sometimes, a sushi omakase is less enjoyable if you’re not able to understand what you’re eating, but at Ichika, this isn’t an issue.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

For now, there are two nightly seatings for tempura and one seating for sushi. In the future, the offerings will blend slightly as the chefs work together to find their synergy.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

I might not have booked an omakase more than once a year, but having been lucky enough to try three omakase meals since May, I am more inclined to save my dollars to book one seasonally, especially as seafood flavors become richer and more flavorful in the fall and winter months.

Reservations required. Open Tuesday to Sunday 5:30 to 10 p.m., 434 Pi‘ikoi St., (808) 888-0000, ichikahawaii.com, @tempura_ichika

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in October 2021, nine months after a block of restaurants, bars and other businesses along Ke‘eaumoku Street closed to make way for new condos. It has been updated periodically as eateries find new homes—even three years later, the case with Chogajip and En Hakkore, which top today’s list.

Chogajip

Photo: Mari Taketa

The latest eatery to resurface from Ke‘eaumoku’s super block, Chogajip opened July 20 across from the Hawai‘i Convention Center next to Sura Hawai‘i Korean barbecue. It’s a slightly spruced-up version of its old cinder-block haunts, but just slightly—chogajip means straw-roofed house, and the menu reflects simpler, home-style dishes. House specialties like this lip-smacky, umami-rich kalbi tang or short rib soup are marked by a chogajip emoji. Breakfast features sizzling soups, lunch specials in the $25 range combine house barley rice with an entrée and a chige soup, pork shoulder bossam sets are popular at dinner, and the restaurant is open daily from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Parking is free in the small lot immediately ‘Ewa of the restaurant. The new owners are from the same family as the old Chogajip and bring a fresh, welcoming vibe.

1718 Kapi‘olani Blvd., (808) 762-3100

En Hakkore Café

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Tell your shave ice fanatic friends: En Hakkore and its giant, loaded bing su are back, this time in a different supermarket around the corner from their old haunts. The café menu of toasts, coffees and sweet drinks is pretty much the same, with a notable new addition. Read more in the article below.

1670 Makaloa St.

SEE ALSO: Honolulu’s Most Over-the-Top, Caffeinated Korean Shaved Ice Is Back

Asahi Grill

Asahi Grill Ke‘eaumoku, affiliated with Kapi‘olani Coffee Shop in Waimalu and not with Asahi Grill on Ward Avenue (though all three are known for their oxtail soup) reopened in May 2021 in a standalone spot at the entrance of Kaimukī. The menu still spans eclectic local favorites from kalbi fried rice to hamburger steak, curry with tempura, chicken papaya soup, and that famous oxtail soup.

3008 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 744-9067, asahigrill.com, @asahi_grill_keeaumoku

Banchan House

Formerly known as Ke‘eaumoku Produce, the renamed Banchan House opened in December 2022 in nearby Like Like Plaza. The mom-and-pop shop still sells the house-made kim chee, mandoo and assorted banchan made by owners Seong Hee and Chul Kyu Kim and their relatives, plus Wai‘anae eggs and Kamiya Papayas.

745 Ke‘eaumoku St., (808) 955-9788, @_banchanhouse_

Ireh Restaurant at Azure

Photo: Mari Taketa

The cozy, homey eatery known for its Korean comfort food debuted its new location on the ground floor of the Azure Ala Moana condo building in fall 2021. You can still find spicy tteokbokki, healthy noodles and umpteen varieties of jook (think abalone, mushroom, beef and mushroom, black sesame and the popular, deeply green seafood chlorella) on the expanded menu, which includes new chicken dishes and even more jook. Parking is free on the third floor of Azure—enter from Ke‘eaumoku Street, no validation required.

629 Ke‘eaumoku St., @ireh_at_azure

SEE ALSO: When Rice = Comfort Food: 6 Steaming Bowls from Around the World

New Hyung Je (formerly Don e Don)

Photo: Thomas Obungen

After a months-long closure, Koreamoku’s Don e Don reopened as a new iteration in the space formerly known as Hyung Jae or, informally, Brothers. New Hyung Je is the result, with tabletop grills and a menu of not just Korean barbecue standards, but Don e Don specialties at lunch as well. These include pork neck bone soup with perilla leaves and potatoes, and the famous grilled pork ribs, seasoned with sea salt or sweetened kochujang.

636 Sheridan St., (808) 591-1827

SEE ALSO: Don e Don: A Korean Restaurant with Unrivaled Pork Dishes

Sorabol

Photo: Martha Cheng

In a deft move, the neighborhood’s oldest and most iconic Korean restaurant reopened across the street and down the block from its original location just seven weeks after closing. Sorabol’s new home inside the Pagoda Hotel means the Pagoda Floating Restaurant has moved into the property’s ballrooms, where it serves breakfast; and that, unusually for a Korean restaurant, you’re eating kalbi, yukgaejang soup and steamed butterfish surrounded by windows—and the hotel’s colorful resident koi.

1525 Rycroft St., (808) 947-3113, @sorabolhawaii

SEE ALSO: Here’s the New Sorabol, Just Opened Inside Pagoda Hotel

Steve’s Chicken (formerly Chicken Factory/Steve’s Chicks)

At Steve’s Chicken in Pearlridge’s Mauka food court, the new name and home of Koreamoku’s former Chicken Factory and then Steve’s Chicks in Waipahu, Korean fried chicken and chicken sandwiches rule the menu, along with Korean snacks and drinks including banana milk and Milkis.

98-1005 Moanalua Road, (808) 216-7042 (manager’s phone), @steveschicken_hawaii

Tonkatsu Sangi (formerly Menchanko Tei)

Photo: Mahina Chong

After a period as a mobile food vendor, Menchanko Tei reopened in September 2023 in Downtown’s Pioneer Plaza as Tonkatsu Sangi with a scaled-down menu of its top hits: tonkatsu, nanban chicken and ramen made with recipes from Goma Ichi.

900 Fort Street Mall Ste. 170, tonkatsusangi.com, @tonkatsu_sangi

SEE ALSO: Find Menchanko-Tei Favorites and Goma Ichi’s Ramen at Tonkatsu Sangi

Yogurstory

The neighborhood’s trendy breakfast and brunch destination, an OG spot for vibrant purple ube pancakes, set up shop in the home of the old Like Like Drive Inn, just yards from its original location, mere weeks after closing. The new space is considerably larger but still fills up, with lines on weekends.

745 Ke‘eaumoku St., (808) 942-0505, @yogurstory

SEE ALSO:

Where Are They Now? Eateries from ‘Ohana Hale Marketplace, Part 1
Where Are They Now? ‘Ohana Hale Marketplace Eateries, Part 2
Friday Is Moanalua 99’s Last Day. Here’s Where the Eateries Are Going

Editor’s Note: In the summer of 2022, just before Liliha Bakery opened its fifth location in Pearl City, these were the top sellers at the iconic local diner’s four other spots. We’re republishing this post because the meals and treats are timeless. Our top takeaway? Locals love hamburger steak!

These butter rolls. Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Just as every Zippy’s and every Rainbow Drive-In is a little bit different, every Liliha Bakery location is different. Only the “original” Liliha (the true original opened around the corner on Liliha Street in 1950) has beef curry and beef stew—and the best counter diner experience in town. The Nimitz Highway restaurant has Waffards, which are waffles layered with dollops of custard; Ala Moana Center’s one has mimosas (!); and the Waikīkī location, at posh International Market Place, has carved prime rib and milkshakes.

The top-selling baked goods at each place don’t vary: Coco Puffs reign everywhere, and the famous grilled butter rolls with neon raspberry jelly get their due. But country-style omelets? Even Liliha Bakery can’t explain why this scramble of three eggs with green and round onions, tomatoes and your choice of meat is the No. 1 entree at original Liliha and Ala Moana—except to note that breakfast is served all day, and these locations are the most heavily patronized by locals.

Other surprises: Liliha Bakery makes a mean oxtail soup. Who even knew there’s mushroom chicken? And though we buy the same best-selling pastries at every single location, mind-bogglingly, these do NOT include slices of chantilly cake.

SEE ALSO: These 3 Family-Owned Eateries Are Bringing Local Favorites to Wider Audiences

Now, the chain’s fifth restaurant is slated to open in Pearl City on Aug. 31. Given the mix of potential customers there, we’re betting the top sellers will be country-style omelets—and Coco Puffs. Of course.

Top 5 at Original Liliha

Country-style omelet: Is it the onions? Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Coffee Shop

• No. 1: Country-style omelet
• No. 2: Hamburger steak
• No. 3: Hotcakes
• No. 4: Loco moco
• No. 5: Waffles

Bakery

• No. 1: Coco Puffs
• No. 2: Poi mochi doughnuts
• No. 3: Cream puffs
• No. 4: Butter rolls
• No. 5: Chocolate cream puffs

Top 5 at Nimitz

Oxtail soup. Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Coffee Shop

• No. 1: Loco moco with fried rice
• No. 2: Country style omelet
• No. 3: Oxtail soup
• No. 4: Loco moco
• No. 5: Hamburger steak

Bakery

• No. 1: Coco Puffs
• No. 2: Poi mochi doughnuts
• No. 3: Chocolate cream puffs
• No. 4: Cream puffs
• No. 5: Butter rolls

SEE ALSO: The Best-Selling Local Slurpee Flavors of All Time at 7-Eleven Hawai‘i Are …

Top 5 at Ala Moana Center

Miso butterfish. Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Coffee Shop

• No. 1: Country-style omelet
• No. 2: Loco moco with fried rice
• No. 3: Oxtail soup
• No. 4: Loco moco
• No. 5: Miso butterfish (followed by hotcakes)

Bakery

• No. 1: Coco Puffs
• No. 2: Poi mochi doughnuts
• No. 3: Chocolate cream puffs
• No. 4: Cream puffs
• No. 5: Green tea puffs (followed by butter rolls)

Top 5 at Waikīkī

Loco moco with fried rice. Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Coffee Shop

• No. 1: Loco moco with fried rice
• No. 2: Country-style omelet
• No. 3: Mushroom chicken
• No. 4: Hotcakes
• No. 5: Loco moco

Bakery

• No. 1: Coco Puffs
• No. 2: Poi mochi doughnuts
• No. 3: Cream puffs
• No. 4: Chocolate cream puffs
• No. 5: Green tea puffs (then butter rolls)

SEE ALSO: What Are the Best Sellers at Rainbow Drive-In?

If you’ve been paying attention, a lot of Korean barbecue joints have been popping up recently. While it’s great that we have a multitude of choices, where to spend our hard-earned money becomes the question.

Consider Yakiniku Tawashi—if you’re craving KBBQ by Monday, July 15. I am gnashing my teeth about discovering Tawashi, only to learn it will be closing for renovations as of July 16.

SEE ALSO: AYCE Nights: My Favorite All-You-Can-Eat Korean Barbecue Spots in Honolulu

Located at 747 Amana St., in the space that previously held New Shilawon Korean Restaurant, Yakiniku Tawashi has taken an unassuming location and made it its own. Naturally, beef is front and center throughout the menu, with Japanese gyutan (cow’s tongue) taking the spotlight.

Grilled beef tongue with minced onions. Photo: Nicholas Hoshida

Slices of premium cuts of washugyu tongue ($29.85) blanket a plate, ready for grilling. With such a high grade of beef, instructions are to grill only five to six seconds on each side before eating. Not to be missed are the seasoned minced onions that accompany the dish. Partially dehydrated to increase the onion’s natural sweetness and umami, this condiment on the freshly grilled tongue makes for beefy nirvana. Chase with a generous mouthful of white rice, grill and repeat.

Combination platter, $69.95. Photo: Gregg Hoshida

The rest of the menu contains further beefy delights, some from Japan (marked as washu) and some from the U.S. Plates of washu beef oxtails are $15, as are plates with ribbons of bone-in kalbi. A combination platter with four cuts each of five washu and American beef is $69.95.

Raw beef intestines, $15. Photo: Gregg Hoshida

If you are more adventurous, make sure to order from the dedicated beef offal section with cow intestine, tripe and heart. There is even a beef organ omakase ($38) offering if you want all of them.

For all meats, you are given the choice of salted, marinated or sometimes with miso. I find the salt alone allows the meat to shine without being masked by shoyu, sugar, garlic or miso. Rounding out the menu are various soups (the kalbi soup is excellent with soft, richly flavored morsels), rice bowls, kim chee, pickled vegetables, beverages and desserts. A limited takeout menu of beefy bentos, soups, namul and kim chee is also available.

Photo: Gregg Hoshida

While the prices are a bit on the higher side, which needs to be mentioned, there are specials that help offset that. Until they close for renovations on July 16, some meats are 50% off, including kalbi, chuck eye roll, rib finger, oxtail, pork jowl and pork belly.

Also of note is the level of service. Grills are regularly changed out, and empty plates are removed sometimes within seconds. This level of attentiveness will keep me coming back to Yakiniku Tawashi—once it reopens. In the meantime, keep checking the website and Instagram for updates.

Open Wednesday to Monday, 5 to 10 p.m., 747 Amana St., (808) 751-1003, yakinikutawashi.com,  @yakiniku_tawashi_honolulu

Editor’s Note: Add two new musubi specialists from Japan to Thomas Obungen’s list, originally published in the fall of 2022: Omusubi Fujimaru inside Waikīkī’s Mitsuwa Marketplace, with luxe toppings including wagyu, butterfish and scallops; and Nana Musubi, which returned to its old spot in the new Stix Asia food hall in January 2023 (yes, they still have tonjiru pork miso soup). Sadly, three musubi shops on the original list have since closed; another is relocating and will reopen this summer.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Onigiri, or musubi as we love to call them, are a dietary pillar for many of us on the go. The locals’ version of an energy bar, but way more fun and oishii, rice balls often add up to more than the sum of their parts. They’re the quick snack between meetings, a trip down memory lane or just a simple indulgence we don’t have to break the bank to enjoy. You can pick up musubi at convenience stores, supermarkets and okazuya delis, but here, we’re talking about specialists.

Musubi are so popular, O‘ahu is home to 11 shops dedicated to the craft of pairing freshly cooked rice with salty, pickled and sweet toppings and wrapping them up in nori. Here’s where we go for the best musubi in Honolulu.

Got’z Grindz

Photo: Maria Burke

Location: 45-726 Kamehameha Highway, Kāne‘ohe
Instagram: @gotzgrindz_gotzkitchen
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Musubi varieties: 40+
Price range: $1.95 to $5.25 each
Specialty: 20+ Spam musubi variations
My pick: Butter garlic corn musubi and red hot dog musubi

You have to be on the “right” side of Kamehameha Highway if you want to get to this Kāne‘ohe hidden gem. Got’z Grindz is worth the hassle, though, especially for their myriad musubi choices. The rice-to-topping ratio is ideal: You get more flavor in each bite. I also recommend picking up side dishes like garlic noodles, and the poke bowls are excellent.

SEE ALSO: Hidden Gem: Got’z Grindz Musubis in Kāne‘ohe

Higoto Japanese Eatery

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Location: 3221 Waialae Ave. # A4, Kaimukī
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or sold out
Instagram: @higoto_japanese_eatery
Musubi varieties: 20 (10 types, with two rice options)
Price range: $2.60 to $2.95 each
Specialty: Large, filling musubi generously stuffed with toppings
Other menu items of note: Bento and donburi
My pick: Karaage chicken musubi and cheeseburger musubi

I’m always shocked by the line that forms outside Higoto Japanese Eatery in Kaimukī. Are there even enough parking stalls at this small shopping center? But every time I bite into a cheeseburger musubi, I’m reminded of why. These fistfuls of rice and generously portioned toppings are sublime and enough to fill a grown man in one go.

Komedokoro M’s

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Location: 438 Hobron Lane, Suite 107, Waikīkī
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. or sold out
Instagram: @komedokoro.ms
Musubi varieties: 25
Price range: $2.69 to $4.25 each
Specialty: Musubi made with Tsuyahime rice that’s milled fresh in-store each day
Other menu items of note: Chicken karaage, Japanese beef curry and ‘ahi poke bowls
My pick: Spam and egg onigirazu, shiso with ume musubi and mentai-mayo musubi

In places like Waikīkī, especially the corner of Hobron Lane and Ena Road which many Japanese expats call home, it pays to go off the beaten path. I’m talking about Komedokoro M’s, a teensy musubi shop that teems with business from open to close. They use Tsuyahime rice from Yamagata, which comes in brown rice form and is milled fresh daily at Komedokoro. From the first bite to last, these are the musubi I dream about.

Mai Musubi

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Editor’s Note: Mai Musubi temporarily closed in May and will reopen at 614 Cooke St. in July 2024. The info below is from its former University location.

Instagram: @maimusubi
Musubi varieties: 25+
Price range: $2.55 to $3.75 each
Other menu items of note: Bento
My pick: Crunchy ume musubi and tuna mayo musubi

Mai recently relocated from Liliha to just off University Avenue in the former Bubbies Ice Cream shop. Loads of space, parking and a larger menu (with online ordering) are the results. The musubi keep well and are generous on toppings with a good ratio of rice to match. Reasonably priced bento and curry bowls are just as popular.

Mana Musubi (Mana Bu’s)

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Location: 1618 S. King St., McCully
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or sold out
Instagram: @manamusubihi
Musubi varieties: 32
Specialty: Uniform musubi made with a wide variety of toppings with California and Japanese Koshihikari, pilaf and mixed-grain rice
Other menu items of note: Coffee jelly and custard pudding
My pick: Beef sukiyaki musubi with Japanese Koshihikari rice and chicken shiitake pilaf musubi

Manabu and Fumiyo Asaoka opened what was known as Mana Bu’s in 2008. If you’re looking for the OG musubi folks in Honolulu, they’re it—they literally wrote the book on musubi. Although they’ve explored third-party operators in the past, they returned to oversee operations in 2020 and increased the shop’s offerings and output. Mana Musubi is also the only musubi shop with staff in chef coats, which says all you need to know about these premium onigiri.

SEE ALSO: Best Fancy-Kine Spam Musubi: Our Top 5

Ma‘ona Musubi (closed)

Location: 921 Alakea St., Downtown; 1920 Ala Moana Blvd., Waikīkī; various farmers markets
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or sold out
Instagram: @maonamusubi, @maonamusushi_express
Musubi varieties: 30
Price range: $1.55 to $2.50 each
Specialty: Onigirazu (rice sandwiches)
Other menu items of note: Donburi rice bowls

Onigirazu are large, square musubi that resemble sandwiches, only they’re made with rice. Ma‘ona sells onigirazu by the half, so you can get a variety of flavors without committing to a full one. It’s perfect to pick up before heading to the office Downtown, or you can find them at the Kapi‘olani Community College, Kaka‘ako and Pearlridge farmers markets. In early October, they expanded to Waikīkī at Inn on the Park, where they sell a limited selection of onigirazu.

Musubi Café Iyasume

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Location: 6 locations (Ala Moana to Kāhala)
Hours: Vary by location
Instagram: @musubi_cafe_iyasume
Musubi varieties: Varies
Specialty: Spam musubi in dozens of variations from shiso and ume to deluxe versions with avocado, bacon and shrimp tempura
Other menu items of note: Bento, tonjiru pork belly miso soup, fried chicken
My pick: Shiso Spam musubi, chicken karaage mayo onigiri, shrimp tempura roll

Another OG in the musubi game, Musubi Café Iyasume is likely the shop everyone knows best. With up to seven locations at one time, it is pretty much where most people get their onigiri. What I love most about Iyasume isn’t that you can find them from Kāhala to Ala Moana, but that they have the most options, best prices and are fairly consistent across the board. When I work at the mall, they’re my first choice and I always get the same thing: a shiso Spam musubi, a chicken karaage mayo musubi, potato salad and an Aloha Maid Iced Tea.

SEE ALSO: Iyasume Makes Up to 23 Kinds of Spam Musubi

Musubistro (closed)

Location: 61-676 Kamehameha Highway, Hale‘iwa
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Instagram: @musubistro_
Musubi varieties: 3
Price range: $3 to $8 each
Specialty: Fresh-caught fish katsu musubi with teri sauce

Local, fresh-caught ‘ahi is filleted and turned into crispy blocks of katsu that Musubistro serves from a cute trailer outside Kawailoa Ranch. They also have the original Spam musubi, poke bowls and rotating specials. Truth be told, I haven’t had a chance to visit this musubi shop, but it’s first on my list the next time I’m in Hale‘iwa.

Palolo Factory pop-up at Fishcake (closed)

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Location: Fishcake, 307 Kamani St., Kaka‘ako
Hours: Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or sold out
Instagram: @palolofactory
Musubi varieties: 8
Price range: $4 each
Specialty: Made-to-order musubi and sets with side dishes
Other menu items of note: Side dishes like potato salad and gobo kimpira
My Pick: Portuguese sausage musubi and tuna mayo musubi

When Palolo Factory began popping up in Kaka‘ako earlier this year, I wished that Hikari Takahashi and Kevin Kuroda were accepting adoption applications so they could feed me every day. I was only half-joking; you can get the same experience every Saturday at Fishcake. Takahashi, a self-taught home cook, delicately prepares musubi to order along with a trio of side dishes and miso soup while Kuroda tends to each table. They often travel, so it’s best to check their Instagram for updated menus and schedules.

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

Paradise Poke

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Location: Nu‘uanu, Waikīkī, Pearl City, Hawai‘i Kai
Hours: Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to sold out, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to sold out
Instagram: @paradisepokehi
Musubi varieties: 8
Specialty: Salmon and ikura onigiri with crispy nori
Other menu items of note: Poke bowls, garlic shrimp plates and baked salmon
My pick: Goteborg musubi

There are two types of Paradise Poke customers: those who go for poke and plate lunches and the occasional boiled peanuts, and those who go straight for the morning onigiri. I’ve been both. Paradise is the slight exception to my criteria that these shops be musubi specialists—it lays out rows of onigiri every morning that are snatched up by folks on their way to work and school faster than you can say “poke.” This is also the only shop that serves onigiri with crispy nori, a huge standout if you ask me.

SEE ALSO: Garlic Shrimp, Musubi, Lemongrass Kalbi: There’s Way More than Fish at Paradise Poke

Pork Tamago Onigiri

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Location: Waikīkī Food Hall, 2301 Kalākaua Ave., Suite C311-C, Waikīkī
Hours: Monday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Instagram: @pork_tamago_onigiri
Musubi varieties: 8
Price range: $5 to $8 each
Specialty: Okinawa-style Spam and egg rice sandwiches
Other menu items of note: Miso soup
My pick: Double shrimp PoTama and goya tempura PoTama

Affectionately known as PoTama, Pork Tamago Onigiri is an Okinawa-based chain of musubi shops specializing in Spam, egg and rice foldover sandwiches—whether for efficiency or aesthetics, I’ll never know. But, I do know that these are freaking delicious, especially when the Spam is slathered with sweet abura miso paste or layered with bitter melon and katsuobushi flakes to make a play on goya champuru. I’ve been to PoTama shops in Okinawa and Fukuoka to compare, and their local cousins are just as good.

SEE ALSO: Waikiki Food Hall grand opens at Royal Hawaiian Center

Editor’s Note: Two weeks ago, Affordable Splurge featured Korea Garden’s $25 Lunch Specials. Here’s Honolulu’s other buzz Korean lunch special.

Photo: Mari Taketa

What: Lunch Special Set
Where: Hangang Korean Grill House
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily
Price: $25.95
Parking: Behind the restaurant; enter from Waimanu Street
Fullness factor: 11 out of 10

It’s a good sign when the table is too small. Hangang’s $25.95 lunch prix fixe covers even a generously sized table with a main dish, sides of bubbling chige soup and stone pot mixed rice set in a wooden stand, and 10 small plates of banchan. The Hangang lunch set has been around for a while, but for flavor, value and sheer volume, it still awes every time.

It begins with a bounty of banchan, each with a different flavor and texture: the house kim chee, crunchy bean sprouts, spinach sprinkled with sesame seeds, savory-sweet fish cake, braised potatoes and tteokbokki spicy stewed rice cakes. Daily assortments showcase different banchan. On one day, you might get tasty strips of beef and mushrooms simmered in soy; or pink shreds of pickled radish that serve as a pleasant palate cleanser. A pitcher of warm barley tea is set on the table to sip between bites.

Photo: Mari Taketa

The lunch set unfolds with a stone pot of mixed rice with beans and chunks of kabocha. It’s a yummy accompaniment to the assortment of banchan—but remember to scoop the rice from the middle to let the edges develop a crackly, toasty sear against the sides of the very hot pot. And pace yourself. Entrées and chige soups are on the way.

Your choices for these include a choice of soon dubu chige or soft tofu soup, kim chee chige or doenjang (Korean miso) chige. Entrée choices are kalbi, bulgogi, barbecue chicken, grilled saba or grilled yellow croaker.

When the soups make their appearance, there’s barely enough room on the table. We stir a raw egg into our soon dubu chige and spot clams and baby squid in the mix. The broth of the kim chee chige is tangy and rich with plenty of softly aged cabbage and pork, and the doenjang chige packs a light spice.

Photo: Mari Taketa

Finally, we crowd the banchan to the center as our main dishes arrive. The whole croaker, golden and perfectly grilled, is moist and well-seasoned. The pieces of bone-in kalbi are tender on a mound of white onions still sizzling on a cast-iron platter; they’re as satisfying and tasty as the fish.

Halfway through our entrées, we can’t eat another bite. Take this as a lesson and remember to pour some barley tea into your rice pot, let it soak a minute, then scoop some toasty rice porridge into your bowl before you get full. We get takeout boxes for our leftovers and realize there’s probably enough for another meal. Now that’s an affordable splurge.

Photo: Stacy Lee

Tips:

• If you’re not used to Korean chopsticks, each table has a drawer at one end with wooden chopsticks and extra napkins.
• If you want to explore items beyond the lunch specials, try the kalbi jjim or braised kalbi, a mix of short ribs braised with vegetables, off the à la carte menu. If you prefer seafood, try the seafood and green onion pajeon pancake for a crispy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside yumminess. There is also a $25.95 cold noodle and spicy pork combo that, while delicious, isn’t as spicy as you think.
• The restaurant can get quite busy during peak lunch hour, but if you need something, there’s a call button at every table. Service is friendly, so sit back and have more banchan while you wait.
• Hangang takes lunch reservations, but only for parties of 4 or more.

1236 Waimanu St., (808) 200-1114, @hanganghi

SEE ALSO:

Affordable Splurge: Korea Garden’s $25 Lunch Specials
Affordable Splurge: Suntory’s $26 Kama‘āina Lunch Special
Affordable Splurge: Basalt’s $50 3-Course Prix Fixe

Editor’s note: Since Frolic’s post ran, we got word—and subsequently confirmed—that Foodland has decided to extend this weekend brunch indefinitely.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

I perked up when Foodland emailed about a limited-run holiday brunch buffet. First, it’s in Eleven, the cocktail bar tucked at the back of Foodland Farms Ala Moana; and second, it’s all you can eat for $35 per person ($16 for keiki). And because it’s at Eleven, I knew there would be holiday-themed cocktails even before I made a reservation.

Strolling in past the cash registers, you are welcomed by a host at the door who leads you inside. Normally it’s dim, since the bar only opens in the evenings for drinks and snacks, but today, it’s filled with indirect sunlight. This weekend brunch is the first daytime use of the space, a smart move if you ask me.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Start by ordering a seasonal cocktail. The Chai Spice Cold Brew ($7) is deceptively large in its brandy snifter and can be spiked with Blackpool Spiced Rum ($15). The Peppermint Bark ($14) is like a smooth, liquefied Andes Mint with a yummy peppermint bark garnish. There’s also a refreshing Pomegranate Mimosa ($13) with Nino Franco prosecco and a splash of bergamot liqueur, and a Cinnamon Toddy ($13) that warms you from the inside out. If these aren’t what you’re looking for, I think you can also ask to see the bar’s full cocktail menu.

Peppermint Bark cocktail. Photo: Thomas Obungen

Now for the buffet: The central bar becomes a buffet line loaded with pastries and salads at one end and warm dishes at the other. A separate self-serve soup station with Kabocha Coconut Curry is near the bartender’s well. Start with miniature Nutella croissants, bacon and chive scones and nut bars before adding on scoops of fuyu persimmon and dried date salad. It’s all about balance, right?

SEE ALSO: Texas de Brazil Brings a Meaty New AYCE to Ala Moana Center

The food doesn’t hit you over the head with holiday vibes like the cocktails do. Instead, it nudges you with autumn and winter flavors. The liliko‘i caramel-laced sweet bread French toast and breakfast scramble with lup cheong sausage are easy starters. Choice proteins include the braised slab bacon with mustard seeds, ginger and cinnamon and the Asian-style sticky short ribs, which are fall-apart tender and pair nicely with the jasmine garlic rice.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

This is likely the chillest brunch buffet I’ve ever tried. Sure, it lacks action stations and chilled seafood (you know where to find those), but you’re not standing in line after line with people competing for the same food. For the relaxed pace and solid food options, I cannot recommend it enough. Most brunch spots in town are a la carte, and $35 would get you an entrée and part of a shared appetizer. And it’s hard to find a good AYCE brunch option for under $90. At Eleven, you can go up as many times as you like, and it’s a good value.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

But that’s not all: Before you ask for the check, a server will come around with a tray holding a rotating tart selection. Choices include Liliko‘i Curd, Chocolate Pecan, Apple Tarte Tartin and a Chocolate Ganache and Candy Cane.

Because Eleven is at the back of a grocery store, you might as well get your weekly shopping done while you’re here. Plus, you can walk off all the brunch dishes you just indulged in, at least a little.

Weekend brunch runs every Saturday and Sunday until Dec. 31. If this initial run proves to be successful, Foodland says it will continue the brunch buffet with dishes that rotate monthly.

Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through Dec. 31, 2023, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd, (808) 949-2990, elevenhnl.com, @eleven.hnl